tRoA

by demonicgallade

listen (up to 221)

The Reincarnation of Alysara [Progression LitRPG]

by Comiak

Original ONGOING LitRPG Portal Fantasy / Isekai Progression Strategy Non-Human Lead Action Adventure Fantasy Female Lead Magic Reincarnation Slice of Life Strong Lead

Warning This fiction contains: Profanity

After being reincarnated as a busty fox-like race in a fantasy world filled with magic and mysteries Alysara finds herself blinded after reaching too far for something she should not have. Now she must train her ability to sense the mana around her and discover what mana and magic really is to see.

Prologue: Legacy

Stars twinkle around me like a cloud of tiny shining jewels. They appear and disappear, growing dim and eventually winking out of existence only for new stars to appear elsewhere. They are a dark red in color but, looking around, I see a small collection of them with a faint grey tinge. This greyness seems to be contagious, slowly spreading to nearby stars.

I continue watching the stars in fascination; they become redder in color with each generation. The grey moves from star to star, somehow coexisting with them; at least, it doesn't seem like a sickness. In fact, it seems to extend the longevity of the stars. Questions whirl around my mind. What is this place? What are these 'stars'? And so many more. I can't move, I can't wave my arms, I can only watch, and that's what I do.

I keep watching the stars around me. I watch, and watch, for eternity, and many eternities after that. Time seems to have no meaning here, yet causality is moving forward as the stars, now a bright red, are turning orange. I feel deep drowsiness as if my very existence is tired and slow like I have stayed up all night, yet I cannot stop watching. The longer I spend in this... void, the more I feel my very existence start to slumber: my memories fade, not forgotten, but it's as if they are just falling asleep.

The stars are changing from orange-yellow, to yellow, then onto yellow-green, and all the while the grey spreads faster and faster until all stars have been claimed. Each star that is born is almost instantly claimed, the grey somehow delaying the death of the stars for so long now that they seem less like a cloud and more like a blanket wrapped around me.

My consciousness starts drifting in and out of dormancy, wrapped by this blanket of stars; however, with the last of my consciousness, I spot a hole in the ever-thickening blanket of stars. The void widens as the stars start to quickly fade one by one... no, they aren't fading, they are being killed; something is destroying the stars and the grey inhabiting them. The void widens faster and faster, destroying all that the grey had worked for. I try to stay conscious but it's useless; I fall into dormancy, waking up to find the void has grown significantly.

Each time I fade into dormancy and wake back up, I find ever fewer stars until an all-consuming void is all that greets me. No matter how hard I look, all I see is just darkness, an endless sea of nothing, an empty eternity. With a feeling of hollow loneliness, I finally resign myself to slumber.

A tinkling bell sounds in my mind, but I do not awaken. Again and again, it tinkles like wind chimes, a soothing melody through the darkness. Suddenly I feel a vast presence, a formless, invisible thing that somehow brings with it a sense of both serenity and curiosity.. The presence evokes the feeling of gazing upon the vast beauty of the stars in the sky, the serenity of a wintery landscape, the beauty of a waterfall; it is the holistic, complete embodiment of the concept of beauty. But there is another side to it as well: the energizing feeling of inspiration, the fulfilling feeling of creating something, emotions of creation made manifest.

I feel a prodding sensation, an uncomfortable jabbing. I am rudely jostled and moved, yet waking up feels like trying to move through tar.

Soon the jabbing, prodding, and jostling stops, but the chimes remain ever ringing in my mind. For a long time, I sleep, listening to the chimes. Then out of nowhere, I am shocked! A zapping electrical feeling shoots throughout my very essence. Awareness suddenly fills me, and once again, stars flicker all around me, along with colorful wispy clouds, like nebulae slowly swirling. The stars shine with multiple colors, like each has a rainbow captured within.

Where am I? It feels like I've seen something like this before, me being in a void with stars all around me, but I can't bring up my memories.

"Welcome, lost legacy. I am Myrou, Goddess of creativity and beauty," a feminine voice, that seems to echo around the void, says. If a voice could give hugs, then hers would be the closest thing. Her voice wraps around me with a warm and oddly beautiful feeling, like a mother's affectionate embrace. "I am sure you are confused and have a lot of questions, but there will be a time for that."

I nod; there is no need to anger the deity and risk her wrath.

A giggle echoes around me, like a wave gently washing ashore under a moonlit night with the air still and serene as if time has stopped. "No need to be afraid; it's not often a soul as old as yours drifts into my realm."

"A soul as old as mine?" I wonder aloud. I try to think back, but it feels like trying to prod awake a stubborn sleepyhead. It almost feels as if whatever I am looking for said, "gimme five more minutes..."

"Don't push it," The Goddess says, her voice sounding like a well-crafted and polished gem. "Your memories, and who you used to be, have been dormant for a really long time; give it a while, and it will slowly reawaken. You see, your soul is from an era long before gods and magic, from a realm that has long since ended; you are what we call a Legacy Soul." Noticing my confusion, she clarifies. "Hmm, how to make more sense... you are kinda like a fossil, a soul fossil, from a time so far in the past that millions of realms have come and gone, potentially hundreds of millions. Legacies are extremely rare – to have survived oblivion over such a long time is not an easy thing – but with the number of souls present through all the realms some would inevitably survive. However, we've never found one as old as you... until now, obviously."

I still don't know what she is talking about.

{This story is only officially posted to my , and and if you are reading this on another site then it's not an official}

"Ah well, I tried. You'll know what I'm talking about eventually once your memories come back." With a voice that sounds like a serene lake reflecting a full moon on its surface, the Goddess gives up trying to make me understand.

"How do you know I am a legacy? Can't I just be a normal soul?" I ask. No sound comes out, but the Goddess knows what I said nonetheless.

"Your soul is completely untouched by magic, but it's even more than that, it's... how do I explain this... exotic? The realm your soul manifested in leaves an... impression on you, a marker. But your soul is almost completely unmarked. Our studies of realms and current theories suggest your soul is not only from a very young realm but from one of the earliest realms. The evolution of realms has gone very far in that time."

"Evolution of realms? What is it? How does that work?" I'm sure it's something I know, but I just can't remember.

"Hmm. It's best to answer these questions once your memories have returned." The Goddess mutters, almost to herself. "In any case! You're unique, and we want to know more about where you came from."

"I am surprised you didn't treat me as some research subject if I really am that special," I say, my respect for the Goddess growing.

"Oh, we did; it was such an opportunity to learn more about souls. But now we want to know more about what's in your soul, your memories and experiences, and we can't risk ripping them out of you. Souls are surprisingly fragile, yours more so in this regard. So we just need to wait until they fully reawaken."

If I could eye the deity suspiciously, I would, but as it stands, the Goddess hasn't manifested herself, nor do I seem to have a body.

"We aren't going to harm you; we just want to know what one of the first-ever realms was like; it is very important for our studies." The voice sounds almost excited, still seeming to wrap around me with its huggy nature.

"How about this: I'll give you a boon, and you will let us examine your memories and experiences. From what we know about other legacies, it'll take about twenty years for all your memories to fully resurface." The Goddess compromises.

I consider her offer for a long time, trying to think how it benefits me, but being the Goddess of beauty and creativity, surely she has something good, right? "Very well," I say with a sigh of resignation. I don't like the idea of my memories being examined, but as long as nothing bad happens to me and I get a boon out of it, I might as well.

"Excellent!" streams of light suddenly swirl around me before condensing in front of me, taking the shape of a gorgeous woman, nay, an impossibly beautiful woman. As if she is the very manifestation of beauty and creativity; reality around her shimmers and twinkles beautifully with the vastness of the cloudless and starry night sky. She has long, flowing, golden, silky hair, flawless pale skin, and eyes like deep emeralds. Her robes are like a flowing river of a deep and rich blue with a marbling of lighter blue. Surprisingly, she is massive, like a giant; either that or I am just tiny, small enough to fit in the palms of her hands. Nope, I actually am in the palms of her cupped hands; when did that happen?

"I shall give you the gift of beauty. May you use it well!" The Goddess says, and suddenly I feel a connection, not quite to her, but to the very concept of beauty itself.

"Gift of beauty? What does that exactly do? Shouldn't I get something that'll help me survive? What happens if I die again?" I ask question after question, now knowing this Goddess won't do anything to me.

"One at a time, please," Myrou says with a sigh. "You'll see what it does; it's better if you figure it out for yourself, but do know that it will help you survive, not that I plan to toss you in a place that has a high risk of killing you in the first place. If you die, you'll just be reincarnated naturally. If by some accident or unforeseen event you die before you regain your memories... well, we can't let those be washed away – not that it is likely to do so anyway with the tiers your soul has – so we'll intervene and reincarnate you with your memories attached again just to be sure they remain whole."

"In other words, once you have what you want from me, I'm on my own?" I clarify.

"Yup!" Myrou smiles beautifully, like gazing upon a city from the top of a mountain at night.

"I don't suppose you'll tell me anything about where I'm going? It'll help getting a heads-up," I say, trying to get as much as I can.

"First, you don't have a head as you currently are." The Goddess grins at her own joke. "Second, it's a surprise! Anything else you want to ask before you move on?"

"Why don't you just keep me here? If it'll take twenty years, this is the safest and most controlled situation for you," I can't help but ask.

"That's a fair question. The reason is because your soul will just go back to sleep. You need a vessel to properly reawaken."

"Whelp, I guess I'm out of questions now."

"Good, now where should I send you? Hmmm, nope, that place is too rough," Myrou says, considering a distant star before looking at another. "Normally a good place, but right now they are dealing with extensive civil wars, not good timing. Oh, that place is being overrun with ice elementals and winter spirits, a hard pass there. Aha! Found the perfect place, no wars, no predators, and the natives won't be starving." The Goddess looks from star to star before settling on a winking star. "Hmm, that's... interesting; I didn't expect a race like that to evolve in such a way. Ah well, it's the best candidate, and, as a bonus, they worship me! Off you go!"

Myrou draws me back, and, taking a pose with a raised leg, she literally throws me toward the star. Looking back, I see another being manifest next to Myrou. A being like an old library, a freshly made scroll, a professor, the very concept of knowledge and wisdom. It takes the form of an old man with a long white beard reaching the length of his knees. He wears a large pointed hat and black robes with red trim.

"That was sneaky of you, Venaro," Myrou said, in a vaguely accusatory tone.

"Might as well give it the best chance it can get.'' Venaro strokes his beard. The two giants are getting smaller as I fly away.

"You're up to something, and I don't like it." Her voice fades quickly the further I fly away.

"You'll see, hohoho," Venaro laughs, the sound carrying the echoes of great tomes slamming closed.

The star slowly grows bigger and bigger as I approach until white light is all that I see; then, suddenly, I am embraced in a warm and inviting darkness, and soon I fall asleep.

Chapter 1: A baby again.

I wake up with darkness wrapped me like a warm, inviting blanket. It's a little too tight, so I try to push back, but my strength quickly fails, and I fall asleep again, exhausted. This happens a few more times before I'm jolted awake by a tight, constricting sensation around me, forcing me through a small tunnel. Again and again, the darkness pushes down on me until I have gone entirely through the tunnel. With the sudden release of pressure, I gasp and feel something wrap around me, and my face is wiped like someone is trying to clean me.

I open my eyes to see the face of a giant. She's beautiful, with long royal blue hair and large fox-like ears on her head. The ears resemble those of a serval or fennec fox, in size proportional to their head. I'm not entirely sure what servals or fennec foxes are, but thinking about them brings up images of furry creatures. I should know what they are, but for some reason, all I know are the images of them.

Before I can examine the giant woman further, I'm passed to another woman. Her features seem to match that of the first woman, with the same royal blue hair. I notice how soft-looking and well-cared-for the hair is, now that I'm not being jostled around. She also has those ears, with fluffy tufts at the top; they look so soft that I try to reach out to them, but her large ears are too far away.

This woman smiles, her watery blue eyes looking down at me with what I think is motherly love. The two women look similar – sisters, maybe? Same hair and eye color, similar faces, no doubt they are related.

Squeals of delight echo around me, and more faces appear in my vision. It seems they are gushing over me, talking in high-pitched voices and cooing at me. I refocus on my mother, or at least I assume that's what she is… but doesn't this mean I've been reborn? Shouldn't it just be born, not reborn? No, reborn sounds right.

Mother appears a little strained, like she has over-exerted herself, but she hugs me to her… holy cow! Her bosom is prestigious, to put it politely. She opens her dress and pops one of them out, bringing my face close. Instinct takes over, and soon a rich, creamy ambrosia fills my mouth.

After having my fill, sleep quickly takes me, even as I try to resist it.

When I next awake, the first thing I notice is the wooden ceiling. I examine the wood, trying to identify it. It honestly looks more like a cream-colored meaty bamboo than wood, although at the same time, it isn't quite like bamboo either. I'm not sure how I know what bamboo is… well, I don't really know it, but it just feels right. Abandoning that mystery for now, I continue looking around. Everything seems to be made of the same bamboo-wood whatchamacallit. Bamwood? Sounds like an infomercial product. Wooboo? No, just… no. Amood? I'm really bad at this.

Anyway, I seem to be in some sort of cage… crib… thing… for my peace of mind, I'm going to hope it's a crib. At least I have a soft cream-colored blanket. I sigh. Welp, guess I'm going to get intimate with boredom. Hang on, why is my vision filled with floating, colorful orbs? And why am I covered in them? They look pretty, but is there something wrong with my vision?

Uh-oh, there's definitely something wrong, but it seems related to how much I drank earlier. My bowels are moving, getting ever closer to a really bad time. I wail as loudly as I can with that breath I can muster.

"WAAAAHHH!"

O, mine Mother or Father, perhaps caretaker, I summon thee to aid me in my time of great need. Heed my call, let mine beckoning guide your way to mine domain!

Like welcoming thunder, I hear loud footsteps coming closer. My wail seems to have scared off the glowing orbs as they slowly float away like drifting jellyfish.

The blue-haired woman, probably my mother, comes into the room and picks me up, holding me close to her, shushing me… and bouncing me. Oh god, please don't bounce me – it's going to make it worse… Too late. The smell of a freshly made mess is as good a signal as ever to change my blanket... and my mom's shirt.

After that, Mom carries me around for some time, giving me enough opportunity to use her height to see better. I manage to get a good look at our house... hut. The hut isn't that big. Instead of rooms, there are curtains to section off the hut. It's round, with a mostly flat roof, as far as I can tell, anyway.

The curtains are made of the same soft stuff as my blanket, with decorative embroidery. There's a bed next to my crib that I didn't see before, which looks like it's for my parents. It, too, has that cream-colored cloth, but this seems to have also been embroidered with decorative patterns and dyed for different coloring.

Mom is wearing a skimpy dress, again, made from the same cloth material as everything else and embroidered fashionably. The dress comes in several electric blue parts; a revealing bra with frills and ribbons, armlets on both her upper arms and forearms with ribbons attached, and a skirt that doesn't quite reach her knees. Her flat navel is bare and showing a light tan and healthy skin. Lastly, Mom has an emerald amulet around her neck and several earrings on her large ears.

Mom carries me out of the hut and into the open world. The scene almost takes my breath away! Thousands of floating, glowing orbs of all colors, dancing rainbow auroras all congregating at a point in the sky and falling down like a beautiful waterfall onto a gargantuan Mayan-style stepped pyramid with flames licking the stepped sections next to the stairs. A massive European sapphire-blue dragon is flying in the cloud-spotted sky.

Three massive moons hang in the sky. One, which is largest and seemingly closest, is red with ashen clouds, its dark side glowing with fires and lava. The second is a watery blue moon dotted with white and grey clouds. The last is a green moon halfway hiding behind the red moon, sparsely covered with clouds.

Looking around, I see that we're next to an island with tall shoots of the 'bamboo trees'. They don't have branches, but have long growths sprouting from their tops that droop down, weighted by large watermelon-sized fruits.

The street is covered with planks, expertly milled and tightly jointed to each other, leaving no gap. Decorative etchings are engraved into the street, and many people walk around barefoot. The place is kept clean and in good condition. Our hut is built next to the edge of the village, letting me see the distant mountains encircling us, separated by a sea with steam rising from its surface. I can easily see the seafloor under the shallow steaming waters, where colorful corals and crab-like clams walk around with long legs, fighting other crab-clams with large claws.

We're currently on a jetty with many huts around, but further into the city, there appear to be actual houses and some two- and even three-story houses. It appears this is a jetty village, a village built on the water using piers.

Mom walks to a destination unknown to me, passing by many people who greet her in a friendly manner. They wear dresses similar to her, but in different colors, and their hair is vibrant and colorful with green, red, orange, violet, pink, blue, and more. Also, does everyone seem to have long, amazing hair, or is it just me?

Some of them walk up to me and spout baby-talk, all women. Some are really tall; actually, roughly half of the women are easily a head taller than Mom; while the other half are around her height… odd.

Where are all the men? There's not a single one in sight. Just colorful-haired, fluffy-eared, and long—, really long-fluffy-tailed women. Seriously, those tails are big. Almost as long as they are tall, maybe a head shorter. They have to curl up their tails, so as not to drag on the ground.

Do I also have a long tail and ears like those? I reach up to feel my ears, and a heavenly soft sensation greets my hands. Yup, they're pretty large and heavenly soft. The watching women "daww" as I grab my ears, just like one would "daww" at a cute kitten.

All the women here seem gorgeous; tall and short, large-chested, and…larger-chested. Hmm, all the women seem to have been blessed by the boob goddess or something. Some even beat Mom's size, and I'd have thought that as an achievement, but here she seems average.

We walk past many baths— why are there so many baths? The baths are open-air, built right next to the streets with baskets for clothes and clay jugs on the side. The baths are built so they are partially under the steaming seawater, with gaps to let water in. It's pretty impressive that an entire sea is hot enough to be nearly boiling; there must be a ton of geothermal heating right underneath… Oh…shit… Are we in the caldera of a massive volcano?! I don't seem bothered by the humidity or warmth, but whatever a caldera is, I have a bad feeling about it.

Again, strange concepts flitter into my mind, concepts I can understand yet not know what they are. I don't know what geothermal heating is, but I know it has something to do with the nearly boiling sea.

Welp, volcano or not, good or bad, I'm here, and I can't change it yet. I just hope we survive long enough— Magic, of course. The volcano won't do bad things because magic exists, right? I mean, who would be dumb enough to live inside the caldera of a volcano if they can't prevent an eruption?

God, this is weird. I don't know what a volcano is, but somehow I know it? My memories are dormant but not forgotten? There, but not accessible? I'm not gonna bother wasting my brainpower on it, just gonna roll with it.

Mom stops in front of a large hut. There are many of those gem-pearls around, decorating the hut. We enter, greeted with the sight of dozens of women working on shaping gem-pearls. Some grind them down, some cut the gems into multiple workable pieces, and others polish the gems. A tall, impressively fit-looking woman is inspecting their work, along with an even more important-looking woman standing next to the former.

Mom walks up to the tall inspector and says something that I don't understand. She hands me to her, entrusting me to the fit woman. Getting a closer look, the tall woman has long braided white hair with red gem dust sprinkled over her face and hair, making it look like she has glitter on her. Her beautiful red eyes gaze at me as she holds me close to her generous but smaller-than-average bosom – and by average, I meant average for this place.

She coos over me, pats my head and says something in a babying voice. Really helping me learn the language there; like, seriously, if I didn't know better I'd have thought baby talk was normal!

We soon leave the place, letting the white-haired woman return to her work, and travel to one of the bathing areas. It's off the main road, down a side road, and on the right. There are no walls, no changing rooms, just an open area for all to see, and anyone walking by can get an eyeful. Is it like this because there are no men around? In the baths, I see some women combing and oiling their long hair. Oil is also being rubbed on their skin. Is that why these women are so beautiful and have such lustrous hair? Is magic involved?

Mom begins stripping off her dress – yup, right in front of everyone – and is somehow juggling me while not jostling me around too much. She puts her dress in a basket next to the bathing area, then unwraps me from my blanket and puts that in her basket as well. Crime must not really be a thing here, if you can trust your possessions to any passersby.

Mom walks into the water and other women gather around, babying me and questioning Mom. I'm really starting to get tired of this… and this is just day one! A few minutes pass, all but two of the women disperse, and Mom sits further down in the water. She gingerly dips me into the hot waters and sloshes water over me while her hair is being combed by another woman. As the baths lower into the seawater, I expect the water to taste salty, but it's actually fresh. A sea of fresh water?

The two women talk as we wash. Another woman brings a clay jug and sits beside Mom. Mom thanks her – or I assume that's what she meant, it's just one sound – and pours a small amount of oil into her hand. She rubs some on me, the oil smelling fruity and citrusy, like apples and lemons and…something else? Hard to tell. The other woman also oils herself and Mom, combing it into her hair and rubbing it on her legs.

I never liked the oily feeling. Oh! A past experience makes itself known – it's always been technical stuff before now, and I still don't know anything, but it's there somewhere within my headspace – or soulspace? Anyway, with this many bathing areas in the town and access to volcano water, bathing must be a daily thing.

After washing up and oiling down, we soak in the waters, Mom splashing more water over me as the other woman takes an empty jug, fills it with water and pours it over Mom and herself. Oddly, I feel less and less oily – are the oils emulsifying in the water? No, it isn't bubbling, but my body definitely feels less slippery.

After rinsing off the oils, Mom begins nursing me. These people are very open, so I don't know why I'm surprised by this. Once we finish taking our sweet time in the baths, we get dressed, me being wrapped up in my blanket. We walk over to the docks, where many canoe-like boats are docked. None of them have sails, but instead have oars attached to the sides.

The boats are made from the creamy-colored bamboo wood and well decorated. Many have nets on the sides, probably to hold fish or those crab-clams or whatever. More boats are out on the waters, and some even have people diving beneath the water with baskets and coming out with stuff. I'm too far away to see them clearly, though I can see pretty far now that I think about it; I have pretty good eyesight, for whatever reason.

The other islands also have jetty villages attached to the sides. I suppose with the limited land, they simply do all the farming on land and build off to the side. Speaking of which, all the islands are covered in unusually straight trees, like really thick bamboo stalks, except the Temple Island, if I remember correctly, but I can't see that one from here. But why trees? No crops? Surely there are crops, where else do you get your greens?

Hmm?

Mom seems to be saying something to me and pointing at what I'm looking at. I'm not sure what she's saying, but at least she isn't baby-talking to me. More people come and go, doing the usual greeting and wanting to see me. I still haven't seen any men around. Maybe there's a men's village? Wait, am I female? Or just too young to be at the men's island?

After some time, we go back to our hut, and now I'm back to staring at the ceiling. The ceiling is flat, but the roofs are tapered. That means we have an attic, right? Welp – boredom time again. Boredom sucks. What to do? Bug mom for attention? Oh god, now I know why babies cry so much— no, I don't want to be like that. I'll make do with my imagination and review what I've learned today.

One. We're probably in a giant volcano.

Two. Dragons are nice? I saw one flying around, and no one panicked, so I'm guessing they're good guys.

Three. We're island people. That means a lot of seafood.

Four. These people like to bathe and seem to have skin- and hair-care products.

Five. No men around. Could we be this world's version of amazons? Kidnap men from other places and all that? Hmm, dunno.

Six. There are auroras. Hmm. Magic leylines? Oh! That could be it! Either that or we're near one of the poles and live in a volcano because it's warm. But I don't think auroras intersect like that, nor do they spill downward like a waterfall. I'm betting on Ley Lines, which means we're near a place of power.

If there's a place of power nearby, that means there's magic, so maybe if I open myself up to the energies, I can learn how to do magic? That's sometimes how it's done in stories... How do I know but not know these things? It's seriously bugging me.

Anyway, I close my eyes, trying to feel…something. Something I've never felt before… Nothing. Well, there's a tingle in my fingers, but that's probably because my arm fell asleep. Welp, worth a try. But maybe I'm not doing it, right? Let's see… Magic often involves thought or imagination. Perhaps I need to clear my mind?

I clear my thoughts, banishing all emotions and distractions, washing them away in an imaginary river – there's nothing except me and the energies of this world. Well, my head's starting to hurt… is that a good sign? Other than a mild headache, I'm not getting anything. I don't know how long I've been doing this, but it feels like some time has passed. Hmm. If not body and mind, then perhaps soul? I really have no clue how all these things work; I'm just hoping it'll be painless. Here goes nothing!

For the next I-don't-know-how-long, I lay there, motionless. I may have fallen asleep once or twice during my meditation. I guess being carried around for a few hours is tiring work. I wake up with my tail in my arms, and I guess I'm using it as a hug pillow. I try moving it away, but something stops me from removing such a soft and whole thing out of my embrace. Why does my tail have to be so heavenly? Also, is it me, or is my tail proportionally longer to me than the womens' are to them?

I refocus on the most inner part of myself: my core, my existence. This! This might just be it. I can feel something, a pressure— no, a wall. I need to get past this wall. Just as I make a breakthrough, I feel myself being picked up. I try to squirm in protest, but what can a baby do? I open my eyes to see Mom looking down at me with a smile and warm blue eyes, her face framed by her royal blue hair.

She opens her dress to nurse me. Just then, I feel the empty pit in my stomach. I'm not exactly hungry, but I'm peckish. Mom says something to me, but it's not like I can understand her anyway, so I just drink my dinner in silent frustration. The white-haired lady from the gem cutters is also here, talking with Mom, and after I have my dinner, Mom passes me off to her.

Along with the white-haired woman, we return to the town…village…or whatever. It's dusk now, and I'm pretty sure it was morning when we were last out – was I really meditating/sleeping that long? After being stopped many times by people asking to see me, Mom enters a house with a long counter. Mom sets a large clay jug on the counter and says something. The clerk lady says something in response and moves behind a door. She comes out with a fairly sizable block of cheese and round coin-shaped rubies. Are gems so common that they're used as coins?!

Anyway, we leave the cheese store and visit other stores. Mom gets a clam with crab-like pincers and legs, meat for dinner, i suppose – no fish, though – and some dried fruit chips. We return to our hut to drop off the groceries, then leave again. All the while, we're hounded by people… okay, it isn't that bad, but all the baby talk may just make me vomit.

We enter a large stony area carved out from an offshore rock, where a large bonfire has been lit. People deftly dance around the fire to the beat of drums and other stringed instruments. Mom sways with the music, humming and occasionally patting my head with a smile.

After the dancing comes what I think is story time: everyone gathers around one person while she speaks, sometimes dramatically or humorously. Then the next person comes up and tells their story. This one speaks in such a way as to tell an epic, but it must have something to do with the gods as I hear Myrou's name many times. Next, someone comes up and sings. Her voice is well-practiced and beautiful.

After a few singers, a pink-haired young woman comes up with a giant, featureless wooden statue, smiling nervously. She wears the same type of dress as everyone else. The figure is humanoid and female, with a simple representative dress, but what surprises me the most is that the goddess Myrou is projected onto it… at least I think that until the projection winks at me – no one else seems to have noticed that, though. Everyone cheers and congratulates the sculptor, who looks bashful and titters.

Then comes the time when Mom steps in front of everyone to show me off, the newest addition to the village. People compliment Mom or me, I'm not sure, and soon enough, Mom leaves the stage with me.

By the time the traditions are done, the moons are high in the sky, and everyone trails to a large communal bathing area, where everyone bathes in the waters, oils down, and soaks. People talk, complain, and congratulate one another. This bathing area has another statue of the goddess: a naked, featureless statue of a woman holding a clay jug with water pouring out of it. Myrou's projection on it smiles warmly at me without shifting from her pose. It seems like no one else has noticed the slight twitch of her lips.

After the bonfire party, we return to our hut, but someone else joins us. It's the tall white-haired woman – why is she here? Welp, I don't know the circumstances, so I'm just gonna konk out now.

Chapter 2: The System

The next day I wake up as the white-haired woman leaves saying something to Mom. I can't see what's going on as they are behind a curtain, but as soon as she leaves the hut, Mom walks in, her long royal blue hair fluttering behind her. She smiles upon seeing me, her blue eyes softening. Dangit! I was hoping to get some meditation in and hopefully figure something out; I want to sense mana if that's at all possible. Mom nurses me before taking me out again.

Mom walks through the village, and while we do get a lot of people wanting to see me, it isn't as bad as yesterday. We stop at a bath where the white-haired roommate is and join her. Mom snuggles up next to her while still holding me; seeing the height difference, Mom is easily a head shorter. Mom holds me close to both of them, and they seem to be purring—I didn't know we can do that. Hmm, they seem a little too close to be just roommates; are they perhaps lovers?

After bathing, we part ways, and Mom takes me to the island walking through the well-decorated village. I haven't noticed it too much the first time through, since we kept getting interrupted by everyone, but everything seems to be decorated in some way, usually with appealing artistry and designs.

We pass a large building with huge tubs of watermelon-sized fruit. They are sort of colored like mangoes, but they smell citrusy and fruity. A strong smell of the bathing oil — which seems to concentrate the natural scent of the fruit — emanates from that building. There's another smaller fruit-processing building next to it that seems like an afterthought with a lot less fruit in its bins.

Mom talks to me, pointing at the buildings.

Umm, Mom, I can't understand you. Well, I can guess that she is telling me about those buildings, but without knowing what the words mean, I can't get anything useful out of it.

We walk into the island proper and are greeted with rows and rows of fruit-bearing bamboo trees. Huge leaves cover the canopy, and long stems sprout from the top of these weird bamboo trees, weighed down by clusters of melon-sized fruits. Workers are busy plucking the fruits from ladders and putting them in large and tall baskets. We walk through the orchard, Mom humming to me. Looking around, I see more-than-usual green glowing orbs floating around and clustering around bamboo trees.

Mom takes me to the sandy beach where a refreshing breeze blows the air isn't salty since the sea is fresh water. One of the small crab-clams skitters away from Mom as she approaches. She continues to talk to me as she walks leisurely on the island.

After walking around the island for a bit, we return to the village and back to our hut. I'm put back into the crib while Mom moves to another room to do whatever she does.

I take this chance to meditate to try and learn magic or something. I focus on opening my soul but only manage to sense the wall preventing me from doing so. I push against the wall, but it doesn't even budge. Hmm, maybe I'm going about this all wrong. Why is there even a wall here? What do walls do? They keep things out, or inside, So what is this wall keeping out? I'm probably going to regret it, but I kinda want to know. Ah, well, not like a baby like me can do anything about it.

Maybe if I try to actively feel the magical energies instead of feeling them passively, I can sense mana—isn't that how it's done in stories? And if I can sense mana, I may learn how to use magic!

I slowly open my mind again, clearing all distractions. I focus on expanding my awareness feeling for the magical energies, mana, or whatever it is called. My whole body begins to tingle, but instead of stopping, I focus on pushing that feeling outward, millimeter by millimeter. Suddenly, a wealth of information assaults my mind, along with several bell-like sounds. Pressure like the bottom of the ocean presses against my mind. It's too much. I immediately retract my mind as a headache pierces my brain like a hot needle.

I cry out in pain, and in a rush, Mom arrives and picks me up, trying to calm me and looking me over to see if I'm hurt. She says something, but my head hurts too much for me to listen. Mom tries all sorts of things to see what's wrong, and eventually, she settles on holding me tightly and gently patting my head while purring to soothe me.

Eventually, my headache becomes bearable, and I quiet down. Mom sighs in relief and takes us out to bathe. Mom probably complains to the other women, but I don't care... I focus on what has happened but get surprised when words float into my mind's eye.

Ting! You have gained the Sense Mana general skill!

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained levels 2-3!

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 10.

1st Breakthrough: You have sensed an overwhelming pressure of mana, letting you sense mana in such quantities and better see slight difference in mana levels.

Ting! You have gained the Pain Tolerance general skill.

Pain Tolerance: You have been subjected to high pain; this will help you tolerate such pain again.

Why am I not surprised by this? I should be, but it's like I've read something like this before, but now I think I know what happened. I live right on or next to a place of power, so the mana density here must be insanely high. Trying to sense mana here would be like staring at the sun, which is why it hurt. It also seems like the skill stops leveling after some time, and you need to prove yourself or accomplish some sort of achievement to progress further—sensing such dense mana is probably enough to meet that requirement.

If there are skills, then maybe this should work?

I focus on bringing up my stat sheet, and sure enough, information appears in my mind's eye. I don't know why I knew this would work, but It just felt like it should.

Name: Alysara

Sex: Female

Age: 0

Race: Runalymo (Adept)

Race Trait 1: Mana Generation

Race Trait 2: Spirit Sight

Race Trait 3: Nutritional Milk

Race Trait 4: Heightened Senses

Race Trait 5: Mana Sustenance

Race Trait 6: Runalymo's Cleanliness

Race Trait 7: Perfectionists Eye

Race Trait 8: Nexus Adaptation

Race Trait 9: Inspirational Greatness

Race Trait 10: Myrou's Children

Class:

Active Skill 1:

Active Skill 2:

Active Skill 3:

Active Skill 4:

Active Skill 5:

Passive Skill 1:

Passive Skill 2:

Passive Skill 3:

Passive Skill 4:

Passive Skill 5:

Bond - Beauty: Level 1

General Skill 1: Sense Mana 3/20

General Skill 2: Pain Tolerance 1/10

General Skill 3:

General Skill 4:

General Skill 5:

General Skill 6:

General Skill 7:

General Skill 8:

General Skill 9:

General Skill 10:

Mana: 200

Mana Regeneration (/hour): 200 (+200)

Vitality: 100

Strength: 9

Agility: 12

Endurance: 10

Intelligence: 32

Wisdom: 28

Charisma: 20

So I'm female, and my name is Alysara. Good to know. So, what do my Race Skills do?

Mana Generation: Having traded the now unneeded physical boosting trait of their parent species, the Runalymo has instead gained heightened mana generation rate by (100%).

Seems like this race is more magic-focused, but it wasn't always that way.

Spirit Sight: This race is tuned to the spirit layer, able to see spiritual beings.

Is that what those glowy orbs are? Spirits?

Nutritional Milk: Having suffered through near extinction by starvation, this race has turned to whatever it can in dark times and not succumb to the cursed act of cannibalism. This race's milk is nutritional, providing a creature with all their nutritional needs for 1 meal.

Seems like a little bit of Runalymo's history has been recorded by the system. Still, how bad is cannibalism that one would have to turn to the milk of their wives and mothers to survive? Cannibalism may be taboo, but it doesn't turn you into a monster, or does it? Magic seems to be a thing, after all.

Heightened Senses: An old trait that has been honed and kept through the eons, and although this has not served the Runalymo, as it has their parent species, this race still has acute hearing, smell, and sight.

Fairly standard for a race with large ears like mine. Still, it sounds like this skill has degraded some and is not as sharp as it once had been.

Mana Sustenance: Having adapted to a low food environment and constant starvation, this race now passively consumes mana to sustain bodily needs. Mana cost increases the more that bodily needs have to be sustained.

Now that I think about it, I've never been truly hungry since my birth. Sure, I've been a little peckish but not hungry. Again it talks about a past event, which must have been a significant event. It also suggests that I don't need to breathe or drink, but I'm sure if I stop doing any of those things, I'll quickly run out of mana.

Runalymo's Cleanliness: The incessant nature for cleanliness and care of appearance grants this race a (+50%) to beauty essence after bathing and performing acts of maintaining appearance. The more care taken, the higher the bonus, up to 150%

So that's why they bathe so much? Or do they have it because they bathe so much? Is it the chicken or the egg? Also, what is "beauty essence"?

Perfectionist's Eye: Following the tenets of Myrou, this race has taken great care to perfect their arts and crafts. This skill makes it, so flaws are easily spotted and never overlooked.

Hmmm, a craft-centered skill. Now that I remember it, Myrou is the Goddess of Creativity and Beauty. Also, this skill includes arts, so I'm guessing things like music and paintings.

Nexus Adaptation: Adapting to the hostile and extreme environment of a nexus, even if the vast majority of the ambient mana is being siphoned, has made this race more resistant to heat and mana toxicity.

Nexus—is that what a place of power is called? That explains why I can feel comfortable, even though we're sitting right above steaming hot water.

Inspirational Greatness: The dedication to the arts and crafts have made this race more creative, granting them a (+100%) to Creativity Essence.

Another crafting-centered skill and this one also talks about essences. Still don't know what they are, though.

Myrou's Children: As dedicated and fervent followers of Myrou, the Runalymo receives a (+120%) bonus to casting beauty and creativity spells.

It directly says spells, so that is a direct confirmation of magic.

Next to note is that nothing fills my class slot. Also, my race skills don't have levels like my general skills do. Then there's my Bond—not sure what that is—but it makes sense with these bath-obsessed people and their worship of the goddess of beauty. I wonder if everyone here has the same Bond?

Lastly are the stats. Strength, Agility, and Endurance are fairly self-explanatory. I probably get a large negative from these because I'm a weak baby.

Vitality: How much vitality your body can hold. Your body will be unable to hold a soul without it.

So if I lose too much, I'll die. It's my health points, in other words.

Intelligence: Learning capabilities and magical and spell potential.

I have thirty-two; is that high or low?

Wisdom: Ability of one's memorization and magical and spell control.

So high wisdom equals better memory and better control of spells; it seems like a good stat to have.

Charisma: Ability to draw and keep the attention of others. Increases Mana flow.

Hmm, not sure what it means by mana flow, but I assume it's related to how fast I can cast spells? The fact that each stat has an additional effect means I should look a bit more closely at the physical ones too.

Strength: Ability of one's strength and maximum amount of spell augmentation.

Let me see if I get this right. Strength also increases how much you can magically buff or augment yourself?

Agility: Reaction time, running speed, dexterity, and flow of spell augmentation.

So strength is how much you can augment yourself, and agility is how fast you can do it?

Endurance: Ability to resist poisons, diseases, physical and magical damage.

Yeah, this one is self-explanatory.

We get out of the bath and back to the hut. I'm put back into the crib, and with my mental exhaustion, I fall asleep almost immediately.

It's been a few days, and I'm now ten days old! I've learned a few phrases "Laeso" (La-es-o). It's a greeting used in the morning, and during the afternoon, it's the same word, but the "es" is spoken in a higher pitch. In the evening, the greeting is "Laesoo" with the "O" dragged out; it's nuanced and was hard to figure out at first, but it clicked, so I'm now able to get it. Lastly, "Laa"' is used when parting. In short, those roughly translate into "good morning," "good afternoon," "good evening," and "goodbye." But laziness shows up everywhere, and many people just say "La" or "Laa" when greeting or saying farewells—talk about confusion.

My intelligence and wisdom stats seem to be working overtime here, I thought I'd never be able to learn a word, but here I am, one down and so many more to go.

Other than language, I've learned that these people bathe three times a day. After they wake up, after work, and altogether in a special bathing area after the bonfire. Bathing in the special bath without everyone else isn't allowed, though it's allowed to not bathe with everyone else, but probably frowned on.

I've not used [Sense Mana] since I first used it. I know I should grind the skill, but every time I'm about to do so, I remember the pain, and that discourages me from doing it.

Mom takes me everywhere she goes, especially when visiting friends—she likes to show me off. That's where I meet the bane of my existence. A jealous three-year-old, the daughter of a woman who looks similar to Mom and even has the same eyes and hair color, I remember her; she was there at my birth.

I'm pretty sure she's Mom's sister, my aunt, which makes the bully, Nyam, my cousin. Ever since I've been introduced to the group, all the women have been gushing over me, and poor Nyam has been left out. She's thrown quite a few tantrums. Pulled my ears and tail three times and hit me a few other times. I've nurtured quite a grudge against the little devil.

Nyam is slightly boyish, although wearing feminine clothing. Her hair is blue but not quite the same shade as her Mom — my Aunt — and her eyes amber, unlike her mother.

We are currently at a mid-sized house at a social gathering with about a dozen other women. There are several children, but they are off playing somewhere else; only my and Nyam are stuck with our parents for being too young. The house is quite nice and well made. Paintings decorate the wall with the hosts' family, and curtains hang bunched up to the sides of the windows to let light in.

Nyam is running Around and generally causing a ruckus and annoying the other women as they talk around a well-made table.

"Nyam! Faun!" Aunty says sternly. She says "Faun" numerous times whenever Nyam is acting up, so I assume it means to "stop" or "cease."

Nyam ignores her mother and continues throwing things. When Aunty stands, Nyam scampers off. The blue-haired woman sighs, sitting back down, and mutters something while burying her hands in her face. The next thing I know, I feel a tugging on my tail.

"Whaaa!" I cry out in surprise and mild pain. Mom holds me, but my long tail hangs out from the blanket I'm wrapped in. Nyam laughs impishly and runs away, chased after by Aunty woman. I still cry as Mom tries to soothe me; I know it's petty to continue crying even after the pain subsided, but I don't want to be here if Nyam is going to bully me, and I'm hoping I'll be left behind next time.

Soon enough, Nyam is caught and brought to us to apologize; Nyam throws a tantrum instead and cries. The group breaks up early today as Nyam has to be disciplined.

Serves you right for pulling an innocent baby's tail!

Sure, a three-year-old doesn't have much strength, but I'm a baby!

We return to our hut after that, looking rather small after being in a proper house, and Mom goes back to doing whatever she does in our hut. Meanwhile, I meditate; I want to improve my [Sense Mana], but I know it's going to be painful—eh, I'll do it tomorrow. For now, I go back to the soul wall. I probably shouldn't mess with it, but what's the worst that can happen, really? Gaining some cool new skills?

I halfheartedly poke and prod the wall, trying to go around it, but the wall does what the walls do best and keeps me out. Soon enough, we're off to our after-work baths. We meet Mom's white-haired lover or companion there, and they do what they usually do and snuggle up for a bit.

The next day we, including Mom's companion, visit a different hut. This is a large two-floored house where Aunty waits, and standing next to her with an arm around her stands another woman a head taller. She's the first person I've seen not wearing a dress—instead, she wears pants. I can easily see her toned abs and defined arm muscles. She looks like a professional swimmer; her brown hair still wet from the morning bath. The most surprising thing, however, is that her pants have an unmistakable bulge.

Chapter 3: Meeting the family

I guess that explains the lack of men. Honestly, the clues were adding up, but I was just going off of a bias that men didn't have breasts, but the fact that just about half of the people are taller, the fact that the skill "Nutritional Milk" is a race thing, and the multiple couples of short and tall women around really should have clued me in on this.

In fact, now that I'm looking more closely, there are subtle differences between males and females other than the large height difference. Slightly larger arms, for example. Narrower hips, though still in the range of female humans. Smaller-than-"average" breasts, and a few other things I can point out.

This also means that the white-haired "woman" is actually my Dad. That explains a lot.

Just then, two couples arrive. They certainly look older but not wrinkly, like they've aged gracefully. Two pairs of short and tall people. One of the women looks similar to Mom, so I guess these are my grandparents. I assume the one with blue hair and eyes is my grandmother on my mom's side, and my grandfather has red hair and green eyes. On my Dad's side, both my grandparents have white hair; my grandmother has yellow eyes, and my grandfather has red eyes. They wear the same type of dresses as everyone else, just in different colors.

"Laeso," they greet in turn.

We enter the large house that I thought was my Aunt's but turns out to be my grandparents' on my mom's side—if the near-lifelike paintings of my Mom and Aunt as children are any indicator. Still, how did they get blue paint? I thought blue dye was hard to come by? Anyway, the house sports a large community room that can easily fit dozens of people and has a kitchen nearby where it seems several people are making food.

We gather in the lounge, and it isn't long before the rest of the extended family arrives. More aunts, uncles, and cousins, the family is larger than I thought and...yup, that's Nyam, although now that I know what to look for—she is a he.

Upon seeing me in Mom's arms, Nyam's face sours. Great, the trouble starts now.

Nyam surprisingly doesn't cause too much trouble, but I guess he's still getting attention with how many adults are around; although I'm getting much more and not the good kind, I am getting that awful baby talk again... blech.

Once everyone has arrived, we sit in well-made and stylized chairs arranged in a half-circle—well, I'm being held, this time by my Dad. To start off this event, Dad and Mom, when prompted, stand and walk to the center to show off the newest member of the family—me. With everybody lined up in a neat half-circle, I can easily get a clear picture of the entire family.

At least half of the family has the same Royal blue hair color that Mom, Aunty, and, if the genetic pattern is anything to go by, I do too. The others all have different hair colors, and the pairings of them with the blue hairs show that the children are slightly more likely to inherit blue hair even if it's not the royal blue shade.

Mom and Dad talk for a few minutes, probably about me and some other stuff. Some things make people laugh, and I hope that isn't something I've done. After introducing me to the family, we sit back down, and Dad passes me off to Mom. I watch as more people go to the center to talk, show off a talent, or something they made. One girl, maybe about fourteen, shows a beautiful one-piece dress with embroidery tastefully decorating the whole thing, kinda like spiderwebs mixed with tribal art. The dress wraps around the breasts, connects to the back with a Y and has an amethyst shell holding the wraps together. The "webs" starts on the left and spreads from there.

A "man" — it's still kind of hard to think of them as men considering how feminine they are — shows off a masterfully made and decorated drum, but instead of leather, it seems to be some sort of treated cloth for the part you strike. There's a small hole that one can cover with a hand to change the sound. The man skillfully plays the drum, not a full song, as his purpose is to show off the drum, so I guess his profession is as an instrument maker.

Once show-and-tell is over, we begin the main socializing event. The few children run off to play; thankfully, I'm not harassed by Nyam. A few people go into the kitchen to finish cooking up food for everybody, and a surprising amount of people move off to the side to play music. they must have reherssed or something as they all quickly start following the lead. Occasionally more will join as others leave to take a break from playing.

There's some dancing, and I'm passed off to my Aunt as my parents dance together—they are, like many, graceful in their moves. It dawns on me that these people are artists, taking pride in learning music and painting, in dancing and crafting. Probably everybody has been forced to learn more than one art to pursue.

Considering they probably worship Myrou, the Goddess of Beauty and Creativity, it should not have been surprising that they take beauty, art, and crafts seriously. Hmm, if I have to choose... Well, I've always wanted to be an artist—at least I get that feeling about my past life. Maybe I was one? I dunno.

Usually, I'll be put in my crib to rest by now, and admittedly, I've fallen asleep while meditating more often than not. But today is the family gathering, so I'm being passed around from person to person, and I'm wiped out. After nursing, I pass out, only to be rudely woken up sometime later, having my ears pulled.

Fuck you, Nyam!

I hear the scampering of not one but two little bodies as I wail. It takes Mom a long time and a lot of soothing for me to stop crying. I fall back asleep crying, being surprisingly tiring. I would have kept crying because if Nyam wanted to be my problem, I'd make him everyone else's problem too.

I wake up around the time for an after-work bath. The whole extended family crowds a bathing area and takes longer than usual to get out. With how many bathing areas there are, I doubt anyone is really inconvenienced. After the bath, everyone goes home, and finally, I can rest without worry of some brats bullying me.

Three days later, we wake up early; well, I'm woken up by being picked up. Instead of visiting some new place, Mom takes me and goes to the docks along with Dad. We get on a large boat—large for these people, anyway. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of boats on the waters, all heading to one location, Temple Island. The Aurora waterfall... Aurora-fall looks to be sucked into the top of the pyramid, and as we get closer to the island, I can feel the increase in mana. It feels like the air gets heavier and thicker or like being underwater.

Temple Island is very close to ours, and now that I see from afar, our's is one of the larger ones, not as large as Temple Island, though. The dragon is off somewhere flying around, probably fishing up Krakens or whatever dragons eat.

Today seems to be a special day for some reason, everyone, and I mean everyone, is rowing to Temple Island. Thousands of boats are on the water, all heading toward one location, Temple Island. We ride through the steam of the sea, not bothered by the heat nor the humidity; in fact, it feels rather nice.

We dock at the island where a warehouse and a few other builds are. Stone Roads with grass sprouting between the stones branch out from the docks, one heads to the pyramid temple, which stands not too far from the docks. Another road leads to a forest with neatly lined up trees on one side. Another road stretches off to the distance to several large pits in the ground, and the last road goes beyond the horizon.

As we walk closer to the Temple and now I can get a better look at it. Liquid fire runs down from the top of the gold accentuated stone, pooling in the intricately etched stepped sections on each side of the stairs leading up the mountainous pyramid. Grooves have been carved at the corners to direct the flames down into pools of the flames.

From the bottom stepped part of the Pyramid corners flows aqueducts which carries the liquid flames to the corners of the gold accentuated stone walls surrounding the premise of the Temple with an archway leading to the inner entrance of the Temple. The entrance into the Temple splits the stairs to the top, where grand golden designs are displayed around the frame of the equally grand door.

The top of the pyramid looks to be a gemstone with swirling lights glowing from within a dark void. Supporting it are four golden pillars, and beneath it is a pool of liquid fire which is fed by the gemstone piece on top. I can see a faint twirling storm of the mana aurora falling into the pyramid top; the sheer amount of mana the artifact is absorbing makes me realize that without it, no life can live in this volcano. I don't know how I came to realize that, but I know that the mana in the air will quickly kill anyone, except for the dragon probably. As if to confirm my suspicions, I get a notification.

Ting! You have gained Mana Toxicity Tolerance.

Mana Toxicity Tolerance: Being exposed to high amounts of mana density can lead to a build-up of mana, poisoning you. This skill will help you tolerate mana poisoning.

I wonder how long that has sat there, collecting energy, protecting my people from dying. Who made it? Why live here at the mercy of this Temple? My marveling at the grand structure is interrupted as several people start crowding around me and my parents, some cooing over me and others greeting my parents like long-lost friends; it seems like Dad has moved to our island some time ago and left some friends behind.

The Runalymo people sure love their social gatherings, first is the gathering at the end of every day, then the family get-together and now this. They like to show off their creations, their family, their skills. These people probably form bonds very easily; will I have to do the same?

I see a lot of children running around and a few babies as well; it looks like I'm not the only one born this year. There's a playground on the nearby beach with a few balls, and the children gather there to play some games, not interested in the adults' mingling.

A group of early teenagers plays some volleyball-type game with four "nets." The nets are long pieces of cloth held up by four wooden poles in the ground. A net is set to divide from the ground up to near the middle, then there's a gap, and another "net" is tied to block the top. Between the poles, to which the other nets are tied, is a gap to form a vertical gap and a horizontal gap between the four nets.

It seems like passing the ball through the gaps earns you points or something. The ball is passed by bumping it to other players to try and score a point on the other team; only the server is allowed to hold the ball when the ball is being served. It seems the horizontal gap is worth more points than the vertical one as most kids try to go for the horizontal ones.

Other than children playing, I also see some exchange of goods and coins here and there. Businessmen... businesswomen... whatever, will always do their thing no matter the occasion, it seems.

I'm stuck with Mom and Dad, currently in Dad's arms while Mom talks with a few long-distance friends. Dad has gotten a small break from his friends and is currently playing with me. He... she? Can they even count as men? They're essentially women with dicks... Know what? I'll just refer to them as "she," less confusion on my part; a she with a downstairs package. I believe there was a word for that—I think it was...Hermaphrodite? Something like that.

Anyway, Dad is trying...her? Herm? It'll work. Trying herm hand at peekaboo, I'm not amused. I just look away to more interesting things. Dad looks dejected, herm red eyes looking sad as herm white ears droop, which perks up as Dad gets an idea and swings me around.

"Whaa!" I cry in surprise.

Please don't swing me around like that. I never liked roller coasters before, and I won't like them now!

Dad sighs in resignation as I squirm around and cry, muttering something to herself. After some time, I don't know how long, everybody trails onto one of the roads to the pits. As we near, I see a huge inset coliseum comes into view, with decorated banners displayed. Instead of building up, it's dug in the ground. It's enormous with hundreds—no, thousands of people already seated. I didn't realize there were so many people. Around half, probably more, of the seats are already filled. My family chooses a row in the middle and sits together.

Once the vast majority of people sit, two people walk down a flight of stairs that divides the audience into two half circles. They wear magnificent capes and very little clothing, pretty much a bikini. At least it makes it easy to see who's a hermaphrodite or female. In this case, both are hermaphrodites. Once at the sand of the pit, they enter a battle stance.

The fight starts, and the contestants sling spells at each other, and eventually, one wins over the other. A set of fighters enter then, more after another winner is declared. A tournament of battle prowess is fought between all the islands. Some people cheer more for their island fighters, but they never boo the other side, accepting defeat with grace when it happens; there can only be one grand winner after all.

A sense of wonderment fills me at the sight of the fight, not because of the fighting itself but rather the display of supernatural abilities; It cements the fact that I really am in a world filled with fantastical things. Something about my dormant past life—I'm not sure what — is so entranced by magic. It's just a natural thing, right? I'm not this entranced by the wind or the water. Magic, yes, spirits, yes, those fascinated me, but not "mundane" things, but a warrior's fighting prowess, their supernatural speed, and their power, that can send someone flying into the stone walls of which they can survive, that, to me is fantastical.

Once the battle tournament is done, the Olympic-style contests start. Speed races, throwing competitions—things like that. Since all competitors can compete at the same time, it goes by a lot faster.

This is also interesting to watch. Not the competitions themselves but the competitor's supernatural abilities. The races have people blitz around as they become blurs— the racers have to wear distinct colors to be identified as a colored blur. The strength throw has them hurling boulders, and the magic contests have people summon beautifully dancing flames or lights or whatever the contestants specialize in.

By the end of the day, many types of contests finish, from the battle tournament to dancing. I actually fell asleep halfway through, shortly after the after-work bath.

The evening is another socializing event as dusk falls and casts the sky in orange colors. People talk about the events — I assume — and congratulate the contestants and their island for their achievement. It's boring, so I fall asleep through this too.

Chapter 4: Cursed skill

Sleeping for the better part of yesterday has me wide awake in the middle of the night. Welp— other than starting at the ceiling or waking my parents up, there's nothing better to do, so I meditate, focusing on my soul until I reach the wall again. Maybe it's blocking me from truly accessing my memories? In that case, maybe I should tear it down. I push against the wall, trying to topple it. I ram against it but only succeed in giving myself a minor headache—not doing that again. I pound against the wall, but nothing works.

Give me my memories back!

I mentally sit cross-legged in front of the wall. Then it hit me—this is all within me, a construct of my mind, so I should just be able to use my imagination to make something to help me get past this wall. It's worth a try, anyway; I imagine a pickaxe and, to my astonishment, one appears in my hand. Grinning, I swing it at the wall only to be forcibly yanked out of my meditation as a sudden piercing pain assails my mind.

I hold my head and curl up as the ultimate brain freeze creeps over my mind; I just lie there groaning, in too much pain to cry out. I ignore the several "tings" going off in my head, signaling skill level-ups. It isn't until light peeks through the windows that the pain has finally subsided.

Right—no forcing my way through the wall, never again. I'd rather have my eyes burned out from [Sense Mana] practice.

Alright, let's check what I've gained.

Ting! Pain Tolerance has obtained levels 2-9!

Ting! Pain Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 10.

Pain Tolerance: You have been subjected to high pain; this will help you tolerate such pain again.

1ˢᵗ Breakthrough: You felt true pain; this will help let you tolerate true pain

As I am checking my system notifications, Mom comes in, and we go to the baths. The statue with Myrou's image projected onto it quirks an eyebrow at me; again, no one seems to notice. Other than Myrou watching me, the bath is uneventful. After bathing, Dad goes to work, and we return home.

Mom carries me for a little while, her royal blue hair getting in my face, then puts me in my crib and goes off to do whatever, probably work. Speaking of, does she even work? She's home all day; maybe she does homemaking work? It's not like we have washing machines, whatever those are.

Welp, back to meditation... or I could not; after all, that was a painful experience. Then again, I might regain my memories, and I'll be able to actually know what volcanoes and washing machines are... However, I can just wait for my memories to slowly return if what the goddess says is true, but that's twenty years—that's...uh... How many days are in a year? Three hundred? Four hundred? Meh, let's, for the sake of argument, say it's three hundred and fifty days. Then that'll be...three and a half thousand for ten years, so seven thousand days for twenty... Seven. Thousand. It's been like fifteen, and yet it seems like it's taking so long.

Alright, just one more try, no pain, and if it still is, then I'll just fucking wait. I convince myself to give the soul thing one more go; waiting seven thousand days just seems too long.

I begin meditating again, slowly going back into my... inner self? I dunno what to call it, but anyway, I'm back to the wall. No breaking it—I haven't even left a scratch, and that was super painful. Actually, damaging the thing might just kill me.

How about I just use my imagination to make a door? If making a pickaxe can work, then simply transforming the wall should, too; I should have just started with that.

I focus on making a small door within the barrier. Slowly the barrier shifts, forming a door in it. No pain whatsoever is going great so far! I sit down, calming my excited nerves, and once I'm calm again, I open the door and walk through. Strange, there's nothing here—where is everything? Where are my memories? Shouldn't this be the inside of my soul?

Two "tings" bring my attention back, and I try to open my eyes, but I can't. In a panic, I look around. My soul barrier door is still open. I manifested my inner body there—maybe I have to return? I squeeze through the door and close it, and focus back on opening my eyes again.

For a brief moment, the world looks... strange, but before I can comprehend it, pain assaults my mind like a million hot needles drilling into my head.

"Whaaaa!" I cry out in pain. Every sensation of pain possible I feel. The stabbing and burning sensation fight to dominate other pains, growing ever more intense only to be eclipsed by shocking, electric pain. It feels like I am getting ripped apart, chewed from the inside out by tiny creatures, and melted by acid. Then the pain of being burned alive and drowned takes the lead as the pain of my bones snapping and breaking into thousands of tiny pieces tries to catch up. I shut my eyes as hard as a can, all the pain dying down, but the ordeal is too much for me to pay any heed to the several "tings" echoing through my mind.

I hear Mom rush into the room and feel her pick me up. I can sense her distress as she looks around to see what could have hurt me. Not seeing anything, she starts soothing me with her purring and stroking my head. Tears streak down my cheeks as my body trembles violently. I vow to never again mess with my soul, I should have paid attention to the warning signs, but my idiocy put this pain on me.

As I calm down, I focused on my notifications hoping for an answer.

Ting! You have gained the Astral Projection cursed skill!

Astral Projection: You have sent out your consciousness outside of your soul; this skill will help you grow into a master of Astral Projection.

Ting! You have gained the True Sight cursed skill!

True Sight: You have seen other layers of reality; now, nothing can hide from your sight.

Ting! Pain Tolerance has obtained levels 10-13!

Ting! Pain Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 20.

2ⁿᵈ Breakthrough: You have felt magical pain. This will help you ignore magical pain.

Well, that's a lot of information—first are breakthroughs. It seems that expanding a skill in a very similar way but not quite covered by the skill will expand the scope of the skill. Pain Tolerance only deals with mundane pain, not covering "true" pain or magical pain, in other words. So if you want to increase your skill, you need to expand it somehow.

Next is the elephant in the room. Cursed skills.

General Skill 1: Sense Mana 3/20

General Skill 2: Pain Tolerance 13/30

General Skill 3:

General Skill 4:

General Skill 5:

General Skill 6:

General Skill 7:

General Skill 8:

General Skill 9:

General Skill 10:

Cursed Skill 1: Astral Projection 1/10

Cursed Skill 2: True Sight 1/10

Yup, that's new. I guess you can't just get rid of cursed skills. Once you gain them, you have them forever; of course, that's just speculation. Still, this shows that you can add things. Skills and perhaps Classes, it's not a hard cap but more like a soft cap? Expanding your Skills or Classes would probably require accomplishing hard or dangerous achievements. Take the cursed skills, for example. True sight seems to do... something, while Astral Projection risks you not returning to your body.

It's possible that any new additions can be considered "cursed." Being born with a set amount of skills once more is gained, it's burned into you; but, again, this is speculation. I don't know why I gained cursed skills and not just more general skills; I have the slots, after all.

Still, now I know what really happened. The wall was keeping me in, not out. I guess the consciousness is held within the outer regions of the soul or something while the inner soul is probably where my memories lie dormant? Question is, do I risk delving deeper into my soul for the memories? No, There was a barrier for a reason, and I will never mess with my soul again, not after that pain.

True sight says it's cursed, right? Does that mean it's the cause of the pain, or was that because I was fucking around in my soul? If it is, then can I not use it?

I focus on not activating/deactivating the skill. I feel nothing, so I slowly crack open an eyelid. The world still looks different, and Immediately pain drives into my head once again. A lot less this time since my vision is limited; however, I can only just bare it.

Fuck, I still have the soul barrier door. I really hope that's the cause. Mom must have noticed me tense up as she hugs me tighter and redoubles her soothing.

Once the pain subsides again, I start meditating; Mom's soothing purr somehow makes it easier. Again I stand in front of the barrier's door. I focus and remove the door, and specifically, return the door back to just being a wall; actually removing the door would have probably left a hole, and that wouldn't have been good.

Alright, let's try this again.

With nerves making my stomach twist in knots, I once again focus on deactivating and not using the True Sight skill. I slowly crack an eyelid. The world still hasn't returned to normal, and pain stabs my mind again.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

How do I not use this damned skill?!

Chapter 5: A Mother's Worries.

It's been a week, and Alysara hasn't once opened her eyes, ever since she's had that nightmare. A part of me wonders if it really was a nightmare, however. Feyan has never heard her scream in such pain before. There has been no traces of magic being used. The healer has tried to look at her eyes, but the moment her eyes have been forced open, she starts screaming in pain again. Nothing is found in her eyes to cause the pain.

Alysara has been restless and making cute groaning sounds. Feyan strokes her royal blue hair, wishing she would open her eyes. Feyan loves Alysara's eyes: an icy blue eye, and a striking red eye. Her mismatched eyes, like two gems, encapsulate two opposites. Heterochromia is already rare and a desirable trait, even more so when it's opposites.

It's kind of why Feyan and her husband are called a good fit. Feyan's deep blue eyes and Kanato's strong red eyes capture the desired opposites, a balance one could call it.

Feyan senses Alysara has fallen asleep and puts her in her crib. She stands above her, wearing a worried frown.

"We could take her to the Guardian," Kanato, Feyan's husband, says, wrapping an arm around the shorter woman's shoulders. Feyan rests her head against Kanato.

"We shouldn't bother the great one with something trivial," Feyan says after a moment.

"Feyan, children don"t act this way—something is seriously wrong."

"We could see another healer—perhaps Fynato island has someone who can help!" Feyan starts to sound desperate.

Kanato brings her close in a hug and strokes her long blue hair.

"The best healer on that island is my sister, and she has already looked at Little Aly, Feyan. I'm beginning to think this might be a cursed skill."

Feyan shakes her head. "She's not even a month old! How can she have a cursed skill?! How would she gain one? She's just a baby!" Feyan's voice started to crack due to her worry

"Calm down, Fey. Let's not wake little Aly up."

"I just—I don't know what to do. What if this is permanent? How can she live a full life blind to the beauty of this world?"

"There are other ways to experience beauty." Although Kanato says that, she has a hard look. Beauty is mostly experienced with sight, one of Myrou's domains. In order to live a full life, one must hold Myrou's essences to heart. "We'll figure something out and help her through life." Kanato holds her wife tighter.

"What if it really is a cursed skill? How can we…" Feyan trails off. Little is known about cursed skills. If one thing is known, it's that all attempts to remove or replace them have failed.

"We'll do what we can and love her all the same. I have to go to work now. I hope I'll be back before the Lojyo." Kanato lets go of Feyan.

"What are you working on that requires you to work from sunup to sundown?" Feyan asks, now that her mind has been distracted from Alysara, she seems to have relaxed a little.

"Do you have something in mind for Little Aly's Kyhosa?" Kanato asks.

"Her life celebration gift? Every time I think about it, my mind just goes blank. I've asked for ideas, but nothing speaks to me—nothing seems to fit our little girl just right." Feyan's eyes start to well up in tears. "I'm a horrible mother! I can't even think of something that fits Aly's Kyhosa, let alone make it before her Kyholo!"

"Every parent has that issue, Feyan, you don't need to beat yourself up so much. We still have half a month before her life celebration, and it's good that your [Perfectionist's Eye] skill is telling you that those ideas aren't ideal—some parents simply give up and go with an expensive gift rather than something that fits perfectly, and the fact that you're so worked up about it means you care." Kanato hugs Feyan again.

"And who says that she needs an individual gift from both of us?" Kanato continues. "Why not give the one gift that we both made?"

"What do you mean?" Feyan asked

"I found a nexus gem."

Feyan gasps.

"A nex... How?! We can't afford something like that! Do you know how much those cost?!"

"It's not on sale, Fey, no one's selling it. I found it last month when I was diving with Wimola. I've been working on it all this time, but I'm no jeweler, I'm just a gem cutter. You, however—you're a jeweler."

"But everyone gets two Kyhosa—are you really fine with Aly only having one?"

Kanato smiles. "Who said anything about one? I said having an individual gift from both of us." Feyan looks shocked. "The nexus gem is quite large, large enough for two gifts. I'm hoping I'll have them done by today."

"You're such a blessing, Kanato. Still, don't you think a nexus gem is too much? The elders won't like it. It should be devoted to Myrou."Ever since I started working on it, Myrou has been smiling—she's been hinting at something ever since I found it, but when I drew up a plan for Myrou's devotion project, she frowned. She wants this."

"Myrou... Now that you mention it, she's been smiling at me too, ever since Aly's conception. Do you… do you think she might have been blessed by the goddess?" Feyan asks, hope in her eyes.

"Others have noticed Myrou's been acting weird lately, and it all coincides with Aly's birth. She's special—that's for certain. I think the elders will let this pass, although I may have to do some explaining, and I plan to do that once I've finished the cutting." Kanato turns around to leave. I best get going. I'm already running late."With that, Kanato walks out of the room.

Feyan turns back to Alysara and smiles. If she's blessed by the goddess, then everything will be alright.

"You really poured your soul into this—it's absolutely flawless, and even then there's something more to it, as if beauty incarnate resonates within." Elder Tusile says, putting the gem down. Although she gave a compliment, she still wears a frown. "However, it's blasphemy to devote yourself to such a degree to anyone other than the goddess—you were right to come to us before you made a mistake. It's not too late to change the purpose of your project."

Kanato holds a steadfast gaze. She won't be punished for wasting such a material, but the elders still don't like the plan.

"It is as you say, Myrou has been hinting at something, but to say she actually wants such devotion to anything other than her domains... Kanato, you should not misread her intentions," Elder Opetu says. She shakes her head. "I know you love your child, but, please, cease this foolishness."

"Elders, you speak wisdom, and I am truly grateful you care about me to set me back on the correct path—but, if I may suggest something."

Elder Yukika sighs.

"Kanato, devotion to Myrou brings fulfillment to our lives. It is through her teachings that we can live this life without regret."

"I know, Elder Yukika. That is why I suggest we test my interpretation of her hints."

"And how do we do that?" Elder Tusile asks.

"We take my child to Myrou's likeness in the temple and lay these gems on her. Surely the goddess will give us a sign."

The elders remain silent for several minutes before Elder Yukika speaks.

"It's a fine test. With this, we can ask the goddess directly, but Kanato, you know the consequences. If she doesn't like it…" Yukika trailed off.

It's blasphemy to ask mundane and especially trivial or foolish things of the goddess. If the goddess frowns upon my suggestion...

"I'll take the Analysha," Kanato says. The elders widen their eyes. "If I displease the goddess, I'll make a statue of her likeness."

"Kanato, don't be a fool!" Elder Opetu exclaims.

"There's only ever been one person to have ever successfully completed the Analysha, Kanato," Yukika says. "You did well—no, perfectly with the nexus gems, but not even that will be enough for the Analysha. When you fail, you'll only be in more trouble!"

Elder Tusile remains silent until the other two are done.

"If that is your resolve, then I will allow it."

"Tusile! You can't let her throw her life away!" Yukika argues.

"I have to second Yukika. This is unreasonable," Opetu agrees.

"Elders, I understand your worries, but I intend to attempt the Analysha regardless; the only difference would be when I do it."

"Kanato—" Yukika starts, but Kanato raises her hand to stop her.

"While working on the nexus gems, I gained a skill, [Essense Sight (Beauty)]. It allows me to see the magical essence of beauty itself. The reason why most people fail the Analysha is because they can't capture the full likeness of the goddess—they can capture her physical likeness, but the likeness of her essence remains unseen by them." Kanato pauses to let her words sink in. "With this skill, I will be able to capture her true likeness, both physical and magical; I need only to hone this skill." Kanato finishes and let the Elders digest what she said.

"Very well," Elder Opetu finally says after a long time.

"Opetu, you can't seriously agree to this madness!" Yukika exclaimes. "What about the other essences? The magical essence of creativity? Myrou is both! She can't succeed with both essences!"

"I already have that one, Elder Yukika, I've had it for three years now."

"But you—"

"Give it up, Yukika. Someone is bound to have the capabilities of passing the Analysha, and if Kanato has such abilities, then the least we can do is support her choice in this matter," Tusile says. "Come to the temple in three days, and we'll test your child—if she really is loved by Myrou, you may devote the nexus gems to her Kyhosa."'

"Thank you, elders," Kanato says with a bow and leaves.

"I'm still not sure about this, Kanato," Feyan says. She holds Alysara while Kanato rows the boat toward Temple Island. Kanato hasn't mentioned the test with the likeness of the goddess to not worry her wife.

"If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility. Don't worry about anything."

"Don't worry? Kanato! I don't want anything to happen to you either!" Feyan chides.

"The Guardian doesn't hold grudges, Feyan. She sees us as children—nothing will happen to me."

"I hope you're right, Kanato. But this isn't necessary."

The boat docks at the piers, and Kanato ties it off. She steps on the pier and holds out a hand for Feyan.

"We have to make sure. Besides, we are here for another reason as well."

"We are? What is it?" Feyan tilts her head with a frown.

"You'll see. But first—let's meet the Guardian."

They walk a stone path several kilometers until the huge sapphire dragon comes into view. With horns made of actual sapphire, and gleaming scales the size of Kanato's torso. Claws long enough to tower over houses, and long sapphire spines trailing down her back to the tip of her long tail. The immense magical pressure weighs heavily on them, making them stop, quite some distance away, for fear of Alysara's health.

As if sensing their presence, the dragon stirs. Raising her large head and sits proudly with her chest out.

"Little ones, what have you come to me for? Do you seek wisdom? Guidance from your superiors? Don't be shy. Ask me what you so desperately seek," the Guardian says with a gentle but commanding tone.

"You are very generous, Guardian. I am sorry to disturb your rest," Feyan says with a deep bow. Kanato follows suit.

"It is our child, Guardian—something ails her, something no healer has been able to figure out. Please, we don't ask for healing—we just need to know what's wrong with our child," Kanato says, still bowing.

"Hmm, I sense nothing wrong with your child, little one. No illness, no defect. The only strange thing is how unnaturally healthy she is?" The Guardian says.

"Every time she opens her eyes, she screams in pain," Kanato replies. "I fear it might be a cursed skill."

The dragon goes silent for what feels like an eternity.

"It is difficult to see something like that, little one, but your intuition is likely correct. I'll need to examine her more closely—bring her closer, little one."

Kanato and Feyan look at each other, then both step forward, Feyan holding Alysara tighter as the magical pressure increases, so much so that she grits her teeth. It's hard for her to even breathe, and she worries it might be too hard for her child.

"That's close enough, little ones," the dragon says when half the distance has been closed. "Hmm… Yes, she bears a mark on her soul… Strange. Very strange…"

Feyan doesn't dare question the Guardian—she wants nothing more than to increase the distance between them and get her child to safety. She feels Alysara struggling to breathe under the pressure.

Feyan strokes her child's hair and purrs for her comfort.

"...A mark of the Great Spirits, a blessing of beauty, and...one other, barely noticeable, applied more to her mind than body," the Guardian says, her words elating Feyan.

A blessing of beauty! Alysara really is blessed by Myrou!

Kanato sighs in relief.

"There are indeed two scars on her soul... An expansion of her essence... Yes, she has two cursed skills, though what they do, I cannot tell."

Feyan feels her heart tighten. Two cursed skills?

"There is more, though I cannot tell what, but this is no ordinary soul—too pure and… dormant? How curious, but...a forceful awakening?" The dragon muses. "No, the Great Spirits knew this irregularity and did not act... It will be prudent to heed their caution... A forceful awakening may cause irreparable damage."

What is the guardian going on about? What more is there?

"Forgive my ramblings, little ones. You may retreat and recover."

Feyan doesn't waste any time and rushes to a bearable distance, even a little farther than they have started.

"Thank you, Guardian," Kanato says before joining Feyan.

"One cannot remove an expansion of their essence, little one." The dragon says. "Those skills cannot be removed."

"Thank you, Guardian! We are in your debt." Feyan bows again.

"Yes, you are. One you can repay." The dragon says with a calm tone, always retaining its commanding presence.

"What do you ask of us, Guardian?" Feyan says.

"Bring your child back to me in a year's time, and every year thereafter so I may examine the irregularity of her soul. It is not detrimental in the least, but I have never once in thirty thousand years seen a soul like hers."

Feyan shoots Kanato a dirty look who looks ashamed. The Guardian merely asked to examine Alysara, nothing else; and if she can make it out of this ordeal as an infant, then she can when older.

After the meeting with the Guardian, they go to the temple and, to Feyan's surprise, meet the village Elders, talking with the Temple priestess.

"Are you sure you want to do this Kanato? Now's your chance to back out," Elder Yukika says, upon their arrival.

"Kanato." Feyan looks at her quizzically. "What's this about?"

"You'll see soon, my love. There's nothing to worry about."

Yukika sighs "Very well. Follow us."

The group walks up to a magnificent statue, the most beautiful thing in the world, a divine beauty, something beyond mere physicality. It's as if the statue is a beauty incarnate.

Kanato motions for Feyan to give her Alysara. Feyan hesitantly does so. Kanato kisses Alysara's head and places her on the altar in front of the statue. The Likeness of Myrou smiles warmly.

Murmurs erupt among the elders and priestesses. Kanato then places the nexus gems on Alysara and bows to the statue.

Feyan doesn't interrupt—she doesn't dare. She knows now what this is. The Elders won't accept the nexus gems to be used for anything else other than for the devotion to Myrou, so this is to get the acceptance of Myrou herself.

The Likeness of Myrou nods once, and light envelopes the gems, imbuing it with an unworldly beauty and...something else—creativity itself.

The Likeness returns to its normal position and expression.

The whole room is dead silent. It feels like a dream to Feyan. Her child, blessed and loved by Myrou herself. She wants to pinch herself to make sure this is all real.

Noise erupts among the elders and the priestesses. Kanato leads Feyan and Alysara out of the temple.

Feyan remains silent the whole way back; although the day is young, she's completely exhausted.

Chapter 6: Kyhosa

Chozu wakes up to a smiling Myrou. The hand-tall featureless clothed figure watching over her dreams. It has been her latest devotion project to Myrou. The projection of Myrou over the statue proves her skill as a master clay sculptor. Being able to make a statue in which a fragment of Myrou inhabits is the sign of a master in one's craft, although it's not always a statue. Devoting a song to Myrou that can invoke her presence has been done, though it's significantly harder.

It's blasphemous to make a likeness of Myrou unless it perfectly captures everything about her. As the goddess of beauty, it's an insult to compare her to anything lesser, and thus one must make an abstract figure, one close enough to Myrou as to hint at her, but not so close that one is actively trying to copy her form. It's a fine line, especially in a physical object as it's all too easy to make a figure that falls too closely to Myrou. One thing that makes it harder over the nonphysical like songs or dances. Although a song or dance or other nonphysical that invokes Myrou's presence is still overall harder to achieve.

Myrou is in a good mood today, Chozu thinks.

"Nyam! It's time for morning bath!" Chozu calls out. Her child groggily walks out of her room, rubbing one eye. Chozu's husband, Eztol, is already at the door.

After the baths. They briefly stop by her house to pick up Alysara's Kyholo gift. A black ribbon with icy blue embroidery of snowflakes would look lovely with the girl's blue hair.

Eztol has his gift in hand: a Fytomr Shell, a radiant ruby gem of a shell. This one has been an old Fytomr; the fire mana has fully saturated the shell, an extravagant gift for sure.

Chozu gives Eztol a dirty look.

"It's not gonna be better than her Kyhosa. Kanato said that this wouldn't even compare."

Although it breaks tradition, it's best to get permission from a parent for such a risky gift. One must be careful not to give a gift better than the Kyhosa—doing so would be equivalent to declaring that you care more about the child than their own parents.

"Is this your way of apologizing for Nyam's behavior? Why does it have to be at her Kyholo?!" Chozu interrogates, crossing her arms. Even if it's approved, it'll still cause a scandal—people will accuse them of trying to outdo Alysara's parents.

"Literally any other day, and it would have been fine—but at her Kyholo?! What were you thinking!"

Eztol looks ashamed. "Well, it's my sister-in-law's child—we're not that far removed, and we're encouraged to find a gift that fits."

"In law! That's still far removed. Maybe if it was my gift, it could be passable!" Every word Eztol says only makes Chozu angrier. Nyam, sensing the growing storm, runs off to her room.

"We could trade if it's that bad," Eztol continues to put her foot in her mouth.

"It's a Fytomr shell! Everyone will know it's from you!" Chozu grits her teeth, fire in her eyes.

"We could say it's from both of us—look." Eztol points at a spot where a ribbon could be looped through to make a hair ornament.

"You looked at my gift?! How many traditions do you plan on breaking?!" Chozu, now grinding her teeth, stomps her foot, making Eztol cringe.

"I know you're worried about what people will say, bu—" Chozu cuts him off.

"You're damn right I'm worried! I didn't marry an idiot, but that's what everyone will say!"

"But—"

"No buts! You don't even have time to change your gift—the Kyholo will start soon!"

"Kanato and Feyan are planning something worse! People won't talk about us!" Eztol defends herself.

"That's not the point! We'll continue this later—we're going to be late, and I don't want to make this any worse."

Chozu opens the door in a huff.

"Nyam! We're going to Alysara's Kyholo."

"But I don't wanna!" Nyam timidly peeks out from around the corner.

"You are coming, and you will behave yourself!" Chozu shoots Nyam a death glare. Nyam wisely walks to the door wordlessly.

The Kyholo is held at Chozu and Feyan's parents' house. Due to the argument, most people are already there, but some people from other islands have yet to arrive. It's close, but they aren't technically late.

"Chozu! I take it something happened?" Feyan says, greeting them

"Laeso. Yes, my husband was being an idiot" Chozu replies.

"Kanato warned me about that, but don't worry. It'll work out," Feyan reassures.

It's Kanato's turn to hold Alysara who appears to be sleeping. Kanato is talking with her friends and family; a lot of them are from other islands and cooing over the cute baby and taking turns holding Alysara.

"Did you ever find out what's ailing Alysara? You haven't been showing up at the tea parties lately."

"I'm sorry about that," Feyan answers. "I've been so busy with Aly's Kyhosa. As for her condition, we have an announcement for that."

"I'm glad you found something for the Kyhosa. You were really stressing out about that."

"Well, it was Kanato's idea, but it really works."

Just then, the last person arrives, and everyone is called to the lounge. Unlike the last family gathering, there's a full wooden statue of a smiling Myrou. It's often desired to have the goddess watch over a child's Kyholo so no one thinks this strange. Once everyone gets seated, Kanato and Feyan stand up to address the party.

"We have some news regarding Little Aly's condition," Kanato starts.

It's known that something happened, and Alysara refuses to open her eyes—many think it a benign childish behavior.

"After asking for the Guardian's wisdom and insight, we have confirmed the presence of cursed skills."

Cursed skills? Plural? At her age? It would have been considered a lie, had it not been the word of the Guardian—no one would dare invoke the Guardian's name for some made-up story. Murmurs resound among the group. Kanto waits for everyone to quiet down.

"But at the same time, the Guardian told us that Alysara has a blessing from the goddess herself."

More murmurs erupt, louder this time. A blessing from Myrou is perhaps rarer than someone gaining a cursed skill, yet no one doubts this as Myrou watches over this testimony. To lie in her presence is blasphemous, but to lie about a blessing in her presence is unthinkable.

"One more thing," Kanato adds. After all the mutterings died down. "Our Kyhosa may be seen as controversial, but know that we got permission from Myrou herself, directly from her Likeness with the priestesses and local Elders as witnesses." With that, the couple sits down as more muttering echoes throughout the room.

Once everyone is finally done with the already unconventional Kyholo, the celebration officially starts. Music is played, and one by one, people walk up to the center to show off their gift and, if they really want to, talk about it. Some people have interesting or funny stories to tell, but most just show off theirs and add it to the growing pile.

A candle holder—to "light her way." A pair of silver agate earrings, one of the more ideal gifts as it shows thought for a meaningful gift but clearly shows respect for the parents. An expertly carved and dyed wooden bangle. Someone even made a dress for when Alysara would be older. Often clothes are regarded as a poor choice but could be passed down from generation to generation, so it's not the worst gift, and coming from an appropriately distant relative, it wouldn't cause a fuss.

"As soon as I saw my little niece, I knew this would be a great gift." Alysara's uncle from her father's side finishes up her story. Her gift is a mundane sapphire fitted in a gold ring, a good gift from one so closely related. Chozu gives her husband a stare as if saying, "That's a real Kyholo gift!"

Next up is Chozu, who stands up and presents her ribbon—at first, a few people mutter about a "cheap gift," but when Chozu ties it to Alysara's hair, the colors shift, revealing the ice silk that was used in its craft. Illusions of snow falling from the ribbon drift down before disappearing. Flashy? Yes. A bit over the top? It's very hard to make a good cloth-type gift, and it's her blood-related niece, after all. Also, it's not like she made an entire dress—just a simple ribbon. The simplicity of its form counters the flashiness.

Next is her dreaded husband's gift. He walks up and loops Chozu's ribbon into the shell. Honestly, Chozu has to give her credit. With the shell, it looks like the snow is falling from the ruby. Perfect balance between the ice element-filled ice silk and fire element saturated shell.

The next thing that happens takes everyone by surprise. Raw mana starts condensing around the hair ornament. Chozu quickly identifies the result.

Hair Ornament of Duality (Minor): Given at a Kyholo, this gift is the combination of two gifts into one, the minor illusion enchantment turning into an innate magical effect.

Magical Effect: Produces heatless, coldless flaming snowflakes.

The burning snowflakes drift down for a lot longer, slowly dissipating, no longer a mere illusion.

It isn't unheard of for gifts of a special occasion to turn into a magical item. In fact, there's at least one Kyhosa every year that turns into a minor magical item. Some people even try to force such an event, although it rarely ever works. Part of what makes a magical item is sincerity; it's like whatever force that's responsible for such transformation is aware of the intent to make a magical item and purposely prevents it from happening.

This new development worries Chozu. It's never her intention to make a magical item, and the fact that it isn't even the Kyhosa makes it even worse—now Kanato and Feyan have to top this. Chozu turns to Feyan to apologize but sees Feyan smiling.

Is their Kyhosa that good? Chozu wonders. Others look in her direction and mutter something to their partners or friends.

Going against everyone's expectations, both Kanato and Feyan go to the center with their hands, and presumably the Kyhosas behind their back. Chozu frowns. Usually, one parent shows their gift first.

"I know it's unconventional," Feyan says. "But our gifts are a product of both of us. We made them together, but that doesn't mean there's only one Kyhosa."

"We both had extreme troubles figuring out what fits our special little girl," Kanato says. "As did most of you. The duality of her eyes surely made you think of fire or ice, like how my sister and brother-in-law thought. We struggled every day to find the perfect gift, something that would satisfy our [Perfectionist's Eye]. A few months ago, I found a large nexus gem and sought to devote it to Myrou. But the more I went down that path, the more Myrou seemed unhappy. It wasn't until I started cutting the gems with my child in mind that she finally smiled."

Kanato looks at her wife and smiles.

"I agonized every day, and I was even beginning to think I was a terrible mother. But one day, Kanato said, 'Who says that a Kyhosa has to be made by an individual parent? Why not by both,' and that's how we got here. Kanato spent weeks making the perfect cut to make the most beautiful and flawless gem of all while I spent the rest of the time making the best jewelry for it to be set in."

Feyan reveals her Kyhosa gift. It's possibly the most beautiful amulet Chozu has ever set her eyes on. An unworldly beauty and aura of creativity radiate from the nexus gem, a gem of swirling elemental mana like an ethereal dance. The metalwork doesn't disappoint with its intricate patterns and twistings of Myrou gold.

"How had Feyan gotten a hold of so much Myrou gold?" is probably the first thought of everybody, and the next would probably be: "Why is a gift even made of Myrou gold in the first place?"

Myrou gold is gold infused with beauty or creativity essence, perhaps even both. While most people don't have essence sight, it can be felt, much like how people can feel a place of high mana density like that around the Guardian or the temple.

As for why Myrou gold is even used, it's exclusively reserved for projects dedicated to Myrou just like how nexus gems are.

The nexus gem embedded within the amulet is shaped like a teardrop and large enough to fit in one's palm.

Kanato then reveals her Kyhosa, a pair of bracelets made with the same gold. On one bracelet, the gold covers the gems in such a way as to make it look like a large snowflake. The other is made to look like flames.

It's clear that Kanato and Feyan put their soul into making these Kyhosas. Feyan slips the golden chains of the amulet around Alysara's head, and although the bracelets are too large, being sized for an adult, she lays them into her lap.

With such a special gift, it comes as a surprise to no one that mana starts to condense into the gifts.

Alysara's Kyhosa (Major) (Unique): This artifact, made from Nexus gems and Myrou gold blessed by Myrou herself and filled to the brim with beauty and creativity essence, was given as a Kyhosa to Alysara during her Kyholo.

When worn, it enhances Beauty and Creativity, and Elemental Magic by 220%, and boosts Intelligence and Wisdom by 25%.

Tethered, Battery (10,000).

Chapter 7: Speaking

It's been several months now, and I think I have a good handle on this language. It was kind of frustrating to learn by what rules, if any, it was operating on, but then I figured out each syllable has its own meaning. For example, the word for greeting that I learned so long ago, Laeso. La means to greet or to introduce, not a direct translation, but that's the closest meaning. Es translates to time, and O means light, any form of light. So this means Laeso translates to greeting at day, and the word for day, which one can now easily guess is Eso or "time of light."

Drawing out a syllable gives the opposite meaning, which will be indicated with a dash symbol, so Eso- means "time of dark." Easy enough to understand. Saying a syllable in a higher or lower pitch indicates amount or severity. For example, the Es in a higher pitch roughly means "late," or "long time." Exactly how long, and you'll need to combine it with numbers. A higher pitch will be represented with a line above the word, and a lower pitch will be, you guessed it, a line below the word.

Momara is the word for parent. There isn't any word for father or mother, probably because the distinction between male and female is pretty much height and what kind of package you have between your legs. This means Momara means child, again no distinction between genders.

In short, this language mostly depends on learning the meanings of its alphabet, which is quite extensive. Now you may be wondering "there are too many meanings for things and not enough syllables," and you're mostly right, but a lot of concepts can be broken down into baser meanings. Like evolution. Evolution isn't a known concept to these people, but the word can still easily exist, which is: Moduma. Mo, roughly, means "being" or "entity"; more accurately, it means life but not in a life-and-death sense but more in a sentience sense. Du means "change," and Ma roughly translates to "succession." So, Moduma translates to "generational change" or "change between generations," which is pretty much what evolution is.

There's still a lot to learn of this language, and I still have to figure a lot out—I'm just glad it's not as hard as English, and it's pretty adaptable as long as base meanings exist.

On to other news, I've had to extensively train my [Sense Mana] as a way to see.

General Skill 1: Sense Mana (12) [30]

General Skill 2: Pain Tolerance (15) [30]

General Skill 3: Soul Damage Reduction (1) [10]

General Skill 4: Mana Toxicity Tolerance (3) [20]

General Skill 5:

General Skill 6:

General Skill 7:

General Skill 8:

General Skill 9:

General Skill 10:

I've expanded the skill again after trying to distinguish shapes, so now I can sense rough shapes around me, yay! No more bumping into things when I crawl around, mostly. I still don't have depth perception, but as the skill levels up more, I can better distinguish shapes and see more clearly.

I don't know if there's a hard cap on skills, but there's definitely a soft cap. You gain ten max levels every time you expand on the skill, but eventually, you'll run out of things to expand on.

Since I've leveled up my [Pain Tolerance], I've noticed things feel significantly less painful, like ramming my head on the corner of the table leg. My guess is that each level in the skill makes you about one percent better at it, but that's just my guess—could be slightly more or slightly less.

Also, ever since being in the presence of that super scary thing, I've gained a new breakthrough in [Mana Toxicity Tolerance].

Mana Toxicity Tolerance: Being exposed to high amounts of mana density can lead to a build-up of mana, poisoning you. This skill will help you tolerate mana poisoning.

1ˢᵗ Breakthrough: Some beings are so strong, they exude so much mana as to kill lesser beings. Being in the presence of one, even when it is limiting its mana leakage, has allowed you to adapt and tolerate its unique mana, letting you be able to push out mana against them the more used to them you are.

So what this is telling me is that all beings generate mana and leak them out, and since it's unique to that specific being, I can slowly become more tolerant to it than normal background mana. From what I can gather from this is that mana poisoning might be excess mana building up within you.

My mana regeneration is higher than my maximum mana, so the question is—just how much mana can I hold? Is my current limit the absolute max, or is it just a point at which my body has filled up and will start leaking mana? Obviously, how much you leak is tied to your mana generation, but is there a point at which you generate more than you can leak? Scary.

Currently, I'm crawling around the house. We recently moved out of the hut and into a proper house. I finally have the freedom to explore and not just lay in my crib.

"Alysara! Fa! Faun!" Mom calls out to me as I crawl toward the weird slope in the house. Mom quickly rushes over and picks me up. "Fa" means to stop or cease—don't know what "Un" means yet. But I can guess, given the context, it might mean "danger" or possibly "immediately." Now that I think about it, "stop danger" doesn't make too much sense, and "stop now" is a lot more likely.

Mom picks me up to rescue me from endangering myself. "Edich tl mosla km?" Mom sighs as I struggle to try to get free from her.

Freedom, my precious freedom!

Mom walks me into a room I recognize as the bedroom; my crib is at the foot of my parents' bed.

Nooo! Don't put me back in that prison!

Fortunately, I'm not put in my crib. She sets me on the floor and walks over to the crib. She picks it up and walks over to the curtain. Although we've upgraded to walls, we still don't use doors—perhaps door handles are too unsanitary for these clean freaks?

Wait, Mom is going to block the door, so I can't get out! I must stop her!

There's only one thing I can use—the secret art passed down through the ages, the art of baby dependence!

"Momara," I say and try to hug Mom. I intentionally pronounced it wrong because that's cuter. I've already been saying a few words for a couple of months now, so that isn't a surprise to Mom.

Ting! You have gained the Charm skill!

Charm: You have used words or actions to significantly change someone's course of action. This skill will help you charm people easier.

Mom sighs and sits down on the bed, and strokes my head, and scratches behind my ears, making me purr involuntarily.

We sit there for a few minutes, then Mom puts me down. She walks over to the door curtain and crib to lock me in the room. I crawl as fast as my little arms and legs could, but the giant beats me to it.

"Momara tl diedun."

More new words and syllables I don't yet know—all I understood was "Mom something." What was she doing before? She was at a desk, making some noise, not writing—that's for sure. She sits at that spot doing whatever she does for long periods of time; we don't have technology, whatever that is. The only things I can think of are work and some sort of craftsmanship hobby, seeing as it's before the after-work bath through the power of process of elimination—I think Mom said something along the lines of "Mommy has to go work." I mean, it could still be "Mommy has to go play," but that doesn't fit the context as well.

Speaking of knowledge that I know but don't know at the same time, about a month ago, I suddenly understood what volcanoes and their calderas are. I just woke up one day, and the knowledge was just there like a dark room had been lit up. The knowledge was there all along but unseen.

This kind of means that since it was something I was worried about, it was the first thing I remembered. Good news is that a volcano with a caldera this size can't possibly exist without magical aid, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of geological activity. The sea of hot spring water is evident of that, even if it's a shallow sea. Still, heating up an entire sea—that's… I dunno, thirty meters deep? How deep do shallow seas get? Anyway, heating up that much water is very impressive.

Whelp, I'm too small to break free, so I have to explore in this room. The next couple of hours are filled with hitting my rattle on objects. Using the loose sheets to climb on my parents' bed and make a mess of it, and attempting to walk on my unstable legs. I found out quickly how well my long tail is at making me fall on my bottom. It's hard enough finding a good balance when the sheer length of my tail makes it very easy to overcorrect. And yes, my tail is differently much longer than it should be. With [Sense Mana], I can sense myself and my body-to-tail proportion is different from that of other people.

Suddenly, a squeal of delight sounds from the direction of the door. My [Sense Mana] doesn't fully reach across the room, but I can guess Mom saw me trying to walk.

"Momara?" I call out. Is it time for an after-work bath already? I think. Mom rushes in, and instead of picking me up, she holds my hand.

Ah, I see. She wants to help me learn how to walk.

We spend the next several minutes walking. I'm glad I no longer have to fall, with Mom supporting me.

My other "Momara," my dad. Comes home, calling out to Mom.

"Ij" Mom replies. "Aly tl em!"

I may not know what "tl" and "Em" means, but Mom definitely said I was walking or learning to walk—so many syllables to learn. It's like trying to read Chinese with their two thousand or whatever pictographs. Doesn't help when they use three-sound and even four-sound combinations like "kno" or "bla."

Mom and Dad continue to help me learn the surprisingly difficult act of walking. After several more minutes of walking, Mom takes me to the after-work bath. Since we're late, most people are done by now, but there are a few other late people too. Mom still holds me when in the baths. After the baths, we go home.

Mom and Dad talk about their day while I try learning new words and syllable meanings. Like all languages, you get good at speaking, and even though they take time when speaking, it's still pretty fast and hard for me to fully take everything in.

The next day after work and an hour after walking, that goes a lot smoother than yesterday, Mom is trying to teach me new words. About twice a week, Mom does this, and while she means well, simply saying words to me without context doesn't help much.

After a few minutes of me not talking, Mom just sighs and mutters something.

"Sho- Aly tl ta ich-?"

That "tl" appears a lot, like in most sentences. Yet I can't really figure out what it means.

"Aly tl ta?"

Mom brightens at my question and smiles. Mom nods at me and says another sentence, and looks expectantly at me.

Mom, please don't change the subject.

"Aly tl ta?" I ask again and tilt my head for cuteness power.

"Dawww!" Mom embraces me in a crushing hug. Once I'm freed, I gasp for air. I could have died there—cuteness is scary. Actually, scratch that, I technically can survive without air thanks to [Mana Sustenance] that my race has.

"Aly tl ta?" I ask again after I calm down again.

Mom thinks for a few moments.

"Aly," she says, after touching me with a finger.

I got that pretty easy, Mom. I don't know what the other words are.

"Ta," Mom says, still touching me. Then she takes my hand to touch her "Ta-"

Hmm, something I am that Mom is not... Is she calling me short?! Well, it's not wrong.

"Tl?" I ask.

Mom thinks for a little more before answering.

"Aly tl ta." She touches my hair.

"Te tl shy."

Wait, I know "Teshy" refers to my hair, and my hair is blue; the common word structure is subject matter first, which would be hair, so it means "hair blue." Splitting the word, Te is "hair," and "shy" is blue. "tl" probably connects two words, in other words, "Te tl shy" means "hair is blue." Aly is my nickname, and "Ta" probably refers to me being short, so "Aly tl ta" means "Little Aly."

Makes a lot of sense in hindsight

After our speech lesson, Mom plays with me for a little bit before needing to make dinner. After that, we attend the Lojyo, the party the village attends every night.

After the dancing, some people come up to show off some of their works—one person even plays a very beautiful song. Then Mom hands me off to Dad, and she shows off what she's been working on.

An extravagant gem necklace made with twisting metal. It's hard to tell with my [Sense Mana] as I can't differentiate materials by color. The metal is made to look like vines with tiny leaves sprouting from it in a way to not make it uncomfortable for the wearer. The gem itself shimmers with magical energies that are clear as day to my [Sense Mana]. It seems almost like the mana is different from the mana in the metal.

I wonder, are there different types of mana? My mana tolerance mentioned mana leaked by a being is unique to them. Maybe if I train my [Sense Mana] to differentiate the mana, I'd be able to see specific people? 'Cause right now, they look like silhouettes to me.

I focus on the magical energies on the gem and the metal around it. Trying to make sense of their difference.

If people can have different mana, why not objects too?

Eventually, Mom walks away to let the next person have their spotlight, and in turn, remove the object of my study. I sigh and look down. For once, I'm not being carried horizontally, facing up. Dad is holding me vertically. Then I notice a peculiarity—the earth beneath us has the same mana as that's the gem, a differing amount with some others, but it's majorly the same type.

Earth mana?

I focus specifically on the earth mana, and suddenly the world gains color.

Ting! Sense Mana sense has reached level 13.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 30.

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.

1ˢᵗ Breakthrough: You have sensed an overwhelming pressure of mana, and now you will be able to better sense mana in such quantity and better see slight difference in mana levels.

2ⁿᵈ Breakthrough: You have learned to perceive different containers of mana, letting you see the general shapes of mana containing objects around you.

3ʳᵈ Breakthrough: You have learned to see different types of mana, letting you see elemental mana.

Chapter 8: Evolving

It's been about a year since I've greatly expanded my vocabulary and can now speak in a few full sentences. I've also learned how to walk and run, though my parents still worry over me. They still think I'm blind. Can't they see that I can navigate my way through the house?

[Sense Mana] has been leveling slower and slower. I guess I get diminishing returns on EXP when seeing things. I enjoyed a good boost at the start probably because of the high mana density. But now I'm used to it, and it stopped hurting a long time ago.

Of course, when I learned to sense elemental mana, I gained a few quick levels. If I want to continue to level up my only way of "seeing" the world, I'll have to seek out or figure out novel ways to sense mana. Off the top of my head, I could go to lower mana density as that would be something new, but I'd have to leave this archipelago since there's a ley line nexus right above us—finding a mana in a poor area is going to be tough.

Also, even though I can now sense elemental mana, people still look like silhouettes; they seem to have little, if any, elemental mana. I've tried to learn how you see their unique mana, but it's a lot harder—they all seem to look the same.

General Skill 1: Sense Mana 17/40

General Skill 2: Pain Tolerance 15/30

General Skill 3: Soul Damage Reduction 1/10

General Skill 4: Mana Toxicity Tolerance 5/20

General Skill 5: Charm 5/10

General Skill 6:

General Skill 7:

General Skill 8:

General Skill 9:

General Skill 10:

My [Mana Toxicity Tolerance] went up a few levels after meeting the dragon again. And even my [Sense Mana] level from the sheer amount of mana leaking from it. Other than that, I had a few opportunities to use and practice my charm, which still levels at a nice pace.

Being a baby has been dreadfully boring, especially with no technology. I have a rattle and some cloth dolls now, but I've not been too interested in playing with them. Instead, I busy myself with learning useful things. Like [Sense Mana]. And while seeing people's mana hasn't been very fruitful, I've been trying to sense differing amounts of mana within objects and trying to expand the distance I can sense mana.

I expected today of all days to be normal, even though it's been close to a year. There's been no real way to track the days. A year here could have been five hundred days or just three hundred. I have no real idea—yet.

Now, however, I know it's been exactly one year since my birth—how do I know this? Because of this.

Ting! Congratulations! You now qualify for a race evolution!

Apparently, one can upgrade their race class. Also, evolution isn't the correct word, but it's the closest thing. If I convert my system language to this world's, it'll read as:

Tyn! Ho! Jiun tl yanamoduma!

Gotta say once I figured this out, it helped me a lot to memorize the language but sadly does nothing if I don't actually know the words; it just defaults to English.

Ting! Change Runalymo to Mana Seer Runalymo?

(Adept)

Requirements: Be at least 1 year of age; have at least 10 levels in Sense Mana; have 3 breakthroughs in Sense Mana.

A powerful Runalymo, able to sense and see fluctuations in mana and predict the mana weather of the nexus and other lesser congregations of mana ley lines. Able to know when a spell is being cast and act before others can know when an attack is happening.

Note: Any skills made racial or merged with a current racial skill cannot gain any more levels.

Sounds like it'll combine my [Spirit Sight] and [Sense Mana] skills. Seeing as how I won't gain any more levels and thus be stuck with what I have, I'll pass on this, or at least wait until I get the skill higher.

Ting! Change Runalymo to Pain Glutton Runalymo?

(Adept)

Requirements: Be at least 1 year of age; have at least 10 levels in Pain Tolerance; have 2 breakthroughs in Pain Tolerance.

Having grown to enjoy pain you have learned how to regenerate from that which harms you, making such actions inconsequential so you can indulge in more pleasure.

Note: Any skills made racial or merged with a current racial skill cannot gain any more levels.

No! I'm not a masochist. Though the regeneration does sound good.

Ting! Change Runalymo to Myrou Blessed Runalymo?

(Adept)

Requirements: Be at least 1 year of age; have been blessed by goddess Myrou.

Blessed by the goddess of beauty and creativity herself. This race will have no problem being inspired, and talent in the arts and crafts will come easy. Many will find jealousness in your radiant and transcendent beauty.

Note: No skills will be lost or merged.

Honestly, this sounds pretty neat!

Ting! Change Runalymo to Phantom Runalymo?

(Major)

Requirements: Be at least 1 year of age; have the Astral Projection cursed skill.

Something akin to a ghost, but still living. This race has the innate ability to turn intangible for a limited time and take over the bodies of others, though their ability to adapt to hostile environments is lessened.

Note: Skills may be lost or replaced.

Yeah, no. Likely my Nexus Adaptation will be replaced and currently living in one with no way to move away from it will be like tossing me into a frying pan. Although, it's considered "major," I have an inkling that it refers to the tier, so it's clearly better than the others.

Ting! Change Runalymo to All Seeing Runalymo?

(Major)

Requirements: Be at least 1 year of age; have the True Sight cursed skill.

Nothing can hide. Nothing can be hidden. All falsehoods are revealed, and all truths made bare before your eyes.

Tempting, especially that "Major" tier. But if it's too painful to use my eyes, then it's effectively useless.

The only ones I'd consider are the Mana Seer and the Myrou Blessed, and of the two, Myrou Bless wins as I'd be able to still level and use [Sense Mana]. Also, it sounds like I'd eventually be able to do what Mana Seer does anyway, just a matter of knowing what to look for.

Another thing to consider: I don't have to evolve right now. If I wait, the classes could become better, but I won't. Why? Well, Myrou Blessed doesn't sound like it'll get any better, not with adding some sort of skill requirement to make it better; and if that's the case, there might be a skill replacement, meaning I'd have to wait more for a better alternative.

And one more thing to consider: I'd likely have to wait years until I can get other skills. Swordplay, magic casting, music, or some crafting. All that may add to the list of evolutions and alter them in some way. Or I could evolve now and have those for the next evolution. Since the race doesn't level up, it seems the only way to make it strong is to evolve into better race versions.

And the last piece of argument is that Myrou Blessed said my natural talent would be increased, making it easier to gain skills and level them, I hope, and thus better race evolutions. It's best to get things that help your growth as early as you can so you can grow as fast as you can.

With that, I mentally affirm the Myrou Blessed Runalymo and all goes black.

Race: Myrou Blessed Runalymo

Race Trait 1: Mana Generation

Having traded the now unneeded physical boosting traits of their parent species, the Runalymo has instead gained a heightened mana generation rate by (170%).

Race Trait 2: Spirit Sight

An old trait possessed by the parent species. This race is tuned to the spirit layer, able to see spiritual beings.

Race Trait 3: Nutritional Milk

Having suffered through near extinction by starvation, this race has turned to whatever it could in dark times and not succumb to the cursed act of cannibalism. This race's milk is very nutritional, providing a creature with all their nutritional needs for 1 meal.

Race Trait 4: Heightened Senses

An old trait that has been honed and kept through the eons, and although this has not served the Runalymo as it has their parent species, this race still has very acute hearing, smell, and sight.

Race Trait 5: Mana Sustenance

Having adapted to a low-food environment and constant starvation, this race now passively consumes mana to sustain bodily needs. Mana regen cost increases the more that needs to be sustained.

Race Trait 6: Runalymo's Cleanliness

The incessant nature for cleanliness and care of appearance grants this race a (+50%) to beauty essence after bathing and performing acts of maintaining appearance. The more care taken the higher the bonus up to (250%) and minimum of (100%).

Race Trait 7: Perfectionist's Eye

Following the tenets of Myrou, this race has taken great care to perfect their arts and crafts. This skill makes it so flaws are easily spotted and never overlooked. Additionally, the more creativity essence a member of this race has, the faster they'll learn and master their arts and crafts.

Race Trait 8: Nexus Adaptation

Adapting to the hostile environment of a nexus, even if the vast majority of the ambient mana is being siphoned, has made this race more resistant to heat and mana toxicity.

Race Trait 9: Inspirational Greatness

The dedication to the arts and crafts have made the Runalymo more creative, granting them a (+250%) to creativity essence.

Race Trait 10: Myrou's Children

As dedicated and fervent followers of goddess Myrou, the Runalymo can more easily channel her essences of beauty and creativity (+250%).

It seems like half the skills got boosted. My [Mana Generation], [Runalymo's Cleanliness], [Perfectionist's Eye], and [Inspirational Greatness].

The best improvement is obviously [Perfectionist's Eye], which now scales with creativity essence.

I've awoken to these messages, and now I just noticed Mom and Dad are staring at me. It's hard to note their expression, but something must have changed. Mom and Dad are talking in hushed voices.

"Momara?"

"You evolved, right?" Dad asks. It's nice being able to know full sentences.

"It wasn't cursed, was it?" Mom asks worriedly.

"No curse, Myrou blessed!" I give my answer, no real reason to hide it.

Both my parents sigh in relief. Then excitement hits them. I mean, come on—did they really think I was going to pick an evolution based on something like cursed skills?

My parents are excitedly talking, with sprinkles of "Myrou" being mentioned.

I stand and grab the railing of my crib.

"Bath time?" I ask. Both Mom and Dad suddenly realize why they have first come to me.

After nursing— seriously, I can be weaned now— we're off to the baths. It's currently snowing, the Nexus weather always surprising me. I don't know about the rest of the world, but here in the nexus, there are no seasons—it could snow one day then be blistering hot the next. But I did learn that when this happens, at the same time, a large influx of an element is the cause.

Lightning element causes, you guessed it, thunderstorms. Ice element obviously brings cold and snow. Fire, heat. The more confusing one is earth. Which doesn't seem to have a correlated weather. Light element is bad during the day. Everything becomes hard to look at, and people are in danger of eye strain—not me, though! Dark makes day look very dim, and people are usually asleep at night, though if someone wanders off at night during a dark storm, they are liable to walk right off the jetty—though most, if not everyone, above a certain age can swim.

Naturally, like umbrellas, there are smoked glasses to handle light storms. Lamps with glowing crystals are used during dark storms and are permanently set up in several areas, like around the baths, but during light storms, they get ultra-bright; they share the same element, after all.

One thing I noticed over the year I've been alive is that after each storm and especially after earth storms, there are more ores brought in for the smiths. Or more element-based crystals and gems. My guess is that they grow or become more attuned during the storms, bringing surprisingly renewable resources out of normally non-renewable stuff.

Naturally, the snow doesn't last long in this hot place, but the bath waters will be a lot cooler and feel lukewarm during an ice-element storm.

During the baths, I get a lot of attention. I hear a lot of "Vesha." Knowing that "ve" is hair, I can guess something happened to my hair during my evolution.

"Vesha?" I ask my parents, looking up at them and pointing to my head.

Mom thinks for a bit, then holds the tips of my hair. "Vesha," and puts a hand on my head, "Veshy."

Ah, I see now. The tips of my hair are a different color. Question is, what color? I really wanna know, but to do that, I'll have to open my eyes and be in a ton of pain. Whelp, guess I'll never know.

Ting! A great entity, Sand Elemental, was slain by Erandur the dragon.

Umm, okay. Why am I being notified of this? I look up at Mom and tilt my head.

"It'll happen about once a decade. When something gets super strong and dies, the shock of that reaches the entire world."

So, it means that when a Great Being, or Entity as it was called, dies, everyone gets a notification. Something about being so powerful leaves an impression on the system, and once that's removed, it ripples out. Also, it mentions who the slayer is, so no unsung heroes or any way to falsify a kill or kill one without anyone knowing about it.

Once we get back home, Mom and Dad are off to work. I'm again locked in the bedroom, bored out of my mind. Rattle? Boring. Dolls? Not my thing. Trash the room? Meh, I don't want to be that kid. Sleep? Waste of time. I wanna do something productive. Something like leveling my skills. I'm getting nowhere with [Sense Mana], and I really don't have any other skill to work on. I have that bond thing, but I know nothing about that.

I actually do have two other skills I can work on, technically, but they're very painful to use. Actually, just [True Sight] and [Astral Projection] don't hurt. It just, you know, risks me never returning to my body again—not much of a big deal.

Actually, I've had a thought on that, and I've been mulling it over in my head. Remember that pickaxe I formed way back? What if I formed a lifeline? A tether to my body?

Alright, it's decided. I'll attempt [Astral Projection] with a tether but, if I can't form a tether or it doesn't work, I'll give up on the skill—never do it again.

With that, I meditate and soon return to my soul space, at the soul barrier.

I focus on my soul barrier, creating a door. I mentally will into existence a rope tied around me and anchored to the door, a long rope that'll expand as needed. I steel my nerves and gently step outside of my soul barrier. The tether still contacts me, and I'm able to drift outside and float around.

After a little while, I start feeling a little daring. I drift off further and further into the darkness. Until my soul barrier is barely in sight. I stop moving away and encircle my soul barrier. My body? I dunno, it looks like a sphere. Maybe it's where my soul is housed within my body?

I should probably get back to my body now—it's not wise to linger until I get better. Who knows, maybe some spirit will drift by and try to eat me. Or maybe some grim reaper thing will try to reap my wandering soul.

With that shuddering thought, I follow the tether back and return to the world.

Ting! Astral Projection has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Astral Projection will now continue leveling past level 20!

Ting! Astral Projection has obtained levels 2-5!

Astral Projection: You have sent out your consciousness outside of your soul, risking losing yourself in the process. This skill will help you grow into a master of Astral Projection.

1ˢᵗ Breakthrough: You have taken the first step to becoming a true master of Astral Projection by tethering yourself to your body, making sure you will never lose your way.

Chapter 9: Bonding

Today is the day I figure out what the Bond is! I declare to myself.

It's been a few days since my breakthrough with [Astral Projection]. I've grown a little bored of the practice and not really getting anywhere. So now I'll practice something else!

So, where to start? First, what's a bond? Translating to Runalymo it reads as:

Ysrumo – Ly.

Ys means a connection or Bond of some sort. Could be family, could be friendship. Ru means mana. And Mo is beings, as in a living being, or at least thinking being. Together it means a bond of mana to being. Ly just means beauty.

Quite useful, this language.

So, a bond is what type of mana, elemental or essence, you're naturally gifted at? Okay, so second is how do I actually use it? And third, what the fuck does beauty even do? It's not like I'm water bending or throwing fireballs.

I sigh. This is going to take some work.

I stretch out my arm and try to gather the beauty mana in front of me...

Nothing.

Of course, this isn't going to work.

I put a hand on my chin. Alright, now let's review what mana is. Well, I don't really know what mana is, but I do know we generate it. The more mana surrounding us means less leakage, causing us to be poisoned by our own mana, Mana Toxicity. Of course, it could be that we gather mana from our surroundings, and too much would still cause mana toxicity.

In any case, I was trying to use the mana around me, but I have a mana pool that I probably should be drawing from.

Again, I stick out my hand, and this time, try to use the mana within me, pushing it out through my arm and into a sphere in front of my hand.

With amazement, I watch pure mana, not a type I could identify, slowly gather in front of me.

Pure beauty essence?

It's not Elemental mana, so I can't see it as different colors—but perhaps if I can study this, if I can figure out how it's different from elemental mana, I may be able to make another breakthrough in [Sense Mana].

Of course, it isn't as easy as looking at the differences. Elemental mana was easy because there was so much of it, but the nexus only seems to deal with Elemental mana, not Essence mana, or if it does, there's not a lot of it.

I need another form of essence to compare it with, but the only other form I know is creativity. Which, coincidentally, is boosted within my body—let's take a look.

I focus [Sense Mana] inward-looking at the mana within me. There's definitely a swirling of different mana. Mainly three types, but there are traces of others, the fourth largest amount not being insignificant.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 17!

I ignore the message. The largest quantity of mana is my own unique mana, so let's focus on the other two. Well, it's kind of hard to know which one is beauty and the other creativity. If I can somehow see one raise, I should be able to tell. Hang on, I have a glowing ball of beauty essence! If I can somehow take that mana into myself...

I grab the ball of beauty essence and try to absorb it. It's actually pretty easy. I watch as one type of mana grows more and more as the ball shrinks. Suddenly, as if a veil has been lifted from my [Sense Mana], the two main colors bloom within me, along with the traces of others.

Ting! You have developed a new Bond skill! Beauty Enhancement!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 2!

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.

1ˢᵗ Breakthrough: You have sensed an overwhelming pressure of mana, and now you will be able to better sense mana in such quantity and better see slight difference in mana levels.

2ⁿᵈ Breakthrough: You have learned to perceive different containers of mana, letting you see the general shapes of mana containing objects around you.

3ʳᵈ Breakthrough: You have learned to see different types of mana, letting you see elemental mana.

4ᵗʰ Breakthrough: You have learned how to see mana essences, letting you see the many types of essences.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained levels 18-19!

Okay, that's a lot to take in. First, now that I can see it, there's a ton of ambient creativity and beauty essence, less than elemental mana but still a significant amount. There's still a lot I don't know about, but this is a start.

Second, a bond skill. The Bond didn't have any skill slots, so let's take a look.

Bond- Beauty: Level 2

Skill: Beauty Enhancement

A couple of things to note. The skill doesn't have a level. And second, it's not a breakthrough. It's almost as if the Bond is halfway between a skill and a class. Skill breakthroughs work on the skill level, not their own, but my Bond clearly has a "skill," suggesting a bond is not a simple skill to expand.

Also, the Race doesn't have skill levels. I seem to be working off the assumption that the class will have skill levels—this may not be the case. Precedence has been set.

So, now I can use my Bond, but I still don't really know what to do with it, nor what my bond skill actually does.

Beauty Enhancement: Increases the amount of beauty essence held within the target for 100 + 10 / level minutes by 50% + 2% / level.

That doesn't explain a whole lot. What does the essence actually do?!

Checking my mana levels, I used most of my mana on that one enhancement, almost one-thirty points of mana. It might be because I already had a large amount of beauty essence within me. My mana generation being higher than my max mana per hour means I can keep this enhancement running permanently. Actually, scratch that—I absorbed the mana I previously conjured, which cost me one-thirty points, not the cast of the enhancement. I'll need to test that once I get my mana back.

As I wait for my mana, I begin to theorycraft how to use my Bond in other ways.

Could I shoot a beam of it? Shoot out a beautifying beam? What would that do?

Soon, my mana has recharged, and I cast my bond skill. Fifty-two mana. Seems like it's one mana per percent of enhancement. Since it lasts, for now, two hours and my mana regen is four hundred, and I gain six and a half mana per minute, but it costs less than one mana per minute. I indeed can have it up permanently, a good way to grind bond levels.

Next, I hold up my hand and focus on gathering mana in front of my palm again, but this time, I shoot out a beam, hitting the wall. To my surprise, a charred spot is burnt into the wall. How do I know it's burnt? Well, the texture of the wall changed, and I can smell burnt wood.

Mom is going to kill me for that.

Ting! You have developed a new Bond skill! Beauty Beam!

Beauty Beam: Shoot out a deadly beam of beauty essence, containing up to 20 points of mana, that damages anything less beautiful.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 3!

An ugly killer, huh. But it only works if the target has low beauty essence, and with how much is in this area, it won't do much damage. Simply put, if the target has more than twenty points of ambient beauty, it won't do anything. Also, if they have, say, ten points, it might do less damage; the skill descriptor isn't clear on that.

I don't continue using [Beauty Beam], as the wall is already damaged enough. And a good thing, too, as mom walks in. It doesn't take her long to discover the damage. Whelp, let's just get it over with now.

"S-Sorry," I say nervously, looking down. Mom just has a look of utter confusion on her face.

"What do you need to be sorry about?"

"I-I was learning my bond."

There's a long moment of silence between us.

Perhaps Mom doesn't believe me; I'm just a one-year-old, after all.

"You're already learning your bond?" Mom repeats before sighing and mutters, "Rymoma."

"Just don't use your Bond without one of us with you, okay? It's very dangerous."

I nod meekly, even though I'm going to constantly use my enhancement bond skill. We go to the after-work baths and meet up with dad. Mom tells her what happened, and I hear her sigh. Probably thinking something along the lines of: "Another thing to watch out for." At this point, I think they just expect that these things are going to happen to or around me.

We go back home for dinner. Then afterward, I'm asked to show off my Bond skill outside, on a target dummy.

"Wait, what even is her Bond? You never told me," Dad asks.

"Now that you mention it, I nev—" she stops as I fire off a beauty beam at the wooden block. Smoke rises from the wood.

"Light bond?" Mom mutters, but Dad gapes in shock.

"Beauty?! You have a beauty essence Bond, Aly?" Dad exclaims.

"How can you tell?" Mom asks.

"Essence sight, remember?" Dad answers.

I nod to Dad's question.

"And you can empower yourself with it, right?"

"You know?" I ask with a tilted head.

"The amount of beauty essence within you is higher by a khipla."

"Khipla?" I'm unfamiliar with those syllables.

"Khi is to add the same number by a specified amount," then Dad raises two fingers, "and pla is a part of something," she lowers a finger, "about this much less."

So khi means multiplication, and pla is half. Khipla means multiply half. In this case, Dad is saying the beauty essence in me has increased by fifty percent, about the bonus my skill gives.

"Kanato, she can't see your hand—she's not even looking directly at you." Mom sighs exasperatedly.

"I think she has a skill to see, Feyan—she hit the target, after all." To be fair, the target is not even a meter away from my outstretched hand.

"I see," I say.

"How?!" Mom exclaims.

"Ru-ru." I don't know the word for sensing "Ru y?" I gesture around me.

"I think you mean 'Ruar,'" Dad corrects me, then turns to Mom. "It seems she has an advanced form of my essence sight. Instead of seeing, or sensing a specific type of mana, she senses all mana—still, she seems quite well adapted to it, perhaps too well."

Dad kneels down to me and picks me up, and embraces me in a snuggling hug.

"My little girl is such a genius! What level is your skill?"

I raise ten fingers, then nine.

"Nineteen?! Already? How many alsha?"

Hold on a minute. I think she asked how many breakthroughs I have, so let me just quickly use my system language's cheat sheet real quick and...yup.

I raise four fingers.

"Four? And with a more advanced skill," Dad says with shock, then deprecation.

"Looks like a one-year-old beat you, Kanato," Mom laughs. "Remind me what your skill is at?"

"Four, not even at the second breakthrough."

Mom and Dad banter as I question why beauty essence is burning things. The only thing I can think of is that it's like a laser, or that it just causes "damage." Now that I think of it, beauty might be an offshoot of the light element. If all essences are more closely related to an element, it might explain the laser-like quality of my bond skill.

This leads me to a new question: can this relationship be observed? I'm going to need to wait for a light storm and use my Bond to fully study this relationship.

Unfortunately, the next light storm is three months away. A long time for a usually monthly event—it's as if the world doesn't want me to find out. Still, I made plenty of headway into this and other breakthroughs.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 20!

Only one level, though. I'm elated to see that a sudden flood of light mana washes over the room. And I watch as my suspicions are correct: the beauty essence did indeed get more invigorated. Sadly, no breakthroughs, but I know it isn't going to be easy. So I conjure more beauty essence, which apparently is just a default Bond ability, no skill required. The spheres of glowing beauty essence float around me like spirits. Sadly, I can't see the spirits as it's [Spirit Sight] not a [Spirit Sense].

Hang on, actually. Spirits have mana, but I don't see their mana—all I see are fluctuating mana floating around, clumps of mana. Beauty mana, creativity mana, a few other essences I don't know all swimming within a turbulent sea of elemental and essence mana. Why does the mana clump around? I have to know. I focus on a large beauty mana clump, not conjured by me, and crack one eye.

Pain immediately surges through my head like a hot poker, but sure enough, there's a spirit right where the clump of mana is.

I grab my head with a sharp inhale of air and roll around on the ground, groaning.

The pain eventually fades away. So I learned what those clumps are, sadly no free breakthrough.

I spend the rest of the light storm trying to unveil the interactions of the light element and beauty essence. Creativity essence isn't boosted by the storm, so I know it's not light related.

I feel like my skill level is not high enough to really see what's going on, same with a person's mana. It seems like some breakthroughs are more easily achieved than others. For example, the breakthrough for observing high mana density, I just had to stumble into it, and it was just a given for this place. Differentiating the elements was also pretty easy. Differentiating the essences wasn't, and I probably couldn't have if I didn't have my Bond. It's like I just ran out of the easy stuff and am now working on the intermediate stuff, but that's a problem. I rush through my breakthrough without truly understanding the nature of mana. I'm going to need to focus and scrutinize every last detail, every last interaction before I can really get to the better breakthroughs.

I also have to study my Bond. I just scratched the surface of the iceberg in these two things—the potential is so much higher.

Chapter 10: A friend

It's been five years now. A lot has happened, but at the same time, not much. I gained new breakthroughs in [Sense Mana]. Met with the Guardian dragon a few more times—actually, I apparently have a meeting with her again soon. Gained a breakthrough in charm. Trained a lot with my Bond and figured out a lot. Carefully experimented and trained with [Astral Projection]. And gained new race evolutions on my fifth birthday.

I think I've figured out how leveling skills work. It's not as simple as gaining EXP: it's about improvements. It's not necessarily that expanding the scope of the skill raises the level cap; it's that there's now another facet to master.

If level one is a total noob, then level ten is a master at that facet of the skill. There seem to be five levels you gain by action, by doing the skill, and five levels by understanding, by knowing the skill. In short, levels are a measurement of your mastery of the skill.

I've spent the last year testing my hypothesis, and the results speak for themselves. Once I began ignoring trying to raise the actual levels themselves and instead focusing on truly understanding the skills, did I start gaining a lot of levels.

It's handy, really, to know that there's more to improve. And even at level ten, I'm sure there's more to learn, but I've hamstringed myself with too many breakthroughs. It's hard to tell when I've maxed out one of the breakthroughs.

Name: Alysara

Age: 5

Sex: Female

Race: Myrou Blessed Runalymo

Race Trait 1: Mana Generation

Race Trait 2: Spirit Sight

Race Trait 3: Nutritional Milk

Race Trait 4: Heightened Senses

Race Trait 5: Mana Sustenance

Race Trait 6: Runalymo's Cleanliness

Race Trait 7: Perfectionist's Eye

Race Trait 8: Nexus Adaptation

Race Trait 9: Inspirational Greatness

Race Trait 10: Myrou's Children

Class

Active Skill 1:

Active Skill 2:

Active Skill 3:

Active Skill 4:

Active Skill 5:

Passive Skill 1:

Passive Skill 2:

Passive Skill 3:

Passive Skill 4:

Passive Skill 5:

Bond –Beauty: Level 51

Skill: Beauty Enhancement

Skill: Beauty Beam

Skill: Aura of Elegance

Skill: Grace of Wholeness

Skill: Shape Beauty

General Skill 1: Sense Mana 63/70

General Skill 2: Pain Tolerance 17/30

General Skill 3: Soul Damage Reduction 1/10

General Skill 4: Mana Toxicity Tolerance 17/20

General Skill 5: Charm 22/30

General Skill 6:

General Skill 7:

General Skill 8:

General Skill 9:

General Skill 10:

Cursed Skill 1: Astral Projection 16/20

Cursed Skill 2: True Sight 1/10

Mana: 200

Mana Regeneration (/hour): 200 (+200)

Vitality: 100

Strength: 9 (-5)

Agility: 12 (-6)

Endurance: 10 (-3)

Intelligence: 32 (+16)

Wisdom: 28 (+14)

Charisma: 20 (+10)

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.

1ˢᵗ Breakthrough: You have sensed an overwhelming pressure of mana, and now you will be able to better sense mana in such quantity and better see slight differences in mana levels.

2ⁿᵈ Breakthrough: You have learned to perceive different containers of mana, letting you see the general shapes of mana containing objects around you.

3ʳᵈ Breakthrough: You have learned to differentiate the types of mana, letting you see elemental mana.

4ᵗʰ Breakthrough: You have learned how to differentiate mana essences, letting you see the many types of essences.

5ᵗʰ Breakthrough: You have learned to see different amounts of mana within objects, letting you better see how much mana is within certain parts of things and people.

6ᵗʰ Breakthrough: You have learned how to expand your aura of sense mana, letting you see farther.

Charm: You have used words or actions to significantly change someone's course of action. This skill will help you charm people easier.

1ˢᵗ Breakthrough: You have convinced someone to give you something they normally would not have, and this will help you master the manipulative ways to get what you want.

2ⁿᵈ Breakthrough: You have used your cute wiles to avoid punishment. This will help you master getting and keeping away from the consequences of your actions.

No one believes me when I say I have over sixty levels in [Sense Mana]—well, my parents believe me, but they think I'm a super genius or something.

My baby bonuses to my mental stats are slowly dwindling, but on the plus side, my baby negatives are also lessening.

Onto my Bond.

Aura of Elegance: An aura is exuded from you that permeates your surroundings with beauty essence, allowing you to channel your other skills into your surroundings at a steep cost of effectiveness. Area is up to 5 meters + ¼ᵗʰ / level. Uses 10 mana per minute

Has a ton of potential, but sadly, my other skills aren't up to par. If I want to use a beauty beam, that twenty mana needs to overcome the present beauty essence, and then damage gets spread out over the aura, making it so weak it can't even overcome the ambient beauty essence.

Grace of Wholeness: Beauty is wholeness; by channeling your beauty, you can return objects and beings to a state of wholeness, should they be damaged. Uses up to 20 + 1 point / level points of mana per minute.

One of my most useful bond skills. Again, my aura spreads out the mana over a wide area, meaning if I want the same effectiveness, I'll need a whole day for the same one minute. It's able to regrow limbs, but it takes months of treatments as regrowing limbs is unsurprisingly very mana intensive. Apparently, limb restoring is fairly rare, but it's not like there aren't any advanced healers in any one of the villages.

Skill: Shape Beauty. You can freely summon beauty mana in any shape you want; size is limited on the amount of mana you use.

This one's neat! I'm able to make any shapes I want. My own planetarium? Yup! A mini copy of me? Sure, can! Make fairies? One of my favorites!

I've finally learned what essences do! Essences influence things. For example, creativity essence helps inspire people and helps them focus on their art or craft. Kind of like helping put you in the zone. Beauty essence helps make you more beautiful when growing up, preventing flaws and the like. When older, it helps you keep your youthful appearance, making you age gracefully.

Nature essence helps plants grow, and metal essence helps harden things and make them tougher. Gold and silver essence is mostly tied to value. We don't use gold as currency, but true gold, gold with high amounts of gold essence, is rare and valuable. Naturally, Myrou gold in this society is seen as the most valuable, but it's also incredibly rare since the gold needs high amounts of both beauty and creativity essence.

Spirits are basically elementals, but with essence mana instead of elemental mana. They're also weak, usually, as opposed to their more powerful elemental kin. The difference being that, essence isn't a tangible form of mana, not usually anyway, and mostly has a weak influence on the world. It requires a lot of essences to get significant bonuses from them. The elements have a direct effect on the world. It requires relatively few amounts to get results. That's why elementals are super strong, or so the myths tell.

Although my Bond is highly praised because it's essence-based, it's not very strong. Apparently, a bond is like having a mage class. For example, Mom's Bond is water; she can easily carve intricate patterns into her jewelry with high-pressure water jets. Dad's Bond is fire; she can easily work with metals. Dad also changed jobs from a gemcutter to a smith—she wants to become a jewel-smith. Apparently, one can make better enchanted things with inlaid jewels. Dad had to work in a gemcutting workshop to learn the trade, and then learn metalworking, which she's doing right now.

Now, onto my race Evolution options.

Myrou's Adorable Runalymo:

(Adept)

Requirements: Myrou Bless Runalymo; have charm at level 20 or higher, age five or higher.

This Adorable blessed Runalymo cannot possibly do any wrong. Mixed with cuteness essence so that no one could think bad of you.

Note: No skills will be lost or merged.

Although I like the thought of cuteness essence, I'm going to hold off on this one—maybe I'll get something better.

Mana Blessed Runalymo Seer:

(Adept)

Requirements: Myrou Bless Runalymo; have Sense Mana at level 60 or higher, before the age of five, age of five or higher.

This Runalymo has mana sensing capabilities beyond what most would consider possible. Able to see beyond their limits to places unknown.

Note: Skills may be replaced or merged.

It seems like I can "cash-in" on my skill, which means I really should keep raising it higher.

Beauty Blessed Runalymo:

(Adept)

Requirements: Myrou Bless Runalymo; have Bond at level 50 or higher, before the age of five, age of five or higher.

A master of beauty magic and her Bond, this Runalymo has reached heights in power that some would be envious of at an age where the rest of her kin are still playing with toys and living carefree. The dedication will lead to great heights, for this Runalymo is bound for greatness.

Note: No skills will be lost or merged.

The Bond evolution. No doubt this will set me up with synergy with my Bond. My Bond is weak, though—probably why it's trying so hard to sell me on this idea.

All three sound good and none involve any cursed skills, so that's a plus, but I have a feeling I have until the age of ten to get something better.

Being five years old, I'm now old enough to start wandering outside as long as I'm with others. This town is a very close-knit community, so no one worries about me, and everyone is at least acquainted with each other,—also, I'm known as the blind child, and everyone knows who I am, especially after my Kyhosa controversy.

I hum to myself as I walk down a jetty street—finally, true freedom! I'm wearing my Hair Ornament of Duality. Most people don't really like me wearing my Kyhosa as it's controversial, and the hair ornament easily substitutes for it. I also wear a black cloth over my eyes—the last time something caused me to open my eyes was agony, also bright enough light still gets through my eyelids and can still cause pain.

"Alysara!" I'd turn to see who it is, but my [Sense Mana] sphere is large enough that I can see Aunt coming up behind me. Well, I still can't differentiate people, so they still look like silhouettes, but it's easy enough since she's fast walking toward me.

"Laeso, Aunty," I say, turning around.

"Laeso. Do you plan on going anywhere, Aly?"

"Nowhere in particular."

"Then do you mind playing with Tanafyam? She's around your age, and you know how Nyam is."

Little great flame in the sky? Little Sun. It's not common for someone to have a long name, but it's not rare either. My name could be considered long too. Normally, since the subject is the "flame," her name should be Fynataam, since you always start at the subject or noun, but names don't always follow that rule.

I nod and follow Aunty to a playground. Some balls are being thrown around, and some older kids are playing with their Bonds.

There's one child sitting lonely off to the side. Clearly boyish. Some recessive traits might have resurfaced with him, I think. More technical knowledge from my past life has come back to me over the years. Evolution, vestigial and recessive traits, material hardness, electricity, and many others. A few personal memories have come to me; I have no idea who and what I was. I remember sitting in a classroom—it's very fuzzy, though. I also remember having greasy hands and not liking the grimey, slippery feeling, again, it's fuzzy.

"Tanafyam, this is Alysara. You can play with her today."

"O-Okay," Tanafyam replies meekly but doesn't get up.

"Laeso," I greet. He nods and mumbles the same.

Aunty trots off, busy with something. I sigh and sit down next to Tanafyam.

"Mind if I call you Tana? You can call me Aly if you want."

Tana shakes his head. "I don't mind."

"What do you want to play?"

Tana just shrugs his shoulders.

"Why do you wear that over your eyes?" Tana asks. "You won't be able to see."

Thanks, Captain Obvious. I'll forgive him since he's just a child.

"I'm blind, can't see anyway." It's not quite the truth. I'm technically not blind.

"We can't play with the ball if you can't see."

Captain Obvious strikes again! Sadly, this villain's power level is too high for him.

"Those kids over there are playing with their Bond—why can't we?" I ask.

"What kid our age knows how to use their bond?" Tana retorts with a scoff.

"Ehmm hmm hmm!" I hum a haughty laugh. And with a smug smile, I summon a fairy of beauty essence, having it twirl around. Yeah, when I'm not trying to unravel the mysteries of mana, I've been mastering my control of beauty essence. If I can't be powerful in my Bond, then I'll have masterful control over it. It also helps that it being weak means I don't have to limit it and worry about it blowing up in my face. My control is the reason why my bond level is so high, averaging about ten levels a year. And it'll slow down, but I'm constantly pushing and fine-tuning my control.

Three more fairies appear and start chasing the first, zipping around Tana in a game of tag.

"T-th-that's amazing!" Tana nearly shouts. A few kids look over and notice the spectacle.

I'll be able to summon up to ten if I wear my Kyhosa as I'm limited on mana. My Kyhosa boosting beauty means I can use much less mana per fairy.

Soon, a crowd of children and even teenagers form around us.

"How are you doing that?!"

"Is it really that girl? She's too young—must be an adult nearby."

"Is this because of that hair tie she has? Has to be."

A lot of people don't believe what they're seeing. Seriously, who'd believe a child half their age can outperform them with their Bond?

"If you don't think I can do this, then why are you here? Go look for the real caster," I say to a random girl, making the fairies spin around her head. Admittedly, I was a tad hostile. I worked hard to get this good.

A girl, maybe seven years old, tries to sneak up behind me, probably for a prank, but I can see her and make the fairies block her path.

"I can see you," I tell the girl.

I grab Tana's hand and lift him up. "Let's get out of here. It's too crowded." I drag him through the crowd. Once we're far enough away, at the edge of the town, I sit down and dangle my legs above the water. Tana does the same.

"Can you teach me how to use my bond?" Tana asks.

I smile. "Sure, first you need to focus on your mana. Try pushing it out."

I show Tana by stretching out my hand and forming a ball of essence in front of my palm.

Tana tries, really, really, hard. Focusing so hard he shakes, but nothing comes out. I don't even see an ounce of mana forming.

"You have to send it up to your arm first." I giggle. "Focus on your bond element—push only that mana out."

Tana tries again, and I can see fire mana slowly welling up in his chest.

"Keep going, Tana, don't let up!"

Soon, the mana is flowing up his arm, building up at his palm.

"Push it out of your hand now!"

A tiny jet of flame shoots out, barely seeable in the daylight.

"You did it!" I cheer.

Tana lets out his breath.

"Ugghh—that was so hard! You make it look so easy!"

"Was it really that hard?" I ask, genuinely surprised. It's actually fairly easy for me. But that might have been because of my baby bonuses to wisdom and intelligence. Maybe he just has low wisdom? "Well, just keep practicing, and it'll get easier."

"Easy for you to say," Tana mutters.

"Hey! I've spent years practicing—I wasn't born this good!"

Tana looks at me enviously, I think. Still kinda hard to tell facial expressions.

"Anyway, don't use too much mana at once," I say with a cough.

I spend a few hours with Tana, helping him with his Bond, then playing a ball game with him. I return home to get some [Sense Mana] training in before the after-work baths.

Chapter 11: Fire Storm

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has obtained level 18!

My mana, with some effort, pushed against the Guardian's, still not able to leak out even tiny drops of my mana, slowly poisoning my body. I had long since figured out that, no, you can't go over your mana capacity, if you do it instead damages your body.

The more mana you produce the more you can push against higher mana density but at the same time, you gain mana toxicity faster. I can feel my blood pressure rising in the presence of the dragon as it studied me

"I see... it's slow but it's healing..." The Guardian muttered.

Last time the Guardian commented on my "fast growth" and I don't think she was talking biologically. The Guardian has a way to know my bond and skill growth.

"You may go now" The Guardian dismissed us and dad picked me up and with mom we rushed out of the Guardian's stifling mana.

I observed our bodies releasing more and more mana the further we moved away from the powerful being.

How do our bodies hold all that mana? What exactly is our mana capacity? There is still so much I don't know.

It ''s a little easier to notice these things when there's a lack of an element, in this case, fire. For some reason there has been no fire mana for the last two days.

On our way back to our island I review everything I've learned about mana from my mana sense over the last five years.

Let's start with the base description of mana sense:

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.

I've maxed my action levels for this by simply using it for five years straight. The five knowledge levels I gained more slowly. Mana is power, kinda like electricity. It can be used to do things. Can be transformed into other types of mana energy, somehow. Mana also seems to travel along leylines, converging at nexus points, but it doesn't stop there. The mana doesn't then spread out it instead drifts down into the world. Mana seems to act like a fluid in that sense, forming currents and even storms.

For a base, there was a ton of stuff to figure out. I am confident that this aspect of my skill is maxed out. I am fifty-three out of sixty so there are some things I don't yet understand or haven't proven myself enough, the question is, what aspect of this skill am I lacking in?

Next is my first breakthrough

1st breakthrough: You have sensed an overwhelming pressure of mana, now you will be able to better sense mana in such quantity and better see slight difference in mana levels.

Enough mana in an area can be seen with the unaided eye. It diffuses in an area, the more mana in one area the more powerful the spells as the spells won't diffuse as fast. There's another aspect that fights the diffusion thoug, and that is that mana also like to clump up. There's a balance of sorts, a point at which a clump can't hold as much mana in the mana density of the area. In short, the more mana density, the bigger the mana clumps. In a mana-starved area, spells are likely to not travel very far, their mana might diffuse too quickly. Too much mana in an area causes a mana storm, more details on storms can be covered in elemental mana breakthroughs, it seems like this breakthrough relies heavily on other breakthroughs to truly understand, which makes me think I might not have this once fully covered in the understanding department.

2nd Breakthrough: You've learned to perceive different containers of mana letting you see the general shapes of mana containing objects around you.

Another one I am confident in being maxed at. This is all about learning to see the three-dimensional form of someone or an object. The contours of a person's face. The texture of an object's surface, it seems more like the action and understanding part of this skill goes hand-in-hand.

3rd breakthrough: You've learned to see different types of mana, letting you see elemental mana.

Other than seeing the elements this one is very complicated. Mana is empowered in an area rich in the same element or essence. This is further complicated in the sense that mana has attractive and repulsive forces. Much like magnetism attracts like and opposites repels. This makes elemental mana storms happen as mana storms will build up more and more, traveling along leylines, eventually sinking below the earth at this nexus. This leads to a problem in that the opposites in the nexus should prevent nexuses from existing. However, there are cases like my hair ornament of duality wherein opposites have combined. I suspect chemistry-like interactions. This breakthrough is one I have yet to fully master and understand.

My observations of my Hair Ornament have led me to see that both ice and fire mana are attracted to it but can't fully collect, there is always a swirling mass of ice and fire mana orbiting the magical item. There also seems to be a point at which the clumps of fire or ice mana would reach a critical mass and the clumps would just fall apart and slowly build back up. This happens every few hours. The same phenomenon can be seen with my Kyhosa just with all the elements instead.

"What are you thinking about, little Aly?" Mom asks, breaking me out of my concentration.

"I am reviewing everything I've learned about mana. I am trying to figure out some way I can max out my skill" I said with a sigh.

Dad nodded approvingly, still rowing diligently. "Makes sense that you have that skill so high. Many, however, have come to the conclusion that some breakthroughs rely on others. Something that reaching the maximum level is impossible at some point, too many breakthroughs or something like that. Still having a higher level is better as the bonus per level helps a lot more."

"I have also come to a similar conclusion but there will come a point where my breakthrough will cover each other and let me max it out. I may even be able to max out the skill with enough problem solving"

I focus back on my thoughts.

4th Breakthrough: You've learned how to see mana Essences, letting you see the many types of essences.

If elements are like water, then essence is like air. It follows the same rules like the attraction and repulsion. Essences seem to be associated with a parent element. Light for beauty, water for creativity, Earth for nature. It is empowered by the parent mana like waves combine constructively and weakened but the parent's element's opposite, like waves combining destructively. Being airier it is also weaker and requires more mana to be at the point of being seen. Essence storms should be possible but it's too airy to be more than just a higher dense clump of the element. However, nature storm are frequent enough suggesting that high amounts of life or maybe just plant life generates more nature essence.

Essences have the added bonus of empowering certain aspects. Nature essence helps plants grow, in turn generating more nature essences, hence the frequent nature storms during time where plant growth is greatest.

This breakthrough is also one I might be lacking in.

5th Breakthrough: You've learned to see different amounts of mana within objects, letting you better see how much within certain parts of things and people.

This one is much like my second breakthrough. Action and understanding goes hand in hand. This is helpful in cases like when I was teaching Tanafyam how to use his bond. Being able to see how close he was to succeeding helped me help him tremendously. If I am not already maxed here I can easily be.

6th Breakthrough: you've learned how to expand your sphere of sense mana, letting you see farther.

This one is too, like the second and fifth breakthrough but with an added complexity. It's the point that I can expand my skill. Mentally pushing this skill helps me level it up but so does the understanding of why there is a limit in the first place, and that is because of a "sixth sense". It's more of a feeling than anything, like danger sense, intuition. To know something even if you never even encountered it. For example, there's a mass of fire mana ahead and below us... Huh, that should be outside of my range.

Soon the boat passed over the anomaly, it almost looked like a geothermal vent. Suddenly my field of vision expanded. It was easier to notice this with the lack of fire mana.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 64!

Yeah, Intuition, gut feeling.

If I were to rate which aspects of my mana sense I've maxed or not it would be like this:

Sense Mana: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 9/10

2nd Breakthrough: 10/10

3rd Breakthrough: 8/10

4th Breakthrough: 7/10

5th Breakthrough: 10/10

6th Breakthrough: 10/10

I am fairly sure I understand essences the least, followed closely by elements. I am at a standstill, my level currently doesn't boost me enough to help figure out how to max my level yet I can't level up without gaining another breakthrough. So I suppose the only course of action is to expand the scope of my skill. Question is, in what way? I've come up with a few over the years.

One: Differentiate the mana between individuals. This is my current goal. Should be like my second and fifth breakthrough in the sense that action and understanding level can be gained hand in hand making it level. The problem is I don't think my sense mana level is high enough to let me obtain this.

Two: Learn to sense mana in mana-starved areas. Currently impossible to achieve.

Three: Learn to see the transformation of one type of mana into another. I am actually close to this, my level is almost high enough, heck, if I try hard enough I might even be able to do it now. Also, this would be a cakewalk if I can observe how a spell transforms mana from the users to the spell's element, but that requires the first option first.

Four: Understand the relationship between elements and essences. I am so close to getting this one I am half convinced it's not a real breakthrough and I am deluding myself. This would have a bonus in helping me get at least one level on both aspects.

Five and lastly: Predict a mana storm. I got this idea from way back when I was looking through my race evolution options, I have no idea how to do this though.

It's honestly a toss-up between the third and fourth option. I am pretty close to obtaining both anyways and both would help me understand elements and essences while the fifth option might help me max my first breakthrough.

After some thinking, I decided the fourth option is best, and if I can't get it then I'd try the third.

"Something's wrong," Dad said. "There's smoke over the village."

I couldn't see anything but it doesn't sound good.

"We should hurry, I have a bad feeling." Dad rowed faster to get to the pier.

We arrive at an empty pier. Everybody is probably helping to fight the fire. Good thing we live directly above the water, we'd just need enough buckets.

Suddenly, fire mana swept through the village, quickly growing in density, a storm of fire mana engulfed the town. I immediately felt the heat around me surge. Swirling masses of fire mana became more frequent as the fire mana became denser to the point that the heat felt by the fire mana made the waters below started to bubble in a boil. Shouts of alarm could be heard near the island. This fire mana storm is particularly intense, the sheer amount of mana growing ever more. The last time it was this bad was soon after we got the notification of a dragon slaying a sand elemental.

"Stay on the boat Aly!" Mom and dad shot off toward the commotion leaving me behind.

I felt useless. What can I do anyway? I'm a five-year-old child. I clutch my Kyhosa around my neck. Mom always had me wear it when we visited the Guardian.

I sat back on the boat and sighed, starting to sweat under the intense heat, there was just nothing I can do.

Time passed by, Worry started gripping me.

Where's mom and dad? What if they die? I don't want to be left alone.

I could smell smoke now. It's times like these that hate not being able to properly see what's going on. Visions of tragedy taunted me, picturing my parents trapped in a burning house with no escape.

I want to get up and do something, anything! I want mom to be back here with me, safe in the boat. The fire mana grew more intense. I don't even know if the heat I am feeling is from the fire or the fire storm anymore.

Please be safe. I prayed. I prayed as hard as I could for my parents to be safe.

Suddenly a roar echoed around and I felt the soft caress of raindrops start to fell. Soon a downpour poured on me like a bucket of water being dumped. Water mana filled the air and ripped apart the swirling masses of fire mana. I waited for several minutes yet Mom and Dad were nowhere to be found, they didn't come back.

With legs shaking and heart pounding in my ears I slowly climbed out of the boat and stumble to my hands and knees. I got back up and started running.

"Momara!" I called out, hoping to hear them call to me. "Momara!" still no response, tears started falling down my cheeks, but with the rain, no one would be able to tell. I ran aimlessly trying to find my Mom and Dad calling out to them until I came upon a large group of people crowding around. I tried to push through them and weave between their legs. "Momara!"

There are about a dozen people laying on the ground. The texture of their skin suggests burning to death.

"Alysara!" Mom and dad are standing next to my aunt who is sobbing over the corpse of someone. I rush over to my parents and hug them tightly.

I can guess who the body is. It's my aunt's husband. More cries and wailing could be heard all around as people grieved for their lost loved ones.

Chapter 12: Funeral

The next day was spent trying to recover anything salvageable. After that people had to remove any damaged structures and walkways, everything damaged had to be replaced.

About thirty-seven percent of the village was burnt, the fires so intense from the fire storm almost everything burnt was at risk of collapsing if it hadn't already. Many spots have already done so, the spots that once supported housing are now holes with floating bits of char soaking in the waters below.

As the bath oil facility was where the fire had started, its close proximity to the island fruit trees meant the fires spread onto the orchard farm. It had fared worse because no one was fighting it. twenty-two percent of the farm had been burnt and the island was not a small one, measuring several kilometers in Diameter.

This island, being one of the largest, has two other villages, they didn't suffer any casualties but they are helping clear debris, both from the island and our village.

Fifteen people had died trying to fight the fires and save others, among them is Elder Opetu and Nyam's father, my uncle-in-law. He died with four others that had become surrounded by flames when the storm hit. It was my first day seeing a death spirit and death essence.

It would take at least a week for collective effort to clean everything up and even longer to rebuild, many people are left without homes. Our house managed to get lucky. Only one wall had been burnt before the Guardian summoned the rain. Well, it was more akin to a bucket being poured on the village.

I thought we'd have to use island trees for construction material but turns out the trees for that are grown on another island. It also kinda sucked that our island is only one of three responsible for bath oil production, ours being the largest producer. This meant a shortage for the entire archipelago.

But before all that happens the entire village is bringing the dead to temple island. Just the deceased's family and friends to attend the funeral. We are greeted by many priestesses

The priestesses gave out robes for everyone to wear. Instead of the usual skimpy ones, these are full robes that I can only imagine as black, although I can't see mundane color. The robes all had a full cowl that forced people to look down to see where they are going. From how many sniffles I'm hearing it might be to hide the tears of the grieving.

Even I had to put on a too large robe and shuffled along the stone path, holding Mom's hand. The bodies are being carried in wooden boxes, not unlike coffins. There are rows and rows of trees to one side of the path.

This was a time for grieving, of silence, and coming to terms with the death of loved ones. I thought back on my memories of my uncle. We weren't super close, mostly because Nyam still has nurtured her jealousy against me. But she always apologized for Nyam's behavior, always the one to make it up to me by giving me treats.

It could have gone differently, if me and Nyam had gotten along I could have had a better relationship with my uncle but that's been robbed from me forever. I let a tear slid down my cheek. This is what death is. A hole that has been ripped out of you. It wasn't that bad for me but for my aunt? I can't imagine what she's going through. Death is a love taken away from you. Death is a lost opportunity to make meaningful relationships with that person. Death is the sudden realization of regret, of all the things you should have done but put off because you thought you had time.

We all walked until we came upon fifteen funeral pyres arranged in a half-circle around a burning brazier. Fifteen temple priestesses held unlit candles. Here the rows of trees ended but there are fifteen holes big enough for a sapling to be planted, fifteen new trees to be added to the rows.

"Opetu" One of the Priestesses said. A corpse was placed on the first pyre.

"Himel" Another body is placed on the second pyre

"Klaman" the third pyre is filled.

The cries of grief grew louder as the realization of the finality of their loved ones dawn on them.

"Eztol" My aunt couldn't keep her grief in anymore and sank to her knees, sobbing.

Thank you for doing your best. may your next life be long and filled with happiness. I whispered in my heart.

More names are called and more pyers filled. Once all the names had been called the priests gave the candles to the family members. Except one. Who had no living family. That priest kept the candle and lit it with everyone else using the brazier. The candles are then tossed in the pyres to send off the dead.

We stayed until nothing but ash was left then the priestesses collected the ashes and we all walked over to the trees and the holes. Fifteen holes had been dug for the ashes. Once the ashes had their place a sapling is planted over them.

"May you find new life" The priestesses chanted in unison.

I thought more words would be said through the whole thing, maybe even stuff about Myrou, but I guess silence can say a lot more. It gives people time to sort their thoughts and feelings out

With the funeral done we slowly walked back to the docks. Today would be the day of grief for many and they don't have to help, for everyone else it's cleanup day.

We kept the robes on, to let everyone know we are on the 'day of grieving.

Once we returned to the village most of the robed people split up into groups. I joined my aunt with Mom and Dad. Nyam was still crying.

"We used to fight over the dumbest things." Chozu, My Aunt said. Once we can arrive at my house. Her house along with my grandparent's house was burnt in the fire, making our damaged house crowded.

"I remember you guys fought for days after little Aly's Kyholo" Dad said with a chuckle

"She'd just get some stupid idea in her head and just go with it without thinking it through. Literally, any other day would have been fine for something like that" Aunty chuckled a little bit.

Our group kept reminiscing for the rest of the day. Joining the others in the overcrowded baths now that a number of them had been burnt, and soon night came. We had cots and hammocks set up to provide bedding for our homeless family. The Lojyo held at the end of every night was somber, no music, no partying. I don't blame them, who could party of what had happened? Memories of the deceased were shared, however.

The next morning rose and after morning baths with rationed bathing oil the adults went to clean up. Me being a five year old isn't expected to work and was told to play with Nyam. Nyam held a solemn mood and didn't even make fun of me. Honestly, everything has been happening too fast for me to properly process.

First, the meeting with the guardian, the village burning, the funeral, the day of grief, and now back to work as if it all was just a road bump. It was just that the work now involved removing almost a fourth of the village.

The playground was burnt down so now all the kids too young to work are hanging out at the pier, out of the way. There aren't any toys that survived at the playground, but the children are playing tag and other games as if nothing had happened. They are probably too young and weren't in the thick of things to really comprehend the tragedy. Nyam sat down, dangling her legs over the waters, eyes cast down, and absentmindedly gripping her father's Kyhosa gift, An extravagantly decorated chodomr shell. It's lightning-based element sending illusory lightning through a web lightning silk. It had become a minor magic item during Nyam's Kyholo. Amulet of shocking displays.

I sat next to her. I don't like my cousin but I'm in no mood to play, nor would others really want to play with me. I'm known as the blind girl and most would either take advantage of that in the games or not want to play with a "disadvantaged" person on their team.

Some of Nyam's friends came up to her. "Wanna play something?"

"No"

"C'mon. We can prank the divers by hiding their tools, no one's around." A brown hair child said.

"I just want to be left alone," Nyam said. Still looking at the waters.

"Oh, c'mon! Being with us is funner than being with Eyeless there"

This kid is really starting to get on my nerves, it doesn't help that I don't like that nickname.

"You try having fun when your parent just died!" I stood up. "Look around you! A lot of people lost their homes! Fifteen people burned to death! And the only thing you can think of is to make more trouble for others?!"

Some of the older kids chipped in. "Must be nice to still have your clothes. Mine all burnt up" one kid sarcastically said.

"Mom's devotion project was destroyed, she worked on it for months now she has to start over"

"My Kyhosas are gone, must be lucky to still have yours"

If someone's Kyhosa is lost or destroyed it can be remade but it has to be remade by your parents. Mine can't easily be destroyed as it's a magical item but it's also impossible to replace or make another.

Nyam's friend slowly backed away from the angry mob of kids forming. "T-That's not what I meant" She ran away from the mob at top speed.

The mood of everyone had soured greatly. Apparently, everyone was trying to take their minds off the disaster and this had brought that to the forefront of their minds.

About half an hour had passed and Tana finally arrived. He had to help his parents make room in his house for others to move in.

I started helping him with his Bond.

"How many of those can you create?" Tana asked, after seeing me direct two beauty essence fairies to dance on the horizon. Tana had exhausted his mana and was waiting for it to recover. He's able to use his bond with less effort now but it still takes a lot of focus for him.

"Hmm, my Kyhosa boosts my power by a lot so I can summon a lot. Normally I'd be four but with it I can summon around ten" I focused my thoughts and began summoning them. Making them move around me like a tornado. It's easy to move them all in one direction but to move them all independently is impossible, the most I can do is my normal three.

What if I program them with simple commands? The thought just hit me out of nowhere.

"That's so pretty!" Tana commented at my display. Even Nyam is looking at me with wide eyes, Other kids too have stopped their playing.

I stopped my fairies and focused exclusively on resummoning one.

Move toward other fairies.

Avoid other fairies, people, and obstacles.

Follow other fairies

It worked, the fairy moved on its own. I then resummoned all other fairies and watched the chaotic movements of the swarm. Soon the movements of the swarm synchronized, moving in wavy patterns like swarms of birds, it was almost mesmerizing.

Ting! You have developed a new Bond skill! Impart Instructions!

Ting! Your bond has obtained level 52!

"Can you teach me how to use my bond like that?" A green hair kid suddenly asked. And like that the dam was broken.

"Me too, Me too!"

"I want to learn how to use my bond"

"Can an earth bond do that too?"

"Please teach me!"

It didn't matter if they were older or younger, after that display everyone wanted to master their bond.

The rest of the day was filled by me teaching the kids, Nyam too. By the time dusk had arrived only one kid had yet to successfully use her bond, she is so close too.

"Stop giving up, Guyovishy! You almost have it, just push it a little further!" She literally gives up right when she has it when the mana has built up in her hand, all she had to do was push it out.

"I can't! I just can't do it!" She complained frustratedly. I could sense her Nature essence recede as she stopped focusing. Elemental bonds are apparently the most common with essence bonds being rare. Mine is special as it's of beauty, one of Myrou's domains, but Guyo's is more useful as it can help plants grow, she has a bright future if she can help the island orchards grow and bear fruit.

In the end, she never managed to succeed.

When the first parents came to pick up their kids they were stunned by the scene before them. Dozens of young kids running around using their bonds. Some parents were proud, although troubled, others were angry. I mean, many of them have fire bonds and I taught them to literally play with fire. Given what just happened and how irresponsible young kids are I may have a stern talking to tomorrow. Your honor, I plead that I am just a five-year-old who doesn't know any better, which I kinda didn't. After all, I did use my powers responsibly. Why would I expect others not to, I even had permission to use it unsupervised after a few years, not like the lack of permission stopped me or anything.

Oh well, problems for tomorrow me.

"A. LY. SA. RA!"

Or right now, that could work. I put on my best innocent face and amped up my charm. I tilted my head at mom as if I didn't know what was going on, that always worked. I'm just an innocent five-year-old who didn't know any better after all.

"Yes, momara?"

"Don't 'yes' me! Why'd you teach the other children how to use their bonds?!" I could almost see the anger radiating off her, oh, wait, that's anger essence. Mom, please don't get too angry, anger essence will only make you angrier.

"They asked?" I put a finger on my cheek as if in thought. Then looked down, firing off my charm. "Did I do something bad?" I drooped my ears and tail, sounding ashamed, and noticed the anger essence stop radiating off mom. The residual essence floated down into the ground toward whatever attracted mana.

Ting! Charm has obtained level 15!

I see, so ear drooping in combination with tail drooping is more efficient. I don't have too many chances in using my second breakthrough to get out of trouble so I was using this chance to experiment, it paid off.

Mom gave a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sometimes I forget you are just a child and you can't be expected to know this." Mom gave another sigh. "Aly, Bonds are dangerous. They can hurt others by accident, it can damage things if used carelessly. You probably don't remember but you once burnt the wall" I did remember but I also remember healing it a few months later when I got [Grace of Wholeness], Still, mom has a point.

"Normal children aren't taught their bonds until they are at least ten, most of the times later like thirteen or fifteen"

Oops, and I just taught most of the village's young kids how to use what's effectively weapons. Like giving out knives and telling them to run around with them. I really should have thought this through.

"I suppose this is my fault, I did say you could use your bond without adult supervision." I don't like where this is going. "You need to learn when to use your abilities, not just how to use them" uh oh.

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again" I try to head off the punishment by cranking my charm up to the max, as much as it'll go, to the peak of its performance.

"I'm sure you are, Little Aly. But this is for your own good. From now on you aren't allowed to use your bond without adult supervision!" Dangit! Not even the ear and tail drooping worked! You have failed me, charm!

Chapter 13: Breakthrough

We looked at the scorched wood and collapsed buildings. The devastated village around us.

"Look at this, children," Elder Yukika said gesturing to the destruction around. After yesterday the two living Elders had a meeting with the parents and they all agreed to give us all a lesson, even the kids who didn't learn how to use their bonds. Mom and dad came home late and I am sure they had a lot of explaining to do.

"This is what can happen if you use your powers carelessly. Think of everything you've lost. Your homes, your possessions, even your family. You must know when to use your powers. You can hurt yourself or even kill someone"

The memories are still pretty raw in our minds, This is honestly an effective lesson for many, me included. Our powers are real, it can do real damage. It's not like I'm back on earth where magic doesn't exist, where the system doesn't exi... Hang on, I know what Earth is! Terra Firma! The third rock from the sun! And that's pretty much it...

Although it's nice to know my memories and knowledge is coming back this is reality now.

"Absolutely none of you are to use your bonds without supervision from your parent's. Severe punishment will be given if you do." Elder Yukika gave me an extra long look.

Don't mind me I'm just a blind five-year-old girl! Actually, people are catching on now, I'm not as blind as they think I am.

After that, we were released to go play, although some of the teenagers have been sent to watch us. Everyone over ten years had been helping the rebuilding efforts, everyone under is too young to work and would generally get in everyone's way.

Unfortunately for some, they were not paying enough attention to why some teenagers are with us and thought that since no adults are around no one would catch them using their bonds. After the first few kids were punished no one had the bright idea of using their bonds.

Several kids were playing hide and seek and I was even invited! Teaching everyone how to use their bonds must have earned me some goodwill. It was fun until I was the seeker. My ability to [Sense Mana] helped me see people behind things. Some kids even tried to "hide" right in front of me, not understanding that I don't need my eyes to see.

I mean, the kids probably think, "Oh her eyes are covered, she can't see" and never question how I don't bump into things. I can't exactly blame them, they've never given it a second thought.

"How do you know where we are?! You can't even see!" one of the kids complained.

She was giggling madly behind a crate when I found him.

"I have ears, I could hear you laughing. Besides I can sense mana, yours included." I gave a simple explanation.

From then on I was never allowed to be the seeker. Which I was fine with. We played other games until dusk. By then no one could call me blind. Even the lonely Tanafyam was included in the games, a bonding experience for everyone.

Although playing with the other kids was fun, and honestly after years of almost only focusing on my Bond and [Sense Mana] skill I've burnt out on them. It was great just hanging out without a care in the world but as the days passed I felt a gnawing at me, telling me I should make use of my time and be productive, that I'm wasting the time I have as a youth and as an adult I can't dedicate as much time to improve my skills. I did my best to ignore that feeling and just enjoy being a normal five-year-old child.

The next day I walked through the village after playing with the other kids for most of the day, noting how much of the damage had been cleared away. I thought it'd have taken a lot longer but I was wrong. There's only a little bit left. I saw my parents hauling away a burnt beam. the things looked really heavy yet my parents were handling it just fine, just how much do they have in their strength stat? I stayed at a safe distance, out of everybody's way, watching them work. They were efficient, I guess days of this made you good at clearing the rubble.

Soon the after-work bath time came and I ran up to Mom and Dad, both covered in soot. I hugged them, thankful they are still here. Mom pats me on the head and we entered the baths. Both Mom and dad sighed as they slid into the waters, letting the heat soothe their stressed bodies. I snuggled between them, purring until the oil was distributed. With so many baths burnt this one was fairly crowded yet no one complained. Myrou had her usual neutral expression. She had cried on the day of the disaster, something I had never seen before, and by how many reacted, most people hadn't seen her do that too.

"Just a couple more days," Dad said, After oiling up. She didn't say it to anyone in particular but elicited several murmurs of agreement.

I didn't feel the need to brag about my day when my parents did a lot of work. Like, seriously, it'd be pretty insensitive of me to do that. So i mostly kept my mouth shut and let my presence comfort my parents.

The days flew by and now all the damaged part of the village had been removed. The Elders from the other villages attached to this island got together and set up plans for a disaster relief location just off shore. A place to house anyone and just about everyone in case another village got burnt down. It wouldn't be comfy but it's only temporary.

Over a third of the people who lost their homes moved to other islands to family and friends who could better support them. Although this meant more work for everyone it also meant fewer houses to rebuild. The houses like mine that was damaged but still usable were repaired first.

The next to be rebuilt is the warehouse and bath oil production facility; it is made larger this time, and probably needed an expansion anyway.

I was getting pretty popular with the other kids, and went from being excluded to having me picked for teams first most of the time. My ability to Sense Mana helps me play that volleyball-like game with those nets, Netball. I think it's mostly because I don't hog the ball and play more co-operative that really helps my team win. All the other kids want to be the star of the show and it hurts their team overall.

But if anyone's better at physical activities it'd be Tana, he's the fastest runner, and good at netball. If I'm picked for one team the other picks him so it kinda evens it out.

Today however is a water storm and rain is being dumped just as much as when the Guardian had summoned rain, if not a tiny bit worse. It was actually pretty intense, weird how there's two very intense storms in a row.

Today everyone is inside, honestly, the probability of drowning standing out in the rain isn't zero. I am currently using this chance to see how water element mana is interacting and boosting creativity essence. Both are acting like waves constructively interfering with each other, creativity essence is getting a massive boost while elemental mana is getting a minor boost. Honestly, if understanding that doesn't get me a breakthrough then there must be one more key thing I need to understand.

Why is elemental mana getting a minor boost? Well essence is very weak. Essence gets a massive boost because elemental mana is really strong. Perhaps, it's energy related? Elemental mana has more intensity? Is it capable of storing more energy? Or is it like elemental mana is like x-rays while essence is like radio waves?

What can mana do? Just about anything. It can become anything. Elemental mana is way more common. It is defined more clearly, it is more stable. Essence is rarer, it's subjective. It's less stable? Are elements different? They are clearly linked in some way. It's like essences are an expansion to elements. What if elements are the base and essences are a higher form of elements. There are in betweens, sand, rock, these are element-like as they are more defined but clearly fallen under "earth". A higher form, but not as subjective as essences.

I've been stupid! I was too focused on watching creativity mana and ignoring the other water essences that I completely missed what was really going on! Water mana is transformed into an essence, Since it's so intense it forms so much more essences.

But that doesn't work, if it worked that way then water mana would not get a boost, it'd get weaker, also I don't see more essence just that's it's more intense

I paced in a circle with a hand on my chin, wracking my brain for any explanation.

In the end, the wave hypothesis works best. Essence and elements have to be similar enough.

I mindlessly thumbed my Kyhosa bracelet on my right arm.

Why does my Kyhosa give a bonus? There is a ton of elemental mana in it, as well as creativity and beauty essence, but the essences isn't any more intense. When I use my bond without it it's normal but with it, it's more intense, The environment itself is acting like a magical item!

But that still doesn't work! The mana in my Kyhosa is being counteracted by the opposite element! Of course it isn't making the essences more intense.

I sat down with a sigh, everything is leading back to the wave hypothesis. But I am learning. I am learning what isn't right.

"What's wrong Little Aly?" Dad asks. She's been sitting in a rocking chair and whittling a wooden flute, now moving on to burning decorations into it.

"I've been trying to figure out this breakthrough, I'm so close! But everything I think of is wrong!"

Dad thought for a bit. "Why don't you go over everything from scratch, perhaps there's something you've not considered?" She said, still working on decorations.

It was worth a try so let's review how mana interacts with itself. It disperses, finding an equilibrium pressure. It acts like a fluid, forming currents. It also has an attractive force of the same element, but not essences. Essences do not have an attractive force to their respective element. Let's call it mana magnetism or the MM force. It still forms currents or maybe it's pushed along with elements? But this means Mana is acting as both a wave and a particle. Or is it? I am only assuming wave theory because of the boosting during storms.

If Elemental mana has the MM force then is there another force that interacts with both elements and essences? What if there's a force that excites mana the closer it is to an essence or element? Very similar to magnetism? If during a fire storm water and ice based essences get weaker. How many of these forces are there?

If one is negatively charged and the other is positively charged when they meet they cancel out.

Fire is opposite to ice and water. Earth is opposite to lightning, water, and air. It seems there are eight forces. A water force that boosts ice and lighting but is opposite to earth and fire. A fire force opposite to ice and water but boosts lightning and wind. An earth force opposite to lightning, water, and wind. A wind force that boosts fire and opposite to earth...

I flop on my back

This is too complicated, I'm just tossing around ideas. Maybe I'm not as close as I think to this breakthrough. I think I've made progress but now I don't know how to apply it. The MM force is probably a thing and so is that exciting force but how essences and mana interacts with each other I really have no idea.

What if it's like the element just has a proximity boost to essences and essence has a proximity boost to their parent element? It's just that way, because magic.

Ting! Sense Mana has met requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 80!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 65!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 72!

You're kidding, right? I guess I was just way overthinking this one, I couldn't get the breakthrough because I held the wrong basic assumption.

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.

1st breakthrough: You have sense an overwhelming pressure of mana, now you will be able to better sense mana in such quantity and better see slight difference in mana levels.

2nd Breakthrough: You've learned to perceive different containers of mana letting you see the general shapes of mana containing objects around you.

3rd breakthrough: You've learned to see different types of mana, letting you see elemental mana.

4th Breakthrough: You've learned how to see mana Essences, letting you see the many types of essences.

5th Breakthrough: You've learned to see different amounts of mana within objects, letting you better see how much within certain parts of things and people.

6th Breakthrough: you've learned how to expand your Sphere of sense mana, letting you see farther.

7th Breakthrough: You've learned of and seen the relationship of essences and elemental mana. Now you can better study them.

Getting quite extensive, and I still have many possible ways to improve it. Still, I can see it now!

I can see the water essence mixing with the creativity essence in the air, producing something akin to electricity. Little zaps almost imperceivable in the air. The creativity essence is vibrating within me due to all the water element mana around me. Little bubbles around clumps of elemental mana like magnetic fields. It's all clear to me now. I see several creativity spirits clumping around the fields like they are feeding off it, growing ever so slightly.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 73!

I saw a swirl of creativity essence pass through another clump of water essence and sparks zapped through air.

The excess energy is being transferred? rebalanced?

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 74!

So many levels, the extra are probably thanks to the intense water storm that I can see and understand more.

Realization suddenly hit me.

"I DID IT!" I jumped in joy and cheered. "I got my seventh breakthrough!" I shouted as loud as I could, unable to contain my excitement. Mom, Aunty, and Nyam all came into the room to investigate the noise.

Joy essence poured out from me, weakened by the water element around.

"Congratulations Aly." Dad said with a proud smile.

"I got ten level ups from it too! I knew I was close!" I bragged with a huge grin plastered on my face.

Aunty had a shocked look of disbelief on her face while mom and dad both had a "that's to be expected" smile.

Nyam had an admiring look in her eyes.

Chapter 14: Elders

It's been a couple of weeks now and the village has been restored. But a violent air element storm had blown away several buildings and injured four people. Someone had even been knocked into a coma for a few days when a piece of lumber hit her in the head.

The storms have been getting more intense and the weather getting increasingly chaotic.

Didn't really want to do it now but it's dumb not to, plus I already am noticing a surge of a specific type of element before its storm, getting a breakthrough to detect a storm if that's even a thing that may just happen by accident.

There's just one more piece of the puzzle I am missing to predicting the storms, and that is to sense the mana before the surge of elemental mana. So I am keeping an eye out for any irregularities, it wouldn't be long until I had the chance.

I already kinda knew what would happen, my MM force hypothesis telling what to look for. The surge of ice mana actually drew ambient ice mana up, back flowing through the leyline currents, the quiet before the storm. Then came the surge that drew the storm, like a shepherd leading its flock.

Ting! Sense Mana has met requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 80!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 75!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 79!

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.

7th Breakthrough: You've learned of and seen the relationship of essences and mana. Now you can better study them.

8th Breakthrough: You've predicted a mana storm. This breakthrough will help you predict the turbulent behavior mana.

Four levels. Maybe one or two for having knowledge and two or three for the action of predicting an intense storm. One thing to note is that action level can be further broken down into repetitive usage and an extraordinary feat usage. Meaning just observing storms will help me get levels in both my seventh and eighth breakthrough. Perhaps two or three more levels from that alone.

I am confident I have gotten four or five of the knowledge levels on my seventh, I kinda knew the whole thing before I unlocked it, so it's just proving myself at this point now. For my eighth, I'm sure I have plenty to learn. This will help me study mana currents at least, and studying them will level it up.

I am also on the verge of more breakthroughs. The surge of levels over the last few weeks improved my senses enough that I am beginning to be able to sense very slight differences between a person's mana.

If my first four or so breakthroughs were beginner level, then the ones I am reaching are intermediate level so getting a bunch kinda makes sense to me. Although now I know to keep a track of which levels I am getting from which breakthrough. Which looks like this.

Sense Mana: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 10/10

2nd Breakthrough: 10/10

3rd Breakthrough: 9/10

4th Breakthrough: 8/10

5th Breakthrough: 10/10

6th Breakthrough: 10/10

7th Breakthrough: 8/10

8th Breakthrough: 4/10

Perhaps I should further break it down into knowledge and action levels?

Sense Mana: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 10/10

2nd Breakthrough: 10/10

3rd Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 5/5 Knowledge 4/5)

4th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 5/5 Knowledge 3/5)

5th Breakthrough: 10/10

6th Breakthrough: 10/10

7th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 5/5)

8th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 2/5)

This may not be accurate. My essence sense could be four in each. I already know essence quite extensively and I have yet to sense a massive amount of essence. Seventh could also be four each too and eighth could favor one over the other, in the end, it's just a guess.

I walked around the village holding Mom's hand. the temperature was hotter than usual which made baths nice but now after we just left them for morning baths the heat is still within me. We walked past a few vendors selling their wares. All richly decorated when applicable. One of them stood out to me, however. A stall with ice mana. weird to find ice mana with the coming storm vacuuming it all up but the reason why there is even ice mana here quickly became apparent. An ice mage, or at least someone with an ice bond was generating cold to sell something very familiar to me, I can't quite put my finger on what though.

Clay bowls filled with something saturated in ice mana sat on the counter. A tall woman was happily eating the contents while purring. Something inside of me gravitated toward the stall, a... craving? Somehow I knew that food would be sweet and creamy, a dairy product... ICE CREAM!

A memory of a cold and sweet dish came to me.

"Momara! Momara! Can I have some, please?" I tugged at mom and pointed at the ice cream bowls. Mom looked at it before thinking for a few seconds.

"Oh, why not!" Mom finally agreed. "And I can say hi to Efula while we are at it, too"

I practically dragged Mom there.

"Can I have a bowl please!" I ask the Vendor, Efula. She was shorter than average and had a gargantuan bust, I honestly don't know how she was standing up straight.

"Hello, Little Aly. Haven't seen you in a while!" Efula said, handing me a bowl. Then a realized who she was. It's was hard to tell with everyone looking like silhouettes. She is one of mom's friends she used to take me to. The ones that Nyam use to pull my ears and tail at. I haven't been to one of them in a while now that I am old enough to play at the playground.

I happily dug into the ice cream, feeling the coolness soothe me from the heat. It was less sweet and more creamy than I thought but in a good way. Before I knew it I was purring like a motor.

"Daww, your child has always been so adorable, Feyan!" Efula said, watching me happily put another spoonful of ice cream in my mouth.

I don't even care that they are talking about me.

"She really has been a blessing to me and Kanato. Many people say raising a child can be hard, and I don't doubt them, but Little Aly has always been easy to raise"

"Guyovisha was a terror for me! She cried all the time, nothing would satisfy her, no amount of purring, no amount of milk, absolutely nothing would quiet her for us to get a night's rest" Efula said with a reminiscent smile.

Mom and Efula talked for several minutes after I was done and we soon walked back home.

When the ice storm hit three days later I was able to put my new breakthrough to use again. The violent currents sweeping through the area. A blizzard buried the village in snow and froze the top of the shallow sea. I was able to predict the sudden cold surges around the house and the temporary respite of less ice mana dense areas that passed through. With each successive one granting me more insight into the working of the currents.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 80!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 81!

Sadly there weren't enough essences that are boosted by ice mana around for me to observe in great detail so I only gained two levels.

I sat in mom's lap as I was watching the swirls of mana flow through the living room. We are all huddled next to the fire place with a few thick blankets wrapped around us in layers to keep warm. I had my head under the covers as I really didn't need to see with my eyes. We all kept our tails and ears tucked and covered under the blankets to prevent them from getting too cold. Dad occasionally blasting the fireplace with his fire bond when he added more wood.

A lot of places didn't bother installing a fireplace in homes as it really wasn't needed or at least not used a lot. The normally hot climate doesn't allow the need for hearths and it's only used for the occasional ice storm. We almost didn't install one, it just happened to be a whim of Mom's that we got lucky.

Dad finished the flute she was working on and smiled approvingly.

"Aly, I have a gift for you" holding the flute out in my direction.

I peaked my head out of the cover and took the decorated flute, giving it a test blow. I smiled and experimented with different sounds, trying to remember which hole produced what sound.

"Thanks, Momara!"

"Maybe I should make Nyam an instrument too, she'd probably like the drum," Aunty said. Gently stroking Nyam's head and purring.

Nyam is currently snoozing in her mom's lap. So I am not playing my flute loudly. I spent the rest of the day practicing the flute and we all curled up next to each other in front of the fireplace.

When morning arrived the blizzard was over and the snow was already melting. The pathways are being cleared off and snow being dumped in the waters.

Miraculously no one in our village had died but several had needed the attention of healers. Several near frostbitten fingers, ears, and tail. But it won't be long before boats show up heading for temple island, carrying the dead. This is going to be a bad year, I can only hope it doesn't get worse.

The flute was a great distractor and I felt productive learning a new skill. Always focusing on my mana sense or bond for years had me burnt out on them and now I can satisfy that gnawing feeling I felt during the weeks of playing with the other kids.

Ting! You have gained the Musician general skill!

Ting! Musician has met requirements for a breakthrough. Musician will now continue leveling past level 10

Musician: You have a base knowledge of music and several types of instruments

1st Breakthrough: You've played a wind-based instrument to a beginner level. This will help you master this instrument.

I was hoping for a [Flautist] skill so this is a pleasant surprise. Seems to be a better skill so there should be a lot more beginner-tier breakthroughs. Percussion instruments, Stringed instruments, Key instruments. Just to name a few.

It seems the knowledge of my past life has helped me gain a better skill, probably knowledge on how those instruments work. Vibrations in the air and all that.

The next storm came a week after the blizzard, but due to my forewarning, my parents told the elders of the coming storm. Three days later an earth storm hit. An earthquake shook the lands in low rumbles. It honestly wasn't that bad if it hadn't lasted for over a dozen hours.

Seeing such a large earth storm has made me realize that the islands are growing, slightly. The earth mana seems to be creating new earth or causing an uplift in geology. Days later a new island was reported to have just barely risen above the waters, not enough to do anything with yet, but given a few decades a new village may be built there.

My early warning, although not heeded by many this time will be in the future, the problem being on how to inform the rest of the islands.

"You have an incredible ability, Alysara" Elder Tusile said. Me, my parents and the Elders are having a meeting.

"Indeed, being able to warn us three days in advance could mean the difference between life and death in these troubling times." The new elder said, Elder Guklaro said.

"We'll need almost two hundred people to send messages, it is fortunate this island is one of the center islands, It'll be quicker to send messages to the outer islands. But that's over half our village dedicated toward sending messages, it's not feasible unless each messenger delivers to about ten islands." Elder Yukika commented.

"That's going to cost money, money we are sparse on at the moment." Elder Guklaro said.

"Indeed" Elder Tusile agreed. "The rebuilding and replanting have drained our reserves, I would suggest passing off the cost to the recipients, they pay for the news. Spreading out the costs means that it's affordable for everyone. Also, we'll only need twenty messengers who visit eight to nine islands or roughly twelve villages if we count the multiple villages per island."

Politics, glad I'm not in their position. I mean, it's warranted, nothing comes free and people aren't going to do things for free because they have their own lives to live.

"It's still going to cost a lot just to bring the news to everyone in the village" The pessimistic Guklaro pointed out.

"We can set up a notice board, it'll be the people's responsibility to inform themselves of the coming storms." Elder Tusile said, showing his experience. If cost is the issue, then make it free. Why go door to door when you can make the people come to you.

"It'll be chaos if everyone crowds the notice board," Yukika said.

"Then we'll have a crier inform the crows at the time of the notice. Anyone who shows up later can just check the board." A simple solution if everyone wants information then give it to them all at the same time. "Once enough people know the news it'll spread by word of mouth."

Honestly, I don't know why I am still here, I've said what I needed and it sounds like the Elders know what they are doing, at least Elder Tusile does.

"It's decided then" Tusile said "We'll call a meeting of Elders at Temple island" She then turned to us. "We'll need you to be there too, It'll be in three days as long as something doesn't interrupt it"

The meeting took place on time. I practiced my music during those days, slowly learning the flute.

The Meeting of Elders was essentially them going over what they had previously agreed to do. Each village and town is governed by their own elders so they don't have to do what they say but the logic is sound and only minor details would be changed for some places. Like having multiple notice boards through their village.

"And now you should meet the young talent who is able to predict the storms" Elder Yukika said.

She motioned for me to step forward. We are at the amphitheater, where the inter-settlement tournaments are held every year.

I felt the pressure immediately crush me as hundreds of eyes shift towards me. I unconsciously take a step back from the attention. We are only in a small section of the amphitheater so my sensing range is covering the entire meeting. The amphitheater is designed to hold thousands.

"This young girl already has a skill at over level eighty," Tusile said. "Her skill is [Sense Mana], It's what lets her see despite being blind, it also lets her know when a storm is coming.

"Does it let her know what is causing them to be so bad? The last ice storm killed three, perhaps there's a way to prevent them"

All the elders looked at me again and I felt my legs start to shake.

"Umm, Err, I-I-it s-seem th-that the ca-cause is coming f-from s-somewhere e-el-else" I stammered, I'd rather be anywhere else than here.

"Do you know where? Maybe we can send someone to investigate"

I shake my head.

"We should count ourselves lucky that we can be informed days in advance" Elder Yukika came to my rescue. Yukika motioned for me to take a step back and I rushed to hide behind mom and dad. Feeling the pressure lesson.

The meeting went fairly smoothly. There was some more debate and I had to summon a bond fairy to prove my skill at my bond. After that, I again hid behind the comfort of my parents.

"Then, After the next storm we can resume the annual Loshayomo"

That roughly translates to "The gathering competition of settlements". It was canceled due to the bad storms, but now that they can know when a storm will happen in advance they can plan around it.

"If, however, there is a storm on the appointed date we will hold it two days after the storm" another Elder added.

And so the meeting of Elders is concluded and everyone returned to their islands.

Chapter 15: The Colors of People

Ting! Musician has obtained level 3!

Ting! Musician has obtained level 8!

I am finally playing my first tune that doesn't sound like random noises. I've practiced for days and am now playing at a competent level. I've even begun training my voice to prepare for singing, best start while I'm young!

Now that I'm forewarning the storms the Loshayomo is starting today, two days after the last storm. A dark storm, thankfully. Nothing lethal, just darkness. I also noticed no lightning element today forewarning a lightning storm in the next few days but that means today is safe.

We are heading to temple island for the competition, and I'll bet this year the other kids will invite me to their games, at least the kids from my island.

We landed at the piers and the adults started to group up socializing among themselves. I followed the other kids to the playgrounds where netball and many other games are. As our island is right next to the temple island, we were some of the first to arrive.

Once another island's kids arrived a game of netball was being formed. There was also a game of basket catch but I never care much for that one. You held a basket under one arm and had to throw fist-sized balls into the opponent's basket. If you have more than ten balls you lose, but you could also throw the balls in your basket at other players. It always devolved into cheating and there'd never be a clear winner.

"Alysara, want to join?" A green-haired girl asked, motioning to the netball game.

"Sure, Jiuo" I replied with a nod. The other island kids snickered after seeing my eye wraps, thinking that I'd handicap my team. Unfortunately for them, Tana is with us too. The two of us most powerful players on the same team. I'd somehow lead by example and now two others are being more of a team player, sure half of our team are still ball hogs, Tana included but the more people who can set up plays for the more athletic and better aimed members of our team the better we'll do.

We crushed the other island team seven to zero, they called us cheaters and raged quit. More and more teams from other islands challenged us and we beat them all with varying degrees of success. The hardest team only lost to us by two points, they too had cooperative players.

It was good exercise, something I never really focused on. When other kids ran I meditated and focused on leveling skills.

After we got bored of netball I sat down on a boulder to catch my breath. Observing the mana pouring down like a slow waterfall. I saw a cyclone of earth mana form for several seconds before dispersing. A sweep of fire mana washed over me, making me feel an uncomfortable level of heat for a few seconds. The fire mana met a wall of ice mana and scattered away at the same time the wall shattered. The two repelling elements flying away from each other as if they had bounced off each other.

I wonder what it's like elsewhere in the world? How hard would it be to level mana sense if one doesn't have such a prime location of mana activity?

I raise my flute to my lips and played a tune I was working on. It was... alright, but something about it grated on me. My timing is off slightly and I'm blowing too hard for some notes. It left a feeling of wrongness with me, I wanted to correct those really badly, like an itch I couldn't satisfy. I start focusing on the tiniest of imperfections trying to correct them, playing the string of notes over and over and over again until I get it right.

I lose track of time and am surprised when I noticed the shift in the sun's position. Although I can see the sun I can feel the direction of its heat. I was also surprised to notice the mana leaking from me acting weird as I blew my flute. It was as if I was breathing out mana with each breath. This gave me an idea!

I know I'm not allowed to use my bond right now. I can't help myself. Instead of bringing my mana to my hand I bring it to my lips and blew it into the flute. The tune was way off but in a good way. It echoed as the beauty mana imbued into the sound waves giving it a more soothing sound.

Although the sound could be used in a different way it wasn't quite right, something about an imbalance within the imbued sound. It didn't quite mix right so I try again, and again, and again. It had to be perfect. some of the other kids began to stop and listen but I ignored them. I was so close to something new!

Ting! You have developed a new Bond skill! Imbue Beauty!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 53!

Imbue Beauty: You can imbue beauty essence into something else, up to 20+1/level points of mana can be used to imbue something.

I got a new bond skill! But there is still something weird with the mana. There is still something else but I can't put my finger on it.

I use my new skill. The essence merges with the sound instilling a sense of tranquility and serenity in me.

Ting! Musician has met requirements for a breakthrough. Musician will now continue leveling past level 20!

Ting! Musician has obtained level 9!

Ting! Musician has obtained level 12!

Musician: You have a base knowledge of music and several types of instruments

1st Breakthrough: You've played a wind-based instrument to a beginner level. This will help you master this instrument.

2nd Breakthrough: You've imbued mana into sound. Effects may vary and adapt to the type of song.

Interesting. So a happy upbeat song and a sad melody will lead to different effects? I'm willing to bet the type of mana changes things too.

I've gotten a new breakthrough but my mana is still acting a tad strange to the music. I am doing something different and I'm not sure what. I'm positive there's an intermediate breakthrough involved but I am not at that level, the only reason why I have detected this so early is because of my insanely high-level [Sense Mana] skill.

I sigh, a little frustrated. If my skill isn't high enough level, then there's no point in wasting time and effort.

It was soon time to go to the arena and I should find mom and dad. I met up with them at the usual spot, next to our boats, and we made our way to the amphitheater. There are multiple arenas next to each other. No single one could accommodate the fifty thousand or so residents of the nexus.

"Do I have to come with?" I complained. The same answer as last year was replied "We have to show support to our representatives" Mom casually said.

"It's not like I can see them anyway! How will I know when and what to cheer for them?" I argued.

"That's not the point, a lot of people do show vocal support, many show support just being there. To let our contestants know that we are here because of and for them"

The same arguments made in the last two years. This year was going to be just as boring as the last.

The competitions started and I was forced to sit and be bored. It was like being an infant, staring at the ceiling for hours on end again. I check my progress on my race evolutions during this time.

Myrou's Adorable Runalymo:

(Adept)

Requirements: Myrou Bless Runalymo, Have Charm at level 10 or higher Age five or higher.

This Adorable blessed Runalymo can't possibly do any wrong. Mixed with cuteness essence no one could think wrong of you.

Note: No skills will be lost or merged

Yeah, I haven't really worked on this one.

Mana Blessed Runalymo Seer:

(Adept)

Requirements: Myrou Bless Runalymo, Have Sense Mana at level 60 or higher, before the age of five. Age of five or higher

This Runalymo has mana sensing capabilities beyond what most would consider possible, Able to see beyond their limits to places unknown.

Note: Skills may be replaced or merged

I thought this one would change but I guess the "before the age of five" is simply better than just having the "level at 80" requirement.

Beauty Blessed Runalymo:

(Adept)

Requirements: Myrou Bless Runalymo, Have Bond at level 50 or higher before the age of five. Age of five or higher

A master of beauty magic and her bond, this Runalymo has reached heights in power that some would be envious of at an age where the rest of her kin are still playing with toys and living carefree. The dedication will lead to great heights for this Runalymo is bound for greatness.

Note: No skills will be lost or merged

I've not made much progress either, Also the "before the age of five" Thing is here too so I'm not really expecting this one to change.

Blessed Runalymo Storm Seer:

(Adept)

Requirements: Myrou Bless Runalymo, Have Sense Mana at level 60 or higher before the age of five. Have Sense Mana at 80 or higher, Have predicted numerous Elemental storms, and saved several people with your forewarning. Age of five or higher

This Runalymo has mana sensing capabilities beyond what most would consider possible. Their adaption to a nexus has grown so keen as to instinctually know when storms will arrive days, even weeks in advance.

Note: No skills will be lost or merged

Now we're talking! Not only is my skill not going to be merged but an existing one will be upgraded! However, it's not like I really need this. I still have years to get something amazing, and I am close to getting my [Sense Mana] to a hundred. If I can do that before the age of ten I might just get something super awesome, also I need to experiment with capping my skill and see if that adds to anything.

Alright, While I'm here bored I need to plan out my evolutions. I need both [Sense Mana] and my Bond at level one hundred. I like playing music but I only have four years to do this. This means I need one more breakthrough to unlock a cap of one hundred on my sense mana. And that will be finally being able to differentiate the mana of people. Whelp, I got time right now, let's make the most out of it.

I focused on my parents, trying to sense the differences, I can almost do it. I put a hand on my chin, thinking. There's something I'm missing, something obvious, something that sets people apart from each other, something magical. Then it hit me with the force of a falling meteorite.

Classes, races, bonds. I've yet to get a class but I am sure everyone will have something different or semi different. Races set apart the races so that's easy, and bonds may be different. All of these alters our magic or bodies. If that's the case then the most mana in the body is from that race, that's why everybody's mana look so similar! If I see past that I should be able to see their class and bond magic!

I focus on my parents and try to see past their race, deep inside of them, where mana is generated.

Mom has a water bond, dad has a fire bond. I know those mana already.

Sure enough, when I focused, staring long and hard I could finally make out the tiniest of sparks of their bond element.

One down, but I need to keep those in sight.

Next, I added myself in focus, looking for something mom and dad have that I yet don't. I don't know how long has passed but I began to see it. Something attuned to creativity essence.

Lastly the race, it'll be very similar but I'm very sure we have three different evolutions.

This was the hardest part and took the longest. Before I knew it we had to take the after-work bath and I made sure not to lose focus of my progress and let mom lead me by hand. It was while mom was oiling up my hair that I finally got it! People suddenly became filled with color, unique like a face overlaying the color of their race. Many shared very similar bonds and the differences are slight but it suggests a difference in bond skills. Classes are way easier to differentiate.

I sat there, stunned by my newfound vision. For five years I could only see my parents as silhouettes and now it's like I am looking at people.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 90!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 82!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 86!

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.

7th Breakthrough: You've learned of and seen the relationship of essences and elemental mana. Now you can better study them.

8th Breakthrough: You've predicted a mana storm. This breakthrough will help you predict the turbulent behavior of mana.

9th Breakthrough: You've learned to differentiate the unique mana produced by people letting you detect unique individuals.

"I-I did it," I said, my voice cracking a little.

"Aly?" Dad sounded confused.

"Is something wrong?" Mom asked.

"I finally did it, I learned how to see people's individual mana. I can finally see the color of people." I sniffed. Trying to not get too emotional. "For the longest time, everyone just looked the same, like shadows. But now it's like seeing what you guys really look like"

Mom and dad sat there, agape. I can finally make out expressions, I can finally see their shocked expressions.

"I-I never knew it was like that," Dad said.

"I-I can't even begin to comprehend what that must have been like," Mom said. Then she smiled. "I am so proud of you!" And she hugged me to her generous bosom in a tight oily hug. That's when I noticed something else about her. A difference in her belly, something, or rather someone very similar yet apart from her.

"Mom?" I hesitantly asked. "Am I going to be an older sibling?"

Side Story 1: Oathbound

Brandon marches down the street, his heavy armored footsteps announcing his presence, his cape fluttering behind him, accentuating his command. He doesn't need it; he can increase his Bond's presence, but the Emperor treats the citizens delicately, and as his Oathbound, he must do so too.

The crowds parting for him, revealing immaculate stone roads kept clean even in the busiest of days. He walks through the market made with stone and excellent workmanship, the light grey stone accentuated with white mortar.

Brandon finds his favorite tavern, Forron's Lap. Entering the tavern, he is greeted with a whiff of strong ale. Two small domestic Forrons lay on a bed of soft pillows, their four ears pivoting to sudden sounds, they lack any eyes, but they have their ways to navigate the world; they are known to have sensing skills, but they don't always use them, they seem to instinctually know about anti-sensing items and skills. They have two bushy tails with silky fur, making them rather popular, if not for the fact that they also hunt small unwanted vermin, which makes them the most adopted animal as a pet among farmers, warehouse owners, and shops that serve food.

The tavern is moderately busy at this time of day, filled with people on their days off work. The Emperor mandates two days off each week for most jobs, though there are some exceptions for multi-week jobs or time-sensitive jobs; in that case, the days off accrues until they can be taken.

Brandon walks to his usual spot and sits down, and sits down. The tables and chairs are made of fine orn wood, the sturdy and tough lumber providing a nice rustic feel to the place.

"Get me a white honey, Charlie," Brandon requests. Trusting the old stool to support the weight of his golden full plate armor. His long black hair hangs below as he leans forward, a majestic gauntlet resting on the counter.

"Coming right up. Zara!" The bartender, Charlie, calls for his waitress, a voluptuous Fylox. Zara comes, walking with an exaggerated gait from around a corner. She has brown hair with Forron-like furry ears on the top of her head and wide green eyes. She wears the tavern's short skirt uniform from which a bushy brown-furred tail sways behind her.

"Take these to table three" Charlie slid four mugs of ale on a tray to the Fylox girl. She nods and does her duty without a word.

"These second-generation Fylox's are a lot more agreeable; I'm glad the integration program recommended her to me," Charlie says. Filling Brandon's mug. "And I can't say no to the tax relief for hiring a lesser race," he adds, handing Brandon the mug.

"That's usually the case," Brandon says, glad that the Emperor's social program is working well. "The wild ones will usually remain savage. Only when they grow up in civilization do they appreciate what Humanity does for them."

"Not the Burrowers," Charlie says with a grunt.

Brandon sighs. "Unfortunately, not all are as agreeable as the Fylox. The Faerin still refuse to speak the proper language, except for a select few. The Burrowers still try to claw their way back to savagery, and the Noks, despite seven generations now, still have their barbarism."

"The Noks?" Charlie asks, leaning closer.

"A brutal species, you probably haven't heard of them because they are kept in the integration camps, deemed too savage to be released in cities," Brandon replies. The Noks is a brutish blue-skinned race with a propensity for violent outbursts with little to no control when angered. They are highly territorial, and their poor eyesight makes them strike first and ask questions later. Putting them in society as they are now will only sow distrust in the Empire, breed racial bias, and call into question the Empire's judgment.

Zara returns and relays an order from another table, her soft voice pleasing to his ears.

"What about the rebellion? I heard White Peak Castle has been annihilated," Charlie asks, changing the subject.

"Those damnable traitors are showing the lesser races a bad example." Brandon grimaces and takes a large gulp of his drink. "We've put down five cities so far; I only wish the Emperor would give me a chance to earn glory and honor for the Empire."

As Exalted tier beings, humans need to step up and be better, to show the world that slavery, war, and many other atrocities can be done away with and still thrive as a civilization. They must lead by example, but the rebellion, led by their 'Champion', wants to show the world Human superiority. It sets a bad example for all lesser races.

"And what of this 'Champion' I keep hearing about? I heard he bested three Oathbound in single combat."

A long falls silence between them.

"He... '' Brandon looks for the correct words to say, "Managed to use underhanded tactics to take advantage of our honor, but even so, he cannot slay an immortal. We Oathbound can only die by the Emperor's hand, after all. He also fought one Oathbound at a time, not all three at once."

A man joins the conversation; his black hair and eyes match his black trench coat.

"Jake," Brandon nods toward him.

"Traitors have no honor!" Jake spat. "It's only a matter of time until you guys get him."

"Indeed it is, Jake." Brandon says to the patriotic man, "Those who reject the Emperor's guidance for selfish reasons must be put down, for the sake of all beings. If we let them fester, they'll start letting the lesser races return to savagery or enslave them, likely both."

"That they will, Brandon," Charlie says in agreement.

Zara comes up with more orders, diligently working, showing that the integration program works well with Fyloxes

Just then, a man in majestic golden plate, glowing blue with power along etchings that decorate the enter set. His fluttering cape dances in the wind, settling down as he enters the tavern. Brandon recognizes the Oathbound armor, almost identical to the one he is wearing. Zara makes way for him with a polite bow, as do other patrons of the establishment.

"Brother Ardan, what brings you here?"

"The Emperor has a mission for you. Stoneport has joined the rebels and the spies settled in Gemkeep have stopped their reports. Put down the traitors and investigate Gemkeep," Ardan says in his deep voice rumbling voice.

Finally, a mission!

{This story is only officially posted to my , and and fantranslations,com if you are reading this on another site then it's not an official}

"They will not see the dawn of tomorrow," Brandon promises to put down the rebels.

Although Stoneport was hundreds of kilometers away, for an Oathbound, it's a half-hour flight or run. For Brandon, however, it's only ten minutes. After stepping outside of the tavern, he jumps up to the clouds as a bolt of lightning, thunder rolling over the city. Brandon dashes through the air, his trailing lightning rumbling over the land.

He passes over many farms with village centers, defended by stone walls against prowling night monsters, most of which are culled by monster slayers or village guardians. Every week the army will march through and cull any monster still around. Because they spawn from mana, they have little means to actually stop monsters from appearing, and so only reactive measures are taken.

Brandon stops above the city square of Stoneport, a city built on the coast, using a river to transport gems, stone, and ores from the mines and quarries upriver. It is a large exporter of the Empire's stone and ores.

A man stands in the city square addressing the masses with vile words and lies.

"We will have freedom from the tyranny of the Emperor! We will take our place in the world and force the Empire to meet our dema-" The man becomes a red mist as a bolt of lightning strikes him. In his place stands Brandon, clad in his majestic Oathbound armor.

"No traitor will leave alive!" Brandon announces, his voice booming like thunder as if lightning itself wanted his words to be heard; his Bond's presence expands to its full weight pressuring the traitors before him. The hair of the crowd stands on end as if the air is charged with electricity, the very identity of lighting wrapping around the traitors. To him, anyone who stood to listen to the raving of a mad man for longer than a minute has proven their lack of loyalty.

Brandon draws his soul blade high and channels his mana into it. Lightning jumps from the blade into the sky before raining death upon all who traitors in his presence. Charred bodies hit the ground.

Brandon left the lesser races alive. The Fyloxs, the Klars, the Lhai, and the few other races who've adapted to civilization. It's not their fault; they are to be uplifted to greater heights to join Humanity as greater races, but that doesn't mean all humans want that to happen; some will lie to them to get what they want. Should the flock be slaughtered for the misguidance of their shepherds? Of course not.

"All who reject the Emperor's guidance will die! This is your only warning, your only chance at mercy! Accept his Majesty's guidance or die!" Brandon's voice booms over the town, filled with the thunder of lightning. Many had been lied to, but Brandon does not have the time to correct that; a show of force will be necessary.

Brandon rise into the air, lightning sparking all around him as if it is waiting for his command. "This is the power of the Oathbound! This is what the Emperor's guidance can bring you!"

Lightning streaks across the sky as if all of the Lightning mana in a kilometer radius gathers in Brandon's sword, a halo of raw energy forming around its blade guard. With a swing of his sword and a deafening rumble, lightning strikes at a hill between Stoneport and Gemkeep. The hill glows red for a split second before disintegrating, leaving a molten pool of lava.

Brandon then flies off to the nearby gem mine and the settlement around it.

Brandon lands in the town square to a scene of blood and gore. Bodies, or what's left of them, lay scattered throughout the streets. Walls of houses have been broken into, sowing signs of a destructive force ramming into them, and half-eaten corpses lay in the rubble, having been dug out by what appears to be some monster.

Mayhem had run throughout the city, destruction like a herd of beasts being let loose. Claw marks cut cleanly through the stone, and eviscerated bodies lay in pools of blood as if cut completely through multiple times at once. Blood covers the walls of buildings, but something else stands out to Brandon.

Only human bodies are eaten. Brandon observes. The Burrowers, Fyloxes, Klars, and the less common mine town lesser races are left for the scavengers, only killed with five long sharp claws.

It is eerily quiet. No smoke from chimneys rises in the sky. No guards patrol the walls. Not a single sound comes from the city.

The hairs on Brandon's neck stands up, and an instinctual fear run down his spine in shivers.

"What have they done?!"

Jordan enters the Faerin room, the Palaces' own personal source of honey. Faerins fly around the room, chittering in their uncivilized language. All attempts to rid them of the bad habit have ended in failure; it is highly likely that the Faerins have some sort of telepathic link to each other. They seem to learn far too quickly, and even when isolated, their young still learns their language.

A humanoid creature with large, gorgeous, butterfly-like wings with mesmerizing patterns flies close, chittering the same thing all of their kind does when he walks by, their antennas twitching to his presence. Many watch him with violet eyes, their sclera the same color, only differentiated by the Iris patterns.

Jordan, for the most part, ignores them and walks through the garden of towering flowers, their petals dimly glowing with violet light. Taken from the Forest of Illusions, these plants sustain the Faerin with nectar. The flowers exude a noxious pollen that quickly entrances creatures around them to get as close as they can to the flowers and fall asleep, and keeps them asleep. The creatures eventually die and fertilize the soil for the flowers.

The Faerin are immune to the pollen and thrive in the places around these flowers., their antennae and wings are often covered in the pollen, making them a hazard to untrained people.

Jordan walks to several large pouches filled with a golden liquid contained in a transparent membrane. The Faerin produces these sacks after feeding on the flower's nectar, which when said like that doesn't sound the most appetizing, but people regularly eat Honeydew Bee vomit; they just have to keep that fact hidden.

This whole process is a part of the Faerin integration process. If people like products made from Faerins, they will be more likely to accept them; there are still several kinks to work out, namely the language and pollen issue. People will find it harder to trust those they don't understand, so mandating a single common language is necessary for the integration process, and the pollen is generally dangerous, but that's not entirely the fault of the Faerins, who are peaceful and normally great candidates for integration.

Jordan notes the decrease in the production of the honey sacks and walks off. The membranes break easily, and specialized tenders have to harvest them safely so as to not waste them.

Jordan walks through the pristine halls, immaculately kept by the well-trained maids. He visits the servant's lounge where the maids rest after tending to the needs of the Palace. Jordan notes the average of new Fylox on break. The older maids talk to the newer additions giving tips to improve their Class and Skills.

It is remarkable how easily the second generation Fylox are taking to civilization, despite the resistance their parents gave to keep their barbarism and savagery. Always going on about their faith in the spirits. They worship Varath, the great spirit of war and battle, but their main goddess is the Great Spirit of Nature and Disaster, fueling their savagery.

When Jordan had found their warring tribes deep in the endless jungle, he had marked them as unfit for society and domestic work, and now, they are among the most civilized. It is a lesson Jordan should keep to heart; just because a race is savage or barbaric doesn't mean it's part of their nature; it can just be part of a flawed culture.

One of the social programs to help with lesser race integration is tax relief. With higher demand comes higher pay, and with tax relief, to those who employ Fylox and other lesser races, many can afford to pay the lesser more.

Fylox acceptance, currently, is more akin to a fad due to the integration efforts and social programs to speed their acceptance, but even if it is temporary, it worked; they just need to keep the momentum going until acceptance is self-sustaining.

Many find the Fylox furry ears and tail cute, much like how people find the popular domestic Forrons adorable.

In fact, the similarities of Fylox ears and tails and the Forron's are unmistakable. The Endless Jungle has large man-sized Forrons, too, with large saber fangs that make the small domestic Forrons look harmless, but it makes sense the jungle Forrons would be large; their rodent prey is fairly massive too. The Jungle Forrons are often tamed by savage Fylox tribes and often used as war beasts against other tribes for territory disputes. That is why they must be civilized; such needed war is propagated by their worship of violent spirits.

Jordan moves on, inspecting the armory, pleased to see two diligent Fylox's polishing the armors and weapons. Lastly, he inspects the Guard's lounge, finding no slackers taking longer breaks than they should. Jordan expects as much; this is the Palace Guard, after all, not some remote town militia.

Jordan returns to his quarters to finalize his inventory report. As the quartermaster of the Oathbound and the Palace, he takes his job very seriously. After serving two hundred and eighty years as an Oathbound, he has retired from that line of work to pursue his hobby and manage the lesser races. Naturally, he took the job of quartermaster; an Oathbound is always in service of the Emperor. Just because he's no longer fighting in battles and earning glory and honor for his Emperor doesn't mean he should not still be in service to the one who built their great Empire.

Ting! A great entity, Oathbound Brandon, the Human, has been slain by a Kodoku Cannibal!

It takes Jordan a few seconds to process the world notification. Oathbound is the very pinnacle of Humanity, one able to push both their Race and Class to legendary tier, becoming immortal and a great being. Even their order has been recognized as a title by the system. For there to be a cursed entity, a cannibal, that is unthinkable! Who would resort to such a thing?!

A series of knocks echoes from Jordan's door.

"Oathbound Jordan!" A Palace Guard calls through the door. "The Emperor has called for all Oathbound, meet in the throne room!"

Jordan sighs. He knew this would come. Most of the Oathbound would be sent to slay the cursed being, and more will be lost in that battle. This will deal a great blow to their reputation of being an unkillable force, and it will embolden the rebels. Now the traitors will know that the Oathbound can be killed. Not by mortal means, cursed beings are exceptions after all, as is the Emperor, but the fact that now the world knows will only spell trouble.

Jordan joins the gathering Oathbound in the throne room. Lining up neatly in the front row where the other senior Oathbound stand. Looking around, Jordan can see several mission spots, the oathbound either already on a mission or, in Brandon's case, dead.

The Emperor stands in front of the golden throne, geared up in his Legendary tier armor. The sheer amount of power radiating from the strongest human dwarfs his own; the Bond Presence of the Man in front of him wraps around Jordan like a father placing a hand on his son's shoulder. Any mortal would suffer from mana toxicity from the Emperor's presence, and his very presence can make them spill every secret and crime they've committed.

"You all received the message; a cursed being has been created," The Emperor says with a voice infused with power. "Young Brandon was tasked to put down the rebellion in Stoneport and to investigate the happenings in Gemkeep. The Cannibal should be in that area."

"We will not fail you, your majesty!" the Oathbound says in unison, saluting with synchronized movements. All expect to be sent out, even if some must remain to protect the Palace.

"This is a greater Cannibal, my loyal warriors, a Kodoku Cannibal. Its power may very well rival my own; as such, I will be going with you."

"It will be an honor to fight by your side!" again, everyone says this in unison. Most would kill to get a chance to fight by the Emperor's side, to see him in action.

"Some of you will need to stay behind to protect the Palace for our victorious return and defend the capital in these troubling times; who will volunteer for this task."

Deafening silence falls upon the throne room for a few moments before Jordan speaks up and steps forward. "I will, your Majesty! I will prepare a feast and parade for when you return!" It's not that Jordan is afraid of the Cannibal, nor a coward. He'd love nothing more than to be by his Majesty's side, but as quartermaster, this is his duty.

No one questioned Jordan's bravery; all knew that someone had to stay behind, and the fact that Jordan has retired from fieldwork gives him the right to be the first to volunteer. Then there's the duty to protect the capital; no one will be blamed for taking this duty.

"There needs to be three more to stay," The Emperor says, waiting for more volunteers. After another moment of silence, another volunteers to stay, stepping forward as well. Then another, and after another round of reluctant silence, the last speaks up.

"It warms my heart that you would forgo glory in order to protect the people and the rule of the Empire. It takes courage to put your duty above all else; I am ever grateful for your sacrifice," The Emperor says, gratitude filling his voice. With that, over eighty Oathbound leaves to slay the cursed being. Out of a hundred Oathbound, one is dead. Four stays behind, and fifteen are already on a mission.

Chapter 16: Tenth Breakthrough

Ting! A great entity, Oathbound Brandon the Human, has been slain by a Kodoku Cannibal!

Ting! A great entity, Oathbound Sherly the Human, has been slain by a Kodoku Cannibal!

Ting! A cursed entity, Kodoku Cannibal, has been slain by Emperor Alexander the Human!

Thirteen of those oathbound guys for one cannibal. No wonder the Runalymo adapted to unconventional means during a period of starvation.

What happens elsewhere in the world may affects the nexus in some way. The more magic used, the more mana generated the worse the storms get. When a fire dragon battles a sand elemental, it's going to result in a very bad fire storm. This I knew, yet it's been so easy to forget. But what happens when dozens of beings with so much power battles what kind of storm will that bring? Surely not all of them are of one element. Will the opposing forces rip the storm apart before it can form? That is almost certainly the case.

Still, why does "human" sound so familiar? Somehow I even know how they look, like the Runalymo but with rounded ears on the side of their head and a lack of a tail.

It is the day after the Loshayomo. I had gotten another level in Sense Mana after we had an awkward talk about Mom's pregnancy.

I asked Mom if I could use my safe bond skills, like [Grace of Wholeness], [Aura of Elegance], and [Imbue Beauty]. With reluctance, she agreed and now I will be training my bond like a mad girl. I also asked mom if I could learn other instruments, she finally relented after I told her I had [Musician] and that learning many instruments would help level my skill. I am very careful to keep track of which breakthrough has gained levels.

The next storm I Level up twice in my eighth breakthrough and one I attributed to my seventh, as it was the only one that made sense at the time. Bringing my Sense Mana level to ninety.

After another review and breakdown of my level, I came up with this.

Sense Mana: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 10/10

2nd Breakthrough: 10/10

3rd Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 5/5 Knowledge 4/5)

4th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

5th Breakthrough: 10/10

6th Breakthrough: 10/10

7th Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 5/5)

8th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

9th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

Seventh and eighth I can easily get during the storms. Ninth I can get by studying people and if I can get a look at the dragon and see how strong she is I will most definitely level ninth once maybe even twice. That's seven levels I can easily gain. But that still leaves three levels that I still don't know how to get, well, I am sure I know how but that'll require getting another breakthrough.

Learning how mana transforms into another form of mana should get my essence and elemental knowledge level capped. Which only leaves essence action and the tenth breakthrough to max out my level.

I spent the day trying to figure out mana transformation but it's harder than it looks. I suspect it has something to do with the 'identity' of the mana for essences but how does mana gain that identity? For elements, I really have no clue how to go about that whole thing.

For starters 'identity' is really something people give other things. Could it really be as simple as that? Not really. One, we generate mana, meaning we would simply create the mana we need for our usage. Or do we? When we cast a spell we draw upon our mana pool, which is already generated mana. So it can't be as simple as us only generating what we need.

Our unique mana is also non-elemental, non-essence. Or if it is essence it's unique to the individual. In any case, I think the best bet would be to observe a spell caster in action!

I asked Mom if she can cast a spell for me but she wasn't a mage, and neither is Dad. Instead, Mom said she'd introduce me to our town's competition team. They train for the Loshayomo every year.

I spent the rest of the day practicing my bond. Summoning as many fairies as I can and trying to manually manage as many as I can. I also explored new ways to use my impart instructions skill.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 54!

The next morning I woke up excited. I get to meet with the Village's version of Olympic sports competitors!

Breakfast was Domr meat served with melted cheese. A side sliced fruit adorned the dish.

"You may have to postpone your visit with the fighters until this afternoon," Dad said.

"Huh, why?" I complained.

"With all these storms the Domrs have grown to unprecedented size. I heard that three people have been dragged right off their boats. Only one of them survived. A number of divers have also gone missing from other islands. The elders are going to have a meeting and there may need to be an effort in culling the Domrs."

"That's pretty scary. How big are they getting?" Mom asked.

"As big as a person if some are to be believed."

I was a little let down at the news but it's not like the visit was canceled, just delayed.

Mom and Dad talked about other things, mainly work-related and other adult stuff, nothing I am interested in.

I practice my [Musician] and [Imbue Beauty] skills, working on my first song. I focused on a tranquil serenity as that works well with beauty essence.

"You are learning that flute at an incredible pace Aly" Mom commented from her workstation.

"Hrrmm, it still bugs me, there's something off about it and I don't know why" I complained.

"[Perfectionist's Eye] is both a blessing and a curse" Mom sighed.

Good thing that the more I focus on my work the more creativity essence I generate which in turns helps me master this skill more quickly due to my upgraded [Perfectionists Eye]

Race Trait 7: Perfectionists Eye

Following the tenets of Myrou this race has taken great care to perfect their arts and crafts. This skill makes it so flaws are easily spotted and never overlooked. Additionally, the more creativity essence a member of this race has, the faster they'll learn and master their arts, and crafts.

Yeah, "easily spot and never overlooked" doesn't say "know how to fix flaws"

Still, at least my [Inspirational Greatness] boosts how much more essence I am generating

Race Trait 9: Inspirational Greatness

The dedication to the arts and crafts have made the Runalymo more creative, granting them a (+120%) to Creativity essence

All this has led me to learning the flute in about a month what would have taken me a year. Maybe, In four years I too can have [Musician] at level one-hundred.

I continued playing until I got an unexpected message.

Ting! Musician has met requirements for a breakthrough. Musician will now continue leveling past level 30!

Ting! Musician has obtained level 13!

Ting! Musician has obtained level 14!

Musician: You have a base knowledge of music and several types of instruments

1st Breakthrough: You've played a wind-based instrument to a beginner level. This will help you master this instrument.

2nd Breakthrough: You've imbued mana into sound, Able to cast magic through your songs. Effects may vary and adapt to the type of song.

3rd Breakthrough: You've instilled an emotion in your audience. This will help you do so again with more ease.

What?

I didn't even try! I looked at my mom who was listening with closed eyes, relaxing in her chair. Although I am still a novice I think my second breakthrough helped with this one. Mom noticed I had stopped playing and looked toward me. She blushed and focused back on her work.

A couple of hours went by and I gained another level in [Musician]

Mom walked with me down to a part of town I was unfamiliar with. A large house on the edge of the village, overlooking the sea toward temple island. We walked inside to be greeted with an air of water elemental mana.

Two people are sparing, a young ice mage and an older, more mature-looking water mage. Despite the bad matchup, the water mage is clearly winning. I saw a blast of ice mana collide with water mana. The water froze and the mana somehow transformed into more ice mana. Strange, very strange. I didn't even see it happen!

What happens to earth mana if you melt earth into lava? Does it become fire mana? Water mana? Both? What if you boil water into steam? Does it become air mana? Or a mix of air and water? Maybe air and fire? Air, water, and fire? So many possibilities.

The duel ended at the ice mage's defeat and three other students clapped. I examined their mana. Water bond and class for the water mage. Makes sense if you want to stack bonuses. Ice bond and class. Earth bond and class and. A wind bond with fire class. Making use of the empowering field are we? What is better? Class bonus stacking or exploiting mana physics? Mana Mechanics? Or maybe the class can evolve and eventually double-dip in mana physics and class bonuses?

"Laeso!" The water mage casually greeted.

"Laeso" Mom greeted with a shallow bow.

"Laeso" I copied mom's bow.

"No need to be so formal" The water mage waves us off with a slight chuckle. "What brings you here?"

"Little Aly here wants to observe what you guys do, will you let her?"

"As long as she doesn't cause trouble, sure!" The mage gave a cheerful smile. Before kneeling down to me. "My name is Chyzu, what 's yours?"

"Alysara" I replied.

"Alysara, nice to meet you. Are you interested in becoming a Kheshamo?" Chyzu asked.

A settlement trial person? Village competitor.

I looked up at mom.

"A Keshamo is a very prestigious position," Mom said.

I shrugged my shoulders "I want to see how magic works" I figured the truth works best in these kinds of situations. "It's for my tenth breakthrough in my [Sense Mana] skill"

Chyzu's eye twitched at that. Everyone by now at least knows of me and knows that I have some way of perceiving the world but this may be a bit unbelievable for someone of my age.

Chyzu looked at my mom with disbelief and skepticism.

"She discovered her bond at the age of one and now has several bond skills"

To supplement mom's explanation I summoned four fairies. I don't have my Kyhosa with me right now so I can only summon up to four now.

"Essence-based, and you have great control. I'd reckon you have your bond at fifty or sixty." The other students in the dojo looked at me with shock. I guess I have met or beaten their bond levels at a third of their age. "Essence, however, isn't very strong but what it lacks in strength is made up for with precision and control. However, it lacks stopping power and essence users almost always lose against physical fighters"

Well, it's not like I really want to become a Kheshamo, sounds a bit painful.

"I can still watch can't I?" I ask with charm at work. I swing my tail in hope and perk up my ears.

"Daaww! She's so adorable!" Chyzu exclaimed.

Ting! Charm has obtained level 23!

I noticed a small amount of cuteness essence building up in me. Does that always happen when I use my charm? No wonder my evolution mentioned cuteness essence.

Maybe I should try to level it up a bit more and see what I get?

"I'll swing by for after-work bath and pick her up," Mom said. Chyzu nodded and walked back to her apprentices.

I watched as spells were flung around the room, as fire melt ice and ice mana turned into water mana. I watched as water turned to steam, a fusion of air and water mana. I watched as a lucky gust of air mana gave a slight boost to fire magic launched from the fire wind mage, giving her the slight edge needed to win against the earth mage. Melting enough rock turning earth mana into fire and water mana, except the water mana is weird, almost like it was another type of water mana. The water mage also didn't try to manipulate the lava.

Lava mana. I realized

Lava is water and earth fused together like how my hair ornament has ice and fire fused together. Meaning a mixture of two different manas is different from fused mana.

I came back day after day trying to unravel the mystery before me. If only I could control the transformation. Why not? How do I perceive the world if I don't have some control over the ambient mana? I am not physically seeing the mana, I am feeling it, it is mana sense, not mana sight. So I ask again, Why not?

But to do so first I need to know how mana is transformed from one into another.

After five days of watching the mana transforming the answer came to me.

There was a visit from the fighter's dojo, a weekly competition from the mage fighters and the nonmage fighters I was watching the ice mage fight against a water warrior. I noticed how mana was intensified by spell usage, the intensity of the mana and it being smashed into each other overcame the MM force and resulted in mana fusion too much force however and it could completely convert the other mana. In this case, water and ice empower each other so it's harder to achieve fusion.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 100!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 91!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 95!

"I did it!" I cheered as I jumped in joy "My tenth breakthrough! I'm just five levels away from one hundred levels!" I giggled as joy essence radiated from me.

Everyone looked in my direction, some annoyed, some curious, some jealous.

"Tenth Breakthrough? At your age?" The martial instructor said. "Child, you shouldn't lie." She chastised

"Your bond is battle essence, isn't it? And you have a battle essence class" I said. Instead of arguing I went directly to proving myself.

Her eyes widened. "H-how? I never told anyone."

"I can sense the mana in you. What's more, you have a race evolution geared toward physical strength and battle essence. A Battle Runalymo? Champion Runalymo?"

She took a step back in utter disbelief. Everyone stood mouth agape. I hammer it in even more by pointing out everyone's bond and class affinities. Pointing at them, even taking a guess at how many bond skills they have. Something I still only have a thirty percent chance of getting right.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 96!

I guess that one came from ninth knowledge. I mentally mark down the level I got.

"Absolutely incredible!" Chyzu exclaimed. "You must become one of my apprentices!"

Chapter 17: Mana Manipulation

"Absolutely incredible!" Chyzu exclaimed. "You must become one of my apprentices!"

Well, She would be able to help me level my bond a lot faster and teach me more about classes.

"Err, I'll have to ask my Momara about it." I'm not sure if I want to dedicate myself to fighting or competition. I'm not sure what I want to do. Music? Crafting? I've been so focused on my skill I never gave it any thought.

"You have to ask them!" Chyzu was starting to get a crazed look in her eye.

"Y-yeah..." Now I just want to get away from her.

Chyzu straightened up and addressed her Apprentices.

"Alright from now on Alysara is going to be joining us for training! Greet your new friend!" Chyzu usher me forward. The others stared at me like wolves eyeing down a helpless sheep. Doesn't help when the youngest of them look to be thirteen.

"L-La-Laeso" I weakly said, taking a shaky half step back. Yeah, I'm not good with these things. Other kids my age? Sure. Other kids twice my height and age? Nope. Hundreds of very important people? Hell no.

"Don't be like that Aly, Show us what you got!" Chyzu encouraged.

Did she forget about the martial fighters? Well, they are looking interested too. Crap that makes it worse. I don't have anything, just one measly laser beam! I want to get out of here. How? Oh, I know! Charm to the rescue!

I droop my ears and tail, already noticing an increase in cuteness essence, and look down. "I-I'm not sure i-if I can." for added effect I gave a little sniffle. If Chyzu could have she'd probably have a rocket nosebleed. Even the expression of the other students changed from looking at me like fresh meat to looking at me like I need to be protected.

Chyzu couldn't hold herself back and hugged me to her large bosom, rubbing her cheek against mine.

"Daaww! You're the cutest thing ever!"

Ting! Charm has met requirements for a breakthrough. Charm will now continue leveling past level 30!

Ting! Charm has obtained level 23!

Ting! Charm has obtained level 26!

Charm: you have used words or actions to significantly change some's course of action. This skill will help you charm people easier.

1st Breakthrough: You have convinced someone to give you something they normally wouldn't have, this will let you master the manipulative ways to get what you want.

2nd Breakthrough: You have used your cute wiles to avoid punishment. This will help you master getting and keeping away from the consequences of your actions.

3rd Breakthrough: You've purposely increased your cuteness essence to influence others. This will make it more effective.

That's a pleasant surprise. I note down what levels I think I got.

Charm: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

2nd Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

I was finally let go. "Don't worry! We'll show you what you need to know! You've seen the competitions not too long ago, didn't you? Do you have any questions on how everything works?"

Dangit, no freedom. And she's acting like I am already allowed in.

"A-Actually, I've never seen them before. My Sense Mana doesn't go that far." I said. My range is one meter per two levels which is now close to fifty meters radius. Since I was practicing my music for so long we were one of the last ones to the coliseum and had to take some of the furthest seats so it was too far away for my range to reach the arena.

"Oh well, I'll explain it to you then!" Chyzu said cheerfully.

The martial instructor cleared her throat.

"Our students are having a competition, you can explain it to her sometime in the next few years seeing as how she is too young to even have a class yet." The martial instructor seems like a no-nonsense kind of person while Chyzu seems like the excitable bubbly type.

"Oh, right! It's always exciting to have a new student I forgot!" Chyzu stuck her tongue out and bopped her head in a 'teehee' pose.

I was forced to watch the fights but it ended up more thrilling than I'd admit. The close calls, the displays of magic, and the beautiful dance of the martial artists. It even got my blood pumping once or twice.

Mom came to pick me up and Chyzu instantly jumped on her.

"Alysara is joining us!"

Mom looked at me with an eyebrow raised. I shook my head.

"Aly is only five years old. Maybe once she has her first class but right now she should try other things"

"But she can come and watch right? She can practice her bond under my supervision and I can teach her how to better her bond!" Chyzu argued. If only she had a charm skill.

"She is not getting into any fights!" Mom put her foot down. "But yes, she can come and practice if she wants to"

"Then it's agreed! Welcome aboard Alysara!"

"Did you not hear a word I said?" Mom said incredulously

"That's just how she is, don't worry. If Alysara gets hurt I'll beat Chyzu black and blue" The martial instructor said. "I'm Esofy, by the way"

We went to the baths to end the workday. No oil this time as we are still rationing it, even more now that our stockpile is dwindling. It's actually considered communal property and the village sells it to the other villages to pay for everything. I don't know what it's like for the other villages and what they specialize in but from what I gathered a long time ago there was only one type of tree in this area. Well more like a very thick type of fruit-bearing bamboo. Anyway, it has been selectively cultivated for several purposes. It was mentioned one day that the trees grown for building material have stopped producing fruits altogether, instead of producing tough nuts. I wonder if anyone has tried to eat them or roast them?

I noticed Myrou's projections smiling and winking at me. It's something I've come to realize is more akin to my bond and my Impart Instructions skill. It's not actually Myrou but more like an automated guidance helper.

"Do you really want to be a Kheshamo?" Mom asked. Dad has not yet arrived.

I thought for a minute. It was enjoyable watching them when I wasn't trying to unravel the mysteries of mana. However, do I really want to fight? This is a cozy place where I can live my life in peace, but I'd just be fighting for the fun of it. It's more akin to a sports competition, it's not like my life would be in danger.

"You don't have to answer now." Mom said. "You still have years to decide if you really want to."

Mom's right. I unlock my class at age ten, I still have years to think about the path I want to go down.

Dad soon joined us and I bragged about my tenth breakthrough. After getting home I sat in my room and meditated focusing on a small amount of mana in front of me. I purposely focus on any mana as that's the easiest. I try to move the mana but found no purchase on the energies. I focus all my [Sense Mana] on that specific mana, ignoring all else, and willed it to move, to resist the downward draft, and stay floating in front of me. Slowly, as if waking up from a deep slumber I felt something, like a phantasmal limb, a mental grasp of the mana. It fell through my 'fingers' like holding water but the more I focused and the harder I try, putting my whole will into it the mana started to feel like fine sand, still slipping through but not so much I had little effect on it.

I noticed a drain on my mana reserves. No, not drain, My mana is being transformed into the mana I am trying to manipulate.

I heard a "ting!" go off in my mind.

That was kind od hard to do, although I might have had an advantage because my [Sense Mana] is so high.

Ting! You have gained the Manipulate Mana Cursed skill!

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 2!

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 3!

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 4!

Manipulate Mana: You have managed to reach out to the ambient mana and manipulated them. This will help you master the ways of manipulating mana outside of you.

I noticed a second sphere around me. An area of control where I can manipulate and control mana.

Why do I always find ways to find cursed skills?! I chastised myself. Cursed skills are very powerful, but, well, they're cursed. It's obviously not a good thing. I can't help but think about what might happen to me, what I might have lost in exchange for this power. I had to know.

Using Manipulate Mana on another patch of mana I flinch in preparation for pain but it never came. Instead, I noticed my mana transforming into the mana I am manipulating. The price seems to be my mana reserves. Manipulation came a lot easier to me now, feeling more like I am picking up loose soil.

Astral Projection seems to have no side effects. It's risky but that seems to be more of the nature of the skill.

Truesight causes extreme pain if I use my eyes.

Manipulate Mana doesn't use mana but instead transforms it, I will leak out the unusable mana so it's not poisoning my maximum reserves for long. I don't know if that's a function of the skill or not.

In any case. I should avoid using any cursed skills until I know better, and the best way to do that is to ask the Guardian who seems to know a surprising amount. Then again, if I have lived for who knows how long I would probably have learned a thing or two on curses.

I sigh. Mom and dad aren't going to like this but I have to know more about curses. I walk to my parents who are talking in their room. Probably discussing the possibility of me joining the Kheshamos. They stopped talking as I entered the room. My heart started beating faster as I mustered up the courage to let them in on the bad news.

"M-Momara" I stuttered, my ears dropping slightly. Mom instantly recognized something was wrong

"What is it, Aly?" She said in a too-sweet voice. She probably thought I had broken something.

"I-I got another cursed skill"

There was dead silence for about a minute, my parents letting the news sink in.

"What were you thinking?! Have you not learned from the last time you got one?!" Unexpectedly it wasn't Mom but Dad who blew up.

"Kanato" Mom said, trying to soothe her husband. "She probably doesn't even remember that" Mom touched dad's shoulder to further calm her. "She's lived her whole life with them so she probably doesn't even consider it unusual"

I think dad knows me a lot more. She was the first one to pick up that I can sense the world around me. She was the first one to treat me not as an average child but as someone who's shown a lot more maturity and understanding of the world, even if she misunderstood and thought I was simply a genius. Even now she has understood that somewhere in my subconscious I knew the risk.

It isn't fully my fault either. I still don't know what cursed skills are and why I got them, even if I know how I got them. I still have more general skills slots to fill yet the cursed skills don't take their place. It just seems that some skills are bad and some are good for unknown reasons.

Dad sighed. "You're right. Our little girl has always been so smart and mature I forget that she is just a five-year-old child."

"I have a lot of questions on cursed skills," I said jumping in. "But the only one who might know the answers is the Guardian."

Mom knelt down to me. "Aly, The guardian watches over us and protects us in our time of need. Even going out to hunt incredibly powerful monsters that would attack us. But it is disrespectful to bother her with mundane things"

"This is hardly mundane, and besides the Guardian seems to like her," Dad commented.

Mom is usually the reasonable one but never even thinks to go against tradition.

"I need to know, Momara. I'm scared of what might happen if I accidentally get more." It is the truth. With the message about 'cursed entities,' It terrifies me that I might be on a path to losing myself and becoming a monster.

"Alright, well meet the Guardian tomorrow." Mom relented.

I spent the night in my parent's bed, snuggled between them. Early next morning we had set out to temple island. A well-trodden path for me by now. We approached the Guardian's resting form, sleeping oddly similar to a cat. The guardian slowly rose her head.

I could feel the pressure of her mana pushing on mine, preventing me from leaking out mana. I watched as my mana started to seep into my body, overcharging my flesh.

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has obtained level 18!

"What brings you little ones here, so soon after your last visit?" The guardian said. Power and curiosity in her voice.

I take a shaky step forward.

"I seek your wisdom, Guardian!" I muster as much courage as I can to approach the most powerful being I can now comprehend.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 97!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 98!

The sheer amount and intensity of her mana are almost blinding. She has not only a water based race and bond but also five classes. Four water based classes and one of an unknown essence. The intensity of her mana far surpasses anything I've ever seen. Making the storms look like a breeze in comparison. I can already tell she is retaining as much mana as she can to not kill us instantly.

"What is it you wish to know, Little one?" The Guardian asked. Letting me know that I'm not bothering her too much.

"I wish to know about curses. Cursed skills, cursed beings, what cursed skills are and if it's safe to use them"

"You gained another cursed skill?"

I nod. The Guardian rose up even more and puffed out her chest in a show of majesty. I wondered if I really am bothering her with mundane questions and a shiver of fear ran down my spine.

"You really are a talented one." The dragon said with power and... pride? "

"It is understandable to mistake general skills and any other skills. Especially for one who has not yet unlocked her first class, but do know that there is a difference. All skills can be class skills. But not all class skills can be general skills" The dragon explains in what I can only describe as a teacher lecturing a student. For some reason, I can imagine the dragon with a pair of spectacles and writing on a chalkboard.

"Cursed skills are class skills. Normally you can only obtain them from classes but with a dedicated enough mind and the talent to do so you can obtain a class skill without the class. Doing so, however, is not the correct way to gain such a skill and so some... contaminants are obtained as well. This is what the 'cursed' part means. The curses are side effects, some may be benign and you'll never know what they truly are. Some may result in a slow and gradual death. It is impossible to tell until the effects are felt"

I see, so cursed skills are class skills obtained improperly. True sight causes pain, Manipulate mana does something with my mana. And I don't know what astral projection does, but if there's a possibility that using it may kill me it's best that I never use it again.

"Generally it is safe to use the skills as long as the side effect is safe. But be warned that they may influence potential evolutions. Never forget about what I am going to tell you. Never, Never take an evolution or class that has been influenced by a curse of any kind. Doing so will change you into a cursed being."

I gulped, what would have happened if I had taken the All-Seeing Runalymo or Phantom Runalymo? Then there's the risk that comes with leveling up the skill. The higher the level the more it might influence potential evolutions. Potentially making me lose what would have been a good evolution. I resolved myself to not level any cursed skill at least until I have my next race evolution

"Cursed beings are very powerful beings, some are even on par with legendary beings if not greater. But they are mindless beasts whose soul has been destroyed by their transformation into a cursed being. They are a husk that consumes and destroys every living thing."

I gulped again, that could have been me a few years ago.

"Many things can result in curses or immediate transformation into cursed beings. Cannibalism for one. No matter how much, no matter why, if you eat another of your race your soul is destroyed and you soon transform into a cursed being"

Like mana attracts like. I realized. The magic from your race is too similar. Eating another person will combine their race mana and their magic with yours, but doing so is a very unclean way, the very slight differences become the contaminates! And since it alters your current race you immediately become a cursed being.

Finally knowing the why to a long-standing question is very satisfying, and it is likely that I am one of the very few who actually knows it.

"You seem to have some insight on that matter," The Guardian said, noticing my subtle change in moods and expression.

I explained what I just realized to the dragon.

"Hmm, interesting. We dragons as part of our race have [Mana Sight]. As it is part of our race we cannot improve upon it but we can learn. You may not know but breakthroughs simply alter the magic of the skill to incorporate it. One can still learn to do the breakthrough with enough effort and knowledge. You have given me new insight on how to improve my abilities, I thank you, Little one"

"Now, I have answered your questions, and you have answered some of mine. You'll need rest to recover from the mana toxicity you've built up. When next we meet I'll ask you of any more insight you've managed to gain on mana and magic"

Although the dragon said I was suffering from mana toxicity, which was right. I can tell the dragon too is suffering from it and probably wants to rest.

I bowed to the Guardian and made a quick retreat with my parents.

Chapter 18: More storms.

On the way back to the village I noticed a distinct lack of earth mana and nature mana. It appears spring has arrived in some major forest or something.

Ting! A great entity, Oathbound Orthan the Human, has been slain by a Kodoku Cannibal!

Ting! A great entity, Oathbound Jake the Human, has been slain by a Kodoku Cannibal!

Ting! A cursed entity, Kodoku Cannibal, has been slain by Emperor Alexander the Human!

Ting! A cursed entity, Kodoku Cannibal, has been slain by Oathbound Audry the Human!

Seven for two this time, what is going on?

I look up to mom and dad.

"It's in another part of the world, no need to worry, and if they come for us the Guardian will protect us" Dad reassured.

No point in worrying about it, huh?

Dad is right, it's just a curiosity, that's all.

"There's no nature and earth mana, there will be a bad earth storm as the two mana empowers each other," I informed them.

"I'll tell the Elders." Mom nodded.

I continued to attend the mage dojo. Both to train my tenth breakthrough and my bond. The earth and nature storms are actually a good thing for us as the nature essence will help regrow the burned orchard.

The day the storms came it brought with it nature essence at such intensity I had never seen such a phenomenon before. This storm was a stroke of luck as that fulfilled the last requirement I needed to complete my fourth sense mana breakthrough. Which was to sense a large amount of essence. Something that is surprisingly hard to do even for the place I live in.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 99!

And with that, the two breakthroughs I am officially dubbing "Core Breakthroughs'' are maxed. They are Core Breakthroughs because they played such a pivotal role in gaining other breakthroughs and they relied on others to efficiently level up. But with that now completed maxing my sense mana should be easy, just a matter of time, and since my last breakthrough benefits from the storms they should level reasonably quickly.

This storm however will be marked in my personal history as so much elemental and essence mana has finally let me complete my seventh breakthrough too and push me to level one hundred.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 100!

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.

1st Breakthrough: You have sensed an overwhelming pressure of mana, now you will be able to better sense mana in such quantity and better see slight differences in mana levels.

2nd Breakthrough: You've learned to perceive different containers of mana letting you see the general shapes of mana containing objects around you.

3rd Breakthrough: You've learned to see different types of mana, letting you see elemental mana.

4th Breakthrough: You've learned how to see mana Essences, letting you see the many types of essences.

5th Breakthrough: You've learned to see different amounts of mana within objects, letting you better see how much within certain parts of things and people.

6th Breakthrough: you've learned how to expand your aura of sense mana, letting you see farther.

7th Breakthrough: You've learned of and seen the relationship of essences and elemental mana. Now you can better study them.

8th Breakthrough: You've predicted a mana storm. This breakthrough will help you predict the turbulent behavior of mana.

9th Breakthrough: You've learned to differentiate the unique mana produced by people letting you detect unique individuals.

10th Breakthrough: You've learned to see the transformation of one mana into another, letting you better see the interactions of natural processes and spells.

Sense Mana: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 10/10

2nd Breakthrough: 10/10

3rd Breakthrough: 10/10

4th Breakthrough: 10/10

5th Breakthrough: 10/10

6th Breakthrough: 10/10

7th Breakthrough: 10/10

8th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

9th Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 5/5)

10th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

I watched the mana as the floor beneath me trembled. I watched as waves of earth mana swept through the ground and air, as earth mana interacted with the nature essence. There was so much nature essence that something changed in the earth mana and for a brief time it was transformed into more nature essence. It was very weak in intensity and decayed back into earth mana a few seconds later. I noticed that the longer earth mana stayed in the fields of nature mana it'll change into the essence and slowly become more intense. The energy within the nature essence is being transferred to the Earth element through tiny sparks light electricity and reaches an equilibrium.

There seems to be a stabilization point however where the earth mana stops decaying. The opposite interaction also happens to nature essence. Where it is transformed into earth mana but would decay back into nature essence unless it reaches a stabilization point.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 101!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 102!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 103!

I marked down the levels I think I got. Storm knowledge had been sitting at four through several storms now and I think this has finally pushed it to five. The others I put into my tenth as that was the only thing that made sense for this observation.

8th Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 5/5)

9th Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 5/5)

10th Breakthrough: 5/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 3/5)

Just seven more levels. Seven to go and I'll finally cap my sense mana for now.

I've also come up with a further breakdown of action levels. Seeing as how those are usually where I struggle I came up with this:

Action levels breakdown:

1 from extreme/ extraordinary case

1 from extensive usage

1 from a lot at once

1 from repeated usage

1 from normal usage

I've yet to get an extreme case for my eighth breakthrough. For my ninth, that was gained recently by the dragon. Which leaves extensive usage for my ninth, I'll get it in the coming days or weeks. Not exactly sure for my tenth. I just got it so I can rule out extensive usage. A lot at once I probably just got from this storm so that leaves repeated usage, extensive, and extraordinary. That means I need to look for an extreme case, which will likely come in the form of a storm and that's pretty much it. I Just need to wait for some special storm to cap my levels.

Knowledge is fairly linear so I don't really need to break it down. It's probably something like knowing fifteen percent of all the way to seventy-five or eighty percent of knowledge about the subject matter. I am confident that just because you have the five knowledge levels doesn't mean you know everything.

After a particularly large wave of earth mana I started to hear shouting. I was told to stay inside with Mom and Aunty while Dad went outside. The ground was still trembling but it wasn't like what I imagined an earthquake to be. Well, the large wave of earth mana did feel like one but that only lasted for a few seconds.

Dad didn't come back but the storm ended soon after. I went outside to see what was happening. The aftermath saw three buildings collapse and a giant spike coming out of the ground, piercing walkways and housing. No one was seriously injured. But earth storm tended to be like that. Ice Storm is the worst, followed by lightning, then fire. Wind, water, and earth storms cause damage but tend to not kill anyone. Light and dark are completely harmless if you avoid going outside and even then the harm done is by people walking into things as they can't see in dark storms and in light storms they risk eye damage from the intensely bright light.

I spent the next few days training my Bond at the dojo.

"You are a natural! Alysara!" Chyzu exclaimed as I fired off several beauty beams in rapid succession. I had quickly depleted my mana reserves but apparently, once I get my class at age ten I can put attribute points to boost my mana.

I had already gained three levels by trying new ways to apply my bond skills like using it in rapid succession, something I've for some reason never even thought to try. There is a diminishing returns kind of deal with Bonds and Bond skills. Meaning I'll have to keep trying new things. Makes sense why my leveling has slowed down. I've been too focused on trying to push my current skills further. Which does increase my experience but it doesn't completely outweigh the negatives.

"Next use your fairies to attack the dummy. Make sure to not use all the energy in them. Just enough to distract and annoy!"

Punch the target and deliver ten percent of your energy.

I resummoned and ordered my fairies. This time I had summoned the beauty beam but shaped the beauty essence with my [Shape Beauty] skill.

Five fairies rushed out and began punching the dummy. But due to my poorly worded instructions they did that then stopped, having fulfilled their task. I forcefully took control of them and finished the task.

"Hmm, could be better. Do it again!" Chyzu instructed. I waited for my mana to come back and resummoned my battle fairies.

Punch the target and deliver ten percent of your energy. Fly around the target's head in random patterns and attack once again. Repeat until your energy is depleted.

This time the fairies did what I wanted.

"Excellent! With this you can attack, distract, annoy and do all that without using much focus. Meaning you'll take away your opponent's focus while keeping your own to deliver more powerful attacks." Chyzu lectured. Although she was teaching me it was a learning experience for everyone.

I mentally saved my instructions and dubbed it "Attack Pattern: Distract" I wonder if I need to word it out all the time or just the meaning works

I summoned one fairy this time.

Use Attack Pattern: Distract.

The fairy used the attack pattern. Success!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 58!

With this, I can pre-program complex attack patterns to use.

Apparently, the other students have a hard time gaining [Impart Instructions]. Even Chyzu is having trouble, so that leads to the question. Can that skill even be gained by an elemental user?

"Why is essence so much easier to control" One of the students complained.

"Elements pack more of a punch, quit whining!" Chyzu chastised her.

"It's a fair question though, why is essence easier to control and elements are more powerful?"

A few eyes turned towards me, they know I have a high level in [Sense Mana] so I am the one most likely to know.

"U-um, Well, Essence is, for a lack of better words, lighter than Elements"

In truth, I only partially know the answer. I know that Essences are 'airier' than elements, it's not as normally dense but it's besed and transformed from an element. does it lose metaphorical mass? is it because it gains something, an identity? Perhaps it's because of its identity that it is easier to control.

The others seem to accept that as a good enough answer, but not me. I want to know exactly what it is that makes mana work the way it does.

I used the rest of the workday to test the limits on [Impart Instructions]. Turns out the limit of five instructions for now. I kinda got lucky with my attack pattern as repeating previous tasks only counted as one instruction. So no super complex instructions, but this should be enough.

Follow the target. Avoid objects and people. Aim for weak or open spots in armor. Hit target.

I dubbed this pattern, Attack Pattern: Homing

Back home I work on my musician skills while trying new things with my [Imbue Beauty] using only on the notes I play and not have it constantly on. Then I tried increasing or decreasing how much mana I put in it for added effect.

Ting! Musician has obtained level 16!

When I woke up the next day I was met with dozens of messages.

Ting! A great entity, Oathbound Bryan the Human, has been slain by a Kodoku Cannibal!

Ting! A great entity, Oathbound Emily the Human, has been slain by a Kodoku Cannibal!

Ting! A cursed entity, Kodoku Cannibal, has been slain by Emperor Alexander the Human!

Ting! A great entity, Oathbound John the Human, has been slain by a Kodoku Cannibal!

Ting! A great entity, Oathbound Audry the Human, has been slain by a Kodoku Cannibal!

Ting! A cursed entity, Kodoku Cannibal, has been slain by an Oathbound Jordan the Human!

Ting! A cursed entity, Kodoku Cannibal, has been slain by an Oathbound Jordan the Human!

Ting! A cursed entity, Kodoku Cannibal, has been slain by Emperor Alexander the Human!

Ting! A cursed entity, Kodoku Cannibal, has been slain by Emperor Alexander the Human!

Ting! A cursed entity, Kodoku Cannibal, has been slain by Emperor Alexander the Human!

What the fuck happened? Over sixty of those Oathbound guys for six cursed beings!

I attended the dojo for the workday after bathing with my parents in the morning. Myrou's projection held a neutral expression, like most days.

"Alright, Alysara. Today you will be using non damaging fairies to distract and annoy the other apprentices, they need to learn how to deal with such tactics eventually and it's best to start early" Chyzu said.

Today I was tasked with using nondamaging fairies to distract the other apprentices. I smiled with glee I was going to have so much fun poking at them.

Summoning some fairies with just normal beauty essence I sent them to annoy two apprentices sparing, focusing on one of them for a while before swapping to the other apprentice. I manually took control of two fairies to annoy them in more complex ways. Watching their contort in frustration and anger as some lashed out against the reshaped bundles of mana.

The whole day's training paid off with one more level for my bond. I spent the afternoon leisure time working on my music and playing with Tana.

It was at night when we were returning from the evening gathering that I noticed all mana start drifting up and back through the leyline currents

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 104!

Chapter 19: Before the Storm

This was bad, If there is a complete lack of mana here I'd probably get a breakthrough for sensing mana in a mana-starved area. In any other case I'd want to get it, but not now, not when it'll stop me from capping my skill. Which is putting me in a tough position.

"Momara, There's a storm approaching. A really, really bad one." I honestly don't know what to expect. Will all the mana have fused? Will only some? Will it be a violent maelstrom where the attractive and repulsive are in a constant battle? Perhaps a strange mix. But if I had to make I guess, there's going to be a massive core of fused mana. Much like how my hair ornament creates a flurry of the two opposing forces, acting as an attractive force to all opposing manas.

"I'll quickly tell the Elders, what kind of storm is it?" Dad asked.

"It might be better if I come with you," I replied.

"That bad, huh?"

"If Aly is going then I might as well too," Mom said.

We changed our course and started walking toward Elder Yukika's house, as she was the closest. We knocked on her door and waited. I heard some grumbling behind the door and a grumpy-looking elder Yukika stood in front of us and her husband to her side.

"Storm," Dad said before the Elder could open her mouth.

Elder Yukika nodded, waiting to hear what kind.

"It might be best if Aly explains it..." Dad trailed off.

Elder Yukika stood to the side with a sigh "Come in then"

We sat in the lounge and I started explaining the situation.

"This isn't going to be an ordinary storm. It's composed of all elemental mana. Normally this storm would rip itself apart but the only way I know how this can happen is that a core of fused mana formed which would attract all mana. If anything this storm will be very chaotic. I don't know if it'll be weak or strong."

"Is there any way to destroy the core? What will happen if that happens?" The Elder asked.

I thought for a minute.

"No, Maybe there could be something that absorbs the core and there might be a skill that allows you to but I don't know it" That was a lie. [Manipulate Mana], with the right breakthroughs should allow me to destroy the core. The only problem is, my manipulation mana is too low level and it'd be very dangerous. I'm just a five-year-old girl. I'm not superman. I don't have the mana, I don't have the levels and I don't have the breakthroughs. Plus, it's a cursed skill, I don't want to level it up. We'll do what we've always done, wait for it to pass.

"If it is destroyed then the opposing mana will rip the storm apart in a few minutes, perhaps forming a few mini storms in the process" I continued.

"What about overpowering all the other elements with one type?" Yukika said after a minute of contemplation.

I shook my head. "That would just create an even worse situation. You'd need so much mana as to create a worse storm of one type, not to mention that with all the mana in the storm we'd likely be at risk of mana toxicity, doubling or tripling the mana would probably kill everyone"

The thought that we could just ask the guardian to blow away the storm did cross my mind, and she certainly could, but for the reasons I had just started, it won't work.

Actually, I could study how mana acts around my Kyhosa! It is a perfect simulation of what's going to happen. A core of all fused elemental mana that attracts all other mana. I had simply thought it an odd curiosity before and never took a second look at it! Time was running out and soon all the mana in the area will be gone... which is another problem. A vacuum is being pulled which will speed up the rate at which the storm will arrive.

"Also, two more things. This storm will arrive faster than normal, I don't know how fast. Second, most mana will be removed from this place. I'll gain another breakthrough if I use my sense mana during that time and I don't want to yet, it'll prevent me from capping my levels."

Yukika nodded. "We'll plan for it to hit sometime tomorrow." She got up "I'll need to meet with the others now, we have little time to warn everyone." With that, we were ushered out.

Back at home, I took the little amount of time left to study a tiny model of what's to come next. My Kyhosa has all elemental mana and two essences. Around it is a sphere of chaos. Mana pulled around the nexus gem but was unable to get any closer. The swirling mana encountered amplifying mana like wind and fire but met the repelling ice and earth. The increased intensity caused the repulsion to be more violent than would normally happen. The mana shot out much like how the mage's spells were amplified and launched.

This isn't good. If my Kyhosa is causing this then this storm will be orders of magnitude worse. It'll be like going into a warzone.

My heart plummeted as realization dawned on me. Mana isn't typically affected by normal matter, only when it is intense enough will it affect matter and cause damage. This means that spells could materialize anywhere!

I know what I must do to protect myself and my family and I don't like it one bit. The only thing in my arsenal of skills is [Mana Manipulation]. If I can prevent the conditions in which the storm spells can materialize or nudge the spells just enough to miss someone, then we might be able to make it out alive.

I ran to my parent's room who was getting ready for bed.

"Want to sleep with us tonight?" Mom asked. Actually, that does sound good, especially since I have to actually be blind until the storm hits.

"First we need to tell the Elders one last thing. This storm will likely be materializing spells. Simply sheltering in our homes won't work!"

It didn't take much convincing. Mom and dad rushed to the village hall where the Elders hold their meetings. And soon I am sitting back in front of the Elders.

"Using the Nexus gems as a model I am able to get new insight on how to prepare. There is a strong chance that this storm will cause spells to materialize." I told the Elders that the ambient mana is acting as a smaller scale of the storm around the nexus gems. Their faces paled.

"We'll need a bunker," Yukika said.

"We finished the offshore shelter recently, we can use that. We'll use the time we have to set up barrier runes and defensive shields"

"If those let normal mana pass through then it won't stop the spells from spontaneously appearing" I added. "Mana is very turbulent and normally won't be spell-like but under certain conditions, ones that this storm will cause, it can happen." That stumped the elders.

Yeah, if enchantments and spells don't work then there is only one way. I felt heavy as the next words I am about to say felt like condemning me.

"I..." My voice got stuck not wanting to continue, but this is to save people! My friends, my family! "I... May have a way to prevent the spells from forming"

"Aly, don't," Mom said, sensing something off.

"Only I can sense when those conditions will form. And with the help of a cursed skill-"

"Alysara!" Dad shouted over me. "You are not using that!"

"Even the Guardian said it should be safe to use as long as the side effect isn't dangerous" I argued

"That doesn't matter!"

"Kanato" Elder Tusile said, calmly. "Your child has shown maturity beyond her years, she knows what she is doing and has already weighed the risks"

"She's my child! She's just five years old! You can't expect her to be someone from the stories!" Dad argued.

"She's no ordinary five-year-old. Listen to her speak, is that how a normal child speaks? She is blessed by Myrou, she has a skill over level one hundred at her age and has discovered her bond by the age of one. Yes, Kanato, she is someone made for stories" Surprisingly it was the pessimistic Guklaro who said this. "If anyone can do this it's her"

"There is one problem. I don't have enough mana, even if I am able I can't do it for long." I said.

There was silence for several seconds.

"Do you not have the Inspect or Identify skill?" Elder Yukika said.

I blinked. It was such a staple thing, or at least the influence from my past life was telling me.

"No?"

Sighs resounded around the room.

"Your Kyhosa has the 'battery' ability, it can hold up to ten thousand mana put into it," Guklaro said.

I focused my Mana Sense on my Kyhosa. Now that I was focusing intently on it I can see something strange with its mana. There's something unique about it, like an individual's mana but this is something else, something that will never be again. If I can differentiate this I might be able to see the unique magic in magic items.

"We can have people fill it up"

"I will still need to practice my skill, it is currently not as high as I need it to be"

"No! There will be no practicing! Elders, It is a cursed skill It's too dangerous!"

"Kanato'' Elder Tusile said. "What will you do if your wife dies from one of these storm spells?, what about Alysara? Chozu? Your parents? Alysara has a way not only to protect herself but a lot of people too. What will you say to those who lost their loved ones, will you say that you prevent the only one who can help from helping? I am sure Alysara can't prevent all spells but all we need is enough space around us where spells can't just appear so our protective measures are effective."

Dad looked to Mom. "Feyan?"

Mom just shook her head. "I don't like this any more than you but this is bigger than us. Aly is blessed by Myrou, trust in the Goddess"

Dad hung her head in defeat.

With that, we went back home and I practiced until I could no longer, the lack of mana to manipulate too much to do anything with. I was forced to prioritize levels and breakthroughs overscheduled training and discoveries. As a result, I obtained as much easy to get breakthroughs as I could.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has met requirements for a breakthrough. Manipulate Mana will now continue leveling past level 20!

Ting! Manipulate Mana has met requirements for a breakthrough. Manipulate Mana will now continue leveling past level 50!

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 5!

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 19!

Manipulate Mana: You have managed to reach out to the ambient mana and manipulated them. This will help you master the ways of manipulating mana outside of you.

1st Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate elements. This will help you master doing so

2nd Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate essence. This will help you master doing so

3rd Breakthrough: You have learned to expand your area of control. This will help you master doing so

4th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate small amounts of mana. This will help you master doing so

Manipulate Mana: 6/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 4/5)

1st Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

2nd Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

4th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

I couldn't even get it to twenty before the storm. I was hoping to get it to half my cap but I guess not, knowledge of mana gained from [Sense Mana] didn't go as far as I wanted it to. There was no way I'd have enough time or opportunity to get any action levels. The breakthroughs are all beginner tier and my high Sense Mana level probably helped a lot in gaining them. I straight up copied the third manipulate breakthrough from my sixth Sense breakthrough. The fourth I gained pretty much from scraping the bottom of the barrel.

There wasn't much else to do other than wait now. Well, I guess I could play music, I don't need my [Sense Mana] for that.

The next day I woke up in my parent's bed. They weren't there. I had stayed up late making use of all the time I had so now I had woken up late. I called for my mom and she brought me food and took me to the baths. I truly felt blind now, with no way to see the world around me. I heard a lot of commotion going on. People are securing what they can, grabbing only the dearest of valuables and necessities. Food wasn't on the list, our mana sustenance would have us survive. It won't be comfortable but it will have to do.

Chyzu and other people with high amounts of mana stopped by to fill my Kyhosa. The amount of mana in it is growing ever more. I don't know how much they know but so far no one has questioned it.

I just played my music. I had my hair ornament on me as I always do and I am wearing my Kyhosa. I don't know how long it had been but Mom led me to the boats and soon we were on the offshore shelter and waited. The entire village was here and probably some people from the other island villages, a lot of them probably didn't care much for this plan or thought they had better. In any case, we waited. Waited, and waited some more. Then the storm hit.

Chapter 20: The Super Storm.

The storm arrived with an announcement of lightning and thunder. Gusts of wind rocked the shelter and the earth trembled. The air froze then became swelteringly hot. Rain pounded on the roof and mists formed inside.

With me at the center and barriers and magic shields being cast color exploded around me. So much mana, raging with many tempests of mana battling other elemental many bouncing off their opposites and empowering with their similars. Mana fused further creating chaos in the storm, a storm within the storm. Those didn't last long before being ripped apart.

The first spell, a wind blade, formed. Wind mana had encountered fire only to be pushed apart by two torrents of earth mana coming together. Like being shot out of a cannon the empowered wind mana formed a blade that slapped against a mana shield, sending cracks along the shield like cracked glass.

"Double up!" Someone shouted and more barriers and shields were cast.

This was all too much, too much to keep track of. The elements transforming, the swirling mini storms. The amount of mana in the air, it was suffocating! Mana toxicity is building up in us and with so many people together the mana being generated from us is creating even denser mana further raising mana toxicity.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 105!

That did Work for us though, the mana of people is creating a buffer that the elemental mana is constantly tearing at.

I need to heal them!

I use my [Grace of Wholeness] with [Aura of Elegance]. It's not very effective but it may make a difference if I start now.

More spells materialized hitting the shields, some even breaking past the first one. I start nudging the mana, preventing spells from forming early on as to not require a lot of effort. The earth mana is tough to move, it requires a ton of effort like picking up lead weights. Air mana has the opposite, it's too easy to move and I mostly overshoot and need to readjust again

Pain shot through me as the two manas transformed inside of me and violently rejected each other, shooting out of me.

I need to be careful of which mana and when I manipulate.

The buffer did prevent spells from forming in the group of people but it's also keeping my transformed mana in like a core.

Lightning mana snaked through heading toward a swirling mass of fire mana. If it reaches it'll become empowered and create a spell!

I grabbed off the lightning mana and redirected it upward. A shock coursed itself through my arm.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 50!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 20!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 24!

Manipulate Mana: You have managed to reach out to the ambient mana and manipulated them. This will help you master the ways of manipulating mana outside of you.

1st Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate elements. This will help you master doing so

2nd Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate essence. This will help you master doing so

3rd Breakthrough: You have learned to expand your area of control. This will help you master doing so

4th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate small amounts of mana. This will help you master doing so

5th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate large amounts of mana. This will help you master doing so

Ting! Pain Tolerance has obtained level 18!

Long time no see [Pain Tolerance], don't take this the wrong way but I hope to never see you again.

The more mana I manipulated the more elemental mana builds up around me with nowhere to go. The worst offender is by far Earth mana. It repels almost all other mana and clumps up into large masses. Lightning is bad too as it is empowered by fire and water, has enough innate speed to not need repulsion to form spells, and shocks me when I try to move it!

But... What if I could force a transformation? Turn lightning mana into speed essence? Will that generate more lightning or speed essence in me? How will speed essence help me?

It was worth a try. The next lightning mana that came through I grabbed and willed it to transform... no luck, impressing my will on it doesn't seem to have an effect.

What is essence? I asked myself as I nudged wind mana away from a cyclone of fire mana. Why did earth mana transform into nature mana and not other essences? I grabbed a whole wave of empowered fire and sent it down, away from a wall of ice mana.

Heat surged within me making me feel lightheaded.

Be-because that's its identity, it became more natural because of the influence of nature mana.

I grabbed another bolt of lightning and impressed the identity of speed on it. Speed, you are speed itself.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 60!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 25!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 29!

6th Breakthrough: You have transformed an element into an essence. This will help you master doing so

It worked! Well, kinda. It partially worked. I am still shocked by the lightning but the world also seemed to slow down for just a second. Only about a quarter of the lightning mana I grabbed was transformed. But it worked, now I can build up essences instead of elements.

I check my mana. Eight thousand left. Oof, maybe not transform mana, it took a lot. Now I'm glad that I couldn't transform the whole thing, I'd be left bone dry.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 30!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 35!

Hours passed and I slowly got better, the range of my control getting further, the more I could influence and the effort it took decreased. I only wished I was better, several injuries happened already but thankfully nothing fatal. But now my mana is running on embers. Chyzu is next to me and so are my parents. I lifted a hand toward them.

"I'm running out" Nothing more needed to be said. They can see that spells are being created less and less the better and more use to the turbulent mana I get.

Chyzu put in about three thousand mana and mom and dad each put in about one thousand. Half the maximum amount. Each touched my bracelet, just one piece of my Kyhosa set, and with their link mana can be shared between the set.

I noticed something really odd. Randomly, a tiny amount of mana, when very depleted in intensity would transform into earth mana. Regardless of type, low-intensity mana would transform spontaneously into unstable or stable earth mana.

That's the most stable mana? It is hard to stop once it gets going and is hard to move once it has stopped. Heavy like lead. It's almost like a stable periodic element, like iron.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 106!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 107!

I continued working. By now I can recognize the early signs of storm spell materialization. I have gotten used to earth and wind mana, instinctually using just enough needed to barely prevent storm spells.I learned to grab just enough mana to redirect and let the MM force take care of the rest. I began pushing the boundaries of my control, to further prevent more spells. Now the storm spells are becoming rare. Instead of once every few seconds only one spell gets through every minute.

Every time I needed to refill my Kyhosa several people were willing to donate their mana. But I can already feel exhaustion seeping in. I'm honestly not sure if I can hold out the entire storm

However, the crisis is beginning to strike again. The amount of elemental mana transformed by my cursed skill has reached a tipping point. The pressure created by our buffer is causing it to fuse! Wind and fire. Water and ice. Lightning with water and fire all created a core that began to attract more mana from the storm. The pressure of the storm began to squeeze on the buffer and further squeeze down in the forming core until a sphere of nexus mana has formed.

The mana around became a lot more violent all trying to get at the core. The core can't drift down because of the buffer! The buffer Is being worn away, ripped apart from the magical energies. More spells started being created and the first near-death injury happened. A blast of light mana seared a hole in the gut of someone. A healer had to worm their way through the crowd to heal her.

What to do? What to do? I have to get rid of that!

Hold on. Nexus mana? Nexus Gem? My Kyhosa can store mana. But this core has tens of thousands of mana, but it has fused, does it count for less?

It's worth a try. I thought.

Using Manipulate mana I force the Core into my Amulet. It was like trying to squeeze a ball into a hole half its size.

Come on! Get in there!

An ice lance flew over my head narrowly missing me. With my focus put on the nexus mana core, a volley of spells manifested. I heard two screams and cries of grief. I had failed to keep everyone alive.

I gritted my teeth and with one last push, the core slid into my amulet. Power filled the amulet as it vibrated and a high-pitched humming sound emanating from it, causing people to look. However, it seemed like the amulet accepted the mana after a minute and it calmed down. I immediately felt the amount of maximum mana My Kyhosa could fit was cut by a third.

No problem, I can just have it refilled more often.

With the core sealed away the mana around began acting normally. Well, normal for this storm that is.

Hours passed, and I noticed that we haven't even gotten halfway through the storm. As the true core of the storm descended upon us the mana became more and more intense, so much so that storm spells began to quickly rise in number. My exhaustion at this point is causing temporary lapses in judgment and my mistakes are beginning to show. More spells are being flung around, making it worse on the shields.

How long has it been since this started? Four hours? Ten? I honestly had no clue. These storms typically last a good dozen hours on average.

Then, Our life saving buffer broke. A huge swirling mass of earth mana plowed through it tearing it apart, causing a rush of elemental mana in its wake. Heat and cold swept through us like an unforgiving tide. A fog so thick we couldn't see through it rolled us over our clothes began to get damp. The only good news is that another core was starting to form and the earth mana disrupted that.

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has met requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Toxicity Tolerance will now continue leveling past level 20!

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has met requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Toxicity Tolerance will now continue leveling past level 30!

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has obtained level 19!

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has obtained level 25!

Mana Toxicity Tolerance:

Being exposed to high amounts of mana density can lead to a build up of mana, poisoning you. This skill will help you tolerate mana poisoning.

1st breakthrough: Some beings are so strong they exude so much mana as to kill lesser beings. Being in the presence of one, even when it's limiting its mana leakage, has allowed you to adapt and tolerate its unique mana, letting you be able to push out mana against them the more used to them you are.

2nd Breakthrough: You've been exposed to Mana Toxicity for an extended period of time. Allowing you to adapt and recover from it faster.

3rd Breakthrough: You've been exposed to mana toxicity induced by a mana storm. The highly intense mana will now do just a little less damage to you.

I pushed against the elemental mana, slow reforming our buffer only for it to get torn through again. I would have to wait until the core of the storm passed.

Time kept seeming to jump ahead for a few seconds as I felt my head start to droop, sleep threatening to overtake me.

an earth spike then pierced the floor. Gouging one person's leg. She would have died If I had not nudged the earth mana just enough. Several people would have died by now from the spells but so far none had caused lethal injuries. My efforts are rewarded by screams of pain rather than cries of grief.

I was doing all I could just to keep people alive and to prevent spells from forming in the crowd.

It felt like hours as shields broke and people got injured. Sweat poured off from me, another surge of fire mana coming over us. The worst part was that the sweat froze soon after from ice mana. And then mana started to slowly lose its intensity. The worst had passed. We had gotten this far we can make it through the rest.

Once the storm had died down enough I rebuilt our buffer by pushing out the elemental mana and letting it take shape once more. I could not get all the elemental mana however, I'll need to deal with a second core forming soon.

I felt myself fall sideways only to be caught by mom. I shake myself to rid myself of exhaustion and continue my work. The occasional jolt of pain now what I seek to keep myself conscious

The second core was easier to seal away. I put one in my left bracelet. Down to one-third of my mana, and I'll probably have to deal with a third. Our final test will be trying to survive without my skill.

That time came all too soon, with my constant lapses in time. With my Kyhosa sealing away dangerous cores and with my pitiful mana reserves I could no longer keep using my skill except for only the direst of circumstances. That was my intention but the next thing I knew I felt the warm morning sun on my face.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 36!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 47!

Manipulate Mana: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 10/10

2nd Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 4/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 4/5)

4th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

5th Breakthrough: 10/10

6th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 60!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 73!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 108!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 109!

Sense Mana: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 10/10

2nd Breakthrough: 10/10

3rd Breakthrough: 10/10

4th Breakthrough: 10/10

5th Breakthrough: 10/10

6th Breakthrough: 10/10

7th Breakthrough: 10/10

8th Breakthrough: 10/10

9th Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 5/5)

10th Breakthrough: 10/10

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has obtained level 26!

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has obtained level 32!

Mana Toxicity Tolerance: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 5/5 Knowledge 4/5)

2nd Breakthrough: 5/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 3/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 5/5 Knowledge 3/5)

Chapter 21: The aftermath

The sun is shining in through the open window, I'm in my bed. A blanket is draped over me

How did I get here? Wait, that's no window!

There was a large hole in the ceiling. I got out of bed, stumbled on wobbly legs and reached for the door only to fall. I felt so weak. With a few tested movements, my strength slowly returned, like my body wasn't used to moving so suddenly.

It's not like I was in a coma for months. My Sense Mana aura extends out far enough that I can see that the village is still damaged Unless that was caused by something else. With my perception extending out fifty meters, I can see the state that the house is in and it's not good. Many holes had been blasted in and the walls had been sliced open as if a giant blade had cut through it. I can only imagine what the rest of the village looks like but the neighbor's house hadn't fared any better.

Normally when at home I shrink my perception to only the house and shrink it to my room at night to give people privacy. However, I had not expected to wake up in my bed. I stood up and walked out to the village. People are hustling and bustling, fixing damage and I can already see many fixes on the walkways.

"Alysara is awake!" Someone shouted.

"Someone go tell her parents!"

I am shocked to see all the people know who I am, they crowded around me asking if I needed anything. It was all too much, the sudden and growing crowd of people I wanted to run and hide.

"Alysara!" Coming to my rescue mom swooped in and picked me up. Snuggling me tightly and purring. "Iwasworriedyou'dneverwakeupyou'vebeenasleepforthreewholedays!" She was talking all too fast and I understood none of it through her crushing embrace. "Come on, let's take a bath!"

Mom shot off through the crowd and soon I am submersed in baths, a smiling Myrou overlooking me.

"You saved the whole village!" Mom said. "The outer villages survived with little damage, the middle ones did not fare as well but they are still standing..." Mom trailed off.

If the middle villages suffered a lot of damage then there is no way that the center and inner villages survived. Ours being a center village is probably the only one to have made it out. No wonder everyone is treating me like a hero, I pretty much am.

If I hadn't gotten that cursed skill... If I hadn't gotten any cursed skill, we'd probably all be dead. I only leveled [Sense Mana] so much because it's the only way I can see. I only got [Manipulate Mana] because my [Sense Mana] was so high.

How will other things I learn and do influence the future?

How had this event impacted my life?

Dad soon joined us.

"I am so proud of you!" She hugged me tightly.

As we bathed I checked the damage done to my future evolutions.

Myrou's Adorable Runalymo:

(Adept)

Requirements: Myrou Bless Runalymo, Have Charm at level 20 or higher, Age 5 or higher.

This Adorable blessed Runalymo can't possibly do any wrong. Mixed with cuteness essence no one could think anything bad of you.

Note: No skills will be lost or merged

No change here, but I didn't expect it either.

Beauty Heroine Runalymo:

(Adept)

Requirements: Myrou Bless Runalymo, Have Bond at level 50 or higher, before the age of 5. Has saved the people of a village from mana toxicity. Age of 5 or higher

A master of beauty magic and her bond, this Runalymo has reached heights in power that some would be envious of at an age where the rest of her kin are still playing with toys and living carefree. The dedication to power will lead to untapped heights, for this Runalymo is bound for greatness. Her ability to save and destroy will earn her a place in history.

Note: No skills will be lost or merged

A minor change for this one, I guess my slow healing did something after all.

Mana Master Runalymo:

(Grand)

Requirements: Myrou Blessed Runalymo, Have Sense Mana at level 60 or higher, before the age of 5. Have Sense Mana at 100 or higher before the age of 10, Have 10 breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 10, Have the cursed skill Manipulate Mana at level 40 or higher, Have 6 breakthrough in the cursed skill Manipulate Mana, Have created 3 Nexus Mana Cores, Age of 5 or higher

This Runalymo has mana sensing capabilities beyond what most would consider possible, Able to see beyond her limits to places unknown and strike at the location through their use of Mana Manipulation. They care not for the survival of others as their ability to see and strike anywhere gives them the ultimate right to rule.

Note: Skills may be replaced or merged

Yup, this one has been corrupted by my cursed skill. It was counted that I created the nexus mana cores, interesting. Being able to observe and attack anywhere, kinda seems like a god, no wonder it has the "right to rule" part in it.

Storm Warden Runalymo:

(Heroic)

Requirements: Myrou Blessed Runalymo, Have Sense Mana at level 60 or higher, before the age of 5. Have Sense Mana at 100 or higher before the age of 10, Have 10 breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 10, Have the cursed skill Manipulate Mana at level 40 or higher, Have 6 breakthrough in your cursed skill Manipulate Mana, Have predicted numerous elemental storms and saved several people with your forewarning. Have survived a superstorm. Have created 3 Nexus Mana Cores, Have saved the peoples of a settlement from a superstorm. Age of 5 or higher

This Runalymo is one with the storms, their adaptation to a nexus has grown so keen as to instinctively know when storms will arrive days, even weeks in advance. Able to calm them by her very presence and able to conjure and enrage storms this Runalymo can rightfully claim her place as the true ruler of storms.

Note: Skills may be replaced or merged

Heroic. That's the highest tier evolution yet, I wonder if it's because I saved my village? Still, this one too has been corrupted. It'd take it immediately otherwise, well, after capping my sense mana for the extra requirement.

Calm and conjure storms? That sounds ridiculously powerful, just how strong are heroic tier evolutions?

Whelp! Guess I just have to focus on my bond now.

The rest of the day I spent time with my parents. After work, Aunty and Nyam joined us. If Nyam respected me before then she downright idolized me now. It's strange to see how the jealous child who started off pulling my ears and tail to now looking at me with starry eyes.

"Cheers to Alysara! Our savior!"

I hid behind Mom and Dad as people cheered it was very strange and nerve-wracking for everybody to cheer for me. We are at the Lojyo, people are dancing, music is being played, and people are laughing, celebrating life, and living like there is no tomorrow.

We are the center of attention, the last thing I wanted. Once show and tell started an elderly woman started to tell the epic of Kayafe. It was a story about how the Runalymo, our people, came to these islands. It told of how there were great evils, earless and tailless, that killed and captured our ancestors. Forced them to work and turn away from Myrou's teachings, to worship them as gods instead. One day, after being beaten by one of the evils Kayafe started to train her water bond. If she had been found out she would have been killed. Against all odds, she trained and trained, day after day, year after year. She eventually escaped with several others, even one of the earless had helped her and joined her.

Kayafe then traveled the world, finding allies who would help her overthrow the evil ones. They fought powerful foes and great beings, becoming living legends. Once they had become powerful enough, Kayafe returned to the home of the evil ones to free her people. With her allys a battle of thousands raged until every last evil one was slain. With the battle won and many sacrifices made Kayafe split the ocean, leading her people to new lands. A place where no evil can commit atrocities on her people again. For years the Runalymo traveled, living nomadically beneath the waves. Protected by the power of Kayafe

This land was found but the Guardian had not welcomed them, demanding they leave. Kayafe fought the Guardian, and for three days and nights, they fought until Kayafe had lost. But the Guardian had come to respect Kayafe and eventually agreed to let the Runalymo stay here. There was just one last problem. There was too much mana here and it had to be reduced. With the help of the Guardian, Kayafe made her last sacrifice, she made the Mana Arc. The gem that rests upon the top of the temple. The stone that has allowed life to first blossom on these islands.

With life being brought to these now tamed lands and a protector the Runalymo found peace and sovereignty, but it was hard. Food was scarce and monsters stayed away from the territory of the Guardian. Life was hard for the generations that came but the first nurturers with high mana regeneration offered their milk for sustenance. Eventually, seeds of plants would occasionally find their way to the outer mountains. And with the mana now at a tolerable level, the first true source of food was found and planted across all the islands. Domrs began to spawn here, weak enough to avoid the Guardian's notice, and after several hundred years, the Runalymo can finally call this place their home.

The next day elder Tusile came early in the morning and asked for me to come to the village hall.

"I'm coming too!" Dad said.

Elder Tusile sighed. "Alright, you should come too," she said looking at mom.

Once I sat down in front of the three elders again they began to give me a report.

"Over fifty villages have been completely destroyed. Save for a survivor or two. Even our own village had casualties, especially after you fell unconscious"

"Elder Tusile!" Dad interrupted.

"She has a right to know. Although I don't think anyone will blame her, not openly at least."

I wasn't able to save everyone, maybe if I was a little stronger then no one would have to grieve.

"The point is'' Tusile continued. "We cannot remain ignorant to these events. Whatever happens elsewhere in the world will affect us; we have to acknowledge that! And the only way we can prevent a tragedy of this scale is to train protectors, most storms will be harmless but we may get bad years like this one."

"What are you suggesting?" Mom asked.

"Have Alysara train people to sense mana as she does" Yukika said.

"It's to unlock the [Manipulate Mana] skill. Our storm wardens will have to try to get the cursed skill" Guklaro said.

"You can't possibly-" Dad tried to interject but Elder Tusile cut her off

"Thousands are dead! Many infrastructures are gone and we'll lose many things we once came to enjoy. It will take decades if not centuries to recover! The Guardian could not protect us this time!" Tusile sighed and took a sip of tea. "We cannot always rely on the Guardian anymore. We must be able to protect ourselves"

Silence ruled the air until I spoke up.

"First, From what the Guardian said. Cursed skills are class skills, so it might be better to see if a class can be unlocked with the skill, that way it doesn't have to be cursed. Second, I just have to teach them [Sense Mana] and possibly the functioning of [Manipulate Mana], right? I don't have to actually show them the skill?" I ask.

"That is right," Yukika said.

"Then what's the harm?" I ask dad.

"I don't like it! My child is only five years old!" Dad crossed her arms.

Dad may have been the first one to pick up on the fact that I am not a normal child but she sure does like to protect me like I am one.

Tusile sighed again. "I know, and we are asking a lot of her but this is for the future of our peoples, or would you rather Alysara shoulder the burden of protecting us again should another of these storms come?"

Dad fell silent

"We will ask for people to volunteer to be trained to sense mana and possibly protect people from the storms. They will be sent to be trained on Temple Island a week from now."

The meeting ended with no further argument.

I spent the next few days practicing my music and bond. I tried playing with the other kids but me being too highly regarded now has made things awkward. The way the other kids defer to me, the way others feel like they are unworthy of me. I just want to be treated normally, like how it was a few months ago, before the storms.

Tana is the only one I can feel less idolized by. I helped him train his bond, which has gotten a lot better but we still feel distant. We've not hung out much lately and I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever truly have friends.

"I wish everyone would act normally around me" I complained as Tana is releasing a jet of flame. There is currently an adult nearby and we did ask him if we could train.

"But everybody wants to be like you!" Tana said, his eyes turning starry. "Super smart!" I never felt smart, it's just because of my past life influence. "Best at using your bond!" There are people better, but I suppose I'm best among the kids. "You even saved the village!" But I couldn't save everybody "You are good at everything you do! Netball, your flute..."

"You're better at netball and I practice a lot with my flute. I didn't start out good at anything!" I argued.

"That's the only thing I am good at but your team still beats mine a lot of the time" That's because I cooperate and set other players up for an advantage.

I sighed. I just want to be left alone for now.

"Just keep practicing like that, I have something to do at home" I gave a weak excuse and left before Tana could say anything else.

Everyone sees the end result of practice and not the struggle, the time invested, and the hours of contemplation and practice it takes to get good at something. I do have advantages in things, my past life influence helps a ton, but that's not because I am a genius or super talented.

I walked through the village, noting the people nailing boards to fix holes. Removing broken pieces not salvageable, and generally repairing the damage done by the storm. One person stood up on her roof at just the wrong time, a gust of wind and air mana blowing her off balance. I used [Manipulate Mana] to make the wind blow back from the other direction and prevent her from falling off. Doing that used most of my mana and a gust of air mana and wind surged from me as my mana transformed.

I got home to see Aunty talking with my parents in the lounge. Sometimes I wished I could hear through my Sense Mana.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 110!

Chapter 22: Loneliness

I did it! I capped my Sense Mana! Now Just need to level up my bond!

But the next thing that happened shocked me. Mana began condensing into my eyes wraps! The mana began changing, transforming into a unique form of mana. So much mana poured into my eyes wraps that it looked like a shining light to me. Then the unique mana of the eye wraps seeped into me as my Kyhosa did. It's how the magic item empowers its wearer.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I didn't get a notification of a new breakthrough, I am not ready for it just yet, but I know I am very close now. If I do what I did to learn a person's mana but for magic items instead then I should achieve it. I also would require knowing or figuring out what my eye wraps do now.

Although I was now in the mood to celebrate I wonder what my parents are talking about. I crept closer and pressed my ear to the wall. Although the voices were muffled, the Runalymo's hearing is good enough.

"We should at least wait until Aly has a chance to teach what she knows." Mom said.

"Tusile is just using her! She doesn't care about her well-being!" Dad grumbled.

"Tusile is just trying to care for the village. She knows that sometimes sacrifices must be made" Aunty said

"Aly is my child, not a sacrifice!"

"Tusile has made good decisions after good, If she had let you forbid Aly's usage of her cursed skill none of us would be here" Aunty rebutted. "Now she wants to make it so Aly doesn't have to make the same sacrifice! Can't you see that?!"

"Chozu is right, Kanato. Ever since Tusile became an elder this village has grown more than ever, becoming one of the largest."

Dad sighed and sat down. "I know, it's just... Why Aly? Why our little Aly?"

"Because she's special, a genius. You know how fast she learned the flute, you know how fast she leveled her bond, her Sense Mana, It takes years to do what she has done."

I was starting to feel a little sick. If home isn't a place to get away from all those misconceptions then where can I go?

I start to wander, not paying too much attention to where I am going. My feet found sand and soil. I am on the island, endless rows of fruit-bearing trees stood over me. I walked along the beach, feeling the sand between my toes until I came upon a boulder.

The boulder had lines of icy blue on its surface. Paths of ice mana coursed through the stone like lightning bolts frozen in time.

I sat on the cold stone and played the flute I still had with me. I didn't feel like playing what I was working on so I just played whatever notes I felt like playing at the time. It was a slow lonely melody. A lone tune with none else to accompany it.

Ting! Musician has obtained level 17!

I stayed there until the after-work bathing time. I would worry my parents if I don't show up so I walk back to the village. I don't know why I feel this way, most people would be delighted to be thought of as special, as someone in some ways better than everyone else. For me, however, I felt left out, Like I was by myself on a tiny island that everyone avoided

"What's wrong?" Mom asked as we removed our clothes.

"Nothing. I managed to max my Sense Mana." Although I shared the good news my tone didn't speak about my enthusiasm.

"Normally you'd be jumping up and down about it. Why not?" Mom Interrogated.

"Just don't feel like it" I gave a vague reply and dipped in the waters.

Mom gave me a hug. "Aly, what's wrong?" Mom asked again.

"I... don't know. Everyone says that I'm a genius but I'm not. The system gives me an advantage but that's not me, not my efforts. My race evolution gave me a bonus to learning arts, that's how I am so fast at learning the flute, but that's just an artificial boost."

Mom was silent for a moment before speaking.

"What about your bond? You learned it at such a young age."

"Just tried it one day. I already knew about mana and knew my bond was about beauty essence so I just pushed that mana out. That's all it was, I just tried something."

Mom sighed. "That's what one would call a genius, Aly. Most people can't just 'push out' their bond, it takes weeks of practice and failure" Mom pet my head and ears, trying to comfort me.

"How can it take weeks of practice? I taught the other kids in one day. Sounds like bad teaching to me" I criticized. Mom cringed at that.

"Well, what about your Sense Mana skill? You have it at such a high level already, it takes decades to reach one hundred in a skill."

"I... Had an advantage" I said, not ready to open pandora's box yet, whatever that was. "But it's not because I am talented. I also have to use it every waking second so of course I'd get good at it. Besides, I only started leveling it fast once I realized how skills gained levels"

"Oh? And that is?" Mom asked. I am glad she didn't pursue my "advantage" so I answer her.

"Skill levels are a measurement of knowledge and proven ability. Five levels are gained for each. The action levels can be further broken down, you get one level from normal usage, from repeated usage, from extended use, from an extraordinary usage or situation, and from a lot at once" I said.

"Then why does the maximum skill level increase with each breakthrough?" It was a fair question.

"Because each breakthrough levels independently from each other. They all come with their own one through ten; five action levels, and five knowledge. By keeping track of these I can know what I have yet to do which makes achieving the levels a lot easier."

Mom facepalmed. "Aly, You are a genius, no one's figured that out! But you did, how old were you when you figured that out?"

"Three, four? It took me a long time."

"Aly, the fact you can even remember when you were one year old is impressive in itself, but to figure this stuff out at the age of three?! Not to mention you've been memorizing your skills levels. Is it just for one skill or all of them?"

"Most of the ones that I've bothered to sort out anyway. But memorizing things isn't the same!" I stubbornly argued.

Mom sighed again with another facepalm. "Aly, what's your base intelligence and wisdom stat at?"

"Thirty-two intelligence and twenty-eight wisdom, what does that have to do with anything? I am sure your stats are a lot higher."

"Aly, the average is sixteen intelligence and fourteen wisdom, you literally have twice the base intelligence and wisdom as an average person! It doesn't matter if mine is higher, my class has boosted them but that's not the base. When you level up in your class you get fifteen points, for each point you spend you increase your chosen stat by a tenth of its base. Also, your class increase doesn't make you smarter!"

Mom just doesn't get it does she?

"That's my point! Intelligence only increases learning ability and wisdom increases memorization! You can't just put a number on smartness. Everything I've accomplished is because of the system augmenting me, none of it is through my own talent yet everybody keeps praising me for it!"

We remained silent for several minutes.

"Aly, The system is part of us. Just as much as our own body is. We direct our bodies just as we direct the system. Our actions and accomplishments factor into the evolution of our system and our system empowers us just as our bodies do. Without a mind we cannot think, without a body we cannot move, and without the system, we cannot use magic. It is only the thing that allows us to do what we do but it is the user behind the system that really matters."

I didn't say anything in return, she's half right. Dad showed up late to the baths just as we were getting out. Back at home I put on my Kyhosa and frustratedly practiced with my fairies and tried doing new things with my skills.

Danger seemed to have an effect at the rate I gained levels. I gained a lot of levels during the super storm. Could sparring really help me level faster?

The days flew by, I spent most of my time working on my bond. Every time I go out people would idolize me and praise me. It felt suffocating. I spent the days at home or sitting on the ice boulder.

"Why don't you play with the other kids anymore?" Dad asked. We are currently on a boat to Temple Island. Dad, as usual, is rowing.

"Why does everyone have to keep praising me, calling me their savior? I'm called a genius at everything I do but no one sees the effort I put into what I do." I complained

We spent several minutes in silence before Dad spoke. "People don't want to see the effort and pain it takes to get good at something" It was such a simple yet very humanizing thing. "If people acknowledge the pain and effort then they'd have to acknowledge that they can achieve similar results if only they walk down the same path of dedication and pain. But it's simpler and easier to say others can do more simply because they are better" Mom looked a little hurt but then she had thoughtful look.

We arrived to see a several dozen people, young and old, waiting for me. To my surprise, a good quarter of them is wearing eye wraps. Even the last surviving priestess of the temple is among them. There must be around sixty people, it's honestly a little frightening.

Are we supposed to start training here? Right now? They seem to be waiting for something.

"U-um-umm, T-th-thank y-you for c-coming." I weakly stutter, completely lost as to what to say.

"We want to be able to protect others so more villages aren't lost," one of the people said, walking forward. She is a middle-aged woman who had a hollow look in her eyes. "I am the only survivor of my village. I lost my husband, my children, everything and everyone. This is all I have left, So please, if you can teach us how to save other villages as you have yours then please teach us!" She said with a bow. She earned a few nods of approval from the other trainees.

I buried my nerves and stood up straight.

"F-first you must empty your mind. Empty it of all thoughts and emotion. Then you must expand your mind to reach out for the mana that surrounds you, feel for the mana but don't try to manipulate it. Just observe it"

As so everyone closed their eyes and did what I told them. I waited. And waited. And waited. It was a few hours in that the first person cheered for getting the skill. I saw how her unique mana shifted as she gained a new skill, one that looked very similar to mine. I also noticed that Mom is now lacking something in her mana signature. I look at Dad's and she's missing one too, although that's to be expected she had two essence sights and this skill is a direct upgrade and will incorporate both.

"I got it!" A girl giggled. She looks to be about sixteen and was one of the ones wearing the eye wraps. "And I got a Breakthrough too!"

Slowly, one by one more announced their success, the first breakthrough everyone got, sensing mana in a mana-rich place. About twenty percent got it on the first day and as we ended the workday I explained how skills work for them.

"Keep track of what levels you got. Most likely you got the normal usage of action. Once all of you get the skill I'll start explaining the knowledge and you should start getting more levels. I'll also explain the breakthroughs once you get more levels. The first five are easy to get and are likely beginner tier, the next is harder. Intermediate tier should only be possible to get after level fifty under normal circumstances."

The next day, I came to see about half had gotten the skill. Seems like they continued training even after we left. After the end of the second day, only seven people needed the skill. I noticed how mom now has a very similar new skill in her mana signature. She really is trying to understand me more, even giving up one of her general skills slots. Dad unsurprisingly had gotten her's on the first day, probably prior experience with her previous skills.

I decided not to say anything. They probably want to surprise me.

Everyone got the skill by the end of the third day and I started explaining the very basics of mana. The average level gained was two for base skill knowledge. I said that once everyone has their knowledge at four and has normal, repeated, and extended use action levels that I'd teach them the next breakthrough.

This has been a very surreal experience. I am only five yet everyone seems to acknowledge that they aren't dealing with a five-year-old. I am being treated as an adult in the body of a five-year-old, which I probably am, but my lack of personal memories is letting me grow into a different person. A new person for a new life.

Chapter 23: Improvements

I felt mom's heavily gravid belly. It has been several months now, almost a year. Mom's been pregnant for longer than I would originally thought she would be. The gestation period may be longer for the Runalymo.

I can clearly see the mana of the twins now. Even at an early stage, their bond has been developed, Both seem to have a water bond.

I am almost six years old now. My training at the mages dojo has increased my bond level by thirty-one It is now at ninety-nine. Much faster than my previous years, it helps to have a teacher show me effective ways to level my bond. Sparring also helped tremendously in leveling my bond. Mom was very against the idea but I kinda went behind her back and did it anyway, it was kinda like play fighting; If play fighting had done with potentially lethal superpowers. In any case, the other students were going easy on me. While I did have a higher bond level they had a class so ultimately I was weaker than them. I was also forbidden from wearing my Kyhosa as "It adds an unfair advantage"

Chyzu has praised me for what she says "unworldly Bond growth" and "most genius Bond user she's ever seen". It is kinda strange to see me leveling almost three times faster than the other students, which I can't even deny since they are attempting the same things as me! For once I have no explanation as to why I am leveling faster than everyone else.

My charm also went up a few levels. I may want to try and evolve the skill into [Acting] but I am very focused on other things right now and evolving skills is apparently very hard to do. In most cases, it's easier to just dump the skill and start over. If others are to be believed, some breakthroughs make it harder to evolve as it's not quite applicable to the higher tier and broader skill.

But [Acting] is apparently very useful as it also covers [Trading] and a number of other useful skills. Kinda like how my [Sense Mana] covers, element sense, essence sense, storm sense, and in some ways spirit sense. And all of those cover a wide array of specialized skills too. So it's good to get skills that are at the top of their pyramid, like my [Musician] skill.

Any better and it'll fall into class skills, skills like [True sight] or [True Sense] that cover all sight-based skills. Artistry could cover both [Acting] and [Musician]. The best of the best class skills are apparently very rare and I think it may require you having the top of the general tier skill. My theory is that it evolves the skill and moves it to your class. The class is grown from the skill, or absorbs the skill and empowers it with its own magic. This should be the normal way to get class skills based on the ones you already have. But I kinda skipped a step. I grew the skill when my class was still locked. A combination of desire, action, and knowledge was probably needed to do that.

It's not a perfect explanation. I didn't have the desire nor knowledge to do any [Astral Projection] yet I still got the skill. It was based totally on action, unless my past life had some of that knowledge in it. That may explain things. For [True Sight], well, I think it was something about perceiving my soul from the outside? I'm really not sure how I qualified for it but I got it at the same time as astral projection.

As for my [Musician] skill, it is now at level thirty-five! I had to promise mom that I'd play at the Lojyo before she'll get me another instrument. Mom's been saying that I am good enough for months now but I really don't want to play in front of so many people, I'm not good with crowds after all. Showing something at the Lojyo is a sign of being good at something. Not quite at a mastery level, though, that is for Myrou dedication project, which is still shown off to everybody.

I finished the song I was working on, My [Perfectionists Eye] has no complaints about it! I was able to get both my Musician and first breakthrough to level ten out of ten with it! This means my song counts as an 'extraordinary' action! Well, I am using my bond and third breakthrough so it better! It also has set a bar for the action required. I guess making a flawless song would do that though.

As for my magical items, I now have three, my minor magic Item, Hair Ornament of Duality. A memento of my Uncle and Aunt. Then there's my newest one, I had Dad appraise it for me.

Eye Wraps of Mana Sensing (Minor) (Heirloom)

This Heirloom has been with Alysara for several breakthroughs and dozens of levels of her Sense Mana skill. It has been with her for several years and even when she maxed her sense mana level with ten breakthroughs.

When worn grants the Sense Mana skill: 60/60 with her first five breakthroughs.

Amazing right?! But kinda useless for me. My hope is I can get it stronger if I continue to level and get more breakthroughs in Sense Mana.

Then there's My Kyhosa. It apparently got better after the superstorm.

Alysara's Kyhosa (Major) (Unique) (Set):

This set: Amulet, left bracelet, right bracelet, is made from Nexus gems and Myrou gold blessed by Myrou herself and filled to the brim with beauty and creativity essence, was given as a Kyhosa to Alysara, during her Kyholo.

When worn, Enhances Beauty and Creativity, and Elemental magic by 220%, and boosts Intelligence and wisdom by 25%

Tethered, Battery (10,000).

That was what it was before the upgrade.

Alysara's Kyhosa of Storm Warding (Grand) (Artifact) (Set):

This artifact set: Amulet, left bracelet, right bracelet, is made from Nexus gems and Myrou gold blessed by Myrou herself and filled to the brim with beauty and creativity essence, was given as a Kyhosa to Alysara during her Kyholo. This set has absorbed three nexus mana cores and helped its wearer defend her people from a devastating storm through the usage of her manipulate mana skill.

When worn, Enhances Beauty and Creativity, and Elemental magic by 500%, and boosts Intelligence, Wisdom, and Mana by 25%. Grants the Skill: Manipulate Mana 10/10, Aura of Calm Mana 1/10

Tethered, Battery (50,000).

More than double the Bonus! Also apparently skill levels are copied from the user that's why Mana manipulation is ten out of ten, that's because the base of my skill is at the level. It didn't incorporate any breakthroughs though. It also gained another skill but since I don't have it it's just a one out of ten.

Tier bonuses are apparently, on average, double the previous. Major tier has a bonus of two hundred fifty so Grand has an average of five hundred. I shudder to think what other races have. Can you imagine someone with heroic tier class, race and magic items? What kind of devastation are they capable of?

Also with that twenty-five percent bonus to stats and five hundred to Beauty magic I can now summon over eighty fairies, an actual swarm now, too bad my mana doesn't allow for that and I'd have to tap into the large reserves of my Kyhosa.

The training of the future storm warden, which I am now convinced was a name taken from my Kyhosa; which may have also influence or been influenced by my possible evolution. One that I can't take because of the cursed skill corruption, still a bit bitter about that. I mean, c'mon! It was a Heroic Race, Heroic! That sweet, sweet one thousand percent bonus! The jump from two hundred percent to one thousand and possibly more would have been a dream come true!

Anyway! The training has come rather far. We are now working on the fourth breakthrough for them, so far half has gotten it. In just one year they made more progress than I did, but I guess it helps when you're being taught. Apparently, it's normal to gain up to five levels just for being taught, which we now concluded are knowledge levels. Me being able to bring everyone up to knowledge five is a huge boon and helps everything go way faster than normal. They really couldn't ask for someone better to teach [Sense Mana].

The bad storms had ended and now we get normal weather, which essentially translates to me being the weather girl. No one really cares for ice storm now, it just snows so work barely changes for those who work inside. The same can be said for any mana storm now. Everything has returned to normal, well, mostly. A lot of villages that were wiped out specialized in certain products, products that are now in extremely low supply.

Add in that people won't resettle those villages in fear of another superstorm has really made the Elders put way more effort in storm warden recruitment and training. Once people can be protected will the villages be resettled. People are even moving out of the mid islands as those are seen as too dangerous.

"When will they be born?" I ask Mom.

"In a couple of months" Mom replied.

"They have the same bond as you."

"You can even tell that?"

I smiled. "Bonds, classes, race, and skills all make up your mana signature. I can't tell what they are unless I have some frame of reference, though. I might be able to tell if two people have the same race but won't know that race unless I am told or have it too."

"That's like a better Inspection skill... Wait, you said skills too right?" Mom asked, getting a little pale.

"Yes, It's as you suspect, I know you wanted to surprise me. Sorry" I said, my ears drooping a little. "But! It did surprise me when you first took it!" I tried to cheer mom up, it kinda worked too.

Mom smiled, "There's really no getting past you but you still can't do the same for magic items?"

"That's a higher tier Breakthrough," I explained. "I should be close but I don't want to expand my skill just yet, getting that 'extraordinary' level will be tough and I don't know if I can do it before my next race evolution."

"I see. Speaking of, shouldn't you have a really good one? Or are you not at the next evolution point yet?"

"I have one, got it when I was five. I've been working on improving my choices and yeah, the superstorm event gave me a heroic tier but it got corrupted by the cursed skill, the guardian warned me to not take anything corrupted."

"Heroic!? That's too bad, but knowing you, you'll get there someday!" Mom cheered me on. "I became a Nurturer Runalymo after being pregnant with you," Mom said reminiscently.

There's a lot of dairy products sold and we don't have cows, or any livestock for that matter, not any that i know of anyway. Naturally, that meant the milk is sourced from us. Kinda expected it with [Nutritional Milk]. Nurturers like Mom are the main suppliers but most Runalymo naturally produce milk even when not pregnant. Not exactly something I'm looking forward to when I'm older.

Still, it's not too often we drink raw milk, it's mostly processed into other things like cheese or used as a cooking ingredient. We even have ice cream! It's rare but a local ice mage nurturer sells some.

"I was hoping you'd follow my footsteps and become a nurturer too, it's a rather prestigious position to take, but, well, I can see that's not for you. You are meant for something greater! You may even become the greatest Kheshamo!"

Nurturers are technically more highly regarded than Kheshamos, but that also doesn't mean one can't be both. Chyzu is both, being a water mage means she doesn't lose any bonuses, in fact, her particular race still gives bonuses to water magic.

I roll my eyes at mom. I still am unsure of what I want to do. I want to get a good evolution but then what? Work on my skills. Get my Sense Mana higher, get my Bond higher, but that's not all there is to life. What will I do for a living? What will I do to earn money? I just don't know. Are these questions really something a six-year-old should be asking?

I got up. "I'm going to go play with the other kids'' I tell mom. Thankfully their idolization greatly lessened after a few months. Sure they treat me respectfully but not as a celebrity anymore.

Walking out I wave to a few passers-by. "Laeso!"

"La! Little Aly," The tall woman said, giving a casual greeting. Her height betraying her real gender.

"Alysara!" Tanafyam called out to me, waving his arms. It's hard to imagine him as the shy kid from a year ago. Hanging out with me really helps others see past his differences and accept him.

Now Tana is known as one of the best athletic kids. He's even been recommended to join one of the Kheshamo sports. Running, throwing, warrior, mage. That last one I don't think he'd do extremely well in. Esofy has even come to try and recruit him, I guess she wants a prodigy to try and one-up Chyzu. Alright! I admit I might be good at my bond, happy? But it's not like I am a genius at it, just a little better, I mean, I learned it in one day, I taught others in one day, it's not that far off.

"What do you want to do?" I ask Tana. Walking to the playground with him. I was still a little hung up on what kind of life I want to lead.

"Hmm? Play Netball, or maybe tag? What do you want to do?"

"Not like that," I said, a little annoyed. "What do you want to become? What do you want to do for a living?"

"Hmm, Esofy showed me some really cool sword moves! I guess I want to become someone cool like her!"

"You want to join the Kheshamo?" I asked for clarification.

"Not really, I just want to become someone awesome. The way Esofy swung the sword and said 'The sword is not a tool, it is your partner' was just the coolest thing ever!" Tana tried to mimic Esofy's voice with stars in his eyes.

I'm glad he found someone else to idolize but he really is boyish, I guess his looks weren't just a fluke.

I played games with the other kids and tried to forget my worries.

But they gnawed at the back of my mind. Always circulating between different lives. Kheshamo, Musician, Jeweler, Diver, and even one I wished that would never come up, Nurturer. I squashed that voice but it kept crawling back ever more annoying than before. I blame Moms talk earlier about that one.

The next day I trained in the mage's dojo. After the superstorm incident no one had a problem with me wearing my Kyhosa so I wear it freely now. It also really helped me train my bond.

I was summoning fairies when I suddenly had a thought. Why make them with instructions when I can make them with a will or more like an identity? They are masses of essence and essence is mana given an identity so why not summon one with a slightly altered essence. It'll have to retain its beauty identity but maybe it can have more? What's there to lose in trying?

Instead of summoning a simple fairy with attack patterns, I tried impressing a desire into it. I thought about what desire and came to a 'helpful' one.

{support.} It had to retain its beauty so I used [Beauty Beam] as a base and used [Shape Beauty]

Ting! You have developed a new Bond skill! Summon Familiar!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 100!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 101!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 102!

Chapter 24: Heritage

I did it! I got to level one hundred in my bond! I was excited. There was now so much to take in! Let's take it one step at a time.

Previously I only got one level for my new skill. Does that mean this skill is somehow better? What is this skill capable of? But let's forget that for now, I have to see what evolutions I got! I've been waiting for this moment for a year, and ever since my other evolutions got corrupted, I've been waiting to see what level one hundred Bond brings!

Ignoring the unchanged and corrupted evolutions, I see only two changed or new options.

Beauty Savior Runalymo:

(Adept)

Requirements: Myrou Blessed Runalymo, Have Bond at level 50 or higher before the age of 5, Have Bond at level 100 before age of 10, Has saved the people of a village from mana toxicity. Age of 5 or higher

A master of beauty magic and her bond, this Runalymo has reached heights in power that many have thought impossible at an age where the rest of her kin are still playing with toys and living carefree. The dedication to her bond will lead to great heights for this Runalymo is bound for greatness. Her ability to save and destroy will earn her a place in history.

Note: No skills will be lost or merged

This one changed again, still the same tier but it's probably better than average.

Two Tailed Runalymo:

(Major) (Heirloom)

Requirements: Myrou Blessed Runalymo, Have Bond at level 50 or higher before the age of 5, Have Bond at level 100 before age of 10, Have Sense Mana at level 60 or higher before the age of 5. Have Sense Mana at 100 or higher before the age of 10, Have 10 breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 10, Has reached max level in Sense Mana, Have created 3 Nexus Mana Cores, Have achieved a Mythical feat, Age of five or higher

You have stepped onto the path of legends, beyond even that. Your descendants will bear the fruits of your labor. You will alter the Runalymo, ascending the race to greater heights. The signature two tails of this new Runalymo is a sign of their greater magical potential. The innate beauty magic manifests physically as a second tail. This is only the beginning of where this race can go. Their ability to sense mana is unparalleled even to some of the highest tier races in the realm.

Note: Skills may be replaced or merged.

Note: As the progenitor of an heirloom race the merged skill will continue to level and achieve breakthroughs normally. Take your race to ever greater heights, or burn to ashes trying.

This... This is it! Uncorrupted, and Heirloom! It's up from Adept, sadly not Grand or Heroic but it's honestly better! I get to move Sense Mana over to my race skill and still level it up! That last part though is a bit ominous.

One last thing to consider; I have three years to get to level two hundred in my Bond. Can I do it? Is the best decision to wait or take it now? I heard from Chyzu that leveling slows down after one hundred, but I am leveling faster than most. I'll wait for a few months and see how much I've slowed down. If I am leveling too slow I'll take this and work on Sense Mana again.

I looked at the fairy I summoned. I could see that a link has formed between me and it, and my mana is flowing to the familiar, sustaining it. Well, let's try something. I blasted a dummy with a [Beauty Beam]. The fairy just floated there.

Hmmm. {Attack anything I attack.} I sent the fairy a message with [Impart Instructions] through the link. I saw a packet of mana flow into the fairy. I shot again and this time the fairy did so too. Using [Beauty Beam].

Can it use something else other than [Beauty Beam]? {Heal me}

Nothing. It probably can only use what base I used to summon it. To test this I summoned another fairy only for both to disappear. Another link had been formed but it seemed too unstable. A sudden thought came to me. I took off my Kyhosa and tried to summon my familiar... same thing. I could see the link form for just a second but then it broke. It seems I might need around fifty Wisdom for each familiar.

I put my Kyhosa back on and summoned my familiar with [Grace of Wholeness]. I ordered it to heal me and it did. Ordering it to use [Beauty Beam] did nothing.

"What'cha got there Aly?" Chyzu asked. She had been lecturing the other apprentices.

"A new skill, [Summon Familiar]. Got three level ups from it," I informed her.

"Three? You already have an advanced skill?!" Chyzu's eyes widened at that.

"Advanced skill?" That must be what it's called.

"An advanced skill is one that requires the use of another to work properly. It is more powerful or has better utility,"

"I wish I was a genius at using my bond, too," The earth mage, Jy-o said jealously.

"Just think, once she gets her class how fast will she progress?" The ice mage, Wimula said.

"I'm not a genius, just a little better than average," I tried correcting them. Yes, I level faster I can't deny that but I do put hard work into my training.

"Yeah, sure you aren't," Jy-o said, sarcastically.

"I am not!" I pouted.

"Daaww! You're just too cute, Aly!" Chyzu scooped me up in a crushing hug.

Please use less strength, you're going to kill me! I thought as all the air in my lungs was squeezed out.

Just then the Martial fighters showed up for our weekly inter dojo sparring. Chyzu put me down and greeted Esofy. I see Tana with them this time. He's obviously not going to participate in the sparring, us both being too young for it so we were told to practice in the corner or watch. Tana was diligently doing drills. Practicing swinging his sword over and over again.

"Hey, Tana," I said, watching Jy-o deflect blow after flow from a club with an earth shield. "Want to impress Esofy?" I asked in a bored voice.

"Yeah!" Tana said with enthusiasm. I could actually see some battle essence leaking from him. With each swing of his sword, I could see an aura of battle essence grow around the sword, forming an overlapping blade of essence.

Esofy looked our way and smiled when she saw Tana so focused on his drills.

No, not his drills, she can see the battle essence.

"Summon your bond but don't shoot it out. instead, absorb it into your body." By now I had to admit I am better than average when it comes to Bond usage and that it might take Tana a little while to learn it, especially since it's Tana who always struggles with using his Bond. I am surprised when he accomplishes it on his first try, barely even trying.

"I feel so much more energy! Like I have to move and do something... A Bond skill? Did you know this would happen Aly?" Tana asked.

I nod. Tana smiled and Swung his sword with more vigor than before. This time I can see small amounts of fire mana overlapping the sword as well. Tana may actually be a genius when it comes to martial combat.

"You're so smart, Aly. I wish I could be more like you!"

"Why does everyone have to say that?" I pout.

"Because it's true!" Tana said energetically.

"We all have our talents. Mine is just my Bond; yours seems to be with the sword. If that makes me a genius then you are too."

"I'm not good, Esofy keeps yelling at me to fix my stance and to swing correctly. Chyzu never yells at you." Tana complained.

I saw Esofy walking our way.

"Bend your leg a little more, Tanafyam!" Tana complied "There you go. Want to give it a try Alysara? Even a mage can benefit from learning stances if only to know what your opponent is going to do"

Eh, why not.

"Sure." I agreed.

"Alright first you need to lower your body so you are more stable. Bend your knees like this"

I did as she showed me.

"Not like that, like this."

I tried adjusting

"Like this?" I asked.

"You're too low and your body is too twisted" She adjusted me.

"Now keep it like that, until I return. Remember that position" Esofy left to lecture her student that had just lost his sparring match.

Chyzu checked in on us observing Tana and me.

"You've lost your stance, Aly. Even I can see how bad your form is."

I eyed Chyzu dubiously, Not sure if she's joking or not.

"I've not moved a single muscle" I challenged.

Esofy came back over. She sighed and readjusted me.

"You're moving unconsciously, master your body, and don't let it control you."

"Daww, you're so cute when you pout," Chyzu patted my head, smiling at me. Treating me like I'm her pet only made me more upset.

I ended up needing to be corrected all day, I swear I'm not moving!

After the workday ended I went back home, my legs a little sore from standing in the same position for several hours.

"Aly," Dad said, as we walked back home. "It's time you learned numbers,"

"Can I learn letters too? As long as there's mana in the ink I should be able to read."

A lot of shops use signs with artistic letters so I assume reading is widespread enough. We even own a couple of scrolls.

"Sure," Once we arrived home, Dad set us up at a table.

"First there's one," Dad said. Several things were lined up to help illustrate counting. I already knew how to count but my parents didn't know that.

The dozen minutes were spent going over the concept of numbers. "This much is five," "This is seven," Etcetera. Then came the math, addition, subtraction, then, once I "quickly learned," that we moved on to division and multiplication.

"You learn so fast!" Dad patted me on my head with a proud smile, giving me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Next was letters. This was a little harder but all I really had to do was memorize sounds for each symbol. It was honestly quite easy. I don't know why anyone wouldn't know how to read and count.

"That's my girl!" Dad had me sitting in her lap while we had a scroll in front of us and some spare parchment. I was slowly reading the words. Although there were a few questions like how punctuation worked and all that, it was mostly memorization and practice.

I spent the afternoon practicing my letters and had soon read all the scrolls we had. Technical stuff for jewelry making, and metalworking, which was mostly boring, but we did have a written recording of the Epic of Kayafe.

Before I knew it it was time for the Lojyo and this time I participated in the dancing. Mom taught me a few simple dance movements. After that, she took me to the side and brought out my flute.

"M-mom?" I knew where this was going.

"You keep procrastinating, Aly. It's time you showed everyone your talent."

"I-I'm not ready yet, I-I'm too young, no six-year-old has presented in the past." I knew arguing was futile, so I cranked up my [Charm].

Don't fail me now!

I drooped and ears and made myself smaller, already seeing more cuteness essence build up within me.

"I-I'm scared." I was telling the truth; being in front of crowds terrified me. All those eyes, watching my every move.

"You have to do it eventually," Mom said, hugging me to her generous bosom.

Damnit! My [Charm] isn't high enough! Also, I might have used this too much to get out of doing this before.

As the music ended and the dancing stopped everyone gathered around the show and tell area. Mom walked to the front, dragging me behind her.

"Some of you may have heard Aly play and now she has made her first perfected song! She's a little shy, so please bear with her."

Please kill me now.

Mom gave me a little push forward to the expecting crowd. Color drained from my face as hundreds of eyes stared at me.

"I-I-I, Err..." I raised the flute to my lips to stop my stammering and tried to blow into it. Nothing came out, I realized I needed air in my lungs to do anything so I breathed in, nearly inhaling the wooden instrument too. After coughing my face grew hot as my lip trembled.

I heard more than one "dawws", one of them definitely belonging to Chyzu.

I breathed in and out, keeping my flute far enough away as to not choke myself again. Calming myself I realized I should shrink my Sense Mana radius so I no longer see anyone. That helped a lot.

After a few more moments of calming myself, I raised the flute to my lips and began playing. Using my breakthroughs and skill, I forgot about everything else and just played my tranquil and serene song.

I heard a few sniffles as my song ended.

Ting! Musician has obtained level 42!

Ting! Musician has obtained level 43!

Musician: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 10/10

2nd Breakthrough: 10/10

3rd Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 5/5)

4th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 2/5)

All that's left for my third is the extraordinary feat. Guardian, that's you!

Chapter 25: Paths

"Aly, What kind of craft do you want to pursue?" Mom asked.

It was morning. We are eating breakfast, a hot pot of Domr meat, milk, and fruit slices.

"We are going to open our own business." Dad supplemented, "While Feyan supports us as a nurturer, she also makes jewelry and sells it to merchants. Me specializing in gem cutting and metalworking, we complement each other. You don't have to pick something that compliments us, but as a Runalymo, you need to pick at least one."

"It doesn't have to be a craft, arts work too, like your music, but you also don't have to pick only one. Kanato has gem cutting, metalworking, and woodworking, although she isn't specialized in the last one."

What did I want to pursue? Music, I suppose, but I also have four general skill slots open. Hmmm, A craft. Something to work towards? Art? Both? Woodworking, Metalworking, Tailoring, Jeweler, I doubt there is a skill for all that isn't a class skill. These skills already encompass several things.

Mom is more specialized in just jewelry, dad has an advanced metalworking skill but just gem cutting instead of gem working. There is also enchanting. Why don't I go into gems and enchanting? Gems are used to in enchanting so they can help make powerful magical items. Yeah, why not? I am specialized in mana sensory, so it fits! But if I am also going into gems, I'll also need Metalworking or something to make the base to fit the gems into and have something to enchant.

If that's the case, why take gem cutting? I can just have dad cut the gems for me and specialize in enchanting and one other thing. Unless gem forging is a thing? Hmmm, it's already close to a class skill. I don't want to risk it. Out of four skill slots, do I really want to use three of them for crafting?

"I already specialize in magic. I'll take enchanting," I declare.

"Enchanting is really hard to get, but I know you can do it!" Mom said, encouragingly

"If you want to play to your strengths, then you should also consider mana weaving. Being able to make the ice silk that the ribbon of your hair ornament is made from."

Mana weaving? That does sound right up my alley! But doesn't it also sound a little bit like mana manipulation? I wonder if I can still get the skill.

"That's also a hard one; not many people are able to mana weave," Mom said, looking expectantly at me.

"I can try to get both," I said, giving into Mom's expectations.

Our village has four mana weavers and two enchanters. I decided to try [Mana Weaving] first as I am worried it might be too close to [Mana Manipulation].

The mana weaver we visited was a tall woman with black hair and black eyes.

"Well, if it's you, I have no doubt you'll be able to do it," She said when I asked her to teach me. "First, you need to focus on the mana in the air. Try to condense it into a very thin and fine line of mana. This does use your own mana, so how much you have determines how much you can make at one time. It is possible to weave your own mana, too, but that's extremely hard to do."

Yeah, this is [Mana Manipulation]. Still, is it even possible to get [Mana Weave] without getting a breakthrough in mana manipulation instead?

With my [Sense Mana], like I did when gaining [Manipulate Mana], I focused and tried my best not to use [Mana Manipulation]. I focused until nothing else was in my mind and condensed the mana in the air into threads; several chimes echoed in my mind.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 70!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 50!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 51!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 52!

Fuck.

"Wow, you're a natural!" The weaver said.

"She's a genius after all!" Mom bragged with a huge smile.

"It's not that I have a talent for it," I corrected them. "It's [Mana Manipulation], I already have a skill for it; all it did was give me another breakthrough," I said with no joy.

"You have a more advanced skill?" The weaver asked

"It's a cursed skill," I informed her. "You'll need a class for it if you don't want it cursed."

"There's always enchanting," Mom said optimistically.

"Thank you for teaching me," I said to the weaver.

We left to go to the enchanter. Mom's tail swished more exaggeratedly to counterbalance her gravid belly.

"If you already have a skill for something, is it even possible to get another skill for it?" I ask Mom. I really should have asked this before trying [Mana Weaving]

"Not as far as I am aware of. If your skill is of lower-tier, then it's possible to upgrade the skill, but that's hard to do."

Hard to do or haven't figured out a method to do so?

I want to upgrade my [Charm]. [Acting] is an art, so I'd get a bonus to it, and I'd have more ways and opportunity to level it up. Maybe I should roleplay? Cosplay too? Speaking of we don't have theater plays here, maybe I could introduce it? Well, once that knowledge comes back to me, it's there, whatever it is, but I don't have full access to it yet.

We arrive at the enchanter's house. There is a sign outside in beautiful calligraphy advertising his profession.

"Welcome. What can I do for you." The tall woman said.

"I'd like to learn how to enchant!" I said

"[Enchanting] is incredibly hard to do. Less than one in a thousand are able to do it, but for someone who saved us from that storm, I'm sure you'd have a good chance to do it!" The enchanter said before going into the back of the shop and taking out a piece of violet cloth.

"Lightning silk. One of the easiest enchantments is the illusory ones. By attaching your mana, you can have illusory lightning mana to safely flow over the cloth. The most important thing is the image. You'll fail to enchant it if you don't have the proper image."

"So it's similar to casting a spell?" Mom asked.

"Yes, you are effectively casting a spell on the cloth."

"Do enchantments wear off over time?" I asked.

"Yes, but true masters seem to have a way to make it last so long it might as well be permanent."

I take the cloth from the enchanter and focus on it. I need to attach my mana, but first, I need the image. I imagined lightning coursing through the fabric. I felt my mana transform; lightning mana combined with light mana formed within me, using my reserves, but it wasn't pure lightning mana. Was there a type of essence somehow fused with it? Was it acting as a glue to combine the light and lightning mana? I don't quite understand what's going on here.

I push this specific mana into the cloth, letting the MM force do most of the work for me, except I'll need more of that essence and the light mana. Hence, I focus on duplicating more of it before the enchantment fully takes, watching the light mana with its strange essence stick to the lightning mana already present. Seeing as there is way more lightning mana, I didn't need to create as much, just enough for the enchantment to stick.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 80!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 90!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 53!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 60!

I groan. Of course, it is Mana Manipulation. I should have guessed.

"That's... That's incredible! To be able to enchant at this level of proficiency is impressive! You are a genius enchanter! In a few years, you could surpass me!"

Before mom could open her mouth to brag, I held my hand up.

"It's Mana Manipulation again," I said flatly.

I am beginning to see why there's a divide between general skills and class skills. One is significantly more powerful than the other. Not to mention I got nine breakthroughs, barely even trying, well, [Sense Mana] is helping tons. Maybe enchanting and weaving are intermediate breakthroughs, but that means I have seven beginner-level breakthroughs. How many intermediate breakthroughs for [Mana Manipulation] are there?

Welp, let's see what the other breakthrough was, shall we?

Manipulate Mana: You have managed to reach out to the ambient mana and manipulate them. This will help you master the ways of manipulating mana outside of you.

1st Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate elements. This will help you do so with less mana used.

2nd Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate essence. This will help you do so with less mana used.

3rd Breakthrough: You have learned to expand your area of control. This will help you master doing so

4th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate small amounts of mana. This will help you do so with less mana used.

5th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate large amounts of mana. This will help you do so with less mana used.

6th Breakthrough: You have transformed an element into an essence. This will help you do so with less mana used.

7th Breakthrough: You've learned to weave mana. This will help you spin fabric of pure mana.

8th Breakthrough: You've learned how to cast spells; this will help you cast more powerful spells in the future.

9th Breakthrough: You've learned to Enchant items. This will help you create and attach magical effects onto things.

Manipulate Mana: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 10/10

2nd Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 4/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 4/5)

4th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

5th Breakthrough: 10/10

6th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

7th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

8th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

9th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

Damnit! Casting spells too?! There goes being a mage; what can I do now? Am I stuck being forced to use [Mana Manipulation]? The cost isn't too great that I know of, but the more I level it up, the more my evolutions will be corrupted. I need advice again. I have another meeting with the guardian coming up, so that's my chance.

"Mana Manipulation?" The enchanter said, "Is that a more advanced skill?"

I told the enchanter about the class skill and left with mom.

"There are other things, Aly. You could be a mage!"

"Casting spells fall under Mana Manipulation, too; the only thing magical I have that hasn't been corrupted is my Bond."

Silence fell between us.

I need to level my Bond to two hundred before my next evolution and before I get my class. If I can get a class based on my Bond rather than casting magic, it might not be corrupted.

"Chyzu knows more about mage classes; maybe you can ask her? I know that you don't always need the skill to cast spells," Mom suggested.

I nodded, and we went to the mage dojo. Mom got a bowl of Ice cream from Efula in an attempt to cheer me up.

"There are three types of mages,'' Chyzu Explained. "Caster mages, Non-Casters, and Bond mages. All of them have advantages and disadvantages. Casters are by far the most versatile able to cast any spell of their element. Advanced casters can even cast some essence spells. Casters do suffer from needing to focus on their spells, so skills like [Clear Mind] or even better, [Unbreakable Focus] are a must."

"Non-Casters are mages without the skill to cast spells. Instead, they have dedicated skills for a spell. They are far more powerful but lack the ability to adapt to any situation, so a lot of training and consideration must be made for each spell. Sometimes you have to drop an otherwise good spell for a defensive or perception-based skill, but the major advantage is being able to level up that skill and expand it with breakthroughs."

"Bond mages are solely focused on their Bond. Instead of using their class to round out their abilities or cover weaknesses, Bond mages flip that around and dedicate their class to boosting their Bond. Naturally, Bond mages are the most powerful mages but suffer from the same weaknesses as non-casters. Bond mages can also specialize in just a few Bond skills rather than your entire Bond class. Your fairy summons, for example, could become more powerful themselves than you. For example, casting your [Beauty Beam] through them could be more damaging than if you used it yourself."

"Classes have ten skills, so having ten skills augmenting a few Bond skills could make those super powerful; of course, you leave yourself very vulnerable by doing that. So the least powerful but most flexible are casters, in the middle are non-casters, then bond casters, and then the least flexible but most powerful are bond skill casters."

This was a very eye-opening explanation; I never knew mages could be so varied.

"What able general casters?" I ask. "Casters that can cast all elements"

"Good question. Someone with [Casting] as a general skill can cast any spell. Still, they also don't have any classes to boost them, so they are the weakest even though the skill itself is strong than, say [Fire Casting]. While it is possible to get a general caster class, it's hard to do, and generally weaker anyway as the normal plus one hundred percent to an element likely won't be there. Hence, they are at best half as strong, and that's not including skills that boost elemental magic like my [Water Affinity] skill."

In other words, there's always going to be a trade-off, jack of all trades, or master of one. I could already be considered a general caster as I have [Mana Manipulation] which seems to be from an advanced general caster class.

"Is there any way to level my Bond faster?" I ask a Bond class or non-caster beauty mage class may be an option for me, maybe even a light-based class.

"Hmm, not really, no. The most you can do is try to find new ways to apply your bond to or use it in new situations'' I could tell that Chyzu isn't telling me everything; she knows a better way but doesn't want to tell me. I know there is a better way. I leveled my Bond like crazy during the super storm, and that was just using my Grace of Wholeness and Aura of Elegance, which spread out the efficiency of my healing.

The weeks went by with me focusing more and more on my Bond. To the point where I had every skill I could run constantly. [Grace of Wholeness], [Aura of Elegance], [Summon Familiar], [Beauty Enhancement]. When practicing music, I use [Imbue Beauty] every chance I get.

I used to get one level every week, but after a month I only got one now. There is no way I was going to reach two hundred at this rate.

Should I evolve now? Or is there maybe a faster way?

I had gotten used to having my familiar follow me around, healing based as not to accidentally hurt anyone. At first, people were surprised, but it soon became the norm for me to have a strange creature of mana following me everywhere. Mom and Dad had given me time to sort things out and not pursue the topic of my future in an art or craft. I have music, after all, and that does satisfy the Runalymo tradition of following arts and or crafts.

"Momara, can we visit the Guardian early this time? I know we still have a few months before the normal time, but there are a few things I want to ask the Guardian." I ask my mom. Dad was out somewhere; she's been looking for a good place to set up a shop. A house big enough for us to live in and that has a storefront and workshop. It'll have to be built, and Mom and Dad have discussed the layout of it. The bottom floor would be the workshop and storefront, while the second floor would be where we live.

"Is it related to the cursed skill?" I nodded.

Also, I need advice on how to plan around my cursed skill. It's definitely going to corrupt a number of class options, and the number one go-to about cursed skills seems to be the knowledgeable Guardian.

"Very well, We'll go in a few days. first, let us have the new house location; we don't need any further distractions from that."

Tana has been progressing a lot with his new battle-oriented skills. [Battle Sense], a skill that lets him sense the flow of battle. [Weapon Arts], a top-tier general skill-based on weapon usage, although he specializes in swords. And [Battle Flow], A skill that works in tandem with [Battle Sense], helps him flow with battle to better react to his senses.

Tana is a true genius when it comes to martial arts. He's leveling his skills and getting breakthroughs in them like I was with my [Sense Mana] and [Mana Manipulation] skills. The strict Esofy has even called him a true prodigy!

For me, I'm still stuck on stances. Chyzu is forcing me to practice even though I had given up on it. I swear I am standing still!

After I had finally found something I was interested in, it turns out I couldn't pursue it. To say I was frustrated is an understatement. My base strength is below average, at nine. My endurance is at ten, so it's average. Only my agility is above, and that's probably because of my tail. Not to mention, that's just the average stat-wise. For Runalymo, The average seems to be twelve in strength, fourteen in agility, and fifteen in endurance. I am not physically inclined, so that pretty much takes martial arts and other physically strenuous activities off the table for me. Things like metalworking I'd be disadvantaged in.

Pretty much the only thing I have is being magically inclined, and that is now cut off from me. I didn't even know what to do with my future, but more and more paths for me are being closed off. I wish I had never gotten [Mana Manipulation].

Chapter 26: Heirloom

Today we will speak with the Guardian. I prepared my flute in case the Guardian would let me play for her and sat at the dining room table.

Mom is cooking breakfast, domr meat, like always, with some fruit slices and this time cold root. The roots are bulbous at the start but branch down several carrot-like tendrils. The excess ice mana blends well with its sweet taste, like eating a veggie ice cream.

I start going over what I want to ask the guardian in my head. First, I need to ask about better ways of leveling my Bond. Second I need to know if there is a way to use my cursed skill without it corrupting my evolutions. And third, I want to ask about heirloom evolutions.

"Aly, are you sure you want to do this today? We can wait for a couple of months for the normal time," Dad said.

Dad had finally gotten a good location for our new place and the construction teams are now building it.

"Why wait? The sooner I know what position I am in the better it is for me. " I answered

For the first time, Mom won't be with me. We're not sure how mana toxicity would affect the unborn babies and don't want to take any risks.

After breakfast, we walked to the pier. I nervously fingered my flute. I'm not sure how I should approach the Guardian about playing my song for her. Do dragons even like music? Will she be offended? Welp, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"Off to temple island again?" A diver asked, she had just gotten back and was unloading sponges, gems, pearls and shells from coral reef below.

"Yeah" Dad replied with a nod.

We got on a communal boat and Dad started rowing. I played my music for practice, observing the seafloor with my aura. There are many Domrs crawling around, the bivalve crabs pinched at each other for territory. As some are fighting each, other others are bathing in a pocket of their element. Fydomrs, the fire element ones, are crowding around a geothermal vent, growing to worrying size. One was even bigger than me!

In fact, many Domrs had grown to large sizes from the storms and while a lot had been culled by the fighters since they were causing trouble and injuring, even killing people; many had carved out their territories and never approached the villages. Occasionally a diver would report a sighting of one but most fighters are ill-suited for underwater combat and those Domrs are generally left alone.

Landing on the island I saw the Storm Wardens in training meditating and practicing their sense mana. I'll have to teach them my sixth breakthrough soon and teach them the knowledge levels. To say that is important is an understatement. It's the sole reason for their insanely fast growth. Some, despite being taught, still don't level up until they see it for themselves. It slows progress down a lot. By now most of them would have three or four levels in action for most if not all their breakthroughs. They don't really have bad storms to provide extreme conditions and sometimes normal storms don't do the trick to push them to five levels.

We are now only meeting once a week for lessons and once they get the eighth breakthrough, the one that predicts storms, they'll be sent to other villages as proper Storm Wardens. Most have now adopted eye wraps to blindfold themselves. I have no idea why they do that. It's only something I do because of my cursed [True sight]. If light passes through my eyelids it's enough to cause discomfort like having an eyelash in your eye.

The Storm Wardens have also taken to priestess duties. Seeing as how only one priestess miraculously survived the center of the storm many have taken up the duties. I mean, what else are they doing? Sitting around and meditating like monks all day, might as well be useful.

We walked down the stone brick paths to the Guardian's nesting place. The path ended a respectful distance away from the dragon's chosen spot.

I noticed the incredible amount of mana in the area lessened as we approached. The Guardian noticed us and started restricting how much mana she leaks. It makes me wonder. If I get as strong as the dragon will I be forced into self isolation? Never able to feel the touch of a loved one again? Or can I become immune to mana toxicity and be able to perfectly hold in my mana? Maybe I should level up my Mana Toxicity Tolerance more.

"You have come early little ones," The Guardian said. Raising her head and speaking with majesty. "You've come for advice again, have you not?"

"I have," I reply with a bow of respect. Dad has stayed back this time. The Guardian always asked me to approach. I noticed she has asked me to approach a little closer every time; she knows I have mana toxicity tolerance. I wonder if this insanely powerful being is lonely.

"First tell me everything you've learned of mana. I may have many of your lifetimes' worth of experience with [Mana Sight] but your general skill offers more concrete insight into the workings of mana."

Whether or not the dragon knew I told the Guardian what I have learned and observed. The guardian did not interrupt. I told her of the MM force and the enhancing field. I explained how mana currents work as to my observations. I told her of the relationships of essences and elements. Explained how mana can transform into others and fuse. I explained how things like sand mana is a fusion of earth and another essence. I explained how the Nexus mana cores were formed and the cause of the superstorm, and how to destroy such a storm. I told her everything I knew so far.

"To have such insight at such a young age, truly remarkable." There was a hint of respect in her voice, barely noticeable with the prideful tones she spoke with. "You have confirmed many Hypotheses I have and explained a couple I have never thought to consider. Yet you still have more to learn, more to grow. Now, what is it you wish to ask of me?" I felt like the dragon already knew most of what I told her she didn't seem too impressed but I think I may have exceeded her expectations just a little.

"My new cursed skill, my third one. Mana Manipulation; It is corrupting many good evolution opportunities but more than that. I can't get skills like mana weaving and spell casting. The only thing I have left in terms of magic is my bond. I have a good evolution that remains pure but it's heavily reliant on my bond. I reached a level in my bond that now has me leveling very slowly. I want to get it to a point where I can further my evolution before my next potential evolution."

"Hmmm" The guardian gave a moment for thought before continuing. "I see. You little ones rarely fight monsters so it's understandable that you don't know better ways to level up. Risk and danger are always rewarded, little one. The higher the risk, the greater the stakes, the greater the danger the more you will grow. Killing monsters by yourself that are many levels above your own will net you with great rewards and potential evolutions. However, at your age and without a class it is too dangerous for you. If you cannot grow any further, then it's best that you evolve soon."

I see, so that's why. The superstorm was dangerous with stakes on the entire village, not just my own.

"Do you think using my cursed skill could bring me any good without corrupting potential evolutions?" I had to know. I've already given up on being a proper mage but maybe I can still use it while keeping my evolutions clean.

"There is always a risk of the cursed skill influencing your evolutions. The greater your skill becomes the more potential evolutions become reliant on it should they even come close to falling within its sphere of influence. Your only choice for magic is choosing a Bond class or non-caster class. Although less versatile it is more powerful. A class heavily reliant on your bond will less likely become influenced by skills. More so if they require your bond skills. I can tell that your bond level is sufficiently high for a good class, do keep in mind that most of your kind has nowhere near your bond level by the time their class unlocks."

"What do you know of Heirloom Evolutions? How do they work exactly and are they dangerous?" I decided that the second note of the evolution couldn't be ignored, especially that 'Take your race to ever greater heights, or burn to ashes trying.'

There was a long silence while the Guardian processed her thoughts. breeze swept through, carrying it some air mana.

"Heirloom? No wonder you seek constant improvement. I've only personally met one person to follow the path of an heirloom race. He always sought ever greater heights, always seeking improvement, bettering his skills and seeking greater race and class evolutions." The guardian had said, "Kysa" or "Life giver" when saying "he" at least that's what I think the Guardian meant.

"Heirloom permanently alters your race. Not just for you but for your descendants too. The Runalymo are born at Adept tier you have the potential to raise your race to major or even higher. The further you follow this path, the greater your race becomes, but Heirloom also requires greater requirements to improve. As the tier increases the harder it will be to improve your race evolution. In order to further yourself and your descendant, you must seek out dangers. In order to reach truly great heights, you will have to leave this peaceful place. There is little opportunity here."

If I really want to reach heights befitting of legends then I will have to leave? I thought about my life here. How peaceful it is, mostly. No wars to worry about. No slavers to be fearful of. No tyrant to oppress us. Everyone is cooperative and free to do what they want and pursue their craft and happiness. Why would I want to leave?

"This is the path you will inevitably choose if you take the Heirloom evolution. Perhaps not even that. You were only presented with that option because this path is inevitable for you, little one. You will seek greatness, to rise up from being a lesser being to a great one."

I can be happy here, I don't have to leave. I don't want to leave. But, what if there's a way to remove my cursed skills?

"Guardian. Is it possible to remove my cursed skills?"

"No." It was an immediate answer "There has been no case known of a curse having been removed from a skill. But, a long time ago when I still resided in elven lands I once heard of a rumor wherein one was successful. I disregarded as false bragging and I still do, but maybe you'll want to investigate on your travels"

The dragon is already treating me like I'll leave, I won't. Why would I? also elves sound familiar, why?

"I'm not going to leave. This place is good enough for me" I said, pouting a little.

"You walk your own path, wherever it'll take you" The Guardian responded with amusement in her voice.

"One last thing," I said nervously. Noticing the buildup of mana toxicity in both of us. "Will you listen to my song?" I had said it. Moment of truth, will the Guardian get angry or not?

"I will listen to your song, little one" The dragon said with greater amusement

Relief spread throughout me and I breathed a sigh to release stress. I raised my flute to my lips and began playing my song.

Ting! Musician has obtained level 34!

After the song the Guardian dismissed us. I had gotten my level although I get the feeling like a mere level thirty skill should not have affected something as powerful as the dragon. Did she let me influence her to get a skill level?

"You have an Heirloom evolution?" Dad asked as we walked back on the stone path. I nodded.

"I want to level my Bond so I can improve it"

We walked for the next few minutes in silence while Dad formulated his reply.

"You are so focused on that aren't you? Yes, you'll get better evolutions but at the cost of not living. Focus on living life, Aly. Don't always chase Evolutions. You can be happy as a normal person, that's how you want to be treated as, right? Be normal Aly. Play with other kids your age, choose an art or craft that you enjoy, and look forward to doing it every day."

I tried being normal. I felt guilty for not doing something that'll improve me, I felt like I was wasting time. What if something is wrong with me? What if I can't be normal?

"You're only six years old Aly. Do not go seeking danger just for a little better evolution you're too young. In the first place, most children only get their first evolution at age ten. You're already way ahead of everyone, Aly. You've done a good job, now let yourself rest, take a break from all this." Dad argued.

She was right. I am way ahead of everyone. Maybe I should let this go and evolve. It'll help clear my mind, let me focus on other things, further my Sense Mana again.

On the way back many thoughts swirled around my head. Potential futures, and daydreams of going on grand adventures. I thought about how living day after day working at the same job would be. It is peaceful here and I have every reason to stay, but can I really live like that?

Once we made it back home I sat down with Mom and Dad.

"I am going to evolve today. I've been putting it off for a long time now and it's time. I can't reasonably push it off anymore."

When I evolve I'll fall unconscious for several hours so it's important to let my parents know.

"Also," I said. "Don't be surprised. The evolution is a Two Tailed Runalymo. It is a major and Heirloom Tier evolution"

Mom gasped at that.

"Major! And Heirloom?" Apparently, Heirloom races are unheard of. Not surprisingly too if the Guardian only met one in her long life, although meeting one and hearing about them is different, surely the dragon had heard of more.

"It'll add my [Sense Mana] skill to my race, and I'll be able to continue leveling it up. What's more, My descendants will inherit the evolution. Maybe being born at major or even grand tier."

"T-that's Amazing!" Mom looked pretty stunned.

"See you when I wake back up" I went to my bedroom.

"Have good dreams!"

I lay down on my bed and confirmed my evolution choice. The world started to go black as my tail started burning and itching.

Chapter 27: Two Tailed Runalymo.

It is a relief to no longer be chasing evolutions, I know there is a possibility of getting an even better one but just for the sake of my mental health, it was worth it. I'm kind of messed up for a six-year-old aren't I? I should just be living carefree and being a child. I am beginning to think my past life is influencing me in ways I didn't think it would. It's terrifying, I don't even know what is affecting me and how to let go of it.

Welp let's see what we got.

Race: Two Tailed Runalymo:

(Major) (Heirloom)

Race Trait 1: Mana Generation

Having traded the now unneeded physical boosting trait of their parent species the Runalymo has instead gained heightened mana generation rate by 180% and a 10% boost to their mana capacity).

Even higher mana generation and a little more mana capacity, A big upgrade but for the number of requirements and how hard they are to do this is a below average major tier which should be in the five hundred percent. I wonder if that extra was turned to the ten percent more mana or if that was influenced by the heirloom tier. The only thing that increases stats is my Kyhosa and that was unique tier and now artifact.

Race Trait 2: Sense mana (110/110)

This skill has been evolved by Alysara, the progenitor of the Two Tailed Runalymo. This race is able to tolerate sensing high amounts of mana and sense mana storms days even weeks in advance and study the turbulent nature of mana. Able to See elements, essences, and their relationship to another this race is a master at the study of mana. Able to sense different shapes and amounts within things as well as a being's unique mana signature this race is a master of navigating without sight and sensing the power of other beings.

So, all my breakthroughs got transferred over. Thinking about it, it is weird how I can level this one skill, but my eyes wraps are heirloom and they have a skill, my Kyhosa too has skills now, my bet is that the Heirloom tier scale alters skills, and possibly stats. If that's the case then is there a unique, and even artifact tier evolution?

Race Trait 3: Nutritional Milk

Having suffered through near extinction by starvation this race has turned to whatever it could in dark times and not succumb to the cursed act of cannibalism. This race's milk is very nutritional, providing a creature with all their nutritional needs for 1 meal.

Unchanged, honestly I'd rather this just go away for a better skill.

Race Trait 4: Heightened Senses

An old trait that has been honed and kept through the eons, and although this has not served the Runalymo as it has their parent species this race still has very acute hearing, smell, and sight.

Another unchanged one, it's still a good one so I'd rather keep it.

Race Trait 5: Mana sustenance

Having adapted to a low food environment and constant starvation this race now passively consumes mana to sustain bodily needs, mana regen cost increases the more that needs to be sustained

Unchanged again, but then again I haven't had to go without food for years on end so that's to be expected that this skill hasn't been honed.

Race Trait 6: Runalymo's Beauty

This race is among the most beautiful and its connection to beauty essence has increased the amount they have by 200%. In addition, they can naturally channel it to use beauty magic and their strength to this magic is boosted by 180% once their tail manifests at the age of five.

Alright! Now I don't have to bathe three times a day to keep a bonus going, and the bonus has increased! Also, there is an addition of straight up using beauty magic and enhanced beauty magic once my tail manifests. Hmm, why five years of age though? Is it because the evolution opportunity was the one I got at the age of five or was it a coincidence? Also, I am getting huge mythology vibes from this whole evolution from my past life. I wonder what's up with that.

Also, Beauty magic. Can it help cast illusions? It is based on the light element. It can be used to heal and shoot what's effectively lasers so illusions aren't out of the question, this needs experimentation. Also, beauty magic, without the need of my cursed skill! Probably the best thing this has given, kinda. I mean, my bond has that covered but hey, my kids should be able to use it I guess?

Race Trait 7: Perfectionists Eye

Following the tenets of Myrou, this race has taken great care to perfect their arts and crafts. This skill makes it so flaws are easily spotted and never overlooked. Additionally, the more creativity essence a member of this race has, the faster they'll learn and master their arts, and crafts.

No change. Moving on.

Race Trait 8: Nexus Adaptation

Adapting to the hostile environment of a nexus, even if the vast majority of the ambient mana is being siphoned, has made this race more resistant to heat and mana toxicity. Due to their adaptation to extreme environments, this race receives a 10% bonus to their endurance.

A stat bonus, Nice! Also since it's my lackluster endurance it's even better!

Race Trait 9: Inspirational Greatness

The dedication to the arts and crafts have made the Runalymo more creative, granting them a (+200%) to Creativity essence

A direct upgrade, not much else to say.

Race Trait 10: Myrou's Children

As dedicated and fervent followers of goddess Myrou, the Runalymo can more easily channel her essences of beauty and creativity (+180%).

Wait a moment, does this stack with my Runalymo's Beauty? three-sixty percent bonus?! With my Kyhosa's five hundred percent bonus that's eight-sixty percent! My intelligence stat is fairly low, however.

My base plus my age bonus then add my Kyhosa's fifty percent bonus for seventy-two inteligence, then add eight-sixty percent to my potency for an effective thirteen hundred intelligence? Maybe that's not right... intelligence and potency aren't exactly the same thing. If intelligence only increased a base number maybe, but potency might be based on mana used, which would make more sense. So does intelligence add a base number to that or a percentage bonus? Something to consider.

Still, this is scary. I'm not going to be the only person with a grand tier item, and others will have many magic items and enchanted items. Not to mention evolution and class tier bonuses. Someone like the Guardian must have bonuses in the tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands. I shouldn't let these numbers get to my head. Maybe I should ask the Guardian just how strong she is? Or to what I should expect from others outside of the nexus.

It was late afternoon. Examining myself I saw a second bushy tail behind me. Both of them held my mana signature, but my new one is also fully saturated in beauty mana! Not only that, it is holding so much it can't hold on to anymore. My tail is leaking beauty essence. Looking at myself more closely I can definitely see the increased beauty and creativity mana in me. I am also producing way more beauty mana passively. I am like a fountain of beauty mana!

I touched my tails to make sure they are actually real and physical and not manifested mana. They were, in fact, real and felt heavenly to touch. The silkiness of my fur does feel smoother and silkier than before. I jumped off my bed and test my tails by swishing them around. I move in several positions to test my balance and found it easier to maintain it in more crazy positions. Still, with tails this long, especially with my extra long ones I thought maybe I'd have a harder time with readjustment.

I step out of my room and into the hall adjacent to the lounge where Mom and Dad were having a tea party with Aunty. Nyam is here too. I step into Mom and Dad's [Sense Mana] range and they gasp.

"What's wrong?" Aunty asks, perplexed, and looks over her shoulder. I wasn't in the room yet so that made her even more confused.

"Aly's Awake, and she's had quite the improvement" Mom informs her.

I decide to play a prank on Aunty. With a grin, I thought of a beauty spell I could try out. I focus, Similar to how I enchanted the lightning silk. I focus on transforming my mana into beauty magic and adding a spell signature to it, mostly with my own signature mana. An illusory double of me made of around forty mana forms next to me like condensing mist. No cursed skill needed. I made sure to have a link to the illusion like my familiar and mentally command it to walk in side by side with me.

Casting spells is easier than I thought! How can anyone struggle doing so? Just imagine it and poof!

"How do you know-" Before she could finish her question I walk into the room. Aunty's and Nyam's jaw dropped.

"Hrmm, This is going to take some getting used to." I say with a frown and swished my tails. "Oh, and this too," I say motioning to my illusory twin.

The first thing that gave it away was, that the twin was made of mana, the second was everything else was copied, my Kyhosa and eye wraps included, I also couldn't mimic the mana signature of magic items, which'll be incredibly hard to do, even more so with pure beauty essence.

"W-wh-what?! T-two? How? When?! What is going on?!" Aunty's brain broke, oops.

Nyam just stood there in dumbfounded shock, eyes wide and mouth agape. Mom and Dad both burst out laughing, they have [Sense Mana] so they knew instantly what was going on. I wave my hand through the illusion.

"Racial magic!" This gave me an idea for a new bond skill. Beauty Clones! More useful. Can be used to attack and such. My level is probably too low for what I want, however. "I can now use Beauty magic directly as a race skill!" I say to clarify.

"Is the other tail fake too?" Nyam asks.

"It's real" I answer and bring it in front of me to show its physicality.

"This is the first I've ever heard of an evolution that grows a second tail," Aunty says, looking at me skeptically.

"It's very rare and strong" I say with a smile.

"You're going to be the talk of the village for a month at least with that second tail," Dad says.

Oh, shit.

Silence crept over the room.

I had not thought of that. Of course, people are going to talk. Me, who is probably already known to other villages now. If I go out with two tails everyone's going to stare and ask questions. I don't want that, nope, I don't want to deal with that crap.

If I can cast an illusion then what about hiding my tail? Cover it in invisibility? After some contemplation, I cast the spell. It won't fool [Sense Mana] or [Mana Sight] but it should fool mundane eyes.

"Did it work?" I ask mom. I couldn't actually see if my spell works or not

"Hiding your tail? Yes but your other tail looks crooked now."

Of course, one tail comes out straight. Two tails comes out in a V. If I want to hide I need a third tail. Or I could hide both tails and make an illusory third, the biggest problem is that since my tails are extra long for an already long tailed race there is a good chance of being found out. Not to mention, stray collections of dark elements would dispel my illusion. One way or another I'm going to be found out. I mean, I could try to dodge the dark elements but that'd probably have me make weird movements.

Welp, might as well just own it. I sigh and I dispell the invisibility. This Lojyo is going to be awkward.

I got many double takes as I watch the dancers move in rhythm with the music. Both Mom and Dad were getting bombarded with questions and I've had quite a few myself.

"That's quite a unique evolution you got!" A tall girl said. She was about sixteen years old. Had long hair and an air element bond. Her class however had a rare sound essence. I can, with some focus, see that the sound essence is air element based so the combo works out. The girl also had a hint of sound-based evolution. My guess is that one or two skills affect sound essence, I wonder which ones? Perhaps [Perfectionist's Eye]? Most definitely inspirational greatness.

The girl had a stringed instrument very similar to a violin, there are of course a few notable differences, more strings, for example. It is obvious that she specializes in music.

"Y-yeah" I awkwardly say, with a crooked smile.

"Your song was very beautiful, I was wondering if you'd play with us on the next song"

It is actually a surprise to get invited to play with the musicians.

"I-I didn't bring my flute with me." I kind of want to decline and actually gave a good excuse.

"But you can sing, right? I heard you sing before on the island"

She was listening?!

"I-I-I'm n-not good enough" I nervously say, fidgeting a little. Maybe I'd do it with my flute skills if persuaded enough but definitely not for singing.

"Don't worry about that! It's just for fun!" The girl, Who hadn't even told me her name, drags me by the hand to the music players.

The current song has just ended and the others were now looking at me

"Finally got your hands on her, eh, Chofel?"

"Yup! Let's follow her lead!"

What?

"Look at her Chofel, she looks terrified." The other woman says.

"She needs to blossom sooner or later. Someone of her talent shouldn't be hiding away!" Chofel cheerfully smiled at me. I get the impression that she is the energetic bubbly type.

The crowd is staring at me and probably at my two tails too. That's one way to get it over with quickly.

I try to say something but my voice caught in my throat. There are still so many people. Sure not everyone is here for the dancing, the kids are off playing something, some adults are off courting in the distance but there's still way too many people for this.

"Uuh, Err..." I could only stammer. My ears start drooping as tears threatened to spring forth. I could feel my legs tremble and my hands shake.

"You can do it!" A cheer came forth from the crowd.

"Be brave!"

"Give your best, Aly!" That one was from Dad.

More and more people start cheering for me; It warms my heart. No one sees me any differently even with my second tail. Everyone, even if I don't know their name or only greet them while passing by, is supporting me and cheering for me, this tear of a different nature is trying to overwhelm me. I sniff and smile and soon my voice spill from my throat.

I want people to know what I am going through, I want them to know that I too have hardships and strive, that I am not just a prodigy who is good at everything she touches. I want them to see that I put my life into my practice. I just start saying words with this in mind.

"In a new world I found myself,

In a new world I found life,

Yet I don't know who I am.

Many wonders I saw,

Many things I'm awed by,

Yet my path lay hidden."

I am frustrated that I don't know where to go in life, I am lost and wandering aimlessly.

The music started, a lonely flute and a keyed instrument sounding similar to a piano.

"I found family,

I found opportunity,

Yet I reach too far."

I carry a curse that has altered my life forever. Something I honestly regret.

A single drumbeat to signify a darker turn, and the large cello-like instruments replaced the now silent flute

"I lost sight of the world,

I lost sight of my loved ones,

Yet a spark I found to light my way."

I had found hope in Sense Mana but I had to really work at it to see as I do now, and even then there are some things still hidden from me.

Two violins sprang up combatting the deep cellos along with a happy tone of the piano.

"For many days,

For many months,

I grew this spark to replace what I lost,

I found my way,

I found my sight,

I gave it my all!

I gave it my best!

Yet many don't see my struggle,

Yet many don't see my tests"

Many people ignore my effort and only focus on my accomplishments.

The drumbeat slowly, aiding the dark undertones of the cellos

"I grew my sight,

I grew my light,

I grew my life,

And I grew my blight.

I saw dark clouds,

I saw cold nights,

I saw heavy rains,

And I saw coming storms.

I fought for life!

I fought for friends!

I fought for family!

And I fought for my people!"

I tried so hard to save everyone yet I was too weak, many people died during that storm, If only I was stronger, If I had worked harder people wouldn't have had to grieve.

The flute had come back helping build the high.

"I stood triumphant,

I cried for the sacrificed,

Yet the people could not see my pain.

I showed others my sight,

I showed others my struggle,

Yet my paths became closed.

In a new world I found life,

In a new world I found strife,

In a new world I family,

And in a new world I found myself,

Yet I don't know who I am."

Just who was I? Why I can't just live carefreely, why must I always be improving?

Ting! Musician has met requirements for a breakthrough. Musician will now continue leveling past level 50!

Ting! Musician has obtained level 45!

Ting! Musician has obtained level 49!

Musician: You have a base knowledge of music and several types of instruments

1st Breakthrough: You've played a wind-based instrument to a beginner level. This will help you master this instrument.

2nd Breakthrough: You've imbued mana into sound, Able to cast magic through your songs. Effects may vary and adapt to the type of song.

3rd Breakthrough: You've instilled an emotion in your audience. This will help you do so again with more ease.

4th Breakthrough: You've trained your voice to sing at a beginner level. This will help you master this instrument.

5th Breakthrough: You've managed to imbue your feelings into your music, this will help you touch the hearts of others.

Musician: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 10/10

2nd Breakthrough: 10/10

3rd Breakthrough: 10/10

4th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

5th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 1/5)

Chapter 28: Gains

Someone began cheering, then another, and another. More people join but there were a few who remained in contemplative silence before being woken up and cheering along with the others.

All these people are cheering for me. They are supporting me. Why do I have to be scared of performing in front of them?

I move off to the side joining Mom who wore a proud smile.

With the music and dancing part of the Lojyo over, it wasn't long before people came up to show their crafts. Some have made a devotion to Myrou, others are showing their newest inventions, best wares, and projects made to show off their skill. I realized this is more than just a show and tell. It's a business opportunity to advertise. It's a place to get to know my neighbors, and it's a place to simply have fun and enjoy life with others. People have always accepted me not as just someone who lives in the same village but also as part of their close-knit community.

Everyone takes care of each other here and supports each other. When disaster struck everyone chipped in. It wasn't for profit, no one expected to be paid. No one complained and tried to get out of the work. The Lojyo is more than just a party, It's a time for bonding.

After the events of the gathering, everyone then started moving towards the Lojyo bathing area. The bath oils were passed and shared among everyone else. Everyone socialized and more than one came up to me because of my tails. I even got compliments. This is what it means to be in a community. Everyone supporting each other without discrimination.

Myrou warmly smiled upon me as we bathed. Her statue standing in the middle of the bathing area on a pillar with water pouring out of a jug she held and onto her shoulder.

The next morning I contemplate my future again. What profession fits me? What do I want to do? It was a question I pondered for days. Not to mention, I have several general skill slots I should probably fill.

The class issue was something for years later, for now, I should choose a craft. Jewelry or tailoring? Both? I'll just try them both. But before that, there is something I need to do. I went to the enchanter.

"Hello again, What brought you here? Looking for a gift for your unborn sisters?"

Actually, that's a good idea. I nod.

"What would you like then? Do you have something in mind?" The enchanter smiles.

"But I don't have money, and I don't think my parents have any spare money at the moment"

With the construction of the new house and the money being saved up for the twin's Kyhosa I don't think any could be saved up for lavish enchanted items. I only came here to get a breakthrough in my Sense Mana.

"Hmm, You did a good job on enchanting that lightning silk, I could give you a discount."

"I'll take it, but I still need money, I'll go ask my parents"

"Please do," The enchanter said with a nod.

I walk out and contemplate some things. Normally clothes are bad Kyholo gifts, not to mention I shouldn't outdo my parents in their Kyhosa. I could give them an enchanted dress that changes shape to always fit them, but there are several problems with that. Still, There's an idea I can't shake off.

I arrive home where mom and dad are talking over a bunch of new tools.

"Momara, Do you have anything in mind for the Kyhosa?" I ask them

"We are still months away, we have plenty of time to think," Dad said.

Mom rubbed her belly in thought.

"But you want to give them a Kyhosa equal to what you gave me right? You were talking about it last night"

Kyhosa's are almost always made by the parents, why? Because of tradition, but last year a Kyhosa was made by the mother and older sister. The father had died during the storm and to not have only one Kyhosa the sister made the second. The Kyhosa is given by the family or in cases where none are alive then the next of kin or adoptive parents.

"That is right," Mom admitted. I may be very young, too young for many but I had the skills.

"Aly, no. No using your cursed skill" Dad caught on.

"You could at least hear me out" I pout.

"Fine" Dad relented with a sigh. "But the answer is still no"

And so I gave my idea. Explaining exactly what I was planning.

There was a long silence after.

"No, You can't just endanger your future evolutions like this Aly!" Dad was the one who broke that silence.

"It's already ruined, This much probably won't be too bad as long as I don't get the skill to level one hundred I should be fine" I argued.

Level one-hundred seems to be a big milestone and thus very influential in evolutions That's my limit.

"Kanato's right, You shouldn't do this, You don't even need to make a Kyholo gift at your age. Even if you've chosen your craft now it'll take a long time before you can make something masterful." Mom says. Although there was doubt in her voice on the last point.

"But it does satisfy your [Perfectionists Eye] Doesn't it? It does for me" I can see both my parents wince at that. I could tell that they both have been struggling to come up with something.

"No means no, and that's final. No more talk of this, Aly" Dad says.

I really like the idea so I'll still try my best, there is no way they can pull off another nexus gem Kyhosa incident again. This will eat them up from the inside if I know my parents right. If I am going to do this then I'll need to be sneaky. I'll need to be able to Weave mana at a distance. I must honestly thank some of my evolutions for ideas.

"Fine," I said and left.

I go to my room and Meditate, Instead of focusing to expand my aura I try to move it. I try to move it so I am no longer in the center. I focus on moving the center to a meter in front of me. I shrink my aura to make it easier to focus on a much smaller aura just two meters out.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 110!

I felt my perception sphere shift successfully.

I'm not done yet. This is going to be a breakthrough day.

Next few breakthroughs I already know what to do.

I grabbed some lightning element drifting by, moving it closer to me, and started weaving. I regretted choosing lightning element as I felt the shock inside of me. The element felt slippery like the element didn't want to be weaved. I focused harder, shrinking my view. It was a lot harder than I thought.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 100!

There's still more where that's coming. I'm not sure if I could do this one without my bond or race, Also my Kyhosa bonus should help tons with this one.

I push out a large and dense blob of beauty mana and started to work with it. Being so much concentrated essence it was a little bit easier than the lightning mana.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 110!

If these two were already this hard my next goal probably isn't possible at my current level so now I must practice.

I went to the island for extra safety so I don't get busted by my parents and start working on getting levels of both action and knowledge.

Turns out, Mana Weaving works by squeezing mana in long lines until they stick. Perhaps it's some form of pseudo-chemical reaction? Sort of like making a molecule chain, but for mana instead? Through several hours of experimentation, I managed to weave not just silk, but cloth too. However, that was very mana intensive and I had to tap into my Kyhosa reserves, thankfully my manipulation transformed my mana so I could get enough elemental mana the more I worked with it. Still, I got action levels for them. Repetitive use, normal use, a lot at once, and for a long time before I ran out of mana. Four action levels and up to four knowledge levels on both.

To review knowledge levels. Mana Likes to bunch up. You can condense it to a "water" state. At this stage, once it is intensified enough it can manifest more physically. This is how spells are made, also why the more airy essences take more mana to manifest as a spell; you have to condense it more or intensify it more. Condensing it further into the "solid" state causes the mana to appear physically without the need to intensify it, although you can if you want to. By condensing the mana in long strands instead of one big block you can make mana silk. If you condense it even further, well, I'm not sure what happens but I think it can form non-mana elements like metals or gasses.

My [Mana Manipulation] is now at eighty-three, I gained twenty-six levels and I am sitting at three square meters of beauty cloth and cloth of various elemental mana. Not to mention the spindles of silk wrapped around a branch.

One last breakthrough to accomplish. I focus on my mana. My mana reserves, the mana that held my mana signature. This was the key breakthrough I needed. I stretched my palm out and began pushing my mana out as dense as I could make it before further condensing it and weaving my mana into strands of silk. It felt weird, Like trying to form a sandcastle with sloppy wet mud. Instead of neat long strands of mana silk, all I got was little fibers, more akin to lint. I was going to need a lot denser unique mana to do this.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 120!

I did it!... or not? I checked my breakthrough but I only got unique mana manipulation, not weaving, perhaps that was why it was extra hard? I try again, luckily the mana is transformed and since it's my own I don't actually lose any. In the end, while I no longer made lint I made tiny broken fibers.

This breakthrough was way above what I should be doing. Luckily, there is something that produces oceans of mana, and I am a little acquainted with it.

As I was about to head home I realized I forgot something. My [Sense Mana] sphere was not my [Mana Manipulation] one. They both have their own spheres of influence. And if I am going to need to [Manipulate Mana] at a distance I'll need to get another breakthrough.

I sit back down and refocus, shrinking both my spheres down and focusing on moving my manipulation sphere. Beads of sweat soon formed and I was breathing hard. This one too seemed to be just over my abilities. It was even hard for my [Sense Mana] and that skill is higher level, but I'd done it before, I know how to do it! With a final mental heave, I shifted my manipulation sphere.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 130!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 111!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 112!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 113!

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.

11th Breakthrough: You've learned to move your area of mana sensing, Allowing you to scout ahead, and eventually view remotely.

Sense Mana: 10/10

11th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 61!

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 90!

Manipulate Mana: You have managed to reach out to the ambient mana and manipulate them. This will help you master the ways of manipulating mana outside of you.

1st Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate elements. This will help you master doing so

2nd Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate essence. This will help you master doing so

3rd Breakthrough: You have learned to expand your area of control. This will help you master doing so

4th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate small amounts of mana. This will help you master doing so

5th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate large amounts of mana. This will help you master doing so

6th Breakthrough: You have transformed an element into an essence. This will help you master doing so

7th Breakthrough: You've learned to weave mana. This will help you spin fabric of pure mana.

8th Breakthrough: You've learned how to cast spells, this will help you cast ever more powerful spells in the future.

9th Breakthrough: You've learned to Enchant items. This will help you create and attach magical effects onto things.

10th Breakthrough: You've learned to weave elemental mana. This will help you spin fabric of pure elemental mana.

11th Breakthrough: You've learned to weave essence mana. This will help you spin fabric of pure essence.

12th Breakthrough: You have managed to move your area of control. Allowing you to manipulate mana from a distance.

13th You have learned how to manipulate unique mana. This will help you master doing so

Manipulate Mana: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 10/10

2nd Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 4/5)

4th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

5th Breakthrough: 10/10

6th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

7th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

8th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

9th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

10th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

11th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

12th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

13th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

I don't think I've ever had gains like this before. Still, It will be close. I may have [Mana Manipulation] at level ninety-six or higher by the end of this.

I went home, arriving a little late for after-work baths. Mom was waiting for me, I gave a small lie about where I was and what I was doing, practicing my music.

Chapter 29: Tailoring

The next day mom took me to apprentice under a tailor.

"It's one thing to simply have [Tailor] skill, it's another to have that and the [Deft Hands] skill. In order to move or work quickly these two are a must" The tailor, Topobe says, giving a small demonstration.

I can already think of a better skill, [Agile Movements] or something like that. It should in theory cover [Dodging], [Acrobatics], and this [Deft Hands] skill. Meaning, in order to get that I must be able to perform all three. I'll need to ask Chyzu for help on the dodging part.

I nod attentively to the older woman.

"The needle is your weapon of choice and you must know how to use it safely." Topobe's hands blur across her current work, stitching together the skirt in seconds and faster than any machine. It is awe-inducing to see how fast she was.

"Don't mind my speed," Topobe says. "I have high skill levels and agility. You are not yet ten years of age so you can't raise your agility"

I was still impressed. Her work is perfect, pleasing my [Perfectionist's Eye]. I had wondered how Runalymo put designs and decorations on their work in a reasonable time, stats play a big role.

The lessons went on and on. I was impressed by everything she did. Every move is perfect, not just making my [Perfectionist's Eye] content but pleasing it too. That's what sets apart the good from the great.

"Now let's see how you do. This will be a simple stitch" The tailor handed me two pieces of cloth, some thread, and a needle.

I carefully work, trying to get my stitching straight and even. I didn't even need her to inspect my work to tell me it's uneven and has drifted. I droop my ears and tails in disappointment as my [Perfectionists Eye] was doing the tailor's job of lecturing me about how bad I was.

The tailor smiles. "You'll get a hang of it. Trust me, it's far from the worst I've seen."

I spent the rest of the day practicing my basic stitching skills at a glacial pace compared to the master tailor.

Ting! You have gained the Tailoring general skill!

Wow, haven't seen that one in far too long. But this leads to the question, If all I've done was stitching then why didn't I get that lesser skill? Well, the answer is the long lectures and demonstrations I was given beforehand. Learning things about measurements, and everything else was the minimum amount I needed to learn to get tailoring.

Ting! Tailoring has met requirements for a breakthrough. Tailoring will now continue leveling past level 10!

Tailoring:

You've learned and done basic tailoring, This will help you master the craft of making clothes and other cloth things.

Breakthrough: You've done some stitchings at a basic level, this will help steady your hand and make you more accurate.

Tailoring: 1/10(Action: 1/5 Knowledge 0/5)

1st Breakthrough: 1/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 0/5)

Apparently, it's fairly common for crafts to give one or even two breakthroughs really early on.

The day after next was the weekly visit to temple island. I taught the Storm Wardens their next breakthrough and then let them do their thing. It was going to take a few days for everybody to get the breakthrough. It is the one for expanding your sensory sphere which may take even longer.

I send out my spheres of influence in search of the Guardian's dense mana. This island is very large, able to hold tens of thousands, and still has room. Even then there were trace amounts of the dragon's mana here, kilometers away.

I have to go slow in moving my aura to prevent any level gains for manipulation, I may still get one but that's within my level budget. As long as I don't go past ninety-nine I should be relatively safe.

It took hours to move across the kilometers and I soon realized my problem. How will I get hold of the cloth? After an epiphany I decide to make this a game for the storm wardens, I will tell them to look for it.

Finding a suitably dense amount of the Guardian's mana I began to condense it further and with some effort managed to spin a length of silk string.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 140!

14th Breakthrough: You've learned to weave unique mana. This will help you spin personalized mana threads.

Good, I got it.

Suddenly a realization dawned on me as the dragon's mana was transformed within me from cursed effect. If I Manipulate another Runalymo's mana, It'll be created in me. our magic will combine resulting in a curse and it'll be no different from cannibalization! I thought back to the buffer of unique mana back during the super storm. I came very close, luckily I had only pushed out the elemental mana and let the buffer reform on its own.

Stupid! I mentally smacked myself. Why are you messing around with a cursed skill?! This is exactly what Mom and Dad are worried about!

I check my manipulation levels.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 91!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 96!

I've been so blind in trying to help my parents in making my sister's Kyhosa that I'd disregarded my own safety, my own future. There is no way I was going to not get the skill above level one hundred and in my blind stupidity, I almost did. I snap my spheres back to myself. Making a promise to not use [Mana Manipulation] again.

The weeks flew by as I practiced tailoring, music, and my Bond. I set aside two days to practice at the dojo and four days at the tailors and one day off to do whatever. After work, I play with my music. As a pre-ten-year-old child, I am not required to do any of this but this was the path I'd chosen.

Months passed and soon my twin sisters were born.

There was no waiting room, there was no hospital. It happened in the bedroom. My grandparents were there, aunty was there, Nyam was there, and several other members of the extended family.

Spells were cast to make the birthing process easier and faster and painless, I was fairly interested in the painless spell but it turned out to be a non-caster class skill. I made sure to keep my healing aura on but the midwife knew healing spells so it wasn't necessary.

"They look just like you!" Aunty says to Mom. "They have the same hair and eyes! I wonder if they even have the same bond as you."

They do. I couldn't see colors, and while mana is represented to me as colors it's hard to describe. Try explaining what red is to a blind person. Me trying to explain the "color" of water mana is the same thing.

One of the things I miss most is seeing color. I know I have royal blue hair but during my first evolution, the tips of my hair changed to 'Chy' I don't know what color that is. The tips of my tails are also the same chy color so it seems the influence of my first evolution has remained through my second.

Mom has the same color hair as me and I guess my little sisters do too. They should also have Mom's deep blue eyes if what Aunty says is true.

"Alysara, greet your little sisters." Mom says.

"Lahoky" Greeting celebration of life; or less directly translated, congratulations for being born. I said this after moving into their field of vision.

My sisters stare at me with wide eyes. I noticed they share the same long tail I do, glad I'm not the only one with an extra long tail anymore, Mom and Dad must have some recessive genes for it or something.

I smile at my sisters. I have my eye wraps on and they must be staring at me because of that, totally not because of my two tails, nope.

They are cute, I had expected them to look more like potatoes, whatever those were, but I guess the longer time spent in the oven had them develop more?

"Yafel, and Yafe'' Dancing water, and calm water. That's not confusing at all, Mom! Oh, look identical twins let's give them similar sounding names!

Mom spent the next few days taking the babies out to see the village, as she had done for me. Any newborn is the talk of the village for the next week so many people cooed over the newborns much like they did with me. I'm honestly glad I'm not in their position again.

I've been progressing on my craft at what the tailor said was "lightning fast". I got another breakthrough in tailoring. My [Perfectionists Eye] and new evolution boosts are really helping me master the craft.

Tailoring: You've learned and done basic tailoring, This will help you master the craft of making clothes and other cloth things.

1st Breakthrough: You've done some stitchings at a basic level, this will help steady your hand and make you more accurate.

2nd Breakthrough: You've learned to correctly measure what you need, This will help you do the math and never need to measure twice.

3rd Breakthrough: You've done some weaving at a basic level, this will help make your work more even.

4th Breakthrough: You've trained your eye for fashion, this will help you find what best fits your customers.

5th Breakthrough: You've used mana to reinforce your work. This will help you make more durable clothes.

Tailoring: 8/10(Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

1st Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

2nd Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

4th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

5th Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 5/5)

I was taught one breakthrough every month. The only one I am actually struggling on is my eye for fashion, my fourth breakthrough. Trying to match colors to people is not something I can do and I don't think I can actually max this breakthrough. It took a really long time just to get and level this to the point that it is at.

The fifth breakthrough was achieved with the use of an enchanted needle. The needle empowered the threads and you can only imagine how fast I got the knowledge skills on this one.

Graceful Movements: You've learned to move dexterously and with grace.

1st Breakthrough: You've learned to move your hands with great dexterity. This will help you steady your hand and improve hand-eye coordination.

2nd Breakthrough: You've learned to dodge stylishly. This will help you keep your elegance even in the most dire of situations.

3rd Breakthrough: You've learned how to dance gracefully. This will hone your innate graceful and elegant movements.

4th Breakthrough: You've learned to walk with elegance. This will help you keep an air of nobility as you walk.

5th Breakthrough: You've trained your reflexes. This will help you react quickly and gracefully

Graceful Movements: 8/10(Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

1st Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

2nd Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 2/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

4th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

5th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 2/5)

I had tried to get [Agile Movements] but got this instead. When I asked about it I was told that this was a variant of the skill but one that works with my beauty essence. If I wanted to I could use the base skill as this skill actively consumes my beauty essence to work properly. If I desire I can prevent that or if I don't have any beauty essence for it to work with. Good thing that my natural beauty essence generation is more than enough, although the higher level it becomes the more essence it will take.

In short, this helps me look elegant and graceful, purely cosmetics, but it's a pleasant surprise.

My Bond growth has been painfully slow over these last few months, I only got five levels.

I reached another breakthrough in Sense Mana.

12th Breakthrough: You've observed and learned the mana interactions of enchanted items. This will help you better understand the process of enchanted item empowerment.

The mana of enchanted items spread throughout the wearer or affected thing. It envelopes and sometimes empowers, If need be it'll use a user's mana to empower long term or even indefinitely. Although the mana is affected by weathering, only the strength of the enchantment determines how long it lasts. Topobe said that average enchantments last about a year while master level enchantments can last for years. There's also the usage case using it more will cause it to degrade a little faster. The more the enchantment's mana is bombarded by ambient mana the more it'll degrade too. In this mana rich area enchantments don't last very long, I wonder how long normal enchantments will last outside of the nexus.

The enchantment can be reapplied easily in many cases but only if the enchantment is fully worn away. The real downside is the upkeep cost and functionality. Why have a freezer when there are so many people with ice bonds?

Only so many enchantments can be applied to an item too, this depends on the tier or quality and size of the material used to make the item. This needle? Made with water steel. A common ore found and processed It can only hold one enchantment. Mundane materials like common rocks cannot hold enchantments.

After gaining this breakthrough enchantments are filled with color to me now. Not only can I see the grade of the enchantment, how good it is, but I can also identify its magic, well, as long as I have a reference point and something similar to compare it to.

So what are magic items? Well, they work very similar to enchanted items, but they are naturally created and are a lot more powerful, they aren't limited by mundane items. Anything can become a magical item.

Magic items are permanent, they can hold skills, they can empower users to a far greater degree but the conditions to create them are fickle and hard to understand. It's more akin to an item gaining a class than it is magic empowering an item. Requirements are met but that's not the catalyst. And these magic items can be improved just like a class can be evolved.

Having already seen this process and being able to figure out what parts of the unique mana in my Kyhosa do, I gained my thirteenth breakthrough in sense mana.

13th Breakthrough: You've observed and learned the mana of magic items. This will help you better understand the process of magic item empowerment and creation.

11th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

12th Breakthrough: 5/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 4/5)

13th Breakthrough: 5/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 4/5)

Soon enough It was time for the extended family gathering. Meeting at my grandparent's house There is a very noticeable difference in the attendees. Only about a third had shown up. Not because no one wanted to come, but that there wasn't anyone else to come. It became immediately apparent the damage the superstorm had caused last year. All of the center and inner villages had been wiped out and most of the family lived in those villages. Only the members from this village and from the middle and outer islands survived.

Just how many people had died? How many bloodlines had been wiped out? How many children died or orphaned? We can't live forever so our children must be protected, our family needs to continue.

I looked around at the few single parents, those who lost their spouses. I noticed a lonely couple crying, murmuring something about their child, how they wished they could bring them here to celebrate life and family.

It unsettled me to say the least. I thought back to what I had planned for my sisters, how it could protect them. I shook my head. I had promised not to use my mana manipulation anymore.

In addition to my sisters, another child had been born.

"Lahoky" People said one after another, to welcome the newborns into the world. I'd probably have to attend the other baby's Kyholo, which means finding a suitable gift. Actually, I'm too young for that, I get a pass! Only those over the age of ten are obligated.

The babies had been introduced to everyone and then everyone socialized. More than enough tears have been shed today as people reminisce about their lost loved ones. I got asked about my tails and my following familiar by everyone. Explaining it became tedious very quickly.

"Have you got anything in mind for the Kyhosas?" The mother of the other baby askes my parents.

"It's been hard to think of anything." Mom replies.

"I'm already halfway done with mine! I have the most perfect wind gem that matches her sho eyes! The enchanter did such a great job on the gem it doesn't even require her mana for its effect!" The woman brags and mentioned a color I didn't know. To be wasting money on an enchantment shows love if for a Kyhosa and is generally seen in a good light if one has the money, but no one would blame you if you can't afford it, enchantments typically don't last so long that the child would remember it being enchanted in the first place. Honestly, it makes me wonder if parents who do that only do so to make themselves look better in the eyes of everyone else, though I wouldn't blame them for not renewing the enchantment.

"That's very nice." Mom says. Once the other woman left Mom sighs.

"We still have time, Feyan," Dad tells her and rubs her back.

"It'll be hard to find something that is as good as Aly's Kyhosa." Mom sighs again.

"Using the Guardian's own mana, our protector," Dad chuckls. They moved to the corner of the room and spoke quietly. I inch closer to eavesdrop "I pitched it to a mana weaver and they said that it's not only disrespectful but that it's extremely hard to do, if not impossible"

"It's crazy, but I liked the idea, still where are we going to get the required water gem of that purity?" Mom says with a slight smile. "Even though we arent going to use the cloth we can still use that part"

"I have an idea, the village of Ruyato has one, only once a year they let someone break off a piece of their purest water gem," Dad says.

"That village was destroyed though"

"And It's been a year so we might as well claim the piece."

Mom and Dad then returned to the rest of the event and socialized normally.

As the gathering was heading for the baths we got a notification.

Ting! A great being, Ice Elemental, had been slain by Erandur the dragon.

Ting! A great being, Ice Elemental, had been slain by Erandur the dragon.

Ting! A great being, Glacius the Winter Spirit, had been slain by Erandur the dragon.

Wow, That dragon is busy! Had slain a sand elemental a few years ago and now these elementals. Do dragons hate elementals or something?

Anyway, this isn't a great thing for us, The last time we got a message about Erandur there was a bad fire storm. However, With the ice mana from the elementals maybe the storm will be torn apart before it can form? Something to warn the elders about anyway. I really hope it's not a case where a duality core forms to make another superstorm or something, I hope Murphy takes pity on us, whoever that is.

Chapter 30: Attack

It wasn't until a week later that I noticed the complete lack of ice mana. As usual, I warned the elders and told them it might be especially bad. The day before the storm many people spent the day preparing, stocking up on wood for the now commonplace hearth, making extra thick blankets, and doing anything else necessary to keep warm.

It wasn't until late afternoon that the storm hit. The temperature dropped drastically and snow started falling from the sky. The sea began to freeze over and everyone rushed inside.

We huddle in front of the hearth with thick blankets draped over us. My sisters were sleeping on my parents' lap while I was cuddled between Mom and Dad. I watch the fires dance with their subdued fire mana. I create two fairies to dance in the flames. One of them being my familiar.

The snow piled up outside as I nod off to sleep. I noted the Aydomrs swarming the seafloor, invigorated with the abundance of their element before I succumbed to my dreams.

I awoke suddenly with a pit in my stomach. The Aydomrs below are behaving erratically, hundreds, maybe even thousands of them are skittering about, fighting each other for territory. While they did fight in the wild it was never like this, why are they here, below the village though? My only guess was that something drove them out of their natural habitat.

Having a bad feeling I decided to stay awake. I watch as pinchers broke the hard shells of the other Aydomrs. I notice these crab-like beings all have an ice-based race and class. They locked claws, broke off legs, and ripped shells off. It was a massive battle royal. They shot their Bonds out, and they froze the water around them.

I saw how the class and Bond mana signatures grew slightly with each kill. It gave me an idea. I put a hand on the floor and summoned several fairies on the other side, ordering them to drill into the ice and then attack the Aydomrs.

It took several minutes to cut through the ice and several more fairies but now I am summoning more in my attack patterns.

Ting! You've killed an Aydomr (Minor), Ice Claw (Minor) Level 15, extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo, and for being in an enemy empowering environment.

Interesting, It was fairly easy too, With my Kyhosa and race bonus I am getting an eight hundred percent bonus and my high Bond level also helps a ton. If I assume each level gives me another one percent then that's over nine hundred percent bonus, but I don't really know how that all works. Also, the enemy empowering environment is probably referring to the ice storm. This is just too easy and such a good opportunity to grind levels.

Ting! You've killed an Aydomr (Minor), Ice Shell (Minor) Level 12, extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo, and for being in an enemy empowering environment.

This was too easy! And having no class means that even a level one out levels me! But that's also pretty interesting, my Bond level doesn't count. That means if someone is level ten but has one thousand levels in their bond they could be pretty terrifying. Of course, this is just an exaggerated example.

Ting! You've killed an Aydomr (Minor), Ice Child (Minor) Level 18, extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo, and for being in an enemy empowering environment.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 108!

I can see myself getting more than a dozen levels today.

Yafel started crying, waking mom out of her stupor.

"Shhh, Shhh" Mom soothed the baby and bounced her a little. When that didn't stop Yafels crying Mom began nursing the infant. Guess she was hungry, well, as hungry as a Runalymo can be. We can't actually feel more than a little peckish due to our mana sustenance.

After Yafel it was Yafe's turn then they all fell back asleep. I kept summoning fairy after fairy to kamikaze the experience fodder below. Since the fairies were just reshaped mana all it had to do to deliver its damaging payload was to touch the creatures.

Ting! You've killed an Aydomr (Minor), Ice Grappeler (Minor) Level 22, extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo, and for being in an enemy empowering environment.

Nice! Highest one yet.

I spent hours summoning fairies and the results are beginning to show

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 109!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 114!

Sure it was slow going but this will so far be my highest gain yet! Hundreds of Aydomr bodies are now littering the floor but I felt something large enter my sensory sphere. An Aydomr the size of me, maybe even larger! It was picking up the others and crushing them in a single stroke.

I order all my fairies to dive-bomb it. Then more, and more. How much damage will this thing soak up?! And all I was doing was pissing it off, It lashed out at the fairies and other Aydomrs. It shoots out its light bond, a laser burning a support pole for the village.

That's not good. I made sure to move my fairies in a way so as to not have the lasers miss and hit something important.

I had long since run out of mana and was just summoning more as soon as I can. It took me roughly two minutes to recharge enough mana to be able to summon a new fairy. So far I've sunk over four hundred mana into this thing and it's still alive!

I don't want to tap into my Kyhosa reserves in case of an emergency but the average Aydomr takes three or four fairies to kill this one has eaten up twenty and is still going strong.

I am beginning to see why the fighters don't want to cull these overgrown Domrs, they're damn tough!

Soon another large one joins the bloodbath and attacks the injured large Aydomr. I kept summoning my fairies but had them wait until one was close to dying.

Ting! You've killed an Aydomr (Minor), Claws of Winter (Minor) Level 61, extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo, and for being in an enemy empowering environment.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 115!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 116!

That's the level difference I guess, It may have taken me ten or more thousand mana just to take it down. If I had a class and was at that level how much time and mana would it take me then?

I waited and built up more fairies to take down the large one. I could swim down and get all the Domr pearls after the storm. Just imagine the faces of my parents when they come home to hundreds of pearls. Actually, that's not a bad idea. It'll help jumpstart the family business with gems to work with!

Maybe this is what I could do to help the family business. I don't need mana weaving and enchanting! I can just kill Domrs. Yeah, that sounds like a great plan. We get meat, we get Domr pearls, and I get levels! I may want to get some sort of underwater combat or something, actually, these things can't swim, just row out to sea on the boat and launch fairies, easy peasy!

It's a shallow freshwater sea so most of the time my over fifty-meter sensory sphere can see the seafloor. Maybe if I push my sixth breakthrough even more can I see further per level? Just because the breakthrough level is maxed doesn't mean I can't still improve right? Can I get it to one meter per level? Let's double up on my training, It does not take much brainpower to summon these fairies with simple instructions {Attack the largest Domr}.

I began pushing my sphere range even more, It'll take a lot of effort and many weeks to achieve but that's just time. To further my training I began moving my sphere further out to sea, triple my training!

Further out at sea is more of the same, domrs fighting each other. Thousands of Domrs, locked in mortal combat, is this what it's like every storm? What happens to all the bodies? Moving my sphere out I eventually hit a limit, perhaps some ten kilometers out. Looks like I've found my range limit. I start moving my sphere to the side but that's when I found something scary. I found a house-sized Todomr. The earth-aligned Domr was fighting off an Aydomr twice the size of a person. The Aydomr must have thought the piece of territory not worth it and left, heading in our direction!

I kept watch on the second-largest Domr I've ever seen, surely it'll stop before it got to us right? I mean, Just what level is it at? It moved slowly at least.

Ting! You've killed an Aydomr (Minor), Frost Shell (Minor) Level 63, extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo, and for being in an enemy empowering environment.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 117!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 118!

I finally killed the other large Aydomr after what must have been two hours. I stopped summoning fairies to recharge my mana for now, it'll take less than half an hour but I need to be prepared in case this oversized Domr threatens the village.

It took three more hours, for the Domr to get within a kilometer of the village. By now I had around eighty fairies summoned and waiting. I can have around a hundred out with my Kyhosa empowering me.

I shook Dad awake.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"What's the highest level Domr you've seen? Because there's one standing twice as tall as you heading for this village" I said.

"W-what? Twice as big as me? How do you know?" She asked.

"One of my latest breakthroughs in Sense Mana has allowed me to remotely view things. I have been keeping watch on it"

"T-this is bad! They normally don't attack villages but if they are in the area there is a high chance, That is probably the biggest Domr that has ever been reported!" Dad jumps up. "I'll try to reach Chyzu and Esofy hopefully we can scare it off"

"Where are you going?" Mom says drowsily waking up from the commotion.

"Aly has informed me of danger approaching the village, I'm off to warn the fighters." Dad says, grabbing another blanket and wrapping it around herself to defend against the cold.

"Kanato! You can't go outside, it's too cold!"

"I can use my bond for heat, Feyan, I'm the only one who can do this," Dad says and steps out into the chest-high snow.

It wasn't a blizzard, No air mana to create howling winds and biting frost. It's just very cold and snowing a lot. One could easily succumb to the cold but Dad's bond is fire, by empowering herself like how I do with my beauty she can stay warm. The more difficult part would be keeping the fighters warm.

I'd lend Dad my Kyhosa but I need it to build up my army of fairies to hopefully scare off the Aydomr with a painful punch. I mean, I'll be hitting it with almost a hundred fairies of twenty mana, but with all my bonuses it's more equivalent to a hundred mana. I can tell by the intensity of the Beauty mana that these fairies pack a wallop, still not as powerful as what Chyzu can do but it's literally the only thing I can do to help. All I can do is summon these fairies to hurt and distract the Aydomr.

Soon Dad came back with several fighters. Chyzu and Esofy may be the instructors for new fighters but they aren't the only ones that compete in the arenas, Only one is chosen to represent the village but there are more that vie for the prestige.

"It's not stopping" I inform the newcomers "It'll be here within a quarter-hour" There wasn't a minute measurement of time, just hours, days, weeks, months, and years.

"Are you sure it's twice the size as a person? That's almost twice the size of the largest found Domr." Chyzu asks. Bending down to me. Her demeanor is serious.

"Better question is, why is it coming here? They typically stay in their territories." Esofy said, thumbing the sword on her waist.

"It lost its territory" I reply. "There was another much larger Domr that conquered its territory"

"That makes sense, Domrs, when they lose their territory won't just settle for an unclaimed one, they will want to conquer a new territory." A mage says.

"Larger?" A lightning mage asks. "How much larger?"

"As large as this house" I reply calmly, summoning another fairy. If I have to I'll hit this fucker with over two and a half thousand fairies. My Kyhosa is fully charged up after all.

"As large as... There's no way we can fight that!"

"We aren't, we are fighting a smaller one," Esofy said.

"Good news though," I said. "The storm has passed. The Domr will be arriving at the western pier" I say before standing up. The ice mana had finally dipped below the surface, the storm is still pulling the mana down at a faster rate so there's actually less than ambient ice mana, save for the mana locked up in the snow and ice.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mom says to me.

"Watching the fight? I can summon my fairies to help and distract the Domr I won't be even close to the fight."

There was silence as everybody seems to be considering it, except Mom, oddly Dad was silent and she's the more protective one.

"No, you're not!"

"I have fifty thousand mana in my Kyhosa that can help, plus, If a large one the size of me is level sixty then this one must be close to level one-fifty, they'll be in great danger and every little bit helps. There is a real chance one of the fighters could die and I could prevent that while being in minimal danger myself," I argue.

"How far can you send out your fairies?" Dad asks.

"You can't seriously be thinking of agreeing to this, Kanato!"

"Hmmm, I don't know" I reply honestly.

"Then you can summon your fairies here and send them to help the fighters right? And you can view remotely too so you can watch the fight anyway"

That... made a ton of sense, why didn't I think of that?!

I nodded.

"By the way, how did you know of Domr levels?" Dad gave me an accusing glare.

"I-I might have been killing hundreds of Aydomrs below the village," I admit, drooping my ears and trying to make myself look small. "I-I figured after the storm I could swim down and collect them for meat and pearls to help us make money"

Dad just sighs. "We can collect them together later, no point in letting them go to waste."

"Able to kill giant Domrs in the safety of one's own home..." A martial fighter with an earth bond mutters and shook her head.

"Still, we all are close to or above level one hundred so we should be able to take this thing down, With little Aly, here providing distractions we'll be able to easily fight it off," Esofy says confidently. "About seventeen fighters plus one genius child"

"I still don't like it but as long as Aly is here I can't complain." Mom finally relents.

The fighters left, I follow them with my vision and then we wait. My fairies with the instructions of {Attack the giant Aydomr once it reaches this village} suddenly rushed toward the creature once it reached my sensory sphere again, now close enough to be considered "close to the village"

I started summoning a steady stream of fairies with {Attack Pattern: Distract} as well with the normal kamikaze attack. I sent out my familiar too to shoot out beauty beams at the giant crustacean.

All at once, the fairies struck the Aydomr. The fairies tried their best to burn their way into the shell but it was much tougher than it looked, barely a mark was left on the thing.

The fighters noticing my attacks readied themselves. There's still a layer of ice and snow to break through.

The Aydomer suddenly uses its water bond to lift itself up and out of the water, simply manipulating the ice and snow out of it's way. I watch as the mana simply moved according to its will, parting the frozen water like drawing back a curtain. The Fighters launched their attacks. The Domer swatting at the distracting fairies didn't defend itself from the onslaught of sudden attacks. Lightning burst out, fire seared into it with a spear thrust, Esofy's sword bit into a leg that she then tried to chop like a tree. Their skimpy clothes fluttered with their movements and with each strike.

Esofy said something, I couldn't hear her but the others started targeting the legs. The mages targeted the front while the martial fighters targeted the one at the back as to stay away from the bone-crushing pinchers.

It was starting to go well until an axe-wielding fighter was suddenly bashed with a swipe as the Domr turned extraordinarily quickly. With the snow impairing their movement I watched as the axe fighter was caught by the pinchers. The Aydomer radiated ice mana and suddenly the ice under the fighters encased their feet, trapping them!

I was thankful I couldn't hear but I watched, horrified as the Aydomr crushed the axe fighter, breaking her in two.

All hell broke out. The fighters had expected this to go easily, with so many fighters and me distracting the Domr it had to be. Four fighters panicked and scream in horror as the bloody corpse of their comrade fell and another pincher reached for another fighter. I ordered my fairy familiar to ram into the fighter at full speed to push her off balance.

It worked, the pinchers closing down centimeters in front of her eyes. The martial fighters are sitting ducks, some of them trying to break out but the ice keeps reforming!

It's a skill! I watch as the mana kept flowing from the Aydomr. There is something I can do, I can give the fighters a chance of escaping, but I promised not to use it, I can't use it without getting it past level one hundred!.

Crunch. Another fighter dead, the fire spear wielder this time. This was happening too fast, the fighters can't kill this thing before they all die! Is this what a level gap means? This had to be twice their level. People who never fought monsters and only fought without the intent to kill. They don't even have armor! They can't win against this thing; but if we can't kill this Domr here, It'll attack all of us. My friends, my family, my Mom, my Dad, my twin sisters wouldn't even have had the chance to live.

If it means defending this village, if it means saving lives, if it means saving my family then I have to use it!

Chapter 31: For those that live.

I reach out as fast as I could, ignoring the sounds of my skill leveling up. Another fighter dies. A mage screams out, fear, anger, grief, I don't know but the death had to stop.

I grip the spell aura, feeling the cold from the curse backlash. I put pressure on the spell, shrinking its range. I Squeeze and squeeze as hard and fast as I could. Another fighter dies, I was going too slow! With a last burst of will, I didn't think I had I shrunk the aura spell down enough for all the fighters to break free and start running.

The Aydomr looks confused. But ice mana gathered in the air taking the shape of dozens of spears. It was all I could do to prevent the entrapment aura from capturing the warriors again. They were moving too slowly through all the snow! The spears flew through the air, several aiming at my distracting fairies three at the warrior and the rest at the mages. The mages called out warnings, but the spears were launched with deadly aim. I let go of the entrapment aura for just long enough to nudge the spears to miss their targets. But I was too late to prevent damage altogether. Several grazes and one leg pierced. The mage screams as the ice spear pin her to the ground.

I sent my familiar to heal her as another mage pulled the spear out. Can any of them heal? No one is coming to tend to the wounded.

I went back to holding off the entrapment as my fairies buzz around the Aydomr. I had lost all my effort and now struggle with shrinking the aura again, thankfully I don't have to shrink it as far this time. The Aydomr was back to swiping at the fairies but still summoning barrages of spears. I can hold off both the aura and the spears at the same time! Thankfully, I didn't need to. The warriors and mages dodged just in time. I redoubled my efforts to summon only distracting fairies, the more spears aimed at them the less at the fighters.

With the crisis for the warriors now vastly lessened, for now, they trudged through the snow under my protection against the entrapment. Spells bombarded the Aydomr and it must have had enough as it started toward the mages.

The fighters had gotten away far enough that I began transforming the ice under the Aydomrs feet to fire, but it took so much mana! Way more than transforming mana to essence, transforming an element to its opposite was a very bad mana management decision, It felt like thousands of mana must have been used for a tiny amount. I instead opted to shift the ice mana as the Aydomr had when moving out of the water. With its weight and the now thinning ice, the crab-like feet pierced through the ice, stalling it. Its pincers waved and it tried to free itself, unsuccessfully.

The ice mana building up around me from my transformed mana has me shivering. And frost clung to my skin. Cold air emanated from me as the surge of thousands of mana rushed out of me.

"What's going on?!" Mom asks.

"M-Momara, c-c-can you use y-your fire empowerment o-on me?" I said barely able to talk through the chattering of my teeth and the shivering of my body.

"You can't be!" Dad saysangrily

"F-f-four of them a-are dead! T-t-they c-can't fight this w-w-without my help! I-I-It had them t-trapped!" I shout, "I h-h-have to stop its s-spells from trapping o-or it'll kill all the f-f-fighters and start attacking u-us!"

Mom and Dad fell silent, The babies were too, blessedly, I need all the focus I can get.

The spears formed again but I nudge those out of the way. Not far enough for one pierces Chyzu's arm. My fairy rushes to her and starts using my lackluster healing. The wound slowly closes up.

I felt warmth rush into me as Dad must have accepted that I'll use my skill anyway.

I can see the Domr gathering a lot of ice mana for a spell. I have to stop that. I reached into the Domr Fighting against its will. I focus all I had on it trying to grasp the mana felt like trying to lift a boulder. Slowly I force the mana out prematurely. I ignored the system informing me of another breakthrough. With each new level, It was getting easier to combat the Aydomr.

As I drained the Monster's mana it instead used its ice manipulation to free its legs and started running at the mages. I again weaken the ice below its feet to trip it up and trap it. It flails its pincers angrily.

Dad must have noticed me starting to shiver again as she sent more fire mana into me. The transformed ice mana painfully tore out of me ejecting some of the fire mana too. I grit my teeth as pain assaults my body.

Hang on if it hurts me then I can hurt the Domr too! I use [Grace of Wholeness] on myself to heal any damage and focus to transform the mana inside the Domr. I focus my sense and manipulation spheres to the size of a fist, fighting against its will every step of the way. It was easier now as 'Tings' sounded in my mind and I finally transformed the mana into fire mana. The fire mana reacts with the ice mana in the Domrs body and is violently ejected out like a spell had manifested fire searing the crab's body, slowly cooking it alive!

But the same was happening to me, freezing ice swept through me. I ignored the pain but soon I started to feel light-headed. My heart was beating hard and I was breathing erratically. It was damaging me just as it was damaging the crab, but, I can heal. I placed a hand on my chest. Focusing on a healing spell. In addition to my bond, I used a healing spell with [Mana Manipulation], keeping an eye on the battle.

My healing isn't boosted so it's agonizingly slow, I had to intervene in the battle several times, times when the inattentiveness of the fighters would have them eating an ice spear. I rest from my attack and checked my mana reserves. Only twelve thousand left, transforming the elements really backfired on me I can't use it as a way to attack. The fighters have regrouped, Esofy giving them a pep talk. They rush at the Aydomr and I was forced to fight the entrapment aura again, it was so much easier this time! With me preventing the warriors from being trapped they manage to cut off a leg!

Why can't I heal faster! Then I got an epiphany, I reached into my ambient creativity essence. If Life essence can heal, and that essence is water-based, then I can turn Creativity essence which is also water-based into life essence! Which will in turn create more healing from the skill backlash!

I tried this for several seconds, the mana usage remained relatively low, lower than transforming an element into an essence. Seems like essence to essence transformation as long as it's based on the same element works is fairly easy.

The fighters managed to cut off another leg. I was trying my best to keep everybody's movement free while trying to pin down the Aydomr, keeping its legs stuck in the ice. It took all my effort to handle these two tasks which unfortunately meant I couldn't play defense for the spears.

A third leg was cut off, the mages cheer as they are winning! They, however, celebrated too early as ice spears flew toward the mages. A mage was struck through the gut, and a warrior was pierced in the leg, a second mage died instantly. My fairy went to the wounded mage to try and stabilize her.

Another mage went to help her comrade. I'd help heal her too with mana transformation but I can't affect another person's mana or I'll turn into a cursed being. The best I can do is my familiar healing.

Esofy climbs onto the Domr and started hacking at its shell, but the hard gem-like shell resisted any damage. She quickly gave up and jumps down and moves under the monster, finding its belly more vulnerable. Esofy shouts something and the warriors gathered to attack its belly. Soon its insides are exposed and the creature squirms in a panic.

Guts spilled from the Aydomr onto the warriors but they didn't relent, hacking to the monster, Soon I got a message.

Ting! Your party has killed an Aydomr (Minor), Level 222, extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and, and for being in an enemy empowering environment.

We had done it, It was over. The death, the battle, the danger, It was all over. I sigh with relief and passed out, falling onto Dad's lap.

I woke up to the morning sun greeting me through the window. The snow is gone and the warmth had returned to the village. I look through my messages to assess the damage I've done to my potential evolutions.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 150!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 190!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 97!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 122!

The worst part of it all was, if I hadn't foolishly leveled this skill up by mana weaving I couldn't have succeeded, the fighters would have all died and so would dozens if not hundreds more.

I had gotten five breakthroughs because I was holding back on obtaining them and there had been a few I could have easily gotten at the level I was at.

Manipulate Mana: You have managed to reach out to the ambient mana and manipulate them. This will help you master the ways of manipulating mana outside of you.

1st Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate elements. This will help you do so with less mana used.

2nd Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate essence. This will help you do so with less mana used.

3rd Breakthrough: You have learned to expand your area of control. This will help you master doing so

4th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate small amounts of mana. This will help you do so with less mana used.

5th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate large amounts of mana. This will help you do so with less mana used.

6th Breakthrough: You have transformed an element into an essence. This will help you do so with less mana used.

7th Breakthrough: You've learned to weave mana. This will help you spin fabric of pure mana.

8th Breakthrough: You've learned how to cast spells, this will help you cast ever more powerful spells in the future.

9th Breakthrough: You've learned to Enchant items. This will help you create and attach magical effects onto things.

10th Breakthrough: You've learned to weave elemental mana. This will help you spin fabric of pure elemental mana.

11th Breakthrough: You've learned to weave essence mana. This will help you spin fabric of pure essence.

12th Breakthrough: You have managed to move your area of control. This will help you to manipulate mana from a distance.

13th You have learned how to manipulate unique mana. This will help you do so with less mana used.

14th Breakthrough: You've learned to weave unique mana. This will help you spin personalized mana threads.

15th Breakthrough: You have transformed one element into another. This will help you do so with less mana used.

16th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate spells. This will help you do so with less resistance.

17th Breakthrough: You have transformed one essence into another. This will help you do so with less mana used.

18th Breakthrough: You have managed to manipulate mana within another entity. This will help you do so with less resistance.

19th Breakthrough: You have managed to transform elemental mana within another entity. This will help you do so with less resistance.

Manipulate Mana: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 10/10

2nd Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 4/5)

4th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

5th Breakthrough: 10/10

6th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

7th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

8th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

9th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

10th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

11th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

12th Breakthrough: 5/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 2/5)

13th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

14th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 4/5)

15th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 3/5)

16th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

17th Breakthrough: 5/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 3/5)

18th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

19th Breakthrough: 5/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 3/5)

It's like a book at this point now. I've experienced what a strong class skill is like in combat now. I have to say, there is a world of difference between a general skill and a class skill. It's not even comparable. There's so much more breakthroughs, so much more usefulness too. I can only imagine what I could have done with bonuses to this skill.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 124!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 125!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 126!

I'm just glad Sense mana is still my highest skill, even if it's lost its lead in most breakthroughs.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 119!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 124!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Beauty Beam, has evolved into Fairy Strike!

Fairy Strike: Summon homing fairies of pure beauty to damage on contact with any target. Each fairy contains 30 points of mana

No longer a beam, but it's an upgrade in terms of damage. Seems like Bond skills evolve the more you use them? I'll have to ask Chyzu some time.

I got out of bed. I noticed Chyzu and Esofy in the house, as well as some of the other fighters. They are wearing mourning robes.

How long have I been asleep? Long enough for the funeral to have passed. The Runalymo don't wait long for funerals. It's disrespectful to have the bodies laying around for days to notify friends and family in other villages. Of course, there's some grace time where a message could be sent to a nearby village and everyone could meet at temple island.

I had wondered who took care of the bodies in the other villages and the answer was friends or family from other villages. It took weeks to lay everyone to rest from the superstorm.

I walk to the lounge to see what was going on. Seeing me enter the fighters stood up one after and bowed to me. I was a little taken aback.

"You saved us, Aly, even at a cost to yourself," Esofy says apologetically.

I notice that the mage who got stabbed in the gut didn't make it.

"It isn't a cost if I would have died too. The Domrs ability to entrap everyone near it would have been enough for it to kill half the village before the rest could escape"

"Even if that's the case, you didn't have to fight. You're too young to be doing things like this" Chyzu says.

These fighters weren't just inexperienced in fighting monsters. They didn't even have armor and enchanted items. I thought it weird that seventeen fighters around level one hundred couldn't at least fight off a level two hundred minor monsters. With everything stacked against them, however, with the abundance of ice, and ice mana after the storm, with the lack of real fighting experience, with the lack of proper gear, the Runalymo aren't ready for battle.

"Then maybe it's time to change that," I say, "We weren't ready for battle, we didn't have items made with the intent of a life and death struggle, We'll need armor that can properly defend you from any creatures, weapons that can pierce their shells and skin with ease."

I look at Dad. "You can forge armor right? A metal shell for our warriors? We can have it enchanted to resist those pinchers"

Images are flooding my mind. Images of metal armor, cloth armor, segmented plates to allow for movement. Knowledge from my past life, brought to the surface of my mind after the battle, something that would have been useful to have.

"I can try," Dad says with a nod.

"One other thing," I say to the fighters. "What tier are your races and classes?"

They looked at each other before answering

"Adept race, minor class"

I winced, Minor was the weakest tier.

"Adept, Adept"

"Adept, Adept"

"Adept, minor"

It continued like that, not one of them had a major race and half had a minor class. The fighters had been unprepared in every way. Ironically, the one who had every reason to not fight was the most prepared.

The family business now has work even before opening up. It actually hurt me a little that it was because six people had died. it didn't need to be this way, that death was the cause for our work.

"We'll also need to talk to the Guardian again, I want to ask her if we can weave her mana for protective armor."

"Aly..." Dad sighs "You're going to do it anyway aren't you?"

I nod, "The damage has already been done, might as well get something out of it"

I had broken my promise, yes, it was a life or death situation but now I feel frustrated. I can't even keep a simple promise! It tore at me, the frustration gripped my chest. My parents worried so much about me, I know the risk, the danger, but now I worry about my sisters more. If the Aydomr has attacked then it means another can too, and there's a far stronger one out there, likely many.

My sisters are going to need adequate protection, no matter where they are. I want them to be protected, I will go ahead with my plan. Yes, it's dangerous, but as long as I never, ever, manipulate another being's mana again I shouldn't have an issue. Of course, I'll have to exclude the Guardian from this, I kinda need to for my plan, and I had already done so.

The rest of the day Me, Dad, and the fighters dived below the village to collect the Domrs for meat and pearls. I was thankful that air was technically not required for Runalymo to survive.

I sent out fairies to kill any lingering Domrs. Today we netted roughly six hundred Domrs, most killed by each other. The village was going to feast tonight!

All the fighters helping us collect the Domrs gave all the pearls to us, saying it's the least they could do for saving their lives. Now, all we need is some metal and mana silk.

During the Lojyo the giant Aydomr was brought before the gathering along with a huge pot of Domr meat stew. It was hard to cook as the ice mana in the meat resisted the cooking process.

I examine the large Gem-like Shell of the giant Aydomr. It was like a massive clamshell made of sapphire. The ice mana within is dense, more than the density of mana silk. I examine the mana noting how it behaves, seeing the crystalline structure it was forming. The mana still moved but in pathways that formes a repeating snowflake-like structure. Layers and layers of this are repeated.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 140!

14th Breakthrough: You've observed very dense mana, Now you'll be able to see the workings of dense mana.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 127!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 130!

14th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

What a pleasant surprise. But there was more to uncover here. It's not pure ice mana, there's Unique mana mixed in too. More than mixed in, it's saturated a lot like a magic item... It is a type of magic item, it's a magic material!

When something dies their unique mana lingers, it alters their body in ways much like magic items do, forming different effects.

I look at the pinchers and sure enough, it's saturated with unique mana and ice mana, the unique mana is slightly different, probably resulting in a different effect.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 150!

15th Breakthrough: You've seen and learned how mana interacts with monsters and monster parts. This will help you better understand the process of monster creation and death.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 130!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 134!

15th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

Still, I don't quite know what these do, If only I had the [Analyze] skill or something of that nature. I wonder, with my mana sense for monster parts, people, enchanted items, and magic items, can I develop a breakthrough with the same function?

I focus on the magic of the monster part, trying to discover what it does, observing how it behaved. I touch the shell, feeling the cold. How do I figure out what it does without being told?

I let go, something for tomorrow. Today we are feasting. I was given the pearl of the giant Aydomr, for a reward in saving the fighters and in turn the village. The pearl is huge, bigger than my head, and much too heavy for me to carry.

The next day we visited the guardian again.

"Surely you don't have yet another cursed skill do you little one?" The powerful dragon says, amusement in her voice.

I bow. "The Runalymo are weak, we barely know how to defend ourselves," I say respectfully. "Recently we found ourselves in great danger from something that should not have been, we are unprepared and inexperienced. It has been made clear to us what we lack, we need strong armor for we lack tough hide, we need powerful weapons for we lack powerful claws. I have come only to ask if you'd allow me to weave your mana in the form of silk to help protect our warriors"

The dragon remained silent for a long time, long enough that I'd thought I'd have been dismissed.

"Very well, Your kind must learn to protect itself as it once did before coming to these lands. Disaster had befallen you little ones many times in a short amount of time and I cannot and will not prevent all disasters except for the worse if it's within my capabilities."

I bow again, "Thank you, Guardian" I weave as much cloth as I could, burning through my entire stored mana. It was much easier being so close to the Guardian and my much higher skill level. I gained three levels from that. Each point of mana made roughly five square centimeters of weaved mana cloth which equaled roughly twenty-five square meters of cloth. But I needed thread to sew the cloth so I made it out to twenty-four square meters of cloth and the rest spindles of silk thread.

Chapter 32: Seeing Double

I examined the large Aydomr pearl, the only thing in my sight, my entire focus on it.

What do you do? I mused.

I watch as ice mana flows along complex and beautiful crystalline patterns. If magic items gain skills by what you do then is it possible this has a skill too? In that case which is it?

I examine my Eye Wraps of Mana Sensing and compared it to My Kyhosa and this pearl, looking for the tiniest of similarities. I carefully scrutinized every bit of them. Both my magic items certainly have a marker of sorts, several for my Kyhosa. Ability markers but I cannot tell what they do. Returning my focus to the monster part I look for markers.

I am reminded of the Guardian and how she examined me to look for cursed skills. This is how she knew, skills leaves a marker of sorts on you. It's in your mana signature. Maybe, it is possible to figure out if the skill has breakthroughs or not by looking at the mana signature.

The pearl has an ability of sorts though I do not know if it's a skill. My Kyhosa for example has a marker for its battery ability.

"This is impossible!" I complain and flop onto my back. I look around my room by expanding my sphere. I have a chest in a corner with all my Kyholo gifts. Rings, candle holder, clothes, lots of seemingly random stuff. A painting of Mom and Dad with intricate designs on the frame is on my wall. Embroidered cloth blanket with designs of flowers, more accurately the flowering fruits of the bamboo trees. My bed frame also has designs burned into the bamboo. Anything that can be decorated is, that's just how the Runalymo are.

Plain and simple aren't what Runalymo aims for. Sure they can appreciate the concept of "less is more" and many things follow that, we have [Perfectionist's Eye] after all; but it's generally thought of that the more decoration there is then the more care put into the craft. This makes things take way longer to make and pretty much the only things that aren't by default decorated are construction materials, and sometimes that is also decorated.

I had the opportunity to examine the new house as it's being built and eighty percent of the reason it's taking so long is that each board is being decorated with simple designs. Most are just repeated onto each board but in some cases, there are some spots with a large design that cover many boards.

Being at a standstill with the pearl I got up and went to Chyzu's dojo. I had a question for her I hadn't asked yet.

"Where are you going?" Mom asks as I pass by her. She was taking a break from her work and was currently nursing Yafel and Yafe

"I've been trying to figure out another breakthrough but I'm just not at the level I need yet," I complain.

"Take your time, Aly, There's more to life than skills'' Mom says. We've had this discussion before but I can't help myself. I may not be trying to get an evolution anymore but it still eats away at me for wasting time.

"You need to spend more time with the other kids. Get to know people" Mom continus.

"I spend a day playing with the others every week already" I argue back.

Mom sighs. "Please take a seat, Aly" I sat down at the table.

"Aly, this is important so please listen. To live a full life there are three things you must put above all else. The first and most important is dedication to Myrou and the arts and crafts. You find fulfillment in accomplishment, and the Myrou dedication projects are only one such accomplishment."

"But I am working on that. My music, even tailoring" I retort, crossing my arms.

"Yes, but you are ignoring the other two things. The second is family, Aly. You are so focused on your skills that you haven't even played with your sisters!" Mom gave me a worried look.

"Bu-" Before I could even get a word in, Mom raises a finger and continues talking.

"Worse is the third thing to living a full life. Community! Yes, you are doing something for your sisters but how are you developing a good relationship with the community? You play with the other children but are you, friends, with them? What do you know about them? Who are their parents? Their siblings? I'm worried about you"

I pout. "They all think I'm someone great! How can I make friends with people who can't even see the real me?" I complain.

"Aly, I know you don't like that but you aren't even seeing the real you. It's alright to admit that you are good at something"

I groan, putting a hand on my chin. We've had this talk before.

"I can admit I'm a little better with my bond, but that's all there is to it!"

"You're way too stubborn, Aly." Mom sighes. "Go play with the other kids today, okay?"

I nod and left, heading toward Chyzu's dojo.

The students are doing their thing and Chyzu is watching carefully and taking mental notes to lecture them about later.

"Your Bond skill evolved, huh?" Chyzu says after I asked her my question. She took this opportunity to call all her students to gather around her.

"You can only have ten Bond skills, and you may have noticed that they don't level up." Chyzu starts off with. "Neither do they have breakthroughs. So how does one improve low-tier bond skills? Do you just remove your old skill and try to gain a better one? Well, you can do that or you can try to evolve the skill" Chyzu pauses to let her words sink in.

"Evolving your skill isn't easy but will always result in a better skill more adapted to how you used it. In Aly's case because she uses [Shape Beauty] so much her skill's form adapted to that, also the influence of her [Impart Instructions] improved it to follow its target. This is the most important thing to know. Your skills can adapt and incorporate new things, maybe even making other skills obsolete." Chyzu clears her throat and continues.

"But sometimes there may be trade-offs, you may lose an aspect of a skill if you don't or can't use it enough. Or if all you do is one thing when it can do another it may adapt to do that one thing better but lose its versatility. For example, if Aly continues to use her [Shape Beauty] to only make fairies she may lose the ability to make other shapes." Chyzu looks at everyone in the eyes.

"One of the most common forms of evolution is a straight upgrade. It'll do more damage and maybe look a little different but remains functionally the same."

This gave me some ideas. One of the things I wanted to do was make an illusory clone of myself to fool people. Sort of like my fairy familiar and not just cast by beauty magic.

Chyzu has finished her lesson. telling everyone to continue what they were doing.

I wasn't quite done. It seems like this whole bond skill evolution is very similar to how you gain Bond skills in the first place. Try something and you'll maybe get a skill. It's possible that your Bond adapts to your action and with nothing to work off of it just makes up a new skill.

First I need an illusion skill, so I use [Aura of Elegance] but use [Shape Beauty] to disperse my mana in specific locations. Then, I try my best to impose an image onto the beauty mana with [Impart Instructions]. If I can use thoughts to make instructions why not mental images. A Cherry blossom with pink leaves falling. To my expectations, I got a new skill.

Ting! You have developed a new Bond skill! Dreams of Reality!

Dreams of Reality: You can conjure illusions, anything from small details to entire areas depending on mana used.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 125!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 126!

That illusion had cost me three-fourths of my mana but to be fair it was fairly large.

Everyone stopped at the sight of a real tree, something so alien to them.

"What is that?" Wimula said, the ice mage stood entranced by the strange plant.

"J-Just something I imagined" I lie. Or was it a lie? I have a feeling it's from my past life but I honestly don't know why I conjured this strange plant.

"Your ninth skill?" Chyzu asks. I nod.

"You are so talented!" Chyzu comes in for a hug but I dodge out of the way. Falling on the ground Chyzu blinks twice. "Huh? Why'd you dodge? Come'ere, you little genius you!" What follows is a sort of game of tag as Chyzu chases me around the dojo and me running from an inevitable bone-crushing hug, my familiar fairy following me around. Sadly her stamina won out and I was held to her expansive bosom as she purrs and pets me with a huge grin on her face.

"Illusion is one of the best ways to disorient your opponent. A big part of fighting is your surroundings and if you can fool your opponent into thinking they are in an advantaged position when they really aren't then you can more easily control the flow of battle!" Chyzu explains. "Illusion is mostly a light element, but I guess beauty essence can do it too!"

"That's because beauty essence is related to light element" I supply, grumpily held in Chyzu's bosom. "Every essence is related to a parent element. Nature for earth, creativity for water, anger, and joy for fire."

Chyzu hugs me tighter, crushing the air out of me, and rubs her cheek on mine. "That's my little genius!" I try my best to wiggle out of her grasp but her strength stat is way above mine. Once I was set free I escaped the dojo so as to not be caught by Chyzu again. One day, one day I'll be able to resist her!

There was one more Bond skill I had in mind, my tenth Bond skill. I want something very similar to my familiar but fundamentally different. I use [Dreams of Reality], [Shape Beauty], and [Summon Familiar] Making an exact clone of myself, but I went further than that, I used my race's natural beauty magic to cast a clone illusion of myself, blending and weaving the bond and cast magic together.

Ting! You have developed a new Bond skill! Summon Clone!

Summon Clone: You can summon a realistic clone of yourself that you can mentally control or order around.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 127!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 128!

I summoned my clone, finding my wisdom too low to have both my familiar and clone out at the same time. The next few hours are filled with me testing the limits of my clone. I also summoned a normal clone from my race spell to compare it to.

The difference was that I can control the clone eerily similar to how I control my body. The only weakness was that I can't control my body at the same time, it's too hard for one mind. There was also something odd about the essence the clone used. It has just a tiny fraction of my unique mana. Probably because I used a racial skill to augment it. It had just been a whim, to see if and what it'll do. I can, after all, drop bond skills so I wasn't really losing much by trying.

I move my sphere to follow the clone as I walk it to the other side of the village then a sudden idea springs up in my mind. When I move my sight I can't see myself, it leaves me vulnerable, but if I split my sphere then I can solve that issue.

I focus on snapping only half my sight back to me feeling my vision go blurry as I did. Then I start seeing double, my sphere no longer in its regular shape it's now oblong. I pull on it more, feeling my vision stretch, and then, with a visual pop, I could see myself and my clone on the other end of the village at the same time.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 160!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 131!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 132!

16th Breakthrough: You've learned how to sense mana in two different locations, this will help you see more.

11th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

12th Breakthrough: 5/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 4/5)

13th Breakthrough: 5/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 4/5)

14th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

15th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

16th Breakthrough: 2/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 1/5)

That wasn't too hard. I thought. It was probably a low expert tier breakthrough. It was kind of strange, thinking of expert-tier breakthroughs as not too hard. I'd gotten most of the beginner and intermediate tier and now at my level expert is doable.

I try to walk with both my clone and my body but the most I could do was have us walk in sync with each other's movement, right leg for both then left leg. It was weird having a remote control body, even if that body isn't even physical, more like a gas if I had to describe it. It couldn't pass through solid objects, if it did it would move around it if the object was small enough.

I could see the link between me and the clone, just like the fairy. My guess is that the body control is just a higher form of giving orders. A remote control rather than actually piloting the clone.

Still, my goal is to have both me and my clone arrive at my house at the same time. For training purposes, of course with remote control and not automated orders.

It was frustrating! I had to constantly stop and readjust myself or the clone. Eventually, I managed to have my clone walk faster as it needed to travel a further distance, some good progress. Another annoyance was the constant interruptions from people. However, despite all the minor hurdles, I am now staring at my clone in the face in front of my door.

Ting! You have gained the Twin Minds general skill!

Ting! Twin Minds has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Twin Minds will now continue leveling past level 10!

Ting! Twin Minds has obtained level 2!

Twin Minds: You managed to split your mind, This will help you grow the second mind.

1st Breakthrough: Through magic or not, real or not, you have managed to pilot two bodies at the same time. This will help you manipulate both bodies as if they were your own.

... Well, this is surprising, Not even a cursed skill. Though it is [Twin Minds] not [Multiple Minds], that suggests a limit. I can already think of more breakthroughs for this, like casting two spells at once and using my bond twice at once.

Using my racial spells I summon some illusory blue fox fires and turn myself invisible at the same time, or that was the goal anyway. My timing was off.

This'll take some practice, still, can't be as hard as piloting two bodies right?

I dismiss my clone and summon my familiar and walk into the house to my bedroom to practice in privacy. The problem was that I have to cast two different spells at the same time. Spells that require me to impress my intentions onto the mana. One can see how that might not be able to work right. It was hard to not get the spells mixed and have the spell fizzle out.

In the end, I could not get the breakthrough, I settled on just practicing with my clone. Moving at the same time in unsynced movements this time, although, I often found myself moving in sync and had to correct myself many times. The after-work leisure time had me weaving beauty and creativity essence threads. Since the damage was done to my evolutions I don't really see a reason not to use [Mana Manipulation], especially in things that won't result in level-ups. Well, there's still the danger of manipulating people's unique mana but I'll be very careful to stay clear of that.

I still had the dragon silk from the Guardian but before I work on it I want to get my [Tailoring] as high as I can. I still have some time before my sisters Kyholo and I talked to Mom and Dad about going ahead with my plan. As always they were against it but I argued and they eventually relented.

As I practiced my Tailoring I suddenly had a thought.

If I can imbue my music with mana and have that produce some effects maybe I can imbue my tailoring work?

It was worth a try. My bond and prior experience should help a lot.

I use my [Imbue beauty] skill on my current stitchings. But it wasn't that easy. With music the imbuing was with air, this is a more solid thing. I watch as my mana bonded to the threads I am currently working on. It would last for a while but that's not what I want, I want something more permanent, I want the mana to bind, to stick.

I recall how enchanting basically does the same thing, but I need to use this with my [Tailoring] skill, not [Mana Manipulation]. Can I even do it? It is mana manipulation, after all, I shouldn't be able to do it. However, this isn't gaining a new skill, this should be a breakthrough. It should at least be a coin toss as to whether this will work. And it may even result in both my skills being able to get the breakthrough.

I focus on my hands, needle, and the thread attached to the needle. I pushed beauty mana into the needle and then the thread. I imbue it with mana, then I imbue it again and again. Watching the mana bind more and more. This isn't enchanting, I can't impress any identities on the mana. And this isn't manipulation so I can't will it to do as I want. This was pure [Tailoring].

The needle is just an extension of myself, the threads are the clay I mold. I tell myself this over and over again.

I enter a meditation, focusing on just the needle and the threads, picturing them as a part of me. Desiring the mana to bind as I stitch the cloth in my hands. Slowly, methodically, I push the needle through the cloths, stitching them together.

Several 'tings' woke me out of my meditation.

Chapter 33: The Makings of a Dress

Ting! Tailoring has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Tailoring will now continue leveling past level 60!

Ting! Tailoring has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Tailoring will now continue leveling past level 70!

Ting! Tailoring has obtained level 37!

Ting! Tailoring has obtained level 42!

Tailoring: You've learned and done basic tailoring, This will help you master the craft of making clothes and other cloth things.

1st Breakthrough: You've done some stitchings at a basic level, this will help steady your hand and make you more accurate.

2nd Breakthrough: You've learned to correctly measure what you need, This will help you do the math and never need to measure twice.

3rd Breakthrough: You've done some weaving at a basic level, this will help make your work more even.

4th Breakthrough: You've train your eye for fashion, this will help you find what best fits your customers

5th Breakthrough: You've used mana to imbue mana into your work. This will help you make more durable clothes and give them effects based on the mana used.

6th Breakthrough: You've entered a state of focus on the needle and threads much like a warrior will focus on his duel, This will improve all your breakthroughs

7th Breakthrough: You've managed to infuse mana into your work, giving it properties based on the mana used.

Tailoring: 9/10(Action: 5/5 Knowledge 4/5)

1st Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

2nd Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

4th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 2/5)

5th Breakthrough: 10/10

6th Breakthrough: 2/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 1/5)

7th Breakthrough: 2/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 1/5)

I didn't expect two breakthroughs. I also maxed my fifth. It was very similar to imbuing but not quite the same, It was through the aid of an enchanted item and was temporary. Reinforcing is to apply an outside strengthening. Imbuing to give entirely new properties to the thread I am working on.

I examined my work with my [Sense mana]. It seems as if the mana has blended into the threads like ink dyeing the material. But what properties does it have?

I smell another delicious [Sense Mana] breakthrough here, which was good as I was running out of ideas for more breakthroughs for it.

I focus on the new phenomenon in front of me, trying to decipher its secrets. I stare at the mana bound within the threads for a dozen minutes, a pattern slowly becoming apparent to me. A crystalline structure of sorts with mana flowing much like how the mana within the Aydomr pearl flowed.

It's stable.

Ting! Tailoring has obtained level 51!

"That's what I was missing in my [Musician] skill breakthrough" I mutter and smile.

[Sense Mana] Has to be my most useful and important skill. It has proven crucial to getting breakthroughs even in other skills, not to mention most breakthroughs that's based on mana usage typically start with two or three in knowledge levels.

Ever since I got my breakthrough in imbuing mana into sound I felt there was something more. This was it, making the mana blend into the sound become one with it. But there's one more thing I need to figure out. How does this happen? How does the mana go further than imbueing?

I grab my flute from my bed table and blow into it pushing my second [Musician]'s breakthrough as far as it'll go, desiring, willing the mana to infuse into the sound.

I saw the mana first coat the sound, then slowly, very slowly condense further into the sound. However, it was too slow; the mana couldn't seep into sound fast enough before the sound faded.

Not quite yet on this one, but almost. Just barely out of reach. I felt like jumping up and down. I knew how to achieve this one, just a matter of time and practice.

I turn to the threads and start stitching. Watching my mana slowly, too slowly seep into the threads. But I had time, I watch with apprehension as the mana slowly started to take form, condensing even further and seep into the threads, not yet taking form-

"Aly, what are you doing?"

"Kya!" With a sudden yelp, I was wrenched out of my focus and jumped what had to be a meter off my chair. "Momara?"

Mom had lowered herself to my level and had been watching me for who knows how long.

"How long have you been there?!" I asked, my cheeks turning red, flushed with embarrassment.

Mom giggled. "You were just sitting there doing nothing, I was beginning to think you fell asleep"

"I-I was trying to get a new breakthrough in sense mana, I was so close to getting too!" I complain, frustration now seeping into me.

"You have been sitting there like that for three hours Aly, we're late for the Lojyo"

The frustration at being yanked out when I was so close to another breakthrough gnawed at me. I want nothing more than to go back and try again until I have it

"Let me just get this breakthrough first" I try to bargain.

"No, Aly. There's always tomorrow for that, but now we have to go" Mom adamantly says, standing up.

"B-But I don't want to! I-" Mom cut me off.

"No buts! We are going to the Lojyo now, whether you like it or not."

Mom took me by the hand and almost drags me to the gathering.

I sigh and sat in brooding silence as people danced.

"Want to sing?" Chofel asks, walking up to me.

"I'm not in the mood," I say grumpily.

"I see, well, maybe next time" Chofel left to play music with the others.

I was silent through show and tell too. The bath at the end helped calm the frustration I was feeling. Although now that I am calm I notice I should have maybe gained a level in my fourteenth sense mana breakthrough, why didn't I?

I checked my messages and was surprised at what I got.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 170!

17th Breakthrough: You've entered a state of complete focus on your perception, this will boost all your perceptive abilities.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 138!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 141!

Honestly, it was very hard to place what got levels

But I eventually came up with this

11th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

12th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 5/5)

13th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 4/5)

14th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 4/5)

15th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

16th Breakthrough: 2/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 1/5)

17th Breakthrough: 1/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 0/5)

I'm fairly certain that my enchanting knowledge has been capped. I know how to enchant, how it works, and what it looks like, not only that but full infusion of the enchantment is probably how you make permanent or at least near-permanent enchantments like how the rumors went.

Also, it may be the case that many skills have the "state of focus" type breakthroughs. A state of total focus on what you are doing that boosts all your capabilities while in that state.

I add that breakthrough to my list of possible breakthroughs for my [Musician] and [Mana Manipulation] skills.

I also need to add mana infusion to manipulation as well. Not that I plan on getting it but it's nice to have it in case I need to quickly get it for a level boost.

It seems that many skills have overlapping breakthroughs or breakthroughs that can be applied to multiple skills. It may be the case that Infusion is something achievable for all magic-type skills.

I honestly don't understand how [Sense mana] Isn't a class skill. It's been single-handedly my best, most useful, and most pivotal skill. It alone has enabled me to do just about everything I have done. It is a skill every Runalymo should have. Honestly, with a general skill this powerful, you can't not afford to get it!

I relax back in the bath after oiling up and soak in the waters.

I have gained so many breakthroughs in such a short amount of time I honestly should stop and level them. It's getting hard to keep track of my levels. But, I just want this one more. I'm too close to not get it, plus being blue-balled has me really itching to get it now.

The next day, after morning baths I activate both my States and tried to Infuse mana into my stitching again. I watched as the mana became denser, slowly forming the structures, and then I realized something.

I've been trying to infuse the threads, but the reason why the process is slow is that I need to actually stitch and let the mana infuse into the threads and the surrounding cloth.

I got notified of a level up in [Tailoring] but I ignored that. I start the process over again slowly and methodically weaving my needle through the cloth watching the mana latch onto the surrounding cloth as webs of mana start to form and grow out from the threads. This made the process faster.

Because this is tailoring. I realize. It'll go faster because the skill is designed for it to once the stitchings have been made. That was the difference between this skill and [Mana Manipulation], the intent.

I watch as the crystalline structures formed seeping deeper into the threads, becoming a part of them, and suddenly the mana starts flowing, circulating within the patterns. The infusion had been completed.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 180!

18th Breakthrough: You've learned of and seen Mana infusion, this will help you better understand the process of mana infusion.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 142!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 145!

I sigh in relief. This one felt way too good to achieve.

With my goal achieved I got to work on my sister's Kyhosa dress, entering both of my State of Focus.

I start with a generous amount of the Guardian's mana silk. I would need enough for their adult measurements and probably extra just in case.

I made the needed cuts and began sewing. Threads of the same mana silk as the cloth, needed to be so the mana could blend and form a seamless piece, a bonus of mana silk. Soon a long flowing dress took shape. I gave [Perfectionist's Eye] extra attention and went extra slow so as to make this as perfect as I can make it. Once the dress is formed I start adding details. I made frills and laces of beauty mana accentuated with creativity mana then start on the embroidery.

Unfortunately, I also had to stop my work here. It was time for the after-work bath. I sigh and went to Mom.

She smiles warmly. "Remember Aly, you have time. You don't have to finish it today, not tomorrow, not even next week. Take your time and enjoy the free time we have after the baths. It'll help you come back to your work with a fresh mind so you don't make mistakes or rush it."

Mom was right. I should stop for today and resume tomorrow.

Once at the baths, I relax, feeling the tension seep out of me.

"How's the dress coming along?" Mom asks me.

"I am mostly done, just have a few more things to do"

"What about you, Kanato? How's the water gems?"

"Shaping up rather nicely. Will be starting the polishing phase tomorrow"

"What about you momara?" I ask.

"The water gold is difficult to work with for my bond. I have to etch the designs by hand so it's going to take a lot more time."

The rest of the day I decided to take it easy. I went to the playground and find a crowd of kids. I walk close so I could see what was going on. Tana was showing the other kids what he learned with the sword. Making a few practiced moves with a bamboo stick.

It was enough to impress a bunch of kids but after the Aydomr incident it seems irrelevant. Still, I'm happy for Tana to take off some idolization from me.

"Who's stronger? Tanafyam or Alysara?" One of the kids asks. That sparked a debate among the kids.

"Hey, why don't we ask Aly to fight Tana?"

Nope, Not happening! I cast an illusion spell to turn me invisible and walk away. I went back home and practice my singing.

The next two days I work on embroidery. I first start making outlines of dragon scales using water silk all over the dress. For the trims, I use beauty cloth and threads to make a perfect attachment to the dragon silk adding Beauty mana with mana infusion. I watch as the beauty mana spread through the dragon silk much farther and easier, forming snowflake-like structures. I made embroidery of waves on the trims using creativity silk, a bonus since creativity essence is based on the water element.

The fourth day [Perfectionist's Eye] Complained about something after I took a critical look at the dress and after a few minutes of thought, I understood why. The dress is clearly based on dragons so it needs wings! On the back, I was going to add stylized dragon wing embroidery but again my [Perfectionist's Eye] told me that was slightly off, I thought about it some more and realized why. The dress is long and flowing, If I add drapes attached to the back it'll flutter like wings and also add to the 'flowing' aspect of the dress.

I decided to splurge just a tad and cut more dragon silk in the shape of skeletal wings. Between the strips of dragon silk I sewed water silk with waves of creativity mana embroidered on it. Then I accented the waves stylishly with beauty mana; again, using mana infusion. The wings look like proper wings now.

The fifth day [Perfectionist's Eye] guided my focus to another part of the dress, telling me to revisit the scaling. I went back through and with beauty silk embroidering swirling wave patterns into each scale, mana infusion blending the beauty mana into the dragon silk. All this embroidery took up the entire day.

On the sixth day, I took a look over my work. [Perfectionist's Eye] telling me to focus more on the sleeves now. I embroider waves washing down the arms that ended with claws. For the water, I used water silk and creativity mana for the claws, all outlining so the dragon silk remained dominant. I finish this before the workday ended and all the previous embroidery work helped me learn how to be faster.

[Perfectionist's Eye] has one last complaint. The dress needed a cowled veil, for which the dragon head would take. Unfortunately, I had to make the veil material myself as I didn't have any on hand. I could weave it straight out of mana but I need the Guardians mana for that and I didn't want to be rude and just take it. Nor did I want to keep asking for more mana. Rule number one for beings with more mana than all of the superstorm, don't annoy them.

I start weaving the Veil from the dragon silk thread. It took a long time and I had to finish it the next day.

I did the same scale embroidery on it and added embroidered horns on it made of creative silk. For eyes, a mix of creativity and beauty silk is used.

I step back to look over the whole thing. It was good, but my [Perfectionist's Eye] is discontent with it. I did everything it wanted me to but my lack of experience is clearly showing. I was taught how to do laces but it's still not great and I probably should not have done something as advanced.

The veil is not uniform and the hole for the tail is off-center by just a tiny amount. Most would call this a good dress, but far from flawless, let alone what would please my [Perfectionist's Eye] like Topobe's work did.

I am not satisfied with this. This was for my sister's Kyhosa's, it has to be perfect. The only thing I can safely say was flawless was the base of the dress, everything else had to be redone. But this took me a week to do and I needed to make another, that would only leave a week left before the Kyholo, I simply don't have enough time to go over everything again.

I wonder, can I cheat? Mana silk is still mana, so can I manipulate it? Fix the problems?

I examine the mana, entering my state of focus. I watched as the mana flowed like a slow meandering creek. If I can nudge the mana I should be able to slowly fix the problems. There are a lot of problems but if I used my [Twin Minds] I should get a lot more done.

I start going every centimeter of the dress fixing the mistakes and imperfections I made.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Manipulate Mana will now continue leveling past level 200!

20th Breakthrough: You've managed to manipulate dense mana. This will help you increase your efficiency

Fuck! Oh, well. Not like any caster classes would have been open to me anyway.

Fixing the dress took three whole days to do however the gains for completing this one dress were substantial.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 123!

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 129!

This was more than I'd like.

Ting! Tailoring has obtained level 52!

Ting! Tailoring has obtained level 63!

Tailoring: 9/10(Action: 5/5 Knowledge 4/5)

1st Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 5/5 Knowledge 4/5)

2nd Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 5/5 Knowledge 4/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)

4th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

5th Breakthrough: 10/10

6th Breakthrough: 5/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 2/5)

7th Breakthrough: 7/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 4/5)

Nice! Eye for fashion leveled twice! Levels all around for this one! And this dress was considered extraordinary for weaving and stitching breakthroughs. I wonder why?

Ting! Graceful Movements has obtained level 39!

Just one.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 146!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 155!

11th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

12th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 5/5)

13th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 4/5)

14th Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 5/5)

15th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

16th Breakthrough: 2/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 1/5)

17th Breakthrough: 5/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 2/5)

18th Breakthrough: 7/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 4/5)

Ten levels between fourteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth. I need to examine more magical and enchanted items to get those up as well.

Ting! Twin minds has obtained level 3!

Ting! Twin minds has obtained level 4!

Ting! Twin minds has obtained level 5!

Twin minds: 4/10(Action: 3/5 Knowledge 1/5)

1st Breakthrough: 1/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 0/5)

I think I'm starting to understand this one. This lets you process two thoughts at once, basically giving me two brains, two processors. My second mind, however, is slow, more like a very sleep-deprived person. Leveling this skill should improve it however but I can see how this skill could become very powerful.

Chapter 34: Enchanting!

I made a second dress over the next week and fixed my imperfections. Looking over the two identical dresses my [Perfectionist's Eye] is unhappily content as if I had done the bare minimum.

It was as good as it was going to get. I simply didn't have any time to make it better. Now for the enchanting process, but how many enchantments can this hold? Dragon silk is a very high-tier material so it should hold a lot.

I focused on the dress with state of focus, my breakthrough on enchanted items suggestions somewhere around seven? Seven enchantments? I don't know what will happen if I try to use too many so a safe five should be more reasonable.

First enchantment. This needs to be durable, an armor to be worn. How should I do this? Make it harder? No, I have a feel that there's a better way to go about this, but I don't know what, it seems related to my past life. But what is it? Something about deflecting the attack? I can't make it use shield magic without using the wearer's mana.

I pace in contemplation. The solution is right at the tip of my tongue, so close, tauntingly so.

Maybe I should do the other enchantments and maybe the answer will come to me.

This needed to be a dress that can resize itself and change shape, that was the whole reason why it needed to be made entirely out of mana silk and mostly of the water type.

How should I do this though? Where will the extra silk go?

I sigh. I need the amulets that Mom and Dad made.

I walk out. The house now has several crates of stuff, ready to be moved into the new house in a few days. Mom and Dad are both going through several possessions and talking about them.

"Momara, The dresses are ready, there's just one last thing to do."

Dad sighs. "Enchanting right? We can just go to the enchanter to do it, you don't have to do it yourself." Dad argues

"It only makes sense for me to do it. My cursed skill can't do much more damage anyway. It shouldn't affect pure bond evolutions and classes nor should it affect pure crafting or art classes. I still have options even if it's not the best"

"Very well, but Aly, Don't do any more than is necessary"

Dad went to get the Kyhosa and handed them to me.

Two water gems in the shape of teardrops. They are embedded in gold fully saturated with water mana, no not just saturated there was something more going on. It was saturated but the gold itself seems to be fused with the mana. A fusion of physical material and water mana. I quickly examine my Kyhosa, finding the same thing but with Beauty and Creativity mana.

How had I not noticed this before? A mystery for another day.

The water gem is perfectly shaped and polished, it was pleasing to my [Perfectionist's Eye]. The gold work is likewise perfectly pleasing, with intricate designs of stylized dragons and waves. Even on the delicate gold chains, the designs could barely be made out.

Compared to these my work seems shoddy, how can I give my sisters such poor quality. I slightly droop my ears and tail.

"What's wrong?" Mom asked.

"Your work is so good but mine just isn't the same" I sniffed trying to keep my feelings in check. "I failed and I can't remake it." I felt so inadequate.

Mom knelt down and hugs me, patting my head.

"It doesn't have to be good, Aly. It just has to be from you. The fact that you even made them a Kyhosa gift at all is amazing, let alone at your age. It's alright, they'll understand." Mom purrs to soothe me.

I couldn't hold back my tears, crying into Mom's bosom, letting out my frustrations. Dad hugs us and joins in Mom's purring.

I soon stop crying, thanking my parents. Before heading into my room. one way or another this has to be finished. Mom and Dad worked hard on their pieces so I can't just give up on mine.

I focus on the dresses and amulets. Conjuring the image I need, a bubble of empty space large enough for the dresses to fit inside. First, the mana will be stored in the water gems. How to do that? Space, I need to first enchant the amulets to make a space inside of it. But that is an aspect of dark mana, that'll reject my light aspected beauty mana. Unless I fuse the two. Or maybe there is a workaround? Perhaps I can do a light mana storage? No, there's no other way that I can think of.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

I focus on the enchantment process. A fusion of space essence and conjuration essence. Pain rips through me as my transformed mana repeals each other. I didn't stop, instead, increasing how much mana I am using and tapping into my Kyhosa reserves.

I grit my teeth to prevent myself from crying out. Watching as a tiny amount of the essences began to fuse! I clench my fists and balled up. Not wanting to alarm my parents nor let them know I was doing this. I need to do this so all of our efforts aren't wasted.

Minutes went by and I start to feel light-headed, my heart was pounding and my vision blurs a little but I had the fused mana! Breathing heavily I impress the mana into the water gems, infusing it as best as I can.

I command my familiar to heal me in case I took damage. in hindsight, I should have done this as I was enchanting. A gentle soothing washed over me and I felt my muscles unclench. The worst and hardest part was over. I lay there, for several minutes, recovering from the ordeal.

Next, I enchant the shape-changing onto the dress, with the excess mana silk being stored in the amulets, it had to be one item once all was said and done. Water mana and beauty essence, combined, stuck together but not fused formed within me. There was more to the mana, a sort of identity, the enchantment. I pressed my hand against the dresses and pushed the mana into them, pushing even when all the mana had left. I push it until it had fully infused onto the dresses,

Four enchantment slots left. I have a defensive idea. The MM force will attract water mana to the dress and amulet. Maybe I can use that mana for a defensive shield or perhaps something retaliatory. I decide a deflective and retaliatory shield should work, impressing upon the dress the ideas and infusing the enchanting mana into the dress. The enchanted mana is simple, water mana with the enchantment identity.

Three left. A damage reduction type defensive enchantment should be what I make, how would that work? Maybe make it harder? What if I'm thinking about this all wrong? Maybe I should think of ways to pierce the defenses and counter that.

This is cloth so blunt force can easily get through it, I could make it more rigid in certain places, so how to get past the rigidness? Even if it's tough it's still cloth so it's still susceptible to needles. How to cancel that then? Solidifying it? A shell of mana? The scales!

I forge a new image in my head, of scales coming to life when willed by the wearer just as its form would change. Beauty essence and Metal essence starting to form and mix, combined not fused. Again, there's something more to the mana, I infuse that enchantment into the dress. Except the enchantment didn't take. The mana fell apart before it could fully enter the dress.

The MM force! Metal is earth aligned, this is a water-aligned dress, they repel!

With that realization, I had to think of another way to deal with defenses. Deflection? Already got that and it's not a guarantee, just the first layer of defense. Make it harder? That'll be earth-aligned and wouldn't stop the force anyway. Wait, that's along the lines of what I needed to know, force. What about the force? Why do more rigid things help against damage?

This was so frustrating! I almost have it! It's trying to wake up knowledge within me. If I move a solid object the whole thing moves but in non-rigid things you move one part and the other doesn't move unless pulled by the moving material. Why?

It suddenly clicked. Like a door had opened a wave of new knowledge floods my mind.

It was so simple, how did I not figure it out? I never needed to make it more rigid, never needed a shell. A needle only works because the force is focused. But if that force is spread throughout the whole dress you do the opposite of the needle.

I smile, having my answer. The perfect physical defense. Unfortunately, I couldn't undo my previous enchantment but I now have a better idea of how many enchantments this can take. At first, it was like looking at an empty container and taking a guess at how much it can hold. But I've now been slowly filling it up. I now know it can safely hold six enchantments. Not all enchantments were equal, some use more space than others.

I began the new enchantment, watching more water mana form as the base of the enchantment. With it successfully infused there are still three more slots to fill. Just two more types of defenses to consider. The next was easy. A boost to speed and reflexes. Speed essence is the base for that enchantment. The last would be the hardest to make work. Magic resistance.

Magic resistance will be tricky. Due to the MM force If I use water to resist fire then it'd attract water. Meaning that it's a trade-off. To get resistance in one magic you must gain a vulnerability to its opposites. This makes the earth element very useful as it's opposite to three elements; water, lightning, and wind. It doesn't attract anything except for more earth. A three-for-one deal is great, but seeing as how the dress is heavily water aligned no fire or earth-aligned enchantment will take.

There is a lot more to enchanting than I was briefly taught. The MM force makes it a messy affair. Earth would be hard to enchant because it doesn't attract anything else. Water on the other hand attracts lightning and ice. Making speed and slow enchantments work easily.

Theoretically, nexus mana should make you resist all mana, but the MM forces would kind of cancel out. Normally the nexus mana both attracts and rejects mana, creating the storm but that's because of imbalances within the nexus mana cores. Even in my Kyhosa I can see the mana swirling unevenly resulting in fields of attraction and repulsion, it is this movement of the mana that causes the MM force in mana nexuses. A perfect mana nexus would have no MM force, which would still be bad for defenses as it still wouldn't repel anything. In other words, a perfect mana nexus would do nothing, it's perfectly neutral.

So what kind of magical defense should I add? Fire and earth resistance? Hmmm, wind attracts fire, which is countered by water's rejection, a wind-based earth resistance would reject earth, and the weakness to that would be countered by the water mana. That would leave me with one more enchantment.

I add the earth resistance to the dress. Now, Maybe I can redirect the attracted mana, Ice and lightning. If that can be redirected into the amulet for safe storage and discharged later that's both a defense and offense enchantment. It's perfect!

With a combination of lightning and ice mana as a base, I look over the now enchanted dress and amulet combination. The water gem could only hold the one enchantment with some spare. It had been a large enchantment so the normal two enchantment slots are mostly filled. I guess the enchantment was worth one and a seventh, but it was worth it for a storage device. With the conjuration essence canceling out the spaces' MM force I could not fit as much space essence inside it to make a larger storage.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Manipulate Mana will now continue leveling past level 210!

21st Breakthrough: You've managed to infuse mana. This will better your infusions.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 130!

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 135!

That was to be expected. I've learned a lot about the intricacies of enchanting so I am going to at least attribute one point to knowledge. And my infusions from enchanting were bound to give me the breakthrough.

With my sisters Kyhosa complete I breathe a sigh of relief. But now I kind of want to make a storage ring for myself. I'd want a dark-aligned metal so I can store more and I wouldn't be able to store anything light aligned but I can deal with that.

Actually, this brings up a question, if all you need is space essence for a storage item, and good enchantable material is abundant here, why doesn't everyone have one? I should ask the enchanter.

I step out of my room. Although it's against tradition to show others my work we have been breaking tradition a lot lately. So much so that the poor thing has been reduced to dust.

"This is really good Aly!" Mom and Dad compliment me on the dress.

I timidly fidget. I still don't think it's as good as it needs to be but we've already had that conversation.

"I'm going to the enchanters. I have a question to ask."

"Hmm? What question?" Mom asks.

"I want to know why storage items aren't more commonplace"

"It cheapens life, Aly. We do use them in certain situations like transporting bulk materials but we have to learn to appreciate life. Always relying on enchanted items gives us a false view of the world." Dad says.

"It's also expensive for maintenance," Mom adds. "If the enchantment wears off while you are wearing or carrying a storage item it could be deadly"

Dad nods "It also destroys whatever is inside. Materializing all the materials at once will cause some to appear in the same location and cause an explosion. Storage items are exclusively used during transport and when not in use it is emptied"

I see, because of the amount of mana wearing away at the enchantments here storage items don't last long and must be maintained and reapplied. I can't imagine most people being able to infuse enchantments. Still, it sounds like it could be weaponized. Stuff a ton of rocks in storage and do something to the enchantment and cause an explosion.

I guess I didn't need to go to the enchanter's after all.

Chapter 35: A Kyhosa for Twins.

Today is the day of my sisters Kyholo. We had to wake up early, taking an early bath too. Once that was finished we walk to my much more spacious grandparents' house. A statue of Myrou was placed in the lounge to witness this event. I could smell the food being cooked for everybody

"Oh, Aly! You look lively today!" My grandmother greets me. Her taller husband is talking with others of my extended family.

"Yup! We are going to shock everyone this time too!" I look around and saw that Aunty was standing arm in arm with another. The taller woman whom Chozu (Not Chyzu, don't get confused) was so snuggly with was one of the warriors that fought the Aydomr.

Aunty is courting the warrior? I can't see Nyam liking that. Sure enough, a quick scan of the area reveals a moping Nyam in the corner.

I walk up to Nyam. "What's wrong?" Although I already knew the answer I still ask.

"Momara brought someone else, and says she loves her. Why doesn't she love Momara Eztol anymore?"

I sat down next to Nyam and thought about my answer. "Do you think Eztol would want Aunty Chozu to be sad?"

"No," Nyam sniffs.

"Aunty feels alone without Eztol. Being with the other person probably makes her less lonely."

"If Momara is lonely then I'll be with her, she doesn't need anyone else." Nyam declares.

"That's different, Nyam. Eztol would want her to do what makes her happy. You should accept that"

Nyam stubbornly grumbles. I get up and look around. Other family members have yet to arrive. But it shouldn't be long now.

Sure enough, a new influx of people from the middle and outer islands come trickling in, and soon the full swing of things came, and then the food comes out!

Caramelized Domr meat! I greedily bit into the treat, my tails swinging happily. I also got some juicy fruits in between bites of caramelized meat.

Once I had my fill I observe the adults socializing. Catching up on things, expressing worry for being so close to the center. And congratulating newborns. In addition to my sisters there are three others, quite a lot this year. I'll probably be dragged along to their Kyholos.

One thing I did not see were any trade deals going on. I guess it would be very rude to do so at a celebration for one's life. The normal annual family gathering did have some trade deals but not a whole lot.

Several people came up to me for many reasons, but the number one thing that brought them is my additional tail.

"Alysara! I hear you've taken to Tailoring, It's so nice to have a fellow tailor in the family." A particularly short woman said. She had hair almost as long as she was. "Feel free to ask any tips, I'm always willing to help" She was actually one of the few who didn't ask about my tails.

If I recall correctly her name is Liol. We chatted for a bit on tailoring work before another stepped in.

"It really is true, you have quite a rare evolution I hear, the tails look quite nice, and being so long and your fur so silky" This tall woman had the muscle definition of a Kheshamo, not a fighter but one of the olympic style bolder tossers. She wore pants instead of a skirt. I tried not looking but her pants aren't very discreet by having a codpiece.

"She's not even ten, Yolero!" Liol Chastises. Honestly, if it wasn't for Liol I wouldn't even have clued in that the "compliment" was sexual, I guess Lolicons exist in every society. I make a mental note to stay away from Yolero.

"It was just a compliment! Even you have to admit her tails are quite exotic"

I hurriedly walk away from the two.

Eventually the socializing stops and the main event starts. We all gather around in a half-circle around Yafel and Yafe who are laying on soft, fluffy pillows. the first person step forward. She set down two wooden hair clips and stepped back. She's probably distantly related so a wooden hair clip shows thought and respect for their relation to the twins.

Next was a copper necklace

Now that I think about it most surviving members would be distantly related.

A silver earring, a bangle, a lantern, a charm, just a bunch of random stuff. Most of it is accessories, but occasionally someone breaks the mold. Aunty gave two water gem bracelets.

When It was time for the Kyhosa to be given Mom and Dad walked up, I tagged along and since the dresses had too much material I couldn't hide it for the reveal.

Murmurs could be heard among a few. What they were talking about I couldn't make out.

"Again we made a Kyhosa of collective effort," Dad says. "It just made sense. For days we considered how to make a Kyhosa that doesn't fall short of Aly's, but it was her idea for this one" Dad looks at me with a smile.

"To start we have the Amulets made with a high-quality water gem. Both Kanato and I made these" Mom says. Presenting her amulet and placing it on Yafel. Dad gave the other amulet to Yafe. They made each Amulet look like a half of the whole.

I was nervous, speaking in front of a couple dozen people is still nerve-wracking.

"A-A-And I m-made these dresses. I know it's not really considered to be a good gift as it may not fit in the future but I-I made sure that they will. These dresses a-are made from mana silk, beauty essence, creativity essence, water element, and mostly the Guardian's own mana are woven to make these. T-They can change shape to fit its wearer" I stammer my speech, feeling my cheeks redden, my tails stiff and ears straight.

Muttering resounds around the room as I drape the dresses over my sisters making sure their faces aren't covered. Suddenly mana started condensing into the dresses as it had for my Kyhosa. I wasn't too surprised at this, I mean, the only two Kyholos I've attended and not slept through, mine and now my sisters have had this happen.

I took this chance to observe what was happening. The Enchantments settled more deeply into the gifts, it's mana changing to become unique mana. More mana is being pulled from the surroundings to help form the new magic item. But the most surprising thing to me was the mana silk. All of the mana silk had changed into unique mana. The outlined embroidered scales became realistic scales! The wings became realistic, horns grew out of the hood that became more head-like, taking the shape of a dragon, similar to the Guardian but with a noticeable difference. The eyes of the dragon cloth glowed with pure beauty and water mana.

A tail grew out of the dress, hollow to protect my sisters' tails. The sleeves turned into clawed gloves, looking more like gauntlets. A barrier of water seen only by me formed, ready to manifest and become real. The amulets changed, shaping into a dragon that held onto a blue water gem shaped like half a teardrop.

I am completely stunned by the transformations, I didn't know magic items could transform like this! The dress is still made out of mana silk but it looked almost real, only just enough to look like cloth at a close distance, or with good enough eyesight. I suppose moving in it would also give it away as being made of silk too.

All the attendees are stunned too, I guess this is fairly rare.

I examine the mana more closely. It... seems more powerful than my own Kyhosa, I wonder what was different. Perhaps the materials it was made with? The enchantments? Both? Dragon silk is top tier when it comes to mana silk but then again nexus gems are top tier too. I'll attribute it to my enchantments. My Kyhosa wasn't enchanted but it was blessed by Myrou, even so I can see a difference in tier between our Kyhosas, by a fairly large margin too, I doubt enchantments matter that much do they?

Maybe I'll ask the local tutorial guide on how this works, but I'll definitely want to examine this more closely when I have the chance.

It's been kinda quiet for a while now, why isn't anyone doing anything? Aren't we supposed to all say something?

I clap my hands twice to wake everybody up.

"W-we s-should all welcome my siblings t-to the world now."

There are more than a few awkward agreements.

"Welcome Yafel, Yafe, to life! We pray for your happiness and health to live a full life and may Myrou smile upon you!"

With that, the Kyholo is officially over, although the after-party is going to start. The group broke up into smaller cliques to talk about the event.

"What was with that?" I ask Dad, tilting my head a little.

She coughed a little. "Right, I forgot you never took an identifying skill."

Yafels and Yafes Kyhosa of Dragon Silk: (Heroic) (Artifact) (set)

Made with the Mana of Safyr, the Guardian of the East Nexus, and enchanted by an Expert Mana Manipulator, This Kyhosa can summon a moldable dress that will protect the wearer from danger. This Kyhosa was made by Yafel's and Yafe's family and given at their Kyholo.

+1250% to water magic. When the veil is worn +850% defense and 1250% speed when dodging. Strike forces and damage are dispersed throughout the dress. Immunity to earth magic. 70% of Ice and Lightning magic is absorbed into the battery and can be later discharged. Ice and lightning magic takes three times as much mana to store for not being of the water element. Set cannot be completed unless worn by twins of the same family. Veil can be shaped to the wearer's will and conjured and dismissed by the wearer.

Veil Conjuration, Life Link, Water battery: 300,000. Life share. Water barrier, Water sense 60/60, +50% wisdom.

... That's impressive, very focused on water so it is specialized whereas mine is more general. Makes sense that mine started out weaker now. It's harder to have a really good catch-all magic items, or it takes a ton more to make a good one.

I can definitely see the influence of my enchantments, but there's more to that. The influence of my parent's design came into play a lot too, life link and life share. Perhaps with them Yafe and Yafel can sense each other's state and even share life between them? Battery is much higher, influenced by my enchantment? But also specifically for the water element, really good for one thing but bad at the rest.

I also noticed that the (set) has to be worn by two people, twins more specifically. Sets must have all pieces worn or you won't get the full bonus. My Kyhosa is a set of three so if I only wear one piece I'll only get a third of its effects. This is strange as it cannot be worn by the same person to get the full bonus. In other words, it's way less effective on normal people.

Outright immune to earth magic and the absorption of ice and lightning, I wonder if other mana can even be put into the battery normally or if lightning and ice can only be stored via absorption? Not to mention it can't be absorbed if the battery is full.

Damage and forces are dispersed, which means to even destroy one part of the dress you must put out enough damage to destroy the whole thing at once. Very powerful but once it's gone you're completely defenseless. Also since forces are spread out too piercing won't work either, I doubt you'd die even from falling at terminal velocity in those things.

Veil conjuration is pretty much as I intended, it is even counted as the same item and not even as a separate piece I think?

Last thing to note is the water sense ability. I didn't think something made from me could get a lesser version of a skill from me and still get high levels from it.

All in all, This certainly looks powerful, and it very much is, but it's also more specialized. While it is a higher tier than mine, mine is in a way equal to it.

Naturally, the Kyhosa is the talk of the after-party, Heroic magical items are probably a once in a century kinda thing maybe even a once in a millennia, even my Kyhosa only started at Major.

Soon the afterwork baths came and after that everyone went back home, they have a long way to go to get back so the after-party can't last too long.

Three days later I resolved to finally upgrade my charm skill. Using my [Dreams of Reality] I create a scene. I have a vague idea of Samurai and wanted to expand on that, hopefully, the memories would wake up more than they are now.

"H-halt, villainous s-scum!" I point a sword at some cliche thug-looking illusion. A scar over her face and crooked teeth, her large ears looks torn like stray cat's and her tail has bald spots. There is something not quite right about this scene. Both my memories and [Perfectionist's Eye] are complaining.

Wasn't the sword supposed to be curved? I alter the sword but it didn't quite fit. Too much of a curve?

I went through several iterations of the sword before I got it right. Another memory lighting up its dark room.

I change the sword to a katana and the scene unpaused. [Twin Minds] working overtime to make the thug move. Although the mouth moved no sound is made. Beauty essence it was, not sound essence.

Suddenly a large swirl of dark mana swept through my illusion, erasing a path of the scene and revealing my room. The beauty mana recondenses to recreate the destroyed image.

"O-Oh? is that so? Then have at me!" I spoke my line and rush toward the thug. Suddenly two more came out of the alley.

"Tch! Had backup? No matter, I shall cut you all down!"

I had to move slowly to allow my other thoughts to manipulate the scene as needed. I help too and my breakthrough for manipulating multiple bodies played a large role in the effectiveness of the scene.

I slash down on the first thug, then turn and parry a downward cut from the second thug. With a flick of my wrist, I cut off the hand of the second thug and dodge the swing of the third thug. Ramming my sword through the third thug I kill them all.

Blood pools from under them. I start feeling queasy and remove the blood. Gotta keep it child-friendly!

I sat down and sigh. Still no upgrade. This has been my third attempt, what am I getting wrong?

At this point, I am considering just dropping the skill and geting [Acting] normally.

I play through several other scenes. A cold calculating merchant, a ship captain, a sellsword, a maid, a street urchin. A week of practice.

I wasn't just playing the role, it was being the role, becoming someone else. I was no longer Alysara the blind child, I was now Gulain the doctor, someone who tries her best to save every life that visits her clinic.

Ting! Congratulations! Charm has upgraded to Acting!

About damn time!

Ting! Acting has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Acting will now continue leveling past level 40!

Acting: you have used words or actions to significantly change some's course of action. This skill will help you charm people easier.

1st Breakthrough: You have convinced someone to give you something they normally wouldn't have, this will let you master the manipulative ways to get what you want.

2nd Breakthrough: You have used your cute wiles to avoid punishment. This will help you master getting and keeping away from the consequences of your actions.

3rd Breakthrough: You've purposely increased your cuteness essence to charm others. This will make it more effective.

4th Breakthrough: You've managed to assume a role, This will help you act like another person.

Ting! Acting has obtained level 27!

Ting! Acting has obtained level 30!

Acting: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

2nd Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

4th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

I think I understand the method now. It's not just that you have to successfully do it to upgrade, you also have to get the same levels. My base charm was 10/10 so I first had to get 10/10 in acting for it to upgrade.

I left my room to brag to Mom and Dad about upgrading my skill and how I think skill upgrades are done.

"That's wonderful, Aly! Congratulations!" Mom says with a smile.

"When you put it like that it does make sense," Dad says after giving her congratulations.

"I guess this marks a new start for all of us. After today we'll be moving into our new house and tomorrow we'll be opening our shop" Mom said.

"Of course our first ever product will be dedicated to Myrou" Dedications to Myrou are shown at the Lojyo and it's a great way to advertise, show off skill, and attract customers.

I went into my room to finish packing up whatever hadn't already been moved. I look around the now empty room, feeling a tad nostalgic. A new beginning for our family.

Chapter 36: The things that happened.

Yafel and Yafe ran away from me as fast as they could go, Giggling. I cast my invisibility magic and create my clone simultaneously, my [Twin Minds] taking over the second body with masterful ease.

My longer legs carry me further, and I soon overtook my sisters, still thinking I was behind them. Once I am far enough in front of them I reveal myself.

"Rawr! Got you now!" I caught them in a hug then start tickling their sensitive sides.

"N-No fa-fair!" Yafel says between laughs.

"You didn't use sense mana, did you? It's your own fault!"

"But it hurts to use it!" Yafe complains. Fair enough. It was because it hurt that I didn't use it and then got [True Sight]

I did what I could for them, even using [Mana Manipulation] to create a less dense area, so it was only unpleasant for them.

"The pain will only go away as you level your first breakthrough. You are already at level six in it so it really shouldn't hurt all that much. If you pay attention to my lectures you'd be at level eight, then all you'd need is the extraordinary and extended use levels and then you'd feel no discomfort at all"

The twins cutely pouts. I notice the build-up of cuteness essence within and headed them off again.

"No using charm on me!" I say, bopping them lightly on the head.

"It's not fair! How can you tell?"

"Sense Mana!" I says with a big grin.

I had practiced [Acting] with my sisters and they got the skill a lot easier than I had to. Then again, I upgraded my skill, they did not.

[Acting] is a lot more fun and productive when playing roles with my sisters. My [Dreams of Reality] really helps create a realistic setting and I could even augment it with normal beauty magic. It took concentration to move things with my bond skill, but I managed to create pre-programmed illusions to add special effects.

I even used my [Acting] in front of the Lojyo and got tons of compliments for my display. I had Chofel use her magic to create sounds as I could not, well, I could but I'd have to use [Mana Manipulation].

It's been nine years since I reincarnated and Mom had said that they have something important to talk to me about for when I turn ten next year.

After playing with my sisters for the workday I took them to the baths to rendezvous with Mom and Dad. After the baths we went home. Walking into the storefront and through a side door that led upstairs.

Me, Mom, and Dad sat down at the table after getting a plate of sliced, caramelized fruit chips.

"You're going to turn ten years old next year, Unlocking your class and probably another race Evolution. But for now, we need to talk about Stats." Dad Says.

"You gain fifteen stat points every time you level up and they can be spent into Mana, Mana generation, Vitality, Strength, Agility, Endurance, Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma," Mom says

"This will change things, Aly. For example, [Dancing] should be effortless to level with high Agility, yet it's not. Ever since you discovered the knowledge of skill levels we've since been able to figure out that action levels increase in difficulty the higher your stats are."

"Wait, if higher stats make it harder to level skills, why do you all say I am a genius? It's because of my low stats right?" I ask, putting a fruit chip in my mouth.

"That's a fair question. Perception skills don't have a stat to work off of so it's an outlier, it doesn't get harder so your high Sense mana skill is proof of your talent. Also, the difficulty increases with your ability to accomplish the level so it evens out. The only problem being that with some skills with a high enough stat you may not be able to find a situation to actually level up the skill" Dad says

I thought about it for a second. "So If I have fire resistance and a super high endurance I'll have to seek out ever hotter flames to level up the skill?" I ask, eating another chip.

"Yes," Dad nods.

"And if I raise my Charisma too high I'll need to impress ever stronger beings with [Acting]?"

"Yup," Mom says.

"So I need to get my skills as high as I can before using points? Or use points only when I need them?"

Mom and Dad smiles. "There will be cases when you want to increase your stats, like if you don't have a related skill. That'll be strength for you, so you don't need to worry about that."

I see, raising intelligence and wisdom would make it harder for me to level [Mana Manipulation] and [Twin Minds]. [Acting] and [Musician] are charisma based and [Tailoring] and [Graceful Movements] are agility based. [Pain Tolerance] [Sense Mana] and [True Sight] are perception based.

While I am tempted to put all my points into Intelligence to hinder [Mana Manipulation] I haven't even gotten any class skills yet so they might be Intelligence related too.

"So even if I level a lot, I shouldn't use my stat points until I get my class skills to a high level, right? Class skills do work like general skills right?"

It's a reasonable assumption, If cursed skills are class skills and they work the same way then why would they not level up and gain breakthroughs

"See, Aly, you are smart, give yourself more credit"

I frown. "It's just logical..." I mutter. Mom and Dad giggle at that.

Still, this was very useful information. I probably would have spent my points and made things worse for me, now I know that you don't always want to use your points.

The next day I attend Chyzu's dojo, It is the day when warriors would spar with the mages. There are several new apprentices in both dojos, some, like me and Tana, are also younger than ten years old, training to be Kheshamo fighters.

We must have started a new thing as the now four pre-ten-year-olds are training basics. Chyzu is still making me do stances although I had gotten good enough to not need the practice. Tana on the other hand could at least hold his own against classed students, which is very impressive. The warrior prodigy has been diligently practicing the martial arts, never missing a day in the dojo.

Tana's parents had expressed worry just as mine do that we are hyperfocused on improving ourselves.

I Kinda blame myself for Tana as he is always saying "I must catch up to you". The other children are always trying to get me and Tana to fight and see who's the strongest, something I've always avoided.

The following day I train with Topobe, making clothes that [Perfectionist's Eye] is fairly satisfied with. I even sold mana silk to have some pocket change. This was a great opportunity to improve my [Acting], taking the role of lifelong merchant netted me great deals. It was awesome, whenever I assumed the role new instincts would begin telling me how to act and gave me a sense of value for whatever I am dealing with. The only downside is that I must act the role.

[Acting] is potent, I wonder what its class version is like when the general skill is already this good. Actually, I can already guess it's going to be something along the lines of [Shapeshifting] or [Doppelganger], those sound like class skills.

By assuming the role of a Tailor I can further improve my skill, making clothes that not only satisfy but please my [Perfectionist's Eye] at the same level as Topobe. It didn't make me a master but simply gave me a boost. If I used it for woodworking I'd still make crap, just less crappy.

At times I've been made to help around the family store. We sold jewelry, metal trinkets, enchanted items, Mom and Dad finally gave in and let me do that. We even made armor for the village defenders, which came in real handy when another, weaker Domr attacked the village. It was only level one-thirty and was easily killed.

I even sold some of my crafts as well. My most popular is the dress of flying. It's made entirely out of air mana and enchanted to lift you up in the air for a short amount of time. The dress is made with tons of material to increase lift. It's also made with an air or dark gem to allow for more enchantments used for flight such as decreased weight when wearing the dress.

I sort of revolutionized the Enchanting scene too. It just happens that [Sense Mana] pairs super well with it that many enchanters come to this village once a month for the skill lectures. Before most enchantments were for cosmetic reasons. And while there was the occasional flying enchanted item, due to the enchantment degradation most didn't bother. Now that I spread the knowledge of mana infusion, enchanted items are starting to become a lot more common now that the enchanters had time to improve their skills.

Mana weaving has also boomed lately, with the increased demand for enchanted items so is the demand for mana weaved silk increasing.

The Storm Wardens are also teaching [Sense Mana] after being deployed to various villages and I no longer have to teach them. The Priestess that had survived the storm became the High priestess and has taken over the role of Storm Warden trainer.

[Sense Mana] is becoming a staple skill in Runalymo society, though many are discouraged by the initial pain brought about by the high mana density here.

Seven Storm Wardens have also reported qualifying for a Major tier class, Storm Warden Defender. Apparently, they can [Calm Storms] and [Control Mana], the lesser version of [Manipulate Mana], but will allow them to do what I did to save the village from the super storm.

Our village despite doing so well has actually lost people over the years. With the new storm wardens, people feel safe to rebuild and re-inhabit the lost villages. Wealth and opportunities are always a driving factor in forming new settlements.

Despite the loss in people, trade with the lost islands has brought back several products. More ores to work metal, fruit, and bamboo from specialized trees. There are hundreds of types of the bamboo-like trees due to thousands of years of selective cultivation. Wood with a red color. Wood with more water mana, fruit saturated with ice mana for a nice fire storm treat. Hundreds of products are slowly coming back, a reminder of those we had lost from that tragic storm.

I walk to Efula's ice cream stall and placed two coins on the counter. The coins are made from cheap Fydomr pearls and shaped in a round coin-like shape. I held my money in a pouch on my belt. Crime is almost non-existent so no one worries about thieves. I would have kept my money in my storage ring but Mom and Dad don't like me doing so. They still don't trust storage items not randomly exploding if it has things in them.

"You don't have to pay the full price Aly" Efula says with an exasperated sigh.

"You deserve it, besides it's not like I'm hurting for money right now," I reply, stuffing a spoon full in my mouth. I purr with contentment as I ate. "By the way," I says between bites "there's going to be an ice storm in about four days" I inform her. Much like my previous world, ice cream sells more on hot days and less on cold days.

I've gotten good at sensing storms. I can now sense them five days in advance. The signs are very hard to see and even harder to attribute to the storm but it's there. The slight trembling of the mana, how it drifts down more slowly, how the currents change ever so slightly.

After I was done with my bowl I purchased two more for my sisters, promising to bring the bowls back later.

I walk back and think about my Bond gains, my familiar following me as it always does. No one pays any it heed anymore, it might as well just be a fancy necklace. I keep it summoned for healing just in case, also useful when someone hurts themselves or if I stub my toe.

I had kept killing Domrs whenever I had a chance. Whenever we needed more Domr pearls for jewelry Dad and I would go out on a boat and I'd blast the little buggers with my [Fairy Strike]. I had always gone for the ones under level one hundred. With my Kyhosa I can easily blast them with little resistance.

Turns out enchanted items aren't super great for boosts. I made a hair tie that only gives a plus one hundred percent, It also matters the quality of the material used. Dragon silk still boosts water by five hundred to seven hundred percent, but then again I'm not a water mage and that only works if I use all its enchantment allowance to only boosts. Another downside is that you can't stack bonuses. If you have one item with plus fifty percent and one with plus five hundred you get five hundred not five-fifty.

Enchantment allowance can be thought of as 'slots'. One basic enchantment like an illusory effect will only take about a half slot, useful ones like standard defensive ones or boosts take one full slot on average. Advanced ones like storage and flying take one and a half. With several tests, as well as just asking a few knowledgeable people like other enchanters and merchants. I found out that one 'slot' of storage can hold one cubic meter of storage.

Another factor in enchantment allowance is the size of the object. One day, after killing Domrs with Dad we dove to collect their bodies, one of the only times dad allows me to use my storage. I found a huge dark pearl in a recently slain Udomr. It holds about five slots for enchantments but it's the same size as my Aydomr's ice pearl, about the same size as my head. Not exactly a trinket you can wear easily.

Since the body of that Udomr was fairly recent we had to choose a new spot to hunt Domrs. Because whatever had killed that large Udomr had to be much stronger.

Still, with all of that, I was able to get my Bond to level one-ninety-one. Killing Domrs, however, is taking a lot more to level my Bond up. I am confident I can get to two hundred by the end of the year but any further won't be possible.

Returning home I give my sisters their bowls of ice cream.

"Thank you! Aly" It was a tad unsettling how they both said that at the exact same time. They happily stuff their face with the creamy treat.

Tomorrow is the meeting with the Guardian. Perhaps I should ask the guardian for advice for classes.

Chapter 37: The Dragons Advice

Mom stayed behind to look after the twins while Dad and I meet with the Guardian.

I've made some progress over the last few years, but I have only gotten one more breakthrough in [Sense Mana]. A sign that I've learned most that I can or just don't know what else about mana I can study.

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.

13th Breakthrough: You've observed and learned the mana interactions of magic items. This will help you better understand the process of magic item empowerment and creation.

15th Breakthrough: You've seen and learned how mana interacts with monsters and monster parts. This will help you better understand the process of monster creation and death.

19th Breakthrough: You've observed and learned how Mana interacts with mundane materials. This will help you better understand the interactions in materials

13th Breakthrough: 7/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 4/5)

15th Breakthrough: 7/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 3/5)

19th Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 5/5)

With thirteen I had studied my Kyhosa extensively yet there are still some things I am not understanding and I think it's related to the highest tier magic items, but I could be wrong. I also have two action levels I am missing, one is for sure the extraordinary achievement, the other is probably sensing a lot at once. Both of which I was able to gain for enchanted items. There just aren't enough magic items in one place to get the level, and I don't know of a powerful enough magic item to get the extraordinary one.

Fifteenth I know what I am lacking in. Monster creation. I have yet to observe a monster come into existence. Many think that they are formed from mana though I don't know how nor why. Why is it that only Domrs are spawned here? In such a mana-dense area why not more powerful monsters? I just don't understand.

Nineteenth I gained from watching dad work with mana metals. There's a process that goes beyond mana infusion and fuses mana and mundane material into one. This I mostly understood with the reemergence of my memories, mostly atomic theory. The Elements of, say iron, and fire mana fuses. As if the fire mana particle or whatever gets trapped in the nuclei of the atom. I still don't know how that happens but I know enough to satisfy five levels in knowledge.

If I do know how it happens I might be able to make beauty essence metals. Heck, I could make Myrou gold! Even Nexus gems wouldn't be impossible but that'll likely kill me from the [Mana Manipulation] backlash.

I want to get my [Sense Mana] to two hundred before my race evolution but there's only one more breakthrough I can think of getting and I've been working on it so much already. I am getting close, very close, but not quite there yet. I'd also need to level it up to at least eight to get to my mark. I suppose I could sense mana in a mana starved area but even with my manipulation I can't create that, there's just too much mana at the nexus.

As we pass over the geothermal vent I saw a Fydomr growing to worrying size. Still manageable but we wouldn't want it to get any larger. I sent several [Fairy Strikes] until it's dead. By having three fairies distract it I prevent it from retaliating against the boat.

Ting! You've killed a Fydomr (Minor), Flame claw Level 68 (Minor), extra experience has been rewarded for under level and being solo.

We Land at Temple island and start walking down the long stone path.

"Last time you are going to meet the Guardian before age ten, that we've planned at least," Dad says. "Anything you want to ask?"

"More things about classes, I guess. She will definitely know a ton. Also about what's better, a non-caster or bond class. Chyzu already explained the pros and cons but hearing from someone with tens of thousands of years of experience is more reliable."

Dad nodded expectantly. We chat until we neared the Guardian. Unlike all the previous times The guardian wasn't resting but instead waiting for our arrival.

"Approach little one, We have much to talk about," The dragon says in her most teacher-like tone I've heard before. Again the image of a dragon with a pair of glasses and a chalkboard came to mind.

"Next year you are going to unlock your class, there are several things you should know, especially so since you desire for improvement and your Heirloom race will drive you ever forward. I assume you've been told of the caster classes and bond classes?" The Guardian asked.

"Yes, Guardian," I say with a nod. Trying my best to push back against the dragon's overwhelming mana. I had gotten another breakthrough in [Mana Toxicity Tolerance] and its levels shot up fast due to my meetings with the Guardian.

4th Breakthrough: You've learned to push against higher mana density to prevent or lessen mana toxicity, this will help you further resist the pressure

"Good, that saves us time, and potentially another visit. Then I will start by informing you on the limits of classes. Classes are soft-capped, much like your skills are. Your class can only reach the level as the sum of the ten class skill levels" The dragon pauses to let that sink in.

So if every skill is level one hundred the max class level is one thousand? That would mean I want the absolute best class skills to maximize the level I can obtain.

"Caster classes and non-casters can only get so powerful before they stall, their power is finite. Bonds, however, don't have skill levels, and thus aren't subject to any limit, their potential is infinite" again the dragon pauses

"So what you are telling me is if I want the highest potential class I should choose a bond class? Because it's dependent on a source with no limits it, in turn, has the same potential?"

"Yes, Little one. Although you will be less versatile the amount of strength you have will allow you to power through most trials. You have it even better with your [Mana Manipulation] skill, that can cover your weaknesses to some degree. It is one of the most powerful class skills too, one with great potential. I once met a mage with it, that mage had gotten it to level five hundred"

Five hundred?!

"What's the average potential for class skills?" I ask.

"Depends. Some are very strong but with low potential, some are weak with very high potential. The best class skills are both strong and have high potential, though those are few and rare. You must also know that your bond class skills are tailored to your bond skills and are thus typically low potential, although that is outweighed by your bond's unlimited level potential."

I reexamined the Guardian's classes, Four water classes, the same as her bond and one essence based class, but the essence is still weird, almost like a unique essence.

"You have four bond classes, don't you? What essence is your fifth? It seems more like your own mana signature, but slightly different" I am not sure if I am overstepping my position, but the worst the Guardian will do is just dismiss me, I hope.

To my relief the dragon smiles. "Your observation is impressive, that is good it will help you survive. I have one bond class for my general bond, my other three focus on bond skills. My fifth class I will keep secret. I will warn you, however, if you ever see a creature with a similar class, never provoke it, if it is hostile or potentially hostile, run"

That is actually scary, I will take heed of that advice.

"Now onto the main reason why I want to talk with you." The Guardian looks at Dad. "Give us some privacy, Little one," The Guardian says, more of a command.

Dad bows and walks out of earshot.

"Do you know what a legacy soul is?" The Guardian asks

I slowly nod.

"So the great spirits did inform you. There were others I've even met some, it's always a rare occasion"

I wonder how long ago that was and if they are still alive.

"Do you know of legendary actions?" The Guardian asks.

I thought for a while but nothing seemed to ring any bells. I shook my head.

"When an entity does a legendary action it is broadcasted throughout the realm. Everyone will know about it."

Hang on, that does sound familiar, all those messages about slaying great beings.

"The entity obtains a legendary point that they can then spend to upgrade a class or race by one tier, up to legendary tier. It is the only way to obtain such a tier outside of being born with it like elementals and us dragons." There was a hint of pride within the Guardian's voice.

I silently listen and save my questions.

"Likewise, when a legendary entity dies it is also broadcasted throughout the realm, this you know well enough by now. This is my first warning, those you call gods found a way to inhabit the space between realms, they will receive notification from all realms, you can't hide great feats from them"

I see, so they can keep tabs on powerful beings.

"But this also means that the great spirits cannot hide their legendary action from us. You should know what this means"

Myrou said they thought I was impossible. "Does that mean everyone knows about me?" I blurt out

The Guardian chuckles. "Yes and no. You were first found by the Great Spirit Myrou a thousand years ago"

So they did extensively study me

"Then about nine years ago your soul was seeded into this world, this like all reincarnated legacies, was considered a great feat. Not because reincarnation is particularly rare or hard to do but because of some other requirement, Likely it was vastly more likely that your soul would have fallen into another realm long before being found but it was mentioned that you survived the Great Calamity, something far beyond a legendary action. Not only that your soul is one of a kind, a Primordial Soul, a Primordial Legacy."

I think I know where this is going.

"You are an impossibility made real, defied all odds. It was thought that legendary is the peak tier but now it is known that there is one above that, mythical tier. You have a mythical tier point, little one."

I am getting "you are the chosen one" vibes from this.

"First, do not spend your mythical tier point. While it can increase the tier of your race or class it can only make you mythical tier if you upgrade from legendary or perhaps if there is a tier between legendary and mythical then you'd need to upgrade from that, so you should save it for that. This is a one time deal you will likely never be able to get another one, do not waste it"

I nod. There's just one problem when I look at my stats no such point is there.

"Is there a problem?" The Guardian asks, noticing my frown.

"I don't have a mythical tier point"

The dragon just chuckles again.

"It unlocks at the same time your class does at the age of ten"

That makes sense.

"How many legendary points will I need to become legendary?" I ask.

"You can get to exalted tier through normal actions, although it's hard for creatures like yourself to do so. A major tier is reasonable for average individuals, over the course of their life, that is. Talented individuals could get as high as grand or even heroic. It would take a particular individual of note to reach exalted if my observations are correct. Assuming a major tier it would take four legendary points, but anyone who is capable of such a thing would be at least heroic in their class and race"

So as little as one point and as much as three.

"What's better to upgrade, race or class?" If there is a knowledgeable ancient being willing to be my tutorial guide I'll take it.

"Usually class is better, it is stronger but if you are looking for immortality then know that all legendary races do not age, giving you more time to get stronger and more opportunities to gain more legendary points for your class."

"Won't being stronger make it easier for you to gain more legendary points?"

"Sometimes, Sometimes not. If you don't have a class for crafting it'll still be hard to achieve a crafting based legendary action. Slaying a legendary being always grants one point, but it's almost never worth spending it"

"Why's that?"

"Spending the points applies that achievement to your class or race. You already know that better achievements factor in your race evolution, say you survive a volcanic eruption and apply that to your race, you would become immune to fire and lava, or at least highly resistant. Killing an earth elemental when you are already legendary does little to upgrade your current path, or it could alter your desired path in a direction you don't want it to, sometimes it's wisest to not spend legendary points"

I see, actions you achieve are more likely to line up with how you want to build your race and class. A physical achievement for a mage doesn't work out in the mage's favor.

"But that also applies to my mythical point too, right? I may not want to spend it?"

The Guardian fell silent for a moment as if she hadn't considered that. "Yes, it is most likely a survival based achievement so it may force your class or race to be more focused on survival and defense. Defense is always a good thing, however, so the risk is low"

But not zero, it's something to consider, and who knows, maybe I'll get better mythical points.

"Can you apply legendary points to skills and bonds?" It was worth asking.

"Technically yes," the Guardian says to my surprise. "It may force a breakthrough in skills, but that is very unpredictable and may make you unable to max out your skill level, or it could corrupt the skill, turning it into a cursed skill. If you want to empower your skill, however, it must be because you achieved a legendary action by using that skill. For example, if you noticed an ailment thought to be incurable with your [Sense Mana] and found a cure you could gain a legendary action, that would be safe to use. Properly empower skills don't force a breakthrough, instead, the skill becomes vastly more powerful; double the level cap, and increase its per-level power increases."

I see, the skill would probably become super strong in that case but that's probably extraordinarily rare to do.

"As for bonds, It could end up changing your bond element and reset its level. If that's what you are looking for then sure but if it's not I recommend only applying a legendary point that corresponds with your element or essence. Slaying an earth elemental and using that to boost your earth bond would empower it"

So legendary points used on Bonds can give great rewards but if used carelessly it can really damage you.

By now it was getting hard to breath and my hands were shaking from the stress of mana toxicity.

"You must rest now. You have a year to prepare for your classes make use of the time you have"

I bow to the Guardian and retreat, taking Dad's hand as we walk back to the boat.

Chapter 38: Analyzing

I beat the drum, sending earth mana into the sound, the deep reverberating like a heartbeat. Chofel used her sound magic to make her flute sound like a whispering wind flowing over hills. The other players start their instruments to build up tension as I start beating the drum harder and faster as if announcing the arrival of a dark lord.

More instruments started, as if to announce the arrival of the opposition forces of good. A chorus started as the tensions built and soon a crescendo spilled forth as if an announcement of the war. A battle of dark and light, of despair and hope on the ever bloodier battlefield. A little beating of drums like the pitter patter of rain started.

A sad lonely melody brought news of the death of someone important before the angry rage filled tune brought the final confrontation to the dark lord. The climax brought forth the death of the dark lord and the triumph of good. The epilogue of the song was that of the hero returning to her home and going back to her family.

Ting! Musician has met requirements for a breakthrough. Musician will now continue leveling past level 110!

Ting! Musician has obtained level 109!

Ting! Musician has obtained level 110!

Musician: You have a base knowledge of music and several types of instruments

1st Breakthrough: You've played a wind based instrument to a beginner level. This will help you master this instrument.

2nd Breakthrough: You've imbued mana into sound. Effects may vary and adapt to the type of song.

3rd Breakthrough: You've instilled an emotion in your audience. This will help you do so again with more ease.

4th Breakthrough: You've trained your voice to sing at a beginner level. This will help you master singing.

5th Breakthrough: You've managed to imbue your feelings into your music, this will help you touch the hearts of others.

6th Breakthrough: You've played a key based instrument to a beginner level. This will help you master this instrument.

7th Breakthrough: You've played a string based instrument to a beginner level. This will help you master this instrument.

8th Breakthrough: You've played a percussion based instrument to a beginner level. This will help you master this instrument.

9th Breakthrough: You've played a wheel based instrument to a beginner level. This will help you master this instrument.

10th Breakthrough: You've managed to infuse mana into your music, Able to cast magic attacks and effects through sound.

11th Breakthrough: You've told a story through music, this will help you bring images to the minds of others through non-verbal communication.

Musician: 10/10

1st Breakthrough: 10/10

9th Breakthrough: 10/10

10th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 5/5)

11th Breakthrough: 2/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 1/5)

"Did you get your breakthrough, Aly?" Chofel asked.

"Yup! Thank you for helping me!"

"That one is always hard to get by yourself, If you need any more help with any more feel free to ask!"

I had been working on this one for a long time, finally, I asked for help from one of the best [Musicians] I know. Having the same skill and she being more experienced, I was confident that she'd know how to get this one.

The next day I sit down in front of the large Aydomr pearl I had. I peer into it, trying to figure out what it does. I had learned that several properties can be retained if you use the materials correctly, but it's really hard to do. I've been working with dad but we still haven't found a way to not destroy the unique mana in the materials.

According to Dad only the best of the best can do it.

I looked at the pearl, noting how the mana moved. Ice mana is drawn into the pearl by the MM force and flows through the crystalline structure. The mana is shaped and transformed into unique mana. Eventually, so much of this unique mana would be built up a buffer that is constantly worn away by ambient mana.

I've learned that magic items and magic materials, even people, can be tracked by leaked unique mana, flowing on mana currents.

It's all in the mana signature. There's an empowering effect in the pearl, not a skill. It doesn't increase ice magic. The mana signature for the magical effect specifically is different from my Kyhosa, there aren't any similarities. Nor does it increase defense. There are no similarities to my sisters Kyhosa. What could it be?

I had compared it to everything I could think of. Other monster materials, other magic items, enchanted items. I even compared it to other people and their skills, everyone I met.

I sigh and stretch. Same deal as always. Sit in front of this puzzle and learn nothing. I walk out of my room, expanding my sphere. Mom is trying on a dress I had made. To help me with one of my breakthroughs I made Mom some clothes to try and level up my eye for fashion, it has helped a lot. Mom looks in the mirror and smiles.

"You're improving," Mom says, noticing me walking toward her room. With the help of spells, one can make a mirror just as reflective as modern mirrors, if not even better. Too bad I can't see reflections, not that I really need to, to see myself. Although Mom has [Sense Mana] she still needs the mirror to see mundane colors.

Hang on. Mirror. Self. I've yet to compare myself to the pearl. I do have some crazy skills, [Twin Minds], and [Graceful Movements], not to mention my cursed skills. Obviously, the magical effect won't be the same but any similarities helps.

"Anything that can help?" I ask Mom. What are the chances I had the answer all along?

"Hmmm, It's mostly choosing the right dye. Your colors match, but the specific shade of color is off."

By choosing a dye based on its saturation of mana I can tell the difference of color but only to an extent

"Which colors do you think would fit best here?" I ask, moving to a selection of samples.

"This one," Mom said, picking one up. Its mana saturation looks nearly identical to the ones next to it.

I just shook my head. "I can't tell the difference" Perhaps I just need to level up my [Sense Mana] more.

"You'll get it eventually, just take your time," Mom said.

I nod and went back to my pearl.

Let's see just how much I won't be able to learn.

I examine my skills and Bond, looking for any semblance of similarities. To my surprise, I found one. The pearl's mana signature has a tiny fraction but it's something. It's like looking at a small piece of a puzzle but now having seen the larger picture. There's something off, it's altered slightly.

It's not a skill, the item isn't Heirloom tier, so it has to be an enhancement of some type. And the signature suggests it is related to [Mana Manipulation] definitely not the same but the Aydomr use a form of [Ice Manipulation].

That's it! The pearl enhances the ability to manipulate ice mana!

Joy wells up in me and I felt like jumping up and down, but there's more to figure out. How much does it Increase it by? That one is easy. The monster was minor tier so it should be around 50%, however, it was a high level one so I am guessing on the higher end.

Now that I know what to look for can I see the similarities of the amount it enhances by? I have several sources for that. My Kyhosa and race. I examine the mana signatures, breaking them down in my mind and cross referencing them. It was like trying to find two identical looking straws from a hay bale. I don't know how long I sat there trying to see the differences.

It gives a 65% bonus to ice manipulation. It was a sudden realization. The amount is so small compared to my other references but by having three points of reference, even if I didn't know one, I was able to do the math.

Suddenly a new color filled in the mana signatures around me as several 'Tings' notified my success!

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 200!

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 210!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 194!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 200!

20th Breakthrough: You've learned to differentiate the properties of mana signatures, This will help you see the difference of skills and other similar magical signatures.

21st Breakthrough: You've learned to Analyze through Sensing Mana, This will help you learn more about people and objects.

13th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 4/5)

14th Breakthrough: 10/10

15th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 3/5)

19th Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 5/5)

20th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

21st Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

I hit two hundred in my skill! Finally, after stagnating for so long! I had only expected to get one breakthrough not two but I'd take it!

Now show me what you've got!

Aydomr Pearl of Ice Manipulation: Enhances Ice manipulation by 65%. 23 enchantment allowance.

Twenty three huh,? That is just over two slots, so each slot is ten allowance?

This was so cool! I can finally use [Analyze]! And I didn't even need to use a skill slot for it!

"Well? Are you going to keep jumping up and down or are you going to tell us?"

With a jolt, I snap my sphere to its maximum range only to see Mom and Dad smiling at me in the doorway.

With the biggest grin I have, I bragged about my latest success.

"You're going to have to teach us that breakthrough once we get there," Dad says proudly.

"Level two hundred before your class unlocks, now all you need is your bond at two hundred, think you can make it in time?" Mom said.

"Definitely!"

I [Analized] Mom

Water Runalymo Mother (Adept), Class (Minor), Water Bond.

Hmm lots of information hidden, or just not yet managed that breakthrough yet. Yet another to add to my potential list of breakthroughs, figure out the level of people. I can see her race but not her class, probably because we are of the same race and share a number of race skills. I wonder if I can see other races as well as I can with Mom.

I further examined Mom, bringing up her race skills.

Most of her skills were the same with some slightly altered to account for her specific race evolution

I also examine her general skills but found several I could not identify, likely because I lack a proper reference.

I notice Tana approaching the house, looking very nervous. He stopped at our door and fidgeted, muttering something. Over the last few years, Tana has grown a little more boyish. Puberty is not going to treat him well, and I doubt many others will if it's the case I think it's going to be.

I excuse myself and walk down to the storefront. I open the door to a surprised Tana.

"Ah! Alysara! Uh, Uhm, a-are y-you busy right now?" I could see fear essence and anxiety essence coming from him. What had happened?

"Calm down, take a deep breath and explain what happened," I tell him, pulling him in and closing the door.

"I, um, well, I was just training, trying out new things, y'know..."

He didn't need to explain further. Seeing his mana signature I can see something off about it, a new addition, something not a general skill nor bond skill. I can see the difference clear as day now. A color added to his mana signature that can only be described as burnt. Tana has a cursed skill.

I took Tana up, explaining the situation to Mom and Dad. We sit in the lounge as we listen to him talk. He had learned [Slash Wave] a skill that launches out a wave of mana like a spell. Very powerful if he can use it with specific mana types, his bond, and other skill spells.

Naturally, I told Tana not to use the skill and to "Never, Never take an evolution or class that has been influenced by a cursed skill" I parroted the Guardian on this lesson.

"You will die, have your body turn into a monster and kill everyone you know and love" I don't know if it was exaggeration or not but the point needs to be driven home.

I taught Tana everything I knew about cursed skills. By the end of the day, he was calmer and thanked me for helping him.

"Remember, If you use that skill you will limit your class possibilities, perhaps even removing any possibility of taking a martial class"

With that Tana went home. I secretly wished him luck, as a fellow curse bearer.

Chapter 39: A class for me

I woke up with anticipation. Sitting up I hesitate before checking my evolutions. Today is my tenth birthday. Today is the day I can choose a class and see my next potential race evolutions, although I probably won't upgrade them just yet. I calmed myself, lowering my expectations. I'm not sure about my evolutions but most of my classes should be corrupted.

I had since learned that the system can be customized. So I added a label to any curse influenced class and evolution, it should be helpful, to say the least. With another deep breath, I open my system and look at my evolutions first.

Two Tailed Runalymo Nurturer:

(Major) (Heirloom)

Requirements: Two Tailed Runalymo, Have bond at level 200 before age 10, Have Sense Mana at level 200 before age 10, Have 20 or more breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 10, Have Acting at level 40 or higher, Have saved a village from a monster threat. Has made sacrifices for her family and village, Age of 10 or higher.

Entering puberty, this Prestigious Runalymo will be the envy of many, but her selfless nature will bring her to put others before herself. Heralded as a savior and a matriarch, this Runalymo will lead others out of famine and disaster. Her ability to act as a leader in times of need will naturally bring her the respect she deserves.

Note: As the progenitor of an heirloom race the merged skill will continue to level and achieve breakthroughs normally. Take your race to ever greater heights, or burn to ashes trying.

Yeah, I don't think so. It's not like I'm against the idea of nurturers but I want to follow another path. I'll leave being a nurturer to people like Mom and Efula.

Two Tailed Wise Runalymo:

(Major) (Heirloom)

Requirements: Two Tailed Runalymo, Have bond at level 200 before age 10, Have Sense Mana at level 200 before age 10, Have 20 or more breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 10, Have taught over a hundred people a high tier general skill, Have spread knowledge of Sense Mana to the Runalymo people, Have spread knowledge on how to improve enchanting, have the knowledge of another realm, marked by Venaro, the god of Wisdom and Learning, Age of 10 or higher.

A scholar, a scientist, this Runalymo revels in discovery, her ability to learn and memorize is second to none. This Runalymo can more easily spread knowledge of her discoveries and teach others. Many will come for her knowledge and will study under her, but most of all she will revolutionize her society.

Note: As the progenitor of an heirloom race the merged skill will continue to level and achieve breakthroughs normally. Take your race to ever greater heights, or burn to ashes trying.

Getting better, I like that learning, memorization, and teaching others might be improved, but I doubt this is significantly better than the Nurturer evolution in terms of bonuses, that is; still way above it in my book.

Two Tailed Runalymo Huntress:

(Grand) (Heirloom) (Corrupted)

Requirements: Two Tailed Runalymo, Have bond at level 200 before age 10, Have Sense Mana at level 200 before age 10, have 20 or more breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 10, Have the cursed skill Mana Manipulation at 150 or higher before the age of 10, Have Mana Manipulation at 180, Have 20 or more breakthroughs in the cursed skill Mana Manipulation before the age of 10, Have killed a monster 200 levels above your own, Have killed hundreds of monsters, Have saved a village from a monster threat, Age of 10 or higher.

This Runalymo is a master of tracking, no magic can fool her, no trick able to hide their trail. Her ability to track others and slay them is beyond any that has come before. Her ability to strike from a distance will leave her prey paranoid and flushed out of hiding.

Note: As the progenitor of an heirloom race the merged skill will continue to level and achieve breakthroughs normally. Take your race to ever greater heights, or burn to ashes trying.

Interesting. I like this one, Seems to build off sending my fairies out while I stay in a safe location, Also it mentions tracking, which pretty much confirms that breakthrough. This would have been a top contender if not for the corruption of the cursed skill.

Two Tailed Mana Master Runalymo:

(Grand) (Heirloom) (Corrupted)

Requirements: Two Tailed Runalymo, Have bond at level 200 before age 10, Have Sense Mana at level 200 before age 10, have 20 or more breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 10, Have the cursed skill Mana Manipulation at 150 or higher before the age of 10, Have Mana Manipulation at 180, Have 20 or more breakthroughs in the cursed skill Mana Manipulation before the age of 10, Have killed a monster 200 levels above your own, Have killed hundreds of monsters, Have saved a village from a monster threat, Have spun mana silk from a dragon, Have placed five or more enchantments on an item, have made a Heroic tier magic item, Have made an Artifact magic item, Age of 10 or higher.

A true master of mana, this Runalymo remains unparalleled in the ways of mana. Her ability grows with her age and knowledge. Able to see and strike from kilometers away, this Runalymo needs only a tower to draw upon the powers of the nexus.

Note: As the progenitor of an heirloom race the merged skill will continue to level and achieve breakthroughs normally. Take your race to ever greater heights, or burn to ashes trying.

Yet another corrupted evolution, more talk of long-range ability and this time a wizard's tower.

Only four evolutions, but then again since my last evolution I have stagnated a little. I have only recently gotten out of that for [Sense Mana]. I will definitely be waiting to see if I can get anything better.

Now onto the classes, let's see the damage shall we?

Beauty Master:

(Adept)

Requirements: Have bond at level 200 before your first class, Have 10 Bond skills before your first class, Have evolved one bond skill, Have killed a monster 200 levels above your own, Have killed a level 200 monster before your first class, Have killed hundreds of monsters before your first class, Age of 10 or higher.

You have gone far in your bond, much farther than even the genius' of their bond, marking your place as one of the best.

My first choice is a bond class, I guess this makes sense as everything else would be corrupted. Still, I call bullshit! Only Adept for all that? Killing a level two hundred counts for crap?! Having a level two hundred bond counts for crap?! I worked my butt off for this!

Fairy Summoner:

(Adept)

Requirements: Have a bond at level 200 before your first class, Have Evolved one Bond skill, Have summoned at least 10,000 pseudo Fairies. Have the bond skill: summon Familiar, Have the bond skill: Fairy Strike, Have killed a monster 200 levels above your own, Have killed a level 200 monster before your first class, Have killed hundreds of monsters before your first class, Age of 10 or higher.

A summoner of look-alike fairies. You can unleash waves upon waves of fairies to attack while you stand back in relative safety.

The Bond skill choice, and of course it's adept again. If I were to take the Guardian's advice, which would be better? The fairy focused class or the general bond class? Do I want to be a one-trick pony? Do I want to have the extra power?

Frozen Striker:

(Adept)

Requirements: Have survived a severe ice element storm, Have killed an ice based monster 200 levels above your own, Have killed a level 200 monster before your first class, Have killed hundreds of ice based monsters before your first class, Have saved a village from a monster threat before your first class, Age of 10 or higher.

You have learned what it means to be cold, and to have learned to channel its power. Your affinity with ice grows and many will come to fear your biting cold.

Here is the non-caster class choice. Honestly, what do I gain from this? Another method of attack. I can have a wider skill set but my bond skills are fairly diverse as it is, illusion to hide, healing, summoned attackers. Is whatever I am going to gain here worth the trade-off in power?

Cold Beauty:

(Grand) (Corrupted)

Requirements: Have bond at level 200 before your first class, Have the cursed skill Mana Manipulation at 150 or higher before your first class, Have Mana Manipulation at 180, Have 20 or more breakthroughs in the cursed skill Mana Manipulation before your first class, Have survived a severe ice element storm, Have killed an ice based monster 200 levels above your own, Have killed a level 200 monster before your first class, Have killed hundreds of ice based monsters before your first class, Have saved a village from a monster threat before your first class, Age of 10 or higher.

There is a beauty in the frozen wastelands, in the flakes of snow, in the cold silent wake of winter. Your ability to cast and manipulate ice is above and beyond all but the best. Your ability to bring the beauty of winter and spread the joy of the beautiful landscape as well as to bring the full wrath of a raging blizzard is your calling.

An ice caster class. Talks of conjuring a blizzard, but it also seems to incorporate beauty essence to some degree.

Fate Weaver:

(Heroic) (Corrupted)

Requirements: Have spun mana silk from a dragon, Have placed five or more enchantments on an item, have made a Heroic tier magic item, Have made an Artifact tier magic item, Have the cursed skill Mana Manipulation at level 100 before your first class, Have the cursed skill Mana Manipulation at level 150 before your first class, Have Mana Manipulation at 180, Have 20 Breakthroughs with the cursed skill Mana Manipulation before your first class, Have Tailoring at level 94, Age of 10 or higher.

You have done what many consider impossible and even spun silk from one of the most powerful beings in the realm. Your ability to weave will be unmatched, your ability to enchant insurmountable, your ability to produce the best cloth unparalleled. You are the weaver of fate, for it is your craft that decides it for many.

I probably could have tried to cap [Tailoring] for a better class but I knew a [Tailoring] would have been corrupted anyway seeing how mana weaving is under [Mana Manipulation]

Storm Weaving Omni Caster:

(Exalted) (Corrupted)

Requirements: Have bond at level 200 before your first class, Have Sense Mana at level 200 before your first class, have 20 or more breakthroughs in Sense Mana before your first class, Have the cursed skill Mana Manipulation at 150 or higher before your first class, Have Mana Manipulation at 180, Have 20 or more breakthroughs in the cursed skill Mana Manipulation before your first class, Have killed a monster 200 levels above your own, Have killed a level 200 monster before your first class, Have killed hundreds of monsters before your first class, Have saved a village from a monster threat before your first class, Have saved a town from a Super Storm, Have created 3 nexus mana cores, Have spun mana silk from a dragon, Have placed five or more enchantments on an item, have made a Heroic tier magic item, Have made an Artifact magic item, Age of 10 or higher.

The best caster that exists, able to cast any spell imaginable, able to make nexus mana, unleash devastation from afar, and conjure wrathful storms. All will fear the Omni caster, for you stand at the peak, the greatest among all casters.

Fucking Exalted! The highest achievable tier outside of legendary! Of course, it will be corrupted. I can imagine that it only barely qualifies for exalted though, maybe if I had my [Mana Manipulation] higher and capped it would be better.

I only got one bond skill class, maybe because I didn't use the other skills enough? But looking back I see that one requirement is evolving a skill, it's probably a requirement to evolve the skill to qualify for a Bond Skill class.

I wonder if I have to pick now, might be good to, but I wonder if I can just wait until I get something better.

Whelp, that's all of the classes. I have no real reason to delay any further, I could try to cap [Sense Mana] But some of the breakthroughs are giving me trouble so I don't really see that happening. First I'll ask what Mom, Dad, and Chyzu think, maybe Esofy too.

I got up and dressed. One cool thing I've been doing is weaving my Pajamas out of my mana reserves and using my manipulation to just undo it when I wake up. It's awesome to just form clothes around me although it does take a lot of mana. I even throw in beauty essence embroidery as I weave the clothes.

Today I am wearing a long flowing dress, although it's super thin and see-through it's still covering my chest and groin with normal thickness and opacity in the style of the normal fashion, a short skirt that is longer at the sides, and a mini shirt that leaves my navel exposed.

I greet my parents at the dining table. The twins are still sleeping.

"Aly, can you please wake up your siblings?"

I nod and go into their room. I sat on their bed and gently shook them awake. They groggily sat up, still half asleep. I tackle the adorable two back down in a hug.

"The tickle monster's got you!"

"Uwah! No, not the tickle monster!" I start drawing out their laughter, playing with their ticklish sides.

"Should have woken up sooner. The tickle monster always gets kids who sleep too much!"

After playing with my sisters for a few minutes I walk back into the dining room.

"I'm going to hold off on my race evolution, nothing that has not been corrupted doesn't seem too great," I tell my parents. My sisters move out of their room, sitting next to me. They still have ruffled hair and sand in their eyes. I finger brush their hair a little bit to be at least somewhat presentable.

"Was there anything that you would have taken?" Dad asks as Mom set down bowls of food. Our food may be good but we don't have spices, we just have to make do with dairy products, yogurt, cheese, milk, etc, and Domr meat and fruits although now we have roasted tree nuts. They are, thankfully, edible. I had convinced Mom and dad to get a few and I experimented with them, they taste a lot like popcorn.

Having once been fruit, the nuts, or more accurately, seeds, are grown in clusters of hundreds. Ever since I had a few villagers try them they exploded in popularity, especially when they are glazed in caramel or butter. Since then several villages that grow seeds are now exporting them as another food source. Different kinds of seeds also help with food diversity, so that's a plus.

"Two Tailed Runalymo Huntress, I liked it even though I would have probably waited to see if it would get better, but it was corrupted,'' I says.

"Did you still have a Nurturer class available?" Mom asks, a little hopeful. She wants me to take one, for prestige and finding a good companion. We had talked about the prospects extensively. Nurturer evolutions are almost always available at age ten as we, on average, start puberty at around ten. I don't know when other species start puberty but I am aware that it is likely different for every species.

I nod. "I also have one about discovery and teaching, helps me learn and teach others, supposedly"

"That fits you just right!" Mom smiles. She knows that the prospect of me choosing the Nurturer is very low and outside of mentioning it a few times she doesn't push it.

"What about class? You didn't come saying anything about it, still considering your choices?" Dad asks. Preventing Yafel from accidentally tipping over her cup and spilling the water.

"I have three uncorrupted ones, a non-caster, a bond class, and a bond skill class. But I did get a super awesome class, corrupted but it was Exalted!"

Shocked, my parents' jaws hit the floor. The first to say anything was Dad. "That's too bad, you'll get there eventually. If you end up at the tier anyway then who cares what the tiers are before."

Mom nods "Plus a tier like that won't evolved for hundreds of levels, I know Adept won't evolve before two hundred and I think I heard something about Major not evolving before three hundred"

That sounds like each tier has an evolution every one hundred levels.

"What does minor evolve at?" I ask, I just need some confirmation.

"One hundred," Mom answered.

Exalted is sixth so it won't evolve until six hundred? Still, that should be a two thousand percent bonus to whatever it gave, likely mana and mana regen.

"What happens if you don't get the next tier, when will be your next evolution?" I ask, wiping some food off Yafe's cheek.

"Every fifty levels after," Dad says.

I see, so the goal is to not have a tier lower than your hundredth equivalent, and ideally higher. My lowest is Adept so I'd evolve the class at level two hundred.

I told my parents about my uncorrupted available classes.

"You're a natural with your Bond, you should play to your strength and take the bond class, You shouldn't limit yourself too much though." Mom gives her opinion.

"The non-caster is better, you can get more defensive skills, and it hard counters water while not having any strong counters itself. Your Bond doesn't counter anything and the illusions can be destroyed very easily with dark spells so the non-caster gives you way more versatility and covers some major weaknesses." Dad says.

Both were fair. I am good with my bond and the Guardian has said that bond classes are best for long term, since their potential is tied to an unlimited source.

"I'll see what Chyzu and Esofy has to say, they are experts when it comes to fighting"

After the morning baths, I walk to Chyzu's dojo.

"Finally getting your class! This is so exciting! Too bad about your Exalted class, that would have been scary to fight but it'd have made you an instant winner in every tournament." Chyzu says, after having captured me and bear-hugged me, nearly suffocating me in her expansive bosom. I'll get back at her one day.

"Hmm, Kanato is right, the non-caster is normally best, but you also have to think about how well it works with your Bond. You can't just ignore it, the best way I can think of is dedicating your Bond to distracting fairies and illusions, your clone and [Twin Minds] can really throw people for a loop and you won't be hard countered by dark mages. Remember that your bond is essence-based, normally the two elements would cancel out, but your magic is weaker so it'll lose in direct confrontation."

Good insight, turning my bond into pure support is a good idea.

I then went to Esofy's dojo and, after greeting Tana, ask her what she thinks.

Esofy took the longest to answer, thinking for a long time about it.

"Chyzu's right, but that's only considering if your goal is to be a Kheshamo." She says, uncrossing her arms and patting my head with a smile. "But you want to do more, don't you? You aren't just going to be a Kheshamo, you will fight to protect. You will be what this village, no, what our people needs. The best fight is one you're not in, Aly, even better when your opponent is but you're not. The best choice for you is the Fairy Summoner. Who cares about some yearly contest, Aly, This is about your life. The fight with the Aydomr taught me that. I can already tell, you will be in more life or death struggles, even if you're not the one in them. Your fairies can be truly powerful, and that's just the start, you'll have a long way to go, but you'll get there, Aly"

That makes sense, the best defense is when your enemy can't get to you. That's why the spear remained one of the best weapons for war, reach plays a huge factor.

I thank Esofy and went back home. Mom is dealing with a customer while Dad hammers away at her forge. Normally Mom also works but her workstation is closer to the storefront so when a customer enters she can get to them. A new warrior is commissioning a halberd. The tornament rules say that it can't be enchanted for fairness but this one is for non-tournament fights. After the Aydomr attack, every fighter is heavily pressured to get proper weapons and armor. I handle mage robes, if it is requested but mostly armor is used, I mean, why wouldn't they use metal armor?

I went to my room and chose my class.

Chapter 40: The Fairy Summoner

Ting! You have obtained the class: Fairy Summoner!

Fairy Summoner: Level 0 (Adept)

All summon based magic is increased by 125%

All Fairy Summoner Class skills are empowered by 100%

Ting! New active skill available, Fairy Empowerment! Would you like to accept this skill?

Fairy Empowerment: For 5 mana for every fairy you can increase their intensity by 2% per level.

Interesting. I don't have any cursed skills that are purely combat based so this skill looked odd at first, mentioning mana costs and intensity increases. Getting it through the class may also be different. Perhaps this is why cursed skills are improper? Does a combat-based cursed skill mention these things?

Ting! New active skill available, Beauty Mark! Would you like to accept this skill?

Beauty Mark: For 20 mana you can mark someone and have your fairies be able to target them 3% per level farther than normal.

I actually never explored the range on my fairies, but it's nice that I can now go beyond that.

Ting! New passive skill available, Summoner's Expertise! Would you like to accept this skill?

Summoner's Expertise: Increases the maximum amount of summons you can control by 2% per level.

Summons, not just fairies. I'll have to test this out with my clone. It kind of makes sense though, right now I can have either my familiar or my clone, not both. So that indicates my clones belong to the summoning school of magic.

Ting! New passive skill available, Summoner's Core! Would you like to accept this skill?

Summoner's Core: Increases your mana production by 2% per level.

How the hell would I be able to get breakthroughs in this?! I'll still take it, increased mana generation is always good.

Ting! New passive skill available, Fairy Commander! Would you like to accept this skill?

Fairy Commander: Increases the number of instructions you can give your fairies by 2% per level.

So, more complicated instructions? Will I eventually be able to give them "If this", "else that" kind of commands? That'd be really useful.

That's all, huh, just five skills for now. Well, At least it'll help me focus on leveling up the skills and getting breakthroughs. I am level zero in my class because that's my current max level since I have no skill levels. Interestingly, I can't just start grinding for levels. I must first practice, train, and understand my class.

Ting! You have gained the Fairy Empowerment class skill!

Fairy Empowerment: You've learned how to send bursts of mana to your fairies, this will intensify their mana.

Interesting! The actual skill doesn't mention mana usage nor how much it empowers it. Does that mean the class bonus is already taken into account? Or has it increased by four percent? I think the normal for skills is one percent so I am leaning toward the bonus already being taken into account.

Ting! You have gained the Beauty Mark class skill!

Beauty Mark: You've learned to mark someone with beauty, letting you target them even beyond your normal range

This is beauty magic, right? Do my bonuses also apply to it? How long does it last too? Things I'll need to explore.

Ting! You have gained the Summoner's Expertise class skill!

Summoner's Expertise: You've learned how to break past your normal summoning limits, allowing you to summon more.

I wonder if it's even possible to get these as cursed skills. How do Bond classes and skills operate? Would getting a cursed Bond skill corrupt your entire Bond? It's honestly too scary to think about and certainly not worth the risk.

Ting! You have gained the Fairy Commander class skill!

Ting! Fairy Commander has obtained level 1!

Ting! Fairy Commander has obtained level 2!

Ting! Fairy Commander has obtained level 3!

Fairy Commander: You've learned how to optimize and break past your normal limits of giving instructions to your fairies, allowing you to make ever more complex strategic orders.

How close did I actually get to getting this as a cursed skill?

And now for the last skill. I saved this one for last because I wanted to use this opportunity to see if I can perceive how I generate mana. If I can see people's cores then I may be able to see how much they produce.

I focus on my body, shrinking my perception down. It's not just in a single place in my body, the sparks of people's Bonds overlap every part of one's body. I think the core is just another layer of our body.

I activate my State of Focus and accept the last skill.

Ting! You have gained the Summoner's Core class skill!

Summoner's Core: Somehow you've managed to increase the production of your core, letting you produce more mana.

I saw something, it suddenly grew, gaining more depth. Now that I saw it I focus intently on it. Slowly but surely I notice mana trickling out of it, like a leaky faucet, all it would take is to just turn that faucet on, somehow, and unleash a flood of mana. It is full of mana, but I knew it is but a small cup to what it can be. There was something more to it, a complexity I have yet to peer into, a matrix of shifting... something. Like a cloud of swirling gas, it fills my core, ever-shifting, always changing.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 220!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 206!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 207!

Ting! Summoner's Core has obtained level 1!

20th Breakthrough: You've learned to differentiate the properties of mana signatures, This will help you see the difference of skills and other similar magical signatures.

21st Breakthrough: You've learned to Identify through Sensing Mana, This will help you learn more about people and objects.

22nd Breakthrough: You've observed your mana core, this will help you discover how mana comes to exist.

Well, now. I think [Sense Mana] will be imperative for me to be able to reach breakthroughs in my [Summoner's Core].

Below I can see my parents talking about a customer's request. Focusing on them a little, their core comes into view, it is larger and more productive than mine.

I wonder if I can see how much mana a person currently has through this.

I focus on myself and use [Dreams of Reality] noticing my core transform and intensify its mana before sending it out for the spell. The spell mana then passed through what I can only call as the magic of my race, being further intensified. As the mana left the influence of my race it entered the influence of my Kyhosa, gaining a third dose of intensification.

I noticed the cloudiness in my core lessen, the mana being used up. If that is my mana reserves then the size of my core is how much it can hold, but what is it in my core that produces mana?

I can see my core filling up but just as fast as it's filling up, mana is being leaked out. Several types of mana. This passed through my core, sometimes knocking out some of my mana reserves.

There's more to this, way more. Why is my core producing mana that my core cannot capture? Why can it only capture my mana?

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 230!

23rd Breakthrough: You've observed spell creation, letting you identify them and see just how much power they have.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 208!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 209!

So many things to learn, so little time I now have dozens of breakthroughs to learn, five new skills to get breakthroughs in

I enter State of Focus and looked closely at my core's walls, border, whatever you want to call it. There was certainly more to it, it kept my mana in at a certain pressure. As my mana filled up the pressure became too much it starts leaking mana equal to my generation.

Is there a way to train my core to produce less? Or perhaps a different type of mana? I think my core adapts to certain things or states of emotion and produces different types of mana like joy or anger when I experience those emotions.

Can I train my Core to expel more mana if I need? I'd ask if I could train my core to make more mana but my skill has already confirmed that, the question is how?

I focus on my core walls, trying to decrease its permeability. Nothing. How do I do this?

I start to meditate, focusing on my core, observing. My mana pushes against the walls, Non-unique mana easily escaping but gave some of my mana added energy to escape. I look more closely at the walls, it seems to allow other mana to leave as if it's not there. I focus on my skill, instead of producing more mana I want to hold more. I focus on making the walls tougher, more resistant to pressure, to increase its density.

I felt a shift and saw my core walls become ever so slightly more opaque.

Ting! Summoner's Core has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Summoner's Core will now continue leveling past level 10!

1st Breakthrough: You've learned how to manipulate your core to increase how much mana you can hold

Ting! Summoner's Core has obtained level 2!

Ting! Summoner's Core has obtained level 3!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 1! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 2! 15 status points awarded.

A level up! Nice! So it seems like leveling up skills or maybe getting breakthroughs will net me a level up. Let's test this theory.

I summon two hundred fairies each consisting of one mana and then use [Fairy Empowerment] on them.

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has obtained level 1!

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has obtained level 2!

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 1!

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 2!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 3! 15 status points awarded.

Hmm, Now let's test to see if breakthroughs also cause level-ups, but before I do that let's go outside. I plan to stack my empowerment and I don't want the fairies to literally blow up in my face nor in the house. With a swarm of fairies in tow, I walk downstairs.

"Test your new class skills?" Mom asks.

"Yup, I don't want to accidentally blow up the house so I'm taking these outside," I inform my parents, and walk to the edge of the village, getting numerous stares while at it.

I send my fairies over the water, to just at the edge of my perception and use [Fairy Empowerment] again.

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Fairy Empowerment will now continue leveling past level 10!

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 3!

1st Breakthrough: You've stacked empowerments, this'll let you stack even more

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 4! 15 status points awarded.

Alright! So it seems that every breakthrough gives me one level up and every five skill levels give me one level up. This equals out to three class levels per breakthrough, factoring in their levels, five from action, and five from knowledge.

On to my new breakthrough, It seems like I can only empower my fairies so much, and it seems like two is my limit so far. The mana in them is vibrating dangerously. Let's see what happens if I ignore those signs.

Again I empower my ticking time bombs and sure enough, like fireworks they explode. Thousands of tiny blobs of beauty mana shooting out in every direction, probably visible to normal eyes, perhaps they are a little too much like fireworks, hehe.

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 4!

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 5!

Over the next hour, I continued summoning hundreds of fairies and making them explode to grind my repeated use and a lot at once levels

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 6!

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 12!

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to send multiple stacks at once, this'll help you send even more at once.

Fairy Empowerment: 4/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 1/5)

1st Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 2/5)

2nd Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 1/5)

[Fairy Empowerment] works by sending packets of mana to my fairies, as long as I know where they are and they are accessible. By simply sending twice the amount I can send multiple packs of the skill at once.

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has obtained level 3!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 4! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 7! 15 status points awarded.

Level seven out of twenty-one, considering how [Sense Mana] has already helped me so much in gaining knowledge levels and breakthroughs, I can see how it may take people a few years to get one hundred max levels, It may take me a week or two to achieve that depending on how hard the levels and breakthroughs are.

I have over a hundred stat points now, and I can now see why using them may not be the best of ideas. Focusing on leveling up and getting breakthroughs should be the number one priority seeing as how my maximum level is based on skill levels. However, having a certain amount of a stat may help in getting better classes, so waiting until the day before to use them may be the best idea, or simply just wait. I have until level two hundred to get the evolution. Two hundred levels worth of stats, that's a whopping three thousand stat points!

I'm honestly surprised having precoded instructions wasn't a breakthrough in Fairy Commander, or perhaps it is and I just didn't go far enough with it? Every time I summon a fairy I have to consciously give it a command like {Follow Me} and {Go where I point to} it doesn't make it the best use. I wonder if I can cut down on that, much like precoding but make it a preset for which to summon my fairies, instead of applying them while summoning them.

{Follow Me, Go where I point at, Attack target when I say attack, and point at them or describe them. Prioritize mages and those carrying weapons.} While it's four commands one of them is taking up two for being more complex. I dubbed this {Follow Orders} But instead of taking a mental note on it I try to impress this on my skill, trying to form a marker on it.

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Summoner's Expertise will now continue leveling past level 10!

1st Breakthrough: You've managed to make a preset command, this will help you save more commands.

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has obtained level 4!

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has obtained level 6!

Knowledge of skills really helped me there. I doubt I needed the knowledge but this was probably an intermediate breakthrough that I just got for my first so it really helped out.

Now, how else can I improve my instructions? Well, normally I can't give it new instructions, but empowerment gives extra mana, perhaps I can do the same but simply attach new instructions. I expect the new instructions to override the previous but let's test it out anyway.

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Summoner's Expertise will now continue leveling past level 10!

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to give new orders to your summons, thit'll help you adapt to new situations

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has obtained level 7!

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has obtained level 9!

This was far easier than expected, but I guess I had prior knowledge and experience with [Fairy Empowerment].

Now how else can I get more breakthroughs and levels?

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 8! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 10! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! New active skill available, Fairy Explosion! Would you like to accept this skill?

Fairy Explosion: For 50 Mana you can cause a fairy to erupt in an explosion

Did I only get this because I've been exploding fairies for a couple of hours? Still, for fifty mana that's pretty powerful and that's in addition to the up to thirty mana for a total of eighty mana, my most powerful attack for when I really need to punch through something. Also stacking this with my fairy empowerment should yield amazing results.

Ting! You have gained the Fairy Explosion class skill!

Fairy Explosion: You've sent a large burst of unstable mana to your fairy, causing it to explode.

Since this mentioned a single fairy naturally a breakthrough will be for multiple, and double doses? It should be very similar to [Fairy Empowerment].

I have a lot of work cut out for me, and now that I am ten years old My parents will expect me to work a lot more for the business and learn my craft.

Chapter 41: Glass Eels

I've been making fairies with one mana mainly, so I don't burn up my mana too fast, but now I kinda want to see how big my explosions can get.

I summon a fairy with the maximum mana I could then empower it twice. With the help of [Twin Minds], I send another double empowerment and my new [Fairy Explosion]. The fairy explodes with a loud boom, the blast reaching the size of a house! Large pieces of unstable beauty mana flew out, and a good number of those exploded as well. The shock wave rushed over me with a strong breeze. That was one hundred mana, thirty from the fairy, twenty from empowerment, and fifty from explosion, then increase that by all my modifiers. Five hundred percent from my Kyhosa, three sixty from my race, whatever my intelligence gives me, my Bond level bonus, and perhaps my class or skill level bonus. At least one thousand percent bonus.

With my new breakthrough in [Sense Mana], however. I can see my spell had around a one thousand one hundred percent bonus if the intensity was anything to go by.

Still, why does mana explode like that? There is way more going on here. I've seen mana with vastly more intensity, yet it remains stable, and why does not all the mana explode at once, I feel like I am losing efficiency, yeah it looks prettier when it's more like a firework, but I lose power. Is it a property of beauty essence?

Soon I heard several footsteps rushing in on my location. I guess that explosions would have alarmed some people.

"What was that?! What's going on?"

"Is it another monster?"

Several people showed up to investigate the noise.

"Ah, sorry about that. I was just testing my new class skills," I apologize with a bow. "I didn't know it'd be that loud."

"Is that all? Well, now you know to warn us and probably do it a little farther away next time."

I wouldn't have used my Kyhosa if I didn't need the mana in it... wait, I only need to wear one piece at a time! As a set, if I wear one piece, I'll only get one sixty percent bonus and sixteen hundred mana that I can still use. I could also continue summoning fairies with one mana and not empower them with [Fairy Explosion], which should result in dramatically less mana used.

As I was about to take off two pieces of my Kyhosa, something caused me to pause. A strange movement in the water. Water mana like a very long snake moving toward the village at a swift pace. The mana isn't very intense, but I can definitely see unique mana as I look closer. This was another creature other than the Domrs and the Tamrs

I sent out a fairy to see if it'll interact with it. An eel jumped out of the water, snatching the fairy out of the air. Its body is seemingly made of water, but the three rows of long dagger-like teeth certainly were not. I took this chance to Analyze it through my breakthrough.

Juvenile Glass Eel Hunter (Major) Sea Hunter (Adept)

I can see its mana generation is fairly high, about five or six times what I currently have; Its stats are way higher than mine, probably all in the hundreds. It is not stopping; it continues to rush at us. Its skills suggested a camouflage type ability as well as hunting type abilities. Improved senses, hunter's eye, and prey mark. That last one sounded too similar to my beauty mark.

"We're under attack!" I shout and launch dozens of double empowered fairies; also, I sent a burst of mana toward the serpent, making my own mark onto it. It did something very similar soon after several marks homing in on us.

I send out a fully powered fairy, the intent on it exploding with full force. Several distracting fairies buzzing around the serpent, the others delivering their full payload, and soon my package reached the serpent, a full package of two more empowering doses with the explosion dose reaching the fairy soon afterward. The loud boom echos across the sea and pieces of the serpent splashed all around.

Ting! You have killed a Juvenile Water Serpent Hunter (Major), Level 43. Extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 11! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 19! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Fairy Explosion has obtained level 1!

Ting! Beauty Mark has obtained level 1!

Great experience.

I notice the marks on us didn't go away, But I guess magic doesn't just disappear with the caster's death. Still, I don't like it, so I remove them with [Mana Manipulation]. I wonder, can I weave these? Turn a spell into mana silk? I try, but it felt too slippery; however, I did notice that it's possible, just that my manipulation level was too low. That's actually scary to think about. A good enough weaver could just counter any spell thrown at them as long as they have mana.

I sigh with relief.

"Have any of you heard of..." I pause. How would I describe these things to them? "Chayaotmo?" It meant 'long water transparent being' I assumed it was transparent anyway as its skill suggested.

"Chayaotmo? No, is that what you blew up?"

I nod.

"Hmm, you definitely blew something up, and if it is transparent then that may explain why we didn't see it. If there is another creature out there that we don't know... it's best to notify the elders. Thank you for defending us. I hope this is the last of them."

Thank you for jinxing us. I thought, casting out my perception to look for more. I didn't have to go far; seven more are swimming toward us.

"Maybe you should tell the fighters to don their monster-slaying gear and come here; I can see more coming," I say and sent out my fairies. I checked my mana, thirty thousand. I had taxed my reserves when testing out my skills; it looks like that may have been a bad idea. "Looks like they may have a nest somewhere; we'll also need to warn the other villages."

It's best to prepare for the worst case. They may not have a nest yet but let's assume they do.

I mark the serpents in case they try to run away and harass them with fairies. Two dies quite fast but they were also the smallest, their level only twenty-seven. I sent an exploding fairy to the largest, but before the payload could reach the fairy to make it explode, the Chayaotmo Hunter ate the fairy. Some damage was still dealt, but the payload is wasted, looks like I found a weakness in that strategy.

Probably a good idea anyway; it was probably the explosions that attracted the eels. Two more died before the serpents came close. I retreat further in the village but left my clone as a decoy. With [Dreams of Reality], I shift the village forward a meter with an illusion so that the monsters would miss their attacks.

As another Chayaotmo dies, the last two jumped out of the water just as I planned. They had my clone marked and missed their target. I continue bombarding them with fairies as they tried again, moving through the clone. They tried over and over again until they were both slain.

Ting! You have killed a Juvenile Chayaotmo Hunter (Major), Level 27. Extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo.

Ting! You have killed a Juvenile Chayaotmo Hunter (Major), Level 52. Extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 20! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 30! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Beauty Mark has obtained level 2!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 206!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 207!

Capped out on my level, Still, the new monsters are good experience for my Bond, so that was a plus.

It wasn't long after that the fighters joined me on the village edge.

One of the great things about this language is that you don't have to explain why something is called what it is, normally. Chayaotmo explains itself there is no need to say, "well, it's long, transparent, and live in water so let's call a glass water snake" because it's basically saying that anyway, just fewer words.

"Aly, are you alright? Are you hurt? Where are the Chayaotmo?" Chyzu says. She was in her serious mode.

"Is it those things down there?" Esofy says, pointing at the dead Chayaotmo in the water. She had learned Sense Mana and could see the bodies.

I nod. "There were eight in total, all young. I suspect there is a nest somewhere. I'll see if there's any in my perception range, but it'll take time to check. Can you help me with that, Esofy? Also, the Storm Warden should help us search the area."

Several people now have the ability to see remotely with their Sense Mana so searching should not be long, but if it's not within ten kilometers, then we'll have to go out and search; hopefully, we don't find any nests, but we will have to kill any we see.

Several fighters dive into the water to retrieve the Chayaotmo bodies once we ensured the waters were safe.

The skins are taken off; perhaps it could be useful in some battle equipment.

Chayaotmo Skin: Shrouds the wearer in water camouflage. 12 enchantment allowance.

It has about one slot for enchantment, useful for maybe a water swimming ability, would really help divers be safer in the very least.

"At least its skin is useful; can we somehow capture some to farm the skin?" a Kheshamo warrior suggests. "Tolr Island has a lake in it where we can keep them"

"First, we should take care of any wild nests we find, and if there are any eggs, then we can think about it," Esofy says.

"What level were they, Aly?" Chyzu asks.

"Twenty-seven to fifty-two for young ones. I don't know what level mature ones are at"

"We should assume somewhere around level two hundred to maybe even three hundred; what tier are we looking at?" Esofy asks, examining the teeth. The Teeth are twice as long as her entire hand and were very sharp. Several teeth are missing and some regrowing, suggesting that they were a bit like sharks in that manner. "These would make excellent knives," Esofy mutters.

Chayaotmo Tooth: Enhanced sharpness. 8 Enchantment allowance.

Maybe a weak durability enchantment, but it would be hard to do with the water element though, perhaps a sharpening enchantment instead? Can't do a force directing enchantment unless there's a tooth with fourteen allowance.

"Major for these ones," I answer. Esofy frowns.

"Major could be a problem, That Aydomr was Minor and it..." Chyzu trails off. It had killed six people.

"We are more prepared this time," Esfoy says. "That won't happen again, even if it's a major tier."

"These seemed dumb; they kept going after my illusion, falling for the same trick, nor do they seem adept at using spells; they seemed more like physical type monsters," I say.

"Young Domrs don't typically use spells either, the large one, however... We should expect the same if there are any adults out there." It took Esofy years to stop having nightmares, something I thankfully never had; perhaps not being in the fray, not hearing the crunching of bone being broken, helped me have peaceful nights.

Nothing else of use was discovered from the Chayaotmo bodies, but we could always see if the meat is edible. This one had been one of the larger ones, about the size of me, so it has a lot of meat.

We stayed for a few hours to see if any more would come as we searched the sea for any nests. We didn't find any nests but we found a few more monsters, however. After talking with the fighters, we came to the agreement that we should try to lure as many as we can, but not to the village. We moved to the island about a Kilometer away from the village and started our operations. I also tested my new abilities and tried to get new breakthroughs in my [Fairy Explosion]

Ting! Fairy Explosion has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Fairy Explosion will now continue leveling past level 10!

Ting! Fairy Explosion has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Fairy Explosion will now continue leveling past level 20!

Fairy Explosion: You've sent a large burst of unstable mana to your fairy, causing it to explode.

1st Breakthrough: You've managed to send multiple doses of unstable mana to one fairy; this will help you send even more doses.

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to send multiple doses of unstable mana to different fairies; this will help you affect more fairies.

Ting! Fairy Explosion has obtained level 2!

Ting! Fairy Explosion has obtained level 14!

Fairy Explosion: 6/10(Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

1st Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 2/5)

2nd Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 2/5)

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 13!

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 14!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 31! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 35! 15 status points awarded.

The Unstable mana isn't Uniform; this causes some parts to explode first, so the goal now is to improve my control to make the unstable mana Uniform; this means either getting more wisdom or leveling up my skill. I don't want to spend my stat points yet; it'll make getting skill levels harder, so getting skill levels is my choice; also, it'll raise my class level cap.

Unstable mana seems to have something peculiar going on. It's almost as if the attraction force is turned into the repulsion force to cause the explosion. The only problem is that the mana doesn't change to an opposite element; it stays as beauty mana; there is no transformation going on. It's fascinating how I've discovered so much about mana, yet there's always more to it. New phenomena always bring new mysteries; the mysteries bring new questions to which there are breakthroughs and answers to be had. I wonder what else is out there, what mysteries have yet to have an answer for? The fact that the MM force can even change suggests that it's not as concrete as I once thought; it can be manipulated.

I smiled as four more Chayaotmos appears in my perception, attracted to my explosions. I use [Dreams of Reality] to make several decoys in the water. The stupid monsters didn't stand a chance; the mages kills them all as they attack the decoys.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 36! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 37! 15 status points awarded.

I didn't get as much experience as we are in a party, and one of the monsters was lower level than me.

No more Chayaotmos came, and neither did we find the nest or nests; this will probably be a large-scale event, every island will need to look out for the nest; good thing that every island now has at least one storm warden to safely search in the comforts of her own home.

Chapter 42: Scouting

"How many levels did you gain today, Alysara?" Chyzu asks. We are walking back to town after killing the Chayaotmos.

"Thirty-seven" I answer.

"Day one and already a third of the level of an average Kheshamo..." Chyzu says depressingly.

"Killing monsters is good experience, especially when they are higher level than you and she killed some of them by herself, honestly I thought she'd be higher" Esofy says.

"I was capped at level thirty for the first round of monsters," I say as we pass the ice rock that I usually sat on for music practice.

"Usually that is not a problem, but be warned, after level one hundred it get harder to level. Levels one through one hundred are easy, after one hundred the most levels you'd gain are from breakthroughs and skill levels." Aunty's fiance, Lionr, chimes in. After the Aydomr incident Chozu met Lionr and they helped each other get past the tragedies they experienced. Aunty is pregnant again but Nyam seemed to have gotten past her jealousy issues. Nyam, being three years older than me is already well into training to be a potterer like her mother.

"Assuming we don't have to kill several high level monsters," Esofy says.

As the village came into view we start saying goodbyes.

"I'll talk with the elders, this is an issue which concerns not just our village but all villages," Esofy says.

"I'll come with, you should have mage point of view to help discuss how to deal with these things," Chyzu says.

I went to the bath nearest our shop, my family should be there at this time.

"You're late Aly, been playing with your new class?" Mom says as she relaxes in the waters. The twins were currently splashing water at each other and giggling. They don't know their bond yet, but perhaps it might be a good idea, getting to level fifty at least should result in a decent race evolution, they have about one year to practice.

"You haven't heard yet?" I ask, surely news of the Chayaotmos should have spread by now.

"Heard what?" Dad asks, a little concerned now.

"New monsters have shown up, Chayaotmo, They are..." I trail off, an illusion should be a better way to tell them. I use [Dreams of Reality] to recreate what I saw, Color is not something I can recreate but a near-transparent eel with three rows of long sharp teeth shouldn't be hard to make. But it might scare the twins so I refrain from doing so. Instead, I use my skill to make an invisible one, Knowing my parents can see it with their [Mana Sense] "I've been helping the Kheshamos fight them since they aren't too high level, but there's the issue that a nest may be somewhere."

I start washing my hair and tails, Using a comb and brush to get any knots out.

"Aly its-" Mom started

"Not my responsibility to fight them. I know, but they were attracted to the explosions I made so I was responisble for the first ones" I cut Mom off. She is a little annoyed at being interrupted.

"So that's what that sound was," Dad mutters.

"Anyway, I still want to help, I got a lot of levels today and with my new class, I should be able to stay safe. The monsters are dumb and fall for illusions so hiding with invisibility should work too"

"Just make sure to stay with the Kheshmos when you do fight them and don't do anything risky"

The twins switch to chasing my familiar around. I had it fly just out of reach.

After getting home I decide that a good defense against the water based eels would be a good idea to prepare for. Naturally, earth weaved mana will be ideal for defense. Now, Should I prioritize physical defense or magical? The monsters seem more focused on physical but they are also focused on the piercing and slashing offenses if I am to go by their teeth.

I start weaving a gambeson of earth silk alternated with layers of ice silk and decorated with my beauty mana silk. The gambeson would be very hot to be in so I need the ice mana for remaining cool. I'll have dad add earth steel plates to it. I made sleeves for steel plates to slide into for the added protection, I'll seal them in once that's done. The brigandine and gambeson hybrid reaches my knees and elbows leaving my forearms and shins exposed, I did this to have some mobility, and even if I lose a limb regrowing it is possible, just very slow.

And with that, the rest of my Kyhosa mana reserves have been used up. I really need more mana and mana generation don't I?

Well, I am sitting on five hundred status points. Why don't I put a hundred into both mana and mana generation? A tenth of my base mana and mana generation is twenty, so a hundred points is two-thousand each, wow, literally ten times my current mana.

Then let's get strength, agility, and endurance to an even twenty, my armor will be heavy and I need to make sure I can wear it effectively. For extra spell power, let's get intelligence, wisdom, and charisma to forty, I don't want it to get too high or it'll make my breakthroughs and skill levels hard to get. Lastly, I'll put a hundred points into vitality.

Now, before I actually spend the points let's use this chance to observe how my core changes with vastly more generation. But first I need to empty my mana so have a clear picture of what's going on.

After I emptied my mana as much I could I activate my State of Perception and allocated my points into generation. Suddenly like a light had been turned on I saw, in the very center of my core, a star grow brighter and give off a wave of mana as the generation suddenly grew. Other types of mana are made too. Mostly beauty but some elements as well. I wonder if I can consciously make elemental and essence mana, it would help a lot with mana weaving.

I decide that it was worth a try, first essence, beauty essence as that seems to be the easiest for me, even if essence mana is in general harder to make. I focus on my core, more specifically the star that generates mana. I first focus on entering a State of Core, hopefully, it's something I can do. I lost track of time, entering ever deeper into a meditative state. A sudden burst of beauty mana notifies my success.

Instead of celebrating I use my current state to observe what's going on. My Core, perhaps Core Star? Whatever it is it's creating light element mana with beauty identity, now I focus on producing light element instead of beauty essence and get another breakthrough. Other types of mana are still being produced, likely mistakes in the generation process or maybe just a byproduct.

Gradually the beauty mana lessens and instead light mana is being produced at a greater degree. Now to focus on what is causing the other mana types to be created. However, Before I could start figuring out what was going on I am shaken awake by my sisters.

"You sleep too much Alysara!" "Mom says we have to go to The Lojyo" the twins says, Each pulling one of my arms. I let myself get dragged off to the gathering.

I play music with the others at the gathering and for show and tell I display fireworks, reshaping my fairies with [Shape Beauty]. The ball exploded high in the air, as high as I could send it, It wasn't at full power. Then I start a small fireworks show by overloading fairies with [Fairy Empowerment] and sending off an occasional fairy explosion. I check my messages before I went to bed.

Ting! Summoner's Core has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Summoner's Core will now continue leveling past level 20!

Ting! Summoner's Core has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Summoner's Core will now continue leveling past level 40!

Summoner's Core: You've managed to increase your mana production, letting you produce more mana

1st Breakthrough: You've learned how to manipulate your core to increase how much mana you can hold

2nd Breakthrough: You've entered the State of Core, letting you increase the effectiveness of your breakthroughs.

3rd Breakthrough: You've learned how to manipulate your core to consciously produce essence mana, allowing you to produce mana needed for spells letting you tap your reserves less.

4th Breakthrough: You've learned how to manipulate your core to consciously produce elemental mana, allowing you to produce mana needed for spells letting you tap your reserves less.

Ting! Summoner's Core has obtained level 4!

Ting! Summoner's Core has obtained level 22!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 211!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 213!

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 15!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 38! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 43! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! New passive skill available, State of the Fairy! Would you like to accept this skill?

State of the Fairy: By entering a state of focus you can increase the effectiveness of your fairies by 2 percent per level.

Unused stat points: 204

Mana: 200 [2200] (+1188)

Mana Generation (/hour): 200 [2200] (+4928)

Vitality: 100 [1100]

Strength: 9 [19.8] (-3.96)

Agility: 12 [20.4] (-2.04)

Endurance: 10 [20] (-2)

Intelligence: 32 [41.6] (+8.32)

Wisdom: 24 [40.8] (+8.16)

Charisma: 18 [39.6] (+7.92)

The next day I had a sudden realization, If I can compress mana into strands to make silk, why not compress those strands even further?

Experimentally I did so, finding it quite hard to compress it any further than twice the silk. Seeing as how I am not at a high enough level I abandon the experiment.

I ask dad to make me several plates for my armor that I showed her.

"I need earth steel, with as much earth mana as you can get" I request. For the gem we have several Domr pearls. I find that gems added to an item increase its enchantment allowance, but there are diminishing returns. Three gems brings the most benefit, after that one would just be wasting money. It'd take three more, a total of six gems to have three times the first gem bonus enchantment allowance.

Enchanting sort of makes the whole thing become one. When you apply the mana and apply it to everything the enchanted item stops being considered a collection of parts and more as the sum of it's parts, enchantment included. This means enchanted items, if the enchantment hasn't been worn away, are very hard to repair, one can't just recast the enchantment, the allowance doesn't go down, which means recasting it won't work. That is if you aren't making a single enchantment, a single enchantment can easily be reapplied because there aren't any other enchantments messing things up.

What this means is that an item with several enchantments can only be repaired by a master enchanter, someone who can extend the enchantment, which is a breakthrough even I haven't gotten yet.

It will take roughly seven hours for me to refill my Kyhosa, In the meantime, I watch Dad work. The metal she was working with seemed to be normal ferrous steel, but it had tons of earth mana fused with it. This made the steel very tough and hard to break, but it's very brittle.

The best steel is of course true steel, steel with steel essence. It is both very durable, if not more so, and isn't brittle, one could even make the best spring steel that never deforms its shape with it. Unfortunately, such steel is very rare and is better used for weapons.

I'm fine with normal earth steel, even if the plate breaks the armor is still functional.

It wasn't long until I was summoned for a meeting with the elders.

"Probably wants me to help with searching for any nests. We still haven't covered everywhere we could." I inform dad.

When I got there, there were five others, everyone who could move their [Sense Mana] spheres.

"Now that we are all here let us explain for those who don't know the full situation," Guklaro says. "Yesterday new monsters have been found, young monsters this suggests a nest nearby. Your goal is to find any nests and mark its location. There are six of you so each of you will be responsible for a direction, except Alysara, since her level is the highest she will be responsible for scouting the furthest areas."

After a few more minutes of debriefing that included what the monsters look like and also report any sighting of the monsters regardless of any nests, we start looking. With my two smaller spheres I sent them in opposite directions as fast as I could move them. I could already see a few lone Chayaotmos

"One young one in the south, two north" I report. I hear the elders marking a map after I note the rough distance.

"Found three in the east"

"one in the north-west"

It went on like that for hours. Once at my max distance I started moving in the circles, both spheres covering opposite directing. Seven counted in a location. Three. Five.

"I found a large one!" I says. Noting the size had to be as large as one of our boats, easily three or four times the size of a young one. "east-southeast"

I scan the area, finding dozens at the very edge of my range. I snapped my other perception to that location to extend the range of my sphere. I didn't see the actual nest but there is a school of the eels circling an area, some leaving to join the ones circling others swimming to the center. They were all large enough to be five or even six times the size of the young ones.

"I found something, a lot of those large ones, larger than the lone adult. I can't actually see the nest sight but this seems like it is. Twenty-one kilometers to the east-southeast" I report. I even saw tiny baby eels, well, about the size of mundane adult eels but babies for these monsters. The baby Chayaotmos are leaving the apparent nest.

"Let's get on a boat and get closer so you can have a look into the actual nest," Guklaro says.

"It should be safe enough sounds like we won't have to go far" Tusile agrees.

We got on a boat and row out to sea until I can see the nest. I can see hundreds, maybe even thousands of eggs on the seafloor. Above them is a massive orgy of a hundred eels constantly going at it and when they tire they move to the outer edges only to be replaced by more.

"...Yeah, If we don't get rid of them soon we are going to be swarmed by these monsters," I say, in a monotone voice.

"What did you see?" Guklaro asks.

"...They seem distracted, to make more. Maybe two hundred in total?" I was uncomfortable by the turn of events.

"I see, that's a lot, and it sounds like it will only get larger"

After getting back we explain everything to the warriors and mages.

"How are we going to get rid of all of them? We expect them to be in the one-fifty to two hundred range and they are major tier or greater" A mage asked.

I had just the idea.

"Storage items, We drop storage items in and have it explode, hundreds, even thousands of storage items. We get as close as we can on boats, then with flying dresses we drop them."

"That's a great idea!"

"Where are we going to get all the materials?"

"Will it be strong enough to kill them?"

"We only have three enchanters in the village, you included"

There were a lot more pessimistic opinions than supportive but it was a start.

"Dark mana silk and rock" I answer.

"No" Guklaro says. "It will take too long and rock is a valuable material. It's easier and faster to just pick them off one at a time."

"I agree. They are stupid and fall for traps easily with illusions we can lure them away or provoke them somehow." Tusile says.

"Thinking outside the box is great, unfortunately for this specific problem, a more simplified solution seems to work best" Yukika gave the final nail in the coffin.

"Picking them off seems easy, we can have multiple groups handling this, we can make short work of them," a warrior says.

"You seem to be forgetting that they are level two hundred major monsters" Esofy challenges. "This isn't some low level Domr we are talking about, this is an unknown enemy, with unknown abilities. The Aydomr killed six of us, imagine two hundred of them!" Esofy gave a stern glare.

"Esofy's right. They are in their natural habitat and they may have ways to capsize our boats, I will never again fight powerful monsters without being fully prepared" Chyzu says. Several nods of agreement came from the Aydomr survivors. "Aly's plan may not work but it shows that she is thinking of safety first, striking from a distance where they can't get us"

"They are in the water as long as we are on boats we are always at risk," A mage says.

That gives me an idea.

"What if we make the boats fly then?"

Chapter 43: Spell crystal

"Are you sure you can make such enchantments?" Yukika asks.

"It'll be mana intensive, but I have my Kyhosa; the biggest problem will be getting the right materials."

"We would need several Domr wind pearls the size of your ice pearl," Chyzu says pointing out the issue.

"Perhaps there is another way; the Domrs make them, why can't we?" I say, an idea already forming in my mind. Crystals grow slowly, in a solution of mineral water, unlike gems that are superheated and crushed together before cooling. Mana gems are better than the Domr pearls, but only because one is more mana dense, and perhaps how it is made.

"What do you have in mind?" Tusile asks with an eyebrow raised.

"Mana crystals and gems grow with every mana storm, right? That's because of the extra abundance in mana; we can have weavers create an area of dense mana, just low enough pressure that it doesn't form mana silk."

"That doesn't explain how we are going to get so much air mana," Esofy says, her [Sense Mana] helping her contribute to the discussion despite being a warrior.

"One of my class skills lets me produce some air mana if I want to, plus the curse of my [Mana Manipulation] will make more, plus there's already a ton around I could just use manipulation to gather it in one spot."

"How long will it take? We can't afford to delay too long," Guklaro says, crossing her arms.

"I don't know, but the ship will take a few days anyway."

There was one more thing about this special crystal, I plan to grow an enchantment along with it, it should be more permanent and more powerful, but I'll save that as a surprise. The biggest problem is that we only have five weavers in the village, and using multiple people to enchant is a bad idea. No two enchanters will have exactly the same image, so multiple enchanters being used for any job is out of the question. This means I'll have to stay awake for multiple days, as will the weavers, so we will need a good night's rest before we start.

"Very well, this is the safest way, and we can use this strategy again if there are more nests found," Tusile says, giving a reluctant sigh.

Dismissed, I went home. Dad is still working on my armor, and Mom has just finished the pearl. The pearl sits in an engraved trapezoid plate meant to be riveted onto the chest of the armor.

"Earth steel is a pain to work with," Mom complains. Since earth repels water she had to use a more powerful water jet to make the engravings and designs. The metal held onto the earth pearl-like mountains coming out of the plate holding the pearl in four points.

I tell mom the plan we have for the nest and that I'll be busy for a few days.

"Make sure you play with the twins today then," Mom says. "They'll miss you so use this chance to spend time with them.

I nod and go to the playground to play the role of the tickle monster.

My sisters are playing with a ball, bouncing it between each other and some other kids. I cast an invisibility spell and let them finish the game.

"What should we play next?" A kid asks as I snuck up to them.

"Hmmm, Netball, maybe?"

"Rawr! A monster has come to eat you!" I reveal myself with my hands up and fingers out like claws.

"Kya!" The startled kids scream and I caught Yafel, reaching for her sides and viciously attacking her. Yafel giggles and laughs and squirms in my arms.

"Let go of her, monster!" Yafe says, lightly hitting me.

"Then I'll get you!" I say and captured Yafe with a swift movement, tickling her. I chase the kids around before they all ganged up on me.

"Rawr! You have slain the evil monster!" I say and play dead, letting them win. I play Netball with them after and show them a display of dancing fairies.

We all went home as it is getting dark soon. The next day I have another meeting with the elders and the village weavers.

"Alysara will explain the details, but for the overview, we plan to make make a boat that sails the skies. What we'll need is a large air crystal that Aly says we can make with your help."

I began explaining what we'll need to do. We need to keep the mana condensed at just the right pressure and that it'll probably take days of collective effort.

"Even if we make this it'll cost a lot of mana just to power the enchantment," one of the weavers says, pessimistically.

"We have plenty of people for that; besides, it only needs to fly for a few hours," Tusile says, waving the complaint off.

We are making a boat that can fly, but to save on the enchantment run time, we'll be sailing the boat normally until we get close to the nest and I'll bombard the nest with my exploding fairies, safely out of reach. Others will be handling defense in case of ranged attacks. But with my illusions, I think that won't be an issue.

There are a few complaints, but once we explained the danger everyone agreed to this job.

We gathered, out of the way, and start working. It is a struggle at first. With five people it is hard to coordinate the exact pressure needed and we ended up with a lot of weaved mana.

"Five people are too much; let's try three. This will also give us the ability to rotate out," one of the weavers suggests.

"Yeah, I thought this would be harder to maintain." I agree.

"Our skill levels are near two hundred and being boosted by classes."

I hadn't thought of that, but it does make sense that the weavers would have classes if they specialized in mana weaving.

It turns out only two others were needed, and now for the hard part. I start with my enchantment image, seeing a build-up of gravity essence; I focus on reducing gravity with the ability to be manipulated by someone, then with [Twin Minds], I cast another enchantment with air manipulation. I infuse the mana into the crystal that is growing at a languid pace, watching the full process.

I watch as the enchantments combine and form the seed. Air mana slowly, very slowly starts to form around the seeded enchantment mana. Something was off about this; the enchantment shouldn't have taken yet as there was nothing for it to take to. Worse, over-enchanting could make it unstable, yet this isn't.

I start to increase my production, watching the mana quickly take to the tiny forming crystal. I'll need more dark mana. I realize. More dark mana would help with the gravity enchantment.

"I'm going to introduce dark mana into this; we'll need it for an enchantment," I inform the rest so they know what to expect.

I watch as I produce dark mana now, letting that mix into the cloud of highly dense air mana. I still am enchanting but am increasing the speed at which I am enchanting. The backlash of the curse is helping in this case as it means more enchanted mana. The crystal greedily devours the enchantment without issue.

Something isn't right, in a good way, but that much enchanting mana in one place should have made the mana unstable. Perhaps it's because it was the seed that the mana is forming around? Or is it that the majority of the mana is the enchanting mana? I watch as a complicated crystalline matrix of mana forms and grow.

"It's growing faster than I'd thought it would." one of the weavers comments. Seeing the crystal the size of a pebble floating in the air. It had already been a few hours but I continued watching the growing puzzle in front of me.

The weavers swapped out, but I remain.

"Are you sure? You've been sitting there for a long time."

"I am needed for infusing the enchantment into the crystal," I say and continue observing the crystal.

Spell mana mixes with normal mana, preventing it from moving and locking it in place. I think the normal mana is needed to stabilize the enchantment mana. Keep it bound in place. I knew this wouldn't be what I intended, but I didn't know how it would turn out. It could be a complete waste of time and effort, or it could be exactly what we needed, or it could be something else entirely.

Soon the darkness of night came, and tiredness washes over me. But I can't sleep now; I'd have to keep feeding the crystal enchanted mana. I have a feeling that if I stop now this will all fail, so I stayed up all through the night.

The next morning is terrible; if only I could just produce the mana I needed with my core.

Why not? I asked myself. What is a spell or enchantment but mana with an identity attached to it, mana unique to a spell.

I focus on my core, it is hard to do especially after staying up all night, but by now my enchanting process for this specific enchantment is on autopilot; I just have to hold the image in the back of my mind. Once I have my core in sight I attach the image to my core; I felt it move, sliding into place with several minutes of effort but the image eventually clicked and I felt my core start producing the mana.

Unfortunately, I couldn't place two images into my core but now I have one mind freed up. Can I go to sleep with one mind and have my double maintain the second enchantment? It is worth a try.

It was easy to fall asleep. Weirdly my...conscious? Something of that nature kept me aware through my exhausted second mind. Unfortunately, my body would just have to stay awake, a good thing that I am not doing anything demanding of it.

The weavers swapped out several more times, and I gave the image of the second enchantment to my first mind to give my second a chance to rest. When night came around for a second time the crystal had grown to the size of a bowling ball.

I had now studied what was going on extensively. The crystalline structure, the makeup of the mana, everything. This crystal is not an enchanted object, it doesn't look like one; instead, it seems as if a spell locked in crystal. The normal elemental mana is tightly squeezing together now, almost like the threads of mana silk, but in the complex crystalline matrix.

My family visited me several times to see how I was doing.

"Don't worry. I learned how to rest my mind with my [Twin Minds] skill! Now I can stay awake all night and get even more stuff done!" I say with a smile.

"You still need to rest your body Aly," Mom says with a sigh and a smile.

"I know... maybe there's a skill for that?" I say, mimicking Mom.

Late afternoon on the third day the crystal has grown to half the size of me. As it had gotten larger, so too did my need to increase how much enchanted mana I was generating and was at my maximum production and tearing through my Kyhosa reserves quickly. To mark the end of the crystals' growth, Elder tusile came by to let us know the airship was done.

"We'll be done by the end of the day," I promise, checking how much mana was left in my Kyhosa.

When the last of the mana ran out I end my enchanting and raise my production on the normal air and dark mana to seal in this creation. Only a thin layer is needed; too much and it may not work as well; too little and it may degrade.

As the sun set so too did our work. I Analyzed our work.

Spell Crystal

This spell crystal can negate the effect of gravity by 70% to anything its spell is directed at. In addition, the caster can generate winds up to gale speeds.

Well, that was certainly interesting. Spell Crystal seems like a catalyst for others to use a spell without a needed skill or class. Not sure how that affects things. Can people get classes that synergize with them? Will using the spell prevent you from leveling up skills or obtaining them? Could I cast spells with them instead of [Mana Manipulation]? How does it work exactly? Not to mention this is much too large to use for practical things; is that the limitation?

I touch the spell crystal and push my mana into it, trying to cast its spell on me to make me less affected by gravity. I watch my mana course through it, running through the matrix as if they were highways, transforming to the spell mana as it did. Then the mana is redirected back to me, spreading throughout me. I felt lighter; it had worked!

"This is incredible!" One of the weavers excitedly says.

"A new invention, maybe we can make more of these!" The second shares her enthusiasm.

I was just tired, my body ached, and although my minds are rested, my body isn't.

I went to the elders, asking a passerby where I could find them at this time. They are at the pier, where construction on the airship had taken place. The boat is in its final decoration phase, where intricate and stylized fairies are being burned into the wood-like bamboo.

The Airship is wide enough for three people to sit comfortably. Instead of sticking up, the sails are off to the side, three sets for the long boat. The sails are currently folded and retracted. It folds close to the boat so it is easy to dock at the piers. The sails are made of air silk and embroidered with beauty silk and enchanted to attract wind when opened. They are made to look like my fairy's wings when fully opened and the figurehead is a fairy, with wings of beauty silk. The rudder is a set of two very short but wide sails enchanted to attract wind in their direction. When one is close and the other open it would slowly turn the airship.

Yukika is closest to me, So I walk up to her.

"The crystal is done. Although it wasn't what I intended, it's better than what I wanted."

"How so?" Yukika asks, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a spell crystal. It'll let anyone cast a strong spell through it. It'll have a stronger effect but it may cost more mana to maintain, overall it'll allow less need for mana to be used on wind spells, so maybe we won't use much more mana than we would normally have."

Yukika nods. "This boat was tricky to get right, especially the sails,"

After presenting this idea we had a long discussion on how to build this and how to defend it. In the end, we will hang water crystals to attract water attacks. The hull is made from bamboo saturated with earth mana and has earth silk tightly fitted it to. The hull is enchanted is made to repel and resist water attacks.

"What are we going to name it?" I ask.

"It's just a boat, a flying one... hopefully, but a boat nonetheless," Yukika thought for a moment before giving a name despite her argument. "Valymo"

Flight of the beautiful people. Or Fairy's Flight. Context is dependant here, but seeing the figurehead I think it's more a nod toward my fairies, which are made of beauty essence.

"Is it really essential to have three sets of sails and the back sails?" Yukika asks, clearly the sails were a point of many frustrations.

They had made it to my specifications, but they still don't understand that pitch, roll, and yaw are important in flight, as is weight distribution. The front and back sails naturally control pitch and roll, the up and down tilt, and the left or right tilt. The rudder controls yaw, the left and right turning. The middle sail can rotate to have a forward or backward drive.

One might ask why pitch control is important; that is because if too much weight is in the front or back and the sails can't compensate, the airship will tilt; weakening the other end will help counteract the extra weight by reducing lift on the other end.

"Yes, it's to help control it. You'll see once it takes flight; also, we'll need a lot of practice; controlling it won't be easy."

We'll be going over several test flights as low as we can. The hull has been reinforced, but we could still end up damaging our hard work.

"I'll send someone to get the crystal. For now, you should rest," Yukika says, noticing my tiredness.

I nod and walk back home.

"Welcome back. Did it work?" Dad asks.

"Yeah," I nod and walk to my room, dragging my tails. I slump over my bed and was out before I even knew it.

Chapter 44: Test Flights.

Ting! Summoner's Core has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Summoner's Core will now continue leveling past level 50!

Summoner's Core: You've managed to increase your mana production, letting you produce more mana

1st Breakthrough: You've learned how to manipulate your core to increase how much mana you can hold

2nd Breakthrough: you've entered the State of Core, Letting you Increase the effectiveness of your breakthroughs.

3rd Breakthrough: You've learned how to manipulate your core to consciously produce essence mana, allowing you to produce mana needed for spells letting you tap your reserves less.

4th Breakthrough: You've learned how to manipulate your core to consciously produce elemental mana, allowing you to produce mana needed for spells letting you tap your reserves less.

5th Breakthrough: You've learned how to produce spell-like mana, letting you precast spells and enchantments.

Summoner's Core: 7/10(Action: 4/5 Knowledge 3/5)

1st Breakthrough: 2/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 1/5)

2nd Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

3rd Breakthrough: 7/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 3/5)

4th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 1/5)

5th Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 3/5 Knowledge 3/5)

Ting! Summoner's Core has obtained level 23!

Ting! Summoner's Core has obtained level 32!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 44! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 46! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 220!

22nd Breakthrough: You've managed to create a spell crystal, this will help you produce them faster.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 185!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 190!

Ting! Twin Minds has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Twin Minds will now continue leveling past level 50!

5th Breakthrough: You've managed to transfer your consciousness from one mind to the other. This will help you evade mental attacks.

Ting! Twin Minds has obtained level 45!

Ting! Twin Minds has obtained level 50!

The sails of the Valymo opens wide, air rushes under them, and the pilot channels the spell crystal to reduce the weight of the airship. The boat raised mostly out of the water but not quite light enough to ride on the winds.

If we can make it more efficient we may not even need to use magic to lift this. The enchantments still need to use mana to work, but with the sail operators feeding the sails mana, their enchantments should still work. The sails waver due to uneven winds, threatening to rotate out of control.

Going to need a locking mechanism for them before it actually takes flight.

Many people have crowded the piers and docks to watch the test flight. Despite that, the thing won't actually be flying today, this test is mainly for the crew to get used to handling the airship and to see if anything needs to be fixed, improved, and to iron out any other problems before the crew sends the airship headfirst into the sea.

The airship maintains its height for several minutes as the crew ran from post to post and adjusted anything that needed to be. Then the airship rose even further out of the water as gusts of winds powered by a spell lifted the ship out of the water.

"What are they doing?!" Tusile exclaims.

"Getting overconfident" Guklaro answers, almost as if she had expected this outcome.

"Idiots" I just shook my head.

After raising seven meters above the water one of the sail operators lost control of her sail and it starts spinning out of control, the airship starts to tilt and flipped over, landing upside down in the water.

"This is why we had to test it before flying it" Yukika sighs, folding her arms under her large bosom.

"Still impressive, perhaps in a few years every island will have an airship," Dad says, optimistically.

With the test flight over the rest of the day will be spent making stabilizers for the sails.

"That was so cool!" Yafel exclaims as we walked back to the shop.

"I wanna ride it!" Yafe says, stars gleaming in her eyes.

We made a stop at Efula's ice cream shop for a treat before getting back to work. Soon we are requested to make six stabilizers and given the dimensions needed.

"The Airship was your idea, know anyways for this to work?" Dad asks, standing over several blank blueprints.

I explain a ratcheting system, basically, the pitch and roll controlling sails will have a one-eighty degree rotating ratcheting system and a locking key mechanism to prevent movement when we don't want it.

We start by making a wheel with holes for the key. The middle is made for the sail to set in and the ratcheting system is attached. The ratchet will be gravity fed so we won't have to make springs and it can be easily lifted to rotate the sail in the other direction. It is made so the most horizontal position for the sail can't turn without the aid of the operator and that if control is lost or the key is broken that the sail will return to the horizontal position. The only sails with full three-sixty movement are the drive sails, if anything happens to them they can simply be closed and an emergency splashdown can be made.

It took a lot of planning and few hours later we have a working blueprint. With Mom's water bond she made a water jet to cut out the needed shape in the metal. Being able to make quality steel is actually easy with magic so we don't actually need blast furnaces and all the needed technology for making great steel. However, the added complexity mana introduces means that making good mana steel is a lot more nuanced. You don't just have to worry about carbon content but also mana content and conflicting mana and empowering mana, I honestly don't know how smiths can do it reliably without good mana sight or mana sense.

As the workday ended we only had made two of the locking mechanisms. Seeing as how we are trying to get these done as fast as possible, we continue working after the bath. After we made the first we had to send it to the shipwrights so they can make adjustments to the ship as needed.

The upgrades are completed and implemented a couple of hours before the Lojyo.

The next morning we watch the next test flight. It went a lot smoother and while it was still in the water we tested the rudders or tail sails? Anyway, it worked as intended, they can only open or close so nothing needed to be changed. Now all that was needed was for flight training. There are three pilots, they may have to switch in case they run out of mana, twelve sail operators, and two rudder operators. With seventeen people needed to operate the airship, it is already a little crowded, and we need to fit at least another dozen more onto it. The Valymo might not have been made big enough.

The airship took flight and hover in place. It waits for a few minutes before the drive sails open halfway to allow for a slow movement forward. It slowly picked up speed and then they start to test turning with the tail sails. They turn slowly, then after a few moments close one of the drive sails for faster turning.

The pilots shout their orders as needed and everyone followed them, the test crashing must have humbled and dampened the overconfidence of the sailors.

Soon they made their way back to the village and splashed down. Cheers erupts at the first successful flight. But I knew that wasn't going to be the last test. Everyone was at their stations and there was no shifting weight as there will be once people start running up and down the ship. Constantly adjusting to the shift in weight will be the real test.

"The stabilizers seems to work wonderfully," Tusile says, smiling brightly.

"Everyone worked hard for this moment" Yukika nods.

"This doesn't mean it's battle-ready," Guklaro says holding a neutral expression, her comment brought everyone back down to earth.

"Under a controlled environment, many things can work" I agree.

"Let's move on to the next tests," Guklaro says.

The next tests didn't go as well as the second. Several more people carrying cargo moved on the airship while flying. The crew couldn't adapt to the changing weight and often overcorrects. The airship wobbles and bobs, tilting down then up, then to the side, and back down. The drive sails aren't even open, they are just hovering and still having trouble. The test ends with the airship capsizing again when the sail operators overcorrects as the weight shifted back.

"So this is what you meant when you said weight needed to be considered," Tusile say.

I nod. "Imagine archers needing to get more arrows and are running back and forth, we also overlooked that supplies will have to be tied down otherwise the crates will move and could make things worse or hurt someone."

Guklaro grunts in agreement. "This will take a while but once this is mastered we should be ready"

By the third test, most people had left to go back to work. I was called to help cull more Chayaotmos with the Kheshamo fighters, several were spotted getting close to the villages by the scouts.

It took two more days before the airship operators were considered "good enough" and that was with the rush to get the airship flying so we can deal with the monster nest. Needless to say, "good enough" meant keeping the airship stable while moveing and nothing else.

During those two days, I practiced and prepared. There was one breakthrough which I really needed, delayed [Fairy Explosion]. It was a lot harder than I thought. The unstable mana vibrated too much and I had to control that. I could just boost my wisdom but I didn't want to do that yet. Instead, I spent two days casting the spell over and over and over again, slowly gaining control over the stability of the spell. The only downside was that I couldn't use [Fairy Empowerment] as much. Due to the similarities between the skills I managed to get a breakthrough in both skills, so using Empowerment at all was thanks to that.

Ting! Fairy Explosion has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Fairy Explosion will now continue leveling past level 30!

Ting! Fairy Explosion has obtained level 15!

Ting! Fairy Explosion has obtained level 17!

Fairy Explosion: You've sent a large burst of unstable mana to your fairy, causing it to explode.

1st Breakthrough: You've managed to send multiple doses of unstable mana to one fairy, this will help you send even more doses.

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to send multiple doses of unstable mana to different fairies, this will help you affect more fairies.

3rd Breakthrough: You've managed to delay the explosion, allowing you to control the stability of the mana better.

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Fairy Empowerment will now continue leveling past level 30!

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 16!

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 19!

Fairy Empowerment: You've learned how to send bursts of mana to your fairies, this will intensify their mana.

1st Breakthrough: You've stacked empowerments, this'll let you stack even more

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to send multiple stacks at once, this'll help you send even more at once.

3rd Breakthrough: You've managed to stabilize the extra mana intensity, allowing you to empower your fairies more.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 47! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 49! 15 status points awarded.

With this, I can delay the explosion by up to one second per level.

I board the airship. The twins are pouting that they don't get to join as Mom and Dad wave me off. I had to explain to them that even if the airship crashes right into the middle of the nest, I'll be safe. I told them that I could just cast a flying spell on myself, which is the truth, I probably won't make it back to the village before my mana runs out but I'd be out of danger.

Only mages are on board, we'll be flying high up so pretty much only magic will be able to reach the nest and the monsters.

We start sailing off, many people rowing with long custom-made oars, we'll only start flying once we get close. It is relaxing, being on a boat like this, but I kept looking for stray Chayaotmos. Every time I see some I blast them with an empowered fairy explosion, practicing my ability to explode the fairy at the very moment it reached its destination.

This, of course, attracted more which was part of the goal. More practice, more exp.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 50! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! New active skill available, Fairy Rush! Would you like to accept this skill?

Fairy Rush: Increases the speed at which your fairies can move by 3% per level

Ting! New passive skill available, State of the Summoner! Would you like to accept this skill?

State of the Summoner: Enter a state of focus that enhances all summoning based skills by 3% per level.

Now that one is strong. It says skills, does that also include my bond skills and general skills? Or just the class skills? [Fairy Strike] is summon based as well as beauty based, as is my clone and Familiar. But all my class skills are beauty and enhancement based, not summon.

Ting! You have gained the Fairy Rush class skill!

Fairy Rush: You've managed to increase how fast your fairies move, this will help them attack faster.

Ting! You have gained the State of the Summoner class skill!

State of the Summoner: You've entered a state of pure focus, this will improve all summons for the duration of the focus.

I feel like state wouldn't be great at the start, state breakthroughs need a ton of focus, and using it in battle may not work out too well, it'll definitely need a breakthrough to lessen the focus or allow me to use it during battle.

"Are you nervous?" Chyzu asks, walking up to me.

"A little, but all I can do is trust in my own abilities," I reply.

"You're so brave!" Chyzu pats me on the head and smiles. "I'm terrified. The Aydomr was minor tier, these monsters may not be at the same level but are major tier, they will be at least equal in power and there are a lot more of them. I keep envisioning everything that can go wrong."

"You have a water bond, even if we crash you can probably ride a wave of water back to the village fast enough to escape the Chayaotmos. I can cast a flying spell on myself, I can distract the monsters with illusions. If something does go wrong we aren't helpless" I say, letting Chyzu pet me.

"You think of everything, don't you? You plan around fail points and think defensively, It's no wonder you aren't afraid to take on tasks far beyond yourself, not to mention your age"

"You don't have to go into a battle headfirst. It's preferable to never being in the throes of combat yourself. No matter how tough your armor, no matter how strong the opponent. It doesn't matter if they can't reach you. That is why we are flying. We are safe in the skies, we can get them, and even if they have ways to get us we have made proper preparations. We'll be fine the airship just needs to remain stable, no crazy maneuverings, no quick movements. Just needs to stay in one place while we do our work."

Chyzu smiles again. "Thanks, Aly, you're right, we don't need to be afraid, we just need to trust in ourselves"

Chapter 45: Homewrecker.

"Sails out!" The pilot shouts.

"Sails out!" "Sails out!" The command relays and the lifting sails fold out and open up. A strong gust of wind shook the airship as it lifts into the air. The drive sails then open, propelling up and slowly forward.

I nervously check my armor, making sure each seam I made is secure and holding the plates correctly. The plates are still riveted to the cloth but this is my last line of defense, I want it perfect. We rose higher and higher, the concentration of mana growing more and more. As the concentration of wind and fire mana grew the enchantment on the sails had a greater effect. I kept a split sphere of perception in the water searching for the nest. It wasn't long until I found it.

I sent down a fairy right in the middle of the thrashing monsters they paid no heed to the fairy, too focused on satiating their carnal desire. This was going to be easy. I sent down as many fairies as I could, making use of my new [Fairy Rush] spreading them around, and sent down empowering bursts of mana and a delayed fairy explosion to many of them. I can send now three [Fairy Explosion]s every two seconds, that's fifty-four fairies plus quadruple that number of empowered to near exploding fairies.

Timing it right three more bursts of [Fairy Explosion] and several more [Fairy Empowerment] sparks a massive cascade of death. Almost fifteen thousand mana went into this attack, empowered to the max by my skills, magic items, class, and race.

Blobs of highly unstable beauty mana shot out as if a frag grenade was detonated. Secondary explosions hit the surrounding Chayaotmos. An earsplitting boom had us all covering our sensitive ears before A massive gust of wind-powered by the shockwave hit us as the crew are distracted. The airship rocked and began leaning dangerously in one direction, threatening to dump us all off.

Despite all our preparation we still overlooked this, bringing a sound mage like Chofel would have been prudent.

The pilots and sail operators struggles to take control of the airship. The crew simply didn't have enough experience in dealing with this. As the ship fell I noticed around twenty percent of the Chayaotmos in the nest and seventy percent of those in the surrounding were still alive!

I knew what was wrong, the shockwave has managed to cause the front starboard sail to partially close, the operator had yet to notice... no, she's trying to open it but it's damaged! The airship is spiraling into monster-infested waters! There was only one thing to do, manually open it or partially close the back port side sail to balance out the lifting forces.

I run to the portside operator.

"Close this sail! Now!" I scream at her. Whether she realized, or just followed my orders due to the chaos she closed it. The airship starting to correcting itself.

"Open it halfway now!" She does so, not overcorrecting in the process. With the crisis averted, for now, we had the time to regain our bearings. We were still losing altitude but slowly.

Ting! You have gained the Clear Mind general skill!

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained level 2!

How do we regain altitude? In order to achieve lift, we can increase the area of lift, but that's damaged so we can't. The other way is to increase the strength of lift.

Knowledge of how helicopters achieve lift surfaced to the forefront of my mind, how there was a Martian heli drone able to fly in a vastly less dense atmosphere.

I ran to the pilots. "Increase the wind on the two half-closed sails but keep the other two fully opened sails as is" This would require two pilots instead of one and would likely reach the limit on how much mana the spell crystal can work with but it's all we can do at this point. If need be we can open the back port sail and just have increased wind pressure on the damaged one.

Suddenly the airship rocked again. Looking over the edge the monsters have begun spitting jets of water at us.

"Deploy the water crystals!" Chyzu commands.

Dozens of water crystals attached to ropes are thrown overboard, enchanted to attract the attacks.

"Get us higher!" Chyzu shouts at the pilots.

With [Dreams of Reality] I create another airship look alike to act as a distraction below us. With an angry roar a massive Eel clad in lightning and flowing water poke its head out, this one was easily four times the size of the adults, and probably larger.

Chayaotmo Matriarch (Grand) Electricity Queen (Grand)

I may not know its level but I do know it's very powerful. A blast of electrically charge water shot through the illusion and grazed the airship. The attack attractor did its job to curve the trajectory but a large gash was torn through the hull. If we want to splash down we'd start taking on water.

I sent down as many fairies as I could and charged up as much as I can make it. Explosions sounded below as the mages joined in attacking the matriarch.

The matriarch seems just as dumb as its younger versions and keeps attacking the closer decoy, good thing too because if it was any smarter we'd have to run away.

My familar is further down, attacking with beams of beauty and provide an additional source of distraction. I suddenly realize that with my stat increases and my new skills I could have two familiars out. I summoned one more to aid the first.

The mages rained down fire, ice, earth, lightning, and even lasers upon the Matriarch, each doing their part to take down the oversized Eel. They each have enchanted accessories to empower their elements.

It seems to be going well but a stray blast took out the tail sails, injuring our ability to turn as sharply. I watched the attack curve into a direct hit from a grazing hit, the water attractors acting as a double-edged sword. I charge up a fairy with as many empowerments and a delayed explosion as I could and had it target the Matriarch's mouth. I sent a burst of two explosions and three empowerments chasing after the fairy. As expected the matriarch welcomed the food with open jaws and just as it closed them the fairy exploded with the force of two hundred ten points of highly intense mana. The matriarch roars in pain as secondary explosions resounded in its mouth.

"Careful, your food might just bite back, you overgrown sushi" I mutter.

Angered, the matriarch dived into the water and began swimming in circles.

"What is it doing?" A mage asks, now trying to hit the lesser Chayaotmos.

Soon a column of water starts rising. I could see the spell's mana quickly intensifying.

Yeah, let's stop that.

Using Manipulate mana I fight for control over the spell. Still using my second mind to summon fairies. I grit my teeth as the column stubbornly resists me and kept growing! Unfortunately, the Matriarch had more control than the Aydomr and I was only able to slow its formation to a crawl.

I sent another two hundred mana fairy down to hit the matriarch trying to interrupt the spell. The fairy explodes, but the spell is ongoing even as the Matriarch reeled in pain. Worse the added pain seems to have encouraged the monster and its spell grows slightly faster!

We need to stop that.

That's when I got an idea. There is a large cloth weaved from earth attached to the underside of the airship for defense. Using that I could disrupt the water mana and prevent the completion of the spell. I move my second mind from attack to ripping off the earth silk via manipulation. As if trying to pry off nailed-down boards I rip off the silk which drifts down, smothering the spell. To help it along I used both my minds to stagnate the growth of the spell.

The matriarch growls and roars in frustration as its spell failed. It had cost us a layer of defense but with the amount of mana and intensity in that spell, it was well worth it.

Suddenly I am reminded of playing an MMO game, playing against a raid boss. I shook my head, now was no time for personal memories of a life long gone.

The matriarch retaliates furiously but against the illusion. That didn't stop a few attacks from getting worryingly close. Things went downhill as a stray attack took out the starboard drive sail, basting it in half. The ship rocked and several people fell unbalanced and landed on the floor. The lightning mage falls overboard but Chyzu manages to grab the other mage's hand. Chyzu struggles to pull up the other woman but a grazing hit rocked the ship again and Chyzu almost tumbles off she managed to lock her foot in the railing of the ship but a loud crack and a scream suggest she broke her foot. Two other people rush to aid Chyzu and pull them up.

With one drive sail gone we now only have the ability to only turn in one direction and the inability to move forward, the design flaws of the airship becoming more apparent. Perhaps redundant or auxiliary drive sails are prudent in the next iteration of the Valymo.

"When will this fucking beast die?!" A mage complained, standing back up. We all nodded at that.

I check my Kyhosa reserves, a little over ten thousand. I started to slow down on my attacks, only using my heavy-hitting attacks. The matriarch launches another attack at us, the attack veering off course and hit a decoy crystal. Again the matriarch attacks, her focus now on us instead of the illusion. Another decoy was destroyed.

"Finish her! She learned that the illusion isn't real!" I shout.

A blast rips through the center of the airship lightning filled droplets of water raining on us, making several people cry out in pain. I redo the illusion of the airship, overlapping us and having it go in a different direction. It works partially as the matriarch is now alternating her attacks between both the airships, real or not.

How can I make my attacks stronger? I am reminded of my [Beauty Enhancement] I've only ever used it on myself, but can I use it on others? No, I can't use it on spells or objects, that falls more in line with [Imbue Beauty] but what if I can use it on my link and transfer it to my Familiars via our link?

I do so, shoving the enhancement already on myself into my first fairy. Suddenly my fairy grew bigger. I send another dose and another. By the third dose, the Familiar's form is shimmering unstably.

If I can enhance fairies, why not my fairy familiar?

The back end of the airship is blasted off, the tail sail operator nearly fell off and is now dangling off the edge, screaming for help. The other operator is trying to pull her up, others rushing to their location in case another Chyzu situation happens. Chyzu is favoring her foot but still launching attacks at the Matriarch.

I try to empower my familiar but I'd always used a default summon, which somehow means using my previous [Beauty Beam]. But what if I send my [Fairy Strike] to familiar? It was worth a shot. I ordered my Familiar to get as close to the matriarch as it could, to hug it if need be and I sent my [Fairy Strike] empowered and with a delayed explosion. The mana rushed into my familiar and an immediate defining explosion greets our ears. Just as my Kyhosa fell below two thousand mana a 'Ting!' alerted us all to the notification of the Matriarchs demise.

Ting! Your party has killed a Matriarch Chayaotmo (Grand), Electricity Queen (Grand) Level 312, extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

The hard part was over, now we just have to slay the rest. It was easy to pick off the normal adults. They could not reach us and it was fairly relaxing with the target practice. Soon the nest is destroyed. We'll send several boats to get the materials and maybe find any surviving eggs. If we have a safe enclosed space to put them we could benefit greatly from a fishery of them, slay any that gets too large, would make for great exp grinding too.

Unfortunately, the airship can only turn with one drive sail, so we had to get close to the water and use our oars to bring us back. We open the damaged lift sail to ease the pressure on the pilots and lowered just enough that the airship is partially in the water.

Chyzu may have a water bond but she can't keep us from sinking the entire way back, especially after that battle and in her current condition.

I check my messages to see what I gained from the battle.

Ting! You have killed a Mature Chayaotmo (Major), Sea Hunter (Adept) Level 141, extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

Ting! Your party has killed a Mature Chayaotmo (Major), Bite Berserker (Adept) Level 152, extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 206!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 241!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Beauty Enhancement, has evolved into Beauty Empowerment!

Beauty Empowerment: Gives up to 30 extra beauty mana to your beauty magic or to other people. (Beauty) (Enhancement)

Ting! Your Bond skill, Dreams of Reality, has evolved into Echo of Reality!

Echo of Reality: Create illusions that can expend mana to make sounds and move with Impart Instructions, up to twenty extra mana can be stored for miscellaneous uses. (Beauty) (Illusion)

Ting! Your Bond skill, Summon Familiar, has evolved into Create Familiar!

Create Familiar: Create a Familiar with a pseudo intelligence, may only do simple tasks without further instructions

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 20!

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained level 29!

Ting! Fairy Commander has obtained level 10!

Ting! Fairy Commander has obtained level 17!

Ting! Fairy Rush has obtained level 1!

Ting! Fairy Rush has obtained level 4!

Ting! Fairy Explosion has obtained level 18!

Ting! Fairy Explosion has obtained level 30!

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has obtained level 4!

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has obtained level 8!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 50! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 91! 15 status points awarded.

I more than doubled my level, but I didn't hit my level cap of one hundred nine.

Despite two hundred monsters around level one-fifty and one over three-hundred the experience was shared over thirty people, even the sail operators were considered part of the battle if their exclamations of how much they leveled are anything to go by.

Also got the new Bond skill evolutions. My [Beauty Empowerment] now includes Magic and seems to work with [Fairy Empowerment]? More testing required. My now [Echo of Reality] got a direct upgrade and [Create Familiar] now has some sort of intelligence?

The crew was cheering and in high spirits. No one had died although it was a very close call, for some especially. I have two fairy familiars healing Chyzu. We have to row back to town which is taking a lot longer and this was probably the end for the Valymo, our only casualty.

We arrive back home, the divers who hunted small Domrs and collected coral and gems were the first to see the state of the Valymo. Soon a crowd of worried families showed up as we slowly made our way back.

We docked the airship and everyone left and joined their families, the last to leave is Chyzu as she was preventing the airship from sinking. She walked with the help of a pilot supporting her.

"Was the mission successful?" Tusile asks Chyzu.

"It was, we'll need to send a fleet of boats to get materials and check for any surviving eggs, we would have but..." Chyzu trails off, motioning to the sinking Valymo.

"I take it the airship was a good idea after all, how do you think it would have gone with normal boats?" Tusile asks.

"None of us would have survived. The airship kept us at a good distance in case anything unexpected showed up and something did. We hadn't noticed a level three hundred grand monsters in the nest."

"Looks like we'll need to build more airships then, and refine our techniques, we'll hold a meeting on what can be improved" Tusile left, looking relieved. She must have been stressed about this whole thing.

"Alysara!" My family rushes toward me, giving me a huge group hug. "We were so worried when we saw the state of the Airship"

"Aly you are not doing anything like that again!" Mom firmly says. "You told us you'd be safe in the Airship, just look at it!"

"Feyan, Aly's alright, she doesn't even have a scratch on her."

"That's not the point!" Mom argues, still crushing me in an embrace.

"The fact that the airship looks like that and not me is a sign that it did its job" I try to say, my face being smothered however meant mom didn't hear a word.

Mom babied me the entire way back home and during the baths, under a smiling Myrou.

Happy I gained so many levels in such a short amount of time? I mused, there was no point, it's just a program meant to instill faith in the Runalymo. I wonder if the other gods, or as the Guardian calls them, Great Spirits, do the same elsewhere in the world.

Soon came the after-action report, everyone part of the Valymo mission had to attend. First was a retelling of what had happened.

"If we need to go on future missions we'll need Aly's illusions," Chyzu says.

"Actually" I interject. "I've been wanting to experiment with spell crystals, perhaps we can fit an illusion spell crystal on the next airship, Maybe even have spell crystals for powerful attacks."

"That is a good idea, it's best if we don't have to send our best people into a life and death situation," Tusile says. I frown at being implied as "one of the best" but my current level and race evolution don't make a good counterargument.

"We'll need to experiment with many things about spell crystals, how size matters, how the base of the spell used to form the crystal matters, and more, it'll likely take weeks or months of experimentation," I explain.

"Very well, we'll do something about it" Tusile nods to me. "What else can we improve upon?"

"We'll need to reinforce the sails, having one damaged almost had us crashing into the water," A sail operator says, I recognize her as the one operating the broken one.

"Redundant sails too, losing just one drive sail crippled our ability to move forward. We'll need to double all sails, if we had lost just one lift sail we'd have been done for" I say, several nods of agreement came after my words.

"But that also comes with its own problems" I added. "The more sails means a larger airship, which means we'll need more sails which in turn means an even larger airship"

"In other words, we might not be able to do it" Guklaro sighs.

"Actually I have an idea if instead of putting the lift sails out to the side we put one giant one over the airship. We can have pitch and roll control with smaller sails on the side. This comes with the added bonus of forming a wing above the airship and thus we wouldn't need drive sails except to move faster or slow down" I say. Leaning forward a little.

"And it'll reduce the points of failure" Yukika notes. "The Valymo had four points of failure with just the lift sails, this one will have one and even if it's damaged it can still work just with reduced efficiency" Yukika is drawing out a concept of the airship.

"This way we won't need as many sailors as well," A pilot says, getting excited.

"Fewer people to command and less room for Runaly error. Lift can be adjusted simply by adding more or less wind" a second pilot says.

"The sails will require fewer mechanics and have fewer parts to fail as well" A sail operator nods. "The mechanism holding the sails stable kept getting stuck with the drive sail"

Everyone seems to like the new design. A more streamlined and simple design, less over-engineered.

"If we make the tail sail larger it can act as both a rudder and a sail without the need for air silk," another operator says.

"Like this?" Yukika says, drawing the rudder.

"Yeah!"

The meeting had changed focus but the elders seems too interested in the new airship design to notice.

"We could have two of the rudders, it should be better" I suggest.

The meeting continued with new ideas being brought up and sometimes shot down. Having many people experience the faults of the Valymo meant that all the problems experienced from multiple perspectives could be ironed out. There were some problems I'd never felt or seen during the battle, and some that could only be pointed out by the pilots and operators. In the end, Yukika had almost twenty concept drawings of the airship, each being more streamlined than the last.

"Seeing all the improvement brought to our society, mostly brought here by Alysara," Tusile says with a nod, making me suddenly self-conscious. "Has made me realize that we are on the cusp of a new age. An age of discovery and exploration. Soon we won't have to fear the storms, soon our peoples will become more interconnected, and perhaps, strike out into the world for the first time since we escaped the great evil ones. Only this time we will be prepared, we won't surrender ourselves. We'll need an order of powerful warriors and mages, we'll need ways to gain strength, and we'll need to perfect our craft and knowledge of all the new things that have come and will come. Today we've learned many new things; tomorrow, we'll put that into action."

Chapter 46: A study of Crystals

The amount of mana a spell crystal can process is proportional to its size. I note down in my scroll my observation. I had already written how the spell crystals work, how they are made, and how the mana is transformed.

Simply put, a small spell crystal is effectively useless, well, except for objects of study. The larger the better, but they have a weakness, they can't hold a capacity. That is they can't build up a large amount of the spell mana for a massive effect, they can channel but they can't be effective weapons. That is if I can't find a way to make a capacitor or battery.

The outermost layer of the spell crystal is meant to lock in the spell mana. Turns out, this is very important as the ambient mana will wear away the spell crystal rather quickly. Spell mana is volitile and fragile. For example, a fire spell crystal will burst into flame much like thermite, direct observation showed exactly this.

Too much of an outer layer of course will make the mana hard to enter the spell crystal. It had taken several tries during the creation process but I was able to intentionally make pockets for the spell mana to gather, making the spell crystal have a capacitor. In fact, my study of normal mana crystals and mana gems has shown these empty pockets within the mana structures, meaning that batteries can be made intentionally.

My next goal is to try and find an optimal creation method for the spell crystal. Two mana weavers have shown interest in making spell crystals and are helping me make them.

"Hyura, can you bring me sample thirty-one? I want to compare it to sample twelve" I ask my assistant. She doesn't have a high [Sense Mana] level so I am the most capable of finding the best ways to make the crystals.

These crystals are about fist size at the largest. I sent my mana through them and observed the capacitors. A star shape seems to work best, eight points in the star is most efficient in terms of the amount of mana held versus the ease of and consistency of creating them. It's hard to make these and hard to get the number of points right but we are able.

We of course experimented with just a battery crystal and found that it works wonderfully, able to store any spell. Problem is, a lot of people may not be able to cast the spell on an airship so a few spell crystals are necessary, large ones too for the mana processing capabilities.

A full battery of one of these fist-sized crystals can hold about one hundred mana. Pathetic if you compare it to my Kyhosa, we aren't going to have some sort of technological revolution and start having motorboats and cars but it's enough for a single strong spell, enough for someone to take out a level twenty monster in one hit if aimed well.

Of course, the battery amount increases with its size, and it follows the square cube law, seeing as how the capacitor number increase with volume. This means that one twice the size of the sample would have about four hundred mana storage capability which is great! Have a supermassive crystal that can hold hundreds of thousands of mana to power the airship, just need a pilot right?

Well, there are downsides. Batteries, when broken, tend to release all that mana... violently. It's a risk, the bigger the crystal the bigger the bomb you have, and they aren't easy to make and the only one capable of producing consistent results is me.

There are other downsides too, the batteries tend to suck up the mana around them, which means that mana can't be used for spells and it's tricky to get them back out which has led me to make really thick walls for the crystals except for one spot where it's easy to store and draw mana. One also can't tell what kind of mana is in the crystal unless they have a mana sensing skill.

A person's mana reserves are neutral and easy to transform, it's perfect for use of any spell type which means one will want that in the batteries. If however, an element were to get in you can't use that mana unless you use a spell that uses that element, which means batteries will have to be flushed every now and then.

It has been about two weeks since the battle with the Matriarch and the Chayotmo clean-up has been going well. A few surviving eggs were captured to be placed in Tolr island, an island with a lake in it. There is little risk of the monsters breaking out and we get to farm the new monsters, their meat is rather tasty and their skin and teeth are very useful monster parts for armor, clothes, tools and weapons.

I look over the Matriarch lens, the lens is taken from its only surviving eye, I had blown the other up when slaying the monster.

Chayaotmo Lens of Death Sight: Allows one to see dead beings when looking through it.

By dead beings it means the corpses of others, these monsters are scavengers as well as predators, they aren't very picky. However, I won't be surprised if it included spirits and ghosts if those even exist.

The lens has actually come in real handy when looking for Domr pearls, and it's already proven itself better than the Aydomr pearl, best reward I'd gotten from killing a monster yet. Esofy was gifted a tooth from the Matriarch, much better than the ones from the young and mature ones. Chyzu had gotten some of the skin that she made into a cloak of invisibility, of course, it only works when in contact with water, dunno where Chyzu might get some in a pinch though.

I have to say though, Chyzu looks really cool with a leather cloak trailing behind her. The other mages also got cuts of the skin, there was plenty to go around. I declined my share in favor of the lens, I can just use a spell to turn invisible after all.

Hyura noted down my observations and soon the workday ended.

I walk to the pier where a new airship is being made. This one is much larger, a double-decked airship made for impressing the other villages and to spread the new technology, well, knowledge of it at least. Tusile wants us to remain the sole creators of the airships for now.

I can understand her desire to grow our village and exporting the airships will be a major boost to our village's revenue. However, the creation of the spell crystals are already the thing preventing others from copying us so she doesn't need to worry. I also disagree with this approach because the more people that build airships the faster the technology will grow and improve.

This new airship is modeled after the Guardian. With one massive embroidered sail over the airship like giant dragon wings and two large lifting and drive sails to the side made to look like dragon wings and well. The ship will be able to fly even with the added mass. The four-pitch/roll sails are made to look like the feet of the dragon. These are much smaller and are really only needed for redundancy and to overcome any extra weight the ship might not have normally been able to handle. If need be they can also cause the airship to tilt forward a little to fly like a helicopter. The tail sail is exactly that. A long tail that has a large fin on the top and bottom that can open and close to provide yaw.

The airship is named the Winamr, or Wind Dragon if you translated it. The Winamr's bottom floor is for storage but for her maiden voyage around the nexus, it need only to carry people, mainly other elders who'll want to ride it.

The Valymo had been brought out of the water and is being repaired and renovated. It will still have the drive sails and tail sails but with a large overhead lifting sail. The pitch/roll sails are being made much smaller as it doesn't need to be made large anymore, its lifting role now made redundant.

Another airship, one made to be manned by one or two people had been made too, about as large as a rowboat it's basically a tiny version of the Valymo. Naturally, no airship is getting off the ground without spell crystals which is why I've basically been... bribed into spell crystal research. I get my own lab and assistant as well as decent pay.

"How goes the research?" Guklaro asks. She has been watching over the construction of the airships.

"Fruitful, but there are still many more things to test and improve, I want to see if I can grow a battery crystal around a spell crystal. That way we might be able to seal in the battery storage so it doesn't degrade and won't need to be flushed."

"How big does such a crystal have to be for the Winamr?" Guklaro said, nodding toward the airship.

"Dangerously large, it will need to hold at least fifty thousand mana to be safe and the spell crystal has to be able to process a few thousand mana per hour."

"So you're telling me that the crystal room needs to be well defended"

"Pretty much, yeah." I nod.

"How long will it take to make one?"

"Hmm, three days for the spell crystal and at least that long for the battery and has to be done all at once, no stopping" I sigh. " But first I have to make a few large batteries so I don't run out of mana. Not to mention that a crystal made with one spell is better than one made with two spells so we'll need to grow two different spell crystals and their batteries. One for the reduced weight and one for wind control."

"Two weeks just to make the crystals... can't you make something to grow the crystals for you? There has to be a better way" Guklaro says, shaking her head.

"I can try, the easy part is actually making the spell crystal but the hard part is making the battery, it's a constant effort to do it correctly otherwise you won't have a battery at all. Besides having such a thing that can make spell crystals it would require having a large battery anyway."

"I see, good luck I hope you find a better way," Guklaro dismisses me.

Back at home, after taking a bath, I ate dinner with my family.

"Play with us, Alysara!"

"Yeah, you haven't played with us for so long!" My sisters complains.

I sigh. I wanted to train my class skills but I suppose that can wait for a few hours. "What do you want to play?" I ask, patting my sisters head.

"Let's play on the island beach!"

"Yeah, let's make a sand house!"

"Let's make the biggest sand house!" I smile and after dinner led my sisters to the beach. I kept watch around the beach making sure no Domrs are around. Sometimes they walk on shore, most are below level ten and can fit in your palms but there have been sighting of level forty Domrs roaming the orchard.

The next day I made my yearly appointment with the Guardian.

As we approached the Guardian calls me forward, sitting up.

"Last year I haven't had the opportunity to mention this but you'll want to restrict how many people know how to get [Sense Mana]" The Guardian says. Not angry, just matter of fact. "You see, races don't need Heirloom evolutions to evolve a species. Species will evolve should a given path be taken generations after generations. If parents and children and grandchildren all take [Sense Mana] chances raise that somewhere down the line a child would be born with [Mana Sight], maybe, if you're lucky they will be born with [Mana Sense] but this will always be at the base skill"

"So what you are saying is that we'd cripple our chances of getting [Sense Mana]? A skill so useful it is revolutionizing our society?" I ask. I was not aware something like that can happen.

"Yes, it happens often, many of the greater races eventually learns a great general skill and spreads that knowledge to the rest of their people which in turn locks them out of getting the skill as an improvable general skill. Knowledge is lost over the millennia but the race skill is typically not. It is best if the skill remains a trade secret, kept only for your Storm Wardens, and other professions that would benefit from it." The Guardian says.

I'm positive the dragon doesn't really care, just a 'are you sure you want to do that?'.

"So, there can't be a race that has accrued knowledge of all the best skills, or if they do they have to keep it restricted to only what is relevant. Otherwise, they'd lose the ability to get them as general skills altogether, right?"

"Yes," The Dragon nods. "It is important to record the best skills but it is equally important to keep them secret. On another note, you have discovered spell crystals. This is good. Many races have that technology and it is useful in defending your settlements from the attacks of powerful monsters. I am sure, however, that you may have already found ways to make better spell crystals due to your [Sense Mana]. Please tell me what you have learned"

I wasn't going to tell the being with a mana core that can hold millions of mana "no". I told the guardian what I've learned from [Sense Mana] and of spell crystals and batteries.

"You are getting close, little one... Perhaps you can change the fate of someone" The guardian mutters before shaking her head. "Never mind, you have indeed caught up to some of the best crystal makers in the other kingdoms, at least last I checked anyway. However, I shall urge you to start looking at the Mana Arc that rests at the top of the temple, you'll find it very enlightening."

Then the Guardian did something for the first time; turning her head to Dad and dismissing her. "Go back to the pier, do not worry, I promise your child will be safe"

Dad bows, but with an anxious look on her face, before leaving.

"Now," The Guardian says and stood up on all fours, the mana pressure around her raising. "First you'll need to improve your [Mana Toxicity Tolerance]"

"You see, little one. The more powerful you are the more susceptible you become to areas of higher density. The stronger you are the more mana you produce, the more mana that will damage you. Beings above a certain level of power simply cannot exist without at least one hundred levels in [Mana Toxicity Tolerance]"

My legs were starting to tremble and I took a shaky step back, my instinct is telling me to run. The Guardian didn't sound angry but more like a mother bird ready to drop its young out of the nest to teach it how to fly.

"You've grown a lot in a month, more than most will ever achieve at your age, this is good, but it also shows that you are ready. Start healing yourself, little one, I will teach you how to not only resist mana toxicity but also have it heal you, empower you, sustain you."

And with that a burst of mana erupts from the Guardian, the grass withers as the wave approaches.

Chapter 47: Mana Toxicity

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Toxicity Tolerance will now continue leveling past level 50!

5th Breakthrough: You've been exposed to so much mana it almost killed you. Now you'll resist acute toxicity a little more and push back on it more effectively.

"Mana can instantly infuse into your body's basic building blocks, destroying them, rupturing whatever it is. It'll damage the code of life, that in which traits are passed down from parent to child." The Guardian lectures.

I have two familiars and myself blasting me with [Grace of Wholeness], in addition, I am casting life magic to heal me.

"Check your Vitality, little one" The dragon orders. I did so. Finding my current vitality at twenty out of one thousand one hundred.

"Your vitality is stored in your body, chop a limb off and you'll see a reduction. Have your body's building blacks damaged and your vitality will lower, but magic attacks directed solely at your vitality can also kill you, little one. You'll feel no pain, you'll feel nothing, but your vitality will still be damaged"

The dragon stepped closer, the mana pressure immediately raising.

"You'll notice that your heart has stopped beating, little one, but you are still alive. It is your vitality that anchors your soul to your body even as your body's functions have stopped. You are still alive and healing, the healing producing more vitality and restoring your body."

Suddenly I felt a beating in my chest again, hard powerful beats pounding in my ears. I might have even wet myself as my legs tremble so much I couldn't even take a step. This was too overwhelming, all too sudden. Even if the Guardian said I would be safe a primal fear is still gripping me like chains binding my feet.

"Vitality is used to keep your body going, it is used to move your body even when it physically can't, it animates you so long as you have it you are alive. Focus on turning the mana that has infused into your body into more vitality little one."

Just as the Guardian had says this I gain another breakthrough.

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Toxicity Tolerance will now continue leveling past level 60!

6th Breakthrough: You've been exposed to mana toxicity for so long you should have died. Now you'll resist and recover from it a little more.

I am gaining levels like crazy, so much I can't even tell what to attribute the levels to.

"Focus! Every skill has a state of focus that can improve your breakthroughs. You have one more general skill slot open. You'll want to take [Persistant State] it'll help you keep them running at all times"

I slowly nod, focusing on myself.

"Vitality is just another form of mana, It can be used, can be spent, it is a type of strange mana that has no element; no MM force, no empowerment field, but it is fundamentally a form of mana."

I focus on that, turning the mana in my body to vitality. No, that isn't what I want right now, that is [Mana Manipulation] what I want right now is for my body or soul to do the work. I don't know if the threat of my life helped me or watching my vitality count start to drop again even aginst my healing but I somehow was able to do it.

"Good, desire for life helps you. The will to live is what turns mana into vitality, the greater the will, the greater the desire to live, the faster this breakthrough will heal you, keep you alive. You should also take note that restoring your vitality does not mean restoring your body. In most cases, if your body is utterly destroyed you die, but there have been cases, of some using vitality to reconstruct a body of mana, to persist or even willingly shed their bodies"

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Toxicity Tolerance will now continue leveling past level 70!

7th Breakthrough: You've managed to turn the destructive mana toxicity into vitality, this will help you process more mana into vitality

"Three left to go, little one. Now focus on pushing against my mana, try to enter the state of focus"

By now I am familiar enough with the state of focus that it didn't take too long.

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Toxicity Tolerance will now continue leveling past level 80!

8th Breakthrough: You've entered a state of focus to resist mana toxicity, this will improve all your breakthroughs while you stay focused.

"Now use your focus to retract your mana, it shouldn't be hard for your level now"

I focus and imagine trying to hold back my mana to prevent others around me from getting mana toxicity. In this case, the breakthrough, while giving me toxicity which should be the opposite of what it wants, is meant to protect others.

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Toxicity Tolerance will now continue leveling past level 90!

9th Breakthrough: You've held back your mana leakage, resulting in Toxicity, now you'll be able to hold back more.

"You're not holding back with your core, you are storing the mana in yourself, it is fundamentally different. Be warned, however, you can only hold so much, and converting the mana into vitality can only work so fast"

The Guardian has started pressuring me with water mana, rather than her own unique mana that she exuded.

"You have a breakthrough to tolerate one's mana, useful, but in the end easily navigated around. You can also get mana toxicity from spells," the dragon says as she wills a water spell around me, a bubble of water formed around me, washing me clean and seeping into my body, hydrating me. "It's easy to empower one with mana but quite another to infuse one with it" Suddenly I saw the spell dig into me, spreading throughout me. It felt as if ants were crawling all over me, inside of me.

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Toxicity Tolerance will now continue leveling past level 100!

10th Breakthrough: you've taken so many spells you suffered from mana Toxicity, this will help you resist spells a little more.

"And now we will get your other levels. You may have figured it out young but most of the world already knows the correlation between the breakthroughs and skill levels."

The Guardian spent the next hour teaching me the knowledge levels of [Mana Toxicity Tolerance] and training my action levels. The Guardian even summoned several small but dense water storms to train my repeat levels for the fourth breakthrough, storm toxicity tolerance.

In the end, the Guardian helped me cap my [Mana Toxicity Tolerance].

"Now you should be immune to mana toxicity, little one, consider it a gift for all that you taught me and as a gift for obtaining your class"

It was quite the experience being personally taught by such a powerful being. I sat in a daze, being power leveled so fast still had my head spinning, perhaps many beings could power level a resistance skill easily.

"Many resistance skills work in similar ways, and you should try to get [Total Mana Resistance]. It's a class skill that has the potential to make you completely immune to mana-based attacks."

Totally immune?!

"You have that skill?" I questioned, not sure if I want to hear the answer.

"It's our scales, it resists everything except our opposite, naturally the first thing we do is train a skill to cover that vulnerability," The Guardian says proudly.

I had thought the Guardian the most powerful being but I hadn't even begun to see just how powerful dragons really are.

"So the only way to harm a dragon is through means that bypass the body? Direct vitality and soul damage?"

The Guardian smiles. "You may very well be aware that soul damage can be resisted with a skill."

Not direct vitality though.

"Now, two last things before you leave. You should know that there is no container that can hold all the mana that passes through the nexus, which means that the Mana Arc is redirecting it or processing it somehow you should take a look at it. The temple sits upon a dungeon, in which the Mana Arc feeds vast amounts of mana. Its intention was to train up powerful warriors, there you will find the necessary place to grow in strength. Worry not about your class level, focus on your Bond level, use the class level limit to your advantage to get experience bonuses. Your goal should be to get at least to level five hundred in your Bond, if not more, before your next class evolution. Stay below level one hundred in your class, remove a skill if you have to, worry not, you can pick them up again, although you'll lose your action levels, the knowledge stays with you and thus the knowledge levels will just be given back." The Guardian lays back down on the ground.

"Thank you, Guardian!" I bow.

I walk back to the pier, where Dad is waiting.

"That took a lot longer than I was expecting, I was starting to worry" Dad hugs me in a tight embrace.

"The Guardian just wanted to help me with something. Can we go to the Temple? I want to see what the Mana Arc really is" I ask.

"We can't Aly, the mana is too much up there" Dad shook her head.

"Not for me! That was what the guardian was helping me with" I say with a smile, still a little shaken over the ordeal but I didn't let it show.

Dad gave a sigh. "Very well, this would be a good chance for me to study the Likeness of Myrou."

We walk a stone path to the temple and soon the blazing walls of liquid fire came into view. I had never actually stepped foot into the temple except for that one time, my [Mana Sense] was still too low for me to really see anything.

Now, however, I can see what is really going on. The liquid fire is pure fire mana; condensed so much the mana is acting weird. It is held within ice stone. On top of the liquid mana is a solid, almost iceberg-like solid mana, much like my attempt at trying to make solid mana from squeezing many mana silk threads together. Can we do some mana forging from this? Oddly the solid mana is less dense than the liquid mana it seems mana goes from gaseous to solid then liquid rather than gas, liquid, then solid.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 240!

24th Breakthrough: You've seen Hyper dense Mana, this'll let you discover the workings of mana in such an extreme environment.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 215!

Suddenly, as if I had been seeing through a foggy lens and cleaned it, the liquid mana became clear to me. The mana is squeezed down so much its composite parts blends together, freely moving throughout the liquid. It was fascinating. The currents formed are mesmerizing and beautiful. I watch the mana slowly separate back into individual mana as it joins the solid mana.

This is probably the densest mana I have ever seen. The solid mana is ten times denser than mana silk, and the liquid mana is about ten times denser than the solid mana. Producing a cubic centimeter of mana thread takes about twenty-five mana, so a cube of solid will take two hundred fifty and the liquid about two and a half thousand. There must be hundreds of millions if not billions worth of mana in all the liquid mana around the temple.

I can only just get a hint of what mana truly is now, awareness of the mana particle but not quite enough to actually see it. Am I getting to the end of what [Sense Mana] is capable of? What happens once I get all the breakthroughs I can get?

I start walking up the stairs to the top of the temple. It is very similar to the Mayan pyramids and despite being made of stone it is still very decorated with Myrou gold each piece of stone just one part to add to a larger depiction of an image. The mana density grows exponentially as I walk up. I am fine with the mana, even as it seeps into my cells and tries to rupture them I am able to resist it, more than that, I am invigorated by it. With one hundred and ten percent resistance the extra ten percent is being used up, either by my [Mana Sustenance] or by converting it to vitality.

I reached the top of the pyramid. It was worn by millennia of time with no one able to maintain the place. Cracks are in the pillars holding up the stone roof and water erosion is evident. In the center, dripping liquid fire mana floats a massive gem, large enough to fully encapsulate someone. It is a perfect nexus gem, all the mana held within in perfect amounts that the opposing forces should be canceled. Yet, the mana is attracted to it. The mana arc is drawing in so much mana that ripples could be seen around the gem. I analyze the Mana Arc.

Mana Arc of Kayafe's Final Will: (Legendary) (Ancient) (Legacy)

Created by a true master of mana, Kayafe in an attempt to save her people and give them a land free of tyranny and a place they can truly call home sealed her body to provide a catalyst for the Mana Arc. With the capabilities of drawing in vast amounts of mana, storing it, and redirecting it. This Mana Arc has transformed a hellish wasteland into a paradise free of monsters.

Monster Inhibitor, Battery (10B), Mana Draw, Mana Redirection, Mana Liquification.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 216!

Monster Inhibitor. Perhaps why we have Domrs are because they came in, probably like how the Chayaotmos came. Is there a way to free Kayafe? Perhaps maybe I can communicate with her?

I walk up to the gem and place my hand on it. Immediately I knew I could change thw type of mana is liquified, redirected into the ground.

That's why the Nexus favors fire mana! I had always thought it strange how the ice and fire mana don't cancel out their effects like most of the other mana resulting in a hot place.

How can I communicate with Kayafe if it's at all possible? Simply speaking shouldn't work, but I try anyway.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" I wait. Nothing.

Perhaps magic is the way, a telepathy spell. I focused on casting the spell, a sound essence spell transformed from my reserves and flows into the gem.

"Hello, can you hear me?"

I feel a stirring within the gem. I try again. I feel another stirring within the gem, a movement of mana. I try a third time, still nothing.

Perhaps if I can form a link? It'll cost a lot of mana, but maybe I can maintain it.

My fourth attempt has me pouring in a lot of mana, but a link manages to form!

"Who are you?" The voice is feminine and sweet. The connection isn't strong and had static, but I was successful!

Chapter 48: Ancestral Revelation

"Are you Kayafe?" I ask, trying to maintain the connection. I was blowing through my reserves very fast.

"Yes, Who are you?"

"I am Alysara"

"Alysara. You are the first to have come to talk to me. How are the Runalymo? Are they safe? Are they doing well?" Kayafe asks, sounding apprehensive.

"Yes, we've recently had a few disasters but we are managing. It could have been a lot worse"

"Disasters what kind? Are we being invaded?" Kayafe sounds worried.

"No, first it was a series of bad storms, and recently a monster nest, but we dealt with the nest"

"I see, no other race has come for us? No humans or elves?"

"No one even knows what those are," I say. I knew but I'm an outlier. I check my mana reserves about thirty thousand left.

"Good, that's very good, they are very powerful and cruel beings, many other races are too. Stay in the Nexus, most of them can't handle the mana toxicity it's why we chose this place despite the little amount of food available. Sorry for that by the way, it must be hard." Kayafe says with remorse.

"We are doing fine. We've found ways to cultivate fruit and the Domrs provide meat, also there's an island that lets us farm the new monsters. I don't have a lot of time left so can you tell me how the Mana Arc was created? Perhaps in time, we can make another so you can be freed?"

"I appreciate the thought, but I doubt you have the capabilities to. You'd need an empowered skill that can make a nexus gem and know how to influence magic item creation; a minimum of five hundred levels is what you should be aiming for, even then I had to act as the catalyst for the gem to form as a magic item"

"I have Mana Manipulation with twenty-two breakthroughs, and I can get several more if I wanted"

"You do?! That's impressive, you must have a very powerful caster class, but why haven't you gotten more breakthroughs? Trying to cap the levels?"

Twenty thousand mana left.

"It's a cursed skill, I also have [Sense Mana] over two hundred with twenty-four breakthroughs so that has helped me a lot. Is there any way you know of that can remove curses?" I try to hold down my hope, to not let it get too high.

"It's impressive that your [Sense Mana] is even that high, I was only able to get that skill to twenty-five breakthroughs. Curses can be removed but cursed skills aren't exactly the same, theoretically, it's possible, just a lot more rooted and would require other things. Mana Manipulation is the best of its type that I know of, it's actually the one I have but if it's not also a class skill I'm not sure if you can help me"

Fifteen thousand mana left

"How do you remove normal curses? What are examples of normal curses?" I need every little bit of information I can get. Perhaps I could ask the Guardian but I'm here right now and Kayafe may know more.

"Curses are varied, from cursed beings like undead and cannibals to hexes and defiling rituals. Look for expert witches and users of curse magic, they'll be able to teach you more"

Ten thousand left

"What exactly is it that curses skills?"

"Curses are very dangerous because it involves the soul. Normally the soul barrier would prevent it from taking root too deeply, but skills bypass this. Curses are a very specific type of soul magic it warps ectoplasm into a weapon with strange effects, a cursed skill damages your soul and small fragments of your ectoplasm infiltrate the skill, causing side effects. Surely you already know not to take cursed classes and evolutions, or maybe you always thought it unsafe but if you take a curse class the cursed skill will dig deeper into your soul and will entirely rip apart your soul. Magic will warp your body into a monster and your body will become a mindless, soulless monster seeking destruction of everything around it."

Six thousand left

"Then how does cannibalism work? That doesn't involve the soul so, why?"

"It does, race skills and magic are also contained in ectoplasm, consuming the flesh also consumes traces of that ectoplasm"

"So, if you have a curse that transforms your reserves and it transforms it into someone else's unique mana it's safe?"

"As long as it doesn't contain ectoplasm it's safe"

Two thousand left.

"Times up, thank you, Kayafe"

"No, Thank you, now I can rest knowing my efforts aren't wasted"

My mana ran out the connection ended.

She was a lot more knowledgeable than the Guardian. The stories told that she had allies, I wonder if one of them was a soul mage?

In any case, I think I understand curses a lot more. Cannibalism works because skills and classes are stored in ectoplasm or something and the mana attracts, combining your mana with another but the ectoplasm takes a ride with it. If this is the case then my [Mana Manipulation] should be safe to use on anyone, but even if that's the case I don't want to risk it. Kayafe may have known a lot of things but she clearly isn't a soul mage and doesn't know the details or how it works. I need to figure these things out myself.

Perhaps I could examine my soul with [Astral Projection], see what's really going on? I don't think mana, soul, and ectoplasm, are all the same thing, hell, I don't think mana and magic are exactly the same things. Mana does certainly fuel magic but that doesn't mean one is the other.

I stepped down from the pyramid, thinking about everything I've learned. I still have many things to ask, many things to talk about, but I can save that for later.

Kayafe has the same skills I do. [Mana Manipulation] and [Sense Mana]. Both of her's are higher too. The Guardian had once said she met with someone with over five hundred levels in [Mana Manipulation] was that Kayafe? She did mention needing five hundred levels to make the Mana Arc.

Where can I find an expert soul mage? But I don't think a soul mage uses mana, they use ectoplasm or something of that nature. Maybe if I get [Sense Soul]? If the really does lie in ectoplasm then why hasn't a soul or curse mage already figured out how to remove cursed skills? It's definitely a direction I need to look into but it could just be a red herring.

I went into the temple. The ceiling is held up by rows of beautiful and intricately designed pillars, a stark contrast to the damaged and weathered pillars at the top. Myrou gold decorated the pillars, accenting their design. Rooms branches out from the main hall archways with the same designs as the pillars serves as entrances to the rooms. At the back of the main hall stands the Likeness of Myrou. I step to Dad's side, she was staring intently at the statue, fully absorbed into her state of perception.

I took this opportunity to examine the statue. The surface perfectly resembles Myrou when I first met her, but inside the statue is a dizzying matrix of fused Creativity and Beauty essences. The two mana's are fully fused in a perfect blend but what's more is a hint of unique mana, Myrou's unique mana. The matrix shifts and pulses of mana circulate throughout the statue. It seemed as if made of metal but the mana resembles that of the solid mana like the fire mana around the pyramid.

There was only one person I know who could have made this, someone who wanted to declare this place as theirs and had the skills and power to do so, Kayafe. It's possible it could have been made by someone else but to forge mana into a solid state and to do it at this degree of level one would almost need to sense the mana in some way, not to mention they'd need to have know Myrou's form, at least the form she has chosen to represent herself.

Could I do the same thing if given the time and opportunity? Something like this may qualify as a legendary action, one that could be attributed to my [Mana Manipulation], giving me the necessary legendary point needed to empower the skill and perhaps free Kayafe. Or maybe making a storm calming Mana Arc. Perhaps I could make several Mana Arcs or improve the current one. Who knows what's possible with empowered skills.

"You ready, Aly?" Dad says, finally noticing my presence.

"Yeah," I nod. I wanted to take a look into the dungeon but I have enough on my mind for now. We still have lots of things to work with, spell crystals, airships, Study mana to raise my breakthrough levels, find a way to improve my evolutions.

I've actually been thinking about that one. If I continue to pursue the Two Tailed Wise Runalymo evolution as I have stumbled into doing then not only will I get a good evolution but I can help my people. There's just one downside, it seems potentially influenced by [Mana Manipulation] so I should do my best to not get any more levels in it. After I get the Evolution then it should be safe.

We walked back to the pier and got on the boat to go back home.

"Aly, It is very dangerous to train up a resistance skill," Dad says, rowing the boat back.

"I know, the Guardian didn't tell me that she was going to do it, but I am grateful that she did. Being immune to Mana Toxicity has led to many new insights and opportunities."

"Just don't make a habit of it; okay Aly?" Dad gave a sigh. "I don't think I can take the worry"

"That's why I took the class I did, I'd rather not be in a position where I'd need those skills either," I say, leaning back in the boat.

"The Inter village Kheshamo tournaments are going to start soon, do you want to participate?"

"My class isn't really built for something like that, without my Kyhosa I can't last in a battle and I'd lose about half my power"

"Your Bond is one of the highest level among all the fighters, and you have a Bond class so your power should be equal or maybe higher than them, not to mention your current level is only on the lower end of the average"

I could just use the time to study mana, with my ability to move my perception I can still study the liquid mana. Or I could use the time to talk with Kayafe again. I haven't even sparred with Chyzu's other apprentices. Well, I suppose I could try a sparring match or two, and tomorrow there'll be an inter dojo sparring match.

"I'll think about it" I give a non-committal answer.

We soon arrive home.

"You're late!" Mom says as we entered the shop, pointing at a backlog of customer requests. "We have a lot of work to do, Aly you help too" I groan.

I don't have same skills so I'm relegated to a helper. I'll also have to manage new customers too and generally have to be everywhere at once... Actually, with my clone, I can. My clone still can't speak but I can use [Echo of Reality] to fill that role now. Plus this will give me a chance for my clone to be useful, it's just been a cool gimmick so far, I want it to be actually useful like pick things up and generally act as a second body once it evolves.

As I stood at the counter I look over my General skills.

General skill 1: Tailoring. 94/100

General skill 2: Pain Tolerance 19/30

General skill 3: Soul Damage Reduction 1/10

General skill 4: Mana Toxicity Tolerance 110/110

General skill 5: Acting 49/60

General skill 6: Musician 110/120

General skill 7: Graceful Movements 39/60

General skill 8: Twin Minds 44/50

General skill 9: Clear Mind 2/10

General skill 10:

I want [Sense Soul], I need to be able to see what is going on in my soul, figure out what's really happening. Looking at this I can see some baggage. [Pain Tolerance] isn't something I really plan to work on, in short, if I'm in pain I fucked up. I'm not planning to be in any situation wherein I feel pain so for that reason this skill is on the chopping block. However, [Pain Tolerance] could be the difference between life and death, It's a fail-safe skill in case I am ambushed so for that reason I want to keep it. I'm ultimately divided on this skill and I do have some breakthroughs in it already. In short, I either dump it or level it I can't just ignore it.

[Soul Damage Reduction] is something I honestly forgot how I got. It happened when I first got the cursed skills but I don't know why I got it. It's level one and no breakthroughs. That said, it's one of the few defensive skills a dragon would need to get so maybe it's worth keeping. However, if I am in a position where I am taking soul damage I fucked up. I'm basically built as an artillery mage I don't get even in medium-range but I won't always have the luxury of choosing my battles. It would be best to replace this skill with one that I can use to gain distance. Also, I can use [Mana Manipulation] to cast a defensive spell or my beauty magic to hide.

[Acting] is a jack of all trades skill but I haven't really had time to level it recently. It helps in dealing with people, it helps with financial situations, it helps in a lot of situations where I can be someone else.

[Graceful Movements] has a lot of potentials and is a skill variant so I'd rather have it but in order to get more breakthroughs, I'd have to do drastic things. It helps me dodge and react quickly, it helps me walk elegantly and dance beautifully. There's more potential here and it's generally helpful in many situations.

[Clear Mind] I recently got and it's one of the skills Chyzu mentioned that helps mages cast spells. I rather try it before putting it on the chopping block.

[Twin Minds] has proven itself vital in so many situations I would not dare remove it.

[Tailoring] is my profession and it works well with mana weaving and enchanting, it has so many uses in being able to make and repair armor if I am ever in a situation where I can't normally get armor.

[Musician] is one that honestly doesn't do much right now but with some breakthroughs that let it cast spells and magic through music, it has a ton of potential.

This is difficult. I have one skill slot left but two or even three skills that I want. [Persistant State], [Sense Soul], and some kind of distance gaining skill. No matter how I look at it [Soul Damage Reduction] has got to go. It's level one so I'm not really losing anything and I have no real way of leveling it up and gaining more breakthroughs. No one I know of is a soul mage so this skill is just dead weight.

Chapter 49: Sense Soul

I float around my soul barrier, tethered so I don't lose my way.

I really can't see anything... I'm using [Astral Projection] to try and see if I can learn anything about my curses but all I see is my soul barrier.

I return to my soul, close and seal the door, and wake back up.

"For starters how can I even leave my soul if I am my soul?" I muse.

I then move to my backup plan. Much like how I got [Sense Mana] I feel for the souls around me, or more accurately try to feel the soul barrier. Having prior knowledge of these things should help me quickly get the skill.

Ting! You have gained the Sense Soul general skill!

Sense Soul: You have sensed the souls of others, this will help you learn what souls really are.

Not too hard. Prior experience with obtaining similar skills and breakthroughs really does help, and by a lot too.

I see dozens of tiny orbs floating in the house. Almost all of them are the various spirits that drift on the winds of mana like jellyfish in a sea. There are five brighter and more distinct souls each one a member of my family, me included.

Our souls overlap our mana cores... no, the mana cores are in our souls!

Ting! Sense Soul has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Soul will now continue leveling past level 10!

1st Breakthrough: You have sensed a soul component, this will help you study the makeup of souls.

Ting! Sense Soul has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Soul will now continue leveling past level 20!

2nd Breakthrough: You have sensed past the soul barrier, this will help you see through the soul's defenses

3rd Breakthrough: You have sensed a primordial soul, this will help you understand the evolution of souls.

4th Breakthrough: You have sensed a legacy soul, this will help you understand the evolution of souls.

Ting! Sense Soul has obtained level 2!

Ting! Sense Soul has obtained level 18!

Huh... I got the first two in the wrong order, I was supposed to see past the barrier first but since I could already sense mana cores with [Sense Mana] I got it first. It's good to know that some skills may have overlap with others. Now that I know this [Sense Life] may have something to do with vitality, or at least it's a shared breakthrough and it may have a shared breakthrough with [Sense Soul].

Then there's the third and fourth breakthrough, clearly, that's from seeing my soul but how exactly is it different? My soul has several components. One is the mana core, the barrier if that can even count, then there's... the mind? Maybe that's why! Astral Projection works by sending the mind out of the soul!

Ting! Astral Projection has obtained level 17!

If that is the case then what is the tether that I made? From what Kayafe said Ectoplasm is related to souls, perhaps that's what it was, Ectoplasm. If that's the case then there should be some in my soul. But how do I see it? One Soul component is the core, that one is easy. There's what I think is the mind, then they is the one next to the mind it looks... dim? My memories! What's the fourth component? The fifth? There's more.

Let's compare my soul to others.

Mom's soul is... different somehow. I can't tell how but there's something off about it... No, it's my soul that is different, purer. Everyone else has three extra soul components, I don't know what those even do nor do they seem to be doing anything.

Our soul components are also arranged differently, my soul component seems to have a clump of three components stuck to each other like bubbles. Further focusing on that I realize one's my memories and the other two are my minds! My minds aren't fully divided, however, more like compartmentalized, the indicator is there but still technically of the same soul component. Could I purposely try to divide it? What will happen if I do?

Focusing intently on the stuff between my soul components. It even seems to pass through my soul components, the more I watch the more I see that it behaves similarly to blood. It carries stuff from one component to another. I focus on entering a state of perception to get a clearer look into what's happening. Soon I could see that this stuff is somehow passing through my soul barrier and into my body, spreading throughout.

Ectoplasm... I realize. It is the blood of the soul, the thing that glues the soul to the body, the thing that takes memories from the brain and stores them in the soul and takes copies of memories from the soul to the brain to be remembered. Ectoplasm holds stuff, it holds signatures of our magic and mana. It fills our body with vitality and directs mana to be used and even holds it to empower us if need be.

Strength stat increases how much one can be magically augmented, does this increase how much ectoplasm I have? Or does it increase how much ectoplasm itself can hold? Agility increases the ease of how much it can take which probably means how readily my ectoplasm can hold enhancing mana.

Ting! Sense Soul has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Soul will now continue leveling past level 30!

5th Breakthrough: You've entered a state of perception, this will improve all of your soul sensing breakthroughs.

Ting! Sense Soul has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Soul will now continue leveling past level 40!

6th Breakthrough: You have sensed ectoplasm, this will help you understand the nature of this strange substance.

Ting! Sense Soul has obtained level 19!

Ting! Sense Soul has obtained level 26!

There's a soul component that produces Ectoplasm and I bet there's a specialized one that produces vitality although to confirm that I'll want to get vitality observation breakthrough with [Sense Mana].

I exit my meditation and stretch. After sitting for so long my muscles cramp up. I walk around before sitting back down and focusing on my body. Vitality is in every part of my body, it sustains me and animates me. Which means there's a difference in the mana of my body and the vitality.

I enter my states, observing both my ectoplasm and my body, looking for similar manas. I first start by ruling out the mana I already know. Then what little is left has to be either vitality or some other mana. If what the Guardian said is true then I should look for the mana that doesn't have the MM force and has minimal intensity... there it is!

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 260!

25th Breakthrough: You have sensed Vitality, this will help you study lifeforce.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 219!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 223!

New color fills me as vitality became clear to my senses. I watch the vitality settle into my cells, invigorating them. I watch the vitality-filled ectoplasm replaced drained vitality, vitality that lost its luster. Strange, instead of intensity vitality seems to have... something else? It's a form of intensity but less dangerous. It's almost like a glow, a revitalizing aura around the peculiar mana. Once the vitality was used up it became neutral.

I wonder if there's an opposite. If vitality is life mana then its opposite would be death mana that drains instead of revitalizing, but wouldn't that be included in the breakthrough? Then again vitality is pretty strange for mana and probably only barely qualifies.

With my breakthrough goals met I went to Chyzu's Dojo, telling Mom where I was going.

"Aly! You came! We were just about to start" Chyzu comes in for a bear hug only to grab my illusory clone. "Huh? Oh, there you are!" I reveal myself, regretting how widespread [Sense Mana] is, I'll need to find a way to mimic my mana composition as well or my illusions will never work.

I successfully dodge Chyzu and was starting to be chased around when Esofy put her foot down.

"Can we please get this on! There's a lot of people waiting!" Indeed, every Kheshamo fighter is here, not just the students. Even Tana is here, he will be unlocking his class in a few months, too late for the tournaments, unfortunately.

"Oh, sorry!" Chyzu bopped her head in a Teehee pose.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Although every one of us will participate in the competitions only one of us will be chosen to represent the village. We will each face off against each other and the one with the most wins over losses is the one chosen" Lionr, Aunty's new husband answers.

"Of course that means you can't use your Kyhosa, Aly. We have to keep things as equal as possible." Chyzu informs me.

"What about level differences?" I ask.

"That's a complicated issue. Bond level, class level, race tier, class tier, skill levels, general skill levels. It's too much. The representative is meant for the best of each village, if they fall short that's on them. As for the other fights, those are based on class and bond level. You're given a score of the sum of both levels. My score is, three hundred forty-two" Esofy says.

In comparison, my score would be three thirty-two, just ten points lower. However, since my class is a Bond skill class my damage output should be higher, but then again I have over a thousand stat points unspent and I don't plan to spend any. Even with that handicap, I can expect a seven or eight hundred percent bonus to my beauty magic, and my fairy explosion can still do a lot of damage.

"What's the average amount of stats I can expect people to have? And has there ever been any accidental deaths?" My stats are around twenty for physical and forty for mental I'm basically a glass cannon.

"A few hundred at least, but usually only half the stats are spent I haven't seen anyone with more than five hundred in a single stat. As for anyone dying we obviously prioritize life and we are required to go easy at the start and slowly ramp up our attacks. Any dangerously powerful attack will have you immediately disqualified" Esofy informs me.

In other words, the odds of someone dying are very low.

"That means don't use your explosions, Aly, that is an example of too dangerous," Chyzu says shifting her weight with a twitch of her tail.

With my questions answered the matches began. I was first paired with Another student, she has a wind bond and wind class. She is a sword fighter and looks athletic and nimble.

Before we even start I set my core to produce earth mana. I wasn't allowed to have my familiar already out but I don't think I'd need to.

At the signal, we started and I immediately launched fairies with five mana at her to distract her. Then I turned myself invisible and summon my clone as I move. The wind fighter casts a wind edge on her blade not paying enough attention to me. I sneak around her and weave a ribbon of dark mana. As she engages my clone I wrap the cloth other her eyes and weave threads through the cloth to sew it on her. As she struggles against the cloth I leisurely summon fairies and strike her with more and more power until she yields.

"First round is over! Good job Aly! Nice thinking outside of the box, and putting your craft to use. You could also trip them up, tie their legs together and bind their arms." Chyzu was refereeing my fight and complements me.

I disperse the dark mana cloth and refill my mana from my Kyhosa reserves. That strategy isn't going to work, it took too much mana to weave the cloth.

The next fight I blinded my opponent by latching an illusion of dark fog around their head. By my fourth fight however the others are wary of my debilitating spells, however, it is only a matter of time until I fight someone with a high enough [Sense] skill that can counter my blinding strategies.

My first loss is against Esofy who quickly rushes at me almost faster than I could react, I had only barely dodged the first attack but was held vulnerable on the follow-up.

"You need to practice your stances again, Aly, tripping up like that in an attempt to dodge me could get you killed"

My fight against Chyzu went a lot better. I counter her spells with ice spells, making use of [Mana Manipulation]. However, I lost a war of attrition and ran out of mana.

"You should participate in sparring more, Aly, your inexperience is really showing"

I lost several more fights simply because of that. I didn't know what my opponent was planning and couldn't react appropriately.

"When using barrier magic you can't just recast the spell whenever you need it; even with [Clear mind] it's hard to react fast enough. You don't have any support skills for that, a caster mage does, so always have your barrier spells up." Even though they aren't my teacher everyone offers their advice and point out the biggest issues they see.

"Use your directable fairies and your [Sense Mana] to your advantage always keep your front covered. In your case, you can't see anyway so you don't need to be able to physically see."

"Your bond is great for misdirection but not everybody will fall for it. Putting up barriers in random locations after going invisible may be good for many reasons but don't rely on fooling your opponent, because when they have a way to beat that you lose"

"Excellent barrier work at the end there, but you aren't making full use of your casting capabilities. Your bond class isn't versatile enough so you need to cover your weaknesses with your casting skill. You've got misdirection so use it to lead your opponent into a bad spot don't just blind them but lead them into traps, turn your illusions into weapons even if you can't do any damage directly with them."

"You have a [Multitask] type skill, even if it can't do as much as [Multitask] you still need to use it to your full advantage, I can tell that you've neglected it, it's one of the best skills for a caster"

"You only have one defensive skill against physical attacks, you need to master it"

At the end of the matches, I had ten wins and eight losses. Fighting monsters at a distance is vastly different from a one on one close-up battle but it clearly highlighted my weaknesses. Esofy had only lost two fights and had beat out Chyzu who had only lost three fights. Esofy is this year's representative for the fighters.

I can only win against people who I can easily blind and debilitate in some way, otherwise, it's my loss. I could focus on this strength and branch out in escaping or I could cover my weaknesses. In this case, I think the most appropriate choice is to cover my weakness as it's a lack of experience. Later I may have abilities to run away and delay any attackers.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 223!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 226!

Ting! Graceful Movements has obtained level 40!

Ting! Graceful Movements has obtained level 43!

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained level 19!

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained level 22!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 243!

Chapter 50: Ancestral meeting.

I breathed a sigh of relief when the airship control crystal was done. A full week of nonstop meditating here and growing the crystal. I'd let an enchanter grow the spell crystal but they can't rest their mind like I can and you can't just swap out enchanters.

I had found a better way to make the batteries, I discovered this when trying to make a battery of just one element type. Normally it won't work this way because of the MM force. It would force the crystal together so the cavities don't form. But if you introduce another element type like ice, the water mana would form around the ice mana that you can later flush out and leave a cavity behind. This does have one problem, however, the battery will suck up water mana, and eventually, the mana holding cavities would permanently fill with water mana and it can't be flushed.

For this case it's fine, I've made the battery so it's protected and isolated. To put mana in, it has to go through the spell crystal which would transform the mana into a dark spell. The mana is then stored in the sealed battery and can only be drawn out through the spell crystal. The shell of the control crystal is thickly made with wind mana. The orb looks like an eyeball, being covered in wind mana with a dark spell crystal peeking out a little.

Tusile had me rush the production as she wanted to use the Winamr to travel to Temple Island for the tournaments. We'll be reusing the hybrid spell crystal used for the Valymo to reduce the weight. I had wanted to wait until I had perfected the technology but politics always got its way. On the plus side, I got paid overtime and for the rush job.

I look over at my concept drawing. Over the last week, I figured out a method on how to automate this work. I'd need to create a box and layer a repelling crystalline seal over it so the chosen mana can't escape. A spell crystal can be used to introduce specific spell mana to copy a new spell crystal. The problem lies in sealing the spell crystal but since I'd need to introduce normal elemental mana to form the crystalline pathways. We can't just stop feeding mana into the spell crystal the pressure has to remain constant; we have to feed the mana through a mana filter.

The mana filter is a crystal with tubes meant only for one type of mana. It's complicated but by using the MM force we can attract the mana we need to layer the same mana type and opposite to accelerate the mana into the box like a railgun. The opposing mana would prevent the mana from escaping. This all worked in theory but still needs to be built to test this.

For the mana battery we do something similar with the filters but controlling the construction of the mana cavities will be very difficult and likely custom-made batteries will be the best for high capacity ones.

It is late at night when I finished so I walk home alone, enjoying the solitude. Memories of driving down a lonely road at night surfaced. Just me, the humming of the car and the road, peace, and serenity until some asshole comes along and tailgates you with their brights on. Pisses me off even into another life, fuck that guy.

I sigh and push the memory down.

"That life is gone now, I don't need those distractions," I mutter to myself. They've been coming to me slowly but now I'm wishing they won't. The technical stuff is good but the baggage is distracting. Maybe I could find a way to permanently seal those memories if I study my soul enough. Speaking of. Over the last three days, after the spell crystal was done I only needed my second mind briefly for some things but other than that it was free to study [Sense Soul].

Ting! Sense Soul has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Soul will now continue leveling past level 50!

Ting! Sense Soul has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Soul will now continue leveling past level 60!

5th Breakthrough: You've learned how to expand your aura of sense soul, letting you see farther.

6th Breakthrough: You've learned to move your area of soul sensing, Allowing you to scout ahead, and view remotely.

Ting! Sense Soul has obtained level 27!

Ting! Sense Soul has obtained level 65!

Ting! Clear Mind has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Clear Mind will now continue leveling past level 40!

4th Breakthrough: You've maintained a clear mind through several days of going without sleep, this will help negate the mental effects of sleep deprivation.

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained level 15!

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained level 22!

I kinda cheated that breakthrough with [Twin Minds] but gains were gains and I wasn't going to complain.

I slept all through the next day and the day after I trained in the dojo, sparring as much as I could for I only have two more days to practice before the tournaments. I would have practiced a lot more but no, Tusile wanted her brand new toy to show off. When I wasn't sparring I was forced into stance practice.

"Your balance is still way off Aly! Even I can easily push you around" Chyzu says, moving my body into the proper positions. "You keep leaning forward or having your tails in odd positions, stop doing that!" It suddenly clicked as Chyzu says that.

"Umm, Chyzu, you do know my tails are longer and I have two of them right? That's going affect my stances..."

There was dead silence between us for a solid two minutes.

"Alright, then we'll need to figure out better ways for your stances, unfortunately, I'm not an expert so you'll need to ask Esofy and learn stance theory" they've been teaching me stances the wrong way for years, this just goes to show that not everything can fit into a "proper" methodology

The rest of the day was spent at Esofy's dojo while Tana tried to push me off balance tana seems a little shy around me. The goal was to find ideal stances for me to use.

"Your tails will allow you to assume normally unconventional stances, this is actually a good thing as you can lure your opponents in thinking that they can take advantage of what would normally be poor stances. You'll still need to practice this and you'll be pioneering your style of stances and it's going to take dedication. You being a mage, however, I don't think you'll want to spend too much effort into what a warrior would do" Esofy gave her opinion after the practice but now that I know the problem I won't struggle with stances as much.

On the day of the tournaments, my family boards the Winamr on her maiden flight.

"We get to fly!" "This is so cool!" The twins are having a blast running around the large airship, stars in their eyes. Looking at everything and inspecting all the sails and crew working. As they ran below deck I turn toward my parents.

"They are almost five years old. We should train their bond so they have a good evolution, it'll be great for their future if nothing else."

Mom and Dad looks at each other and thought for several minutes.

"Alright, there wasn't too much issue with all the kids you taught so as long as they are disciplined enough and behave it should be fine" Mom finally agrees.

"They are certainly a handful so we'll need your help in dealing with this Aly," Dad says.

Once all the passengers got onboard the airship takes off, first rowing out far enough and then the sails are deployed, and soon we felt air rush under the sails. The airship shook a little and lifts into the air

"We're flying! We're flying!" The twins are having the time of their lives, dancing around each other. I smile at the scene.

"Thank you for taking the time to make the airship control crystal. I know it was a selfish request but it's best for the village" Tusile gave an apologetic bow.

"The meetings at Temple Island are very important and a lot of deals are made where none would have been. The tournaments are only half the purpose, getting remote villages together allows for more trade and prosperity for everybody. This is a way to meet new people and bring all Runalymo together" Yukika adds.

"Although I don't like it I can understand, especially now after running my own shop" Dad crosses her arms with a frown. "Now that you are ten years old, Aly, you're going to meet a lot of people, both for the family shop, your dresses, and now for airships. Your day is going to be very busy"

I gave a defeated sigh. I knew that this would be the case one day. At least I can knock out two birds at the same time and make the family deals while taking tour flights with important people. "Before I do that I have something I need to do first," I say. I need to talk to Kayafe again. The Temple is built over a dungeon and I need to ask her about it.

"What is it?" Guklaro asks.

"In my last meeting with the Guardian she helped me train my [Mana Toxicity Tolerance] to over one hundred so I am immune to mana toxicity. This has let me be able to go to the top of the Temple, where the Mana Arc is. I was able to examine it and talk to Kayafe herself" The bomb I dropped has everyone's jaw hit the floor in disbelief "I wanted to ask her something but I only have a short window of time as it takes a ton of mana to do so"

As Yukika was about to ask something I head her off, already knowing what she'll ask. "She had to use her body as a catalyst to make the Mana Arc but her soul is still in there, unable to leave"

"What do you want to ask her?" Dad asks. The airship meets a little bit of turbulence that has everybody stumble a little.

"About the dungeon below the Temple"

"Dungeon what's that?" Yukika asks, looking confused.

"If it's below the Temple then the Priestesses should know about it, but how did you come to know of it, Alysara?" Tusile asks.

"The Guardian told me about it, but she only mentioned it and didn't exactly explain to me what is in it, although given the context it's supposed to be a monster-infested place good for training your levels."

Something tells me it's more than just that, it's not just a place designed to train but an actual dangerous place one should be wary of, this is coming from my past knowledge. The Guardian made it sound like some training grounds. And perhaps it is to the Guardian that's why I want to ask Kayafe about it.

"It's worth looking into at least," Guklaro says.

"I don't think it's safe, Aly, you are not going into it," Dad says.

"I won't, or at least I'll stand just past the entrance and just send out my fairies" I smile at Dad, knowing I pretty much defeated her argument.

"Fine but you'll have to have a fighter with you" Dad compromises.

"Esofy would be interested in the place as should Chyzu, your child will be plenty safe," Tusile says.

The airship lands at the docks. We are the first to the island so now we'll have to wait for the spectators to show up. In the meantime, I walk to the Temple with Dad in tow.

"I'll be studying the statue again, let me know when you're done"

I nod and walk up the stairs. Once at the Mana Arc again I establish a connection to Kayafe again.

"Hello" It felt as if Kayafe was asleep and I just woke her up. I can see her soul in the Arc now, the mind section of it becoming active.

"It's you again"

"I wanted to ask about the dungeon below this Temple, It has gone unused for a long time and knowledge of it is gone"

I felt a mental sigh from the old soul, Ironic that I think of her soul as old when mine is way older, maybe I should refer to her as a young soul? "It is supposed to be used to train powerful warriors, I'd gone through great lengths to make a deal with the dungeon core to make it a good training ground, weak monsters at the start and gets progressively harder"

"With the Guardian protecting us and probably with no monsters around at the time no one saw any use for it" I give an educated guess on the matter.

"Likely, but now you want to use it? My deal with the dungeon core should still be in effect and it's been having a free deal for I don't know how long."

"What did you promise it?" I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Part of what the Mana Arc does is funnel mana into the dungeon to help it grow, in return, we get assurance that the dungeon won't try to kill our people who enter it for training purposes. There are more details into it but we are on limited time aren't we?"

"Yes, So it's safe for me to continue up saving my stat points? My biggest worry was that I'd have to spend them to be safe" I say, relieved at the knowledge of the deal.

"Why save up your points? What level are you anyway?"

"I'm level ninety-one and my Bond is in the mid-two-hundreds. I'm saving my points so it doesn't make my skills too hard to level"

I sense a groan coming from Kayafe "It doesn't matter! It's always relative, what's a lot to you or what tests you are ultimately up to you, in the first place skills are often about efficiency not about raw stats, in many cases, raw stats won't help unless it's physical or based on power!" Kayafe rants.

I had to think about it for a second. The information that skills get harder to level based on stats are assumptions that my parents gave me, and they said that they attributed it to my skill level guide, nothing was concrete about it at all.

"So I can spend my points and it won't increase the difficulty of leveling the skill?" I wanted to make sure I understood what Kayafe said.

"It's relative. If you're stronger then the test levels will be based on your strength but it's fairly easy to come up with a challenging thing to test yourself."

"Test levels? It sounds similar to my theory of action and knowledge levels"

"Is that what you are calling it? Your theory? Please tell me the Runalymo didn't forget how to level skills" Kayafe sounds disappointed.

"It's been, like, ten thousand years, a lot can happen in that amount of time. Yes my theory based on achievement of action, like doing something repeatedly or for a long time or doing an extraordinary feat"

"Something really bad must have happened to cause a civilization to forget something so important, your theory is very similar to the description of the test levels. The test of repetition, the test of many, the test of first use, the test of endurance, and the test of mastery. While the test of Mastery could be done by doing something extraordinary it doesn't always mean so. Getting the general skill [Sense of Perfection] or [Critical Eye] will help you achieve these tests."

I see, so that's how we got [Perfectionist's Eye] I haven't felt it with my skills but the Guardian did say I can learn how to do the breakthroughs with racial skills.

"We might have gotten a racial skill that does what those general skills do, so it might not be entirely possible for us to get those"

"I've been wondering. How do you have a class at level ninety-one but a Bond over level two hundred? Even if you started young your bond shouldn't be over twice your class level" Kayafe asks

"Oh, yeah, I got my Bond to two hundred before my class a few months ago"

It took Kayafe a few moments to process that.

"A few months ago? You're only ten years old?!"

Chapter 51: First Win

"I had a very early start on things."

"Even an early start wouldn't account for your level of growth, you're a prodigy"

I frown. As usual, everyone jumps to the same conclusion.

"It was a product of hard work and opportunity, talent had nothing to do with it" I grumpily say

"In any case, our time should almost be up and we've drifted off-topic. I look forward to our next meeting"

"Goodbye, Kayafe"

I end the connection seeing only six thousand mana left in my Kyhosa reserves.

As I walk back down the Temple I look at my stats.

Unused stat points: 1059

Mana: 200 [2200] (+1188)

Mana Generation (/hour): 200 [2200] (+5368)

Vitality: 100 [1100]

Strength: 9 [19.8] (-3.96)

Agility: 12 [20.4] (-2.04)

Endurance: 10 [20]

Intelligence: 32 [41.6] (+18.72)

Wisdom: 24 [40.8] (+18.36)

Charisma: 18 [39.6] (+7.92)

For now, I think putting an even one hundred stats total into all my stats for a good base will be a good idea, that's a total of nine hundred points spent, including the points I had spent previously. That leaves me with four sixty-five points left. Putting an additional one hundred into mana reserves and generation than another one hundred each into intelligence and wisdom will bring my power way up.

If what Kayafe said was true then pretty much the only skills that will be affected to a noticeable degree will be my active class skills, and those can be used against higher-level opponents for achievements. Skills like [Graceful Movements] are more about the fine-tuned details of movements even dodging is more about dodging efficiently and not wasting energy, that isn't affected by stats. [Acting] is more about assuming a role rather than captivating an audience.

Even my active skills, now that I think about it aren't about doing damage but rather improving my ability and mastery of the skill. And lastly, stats can't make it so difficult that I can no longer level the skill because if it's based on how hard it is for me to do then the fact that there is something hard for me to accomplish would mean that I can improve.

Now feeling more confident I spent my points.

Unused stat points: 65

Mana: 200 [4200] (+3108)

Mana Generation (/hour): 200 [4200] (+10248)

Vitality: 100 [1100]

Strength: 9 [99] (-19)

Agility: 12 [132] (-13)

Endurance: 10 [110]

Intelligence: 32 [672] (+298)

Wisdom: 24 [504] (+221)

Charisma: 18 [198] (+35)

I immediately feel the difference in my body and soul. The amount of ectoplasm increased as my soul began to produce a lot more, the amount of mana I produce doubled. My body feels much lighter and nimble and my mind feels sharper and more receptive. It was strange yet felt fantastic! Like I could do anything I want.

I made my way back to the docks in a good mood where more people from the other islands are showing up. The elation from stating up so much has died down a lot by the time I arrive. People are staring at the large airship in wonder and the elders are already giving a tour.

I quickly found my parents who are talking with a group of people, by the looks of it they are Kheshamo fighters.

"With the rise of stronger monsters and the recent Chayaotmos defense against them and proper weapons to put them down for the safety of your village is paramount! At my shop, 'Swords, Shields, and Trinkets', It is a one-stop-shop for both weapons and armor as well as normal jewelry!"

Although Dad no longer complains about me enchanting she also never advertises it nor does she encourage me doing so.

Occasionally we'd get an order by shipment. Someone would deliver us a letter detailing what they want and we'd make it and put it on the next shipment to that village if no boats are going that direction in a reasonable time we'd pay for someone to ship the products; to reduce on costs we'd ask if anyone else has shipments to the same village or wanted to visit. Normally it isn't a problem, Village Hall has a board with shipment details that anyone can add to, it's more like a pseudo mailing system.

Tusile is giving a speech on the airships, talking about their uses and potential. Good thing for her that for now only I can make the batteries but hopefully that will change soon.

I am forced to greet people as the inventor of the spell crystals and airships. Many people may not know me but most have heard of me by now. A two-tailed blind girl who taught the storm wardens and spread the knowledge of [Sense Mana] and how to better enchant items to resist the weathering. It doesn't help that with my nexus gems that I wear, My Kyhosa, I stick out like a sore thumb.

"You continue to bring new things to our people and lands, I look forward to the next thing you come up with!"

Uuhg, I was only doing what was needed, why are the expectations that everyone has of me raising?

We continue showing off the airship and took several loops around Temple Island, each time with new people. Just endless greetings, answering the same questions going through all the same things over and over again, by the end of it all I had mentally checked out. "Alysara, we need to apply for placements," Chyzu says, rescuing me from the endless tours.

"Be right there!" I say, jumping at the chance to escape this political boredom.

I quickly made my escape and follow Chyzu. She took me to a large stone building next to the coliseums. In the building is a giant hall filled with hundreds of people, all competitors.

At the end of the hall are several large illusory displays the light mana being projected in the air. I couldn't see what it is showing so I ask Chyzu.

"It shows the tournament schedule. Since we aren't the representative we'll be in a side coliseum where our fights will be taking place. Although there will be a few fighters of your age since your score is a lot higher you won't be fighting them. You're in the three hundred placement which is that display over there" Chyzu points the display on the furthest right.

"We haven't registered yet so let me take you to the registry" Chyzu let me through the crowd and into a side room"

"We are registering for the fighting competitions," Chyzu says to the woman sitting at a desk, she looks a little overwhelmed at the moment with several scrolls of parchment and writing down in one in front of her.

"Names and score?" She says without looking up.

"Chyzu, three hundred fifty-six and Alysara three hundred thirty-two"

The woman wrote the rankings down and passed off the scroll to an assistant who left to update the displays. That's when the woman noticed me.

"Is she registering to?" She doesn't seem to know who I am, or maybe she is so overworked today she hasn't realized yet.

"Yup, just did!" I say.

"What's your name and score?" The woman asks.

"Alysara, three hundred thirty-two"

She was about to write that down too but stop as it clicked.

"Three hundred? But you're too young!"

"My Bond is in the mid two hundreds and I am almost level one hundred in my class"

"H-How?!"

I am starting to get annoyed.

"Hard work and dedication," I say, turning around to leave.

"I know you don't don't like to be called talented but you could have been more polite," Chyzu says with an amused smile. "Let's see who you are up against... ouch, your first battle will be against Uzu, as her name implies she uses dark element, worse she specializes in area attacks. She is as close as it can be as a direct counter against you."

"Can she still see if I blind her with a dark spell?" I ask "Does she have some way to see me?"

"I... don't know, if not then that will definitely equal out the fight." Chyzu leads me out of the hall, our purpose here done.

"One more thing, we simply can't use enchanted items right? What about normal mana silk?"

"Well, it's not armor nor is it enchanted... wait..." Realization dawns on Chyzu "You plan on using the MM force to make an armor of light!"

"Yup!" I grin. The silk is denser, meaning there's more mana so its repulsion will at least lower how much damage I take. This knowledge isn't known too widely so it's an oversight in the rules.

"As long as you make it in battle no one can complain. The rules strictly say you can't bring armor in battle, shields are fine, but nothing says you can't make armor while already in battle. However, I'd say it's against the rules to bring mana silk into battle in such a way that it'll act like armor so don't risk it you could be disqualified"

I sigh in resignation, it was too good to be true. Making the silk in battle would be too mana intensive, it'll be much easier to make a light barrier or earth barrier.

How am I going to beat a dark mage? I have limited mana and probably lower-level skills but I have a better race tier. It ultimately comes down to my [Mana Manipulation] but can't just use it to counter with light magic it won't be boosted by class and thus a lot weaker. My defensive strategy would be to use the sand on the arena floor to form a blockade against the attacks and use my fairies to attack from cover.

If I can divert her attention away long enough to use my clone to lead her attention elsewhere I can turn invisible and hide. Creating sandstone pillars could give me enough cover but fairies coming from one direction will be a dead giveaway. If however I summon the fairies and have them wait for some time before attacking or attacking once my opponent is in line of sight that may help.

Chyzu once said that some elements lack stopping power. Fire, light, dark, wind, and in some cases lightning elements all find it hard to break past a physical barrier. I can use this to my advantage, erecting defenses around the battlefield that I can use but due to the nature of my fairies, she can't take advantage of them.

I smile, my plan slowly forming in my minds. {Wait one minute, attack my opponent, avoid head, stop attacking when my opponent surrenders, is incapacitated, or I say so} I prepare my fairy orders.

It wasn't long before everyone gathered in the coliseums. My fight is the sixth so at least I can watch the fights to get a feel of what I can expect.

The first fight is an all-out brawl with two fist fighters. One had armored herself with her earth bond the other eroded the armor with water-clad fists. It was a very close fight but the earth brawler won in the end.

The second fight is a wind mage versus a fire warrior. The wind mage constantly sends the warrior flying back with powerful gusts of wind and whittled the warrior down with tiny wind blades, the mage won.

The third wasn't even a fight, a speed essence warrior has her blades at the other fighter's throat in a heartbeat.

The fourth was also unfair. A metal mage who created a whirlwind of tiny sharp blades. The warrior couldn't even get close.

Fifth was a close one. Two water mages fought but one was a caster the other was a non-caster. The non-caster won by her more powerful attacks.

And then I was called by the announcer. Murmurs could be heard even from where I walk. Opposite me walks a robed mage, she looked confused but quickly understood who I was. I felt nervous walking past the hundreds of people down to the arena below, where thousands will be watching me.

This is just like your [Acting] performances. I tell myself. Drums beat as we walk, a prelude to the battle to come.

"Didn't know the famous Alysara is a Kheshamo fighter. I heard your Bond was beauty essence, right? A bad matchup, but there's always next year" Uzu confidently says.

I'm not going down without a damn tough fight, I'll make you understand my hard work.

"I may be inexperienced but I don't plan on just giving up" Yes I am inexperienced, I want her to know that, I want her to be more confident, I need her to be careless.

I assumed my stance, hoping she'll think me more inexperienced than I really am. I have my core produce as much light element as it could to shroud me in a buffer of beauty and light essence.

"Let the fight begin!" A gong rang to signal the start.

I immediately sent a spell my second mind had prepared to the sands below to form a dome over me with a hole behind me for my fairies to attack from.

I send a fairy with fifteen mana to see how much Uzu could take as she blasts the area I am at with a wide dark mana laser. Instead of melting its way through my defenses, it erodes it, slowly. As my fairy hit, I had my minds erect pillars randomly around the field, just tall and wide enough for me to take advantage but the taller woman be unable to use effectively.

My fairy hit and the woman hisses in pain. Not too much damage to make her flinch. I ramp my next one up to twenty-five mana. Meanwhile, she is focusing her laser on my position to focus the damage. As she focuses it too much she left me with an opportunity to take cover in a new spot I ran out, using earth mana to make the sand unmoving as I step on them, invisible.

I got to my first pillar and started summoning as many fairies as I could and summon my clone here as well. I ran over to the next cover and did the same, a second clone sitting there patiently. By now Uzu had blast through the dome to find I was not there.

"Where did you run off to? Now's not a time for hide and seek" Uzu sweeps the battlefield with a wide-reaching dark laser like a flashlight.

"Over here?" She starts running toward a random pillar, still sweeping the area. As she got close to that pillar the fairies finish waiting and one by one flew toward to woman. The first hit her gut as she turned around, the added power had her flinch and reflexively cover her stomach.

I took this chance to run to the next pillar but skipped it in favor of the one ahead of it. I start making more fairies as Uzu focused her attack on the decoy pillar even as the fairies homed in on Uzu hitting her in several places. She launches out several balls of dark mana with highly unstable intensity. The balls explode with audible pops near the pillar.

Not too strong, or more likely, held back.

The pillar ran out of fairies just as Uzu got to get to the pillar, finding my clone.

"Here you are!" She blasts it gleefully but her grin fades just as my clone did. The distraction worked wonderfully as she didn't notice the stream of fairies targeting her back.

Uzu screams as a dozen fairies hits her. She looks around frantically to find my second clone running to the next pillar.

"Think you're clever?" Uzu growls, thinking that it was me she angrily marches over, unable to simply blast through the pillar, and was greeted with a dozen more fairies that hadn't waited long enough. "Shit!" Now in line of sight, they all rushed at her. Uzu tries blasting the fairies, succeeding in destroying half of them, countering each one with a concentrated beam or balls of unstable mana. The rest got to her and just before they hit Uzu send out a wave of dark mana pushing the fairies back enough that she manages to blast apart the rest.

"My magic beats yours! Don't think this will be too easy" Uzu ignores my second clone and looks to the other pillars.

I had been placing fairies behind many pillars and now most of my covers are weaponized. I hope this is enough to whittle Uzu away otherwise I'm not sure how long my mana will last.

Uzu began spraying out clouds of dark mana, I can only guess it's a means of fogging up the area to blind her opponent, but she might be using it to hinder my fairies.

Uzu became more frustrated and angry as fairies start attacking from all directions. She kept blasting them, dark lasers and exploding balls countered each fairy, as four fairies got dangerously close she let off a dark nova but is quickly overwhelmed by the hundreds of fairies. As she is pummeled by the fairies I watch her vitality dwindle, the beauty mana damaging and killing cells. Each fairy that delivered its deadly payload sent the mana deep to the bone. Nearby vitality rushes to the area via Ectoplasm but that only sped up her defeat.

Uzu falls to her knees as she no longer has any vitality animating them, nor any living nerves and muscles. As she falls face-first to the ground the announcer calls my victory. The fairies following their orders to stop attacking once Uzu is defeated stops in mid-air. I dismiss the fairies and reveal my location, running over to Uzu to heal her. Several other healers are rushing in to heal as well.

The crowd cheers and roars my victory, I may have been seen as the underdog in this fight.

"That was well fought, Alysara. I completely underestimated you. I thought my magic countered yours but in the end, you hard countered me"

"You came close, I may have run out of mana before you," I say with a smile. The fight was exhilarating.

"Unfortunately you're going to be even more powerful next year, I don't stand a chance" Uzu Chuckles. "At least I came close. Now go back to your friend she's jumping up and down to celebrate your victory, you deserve it"

I nod and left, thanking her. I left the arena and am immediately tackle-hugged by Chyzu.

"You did it! I don't know how but you beat someone who countered you!"

"Let... Me... Breath!" I tried to say from Chyzu's expansive bosom.

I felt Chyzu being yanked off of me and a smiling and proud Esfoy standing there.

"Goodjob, Alysara, on your first win!"

Chapter 52: Rival

"I'm gonna be honest, I didn't think you could've won this match up but I was pleasantly surprised," Esofy says.

Although Esofy is set to fight in another coliseum her fight isn't for a while so she watched mine. My next fight shouldn't be for another hour so I can see my family. In fact, they are coming to me.

"That was amazing!" Yafe says, with bright-eyed adoration.

"Yeah! How you made more of yourself and tricked the other person. Where were you? Was she even close to getting you?" Yafel beames a bright smile.

I pat them on the head. "Not even close," I say with a grin.

"You're growing up too fast, Aly," Dad says with a proud smile.

"Can't call you 'Little Aly' anymore can we?" Mom says mimicking Dad's expression.

Mom and Dad gives me a big hug. I chat with my family, explaining that I planned my strategy before the fight, while I made my way to the Kheshamo hall to see who I'd be fighting next.

I keep a split perception on the fights going on to see how my potential opponents fight and to see if I can learn anything from the fights. Esofy and Chyzu follow several paces behind my family.

"Who's next?" I ask, still not being able to see the illusory texts, It was annoying not being able to see what's shown.

"Areil, She's a lightning warrior, if you thought Uzu was a counter then she's worse for you, has a speed-related class," Esofy says. "If I didn't know any better I'd say someone rigged the tournaments to try and get you out early, looking at this"

"What makes you think that?" Chyzu asks.

"Aly may be up against Jowaru in her third fight. She is a juggernaut with a metal Bond and steel class, she's quite powerful with a major tier class, she's weak against lightning but that's the only time I've seen her lose" Esofy answers.

She actually seems easy, the musclehead type that I can just blind and pretty much win by default, if not then I can always use lightning magic, I am a general caster too, but the backlash will shock me too so I'd rather not do that.

My biggest problem is speedsters, Areil, she will be a problem if I can't hide from her with invisibility and blinding her.

"I know what you are thinking, Aly, but most warriors in the three hundred score have [Battle Sense] or [Battlefield Awearness], they'll get a sense of your general direction or at least have a feeling from where they'd get hit from," Esofy warns.

So I need to come up with good strategies to counter them, how can I defeat a speedster if they can get to me in the blink of an eye? For starters I can prepare by having my core produce speed essence, I'd need all the speed I can get. This fight will be quick, blind right off the bat, turn invisible, use [Echos of Reality] to create images and sound to hide or at least distract. Use Slow essence around her to slow her down too, probably will want to do that at the same time I blind her. Keep running in circles and summoning fairies, Perhaps I can summon fairies through my clone? I wonder how that will work? If I can I'll be much safer.

I could also try covering myself in a barrier of some sort. Areil will probably go for my neck so making some sort of barrier around my neck will throw her off, what sort of barrier will work though? It needs to be strong enough and not obvious. Water. If I use the spell to disperse the force throughout the water then it will at least slow down the attack. There's enough water vapor in the air to form a barrier so this should work.

With my plan set, I nod to myself.

"Let me try something," I say and lead the group out of the hall.

I summon my clone, watching the link. Every time I've used the link I always send mana or a spell to the familiar or clone, never through them. I imagine the link as just another limb to push the mana out and cast [Fairy Strike] The mana rushes down the link and building up in the clone before leaving and manifesting next to the clone!

This is going to be extra useful.

"You use a spell through your clone?" Chyzu asks her tail twitches awkwardly.

"Yes," I nod "Should be able to do the same with my familiar too."

"It's going to be tricky to know which one is the real you if they don't have some sort of mana sensing ability," Esofy says.

"Maybe one day you can make it more solid too, then you'll be able to be in two places at once!" Mom says with a grin.

"We already have one pair of twins, we don't need another" Dad sighs.

"Another Alysara will be so cool!" "Alysara can be just like us!" Yafel and Yafe say excitedly.

Actually, yeah, this will be very useful. I can simply have my clone make the mana batteries and I can sleep normally. In fact, I can simply have my assistant move things if I need and work on the spell crystals while I train at the dojo. It may even help evolve my [Create Clone].

I wonder if I can give my second mind a personality? Would I even want to? Would it be reversible? Would taking away the personality even be ethical? I don't exactly need to do it. Having a second mind does helps process information and helps to multitask.

We made our way back to the coliseum and I wait for my next battle.

The earth brawler that won last round is up against a tall person, despite looking to be about fourteen. Her styles of clothes are on the less decorative side, practically plain in comparison to the detail the other women had. She wore pants with a codpiece, proudly showing off her large hermaphrodidity. It's something I would be embarrassed to see if it weren't for Sense Mana giving me sight of it regardless of how covered it is.

The hermaphrodite has a strange dark type essence Bond that I do not recognize, her class is also of the same essence. She wields a supermassive hammer of dark steel-encased gold, the thing had to be crazy heavy! The hammer is the warrior's most decorated possession, depicting stylized imagery of mountains. The hammer looks more like a fantasy weapon with its huge size that reminded me that I was, in fact, in a fantasy realm and that such impractical weapons may not be so impractical here after all.

"And we have another young fighter, welcome Uloru!"

This was it. After years of hard work, this is Uloru's chance. She hadn't won her chance for the village representative but she did just barely make it into the top-ranked tournament.

Uloru waits for the Brawler to be introduced, warming up and entering a stance. Uloru wanted to be the youngest in the three hundred rankings, she should have been but that illusionist girl beat her to it. At the age of ten, that girl is the youngest in history to be in the three hundred rankings.

Uloru gritted her teeth in frustration. I work so hard to get here and some talented brat thinks she can take this away?!

Uloru looks at her spectating village, all of them are standing and cheering. Their village may not be the biggest, only having ninety-two members and they may live on a small island a stone's throw away from the mountainous ring that encircles the nexus but Uloru promised to make the rest of the islands recognize their strength.

They may only have two Kheshamos, a master and student but they are the highest level, a thirty-nine year old with a rank of three hundred and eighty-eight and Uloru with three hundred exactly, both her bond and class being level one fifty at the age of thirteen.

Uloru readies her hammer and waits for the signal.

"Start!" with the ringing of a gong, the fight ensues.

Uloru's gravity magic surges through her and her hammer, both being near weightless. The brawler rush towards Uloru, already covered in protective earth. Uloru swung her hammer, quickly accelerating the mass with her strength. The large hammer smashes into the Brawler sending the woman flying across the sands. Uloru didn't let up, jumping up and with a twirl and returning her weight back to normal she brought the hammer down onto the other warrior.

Stone shatters and the sands below gave up against blow, the Brawler's feet sinking into the sand below. The other women grunts at the powerful strike, and that wasn't even Uloru increasing the gravity on herself and hammer.

Using her chance Uloru batters down the earth Brawler, increasing the weapon's weight on strike and reducing it when she drew it back.

Pieces of stone flew in all directions that quickly evaporated as the spell could keep it stable anymore. The other warrior is completely on the defensive, stuck in the sand, and in a bad stance form. With her long handle, Uloru is beyond the attacking range of the woman. Wanting to end this quickly Uloru activates her [Inner Strength], feeling a surge of power she brings the hammer down and hears bone cracking. The Brawler screams in pain.

"I yield!" knowing she can't fight any further the earth brawler surrenders.

"Uloru is the Winner!"

Uloru breathes a sigh of relief. Her first battle won.

Joining her village in the stands Uloru watched the other fights, trying to get an idea of her future opponents.

"You did well, Uloru! You're going to win this one!" Uloru's Mother encouraged.

Uloru hoped that the metal mage with the storm of small blades will lose, she doesn't even know where to begin to defeat something like that.

The metal mage surrounds herself with tiny blades again and uses several shields to block water attacks from the non-caster water mage. The water mage dodges the blades shot at her with fluid motions but the metal easily lures her opponent into a trap. Several blades dug into the ground suddenly shoots up and cut into the water mage's legs, ending her ability to dodge. She gave up right then, realizing her chances of winning falling to zero.

Please lose before I fight you! Uloru hopes. Uloru had looked at the ranking and saw the metal mage has a score of three seventy-six, close to her master's score.

"Next up we have the youngest Kheshamo fighter in the three hundred rankings, Alysara! Versus the speed warrior Areil!"

"This is going to be a fast fight, Areil hard counters almost all mages and a lot of warriors too" Kadona, Uloru's Master says, returning from her scheduled fight.

"Maybe that talented brat will have to try hard at something in her life for once"

Kadona smacks Uloru upside the head. "Her score is higher than yours, she's had her fair share of hardships too. Control your jealousy"

Uloru held her head, feeling a bruise form.

"That girl fought and won a battle against a level three hundred monster, supposedly grand tier. She invented flying ships and a new thing called spell crystals. She's responsible for teaching those new storm wardens too. I don't know how much is exaggerated or even fabricated but where one Domr rests you can be sure several more are hiding nearby." Kadona finishes with a metaphor.

"How can a ten-year-old girl even do all of that?" Uloru says as she watches the speed warrior dash toward the Two Tailed mages. The blade stops, blocked by something Uloru couldn't see. A dark bubble forms around the warrior's head and the girl with golden tipped hair vanishes, only for two to appear running in opposite directions, they both started launching magic in the shape of unknown winged creatures. The warrior screams in pain as they hit. The warrior tries deflecting the attacks but coming from different directions made it an impossible task.

"Areil hard counter's most mages indeed, but her attacks are predictable and thus countable. Be wary of that one Uloru, she seems adept at countering warriors by taking away their sight." Kadona warns "Have you trained your [Life Sense] as you've been instructed?"

Uloru hadn't, favoring her other skills instead.

"Alysara wins!"

The crowd cheers loudly and fervently. First, she won a fight against a mage that was supposed to counter her, and now a speed warrior that wins against most mages, an underdog in both rounds and thought to be disadvantaged in the fight.

"That is why you need to work on your perceptive skills, Uloru. It's rare but you will encounter fighters that cast debilitating spells on you, especially in the three hundred rankings and the village representatives."

Uloru nods. "What do you think my chances are against her and against that metal mage?" Uloru asks.

"Not high, but not zero. You can throw off the metal with your gravity and give yourself an opening. You'll have to take hits and charge headfirst into the blades but once you're in, attack and don't stop. Irela is hoping that you will be discouraged from doing that and stay away which is exactly what she wants you to do." Kadona gives her advice for the metal mage.

"For the Two Tailed Illusionist, you'll have to rely one hundred percent on your [Life Sense], you might as well just close your eyes against her. You won't be able to trust your sight, but as long as she is living you will be able to know where she really is. She relies on misdirection and hiding, her defense is not being in a position to be hit so the strategy is much the same as with Irela's metal, full attack, don't worry about getting hit."

Uloru watches the rest of the fights in silence, but what she is really doing is doing some last-minute training in her [Life Sense]. With only three breakthroughs it's pathetically low level than what it should be.

Soon enough it was her turn to fight again and Uloru walks to the staging area to get ready.

Chapter 53: Mistakes

"We have Alysara versus Jowaru!"

The announcer really needs to work on hyping up the crowd and putting excitement in her voice.

The battle starts with the ringing of the gong and we immediately start. The rules say "Don't bring armor into the arena" it does not say that you can't make the armor. The reason why is simple, to create an even playing field where only one person's skills and talents shine. Weapons have no restrictions, at least not unreasonable restrictions. I don't think they'd let a cannon in. This still poses a problem for me. Jowaru brought several bars of steel and is forming armor around herself. I blind her and turn invisible but she just doesn't care.

A bell forms, attached to the steel on her shoulder, it rings with a step. Her head turns toward me.

Echolocation huh? This might be difficult.

Jowaru rushes towards me, the bell ringing. I cast a sound essence spell around me, a spell that produces sound in a way to nullify the sound waves, destructive interference; and, at the same time, I quickly move out of the way. The world fell silent, I stopped hearing the bell and the crowd became mute to me. I find it a lot easier to focus, the crowds all but non-existent to me.

My clone doesn't produce sound so I don't have to worry about that and I channel my fairy strike through the link. A fully charged fairy with four empowerments. The fairy slams into the armor, a little bit going through, but the damage has been drastically reduced.

I smile and launch out an exploding fairy. Jowaru reacts by throwing out a small ball of metal and intercepting the fairy, causing it to explode on contact.

Got some sort of danger sense I see. I watch the skills in her mana signature light up upon use. Jowaru calls back the metal ball but threw it again in a random direction, the ball lands a few meters away from me and explodes like a frag grenade. A piece of metal stabbing my leg causing me to grit my teeth.

Jowaru turns toward me again charges, throwing another ball. I left behind a familiar and use [Beauty Empowerment] on it, ordering it to discharge all its mana into Jowaru and to ignore any metal, but also to not hit the head.

More steel balls explode and more shrapnel found its way into me. I launch several empowered fairies, all my attacks finding their way into the reckless Jowaru.

She can sense metal! I realize, trying to run away from the woman chasing me down. Alright if she wants to run around in circles then let's do something to stop her.

I cast a speed spell on myself and start weaving steel essence cords, one end having a mix of beauty mana in it. I create a clone and handed off the beauty end to it. The clone grabs the beauty mana, the MM force helping to make it grabbable. Using my faster speed I run around her with my clone going in the opposite direction, wrapping Jowaru up who couldn't see what I was doing from being blinded.

The steel essence cord is much harder to struggle out of with it being attracted to the same essence in Jowaru's armor.

As Jowaru struggles I weave a net of steel essence and throw it around my opponent weaving more steel essence to sew the net together. Revealing myself to the crowd as I high-five my clone and start summoning my empowered fairies, taking my time to whittle Jowaru down.

"I yield!" After several minutes of struggling Jowaru gives up.

"Alysara wins the third round!"

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 242!

I pick out the shrapnel and release my bindings on Jowaru. My plan didn't quite work out, her echolocation threw me off a little but that was to be expected, what was not, however, was her metal sense and that was almost my downfall.

"That was a good battle," Jowaru says, her armor receding back into bars.

"Almost got me there, I didn't expect someone to have two sensing skills" I reply. Helping her up.

"It helps to locate where my metal has gone after making it explode," Jowaru says, making the tiny fragments rush back into a ball from across the arena. "I'll be rooting for you, show the rest what you've got!" Jowaru gave me a thumbs up.

"Thank you!" I walk back up the steps and greet an excited Chyzu.

"You did it! However your opponents are getting tougher, you've made it this far because your opponents haven't had uncounterable sensing skills. You need to prepare for when they do and with your lack of sparring experience, it's going to be a really hard battle for you. Your weakness right now is that you must plan ahead and think outside the box to cover your inexperience." Chyzu says, lecturing me about my shortcomings.

"You could have used water magic to turn the sand to mud and slowed Jowaru that way, your magic would have kept your movement the same. You could have conjured walls preemptively in case your opponent had ranged capabilities. You could have used a spell to jump high or even fly out of range and remove the metal to stay hidden. There were a number of things you could have, and should have done. You're good with strategy but you need to work on your tactics"

Each bit of criticism had my high from winning squashed. Chyzu is right, I had many things I could have done and was more mana efficient. If Jowaru hadn't given up I'd have run out of mana eventually and would have to slowly attack and hope she didn't break out.

"And remember this, Aly. You'll have to face me, and I know what you will be doing and I know you'll try to make a plan for me. Now let's see who you'll be up against."

We walk back to the stone hall and look at the board.

"Yuzu, she's new to the three hundred rankings with three hundred and two for her score. I don't know her nor do I know how she fights so you'll have to watch her fight or just wing it." Chyzu says, leaning on a decorated pillar. "Your opponent after that is probably going to be Irela, that metal mage, the one with all those blades. However, If Irela loses you'll be up against Kludon, a fire mage."

"What are Kludon's chances?" I ask. I'm hoping I don't have to fight Irela, My chances against her aren't good.

"Low, Irela would have lost against Jowaru but she normally dominates most fights."

My best chances against both would be to hunker down and attack through my clone. Irela also seems to be good at tactics and may expect me to do that so maybe if I fake it... but Irela will use a barrage of blades across the entire field if I hide so I need to hunker down in a dome but I'll be left open to drilling attacks so I need to find some way to first hunker down against the first barrage and then leave it while it is still under bombardment.

Is there really no chances for me against Irela? I'm having trouble thinking up ways for defeating her.

We go back to the coliseum to watch the fights. With my second mind, I try to figure out how I am going to deal with people who can sense me. I'll need to rely on hindering them. Warriors with mud, tripping them, maybe throw a net over them but that does take a lot of mana. How am I going to deal with mages? My best bet would be to play to my strengths and try to overpower them with the strength of my spells and try to use barriers to block the attacks. With [Twin Minds] I could play defensively and offensively at the same time.

It's definitely going to be more difficult and less strategy but I guess that's how people normally fight, they rely on tactics and trained instincts to help them win.

Uloru walks down the steps, the arena calls for her again. Her next opponent is a lightning mage.

"Uloru, versus Shocho!"

Uloru assumes her stance and waits for the signal.

The gong is struck and Shocho immediately starts off with a bolt of lightning. It strikes Uloru, making her muscles tense up. Shocho continuously feeds the lightning. Uloru brought her hammer in front of her to direct the lightning to it but she still felt the lightning course through her arms and leg.

If I can't avoid the damage then I need to press my attack!

Uloru drew back her weapon and with increasing weight she threw it at the mage, concentrating the gravity pull in one direction as the mage dodge left. Not expecting the change in trajectory the hammer hits the woman with enough force that it knocks her down and dazes her.

Uloru immediately jumps at the opportunity and dash to her opponent, striking her with a fist, and follows with a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of her. Uloru drew back her fist again but when she saw the smile on the lightning mage Uloru knew she made a mistake.

The mage sent out a burst of lightning and lunges at Uloru, grabbing her arms with hands sparking with electricity. Uloru screams in pain as the lighting grows stronger and stronger. Uloru bashes her head against the mage's managing to free herself from the grasp of her opponent but in the process dazed herself.

The world spins around her and a pounding in her head made her realize that she should have kicked instead.

Shocho smiles wide and readies another blast of lightning. The bolt strikes Uloru who's muscles sizes up, making her fall to the ground. The mage continues to feed the electricity but at distance now.

I'm going to lose, aren't I? I can't win against this mage, I only barely qualified for the three hundred rankings after all.

Just as Uloru was about to yield she catches a glimpse of her thrown hammer behind the mage.

I can win this!

Uloru stretches out her arms fighting against the effects of the lightning, channeling her Bond skill [Gravity Well], making the hammer slowly rise. With gritted teeth, Uloru shifts the gravity well and increases its strength. The hammer hit the unaware mage in the head send her sprawling to the ground and ending her spell.

Uloru slowly stood up on wobbly legs and picks up her hammer, reducing its weight. Her opponent, however, didn't stand up. She wasn't dead, Uloru's life sense made her aware of that, but after a minute of waiting, she realizes Shocho is knocked unconscious.

A healer rushes to Shocho to make sure she was well before signaling the referee.

"Uloru is the winner!"

Uloru let out a breath of relief, this had been a difficult battle.

Joining her master at the staging area she receives criticism. "That was very sloppy, if you are going to throw away your weapon use your ability to bring it back as soon as possible, don't just forget about it! Your weapon is a part of you, it's an extension of yourself, you wouldn't just forget about your arms. And what's with that head bash? Going to knock yourself out?" Uloru's master smacks her head. "Did you forget your brain? You could have pulled back and kicked her legs out, tossed her back, and freed yourself! You could have used your Bond to reduce her weight and spun her around, you could have swung her into the ground and forced her to let go! You could have done so many other things!"

"Sorry" Uloru felt small and ashamed. All of those things were far better to do and wouldn't have left her dazed.

"She was a mage! [Clear Mind] helps them resist being dazed! Head bashing them only hurts you! If you hadn't gotten lucky you would have lost! Your weakness is that you don't think, you just act. That mage read you easily and outsmarted you, a lightning couldn't dodge that throw? Didn't you think it was suspicious?!"

Now that she is reflecting on the battle, lightning mages are known for having at least one-speed type skill that lets them run away, she could have used that to dodge the attack, in fact, she made sure the hammer only hit in a non-vital spot.

Uloru is continually lectured all the way back to the stands, where the rest of her village waits.

"That was a hard-fought fight, good job!"

"I knew you could pull through!"

"Yet another win, keep it up!"

Although her village showed support Uloru couldn't feel elated, she has made big mistakes in that fight.

"Clear your mind, Uloru. Learn from your mistakes and move on, don't dwell on what you should have done, instead focus on what you will do" Her master, Kadona, says and pats her head. "It was sloppy but in the end, you won, and that makes me proud" she smiles.

Warmth fills Uloru at her master's words.

"I'll do better!" Uloru promises.

Irela dominates her next battle, like an unstoppable force she looms over the tournament, and like a tyrant, luring her opponent in traps and soundly defeating them.

"Irela Wins!"

The next battle is with the illusionist girl and a wind mage.

The Two Tailed girl split into two and ran out from her erected sand cover in opposite directions, diving behind another pillar. The two bodies launched a pincer attack from behind the pillars at the bewildered wind mage. The wind mage is also new to the three hundred rankings and didn't expect the turn of events, not knowing which one was real she tried to get at a random one only to find it a fake one. She is quickly defeated. Uloru couldn't tell, her [Sense Life] range was too short, but her master's wasn't.

"Interesting, that was very smart," She says with a hand on her chin.

"What?" Uloru asks.

"Two Tails there turned invisible and didn't move from her initial cover, she didn't attack either making the wind mage think she wasn't there. No matter which illusion she went after she would have chosen the wrong one. How Two Tails managed to cast spells through the illusions I don't know, it's likely a Bond skill or a support Bond class skill."

"You don't see a Bond mage often" Uloru comments.

"No, which is why she is throwing off so many people. I heard she has a cursed skill, now I'm thinking that her spellcasting ability is the cursed skill, Mana weaving, spell casting, who knows what else. Be careful of her, she may have that skill at a very high level."

"How high?"

"I don't know, but you're in luck; Irela, that metal mage, is set to fight Alysara, that Two Tailed girl. One of them will lose so you won't have to fight both. Which is worse for you? I honestly don't know. Two Tails is certainly a planner, however, her fight with Jowaru shows inexperience. Irela on the other hand is seasoned but you can easily throw her off with a reckless attack. But if I had to say which one I'd say Irela is worse for you, but only because she's more experienced."

Chapter 54: Quicksand

This is it, the next fight is against Irela, the whirlwind of blades. I have a plan but what if she has a Sense skill? I'll be trapping myself. Erecting sand pillars for cover won't work against drill attacks, which leaves me with hiding or using my force dispercing barrier. I can try both. Actually, now that I think about force dispersion should work best against the small lightweight blades. They don't have the mass to power through the barrier.

The trick against my barrier is to overcome it through sheer power, by spreading the force over a large area one would need enough force to destroy the whole thing. I can't use it on the sand because it's full of earth mana but if I weave a blanket of water mana it would work best, the problem being that it uses a ton of mana to do so, and enchanting it would take up that much more mana and time.

Actually, I've yet to run out of mana despite weaving a net, that should have used a lot of mana but I didn't run out. Weaving a square meter of cloth takes two thousand mana, most of what I had but I doubled my mana reserves today, I have... over seven thousand mana. Enchanting will take maybe five hundred mana which means I can weave a blanket of water mana and enchant it.

I've been acting like I've had half my mana the entire tournament, I've been stupid! Normally I wouldn't have enough water mana for this strategy but due to my curse more would be generated as I weave.

"Are you ready? Do you have a plan?" Chyzu asks.

"Yes," I answer.

Water also repels the earth-aligned metal essence which means if I also enchant for that it'll become much harder to destroy, but how should I go about that? If I make a repulsion enchantment she'll have to overcome that as well which will reduce the force I'll receive which in turn makes the force dispersion an even better defense.

"Tuloly wins!" The announcer calls out.

"You're up, remember everything you've learned. Irela is known as one of the hardest to beat if you don't directly counter her, even I lose to her" Chyzu says, patting me on the back.

"Next is Alysara versus Irela!"

Really need a better announcer, like, you can hype the crowd up more. 'who will win, the famous whirlwind of blades or a young underdog who has pulled through several counter matches!' something like that! This is a big moment make it more impactful!

I command my core to start generating more water mana as I walk down the steps. Irela has more experience than me and has a higher level class, although my Bond is higher level than hers.

With my heart beating with adrenaline I get ready. First I will start weaving and create a dome of sand for the initial barrage. Then I will use the extra time to enchant. If all goes well I won't even need a defensive blanket and she'll fall for my clones.

At the signal, I begin as fast as my [Graceful Movements] boosted reflexes allow me to.

The sand moves around me as a clattering of small blades hits it. Then I hear heavier thuds as I see drills hit the dome and start spinning.

Should have had them already spinning.

As I finish making my blanke I begin enchanting and turn myself invisible with [Echos of Reality]. I create two clones and just as the drills start poking through I finish the first enchantment. I dispel the sand dome, having it burst outward as my two clones run out. Irela looks at both the clones running in opposite directions with indecision but she calms herself with a deep breath and closes her eyes. She points in my hiding location and blades flies towards me just as my second enchantment finishes.

The blades hit my blanket and stop, a slight ripple moving across the blanket I made. The enchantment isn't perfect, it doesn't disperse one hundred percent of the force but it's significant enough.

"Incredible" Irela offers a word of compliment. She fuses several pieces of blades together and formes a drill. Fairies launch from my clones but Irela forms shields to intercept them. Unfortunately for her, my fairies don't have to move linearly and they move around the shields hitting her and delivering painful payloads of beauty mana.

Irela's drills slam on my defensive blanket, their force sending larger ripples through the blanket but ultimately stops. Their speed has slowed slightly due to the repulsion enchantment, Irela frowns as the drill starts floating away due to the repulsion.

"Interesting enchantments" Irela formes a dome of metal around her to stop the fairies from hitting her, it tskes most of her metal leaving us at a stalemate. My fairies continue to bombard her defenses as she tries to get around mine, us both unable to break past each other's defenses, I have a trick up my sleeve, though. I built up dozens of fairies and with [Mana Manipulation] I grab a part of the mana in the metal and force an opening for my growing number of fairies to enter.

"What?!" A scream of surprise echoes as the fairies trail in. I watch as her vitality is used up with each attack. In a last-ditch effort, Irela forms all her metal in one large drill and launches it at me. With [Mana Manipulation] I force it downward. The drill wavers and wobbles as Irela fights my control over it. As the drill rushes closer I throw my blanket at it. The drill slams in the blanket, large ripples spread out as a tearing sound comes from the blanket. The blanket is shredded completely as small fibers of mana silk dropped to the sand below. The drill has almost completely stopped in its tracks and I fight to keep it still.

However, a new problem came at me, four small blades slpit off from the drill and rushes towards me as I fight to keep the large drill still. I cast a wind spell around me strong enough to deflect the lightweight blades for just long enough.

"I yield!" Irela says weakly, as she fell to the ground. I had bought just enough time to win.

It was a quick fight but most fights tend to be.

"Alysara wins!"

The crowd cheers, the direction where my village is obviously the loudest.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 242!

"I lose every time against Jowaru, and now that she was taken out I lose to someone else?" Irela complains. "I'm not going to lose next time!" Irela resolves herself and walks back up to her staging area with shaky legs. I walk back up to Chyzu jumping up and down.

"You did it! I don't know how you did but you defeated her!" Chyzu then turned a little serious. "But you are starting to become predictable, Aly. People are catching on to your tactics, you need to change them up"

I nod. My biggest issue right now is my lack of experience. I'll need to fight more with more focus on dodging attacks and getting more breakthroughs in my [Graceful Movements].

"However there are only three rounds left, Aly." This is a bracket tournament so in each round half the contestants lose. This means that there were about two hundred fifty-six contestants to start with. The next round will only have eight contestants, then it's on to the semi-finals.

We went to the Hall to see who I'd be fighting next.

"Your next opponent is also someone new, Uloru, I think she is that gravity warrior. I don't know much else about her. For semi-finals you'll be up against me if I win my battle. I'm up against Gogana, she's a lightning warrior, not exactly easy for me but I am strong against warriors, I just have to keep my area dry and stay away from her and keep her in the mud."

I am also fairly strong against warriors, and I think I'll use Chyzu's strategy of mudding the ground. Actually, now that I think about that a gravity warrior will just reduce her weight so she doesn't sink, I'll still try but I don't expect it will work, just need to cover all my bases.

Now, what will I do if she has a sense skill that can sense me? Worst case scenario mudding the ground won't work and she can see past my illusions. What will I do? Flying won't work if she can just increase gravity and make it hard for me. Blinding won't work in this scenario. She can throw that hammer but I may be able to dodge that. I could make armor but that hammer has a ton of mass and with added force from gravity, she will be easily able to break past my defenses. How do I defeat this worse case situation?

We both have essences, she's a dark based essence I'm a light based essence. My class is a Bond mage hers is not so I'm stronger, plus my bond is much higher level. Interfering with her spells could work too. Being a warrior her wisdom stat should be much lower and thus I could use [Mana Manipulation] to stop her spells. First, make her abandon her hammer, use its natural weight against her by not letting her make it lighter. If she still doesn't and proceeds to use strength, prevent her from making herself lighter and the extra weight from the hammer will make mudding the ground work against her.

I'll use my second mind for dedicated spell sabotage, I can kite her and bombard her with fairies, no clone or invisibility needed. Chyzu's right, I'm relying on my illusions too much, I need to think on my strategies more, prepare for the worse case and go from there.

Now how do I beat Chyzu? She's very experienced, I know I can't hide and my clone won't work, She's a mage so fighting over control of her spells may not work but should delay her, I have two minds but she has [Multitask] it won't hinder her as much. The difference between her skill and mine is that [multitask] works with the same amount of focus whereas my [Twin Minds] give me another mind to focus. In other words, if she has one hundred points of focus [Multitask] only has one hundred points to work with whereas [Twin Minds] gives me two one-hundred points but I can't allocate each one hundred points into different things.

To put it more simply I have two five hundred wisdom stats, which helps me focus and increases the strength of my will, to use on specifically two things, Chyzu has however many points of wisdom she has to allocate to as many things as she wants. That's the difference between our two skills. What kind of monster will I become if I also get [Multitask]?

So I can easily fight over a few spells but her counter to that will be to just use more spells to overwhelm my focus.

First I need to defend myself, how? Armor, but that's mana intensive. Deflection, weave an attraction ribbon, and hold it off to the side, could work and won't take a lot of mana. It will at least help me dodge the attacks.

Second, how do I prevent her from getting close? Take a page out of the Aydomr's book, Use earth mana to entrap her feet. I could also create a dome of sand to block attacks and also use the attracting ribbons to and attach them to a pillar off to the side.

It's a good plan but maybe she'll expect something like that and will come up with a counter? Maybe I should make a second plan just in case.

"Uloru Wins!"

That had been an easy one. Next up is my fight with Alysara, the Two Tailed Illusionist.

She had won her fight with Irela, she had done something that shocked her master and made her re-evaluate who was harder to beat.

"You're going to have a tough time against her, be ready for anything and you may not be able to rely on your weight manipulation"

Uloru's staple Bond skill, [Weight Manipulation]. If she can't use it, the fight will be extra difficult.

"Don't wait for anything, once the fight starts throw your hammer at her, catch her off guard, don't let her do anything. Throw her plans off by acting unusual"

First, she yells at me for throwing my hammer then tells me to do so. Uloru will still do as suggested but she vcan't help but grin at the contradiction.

Uloru walks up the staging area to her master. She won't be able to watch her next fight as she has her own to attend to. Her match is against someone known as Esofy in her finals match.

"Even if you lose know that I am proud of you for making it this far. I'll bring home a win for us, I've fought Esofy before although that has been a few years ago now. She's difficult but I've only gotten stronger." Kadona pats her shoulder

"I'll win, Master, It's just three more rounds, my next will be the most difficult but I'll win it, then it'll be smooth sailing from there on," Uloru says.

Uloru watches the next few fights with her village and as the last fight finished she walks back to the staging area.

"Chyzu wins!"

I'll be up against Chyzu next, she's going to be difficult but with my [Weight Manipulation] I think I should be able to win.

"Next Is Alysara versus Uloru!"

The two youngest fighters and both new to the three hundred rankings.

Uloru watches the blindfolded girl walk down the steps, her two tails in tune with her steps.

There was something off about her. Uloru's [Foe Sense] told her that the girl is way more powerful than she seems. She seems more like her master in terms of raw power, maybe even more.

She has a high tier race, and maybe even class too. She's going to hide and use her clones in a pincher attack, it'll be difficult to dodge but I should be able to, my agility is only second to my strength.

Uloru draws back her hammer in preparation to throw it as her master suggested. Alysara simply stands there in a weak stance.

At the signal, Ulorus's hammer immediately felt much heavier even before she starts throwing it. Uloru grits her teeth and she put all her strength into throwing the hammer only for her footing to loose. Uloru lets go and uses [Gravity Well] to curve the hammer to follow Alysara who had stepped to the side, but Uloru's hammer didn't curve the way she wanted, it instead curves the opposite direction!

Uloru rushes forward only for her to fall, her legs are stuck in the watery sand!

That's why I lost my footing! Uloru tries to lift her legs out but she couldn't! What is happening?! What kind of spell is this? The more Uloru struggled the more she sank, it didn't make sense!

The first fairy hit. Pain assaults Uloru as she looks up. Alysara hadn't bothered with illusions, she didn't bother with hiding.

Am I that easy to beat?

Pain hit Uloru again and again until she felt her heart pounding and she felt weak, her legs and arms shook as she lost control over them. There was nothing she could do, she had lost so soundly it wasn't even a competition. Uloru struggles the entire time but only succeeded in getting more stuck.

"I yield," Uloru says weakly. She felt helpless. Is this what all her opponents felt when they couldn't even see the real her?

The Two Tailed girl walks over and extends a hand.

"I couldn't do anything," Uloru says, wallowing in her defeat.

Alysara thought for a moment, before speaking. "Next year you will. You will find a way to counter this weakness of yours and you will win next year."

"Easy for you to say, you're ten years old and already past my level, you're a genius," Uloru says bitterly

Alysara frowns and smacks Uloru.

"You have no idea the challenges I faced nor how much time and effort I put into my skills." Alysara turns around and walks up to her staging area.

Uloru fell silent, being pulled up out of the now dry sand. How can a child get to her level without being a genius? Hard work doesn't make sense even if she started at eight years old like I did, she shouldn't be that high of level without a lot of talent.

Uloru walks up the stairs, her master is waiting, having managed to win quick enough. She was talking with another woman, a tall red haired woman with a toned body.

"You did well, Uloru." Kadona pats Uloru's head.

"I couldn't do anything... I felt so hopeless"

"It happens, a lot of times someone will hard counter you, there's not much you can do"

"That isn't right," The red haired woman says "That's why you lost this time, Kadona"

Uloru looks up. "You lost, Master?"

"Yeah, Esofy had gotten a lot stronger," Kadona says, nodding.

"Uloru" Esofy says, "Four years ago I felt just as helpless as you, watching my friends die one by one. An Aydomr had attacked my village, level two hundred minor, but we were so overconfident and underprepared six of us died. That changed my perspective. There is no 'nothing you can do', you're dead if you think that way. Cover your weakness, find a skill or improve your abilities so that never happens again."

She's from the same village as Alysara, the only village that survived the super storm.

"We've been thinking about this all wrong we need to stop thinking that there's nothing we can do against opponents that can counter our abilities. Have you watched Alysara's fights? Most of her fights were set against people that countered her, yet she found a way, there's always a way. If she can do it, why not you?"

"She's a genius, I can't do what she can!" Uloru complains.

"Yes, she is a genius, she won't admit it but I've also seen her practice her skills every single day for her entire life, she thinks about survival first then if there's room she thinks about defeating her opponent. Our way of thinking is wrong. I've only started winning as much as I have once I realized that, you're just making excuses Uloru." Kadona remains silent through Esofy's lecture. "Something Alysara's father once me when I asked why Alysara denies being a genius. 'Alysara got so strong because of sacrifice. Her [Sense Mana] is so high because she is blind, her cursed skill is high because she saved lives and put others before her, her level is so high because she put her life in danger to save others. Simply calling her talented, even if she is, ignores her sacrifices; we should instead be thanking her and acknowledging her hard work'"

Uloru thought back to her childhood. Those carefree days of playing and living without a care in the world. Yet, what had she gained from that? Nothing. Alysara despite only having unlocked her class recently is years ahead of Uloru.

I insulted her, didn't I? I should apologize.

Chapter 55: Finals

Unlike most of my previous fights, Chyzu doesn't have a strong advantage over me, but she is very experienced and knows my abilities. She's probably put just as much thought into defeating me as I've put into defeating her.

So if I were Chyzu how would I beat me? Traping me doesn't help, I have spells and skills that can counter. No, if I were Chyzu, getting close is the best way to defeat me, she doesn't know that I've spent my points so she's probably thinking of rushing at me in a physical brawl, and she knows she can catch me.

My previous plan won't work as I assumed Chyzu would play traditionally as a mage, but that's what would make her lose. This isn't the dojo, I can use the sand to make cover, I have ways to use my skills to make an advantageous situation for myself.

In any case, if Chyzu plays the mage I have my first plan but if Chyzu doesn't I need this next plan. How do I deal with a physical confrontation from someone with more strength and mass than me? Even though I put stats in my physical stats my base is lower and thus my points used count for less.

I need a buffing spell first. But should I go agility and speed or strength and endurance? I can't do both as one is lightning or water and the other is earth, they repel. For speed, I play at a distance but Chyzu may have a way against that. What about strength? Chyzu has years to develop some martial knowledge, she beats me no matter what. I need to be able to enhance my strength and also my speed.

What if I buff just my legs for speed and my upper body for strength?

I test out the idea, watching the ectoplasm in my body hold the buffing mana. There's more to this, the more I watch spells and enchantments the more I feel like mana and magic are two separate things.

I move my body to test out my new speed and strength, feels like a seventy percent increase. It still doesn't help the issue of a lack of mass but it certainly will throw Chyzu in for a loop. Instead of running away, I think I'll meet her head-on. If I just focus on speed and agility and use my clone to attack from two sides I might just be able to win this. I don't need strength I just need to hit her with my fairies.

Also now that I am thinking about my increased stats my wisdom has increased, I have around five hundred wisdom, which means I can have up to ten clones or familiars out at the same time unless the more I have the more it takes but even then I can still account for seven familiars or clones. She'll of course know which is fake with her [Sense Mana] but her eyes may cause her to hesitate.

Chyzu plans to throw me off by acting completely out of character, by acting like a warrior and not like a mage. I plan to throw her off too but [Acting] like a close combat mage or perhaps even a ninja. [Acting] doesn't make me great at something but it'll close the gap even more.

"Yakana wins! Now onto the semifinals. To start it off is Chyzu versus Alysara!"

'Teacher and student, will the student surpass her mentor or will she schooled!' Seriously, if I can do a better job you need to be replaced.

I walk down the steps, watching Chyzu descend on her end, she seems confident. I saw her pacing in thought before, I saw her come up with an appiffany. I have remote viewing so I didn't even need to be close to her. I was just checking on her I swear I wasn't planning to cheat, stop looking at me like that, Intel is a part of strategy!

"Ready, Aly?" Chyzu says, looking determined.

"Yup!" I nod with a smile.

At the signal, I immediately buff myself feeling the surge of speed fill me. As I had thought Chyzu ran towards me, water covering her arms.

Ninja mode, activate! I grin, assuming my [Acting] role and charge, fairies next to me as five clones appeares by my side and two familiars that start launching their attacks.

I see Chyzu falter for a heartbeat, seeing my readiness to meet her head-on. As we get closer Chyzu shots a bolt of water that I dodge, aided by my boosted reflexes from [Graceful Movements] and [Acting]. I feel some beauty mana being used up to help me look graceful with my variant skill, my hair fluttering behind in such a way as to make me look elegant. The skill schooling my face in a calm and classy expression.

Bewildered by my movements and elegance even in the heat of battle Chyzu's focus wavers. I take the moment of hesitation and with a wave of my hand send several fairies at her gut. Chyzu grunts and recoils. My familiars and clones follow up, aided by my second mind. Littery surrounded by me, myself, and I, Chyzu is bombarded by attacks.

Chyzu retaliates with a wave of water but I jump over it and release a mist of fog as my ninja smoke screen fills the air. It was mostly useless but the randomness threw Chyzu off again, plus it helps me get into the [Acting] role of a ninja.

"I know I said that you shouldn't be predictable but this is just crazy!" Chyzu complains.

"You have only yourself to blame!" [Echos of Reality] spoke for me from a clone, causing Chyzu to turn her head in a double-take. She knows where my real body is through her [Sense Mana] but both her eyes and ears are telling her different.

"You've learned so fast," Chyzu says with a proud smile.

I effortlessly dodge Chyzu's thrown punches and shot water bolts, aided by my skills. I retaliate with fairies, placing them like caltrops, throwing them as if they were shurikens. It mattered not that they were the real thing, [Dreams of Reality] help my role by making illusions of the actual thing, further distracting Chyzu.

"I yield!" Chyzu suddenly says, holding her hands up. She was fine on vitality she could have continued. Chyzu then looks at me. "I know when I'm beat, I haven't landed a single hit on you. I'm not a warrior and I don't have a skill like your [Graceful Movements] to help me in this. If I were a warrior I would have a very high chance but I'm a mage. It was too late to change tactics and try for a normal mage battle" Chyzu explains.

"Alysara is the winner!"

Ting! Graceful Movements has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Graceful Movements will now continue leveling past level 60!

6th Breakthrough: You've learned to increase your speed essence to move faster. This will help you react to faster speeds.

Ting! Graceful Movements has obtained level 44!

Ting! Graceful Movements has obtained level 46!

I must have done that subconsciously, cause I don't remember doing that, I used a spell, yes, but I don't think I did it through the skill.

Ting! Acting has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Acting will now continue leveling past level 60!

6th Breakthrough: You've acted even in the heat of battle, this will help you become better at acting in combat.

Ting! Acting has obtained level 50!

Ting! Acting has obtained level 53!

Chyzu follows me up to my staging area. "You've learned a lot and improved a lot today. You went from hiding and relying on tricks and unconventional means to fighting head-on and showing yourself proudly in the last two fights. You're slowly overcoming your weaknesses. I think you'll win this Aly." Chyzu's words fill me with warmth and I couldn't help but smile. "Still, how did you know what I was going to do? How did you know my plan?"

"I only thought of how you would try to beat me. I put myself in your position and I realized your greatest chance at beating me was through a direct physical confrontation" I answer.

"I see, instead of trying to plan out how to beat someone, you planed how to beat yourself and covered that weakness. That was exactly what you needed to learn how to do. You had oversight of that. Yes, you played defensively but that doesn't mean you covered your weaknesses, just that you didn't let those weaknesses be exposed. Still, you never trained in hand-to-hand fighting, how were you so skilled considering your experience?"

I grin. "It's [Acting], it helps me be not bad at something. It can't make me good but I won't be a complete beginner something"

"I see [Acting] seems like a great coverall skill, you should train with it more. Let's see who you'll be up against" We join the village in the stands.

"That was so cool! You like 'Woosh!' then 'Swoop!' and you looked so beautiful while doing it!" Yafel and Yafe waves their arms exaggeratedly. Stars gleaming in their eyes.

I sat down next to them and pat their heads

"Next is Klora versus Olio!"

Klora is a warrior with an earth bond and strength essence class and race. She has a massive steel bow in her hands and blunted lightweight bamboo arrows. She probably has to use lightweight arrows so she doesn't cause too much damage.

Olio is a sound mage with a wind bond and sound essence and class, much like Chofel. Olio has a flute in her hands, the high pitch sounds it can produce is probably a good weapon with her magic.

The fight starts with Olio blasting Klora with a sound loud enough to force Klora to cover her ears in pain, the flute producing a very high pitch sound to attack Klora's sensitive ears. To Klora's praise, she didn't drop her bow but Olio then uses some wind blades to attack Klora. Klora uses her bond to have the sand move and cover her but has a hard time controlling the sand as the vibrations from the sand cause it to shift and bounces off the archer.

The battle continues with Klora trying to act defensively. Klora settled with raising a mound of sand and hiding behind it, she ignored the pain in her ears and loosed an arrow at Olio who dodged. They continue trading attacks but Klora eventually got a lucky hit on Olio's arm and judging by the sound of the crack her arm is broken or at least fractured.

Olio screams and holds her arm, dropping her flute in the process. In her moment of weakness, Klora shot another arrow at Olio's leg, a second crack resounds over the arena. It is over, unable to dodge effectively, and injured Olio surrenders.

"Klora wins!"

The crowd cheers as I stand up and walk to the staging area. There'll be a short break to let Klora recover and be healed.

I'll defiantly need to increase my speed to dodge the arrows. I'll turn invisible but I expect Klora to have a good sensing ability, if not, then it's my win.

I notice Klora doesn't have a backup weapon, which means she's either good at hand to hand or relies on staying away. I can test her but it's a risk, and just because she stays away doesn't automatically mean she is bad at hand to hand. Meanwhile, if I stay away I can dodge but one wrong move and I could lose.

How could Klora beat me? Trapping my feet with sand, prevent me from moving. She specializes in high power attacks so she doesn't seem to have too much versatility but she'd have been taken out by a speedster by now if she didn't have some way to inhibit movement. She didn't do so against Olio and since she doesn't have backup weapons I'm beginning to think it's a proximity entrapment, get too close and I'll get stuck.

I could counter with [Mana Manipulation] but let's not resort to that first thing. Raising barriers and sand mounds will protect me and those blunted arrows will have a hard time punching through the sand. She could use her bond to weaken my defenses so I should preemptively prepare [Mana Manipulation] in case that happens. Using my clone to get closer and launching fairies from them should be how I attack.

With my strategies formed I wait to be called.

"And now for the final match, it's Klora versus Alysara!"

Cheers from the crowd continue as I walk all the way down to the sands below.

"You're going to be a tough one, I already know that much" Klora says.

"You're pretty formidable too," I say with a nod.

The gong rang and I immediately put my plan into action, raising a thick mound of sand and turning invisible. I sent out my clones and launch fairies. Klora ignores the illusions and runs closer to the sand mound to get a shot at me. I didn't quite expect this but it was such an obvious course of action I mentally smack myself for overlooking it. However, a sudden idea causes me to smile. Using an earth spell I cause the mound to keep its shape as I fill it with water from a spell, quickly turning it into quicksand.

Once Klora reaches the dune's summit, she has her arrow trained on me, but she had fallen for my trap and had already begun sinking.

I dodge the arrow shot with speed essence prepared from my core production and from an enhancing spell. Being so close to Klora I feel sand move to trap me, but as with the Aydomr, I stop it. I retreat further and raise another mound. Klora struggles, she uses her bond to move the sand away but her weight only caused her to sink further and further. Eventually, with a surge of mana, she causes all the sand to blow away and runs toward me, all the while being pummeled by my fairies.

Ninja mode activate! With [Acting] boosting my ability to dodge as well as my combat prowess I charge Klora, I rolled out of the arrow trajectory that Klora shot and tackle Klora I couldn't take her down with my mass but in the confusion, I grab her heavy bow however she doesn't let go. Instead of fighting for her over it, I instead grab the arrows in her quiver and make my escape.

Klora reached for another arrow but found none. I reveal myself holding her ammo and smile.

"My win" I continue pummeling Klora with Fairies but she didn't give up, Instead she formes arrows out of the stone below the sand, reaching down to pick them up, and shoots them at me. I dodge them with my added speed and retaliate with my fairies.

Klora continues attacking but soon falls to her knees as the vitality in her body thinned too much to sustain the movements in her body.

"Alysara wins!"

I let out a sigh as the entire coliseum cheers, my village cheering the loudest. My plan failed halfway through the battle due to a simple oversight, yet I won anyway. A combination of quick thinking and tactics helped me out tremendously. I have a lot more to learn but next year I won't make such mistakes. I'll be a lot stronger and I'll beat Esofy.

The Priestess Storm Warden made her way to me, her blindfold matching mine, it too had become a magical item, giving the wearer [Sense Mana] just like mine. She carries a true gold medal with a ribbon of beauty silk and decorated with creativity mana silk. The medal has the numbers three hundred to four hundred on it. The priestess places the medal around my neck.

"May Myrou smile upon you!"

"Thank you" I reply.

I walk back up the steps to the staging area where my family is waiting, even Nyam and Aunty is waiting there with them.

Yafel and Yafe jumping up and down in excitement and Mom and dad are smiling brightly. My grandparents just arrived as I reach the top step, everybody congratulating me.

"You won! You won!" The twins chants excitedly.

With the fighters tournament over we all made our way to the baths. A few other coliseums still have their tournaments going on but most will be finishing up shortly.

I was the star of the show as everybody from the village came to congratulate me.

As we left the bathing area Uloru came up to me.

"I'm sorry for what I said. It was inconsiderate of me. Not only did I disrespect you but I also disrespected those who gave their lives defending your village" Uloru bows apologetically.

"I forgive you, you didn't know," I say.

"How did you get so strong? I trained my hardest for years yet in just a couple of months you got above level one hundred, how did you do it?"

"My level isn't above one hundred, it's in the low nineties, but I killed monsters, killing monsters or more accurately the danger they present to your life is the best ways to level up, The higher the stakes, the more levels you gain"

"Little Domrs don't give a lot of levels and the large ones are rare, how did you find strong enough monsters that you can beat?"

"They found me, it was just a coincidence that the monsters showed up at the right time, but we won't have to wait for them to come to us, there's is a place I recently found out about where we can hunt and test ourselves against monsters"

Chapter 56: History

With the events still going on I can't check out the dungeon yet but there's a chance for the after events socializing.

"If you're interested meet me at the temple after all the tournaments."

There are still the nonfighter competitions but those will go faster as you can have everybody do it at the same time or have multiple people perform at the same time.

Once the events are all done I make my way over to the temple with Esofy and Chyzu. We meet Uloru and Kadona there. Together we made our way into the temple.

"We'll only be checking it out, we won't go too deep into it, we'll first scout with our sense skills and if there are any monsters that are too strong we'll leave," Esofy says.

"I agree, we'll need to know what we are getting ourselves into," Kadona says.

As we walked further in the priestess came up to us. Other storm wardens in training are busy taking care of the place.

"How can I help you? Do you need Myrou's guidance?" She asks.

"We want to know where the dungeon is," Esofy says.

"The dungeon? How do you even know of it?" The priestess frowns.

"So it is here? We want to check it out" Kadona says.

"It is a dangerous place, the reason the temple has been built over it is so seal it away"

I knew better so I begin searching for it with my sphere. I quickly found a large steel gate. In front of a strange stone archway. The archway seems to lead to nowhere, I cannot enter it with my spheres.

"If you want to seal something away you don't put a gate in front of it, you build a wall over it," I say "Kayafe intended it to be a place of training even going so far as to make a deal with it."

"We have no records of that, but it is a place filled with monsters, Thousands of years ago grand priestess Shara ordered the dungeon sealed," The priestess says, calmly but I could tell she's a little annoyed.

"Why? The Guardian herself knows why Kayafe built the temple and knows what the dungeon is intended for" I say.

"You are mistaken, Alysara. Kayfe did not build the temple, our records say that the Grand Presitess Shara ordered it built and had the Mana arc that Kayafe made placed at the top"

I frown this time. I never directly asked Kayafe who built the temple, I just assumed. I could ask Kayafe herself or we could ask the Guardian.

"But why did Shara order the dungeon sealed in the first place why have a gate?" I ask.

"It was a difficult time, our people's faith had drifted and people were more focused on strength and false gods, such as Varath of war and Venaro of wisdom. Many people lost their path from Myrou and lead unfulfilled lives. Shara led our people back on the right path and even made the Likeness of Myrou to help our people return to the correct path. The dungeon is a place that the followers of the false god Varath went to worship him, to battle monsters as a ritual to the false god"

I don't like where this is going. I didn't ask Kayafe but I'm pretty sure she made the Likeness, even for me I'd be pretty hard to do and I'd need a few more breakthroughs in [Mana Manipulation]. There is a chance this Shara could have made it but I am skeptical.

"What else did Shara do?" I ask, knowing what kind of answer I'll get. "How would she prevent the spread of faith of the false gods?"

"Shara purged the influence of the false gods and taught children the correct faith," The priestess said matter of factly.

"You mean Shara killed all nonbelievers and instituted her own ruling theocracy? She was a power-hungry monster" I say bitterly, not sure why I am getting riled up.

The preistess looks utter mortified. Even Esofy, Chyzu, and Uloru; Kadona, however, didn't react

"T-How-" The preistess sputters.

"Kayafe soul is still in the mana arc, I spoke with her today and asked about the dungeon. She specifically said that she made a deal with the dungeon to ensure training for our warriors. I can go ask her if she made the temple and the Likeness or we can ask the Guardian who witnessed all of these events"

"Fine! Let's go ask the Guardian!" The priestess marched out of the temple angrily and down the path to the Guardian, I could almost see steam coming out of her ears from anger.

"What was that all about?" Chyzu asks, still a little shocked.

"I... don't know," I say "I just have a really bad feeling about that Shara person"

We follow the fuming Prteistess all the way to the dragon's resting place. She marches down the stone path, past rows of bamboo.

"Come to ask about the dungeon?" The Guardian raises her head. "I was expecting this" the dragon elaborated.

"Honored Guardian, Protector of the Nexus. What is the nature of the dungeon? Who built the Temple?" The priestess asks, her voice betraying her expectations of being vindicated.

The Guardian simply chuckles. "Have you ever [Analyze] the Likeness? Priestess? It should have shown as an Ancient tier magical item. To qualify for that tier it must be a minimum of ten thousand years old"

I flash back to the Mana Arc, how it had that same tier.

"The events of Shara are nearly five thousand years ago. Shara was an ambitious one, a very idealistic woman, at first she argued against the other faith leaders but eventually plotted against them to have them assassinated. Shara sought to convert all under Myrou, and in that, she did succeed but mostly by rewriting history and in doing so also made herself to be much greater than she really was." The dragon's voice grew angry

"But she spat on Kayafe and claimed her work as her own. Myrou's Likeness isn't the only one. Varath's and Venaro's were also made but she had ordered them locked away as she couldn't simply destroy them; they should still be somewhere in the dungeon. Shara had tens of thousands killed and burned alive. At first, I simply overlooked her, this was an issue you little ones had to sort out, but eventually, she went too far. I neutralized her."

I notice how the Guardian never said she killed her. The priestess however looks crestfallen.

"What did Shara do?" I ask.

"There are... methods of creating cursed beings. She found a way and thought them a pure manifestation of Myrou's blessing. She thought she had found a way to ascend to heavens and become a heavenly being. I slew all the cursed beings of course but Shara had found a way to persist. Like a lich, the cursed being that Shara became could not simply be killed. Where she hid her Angel Fragment I don't know but she has not been a problem ever since."

"T-That can't be" The Priestess fell to her knees.

"It wasn't the first time someone tried to gain full control over your people and it wasn't the last. In the last ten thousand years, there have been twelve theocracies with the rise and fall of faith and there have also been hundreds of queens and empresses and a dozens of republics, some existing at the same time. These governments of power rarely last more than two hundred years and happen regularly enough, mostly why I don't bother interfering. You people live in a perpetual cycle of freedom and tyranny as do all races. Humans, Elves, Goblins, it doesn't matter. As you will first step out in the wider world for the first time in ten thousand years you will realize that tyranny and oppression are the rule, not the exception."

"I wondered why our villages seem so small, our population should be much larger after ten thousand years, we should have towns and cities by now yet we all have villages, why?" I ask.

The Guardian closed her eyes before reopening them. "A water elemental attacked, it's mostly why there are only islands now. Beneath the sand of the seafloor, you'll find ruins of cities. The centermost islands are the biggest because the Mana Arc absorbed most of the generated mana. Your people were almost wiped out and it sort of reset your kin, wipe out most of your histories and culture. The temple survived as did the islands near it. I must insist, however, that you do not dig up the ruins; let the dead rest in peace lest you wake them from their slumber"

"The great flood, the stories of how it rained so much it washed away the mountains and created the sea" Kadona mutters, a gleam of understanding in her eye.

"I thought that was just a made-up story as well as the others but it looks like they might have some truth to them after all." Uloru says.

"That was a thousand years ago, but it looks like the separation of your people made it hard for tyrannical governments to arise. They thrive in large cities that can't form now due to limited land. Your people are forced to spread out and form close communities. It has been peaceful for a thousand years and it should stay that way. Now, some of you are suffering from Mana toxicity, and now that you know the truth you may go. Prepare for your voyage and explore the lands." The Guardian dismissed us and lowered her head back down.

"Varath and Venaro, I've never even heard of them," Esofy says as we walk back to the temple. The Priestess following behind with her head hung low.

"I don't know Varath but I also have a blessing from Venaro. One of my evolutions has a requirement saying that I've been blessed by Venaro, the god of wisdom and learning"

"Do you really think it is a god?" Uloru asks.

"The Guardian refers to them as Great Spirits and says 'those you call gods' it's possible they are like the spirits all around us just really powerful, legendary tier"

"But the system acknowledges them as gods so they have to be," Chyzu says.

"I've been wondering about that. The Guardian is referred to as 'Safyr, the Guardian of the east Nexus' the Humans have been called 'Oathbound' it's almost like a title given to them by the system but if that's the case then are the gods really gods? How do you define a god anyway?" I ask.

"Let's talk about something else," Esofy says. "What does it matter. If they are or aren't gods, Myrou's guidance has lead many to have a fulfilling life so let's just leave it at that"

A few mummers of agreement came from Chyzu and Uloru. The Priestess remains silent while Kadona remains contemplative.

Back at the temple, we received a key to the dungeon and the Priestess walks to her room in silence.

The rest of us walked down some out-of-the-way steps, covered with crates. After descending a flight of stairs we entered large room that looked like a strong defensible position. It is built so several areas have cover and could launch attacks at monsters while still remaining safe. The room opened into a hall, at the far end is a steel gate with a lock on it. Beyond that is the strange archway that seems to lead nowhere.

We unlock the simple undecorated gate but it refused to open more than a little bit. Creeking with what little movement it had.

"The hinges are rusted shut," I say, using [Grace of Wholeness] to repair it. I am thankful that it's not just a simple healing spell but can also repair minor damage on objects. It won't replace missing parts like it can for missing limbs but de-rusting is perfectly fine.

The gate opens, good as new and we approach closer to the dungeon.

"Strange" Kadona says.

"What is it?" I ask

"You can't see it, Aly?" Chyzu says. I shook my head.

"It seems to open up to a wide forest"

I frown, I can't see into it so I send my clone into it, my perception attached to my clone. As it crosses the arch my perception vanishes alone with my connection to my clone. My perception however doesn't come back until I will it. There is definitely another side to it but no magical connection can cross it.

"I'm going to be the first one in!" Uloru dives through the arch before anyone could stop her.

"She seems fine, she's waving us to follow her," Esofy says.

"Idiot girl! Even after knowing there are monsters in there!" Kadona says while shaking her head, and stepping through the archway. Esofy follows.

"Aren't you going to go?" Chyzu asks.

"I'm a little scared, I can't see past it"

"It's alright," Chyzu says and grabs my hand. "I'll be here for you" Chyzu pulls me through the archway and soon a new world appears around me.

It was just like the real world, but with much less mana and it is so cold and dry here. I shiver. The mana is coming through the archway like a strong breeze and quickly spreading out, the mana thinning a lot. I send out my perception the mana quickly stabilizing at a hundredth of what is in the nexus.

I could not see past the archway even though I know it leads into the temple. We stand on a raised platform with a few steps on all sides. The sounds of animals are overwhelming. Insects buzzed, birds chirped. I saw a small rodent run up a nearby tree, an actual tree not the bamboo that grows back in the nexus. Why didn't anyone take anything back? Or maybe they did and it got washed away with the elemental attack. This would have been a good source of food but that may not have always worked with a growing population.

On the same platform is a large orb on a pedestal, steeped in space essence. Examining it further reveals a complex unique mana, unlike anything I've ever seen. It appears to be inactive and no amount of prodding did anything. I [Analyze] it.

Dungeon Waystone (Major): An anchor for a Dungeon Waystone Key.

"It's almost like another world," Chyzu says in wonderment looking around.

It is another world. To be more specific it is a demi realm.

Chapter 57: To Evolve or not to Evolve

We start walking in a random direction, the dry cold air making me shiver. I weave a small blanket of fire mana to help me keep warm, it always feels like it had just come out of a dryer. Chyzu has her Chayaotmo cloak wrapped around her.

Life is everywhere in here. Tiny souls everywhere around me, in the trees, in the ground, in the air. Insects and small rodent-like animals flits away from us. I continue scouting ahead with my [Sense Mana] until I found a large twelve-legged creature much like a spider. It spun webs from several legs as it rolls a stag-like animal, still squirming, up into a cocoon.

Web legged Arachnoid (adept) Net Runner (Adept)

Should I make it go boom and see if anything moves to its location? First I should make us invisible.

"I found a monster, can you tell me it's level Esofy?" I ask, my form of [Analyze] can't see level but Efosy's skill can

"Level eighty" Esofy responds

"Gonna kill it and see if anything comes to the location," I say, making us invisible and silent with [Echos of Reality].

I supercharge a fairy with empowerments and sent it off. A minute later a wild fairy appears and uses self-destruct, it was super effective! The sound echoes throughout the forest making most animals skitter away. The birds take off, the other small animals might as well have flown judging on how fast they disappeared and the insects just didn't seem to care.

We wait for anything to happen but nothing shows up.

"Well, at least it makes the animals go away," I say.

We walk to what's left of the monster and inspect it, what was left anyway.

"Your power went up, Aly, did you use some of your points?" Chyzu asks. I nod.

Esofy examines the blood of the monster closely, rubbing it between her fingers.

"Poisonous blood, so is the blood of the animal," Esofy concludes.

"It'll be safest to assume all things here are unsafe in one form or another." Kadona gave her assumption.

Just because the dungeon would make a training ground for us doesn't mean it'll make things easy for us. We should expect traps, snares roots, pitfalls, thorny poisonous plants, all manner of dangers.

{Follow us and attack all animals and monsters that seem to be hostile that is within thirty meters}

I summon twenty fairies as an escort, this is an unknown and dangerous place I can't be too wary of. Kadona gave me an approving nod.

We explore deeper, we find more monsters all between level twenty and sixty, all either minor or adept tier, the arachnoid seemed to be an outlier.

We'll need to make a map of this place, if only we had an auto revealing minimap like in video games. Actually, maybe we can. A spell crystal that senses the area around it, probably via echolocation or radio waves, perhaps both to get detailed information and have that displayed via illusion magic. A wind and light based spell crystal but how would the information get stored? Magic, obviously, but what's the medium that stores the memory? I should research this, perhaps there's a way to record the data. Now that I think about it such a device would help my race evolution for inventions and spreading knowledge.

{Explore and look for any points of interest, come back, and lead us to it if found. Wave arms if more than ten monsters are in the area}

A hundred fairies are soon spreading out in search of something interesting.

"let's take a break here, I have my fairies on scouting duty," I say and sat down on a fallen log.

"Can you make more of those blankets, Aly? It's too cold in this place" Esofy says, rubbing her arms, our skimpy clothes aren't made for this environment. I nod and weave four more blankets for everybody. I had to dip into my Kyhosa reserves but the comfort is well worth it. My Kyhosa had little reserves anyway due to my conversation with Kayafe earlier today.

A fairy soon came back, waving its arms. It led us back along our path to a large cave, a crack in the cliff. Webs lay everywhere but no monsters in sight. I scout the cave with my perception soon finding a nest of arachnoids.

"Looks like we found where those monsters are coming from," I say. Obviously a den maybe there's loot in there? That is how it works right?

Every spider monster ranged from level sixty and up I even found a large furry arachnoid, major in both race and class. The spiders often had earth type Bonds and easily uses them to dig and make a nest for themselves within the den.

All paths branching off within the den bottlenecking in two locations, the den entrance and another guarded by a massive fourteen-legged monster in a gargantuan room. Thick cable-like webs stretched throughout the room and covering the entrance that leads further down into the den. I analyze the obvious boss monster.

Champion Arachnoid (Major) Web Guardian (Major)

Going deeper reveals more monsters with a higher level, from the one hundred max, minus the outliers, to starting at one-fifty.

"It's a monster den, lots of monsters I only counted three monsters at major tier, the rest are adept," I tell my party.

"The large ones are level two twenty while the Champion at the back is level three hundred" Esofy supplies the missing information. "Let's not bother it this time, but let's see if there are other dens around," Esofy says.

We leave the vicinity of the arachnoid den and I send out more fairies. It took some time but soon we are at another den, this time a burrow. It's a little cramped for someone tall like Esofy. The monsters are large almost rat-like creatures ranging from level twenty and up.

The boss is a major tier level two-hundred three-headed rat monster. The next area beyond it is blocked by twigs and leaves made by the boss monsters, clearly, it's meant to slay the monster before proceeding. the area beyond has monsters at level one hundred and higher, with the first area maxing at level seventy minus the level one fifty minibosses.

"It seems like these high monster density areas are meant, and even built, in a way so one could go from one den to another with some overlap to level up, it shows clear intent and intelligent design, there are likely more dens out there," Kadona says.

"Yeah, but it's getting late, we should head back, we can meet back up here in a week," Chyzu says. We all agree and walk back to the dungeon entrance. With the help of my fairies, we quickly found it.

Stepping back through the arch and back in the nexus is like stepping into a sauna. It is comfortable but I hadn't noticed that we live in such a hot and humid place.

Uloru gave a deep sigh. "Feels good to be back, it's really uncomfortable there"

"Maybe that's the intent?" Chyzu says.

Stepping out of the temple, night had fallen. Most villages will be gone now, they have a long way to go. We made our way to the docks where only the members of a few islands are around, getting ready to leave.

"There you are, I take it you explored the dungeon a little bit?" Tusile asks.

"That we did," Esofy answers "It's mostly low level monsters and animals initially but there are dens of monsters. We did not explore much and would need an expedition in a week's time. Maps would need to be made too but for the area around the entrance it's fairly safe"

"That is good to know. More plans can be made tomorrow so let's return home" Yukika says.

We board the airship and return home swiftly. I am forced to tell of the dungeon to my family on the way back.

The next day I teach Yafel and Yafe how to use their bonds.

"Remember, only use your bond when Momara or I am with you, you can seriously hurt each other." to demonstrate I empower a fairy until it explodes.

I remember when I was their age. I was working hard on learning my bond and using it at every opportunity to try and level it up. I blazed my own path in many things and now many are following in my footsteps, from the storm wardens to enchanters and mana weavers. This must be what it's meant when it's said "to stand on the shoulders of giants" Trailblazers aren't afforded the luxury of being taught, they have to learn for themselves and that often means wasted efforts and time. Many people level up their [Sense Mana] much faster than I did, if I had that opportunity how far would I be now?

But in a sense I am lucky, not many can do what I did. Not one has surpassed me despite years of being taught and most are stalling out at level one fifty or even level one hundred, only one person has made it to the twentieth breakthrough.

The twins learn fast, only taking a few minutes to get it. It probably helped that they had sense mana and could see their progress. I first taught them water enhancement, it'll help them be hydrated but not much else for now, in this sense essences are better. Control water is something they easily picked up on. Water barrier and finally water jet helped bring their Bond level to ten. With their Kyhosa giving them a plus one and a quarter-thousand percent to their water magic they pack quite a powerful punch, enough to kill low level domrs. By the end of the training session they reached level twenty and I have several Domrs stored in my ring.

"Remember always stay away from monsters" It will take them a few months of periodic training to get to level one hundred in their bond. It's too late for them to get to two hundred but one hundred is definitely feasible. Simply killing level twenty to thirty Domrs will only go so far and it'll take progressively longer to do. At this stage, however, simply training the skills and using them in new ways will give a lot of levels.

I start making more spell crystals too, using my newfound technique of sending mana through my clone link. The spell crystal I am experimenting with is based on my [Fairy Strike] I want to see if I can crystalize my Bond skill so anyone can use it, and if so, what are its limitations. So far it's crystalizing normally. By morning I have a working crystal.

Bond Crystal:

This mana crystal is a variant of spell crystals, made by using a Bond ability.

It has a battery covering the Bond Crystal that can hold about fifty mana. After morning baths I try out the bond crystal. It is just big enough to fit in my hand so the mana processing capabilities on it isn't great, but it has enough mana for one or two fairies in its battery.

It's almost like a poke-ball.

"Fairy, I choose you!" I say and use the Bond Crystal. A fairy materialized in front of me.

Over the course of the next week, I make the other airship control crystal for the Winamr, a much more efficient spell crystal to control and generate winds. In the meantime, more experiments are conducted for sail enchantments to see which one would work best. While enchanting the sails to attract wind works it still requires continuous mana from sail operators meaning that there needs to be a rotational shift to keep them constantly active. Instead, the enchantments are now to make wind spells more effective on it.

What this means is that since the pilot would have to keep the spell active the entire time anyway might as well just shift the entire responsibility to her instead of the sail operators. There is just one problem, however, and that is that a pilot has to always be channeling the spell. I have an idea, however, to hopefully reduce that, spell links. Much like my connection to my clone and familiar if I can make a link from the airship control crystal to the sails we can reduce the need for a pilot and only need to refuel the control crystal battery periodically.

It took three weeks of trial and error, eventually running out of ways to do it wrong, and I had to skip a trip to the dungeon but I finally figured out the spell crystal links. It works by forming multiple spell crystals at the same time and by having the spell mana include a link between the crystals. This is great in that mana can be funneled from central crystal and battery, bad as each set of sub crystals are unique meaning if one gets destroyed it can't be replaced unless you replace the entire thing. We can offset this by creating a set of backups, even backups to the backups, it's also impossible to automate with the current technology.

It took another week and a half to make the new airship control systems and its two backup sets. In all this time I had my clone piloted mind make the crystals while I went about my normal life, training my skills, helping my sisters train their bonds, helped the family business, and trained at Chyzu's Dojo.

"You've been working very hard, Alysara, I cannot thank you enough. This new control system is just what we needed." Tusile praises me.

Ting! Twin Minds has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Twin Minds will now continue leveling past level 60!

6th Breakthrough: You've done two different things in two different places at the same time, this will help you do so more efficiently

Ting! Twin Minds has obtained level 45-67!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 227-239!

Ting! Summoners Core has obtained level 33-51!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 193-199!

Dangerously close to two hundred. If it does go past I might lose the evolution I am aiming for. Speaking of which I should see how those are going.

Two Tailed Runalymo Scholar:

(Major) (Heirloom)

Requirements: Two Tailed Runalymo, Have bond at level 200 before age 10, Have Sense Mana at level 200 before age 10, Have 20 or more breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 10, Have 25 or more breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 15, Have Mana Toxicity Tolerance over 100, Have over 10 breakthroughs of Mana Toxicity Tolerance, Have Mana Toxicity Tolerance maxed, Have Twin Minds at level 50 or more, Have five or more breakthroughs in Twin Minds, Have taught over a hundred people a high tier general skill, Have spread knowledge of Sense Mana to the Runalymo people, Have spread knowledge on how to improve enchanting, Have invented Spell Crystals for your society, have improved Spell Crystal design, Have invented Bond Crystals, Have invented Airships, Have improved Airship design, Have the knowledge of another realm, Have been taught by Safyr The Guardian of the East Nexus, Have learned from an ancient ancestor, Have learned of lost history, Marked by Venaro the god of Knowledge and Wisdom, Age of 10 or higher.

A scholar, a scientist, and inventor, this Runalymo revels in discovery, her ability to learn and memorize is second to none. This Runalymo can more easily spread knowledge of her discoveries and teach others. This Runalymo will seek out ancient knowledge and learn from ancient and powerful beings. This Runalymo's many inventions have already helped her people and will continue to do so, marking her race's place in the world's history.

Note: As the progenitor of an heirloom race, the merged skill will normally continue to level and achieve breakthroughs. Take your race to ever greater heights, or burn to ashes trying.

Do I wait and risk corrupting this evolution? Or do I take it now? Strong chances are that if I go into the dungeon again I may level up in [Mana Manipulation] and have a high chance of corrupting this evolution, my only other option is the nurturer evolution and I'm not interested in that.

Should I try to get my [Sense Mana] to two-fifty? It's close and I still need to get the mana tracking breakthrough. I also have levels to get in my core sensing, studying the liquid mana, and studying vitality.

I'll get the breakthrough, it shouldn't be hard. Then studying the liquid mana should get me the rest of the way. Yafe and Yafel should be at the playground right now, lets see if I can track their mana back to them.

I locate a mana current that seems to be coming from the playground. Due to the mana sinking below the ground it's actually quite hard to track as mana doesn't last too long. I look for the trace mana signatures, finding them not on the current from the playground but on the currents leading from the island. I follow the trail and soon found Yafel and Yafe playing with their bonds with a few other kids unsupervised.

"Yafel, Yafe! What did I tell you about using your Bond without Momara?!" I shout at them.

"Eep! Runaway!" I let them run further into the orchard, I can track them easily enough now.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Twin Minds will now continue leveling past level 260!

26th Breakthrough: You've learned how to track magic items and materials, this will help you find the sources of mana signatures

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 240-244!

Now I just need to study my core and the liquid mana, I can do both at the same time.

Chapter 58: Burning Hot

Liquid mana is the stage at which the mana particle gets squished together and all the mana becomes a sea of the particles composite parts, whatever those are. There is certainly something in the sea of mana stuff. The fluctuating MM force and empowering fields indicate that stuff has something to do with that. Sometimes the MM fields get so strong I could almost see them. In order to know more, I would need to study liquid mana of mixed elemental mana, not just one type.

My core, on the other hand, is all about how mana comes into existence and its storage, there are two parts of it, the mana well which produces the mana, and the mana reservoir the walls or membrane that hold my mana reserves. The mana well produces mana in a very inefficient process, normally, half of the mana we generate are waste elemental and essence mana. This can be influenced through intense emotion, a tendency just for some reason your core produces more of a mana type, an affinity such as my affinity to beauty magic, or through focus. Skills and magic also affect mana generation as evident by my [Summoner's Core] skill.

Surrounding the mana well, the star in my core, is my mana reservoir. Through it, I can control how much I hold and how much I can intentionally dump out, something the guardian had done to train my [Mana Toxicity Tolerance].

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 245-252!

I have it now, let's see how my evolution improved.

Two Tailed Runalymo Sage:

(Major) (heirloom)

Requirements: Two Tailed Runalymo, Have bond at level 200 before age 10, Have Sense Mana at level 200 before age 10, Have bond at level 250 or more before the age of 15, Have 20 or more breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 10, Have 25 or more breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 15, Have Mana Toxicity Tolerance over 100, Have over 10 breakthroughs of Mana Toxicity Tolerance, Have Mana Toxicity Tolerance maxed, Have Twin Minds at level 50 or more, Have five or more breakthroughs in Twin Minds, Have taught over a hundred people a high tier general skill, Have spread knowledge of Sense Mana to the Runalymo people, Have spread knowledge on how to improve enchanting, Have invented Spell Crystals for your society, have improved Spell Crystal design, Have invented Bond Crystals, Have invented Airships, Have improved Airship design, Have the knowledge of another realm, Have been taught by Safyr The Guardian of the East Nexus, Have learned from an ancient ancestor, Have learned of lost history, Marked by Venaro the Great Spirit of Knowledge, Age of 10 or higher.

A scholar, a scientist, and inventor, this Runalymo revels in discovery, her ability to learn and memorize is second to none. This Runalymo can more easily spread knowledge of her discoveries and teach others. This Runalymo will seek out ancient knowledge and learn from ancient and powerful beings. This Runalymo's many inventions have already helped her people and will continue to do so, marking her race's place in the world's history.

Note: As the progenitor of an heirloom race the merged skill will continue to level and achieve breakthroughs normally. Take your race to ever greater heights, or burn to ashes trying.

If only I could just wait and improve. I could get my Bond to three hundred maybe even four hundred before the age of fifteen, such a gain would easily have me at the grand tier but if I wait any longer this path could be corrupted. This is super difficult to do, It's really hard to progress further despite knowing it could be way better if the time allows for it.

I move to walk into the temple but as I pass by the liquid mana I had a sudden realization. If the mana on top of it has solidified, can't we just take some to forge later? I watch as the fire mana interacts with the air and produces flames.

Does fire mana actually contain any heat? Or does it cause materials to get hotter? Fire silk never feels cold but it does feel toasty or does it heat the air and it's that we feel? Fire silk has never burned me or anyone I know. Could it be possible to swim in liquid fire mana?

If anything it's a [Mana Toxicity Tolerance] breakthrough.

The worse thing that could happen is I badly burn my hand and just heal it.

I weave a sleeve of ice mana to keep the hot air from burning me, I tentatively touch the solid fire mana with a bare finger. I focus on keeping specifically fire mana out of my body. I recoiled my hand as searing pain enveloped my finger, it felt as if my skin is being melted!

Ting! Pain Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Pain Tolerance will now continue leveling past level 30!

3rd Breakthrough: You've suffered third degree burns, this will help you tolerate such pain again.

Ting! Pain Tolerance has obtained level 20!

Ting! Pain Tolerance has obtained level 22!

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Toxicity Tolerance will now continue leveling past level 110!

11th Breakthrough: You've resisted a specific elemental mana, this will help you resist sources of an elemental mana.

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has obtained level 111-112!

Real fucking smart, Aly, stick your hand in fire why don't you!

I healed my finger with my Bond and a spell.

Still, I gained breakthroughs, so I was doing something right, just that it was way too much mana. The Guardian said that my body can only hold so much mana so if I fill it up then use my new breakthrough with my state of focus I should be able to stop the fire mana from burning me.

Filling my body up with as much mana I could I reach into the flames again and touch the solid metal again. It felt hot to the touch, almost unbearably so but it didn't burn me this time. I use a string of ice mana to cut a piece off and store it in my storage ring, maintaining my state of focus with my second mind.

I train my new [Mana Toxcitity Tolerance] breakthrough feeling the unbearable heat slowly fade. I then cut off a large piece of solid metal holding it in my hand. The air around it burst into flames. The large piece of solid metal felt more like a stone or raw ore, perhaps if properly forged it can be much stronger?

I store the large piece and cut a hole to the liquid mana below. It is ten times denser than the solid, perhaps there's another breakthrough for [Mana Toxicity Tolerance]? I store the excess mana and slowly dip my finger into the liquid mana below. The mana squeezed its way into my body, exceeding the natural limit. It felt like worms crawling under my skin and it is unbearably hot but again I am unburnt, maybe being slowly cooked alive but not being burned.

The worse sensation is not the heat it's the feeling of my body exceeding its mana limit. I can't be hurt by the mana toxicity anymore so the pressure just keeps increasing as is the heat. I take my hand out of the liquid mana with a hiss and wave my hand trying to cool it. Mana escapes me as I pushed it out to reduce the heat as quickly as I could.

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough and continue leveling past level 120-130!

12th Breakthrough: You've exceeded your body's mana capacity, this will help you store more mana.

13th Breakthrough: You've partially or fully submerged in liquid mana, this will help you resist vast quantities of mana

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has obtained level 113-127!

I see, not only was I exceeding my natural capacity but my capacity was growing as well which let more mana in. Getting these to the max would hopefully let me take a bath in liquid mana.

Where else would I get this chance? What other opportunity is there? Think about it, I would literally be able to bathe in mana! I could see that being accounted for in my next evolution, it is already taking mana toxicity into account.

I continue training, slowly holding more mana, lasting longer and longer in the liquid mana. I have to constantly remove solid mana forming on top of the liquid mana but it's something I could do.

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has obtained level 128-139!

In order to get the last level looks like I would actually need to submerge myself in the mana. It was taking more and more of me in the liquid mana level my thirteenth breakthrough, By now I am standing waist-deep in the mana with a sheet of ice mana over me to prevent me from being burned from the hot air. I took a moment to resolve myself and slipped under the liquid mana.

Ting! Mana Toxicity Tolerance has obtained level 140!

I am actually swimming in liquid mana! There's no way I am sane for considering this.

Who in their right mind would even think of doing this? Who in their right mind would actually do this?

It had hurt, but not too much, it was very uncomfortable and the sensation of worms crawling in my skin was disgusting but that's all gone now. I don't even have buoyancy so it just feels like I am sitting in normal air.

I got out of the mana before it solidifies over and traps me there. I go into the temple, Dad is still studying the Likeness.

"You're trying to study something far above your current level, you don't have the right breakthroughs yet. Focus on leveling up and one day you'll be able to understand. I'm at two hundred fifty and it's still complicated for me" I say.

Dad sighs. "You're right. I thought I could make one, successfully do the Analysha but I am not yet ready for it. I don't even know what material is used in this" There is a hint of frustration inn dad's voice but her expression shows resignation.

"It's pure solidified mana but it's made in a complicated structure. You'll need some sort of mana forging skill to even come close to what you need to do." I say, giving advice on where to start.

"You're right" Dad nods, steeling her voice and adopting a stern expression. "I am getting ahead of myself, I first need the ability to make a Likeness of Myrou before doing anything. Let's go home"

"Wait, we still have some time and I am really close to getting my Bond to two hundred fifty. We can go into the dungeon and I can kill some monsters."

"No, it's too dangerous without the fighters" Dad dismisses my request casually. By now I am used to my parents being a tad overprotective; "Don't use your cursed skills", "don't fight monsters" and yet I do those things anyway.

"We can just stay at the entrance then, aren't you at least curious at what it's like? If any monsters come after us we'll see them and we can just quickly run out" I argue, turning on my charm from [Acting] "Plus there are no monsters above one hundred anywhere near the entrance"

Dad thinks about it for a long time before finally nodding to herself.

"Alright, but we do not move more than five steps away from the entrance," Dad says with a reluctant sigh.

I smile gleefully. "I won't!" The dens are both in my fairy range, and someone called for artillery bombardment!

Stepping through the dungeon entrance I give Dad a fire silk blanket. Then I summon three clones, one with my perception attached and being piloted by my second mind. Next, I began summoning an army of fairies and move the clones through the dungeon forest.

"See, I'm not moving away from the entrance, I am perfectly safe!" I gloat and raise earthen walls around us for more security.

Dad simply gave me an accusing look.

Once my clones got to the Arachnoid den I sent them in. Blasting every monster in my path. My first target is one of the level two hundred mini bosses. There are hundreds of monsters in between me and it but all became fodder for me, even giving me two level ups in my bond. The extra level was probably because of the way I am using my bond skills. Using my clones and familiars as a substitute for me and as portable points for which to materialize my spells.

My clone group tracked down the first mini boss, a large hairless Arachnoid. There's probably more to it like patterned colors to show its venomous nature but such details are lost to me.

I spread my small army out to surround the beast and with [Beauty Enchancement] [Fairy Empowerment] and [Fairy Explosion] I supercharge a fairy. Then another, and then a third. As the mini boss is distracted by my dwindling numbers of fairies the three supercharged fairies latched onto the miniboss's legs. I sent a dose of fairy explosion to overcharge them and trigger their explosion early.

Surprisingly the monster survived! Just over a third of its vitality is gone and it struggled to stand on its remaining legs but it actually survived! However, with it weakened so much it only took two more rounds of supercharged fairies to finish the job.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 243-253!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 92! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 103! 15 status points awarded.

That was easy enough. Maybe I can even take on the level three hundred boss, that should be worth a crazy amount of levels.

I rest a little bit to recover my mana some and built up my army of fairies again, all empowered to the max. This time the second mini boss I'll hit it with as much as I can all at once, take it out in one go.

Entering the mini boss room I already have my fairies prepared. They rush forward as the Arachnoid raised its legs in a challenge and with an explosion that rocked the cave and somehow didn't cause a collapse the second mini boss decorated the room with tiny bits and pieces of guts and chitin.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 254-258!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 104! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained level 110! 15 status points awarded.

I got a significant decrease in the experience from this one. Maybe I should have heeded the Guardian's advice and dropped a few skills to prevent me from leveling past one hundred. However, I would have had to drop [Summoners Core] and lose a ton of progress and breakthroughs on it, even if I kept the knowledge levels. The only other choices were to drop [Fairy Explosion] or [Fairy Empowerment] but I can't do that as those are letting me kill these powerful monsters.

As I began to move my clones again I hear a thud and the creaking of trees nearby. I quickly scout out the area with my perception only to find a massive treant moving toward the dungeon entrance.

Razor Leaf Treant (Grand) Iron Bark (Grand)

That's not good, I can't take that especially when it's so close.

"What's that?" Dad asks.

"The reason why we are staying so close to the entrance, we should probably leave now" I take Dad's hand and pull us through the dungeon entrance.

Did the dungeon not like me cheating its dens?

Chapter 59: Three Tails

Three Tailed Mana Immune Runalymo Sage:

(Major) (Unique)

Requirements: Two Tailed Runalymo, Have bond at level 200 before age 10, Have bond at level 250 or more before the age of 15, Have Sense Mana at level 200 before age 10, Have Sense Mana at level 250 or more before the age of 15, Have 20 or more breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 10, Have 25 or more breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 15, Have Mana Toxicity Tolerance over 100, Have over 10 breakthroughs of Mana Toxicity Tolerance, Have Mana Toxicity Tolerance maxed, Have bathed in liquid fire mana, Have taught over a hundred people a high tier general skill, Have spread knowledge of Sense Mana to the Runalymo people, Have spread knowledge on how to improve enchanting, Have invented Spell Crystals for your society, have improved Spell Crystal design, Have invented Bond Crystals, Have invented Airships, Have improved Airship design, Have the knowledge of another realm, Have Been taught by Safyr The Guardian of the East Nexus, Have learned from an ancient ancestor, Have learned of lost history, Marked by Venaro the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, Age of 10 or higher.

A scholar, a scientist, inventor, Immune to mana toxicity, and a master to all things mana related; this Runalymo revels in discovery, her ability to learn and memorize is second to none. This Runalymo is able to sense almost everything about mana which makes them perfect for studying mana; their natural immunity to mana toxicity allows them total freedom to study everything about the energy that fuels magic. This Runalymo will not only revolutionize her race but her society too, and bring forth an age of discovery and technology.

Note: Skills may be merged or replaced.

Note: As the progenitor of an heirloom race the merged skill will continue to level and achieve breakthroughs normally. Take your race to ever greater heights, or burn to ashes trying.

Three tails now and it's Unique, a step above Heirloom. It also has the note that another skill will be merged or replaced again, I can only think of [Mana Toxicity Tolerance]. As for what it will merge or replace I can only think of [Nexus Adaptation] which serves the same function... but [Nexus Adaptation] also comes with some heat resistance, will I lose that or keep it? If that's the case, then would I still be able to level it up, if it merges and becomes a new skill?

The risk is worth it, if the skill is merged and I keep the heat resistance, but do I want to risk it? What if I lose the heat resistance? Will I always be uncomfortably hot here? But then I could just replace [Mana Toxicity Tolerance] with [Heat Resistance] and gain another defensive skill. Ultimately it's better, but I'd still have to use a general skill slot. In either case, it's worth it; I really want this evolution because my other options aren't great.

After the day's Lojyo I accept the evolution, saving the surprise for my family for the morning.

Smells and sounds woke me from unconsciousness. It wasn't unpleasant, mostly. The smells are... strange... indescribable, as are the sounds; it's almost like seeing the colors of mana but with smell and hearing.

The sounds are almost like static, but not the gritty, grainy sound I am familiar with, it's... softer, like background noise. Along with the static is a beautiful melody and a heavenly smell. I try to block the static out, which helps dull it, but it doesn't go away completely. I'll have to learn how to block it out entirely, but for now I check my system to see what changed.

Three Tailed Mana Immune Runalymo Sage:

(Major) (Unique)

Race Trait 1: Mana Generation

Having traded the now unneeded physical boosting trait of their parent species, the Runalymo has instead gained heightened mana generation rate by 300% and a 25% boost to their mana capacity).

Almost doubled the bonus, I was really close to getting Grand tier, even if it would be on the lower end of that tier.

Race Trait 2: Sense mana (252/270)

This skill has been evolved by Alysara, the progenitor of the Two Tailed Runalymo. This race is not limited by what it can sense in mana, but by what it can't, which is not much. Born from the best, this race is gifted with the ability to see what mana really is, but unable to discern its mechanisms.

I'm almost at the end of this skill, I've almost gotten all the breakthroughs there are to get. Will I get a legendary point for capping this skill? Will it evolve even further? Will it just be a testament to what I have achieved?

Race Trait 3: Nutritional Milk

Having suffered through near extinction by starvation, this race has turned to whatever it could in dark times in order to not succumb to the cursed act of cannibalism. This race's milk is very nutritional, providing a creature with all their nutritional needs for 1 meal.

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Race Trait 4: Mana Senses

An evolved trait that has been honed and kept through the eons, this race still has very acute hearing, smell, and sight. Through a decade of exposure, the moment a member of this race has their third tail manifest they have the ability to smell and hear mana. They are able to smell and hear what no one else can, and as such can hunt and track anything that leaves a trail of mana.

Is that what the smells and sounds are? It's mana? I never expected this trait to be influenced by [Sense Mana]. I wonder if my tracking breakthrough is responsible, it did mention hunting and tracking. Also, it seems this new ability only comes with my third tail.

Race Trait 5: Mana Glutton

Having adapted to a low food environment and constant starvation, this race now passively consumes mana to sustain bodily needs and draws in mana from their environment to sustain themselves.

This trait was also influenced by a skill, [Mana Toxicity Tolerance] this time. It doesn't say my mana generation is used, does that mean that I am consuming the ambient mana? If I am I can't notice it's too small of an effect, for now, perhaps if my body is more demanding for its needs it will be more noticeable.

Race Trait 6: Runalymo's Beauty

This race is among the most beautiful and its connection to the essence has increased the amount they have by 350%. In addition, they can naturally channel it to use beauty magic. Their strength with this magic is boosted by 180% once their second tail manifests at the age of 5, this is further boosted to 300% once their third tail manifests at the age of 10.

Another direct upgrade, interesting to see that the tails are additive and manifest with evolution intervals.

Race Trait 7: Inquisitive Perfection

This race can easily spot flaws and will never overlook them. Memories are forgotten only if desired. They are masters of finding and solving mysteries, puzzles, and other curiosities. Additionally, the more creativity essence a member of this race has, the faster they'll learn and master their arts and crafts. The more wisdom essence they have the better they'll solve problems, finding better and more efficient solutions.

This one has expanded a lot, not only covering the arts but now including intellectual things and even giving me perfect memories. Even better than perfect since I can forget if I want to. Do I have to do it manually or is it automatic? Testing is required.

Race Trait 8: Nexus Immunity 140/140

Adapting to the hostile environment of a nexus, even if the vast majority of the ambient mana is being siphoned, has made this race resistant to extreme temperature and immune to mana toxicity. They can better resist mana given off by great beings, recover faster from mana toxicity, resist mana storms, push against highly dense mana, convert mana toxicity into vitality, slightly resist spells, prevent toxicity from specific elements, store vastly more mana in their body, and resist extreme mana densities and liquid mana. Due to their adaptation to extreme environments, this race receives a 25% bonus to their endurance.

[Mana Toxicity Tolerance] has merged, becoming an entirely new trait, and upgraded the heat tolerance into temperature resistance. Again it seems to list off breakthroughs that I have gotten, which means if I don't get more breakthroughs it won't include them in the race for my descendants.

Race Trait 9: Inspirational Greatness

The dedication to the arts, crafts, study, and invention have made this Runalymo more creative and intelligent, granting them a +350% to creativity and wisdom essences. +10% wisdom, +15% intelligence

A massive upgrade with the stat boosts and it has expanded to cover wisdom essence as well.

Race Trait 10: Alysara's Children

This Runalymo is tied to beauty magic, increasing their magic potential and control of it by 350%.

It's no longer [Myrou's Children]. It lost the bonus to creativity magic but the beauty magic boost is stronger and includes control. I don't really use creativity magic anyway so it's not too much of a loss.

That is quite the improvement, every trait has improved except one, the one I refuse to accept. I guess this is what it means by a 'Unique' race, hearing and smelling mana is certainly unique and the traits are beginning to resemble class skills.

I get up out of bed, examining the mana around me. A clump of fire mana passes my left ear, the static sound changing into a chorus for a moment. It's hard to describe, not pleasant but not unpleasant, easily forgettable like a song I don't care about. A stream of light wafts by my nose, its scent equally difficult to put into words. There is simply no concept the Runalymo language has that I can compare these new experiences to, and that's a feat for a language built around combining ideas and concepts to form words, even new words previously never spoken before.

I quickly discover the source of the melody I am hearing and the heavenly scent I am smelling, obviously it's beauty essence, which one of my tails is producing at an incredible rate. My new tail is producing wisdom essence, a lightning-based essence with a soothing and unintrusive melody that easily fits into the background. The mana coming from my tails has doubled what it was previously; I've become like an endless fountain of essence, a fact that pleases me as it makes the ambient static dull somewhat.

My tails now have a very high concentration of beauty mana, the soft silky fur almost like it's mana infused. The skin, blood, muscles, and bone are all fully saturated with the mana too... more than fully saturated, it's as if the mana is squeezing together, filling my cells completely like mana toxicity, but not quite the same.

My core's passive production, while still rather inefficient, is producing much more beauty essence and much less random 'waste' mana.

The skills in my mana signature, specifically my race traits,have changed but one in particular, is looking strange. Almost complete, like a mosaic with just a few pieces missing. It glows and pulsates, eager, almost excited. It needs not be said what skill this is: [Sense Mana] seems ready for something, a frame to complete it, or perhaps a foundation for something more, a structure to continue growing and expanding.

I test my new balance, finding it easy to adapt to. My mind feels clearer and sharper and ideas flit around it, ways to improve the airships, ways to make a mana filter work. It gnaws at the back of my mind much like how [Perfectionist's Eye] had acted when I failed to measure up. Solutions to problems I have been trying to solve become clearer, not perfect solutions but it's a starting point for my newfound [Inquisitive Perfection] to work off of.

Of course, [Inquisitive Perfection] isn't a trait that will always show the best and most perfect solution. It still works off of what I know, it just points me in a direction that I should focus my efforts to, so the less I know the less accurate and sure it is.

I walk out of my room, my parents finally noticing me through their [Sense Mana].

"You evolved again, why didn't you tell us?" Mom asks as I walk into the kitchen, following the delicious smell of grilled Domr.

"I wanted it to be a surprise!" I announce with a grin.

"How many tails do you plan on getting?" Dad jokes, cracking a smile.

"Nine's a good number," I deadpan. Although the myth of the nine tailed fox has resurfaced to me, I can only think of our parallels as a coincidence. I mean, fitting nine tails on someone is an impractical biological feat; they would just get in the way. Having three tails is already reaching the peak of what can be done without major problems, nine is just too much.

"You're joking, right?" Dad asks.

"Yes," I say with a plain face.

"I'm not convinced."

Yafel and Yafe came in at that moment. Noticing my new tail, they tilt their heads in confusion in synchronized movements.

"You got a new tail?" "Is this a trick?"

The twins are confused, not having much experience with race evolutions.

"No trick!" I say and bring my tails around to tickle their faces.

After a few minutes of family bonding time, we eat breakfast and go to the baths. I catch wind of Mom's unique mana scent, it is... strange, too many things to smell. There is a familiarity to it that I think comes from the race, there is a strangeness that probably comes from the class. There is a sense of 'lesser' that I attribute to her tiers and a sense of power that I can only think is her level. There is a lot more to it that I do not understand.

Hearing her mana is a sweet humming like a lullaby, I sense kindness and warmth in the sound. These new senses are a little overwhelming, something I'll have to spend a great deal of time learning, like learning how to walk and talk all over again.

The lingering sensations of peoples' unique mana in and around the baths prove too much for my minds to sort through. There's just too much information, too many different scents and sounds, it makes my head spin.

"What's wrong, Aly?" Dad asks, her worry visible in her expression, while Mom is playing with the twins.

"My new evolution made my senses better and it's a little overwhelming here," I say, trying to not smell the mana.

Dad smiles at me, worry fading from her face, replaced with encouragement. "I see, take the day to learn your new abilities."

Chapter 60: Tana's Power

A few months have passed since my evolution. Everyone adapted quickly to my third tail, and now the novelty has worn off some are even expecting a fourth. I've entered the dungeon with the Kheshamo fighters a few times, but we haven't encountered the treant. However, we have looked for it and recently discovered it wandering far to the south of the entrance, several kilometers away.

It's a roaming boss that we'll have to look out for and we don't have an airship to attack from, to stay out of its range. We'll have to deal with it eventually, but right now, we are too weak.

We've not been able to get to the first boss in the monster dens, but I've killed the mini-bosses and we've managed to bring back some monster parts, the pieces that survived anyway. There isn't too much of note other than the Arachnoid fangs.

Night Death Fang:

This fang injects Night Death venom when stabbed into flesh. 17 Enchantment allowance.

I've gotten used to my new mana hearing and mana smell, my higher learning ability really helped, but it was hard to get for the first week. Despite that, I still struggle with new mana sounds and smells from spells. Getting hit by spells often results in both hearing and smelling the spell, and its potent scent and sharp sounds are distracting. I've been training to get used to that, but it's not as easy as it sounds. The spell's power often means it's louder and sharper than ambient mana, like glass breaking, but every element and essence is different in sound. Although it doesn't cause permanent damage the intense and deafening sounds often break my focus for both my minds.

Smells are already distracting when it comes to high intensity ambient mana, and spells are much worse, a pungent smell that hits me deep in my nose, making my eyes water. Again, the actual smell ranges from a neutrally pleasant to forgettably bland; it's the intensity of the smells that makes it bad. The more intense the spell's mana, the more potent the smell, just like how it results in louder sounds.

Today is Tana's tenth birthday, which means he's unlocking his class. I hope he gets something good. He has his bond at level one fifty and maybe a few other good things. He also doesn't have the extremely demanding Heirloom tier, so he can get high tier classes more easily, maybe even surpassing my own.

I walk over to the docks, where the Valymo and the Winamr are both being upgraded with new designs. A new prototype is also being made, the Myomwi, translating to Six Wings of Air. It's a model of a proposed flagship that will be the first to venture out of the Nexus. True to its name, it has six enormous sails both over it and to the side.

I had given Dad the solid fire metal to work with, but all it's done is melt through the anvil. To shape it, we'd need an anvil made of solid ice mana. Tusile had caught wind of the solid mana and asked if such a material could be used to make an airship. We are still talking through designs and how to power the airship. But I had an idea. An airship made from dark mana could be used to not only create an airship with highly reduced weight but could also have its interior bigger than the actual ship through a modified storage enchantment.

That is how the prototype came to be. It won't be the last prototype, nor will it be the final design. Tusile wants the flagship to be as best as it can be. I've already changed the Mana Arc's liquid mana production, utilizing its [Mana Liquification] ability, from fire to dark mana, and we are collecting the mana for use. Since liquid mana is ten times denser than solid, I can expand the liquid mana into solid mana with the use of [Mana Manipulation]. It's actually quite easy for liquid mana, since all I am doing is releasing the pressure, it's compressing it back into liquid form that is the hard part.

The Mana Arc produces a few drops of mana every minute, but it will change based on how much dark mana it's compressing. While the flagship will be a behemoth large enough to house the village, in the plans at least, we'll need a crazy amount of solid mana. Then there's the issue of powering the enchantments. I've been experimenting with mana wiring, trying to get it to work. It should allow the consumption of crystalized fuel rods to power the enchantments, but obviously it's complicated even if it works in theory.

Making mana wire is a must and is probably a breakthrough for [Mana Weaving], but no one has got it yet. The whole idea of mana wiring relies on it not only being produced but also working as intended, the theory works but we will have to test it just to be sure.

Tests have already confirmed that we can make small fuel rods and release their energies safely. The collection of the released mana is also easy; it's the distribution that is the hard part. It can work by growing crystalline batteries as the wiring, but only I can do that so it would take months, if not years, to complete the work. In this way, the battery would work like a mana pipe. The downside is that it would have to be filled first to work properly, and given its volatile nature, mana batteries used for mana piping are not a good idea.

The mana wiring should make use of the mana pathways that naturally form, these pathways work like high-speed roads for mana, and thus anyone should be able to make them as long as they have the required breakthrough.

The ultimate goal is to find a way to make a mana computer, but unfortunately, that is not going to be easy even if it's at all possible.

For years Tana practiced until his hands bled, he fought to the point of collapse, and he practiced his Bond so much he was constantly out of mana and still, that girl stands out of his reach. Tana wanted to go up to her, stand at her side, and train with her, but there was no way he could; he was still way too weak. Tana looked over his evolution and class choices again and made his choice.

Lifeflame Runalymo

(Major)

Age of 10, Have Bond at level one fifty before the age of 10, Have ten Bond Skills before the age of 10, Have 5 or more evolved Bond Skills before the age of 10, Have the evolved Bond skill: Living Flame, Have the evolved Bond skill: Inner Flame, Have the evolved Bond skill: Flame Raiment, Have the skill Vitality Control at level 100 or more before the age of ten, have ten or more breakthrough in Vitality Control before the age of ten, have capped Vitality Control, Have defeated numerous people above your level. Have slain numerous monsters above your level solo.

This Runalymo is one with the Lifeflame, producing endless amounts of vitality-filled flames. This Runalymo has strong regeneration due to the flames of life and can survive most injuries, able to heal most wounds, and survive even fatal hits; many will see this Runalymo as unkillable. Able to burn away the vitality of their enemies, many will be baffled at how this Runalymo can kill beings and leave no physical damage.

Lifeflame Guardian

(Major)

Requirements: Age of 10, Have Bond at level 150 before the age of 10, Have 10 Bond Skills before the age of 10, Have 5 or more evolved Bond Skills before the age of 10, Have the evolved Bond skill: Living Flame, Have the evolved Bond skill: Inner Flame, Have the evolved Bond skill: Eternal Flame, Have the evolved Bond skill: Flame Raiment, Have the evolved Bond Skill: Life Consuming Flame, Have the skill Vitality Control at level 100 or more before the age of ten, have 10 or more breakthrough in Vitality Control before the age of 10, have capped Vitality Control, Have Battlefield Awareness at level 100 or more before the age of 10, Have 10 or more breakthrough in Battlefield Awareness before the age of 10, have capped Battlefield Awareness, Have Foe Sense at level 100 or more before the age of 10, have 10 or more breakthrough in Foe Sense before the age of ten, have capped Foe Sense, Have defeated numerous people above your level. Have slain numerous monsters above your level solo.

A Bond warrior of the Lifeflame, capable of both healing and destruction, you are both a shield and a sword for those you wish to protect. You are a source of life where most would not expect to find one and a source of death to those who dare challenge you.

Tanafyam evolved. He could feel the burning flames within his blood; soothing, not what one would expect from fire. At will, he could now shroud himself in flames and heal from any injury, and his racial skill that boosted mana generation now boosted vitality generation instead.

Tana received several skill choices for his class: [Vitality Core], [Flames of Life], [Flame Strike], [Sticky Flame], and [Flame Shroud]. [Vitality Core] allowed him to produce more vitality to fuel his Lifeflames. [Flame of Life] allowed his flames to heal instead of burn. [Flame Strike] was a long-ranged attack that shot out a jet of fire with a jab. [Sitcky Flame] made the flames hard to remove and extinguish, which could be helpful with healing flames. Lastly, [Flame Shroud] was a defensive fire that burns all incoming attacks.

Tana spent the rest of the week training his new skills, Striking repeatedly, learning new ways to expand his skills, and practicing the newfound functions of his class skills.

Flames of Life: You've managed to make your Lifeflames heal more; this will help you restore life to yourself and others.

1st Breakthrough: You've managed to make the Lifeflames restore flesh, not just vitality; this will help you keep yourself and others alive.

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to make the Lifeflames grow hotter and give off an aura of healing warmth; this will help you heal multiple people.

3rd Breakthrough: You've managed to make your Lifeflames spread from person to person, spreading the healing to all who need it.

Ting! Flames of Life has obtained level 27!

Flame Strike: Somehow, you've managed to release a burst of fire with a quick stab; this will help you strike your foes at a distance.

1st Breakthrough: You've managed to sustain a jet of flame; this will make doing so more efficient.

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to release a wave of flame; this will make doing so more powerful.

3rd Breakthrough: You've managed to release a ball of unstable fire that explodes at its destination; this will help make the explosion larger

Ting! Flames of Life has obtained level 30!

As Tana practiced more and got breakthroughs in his other skills, he obtained another skill, [Body of Fire], a skill that boosted the Bond skill he got from Alysara, [Fire Enhancement], which was later evolved to [Inner Flames].

Ting! Your Class, Lifeflame Guardian, has obtained level 43! 15 status points awarded.

At the end of the week, Tanafyam felt ready.

"Master Esofy," Tana said, after the day's training, "I would like to enter the dungeon; I want to get stronger."

Esofy thought for a minute before nodding. "You're level forty-three already; that's really impressive, but it's a perilous place. Also, you need to get armor, tough armor, and a good weapon or two; a shield would be great as well."

"What do you recommend?" Tana asks.

"First, you'll need to distribute your stats: vitality and especially endurance, a good amount of strength and agility as well. A hundred into each of them, minimum, spend the rest on intelligence, mana, and mana generation. You don't have enough points yet, but a hundred points should be spent on each stat to have a well-rounded build before you specialize further. For gear, you should take a battle axe and a shield; for backup, have an arming sword. For armor, you should have something like Alysara's armor, padded armor made of earth silk and metal plates for added defense."

"Why not a spear or halberd? Won't reach be better for the main weapon?" Tana asked.

"The spear maybe, but the dungeon is a forest and we'll be going into the dens; both areas are bad for long weapons as the trees get in the way and the caves are too narrow," Esofy explained.

Tana nodded.

"Also," Esofy continued, holding up a finger, "We are setting up a full expedition. There should be around two hundred people entering the dungeon, we'll split up into smaller groups and you'll be with me. Always listen to your group leaders. There will be other people around your level, and you will train with them. Now go to Aly's place and order your gear; they make some of the best armor around."

Tana nodded and left after Esofy had given him some money, with a promise to pay her back.

Arriving at Aly's family store, Tana hesitated. He was not sure why but the prospect of potentially meeting Alysara has him nervous; after all, she is so far ahead of him, so talented he shouldn't be wasting her time. It would be bad if she couldn't shine as brightly as she could have because of him.

Tana's indecision got the better of him and, as if to make up his mind for him, the door opened, and Alysara stood there, hand on hips. She stood elegantly, her long royal blue hair framing her face as eye wraps hid half of her expression, but her mouth portrayed playful annoyance.

"Are you just going to stand there all day? Come in already!"

Before he knew it, Tana was pulled into the store.

"It's rare for you to be out of the Esofy's dojo, is there something you want to talk about? You've gotten a lot stronger since I last saw you." Alysara smiled, the serenity of her expression making Tana even more nervous; he didn't know why he felt this way.

"Well?" Alysara asked.

"I-I well, I mean, I need a-armor and w-weapons, I'm going w-with the expedition in the d-dungeon," Tana smacked himself mentally. Why was he finding it so hard to talk to her recently?

"I see," Alysara said, walking over to a shelf with several scrolls. She took a few out and unrolled them, revealing depictions of several styles of armor. "Pick which one you like best, but keep in mind they all have different uses. This one here is gambeson, it's a lot cheaper and easier to make, especially for me. It's not the best, but it works remarkably well for what it is. It's decent against slashing and blunt force damage, but the weapons can get through with enough force.

"This one here is chainmail. It's great against slashing attacks and good against piercing weapons that are larger than the rings, but not so great against blunt damage. However, it is worn over thin gambeson, so you get twice the defensive value out of it."

Tana liked the idea of the chainmail; it seemed like wearing flexible metal.

"This one is brigandine, it's metal plates riveted to cloth. Not only does it look great, but you get many of the bonuses of chainmail and it resists blunt force. It does have small weaknesses, like it's harder to cover certain parts of the body, so chainmail does have that advantage, but you're probably going to be wearing some padding underneath the brigandine."

This one also sounded useful and did look good in the picture.

"Lastly is plate armor. It's the most expensive and takes the longest to make, but it's extremely good at blocking all forms of physical damage; it's like wearing a shield in all directions."

The last one looked too grand to be real. A person covered from head to toe in metal, even the tail covered in segmented plates to allow for movement.

Wouldn't there be too much weight for the tail?. Tana thought, staring at the picture's tail.

"Ah, the plate is actually very thin for the tail, the whole tailpiece doesn't weigh that much, it's just there to prevent your tail from being cut off" Alysara said, noticing Tana's inquisitive look.

"Which d-do you r-recommend?" Tana cringed inwardly at his awful stammering.

"The brigandine is a good choice as it has a good balance between defense and freedom of movement."

"I'll choose that one then."

Alysara started weaving Mana Silk, which kind he didn't know. The armor slowly descended from a cloud of mana as if it was being grown from it. It was made to fit Tana and completed in a half-dozen minutes.

"I'll have Momara make the rest; it should be done tomorrow." Even incomplete, Alysara still put in the effort to decorate the armor with another type of silk. Stylized depictions of fire decorated the sleeves, while a cross of blazing swords decorated the chest and back. There wasn't as much decoration as usual, but Tana found it more appealing. The decorated areas brought his eyes away from the undecorated spots, leaving just enough not to overwhelm his sight.

Tana paid for the armor and also ordered the weapons before leaving. He breathed a sigh of relief when outside, the nervousness fading away.

What's wrong with me? Tana thought as he tried to figure out his emotions.

Chapter 61: Structuring Order

Over the past few weeks, I've managed to progress a lot in my general skills. It was refreshing to go back to normal general skill grinding, after all the craziness of the tournament, airship, and early dungeon stuff.

Ting! Tailoring has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 100!

10th Breakthrough: You've managed to weave spells into your cloth, allowing the spell mana to behave like an enchantment.

Ting! Tailoring has obtained level 95-106!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 230!

23rd Breakthrough: You've learned to weave spell mana into a stable form, allowing anyone to discharge the spell later.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained level 204-210!

The [Tailoring] breakthrough allows me to weave a spell into normal cloth, much like enchanting it. In a sense it is enchanting, but tests show that it uses less enchantment allowance than normal enchanting, so I can fit more effects in the cloth. This does not work if I mana weave the cloth because [Tailoring] works by doing actual tailoring, not forming mana silk from the air, but what I can do is use the [Tailoring] skill while making mana cloth by hand from threads created with [Mana Manipulation]. This takes more time and effort but the product is more powerful because I can then use my new breakthrough, even if it's all mana.

The spell mana cloth made by [Mana Manipulation] allows the casting of one spell by sending mana through it; not unlike spell crystals, although it does have the downside of burning up the mana silk, so it's a one-time deal, whereas the spell crystals are multi-use. However, the upside is that it is far more portable. The amount of spell mana used to make the cloth determines how powerful the spell will be.

Ting! Sense Soul has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 90!

9th Breakthrough: You've learned how to sense souls in multiple different locations; this will help you see more.

Ting! Sense Soul has obtained level 7794!

I practiced [Sense Soul] whenever I was busy with other things like [Tailoring]. I already knew about this breakthrough because it's a common breakthrough for most sensing skills.

Ting! Musician has obtained level 111-115!

Ting! Graceful Movements has obtained level 47-63!

These ones are hard to get more breakthroughs in now that I have most of the safe ones. I'll have to be in increasingly more unique and dangerous situations, especially for [Graceful Movements]. It turns out this is why the average cap people hit on their skills is less than one hundred.

Ting! Clear Mind has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 50!

5th Breakthrough: You've maintained a clear mind through pain; this will help you tolerate pain.

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained level 23-37!

[Clear Mind] is actually hard to level without being in dangerous situations, it's more of a resistance skill than a utility skill, and as such it'll be hard for me to level up. A mind mage may help me level this, like how the Guardian helped me level [Mana Toxicity Tolerance], but I don't know one.

Ting! Acting has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 70-80!

7th Breakthrough: You've managed to project your voice; this will help you be heard further away than usual.

8th Breakthrough: You've managed to produce beauty essence to create slight illusions to alter your appearance in subtle ways; this will help others see you as your role.

Ting! Acting has obtained level 54-78!

A long-overdue training session with this one, it's interesting how it incorporates beauty essence to make illusions. It's more like makeup which can be used in a myriad of ways, from beautifying – not that I need it – to making scars, all without the need for illusion spells. Also, I think the breakthrough was influenced by my affinity for beauty essence, much like [Graceful Movements] was. Normally light mana would be used for things like lasers and illusions but it probably just used beauty essence because that's most abundant in and around me.

I've tested the voice projection, and it's a form of sound essence usage; this works well with my clones as long as I have one mind piloting it, giving my clones the ability to speak.

It's a good thing I've made so much progress with my skills, because after much effort and time have been invested in both planning and material, it's finally time for the large-scale expedition to the dungeon.

I board the Winamr with the rest of the fighters, walking along a plank of thick bamboo, quickly finding a nervous Tana at Esofy's side. I smile at him, to which he blushes and looks away. I tilt my head at his strange actions, he has never acted this way before, perhaps he's been shut away in Esofy's dojo for too long? As I continue thinking about it, [Inquisitive Perfection] tugs at my minds and with its suggestion I finally realize the situation.

Is he already at that age? It only makes sense, we'll have to go through puberty sooner or later, although that realisation only makes me despair at my own hormone-filled future. I'm not sure how I feel being the subject of Tana's interest, I'll leave that for future me to figure out.

The sails above me stretch tight, with only a little sag, and with a shake, the airship lifts up to the skies as we depart the village.

The village elders have continually sent small parties to survey the area and have funded this expedition on the condition that all materials gathered, aside from a portion each member can claim for their own use, are to be given to them. Anyway, thanks to those survey parties the dungeon has been scouted in greater detail, and more monster dens have been found.

The Felin Glade is a sort of monster den, but it's not in a cave. It's a large area walled off by trees, grown so close together that one cannot see between them. The monsters are feline creatures often racially aligned to an element or essence; they are highly valuable, as their pelts often have some ability of their own. Someone brought back the pelt of a Snow Felin, as they're called, and we found that when worn it both protects the wearer from the cold and emits an aura of cold around it. Unfortunately, like all the dungeon monsters we've tried, the meat of all Felin varieties proved to be poisonous.

The Glade has a minimum level of one hundred, and all are Major-tier monsters. The mini-bosses of the Glade are level three hundred, with a level four hundred Glade boss. Beyond the glade is a more thickly-wooded area.

Two other dens have been found: a giant tree with hallways inside for ant-like creatures and a mossy ruin with slime type monsters.

We are wary of the roaming Treant with its high tier, but no one wants to fight it with our current levels and experience.

"Last chance to make sure you haven't forgotten anything!" Chyzu calls out to the group.

I have my brigandine armor on, and I can easily make more armor if need be; the only potential problem is I can't replace the metal in it. None of us pack food as our [Mana Sustenance] will keep us healthy. Instead, we pack other provisions; blankets made of fire silk for warmth, tents and tools. I made several spell cloths as others requested, my general casting skill allowing for any spell, albeit weaker than normal.

Looking around the airship, I can see various items in crates. They'll be transported in storage items until we find a spot for the main camp. The crates include bandages enchanted to provide healing and spare weapons; with me as an onsite enchanter, they aren't enchanted but are ready to be customized for those that need them. Spare armor of varying quality, made by other craftsmen, and more miscellaneous camping supplies are also brought along.

The airship takes off with a rush of air and we fly the short distance to Temple Island, then start loading the crates of supplies into storage items. Most members of the expedition have yet to arrive, since they are coming from the middle and outer islands.

The camping site has been previously scouted and selected, so our first job is to get things set up. We all trail into the dungeon, march through the forest to the clearing, and start setting up camp. Tents are pitched, and then trees are felled to make defensive positions. Over the course of the day, more and more people arrive and help set up camp. Near evening, there are three hundred people here, a whole village crammed into a too-small camp.

"Alysara," Esofy calls to me. "We're going to be meeting with the leaders and going over a plan. We want to invite you and see what we can come up with."

I follow Esofy. In the command tent there is a table with chairs around it. On the table is a very rough map of the area; it shows a circle labeled 'Camp' and other circles around it with the labels of the dens, but there are no other landmarks known.

"We may have too many people," one of the leaders says. She is on the shorter end, but she has a commanding presence. Her clothes differ from the fashion I am familiar with; her skirt is longer, and the floral decorations depict thick bamboo that is different from what I am used to.

"Nothing we can do about that now, Shura," the second leader replies. She towers over everyone, even taller than Esofy, and her unusually short hair and two swords give her away as a dedicated martial warrior. She wears plate armor, although from what I can tell it is not based on the designs that I stole from the tried and true medieval armor from my past life. If I were to rate her armor, I'd say it is a good effort, but the maker clearly doesn't know how to make good armor. It is wonderfully decorated, however, so I guess that it's more form than function.

"And how do you expect us to split them up, Tato? This is supposed to be for training; too many people make it inefficient," the third leader says. Everything about her seems plain and average. She has average length hair, average eyes, an average voice and an average demeanor; she is the epitome of the average Jane.

"Evenly, I suppose. How would you do it, Hauro?" Tato retorts, leaning back in her chair and tucking her arms behind her head.

"Calm down," Esofy sternly rebukes them. "First, we split people up into six groups of fifty, one for each den and the camp. We can further split groups up once they reach the dens, they are quite extensive and can easily accommodate fifty people."

"Who will go to which den, though?" Shura asks, folding her hands.

"First, everyone under the ranking of one hundred will go to this den." Esofy points to the rodent den, the weakest of all the dens. "We'll split each group into ten squads of five. Each squad will have an experienced fighter to act as the leader. If there are too many, then the rest will wait at the camp for their turn."

Esofy used the ranking selection that the tournament uses, which is the sum of both class and Bond levels, meaning an average of level fifty and lower will be in the first den.

"We can have those who qualify in the one hundred to two hundred rankings go to this den," Hauro points to the ant tree. Level fifty to one hundred, on average, would be assigned there.

"I see," says Tato. "Then the two hundred to three hundred rankings will be assigned to the Arachnoid's den and the Ruins."

Esofy nods in agreement; seeing as how leveling up to one hundred is relatively easy but passing level one hundred makes leveling slower, most people are between level one hundred and one fifty, so they'll be split up among two dens and many will likely be sent to lead squads at the lower-level dens.

"Lastly, the three hundred rankings and higher will be for the Glade," Esofy says.

"We should make subcamps at the entrances," I say, realizing a potential danger. "We should have one squad hold the entrance, so that in case any squad gets into trouble they can reinforce them, or the squad can retreat to the entrance and pursuers can be handled. Having additional supplies there will be helpful too, so the group doesn't have to return all the way back to the main camp and risk running into danger with damaged equipment."

"This is why I wanted you here." Esofy smiles.

How else can the expedition go wrong? The Treant could show up and damage the camp.

"In addition, if something happens to the main camp, we won't lose all of our supplies."

Now that I think about it, having spell cannons powered by large spell crystals would be a good idea to fight off any and all roaming bosses; we know of the Treant, but there could be others out there. Something for the next expedition.

"Also, anyone with talent should be allowed into higher-level dens to help them grow," Esofy says.

"Agreed, but if that's the case, then that squad will have to have someone of a much higher level to compensate," Shura agrees, leaning back in her chair and stretching.

"They'll have plenty of opportunities to grow; we shouldn't show favoritism," Tato disagrees with a frown.

"It's not favoritism; it's rewarding those who are more dedicated. The faster they grow, the more people we have to help those of lower level," Shura argues.

"I'm with Tato on this one. This isn't sparring practice, this is a dangerous place!" Hauro joins the debate.

The leaders argue back and forth until they bring me into it.

"Then let's settle this with a vote, Me and Shura are voting for it, Hauro and Tato are against, let's have Alysara break the tie," Esofy says.

With all eyes on me, I feel a little nervous.

"Y-You both make good arguments, but rankings and level don't always properly measure one's ability to perform. Tier, gear, magical items, enchanted items, so many things need to be taken into account, so let's compromise and anyone proposed to be let into a den above their ranking needs to demonstrate their abilities to you four. A majority vote will decide if that person gets to go into a higher-level den, and which one." I try to appeal to both sides, which seems to work.

"Also, we should amend the rankings, at least for dungeon expeditions, to account for class and race tier," I say, sitting up straighter. "Minor-tier should apply a negative multiplier to your rankings, seeing as how most monsters in this dungeon are at least Adept and higher. Major-tier should give a positive multiplier as your class would be of higher quality. I say a stacking ten percent multiplier per race and class. No one is Grand-tier yet, but I'll argue a twenty-five percent multiplier for that."

There is a moment of silence while everyone thinks about it.

"I agree... But most people have Minor, especially those in the lower rankings," Hauro breaks the silence.

"It makes sense though," she continues, "Perhaps we should consider the average tier of each den and apply that to the tier modifier, so the Glade for example will net you no ranking bonus at the Major-tier, and any lower will result in negatives."

"If we did that, we would lose most of the people who currently qualify for the Glade. Losing thirty points on their ranking is bad enough. It already disqualifies anyone who is Minor-tier but including the race, for which most people are at Adept-tier, it will mean losing sixty points. Only about a dozen people would qualify for it." Esofy argues, flicking her tail.

"Maybe make it five percent for the Glade? That'll be thirty points off for an Adept race and class," Shura compromises.

"Better, but we'd still lose half the people," Esofy says.

"They'll rise in level soon enough, so it's not that big of an issue," Shura points out.

The new ranking system was accepted by a unanimous vote.

Tanafyam receives his score, looking at it with apprehension. One hundred ninety-four plus twenty percent. Being Major-tier in both his race and class grants him a stacked twenty percent bonus, raising him into the two hundred rankings. Not only that, but because Tana can heal, he has a special green and blue card. Blue because he is a martial fighter and green because he can heal.

It took several hours for the leaders to have all the rules set. Each group now consists of a mix of blue, red, and purple, and ideally a green, but there are not enough healers for everyone. Purple stands for mages and red is mundane ranged combatants like archers.

"Tana!" Esofy calls, walking over to him, "Would you like to go to the Glade? Although it is for higher rankings, if you can prove yourself you'll be let in so you can get stronger, faster." With the magic words said, Tana immediately nods.

He follows Esofy to a sparring ring, within which stands someone he doesn't know. Esofy goes to stand with two others, judging the fight. Tana steps into the ring and assumes a stance.

"Good stance. You're young, and you're already almost at two hundred in ranking; that's good," the tall woman with two swords compliments him.

Tana raises his shield and grips it firmly.

"I like your look. It will be a shame if you disappoint."

"Start!"

Tanafyam doesn't hesitate and jumps forward to surprise his opponent, jabbing out with a jet of flame. As she steps back from the flames, Tana presses the attack, which is parried. Under the cover of his shield, Tana lashes out, again and again, each blow being deflected. His opponent strikes back, but Tana catches the sword on his shield and retaliates. The sparring match goes on longer and longer, but as the fight progresses, the dual-wielding woman presses back more, the duel getting progressively harder.

The woman is holding back, of course, to test his abilities. Tana knows he can't beat this warrior, but he didn't have to; he just needs to impress her. He coats his sword in flames to distract the other warrior long enough for him to kick at her legs. As expected, his foot doesn't connect, but the woman hums in praise.

"Seen enough?" Tana's opponent asks.

Esofy and the two others nod.

"You may stop now," Esofy tells Tana, holding a hand up.

"Tana is still a child but has remarkable skill," The dual-wielding warrior remarks.

"I agree," one of the other two judges says.

"Your request is granted, Esofy," says the second.

Esofy looks at Tana with pride. "You may enter the Glade, with close supervision."

Chapter 62: Wolves

Tana, Esofy, Chyzu, a stranger named Tasa and I are at the entrance of the Glade, a total of twenty of us setting up the subcamp. A few defensive structures are being built, and more tents are pitched to cover the supplies. We don't actually know if it can rain in here, but the possibility isn't zero.

With the subcamp set up, we'll take turns to enter the Glade, after deciding which of the four squads will go in which direction within and who will stay behind to manage the subcamp. We're going to rotate that duty so that everyone gets a chance to enter the Glade and everyone gets a change to rest. The groups that went to the other dens are also each rotating one of their squads back to the main camp, but since we only have four squads in total we're not doing that.

I scouted the area instead of helping set up, since it's important to know what we are getting ourselves into.

With Tasa as our cartographer, our first goal is to map the place out, not to just go as far as we can. Because the slow and steady method would take forever, I argued during the planning stage that we should just use our advanced sensing skills to scout ahead; that way we wouldn't have to physically travel through the Glade to map it out. Tasa disagreed at the time, as did others who don't have an advanced sensing skill.

I vowed to learn how to draw maps, since with my boosted memory, I won't have to take the time to draw each section out before moving on. I can sweep the landscape and draw it later, and I have a head start with my previous scouting.

Entering the Glade, we find ourselves in a sparsely wooded area with walls of trees obviously acting to separate rooms. The first room is the largest, with four groups of cuddling Felins lying near, around, on and under each other. The large tiger-like monsters look rather cute... until their mouths open far too wide, like a weird hybrid of a snake and shark with several rows of long pointy teeth that fold out from a retracted position. The Felins, disturbed by our entrance, roar with an earsplitting screech and lunge forward, only for a rain of fairies to suddenly descend from the high canopy. Of course I prepared my ordinance before we entered!

We want the pelts, so I didn't use exploding fairies, but with over three hundred fairies and a half-dozen familiars, two thirds of the Felins die before reaching us. Esofy and Tana target one of the remaining ones while Chyzu and Tasa handle another, leaving the last for me. It lunges... and falls right through the intangible body created by [Summon Clone]. I giggle silently next to the fake, watching the bewildered Felin tilt its head in a terrifying display of teeth.

It tries again, but this time I have a fairy hidden in the fake and more fairies gathering above. A dozen fairies descend onto my Felin and I watch as its vitality drops below half. It angrily screeches and swipes at the fake, pawing at it with wide-eyed confusion, then sniffs it, but rears back when a fairy attacks its nose.

Yeah, I knew scent might be an issue, glad I prepared.

Everyone is wearing a ribbon of air mana, enchanted to prevent scents from escaping, one of my many basic preparations.

The dying screech of a Felin comes from Esofy's direction, while a groan comes from Chyzu's Felin.

I finish off mine and watch Tasa freeze the last one. Due to their size, we can't put them in storage, but we are right at the entrance, so the others drag the bodies back to the subcamp. I'm walking with them, but I leave a Clone behind and use it to summon the fairies I'll use for the next room when we return.

"Save some for us, Aly," Chyzu complains, tugging the large Felin's legs to move it back to the subcamp.

"Why isn't she helping with any physical labor?" Tasa mutters under her breath.

"I'm not seeing you scout ahead," I retort, sticking my tongue out playfully.

I purposely ignore my system messages; I'll check them once the expedition is over. Looking around as we walk through the subcamp, the first group on 'camp duty' is skinning the bodies that the other groups are bringing back. One group is working their way down the left-most route, another the right-most, while we take the center route.

Leaving the bodies in the pile and returning to the Glade, we enter the second room and my fairies descend to kill half of the Felins within, doing very little visible damage to the skin due to the way that beauty essence deals damage. I make sure to leave some alive so that the rest can handle them while I provide support.. and then it's back to the camp again with the bodies, and back again into the Glade. Room after room, containing Felin groups ranging from two up to nine or ten like the first room, we travel back and forth seemingly endlessly with Tasa slowly mapping the place out, until we reach a room already cleared by another group – clearly the different routes join up.

"Why didn't we bring anything to cart the bodies back?" I complain as we backtrack for the last time before our shift as the 'camp group', carrying the three bodies from the room before the already-cleared one, with their precious pelts. Lightning Felins, Dark Felins, Earth Felins, all very useful as furs and skins even if all the other parts of their poisonous corpses are useless. The teeth are fragile and break easily; probably by design, judging by how their jaws are shaped.

My large Udomr Pearl could be enchanted to hold at least five bodies; too bad I left it at home. I can, however, make a large dark crystal. Very well, let's make the dark crystal and enchant it afterwards to make a storage device. Not now though, I resist the urge to jump into a new project on the spot.

"How are you doing on levels?" I ask Tana, who is hauling a Felin body bigger than he is; he must have put a lot of points into his strength stat.

"G-Gained twenty levels already," he shyly replies. It's actually kind of cute how he blushes from eye contact.

Although he is a lower level, we are in a party, so the experience gains even out for him. He's probably not the only one making gains, if the pile of bodies back at the subcamp is anything to judge by; they're becoming a small hill.

It's our turn to switch with the 'camp group': the second rotation, so we're the third group of the four to have a chance to rest and heal. Not that we really need healing, between Tana and I. It occurs to me that spell crystals for healing would have been a smart idea; something to think about for the next expedition.

"I'll take stock of our supplies," I say, instantly jumping on the least physical job. The others will have to skin the ever-growing mound of dead Felins and burn the remains; hopefully the fire neutralises the poisons in the corpses rather than making it airborne or something. There must be around a hundred now waiting to be processed; a lot, but given how many people will want them, it's actually a small amount. Still, why waste so much time bringing back the bodies? Some of these are of extremely low quality, damage from weapons or spells making them completely unusable.

I get that half the reason why there's an expedition at all is for resources, but we'd get far stronger if we just ignored that. Then we could find higher-level dens and get better resources; stupid politics! I know this was okayed by the elders, but did they really have to bring their politics into it?!

I take my time to look over our supplies. Many healing bandages are being used up; the other groups aren't as careful as they should be. Yep, definitely need healing spell crystals next time. I also have my second mind and disconnected sphere of perception from [Sense Mana] and [Sense Soul] scouting the subcamp's vicinity in case any monsters are attracted to the bodies.

They are. I can see souls and mana signatures for a large pack of… they look like wolves from my past life's memories, only with long spines on their backs, so… Spine Wolves?

This is bad, isn't it? I can see more stalking closer through the trees on the other side of the subcamp from the Glade entrance, the pack growing in numbers; more than ten are surrounding us now and they're still coming.

"We're surrounded by monsters; get ready for a fight!" I call out, sound mana emanating from me with the use of [Acting]'s latest breakthrough. I start summoning and powering up my fairies; stupid that I didn't set up a perimeter of them already. I have my familiars out, but I really should have prepared better for this situation.

Before I can finish preparing, the wolves attack, growling and snarling as they emerge from the underbrush, but that's just the distraction group. Tana and Tasa are so focused on them that they don't notice more are running silently in behind us. They can't fool Esofy, Chyzu or I, however. Exploding fairies detonate before they make it past the defensive structures, but most of the wolves don't die, only whimpering in pain.

Spine Wolf (Major) Fang Charger (Adept)

"Major and Adept!" I shout. I don't yet have the ability to see levels, but I can see both tiers. The normal [Analyze] skill would show the race tier and class level but not the class tier.

"Level eighty to one hundred twenty!" Esofy informs us.

I see with [Sense Mana] that most of them have some sort of resistance skill – that I can't quite work out the specifics of – and they have a much higher amount of vitality than their levels would imply. A few start to drag some Felin bodies away as the rest attack us, utilizing hit and run tactics to limit their casualties.

I use [Echoes of Reality] to create illusions of reinforcements charging out of the dungeon. The pack redirects some of their forces to deal with the fakes, which gives the rest of my group enough breathing room to cull the wolves' numbers a bit. However, it also indicates a worrying level of either intelligence or control on the part of the monsters.

The wolves charge the illusory reinforcements only to bite down on air, their mouths hitting nothing. Although I can't really read their expressions, I'd like to imagine that they show visible confusion, then anger as they realize they've been bamboozled.

Smart ones, are we? Too late for you.

Exploding fairies descend onto them, exploding with deadly bursts of mana. The Spine Wolves' fur is shredded, but it only reveals an undercoat that I think is the source of their resistance skill, leaving many unharmed and only a few dead.

A massive wolf emerges from between the trees, growling.

"Into the Glade!" Esofy commands; we were already outmatched, and this makes it much worse.

The group flees the camp and I examine the boss.

Alpha Spine Wolf (Grand) Pack Emperor (Major)

"Level three hundred!" Chyzu says.

My lower physical stats have me trailing at the rear, several wolves chasing me down. One nips at my heels, but what happens next has my heart skip a beat in surprise. Just as the rest of the group enters the Glade, calling for me to hurry up, the Alpha teleports between us, cutting me off from the rest of the group.

"Alysara!" Tana screams and Tasa gasps in horror as the large wolf bites down on me... then it looks up, annoyed. Bamboozled again! Seeing me unharmed, Tana looks relieved while Tasa is just confused. I suppose that probably did look a bit strange to her if she didn't know about my Clones, but I'm perfectly safe; I never even left the main camp with my real body, I've just been using [Summon Clone] and [Summon Familiar] as remote spellcasting anchors and carefully avoiding anything physical that would give away my lack of substance.

Esofy and Chyzu drag the others away, already having been aware of the deception that I had planned to use to play a trick on the other two; I didn't mean to scare them like this but there wasn't any time to tell them what I was doing.

I stick my immaterial tongue out at the boss, my real body still seated comfortably in a tent, and send down another hundred fairies from the canopy. Explosions ring out as the wolves die or have their protective layer burned off; I then drop down yet another hundred to finish off the survivors, leaving the Alpha howling in anger at its lost pack for a few seconds before it darts off in pursuit of the others. Around me, the camp is a mess, and supplies have been blown in every direction; I couldn't start properly exploding things while the others were here.

With my Clone, now invisible, and my second sphere of perception, I follow the Alpha through the Glade while it chases the group, harassing it with fairies and Familiars until I finally just make everyone invisible with a spell. As the group sneaks away, I split my sphere of perception off to follow them while leaving my invisible Clone with the Alpha, which is casting about in search of them.

The Alpha, once again howling in anger at having lost its prey and unaware of my Clone following it, runs into some Felins. Luckily, dungeon monsters don't seem to be friendly towards each other, and the Felins attack the Alpha the same as they do us. They also die quite quickly, much like they do against us, even with me sending a consistent stream of fairies to damage the Alpha.

The invisibility on my Clone fades and the Alpha growls at me, the look in its eyes promising a long, torturous death. I laugh in its face and send a fairy at one of its eyes, causing it to wince back in pain. Despite all my attacks and the fight against the Felins its vitality is still at ninety percent and I am constantly battling its quick regeneration, so the laugh is mostly for show, the result of [Acting] pushing me into the role of a brave warrior type of character to help me remain calm in the heat of battle.

I need a more powerful attack. I can try to channel a spell worth thousands of mana, but would that help, or would it just be wasting mana?

I watch through my sphere of perception as the rest of my group runs into another five, Esofy telling them what's happening while Tana heals anyone who needs it. Chyzu is saying something to Tasa and Tana, probably taking the relative calm as an opportunity to properly explain that I am back in the main camp and completely safe.

Returning my attention to the Alpha, I keep attacking while it sniffs the air, looking for a scent to follow. My precaution against that particular method of detection is paying off tremendously, although the scent-concealing ribbons were intended for use against the Felins. I target its ears, its eyes, its nose, harassing whatever I think might be sensitive while it looks at my intangible Clone with ever-growing fury.

Meanwhile, the group – of ten now – meets up with another, leaving only one more left to find. The Alpha continues to search...and soon perks up, focusing in one direction. As it runs off, my Clone following behind it, I can only assume it's somehow caught a scent trail.

I have taken out twenty percent of its vitality now, no longer using the mana-inefficient exploding fairies. I continue to summon and empower my fairies as fast as I can, but the Alpha just ignores me. Canceling the spell that is transmitting sounds to me through my Clone's link would help me conserve mana, but being able to hear if someone calls for me – whenever the Alpha reaches the end of the trail it's following – is too important.

It doesn't take long for exactly that to happen; one of the members of the group containing Uloru and Kadona – the gravity Bond hammer-wielder I defeated in the tournament and her master, who lost to Esofy – has lost her scent-concealing ribbon. The group at first gathers in a formation but, after [Analyzing] the Alpha and realizing how strong it is, they turn and flee. It's too late though, the Alpha teleports in front of them, a burst of space essence spreading out from its destination.

The group screams and tries to change direction. I turn them invisible and cast a spell to conceal their scent, but my efforts are in vain as the Alpha quickly spins around and sweeps them all off their feet with its large tail.

It manages to pin someone down somehow, despite them being invisible, and grins sadistically. Spells and arrows fly out from the rest of the group in an attempt to stop the Alpha; I suddenly recognize Klora, the archer I fought, although the arrows she's using now are significantly larger and heavier than the ones she had then. Their efforts are in vain, unfortunately; the Alpha bites down on the woman, killing her, then growls and turns toward Klora's direction. There's a moment of shocked stillness, the other four members of the group likely witnessing this kind of violent death for the first time, and then a roar of equal parts rage, sorrow and shock.

"We must fight! We cannot let this beast take any more lives!" In the moment of silence following Kadona's roar, Esofy can be heard nearby, rallying everybody else. I realise suddenly that I'd stopped paying attention to them, although my sphere of perception had remained close.

With everybody almost together now, I dissolve the sphere of perception and focus my full attention through my Clone, onto the Alpha and the surviving four Runalymo. The moment of shock ends, the lingering stillness broken when Kadona's massive two-handed sword cleaves down on the Alpha's neck, landing in a vulnerable spot between two vertebrae. Weapons like that were far too large and unwieldy for anyone in my old world, but now they're perfect for this sort of thing. The wolf flinches, but isn't really hurt until Uloru jumps and slams her hammer down onto the buster sword, forcing it halfway through the wolf's neck.

I am initially surprised when the Alpha doesn't fall limp from having its spine severed, but after a moment the Guardian's words from my [Mana Toxicity Tolerance] training surface, about how vitality will continue to animate the body even if it really shouldn't be able to move.

As Kadona and Uloru fight, Klora, and the other one who I think is an ice mage judging by her internal mana, run towards Esofy's voice.

"Again!" Kadona shouts, but the wolf throws them off, catching Uloru's leg in its jaws and shaking her. She screams in pain, but manages to slam her hammer into the eye of the monster, forcing it to drop her. Somehow, despite the group still being invisible, the wolf is doing a lot of damage to them, so I can only assume that it has some sensing skill. It's also still above half vitality, and its neck wound is slowly closing up, so this is not going well.

The fleeing mage shoots a spear of ice as she runs, piercing the Alpha's leg and pinning it to the ground. The Alpha, unfazed, rips the ice spear out and charges in the direction it came from. It catches up with them but bites only air, just barely missing its invisible target, but in the next moment another wide sweep of its tail trips the desperately fleeing pair.

Kadona picks herself up off the ground, charges forward and swings her buster sword at the already-wounded leg, aiming for a tendon. Aided by Uloru's weight manipulation, the sword cuts through fur, skin and flesh and into the bone. The Alpha stumbles but still manages to rake the downed ice mage with its claws. Turning away from Klora as she scrambles to her feet and keeps running, and leaving the woman it just crippled to scream on the ground, the now-limping but clearly enraged Alpha, lunges at Kadona with its mouth open.

I order one of my exploding fairies to fly into the Alpha's mouth, hoping to use the blast to prevent it from biting Kadona. It's not going to make it! I realize. Panicking, I push [Fairy Rush] to try and make it go faster; a burst of mana leaves me and enters the fairy, which gains a burst of acceleration. Kadona freezes up, surprised by the Alpha's counter-attack, but shakes off her shock and retreats when my fairy dives past her, into the throat of the monster, and detonates. A massive chunk of the Alpha's vitality disappears as it coughs and snorts, shaking its head.

Just then, the united force lead by Esofy arrives with a warcry and launches a barrage of spells and arrows towards the monster, Klora collapsing to the ground, shaking, as they run past her. Tana and another healer rush to the aid of Uloru and the crippled ice mage.

The Alpha looks around for a moment and prepares to charge the reinforcing group, only for the room to shift and distort under the effects of [Echoes of Reality], the paths of incoming spells and arrows seeming to warp and bend. The Alpha charges anyway, but ends up misjudging its direction and slamming head-first into a wall of trees.

Blood spills from the Alpha's wounds and burns marr its fur as jets of flame and bolts of lightning cast from mages strike its body, but it is not done yet. It draws a deep breath and gives a long, earsplitting howl, making everybody cover their ears in pain. I have to alter the spell that's sending sounds from my Clone back to me to reduce the volume. The howl, which must be a skill of some kind, keeps going on and on until half the group has curled up on the floor and fallen unconscious from the pain. The Alpha closes its eyes for a moment and then, to my shock, its vitality starts rapidly increasing and its wounds close while its mana plummets. At the same time, my invisibility spell on the four who originally got attacked fades, but I don't have time or attention to spare to renew it.

"Go for the neck! Before it heals all the way!" I shout through my clone. Uloru, now fully healed by Tana, nods and follows after Kadona, who jumps up to swing her massive sword down onto the wolf's neck again. More intelligent or more experienced than we expected, the wolf twists its neck and suddenly looks up, opening its mouth. Realizing too late that we have fallen for its trap, I send more bursts of speed to my fairies, who dive toward the gaping maw; only one gets in, not enough to blow it up before the massive jaws snap shut on Kadona's legs, biting her in half and sending everything above her hips flying off to one side. The fairy that made it explodes while Esofy lunges forward with a longsword, stabbing deeply into its neck.

"Master!" Uloru cries, slamming her hammer on the Alpha's ear, dazing the beast.

Tana rushes forward and conjures blood-red flames on Kadona's wound, closing it slowly. Three of my Familiars dash forward to help heal, but Kadona's vitality is dropping too fast. The other half of her had fallen out of the Alpha's mouth when the fairy exploded; one of the legs is missing, and it's badly damaged, but reattaching it might save her life before her vitality is fully drained from trying to keep her body animated.

"Grab her leg!" I shout, my Clone looking at Uloru, who is rushing towards Kadona. A moment of clarity shines on her face and she changes course.

Screams come from the group as the Alpha, trampling some unconscious figures on the way past, charges into a cluster of mages who managed to remain standing despite the howl. It rakes two of them in one swipe of its claws and stops to pin another underfoot before biting her in two. My fairies explode near its head to try and deflect the attack, but it seems resistant to my attacks anywhere that its fur protects it, jumping away those it just injured in favour of going after another archer. The two injured by the claws scream in pain and try to crawl away; Tana and I are busy with Kadona, but the other healer is running towards them.

Uloru manages to bring the rest of Kadona together, holding her lower half in place as Tana's flames and my meagre healing halt the ongoing loss of vitality and start knitting flesh back together. Regrowing the leg will take longer, but it's not an immediate priority.

"You need to keep its mouth open," I say, preparing dozens of exploding fairies around my Clone.

"Got it," Uloru growls, staring down the Alpha, taking her master's buster sword in one hand and her hammer in the other. Tana touches both weapons, flames spreading over them.

"[Sticky Flames], it'll spread if it touches the monster!" Tana explains.

Uloru nods and charges forward, under the renewed effect of my invisibility spell and with an illusory copy of herself a few steps behind her. The Alpha turns to counter-attack Uloru and mis-times its bite, just as planned. Uloru stabs the sword into the inside of the mouth, right behind its upper row of teeth, only having her arm in its mouth for a moment. While the Alpha can't close its mouth without impaling itself, my fairies fly in and detonate, blowing open a hole in the Alpha's throat from which a shower of gore and a howl of agony burst forth. Its vitality drops considerably and then continues to drain along with the blood from the gaping hole in its throat. The buster sword is blown out and Uloru catches it, then she jumps and lands on the beast's back, cutting into the neck once again where the wound from earlier still hasn't finished healing.

"Just" Uloru slams the hammer down on the sword. "Fucking!" Another blow drives the sword further in. "Die!" with a final swing, like hammering in a nail, the sword decapitates the alpha, and the last of its vitality burns out as its head hits the ground.

Finally letting out a breath that I didn't know I was holding, I look at everyone. No one is cheering, no shouts of glory, just a somber silence as the finality of our losses sets in.

For many, even among those still living, this will be their last battle; the shock and horror of mortal combat will prove to be too much for them. The persona that [Acting] is maintaining finally slips off my mind, its shield no longer required, and back in the main camp my real body collapses, shaking, as the full emotional weight of the battle and death hits me all at once.

Chapter 63: The Wolf's Aftermath

With my summoned Clone accompanying them, the group are dragging the body of the Alpha back to the wrecked subcamp. Two people are dead, and seven are severely injured; Tana and the other healer tried their best but ran out of mana, while my healing isn't powerful enough to do more than stabilize them with so little time.

I thought that Kayafe made a deal with the dungeon so this wouldn't happen.

There's no use dwelling on it; maybe the dungeon lost control or perhaps never intended to fulfill its side of the bargain. Maybe it knows that we forgot about the contract and thinks it can get away with it... perhaps it didn't even try, and we are just that weak. There are too many things that could have happened, but we should start preparing for the worst, which is having the dungeon actively trying to kill us.

A part of me is convinced that we are just weak. If all of us were as strong as Esofy, had strong abilities like Uloru and I or good healing capabilities like Tana, then none of us would have died. Perhaps, to increase the safety of the participants, we need to make the barrier of entry harder to achieve for the next expedition.

We arrive at the subcamp, looking like a tornado has run through it, and start cleaning everything up, salvaging what we can. Fortunately, few things were properly damaged or destroyed, even though pretty much everything was thrown around in the mess. I keep a perimeter of fairies patrolling the surroundings this time, not about to repeat the mistake that let the Spine Wolves sneak up on us.

If only we had an early warning system, technology that can flash a light or make a sound.

I will have to explore the ideas for that kind of technology later, but it's definite that the next expedition needs to be delayed until we have ways to combat – or at least safely flee – the roaming bosses.

As is to be expected, the general mood of the seventeen survivors is not good; most people are just sitting down staring into space, not even bothering to pick things up; some seem to be in a trance-like state after the harrowing experience with the Alpha wolf. Seemingly noticing this at the same time as me, Esofy climbs onto a crate and clears her throat, drawing everyone's attention.

"We are weak," she speaks clearly and deliberately. "We are weak, and our fighting methods are insufficient. We've fought for sport for so long that we forgot what inspired it. We forgot how to defend ourselves! Do you all remember the story of our ancestors? The story of Kayafe, how she fought against the earless evil ones? Have you forgotten the recent disasters our people have gone through?" Esofy looks everyone in the eyes, letting silence rule for a few moments.

"A few years ago, a monster, much weaker than this wolf," Esofy points to the carcass of the Alpha Wolf, "attacked my village. We were helpless against a single skill, and I watched as people I knew, people I would call friends, died one by one. It was then that I knew our ways of fighting are wrong. We fight for sport. We fight for recognition, but monsters don't care for any of that; it's us or them, life or death." Esofy again let silence take over so everyone could digest her words.

"What about the rest of the world? How will we defend ourselves, our families, our homes from the threats outside of the Nexus?! What will we do? Wait for some powerful monster that can devastate our home? Yes, the Guardian will defend us, but what if the battle causes just as much destruction? What about leaving the Nexus and exploring other lands? We need to learn how to defend ourselves again! We need to learn how to fight a real fight! We. Must. Get. Stronger!"

Resolve fills the eyes of many, the will to live, the will to get stronger, and the will to fight burns within them. For some, however, terror rules instead; grief, hopelessness, and regret loom over them.

"For those that want to leave, we won't stop you; take the dead back to be buried and go home, feel the embrace of your loved ones. For those of you who wish to prove yourselves, who wish to proudly declare the Runalymo strong, to overcome adversaries just like stories of Kayafe, then follow me!" Esofy raises her fist in the air; many raise their fist in kind.

After the rallying speech, we begin the proper work of cleaning up the subcamp. With all of us who decided to remain working at the camp, we make short work of the remaining Felin bodies and also skin the wolves, while those who can't continue take the bodies of our dead back out of the dungeon for burial preparations. Since my Clone doesn't have a physical presence and so can't help with any of that, I instead take the opportunity to analyse the parts of the Alpha that the others have dissected.

Alpha Furs of Spell Resistance:

The furs of an Alpha Spine Wolf. Resists the first hundred points of mana of each attack. Enchantment allowance: 33

That's why it was so hard to damage! Good material, though. This has hammered home that not every monster is susceptible to spell attacks and may need the focus of martial fighters; that must have also been why the boss was so built for melee; spells weren't very effective on it, so it didn't need a ranged option to deal with mages.

Now that I think about it, will the dungeon simply respawn the wolf boss? Can we constantly get the same materials as long as we get strong enough to deal with the wolf safely? No point in thinking about it until we know more.

Spines of the Alpha:

The spines of an Alpha Spine Wolf. Ignores 30% of material hardness and toughness when wielded as an offensive weapon. Enchantment allowance: 28

Those will make a good rapier, it'll be particularly effective against opponents that just trust their armor for defense like the alpha did against us. It's kind of ironic that we got materials from it made to counter similar tactics to its own.

Fangs of the Pack:

The fangs of an Alpha Spine Wolf. Can make quasi-real duplicates. Enchantment allowance: 23

How does that work? I'm not sure what that description actually means, but hopefully it will allow me to have a piece of equipment for my Clone; the Alpha's spell resistance made it clear that I need some way to do damage through it without relying entirely on magic.

With two fangs to work with, hopefully I can claim at least one of them.

Heart of the Pack:

The heart of an Alpha Spine Wolf. Bolsters the stamina of all near it and helps them overcome fear: Enchantment allowance: 35

Who's going to carry around a heart everywhere? Maybe we can craft it into something else and keep at least one of the abilities.

Nothing else of use comes from the boss. The usual green tint indicating that the meat is poisonous is lacking in the boss, so it might be edible, but we decide not to take the chance and burn the body just in case; it's not like we really need the food. With everyone healed and all the materials packed and stored in spatial storage items, we make our way to the main camp where my real body is waiting. I warn the rest of the camp about the group's arrival and inform them to get crates ready for the supplies. I leave the explanation of the wolves for Esofy, I don't want to cause unnecessary panic.

One thing I find odd, however, is that the people carrying the bodies haven't made it to the main camp yet. They may have just gone directly to the dungeon entrance and skipped the camp altogether? It's possible that they just wanted to leave that badly; I'll ask Esofy what to do about them. In the meantime, I check my messages.

Ting! Your party has killed a Snow Felin (Major), Level 108

Ting! Your party has killed a Spine Wolf (Major), Level 111

Ting! Your party has killed an Alpha Spine Wolf (Grand), Level 321. Extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 259-269!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 111-126! 240 status points awarded.

Quite a lot of levels, which makes sense; the Felins were a little higher level than me, and then there were the Spine Wolves and the boss.

Ting! Fairy Rush has met the requirements for breakthroughs and will continue leveling past level 20!

Fairy Rush: You've managed to accelerate your fairies; this will help them move even faster.

1st Breakthrough: You've increased your fairies' attack speed; this will help them attack more rapidly.

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to impart a burst of speed to your fairies; this will help you give your fairies a temporary speed boost.

Ting! Fairy Rush has obtained levels 5-13!

This will be useful in long-range attacks, but that has mostly been taken care of already by me being able to use spells through my Familiar and Clone links.

Ting! Fairy Explosion has obtained levels 31-32!

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained levels 30-33!

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 20!

1st Breakthrough: You've managed to summon multiple entities simultaneously; this will help you summon more.

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to reduce the cooldown between summons; this will help you summon faster.

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has obtained levels 8-17!

Summon faster and more at a time; this is exactly what I need. I guess my rush to summon as many fairies as possible when the wolves attacked gave me the kick I needed.

Ting! Fairy Commander has obtained levels 17-24!

Ting! Summoner's Affinity has obtained levels 2-4!

Ting! New active skill available, Triangulate Summons! Would you like to accept this skill?

Triangulate Summons: For 10 mana, allows you to locate all of your summons relative to your position within 2 kilometers

This would be useful for having my fairies scout things out; I wouldn't have to always have them lead me back to whatever they find. If it isn't useful, I can replace it with something better later.

Ting! You have gained the Triangulate Summons class active skill!

Triangulate Summons: You've managed to send a burst of beauty mana to ping your nearby summons, letting you know their direction and distance from you.

So it's like radar, interesting. Maybe this could help me make a monster detector? Do we need something like that, or can people with sensing skills do just as well?

Making a monster radar would probably involve all sorts of difficulties. For example, if I were to somehow make one that could ping a certain kind of racial mana, it would only detect one type of monster; useful, but very niche. A much more practical technology would be something made to replicate a sensing skill such as [Life Sense] or my [Mana Sense].

Pulling myself from my thoughts, I stand up, leave the tent and walk around the camp to get the post-battle jitters out. I breathe in the forest-scented air and observe the camp group taking inventory of the materials flowing in from the subcamps and making constant improvements to the overall state of the place. A warehouse is being set up, nearby trees are being cut down for building materials, and some people are just lounging around.

It's painfully clear, now that I'm paying attention and the initial high of excitement has been crushed by what happened to the Glade group, that nobody – not even me – involved in the planning for all this knew how to handle all the logistical issues involved in an expedition of this size. I hadn't really looked around yet, even though my real body never left, since I'd been focusing entirely on piloting my Clone at the Glade, but I can see that the organization of the camps leaves a lot to be desired. Storage areas are not in efficient places and are not organized. There are no sections for specific materials and everything is just being dumped in crates in a single pile.

Esofy and the rest of the Gade group arrive at the main camp, causing a small commotion, and my Clone disappears since it's no longer needed. With my real body I join up with Esofy as she gives orders that the defenses of all the camps are to be enhanced.

"We should put palisades on the walls and probably dig a trench," I suggest. "Also reduce the entrances from four to two. Having a few watchtowers will also be a good thing to consider."

"First, we need to send someone to the other groups before roaming bosses get to them." Esofy replies.

I send my Clones off to the other groups to call them back to the main camp, utilizing [Acting's] breakthrough to produce sounds via sound essence. The basic autopilot function of [Summon Clone] being able to guide them to their destinations is the only reason I can use them like this, since I wouldn't be able to mentally pilot this many of them.

I tell Esofy my ideas for spell crystals as my Clones travel, especially the healing and defensive ones.

"It's going to take us a few days to improve the camps' defenses, so you might as well get started now," Esofy says, and so I do.

The last of the groups returns, and the leaders hold a meeting to discuss the next steps. The plan is to make proper walls and gates for each camp, although we'll have no proper way of testing those defenses until we actually need them and, aside from what few memories I can put together, the Runalymo have absolutely no idea how defensive fortifications work.

I focus on growing the spell camp defense crystals will each take three to four days to make, including the time to make the mana batteries. They need the batteries to immediately launch a powerful attack, but only have enough battery capacity to attack once, and recharging the battery takes a full minute. It's a short amount of time normally, but an eternity in battle when dozens of people could die before it's reloaded.

The healing crystals, which don't require batteries because they don't have the same burst-release activation style, take half a day each to produce. With forty groups of five people, it will take forty days to craft all of them, factoring in the time it takes to rest my minds. Naturally, I don't have enough time to make enough, so just six healing crystals will be made, one for each camp. I vow to make a healing spell crystal maker; it won't be great, but it'll help us mass-produce them in the future.

At the end of the week, the camp now sports proper palisade walls with trenches dug around them and spiked barricades. Any monsters that would jump the trench are likely to impale themselves on the spikes. The defensive spell crystals that I ended up settling on launch powerful lightning strikes; they aren't boosted by skill, class, or race, but what they lack in bonuses they make up for in raw amount of mana.

My memories of my past life are once again coming into use; there is one watchtower and two gates… although the gates are more like large doors, not like the massive, imposing, things I originally envisioned. The main camp has been expanded to make enough space for all the people and supplies we brought with us, as well as storage of the materials, both what we've collected already and what more we expect to collect before we leave. The subcamps have also been upgraded, although they don't have the defensive spell crystal.

With all of the camp upgrades done, everyone goes back to their dens and subcamps. My Clone and second mind are helping Esofy's group slay Felins while I work in the main camp, making storage crystals; a full day's work for each. After the wolf incident every group has been much more careful, with a lookout always in the camps who is, if possible, someone with advanced scouting skills.

When the subcamps bring a full shipment of goods back to the main camp, it is all pretty much what we expected, with the exception of the ruins. The rodent den had monster materials like tough hides, and sharp digging claws. The ant tree group brought back tough carapace and acid sacs, the spider den group brought back spider silk, venom sacs, and piercing fangs. The slime ruins group, however, not only brought back monster materials like slime and broken and cracked slime cores, but they brought back treasure as well.

"We found chests with items inside," A warrior says as some of us main-camp people gather around their newly-arrived group, taking out a glass vial of a beet-red liquid full of vitality and healing essence; it is clearly a health potion.

Despite the health potions, I see many of the members of that group have moderate and even severe injuries.

"Why are so many people injured?" I ask. Perhaps we need to rethink who is allowed in which den.

"Traps," the warrior replies with a pained grimace. "It was hard to locate them and they were quite deadly, from poisonous gas to walls that shot out poisonous needles."

It is only then that I notice two bodies being brought back. Too many people are dying and, although statistically eight out of about three hundred is fantastic, these people had families and friends that will miss them. One of them is not even fifteen by the looks of it, and I can see the sullen faces of those who were close to the deceased.

"We need to rethink our party makeup, with three deaths due to traps alone," Hauro, who along with the other leaders has returned from her subcamp for this meeting, says sadly. There has been one more death due to traps in the spider den and three more from monster attacks.

"I agree." Shura nods.

"It's more of a training issue," I point out. "People aren't looking for traps, or aren't using their skills in ways that will let them detect traps. Only three out of three hundred dying to traps so far, despite this, shows that many that we've encountered aren't very lethal. To put it another way… we've gotten lucky so far."

"Not everybody has skills that can see the traps, and many aren't willing to trade skills that they've put time and effort into learning for sensing skills that may not even work with their style. How are we supposed to train people?" Tato asks, showing the common mindset of Kheshamo fighters. I imagine it's a misconception common to many people in this world, that in order to master something it is absolutely necessary to get a skill for it.

"There are many indicators. A pitfall trap will need something to cover it, weak enough to collapse when stepped on but strong enough to hold itself up. Walls that shoot out needles will need holes, fire-spitting traps will need something flammable, which might have a smell. Every trap will have something we can train people to notice." I point out a few examples relevant to the types of trap various groups have reported seeing.

The discussion about how to handle traps and make the exploration of the dens safer goes on for about an hour until a vote is made: Every group must have at least one person who can sense traps in some way. Naturally, this means that several groups will have to be rotated out, but it'll mean fewer people dying.

"We should do a deep dive into the ruins and explore the mysteries it contains. The existence of the chests and the treasure they hold could help some of our problems, particularly the healing potions would be very useful." Shura says after the vote.

"A group of our strongest to go as deep as they can." Esofy nods. "However, I would like to bring Tana; not only is it good training, but we could use Tana's healing and their flames are perfect to deal with the slimes."

"The group should consist of our ten strongest people, but I would recommend Tulalo instead; she is a powerful water mage and healer," Tato says.

"We should focus on who's the best fit for the ruins rather than who's strongest." I interject, shaking my head, then continue when the others all look at me in confusion. "For example, my [Sense Mana] should be perfect for seeing traps and scouting. I can set up ambushes and weaken bosses, plus I don't even have to be there, in danger. Tana's flames are good against the gelatinous monsters, and the healing can fill another role, and Esofy is a good leader. This fills the healer, leader, and scout positions. Good candidates for the defensive and supportive roles are also needed; the other five can be redundant roles in case anything happens."

Another misconception that probably arises from the Kheshamo being the only combat most Runalymo ever see is the idea that 'the strong are always the best choice'. Synergy, teamwork, and taking advantage of enemy weaknesses are all more important than just choosing the 'strongest'.

"I can also detect traps, so we have scouting redundancy already." Esofy seems to understand what I'm talking about. "Aly can heal, too – even if it's rather limited – and inflict a good amount of damage. Tana is already defensively focused, so we need another leader and two supporting roles. The rest can be specialized for attack."

The next hour is filled with discussions on who should be invited to the ruins deep dive. For some reason, Uloru is considered, despite being mostly dedicated to attacking and only barely qualifying for the three hundred rankings. However, her level has gone up quite a bit due to killing the monsters in the dens.

In the end, Tana, Esofy, and I are going. Chyzu makes it by filling both the secondary leader and attack roles. Jowaru is our frontline defense role, while Irela acts as a powerful attack mage and a backline defense role as she can manipulate her metal into shields. Tulalo, the water and life mage, makes it in as our primary healer. Klora, who seems to have recovered mentally from the fight against the Alpha, is brought in as our ranged physical damage dealer while the now-healed and surprisingly un-traumatized Kadona is brought in for a dedicated attack role. Uloru makes it in as both an attacker in her own right and to support Kadona, Irela, Klora, and Jowaru with her weight manipulation. I am surprised by the tenacity of both Uloru and especially Kadona.

In summary Tana, Kadona, Uloru, Esofy, and Jowaru are our front line, with Chyzu, Tulalo, Irela, Klora, and I in the backline.

Papuyo watches the grieving families of the recently departed. The fire burns and washes away the flesh. These people didn't have to die; their deaths were are gone because they went into the dungeon... because they followed that foolish girl!

Papuyo clenches her fist. How many will die because of her? How many will suffer? How many will turn away from Myrou?

Once the fires have burned out, Papuyo and the priestesses-in-training move the ashes to the pits. The Kyhosa of the dead are placed on top of the ashes, and finally, the bamboo is planted over them all. Hopefully, they'll live long and happy in their next lives.

"May you find new life," Everyone chants.

Funeral over, everyone returns to their homes, slowly walking along the stone path, while Papuyo returns to the temple with the other priestesses.

She understands now. The Guardian never said that what Grand Priestess Shara did was wrong, only that making cursed beings was going too far. This is a test for her, whether or not she has the resolve to do what is needed. Grand Priestess Shara was right... she erred in her attempts to make cursed beings, but what if she was onto something? Instead of making an item that makes a cursed being, what about one that brings people closer to Myrou? Not an item to bind one's soul, but an elixir that modifies one's body to become more angelic?

History is buried under the sea. That's what the Guardian was hinting at. Perhaps there's some sort of lost technology under the sands.

Papuyo turns to face the Storm Warden priestesses-in-training.

"The deaths today were avoidable; do you not think this?"

"Alysara is still a child. She may have done good things, but this... is a mistake." One of them says grimly.

"I only joined the Storm Wardens after they'd been established." Another nods, "I've always disapproved of children running around unsupervised, doing whatever they pleased. This only proves my case."

"Every day, we stray further from Myrou."

Some remain silent; others show obvious discomfort. Papuyo makes mental notes on who they are. She will talk with those that see the truth. She will be the one to bring the Runalymo back to Myrou's ways; she will be the one to lead her people to the future.

First things first, Papuyo will need to separate the Storm Wardens that are sympathetic to Alysara and the rest of the heretics from the true followers of Myrou. Then she can start gathering supporters to uncover their buried history and bring the Runalymo back to Myrou's ways.

Chapter 64: Mind Games

The Ruins smell old and moldy and there's a certain foulness to the air. Esofy can't help but pinch her nose, envious of the little girl that is only represented by a body of mana. They have previously scouted out the place hours earlier and Alysara is back in the main camp even now, the little prodigy continuing the partially completed mapping work.

Esofy unrolls her map. "Let's go this way," she says, leading the group down a tunnel that will take them to the reported location of a chest. The first goal is to see if the chests are always found in the same location. The report also included a large fire slime mini-boss in that room, the chest having appeared after it was slain.

Esofy leads the party through the halls and rooms, making short work of the slimes residing within. Their materials are left behind as space in the storage items they brought is limited. After killing the slimes, Esofy guides the group into a hall and around the traps, seeing their complicated mechanisms in her [Sense Mana] sphere. There are definitely more traps here than the Glade.

The blue-grey bricks of the ruin walls have moss growing between and over them, oozing a viscous, wet, sickly green liquid that pools in places on the floor.

"This is so gross," Chyzu says, after placing her hand on the wall. She draws her hand back, strings of goo clinging to her hand and bridging to the filthy stone.

Esofy isn't particularly squeamish, but the color and the way the goo sticks to things don't settle well with her. It doesn't help that the floor is covered in the stuff, rendering the footing slippery and the idea of fighting an unpleasant one.

Collapsed ceilings and rubble block their path from time to time, adding to the maze-like layout of the ruins. To make matters worse, slime monsters lie in ambush, disguised as the normal slimy puddles. Esofy isn't fooled by them, of course, their mana signature is distinct and the group is able to surprise the slimes instead, resulting in easy kills.

"Let us handle the slimes, Alysara. Tana needs more practice against them."

"Okay," Alysara casually says.

Tana's flame burns away the slime with ease, although their physical attacks barely do anything to the gelatinous monsters. Alysara seems quite intrigued by the flames for some reason, noting that it seems to 'drain the monsters' vitality'. Esofy wonders how Alysara knows that. Vitality and mana aren't the same thing… right?

Upon reaching the location of the treasure chest on the map, only a monster-filled room greets them. Over thirty level sixty slimes rush at the party, some leaping through the air and spreading out to envelop Jowaru. A fairy flies over the group's heads and an explosion rings out in the middle of the room, the mass of slimes immediately thinning.

The low-level slimes aren't a challenge. Esofy cuts through several, their cores split in half.

Irela sends dozens of steel balls smashing through the slimes as Esofy watches over her student, giving pointers.

"Always keep an eye on your flank." Esofy says, blocking an attack from a jumping slime.

"Yes!" Tana replies and smashes down the hammer side of their axe.

Uloru swings her hammer from side to side, splashing the monsters' viscous liquid all around, cracked and shattered slime cores flying everywhere. Klora shoots blunt arrows with deadly aim at the cores, killing the slimes instantly.

When all the slimes are slain the liquid starts flowing into the center of the room, along with broken cores of the recently slain slimes which fly together and hover in the air, melding into one.

"...So that's why..." Alysara mutters absentmindedly.

The slime flows over the core and a new, larger slime takes form. This one is a deep blue color, different from the normal sickly green slimes.

Hive Slime (Major) Level 230

Tentacles launch out and are deflected by several members of the group, but Tana and Jowaru are caught by the legs and pulled in toward the mini-boss. Small blades that Irela commands slash through the tentacles, which fall into puddles on the ground and flow back to the main mass. Tana and Jowaru quickly retreat back to the group, but Tana slips on the slimy ground and skids to Esofy's side.

"Pay attention to your footwork and make sure you defend your legs!" Esofy chastises, extending a hand to help Tana stand up.

"Yes!" The strange-looking girl replies.

Alysara creates several decoys that spread out, but the boss ignores them and continues attacking the group's vanguard. Chyzu and Tulalo continually blast the main body of the slime with water, the wounds quickly closing up and the body growing slightly larger with each strike. The tentacles are dripping more slime, the initially jello-like substance becoming more slurry-like.

"Stop attacking, you're feeding it!" Irela yells irately.

"No, she's diluting it. The slime isn't even its body, the core is," Alysara explains calmly.

"It's growing bigger! How is that helping?!" Irela retorts.

Tana's flame spreads over the slime's surface, like oil catching on fire, as they spray the monster with a wide jet of vitality-draining flame.

"We need to get rid of the slime, keep diluting it until it can't hold its shape anymore, then we attack the core," Alysara says, still calm in the heat of battle.

"That's stupid!" Irela says and sends a giant ball smashing through the slime, spraying burning slime everywhere. "See, just smash it apart!" The slime just flows back and rejoins the main mass around the core.

"A lot of good that did..." Alysara retorts quietly.

"Everybody SHUT UP!" Esofy shouts, projecting a commanding tone. "We need to work together! Irela, focus on disabling the tentacles, Chyzu and Tulalo dilute the main body, Jowaru, intercept any attacks and defend us. Uloru, increase the gravity around it to weaken its ability to maintain its shape and reveal the core." Esofy orders.

Alysara sends fairy after fairy into the slime, the explosions showering the area with slime, but Esofy can see the mana build-up of an ice spell being channelled. One of the benefits a caster has over a non-caster is the ability to charge up a really powerful spell over a couple of minutes but the downside is that the cast time is too long to be used in real combat. In addition to that, Alysara's spell isn't boosted by her class or race, so it's going to be weaker than if she had a class tailored for casting. However, despite those downsides, Alysara is in the unique position of not actually being present or in danger, so channelling as she is is actually viable for her.

She's going to freeze the slime. Esfoy realizes. Alysara wants as much water in the slime as possible to make the freezing more effective, although if that fails the next plan will likely be to dilute it until it can't hold its shape anymore. The exploding fairies serve to mix the water into the slime to speed up the process.

"I'm ready!" Alysara notifies the group.

"Give her a line of attack!" Esofy orders and the group splits. A beam of ice mana envelopes the slime, which freezes it almost instantly.

"Smash it!" Esofy commands and Uloru jumps forward with a wide grin, almost hovering in the air for a remarkable amount of time as she does a flip and brings down her hammer with a thunderous crack. The frozen slime shatters into a million pieces from the brutal attack and Irela shoots forth a metal spear, shattering the core.

"Could have let Tana drain the vitality to keep the material intact," Alysara says, sounding a little annoyed.

Irela huffs and turns around.

"Irela, act your age," Jowaru chastises. Despite being a full-grown woman, Irela is known to be really competitive.

"There are literally two ten year olds in this group and they are better behaved than you, Irela," Tulalo says.

"Why are you taking her side?! She's not even with us physically!"

"But I am mentally!" Alysara sticks her tongue out playfully, swishing her three tails.

"Alysara, I know you're better than that." Chyzu chastises.

"One of me is." Alysara jokes, referencing her [Twin Minds].

"You're not usually like this Alysara, is there something going on?" Esofy can't help but have a bad feeling.

"First I'm told to play like a normal child and now I'm told to not? Make up your mind, I have two helping with that." Alysara giggles at her own joke.

Alysara is usually more contemplative and quiet than this. Esofy's bad feeling is only reinforced when a treasure chest appears in the center of the room and Aly is immediately distracted. "Loot!" the immaterial girl skips over to the chest energetically, calling out some nonsense word. In sharp contrast to her usual caution she tries and fails to open the chest, seemingly forgetting that her illusion is not able to interact physically.

Why is she acting so childish all of a sudden? Esofy can't understand, but something is clearly wrong.

"Open it! Maybe there's a magic item in it!"

Why only her? Did something happen back at the camp?

Chyzu sighs and opens the chest after checking to see if it's safe. The chest contains two vials of red liquid, full of life essence. There's an enchanted banner and an enchanted green ring. The banner is full of courage essence, Esofy doesn't need to [Analyze] it to know it helps fight fear effects. The ring is full of wind mana, [Analyze] reports that it boosts wind damage by one-hundred twenty percent.

"Looks like RNG doesn't favor us, better luck next time!" Alysara bounds out of the room.

"I've not known Alysara for long, but even I can tell something is not right." Kadona comments, looking troubled.

"She's never been like this," Tana nods.

"We should follow her, perhaps it's something in this place that's affecting her?" Jowaru asks

"I'm inclined to agree," Kadona says.

"Remember she's actually back at the main camp, so this could mean that something is happening there." Chyzu argues.

"Why are you guys thinking it's a problem at the main camp? Are you stupid?" Irela snaps, "She said 'One of me is' and 'I have two minds' earlier; that implies her other mind, back at the camp, is unaffected."

Esofy has to let that sink in. If it is only affecting one mind, then why? What is here that is causing Alysara to act weird?

"We need to follow her, perhaps she'll lead us to the problem," Chyzu says, now with more worry in her voice.

Esofy rushes after the illusory girl who is now humming playfully, the rest of the group following behind. Explosions echo throughout the hall and soon the giggles of a little girl follow. The group keeps running but somehow Alysara is faster than them... no, she's just passing through the holes in the collapsed sections meant to block paths, her body of mana simply letting her get around them.

"Hurry up slowpokes!" Alysara calls from the other side, before the sounds of more explosions reach their ears.

The group rush around the halls trying to catch up, but Alysara is only gaining distance by utilizing shortcuts.

"Last one to the floor boss is a rotten egg!" Alysara laughs again, speaking another nonsense word.

The group follows the sounds of explosions and trail of slain slimes.

"You guys are so slow! Perhaps a little motivation is in order?" Her sound magic makes her voice carry far and echo ominously. "How about this, if you aren't at the floor boss in fifteen minutes you just might get a friendly package from me. You'll find the surprise to be quite a bang!"

"Doesn't it seem like she's getting worse the farther in we go?" Tana questions. Despite the situation, they sound as determined as ever.

"Anyway, why does she want us to get to the boss so fast? That is our goal anyway." Uloru says, completely unaffected from the running, likely due to her Bond's support.

Why indeed, could that be the source? Or has she been completely influenced by whatever it is?

"Let's just keep going, this place hasn't been explored yet so the map will not be useful to us," Esofy says. The map Alysara has been making is at the main camp so they can't use it.

They follow the explosions to a dead end, only seeing a fairy at the end of it.

"Oops, wrong way~," Alysara says from somewhere unseen in a sing-song voice "Now you get to say hello to my little friend!" The fairy rushes towards the group.

"Shit!" Jowaru jumps in front with her massive shield only to be blown back, groaning as cracking sounds come from her arms. Tana and Tulalo dash to her side to provide healing.

"Tick-tock, time's running out~" The giggling echoes throughout the ruins.

"Mind control," Kadona groans.

"The boss is a mind mage!?" Irela looks a little terrified.

"Alysara was scouting ahead, she must have been caught. The question is, are both her minds affected or just one?" Esofy questions.

"That explosion was powerful, full force even," Jowaru reports, "but it almost seems like she didn't have her Kyhosa on."

"Regardless, this is very bad, Alysara is possibly the worst of us to be mind-controlled in this situation. We have to kill the boss as soon as possible." Esofy commands.

The group runs further, searching room after room. The explosions have stopped and instead a trail of fairies is found, each one attacking and exploding. Each time, Jowaru needs healing.

"She wasn't this strong at the tournament!" Jowaru complains.

"She was obviously holding back! We all do!" Irela retorts.

"Prepare for trouble~ And make it double~" Alysara giggles at her own joke just as two exploding fairies speed toward the group.

"Irela!" Jowaru shouts and both metal mages throw up shields. The twin explosions fling the metal back; Esofy and Tana jump forward to deflect it.

"If we don't get there soon we'll be facing many more of those!" Chyzu's voice is verging on 'panicked'.

Now sprinting at full speed, the group runs into dead end after dead end, each having one or more exploding fairies. Even level one hundred slimes are occupying the rooms now, not having been blown up by Alysara. Esofy and the group quickly dispatch the slimes, however they are too late.

"Time's up! Come out, come out, wherever you are~!" They are close, Esofy just knows it... There! Nine fairies round a corner, instantly locking onto each one of them. Klora intercepts three of them with arrows, the fairies exploding prematurely, at a safe distance, and Irela follows her example with small metal balls. The explosions, however, are much, much stronger now, as if influenced by something.

Esofy turns the corner only to see a dead end, however, her [Sense Mana] sees a wall of beauty mana, an illusion.

"Another dead end!" Irela half-shouts, frustrated.

"No, it's an illusion!" Chyzu says and sprints toward the wall, vanishing through it. The rest of the group follow and run into a large cylindrical room. In front of them is Alysara's clone, now in a dark robe with blood-red trims and lines. A massive floating ball of pink slime is high above.

Mind Core Slime (Grand) Level 300

"It's time for you noobs to git gud!" Several dozen fairies descend from the ceiling, all ready to explode.

Chapter 65: Taking Over

Ting! Clear Mind has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 80!

6th Breakthrough: You've maintained a clear mind even under the pressure of a mind mage, this will help you resist mental assaults.

7th Breakthrough: You've maintained a clear mind even when entranced, this will help you resist mental effects.

8th Breakthrough You've maintained a clear mind even when a mind of yours is dominated, this will help you fight mental domination.

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained levels 38-63!

Ting! Twin Minds has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 80!

7th Breakthrough: You've used multiple minds in a mental conflict, this will help you overpower your foes mentally.

8th Breakthrough: You've managed to split your soul mind, this will help you develop a true second mind.

Ting! Twin Minds has obtained levels 68-80!

Ting! You have gained the Mental Fortitude general skill!

Ting! Mental Fortitude has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 40!

Mental Fortitude: You've built up an iron will against a powerful foe, this will increase your mental fortitude against attacks.

1st Breakthrough: You've resisted the multiple minds of a mind mage, this will help you fight off groups of mental attacks.

2nd Breakthrough: You've resisted being entranced, this will help you resist such influence for longer.

3rd Breakthrough: You've resisted mental domination, this will help you remain yourself for longer.

4th Breakthrough: You've somehow shed off a second mind to take the mental attack instead of you, this will help it fight off attacks for longer.

Ting! Mental Fortitude has obtained level 2-24!

Five gods-damned minds! That thing has five minds! How the hell was I supposed to fight off that thing?! Isn't this supposed to be the tutorial zone?! Why is a mid-game boss here?!

I managed to escape its attacks on the mind I'd been using to scout ahead by pinching off that mind's metaphysical presence in my soul. I had noticed it was possible a while ago, when I noticed that it looked like the mind component was halfway through mitosis, but didn't want to try it at the time for fear of unintended effects. Having done so, it's good that it still counts as part of me for resistances, but it's very bad that it's still connected enough to use my mana and skills against the group.

Instead of [Astral Projection] – which works by detaching my mind component from my soul – I control my clones by sending information and commands back and forth along the link maintained by [Summon Clone], but my mind component… or components, now, remain within my soul.

On the other hand, my spheres of perception for [Sense Mana] and [Sense Soul] work by 'feeling out' with my metaphysical mind, like an immaterial extra limb – acting as the center of the sphere – linked back to the main component in my soul, and it is via this mental presence that the problem occurred. In a similar manner to a computer virus from my past life tracing a connection from a remote server back to the main one, the monster now controlling the clone traced that link back after detecting that mental presence and is now infecting the mind… which was the one that was scouting until I accidentally shoved it into the clone in a desperate, reflexive attempt to get the thing away from me.

I seem to be able to cheat breakthroughs in [Clear Mind] with my [Twin Minds], as both of my minds count even if only one is being attacked. Even if one is completely dominated, my other will still count as calm and give me breakthroughs.

[Mental Fortitude] follows the same logic. I think it has more to do with my consciousness – which is not duplicated by [Twin Minds] – rather than my 'thought processes', so that might be why I can effectively cheat these skills. The fourth breakthrough in that skill, although I don't really understand it since I just got all four breakthroughs in rapid succession, seems to work by shedding off a 'decoy' metaphysical mind that, while it looks like a proper mind, is ultimately hollow; akin to a lizard breaking off its tail to fool attackers. Too bad I only got this by sacrificing my primary mind and not earlier. The one good thing is that I didn't have to replace any skills for [Mental Fortitude] as I had a free slot from [Mana Toxicity Tolerance] moving over to my race.

As I run another clone over to the ruins I think back on what happened.

I searched through the slimy halls with my primary mind and my dissociated perception spheres, marking down the rooms on my map including their dimensions, the number of monsters and anything that stood out or that could act as a landmark.

My secondary mind piloted my clone remotely and was engaged with some slimes, mostly watching so Tana could get more combat experience.

I marked down another room with a treasure chest, detailing the traps in my map; the chest had a trap too and would release poisonous gas if opened. There seemed to be some sort of enchanted kite shield in it for someone who opened it successfully. I moved on with marking the dead ends and monsters inhabiting the halls, my next stop being at a particularly complex trap, with a mechanism consisting mostly of mechanical gears rather than being primarily enchantments like most of the others I had found. It would activate in a large room; when a fake treasure chest was opened, the door to the room would shut and a slime boss would be dropped down from the ceiling, forcing a surprise encounter with one of the mini-bosses.

Bile Slime (Major) Poison Ooze (Major)

A poison specialist slime could be quite dangerous. I marked the room on my map with a skull and crossbones.

In my scouting, I came across another orb just like the one at the dungeon entrance and [Analyzed] it to make sure it was what I thought it was.

Dungeon Waystone (Major): An anchor for a Dungeon Waystone Key

Yeah, that doesn't explain much.

I continued for a few hours until most of the map was complete, saving the boss room for last. The group had just entered a room full of slimes – too full. so I sent an exploding fairy to thin their numbers. Something was strange about the slimes, however; It was as if they all shared the same soul, the same core, the same everything, despite clearly being in many little pieces. When the last of the slimes had been killed all the cores flew together, becoming one.

"So that's why..." I muttered. This slime divided itself only to reunite on defeat, a mini-boss with a second form. It seemed to be a skill of some sort, as its vitality had been completely restored. It seemed, when I checked my still-growing map, that there were five mini-boss rooms for the first floor of the dungeon and one final boss at the end of the floor. They'd likely all have annoying tricks of some sort.

I was blasting away at the boss and charging up my ice spell when something seemed to brush up against my primary mind. I didn't know what to make of it, but it was warm and comforting... My primary mind saw a giant floating slime in the last room, the floor boss's cylindrical chamber with ornate design and gold inlays. As I was about to [Analyze] it something stopped me, taking my attention elsewhere. Something seemed off, but the pleasant warmth seeped into my mind, a kind and gentle feeling that I somehow couldn't think about clearly. A sweet scent greeted me and an enticing song met my ears... what is going on?

"Stop attacking, you're feeding it!" Irela yelled.

Anger filled my primary mind. Can't this idiot see that it's being diluted? My second mind, however, was calm. Why am I feeling angry about that? It's in the heat of battle, details can be overlooked.

"No, she's diluting it, the slime isn't even its body, the core is," I explained calmly.

"It's growing bigger! How is that helping?!" Irela retorted.

I felt [Calm Mind] working. I provided an explanation, surely she understood, right? Not everyone has knowledge from another world, I told myself. Despite that thought, my primary mind was getting angrier and angrier.

What is going on? I asked myself again. [Inquisitive Perfection] was also acting weird, but before it could settle on a solution it changed direction as if it were being blocked somehow. The warmth filling my primary mind slowly, gently made its way to my secondary mind as well. It was soothing... but something was definitely off about it and I didn't know why, this was something I'd never encountered before. The scent was getting more potent and the song more intrusive.

Tana attacked with a jet of vitality-consuming flames that spread over the slime's surface, like a burning oil slick spreading across water.

"We need to get rid of the slime, keep diluting it until it can't hold its shape anymore, then we attack the core," I said, annoyance starting to build up within me.

"That's stupid!" Irela said and sent a giant ball smashing through the slime, spraying burning slime everywhere. "See, just smash it apart!" The slime just flowed back and rejoined the main mass around the core.

I may have a lot of patience but Irela can't seem to get it even when spelled out!

"A lot of good that did..." I retorted, annoyed.

"Everybody SHUT UP!" Esofy shouted.

With Esofy taking control of the situation we finally defeated the boss without further issue, at least until Irela smashed the boss's core.

"Could have let Tana drain the vitality to keep the material intact," I said passive-aggressively. Anger was filling me like a ravenous beast, I would have liked nothing more than to slap the self-satisfied smirk off that bitch. Maybe I should? A nice slap with an exploding fairy, these people are all incompetent anyway. I don't need them, I can kill the boss all by myself!

I suddenly realized what I was thinking. This wasn't me, something was influencing me, but what? This started when I was examining the floor boss's room. I had to know, so I tried to [Analyze] the boss again, only for Irela's antics to distract me... no, it shouldn't distract my second mind, unless... The boss is using mind magic!

Once I realized the problem I immediately started trying to fight it, attempting to push back the insidious warmth with a jab of ice-cold rage and fear from both my minds.

"Why are you taking her side?! She's not even with us physically!" Irela complained

"But I am mentally!" I stuck my tongue out and swished my three tails, suddenly feeling playful.

Why am I acting like this? I tried to warn the others but the words caught in my throat, the invading mental influence preventing me from doing so. The gentle warmth fought back against my will, expertly resisting my attempts to fight it off.

"Alysara, I know you're better than that." Chyzu chastised.

"One of me is," I said in a joking tone, trying to alert her that something was wrong. I couldn't directly say what's wrong, or even that anything is, hinting at it was the best I could manage.

"You're not usually like this Alysara, is there something going on?" Esofy asked

"First I'm told to play like a normal child now I'm told not to? Make up your mind, I have two helping with that" I giggled, a hand over my mouth. Kill me now. My artificially bipolar emotions were making this very embarrassing; why was the mind mage doing this to me?

Catch on already, Esofy, Chyzu!

My primary mind was more affected, but its connection to my second was allowing the mind mage's influence to spread.

A treasure chest appeared in the center of the room. "Loot!" I said and skipped over to the chest energetically. Wait a minute, why did I say that word? This mental spell is far more powerful than I realized. It seemed as if the spell's effects were changing randomly between rage and whimsy, showing that the mind mage was inexperienced with dealing with Runalymo at the very least.

I need to stop this, if I am completely taken over I can cause a ton of damage to the main camp. I don't know what will happen but I have to cut myself off from my primary mind and shift my consciousness to my secondary mind.

I observed my soul and focused on separating my primary mind. A sharp mental stab assaulted me, as if the monster saw what I was attempting and didn't want me to do it. Oddly, this felt like another force, almost as if the monster also had a second mind. Using what was left from my primary mind I blocked the attack, only for another stab to attack my other mind as a third mental presence invaded me.

This thing has more minds?!

I have to escape now! Fear gripped me as a fourth presence made itself known, trying to chain me down while feeling like a fluffy blanket. A fifth presence tried to persuade me to just surrender and let it take control, to fall into its gentle, warm embrace, because then there would be no pain or fear or suffering or—

This thing has five minds! In an instinctual panic, I pulled my second mind away from the clone's link and threw my primary mind down it instead, away from my soul, before tearing my mind component apart and cutting the link to my clone. Seemingly surprised, all five of the terrifying presences were torn away with it and I immediately felt the attacks on my mind weaken due to the distance and the reduced capacity of the [Summon Clone] link compared to my dissociated perception.

There was a moment of terrible pain, a feeling I couldn't entirely understand but knew to be that of my mind tearing in two... then all the pain and mental presences, the sweet scent and the siren song I only then realized had been coming from mind essence mana that my new racial [Mana Senses] had interpreted as sound and smell, it all disappeared as I watched the mind component in my soul split apart fully.

Relief filled me for a second, but I noticed my mana had started dropping. The monster was using my primary mind, whose metaphysical presence was now mostly isolated within my clone, to attack and was drawing upon my mana… which it could do, because despite being separated from my other mind the primary mind was necessarily still connected to my soul! I quickly removed my Kyhosa to weaken my spells, but I knew that wouldn't be enough to allow the group to overpower it

I could still feel the boss through my primary mind, still sense what was going on around the clone, but it was remote; like watching a screen, unable to interact with anything. Somehow the boss had taken control of my clone, its link was now attached to it, having been carried entirely with my primary mind when I discarded it.

I quickly summoned a new clone and started running back toward the group, knowing they'd need all the help they could get.

"Run!" Esofy shouts. The group runs out of the room and Irela and Jowaru seals the door with their metal. Explosions resound and the 'door' flies back towards them.

Fairies stream through the archway as the metal mage and warrior retrieve their metal, calling it back through the air to them.

Irela launches hundreds of needles to intercept the fairies but the shockwaves from the exploding ones blast them all away before all the fairies are intercepted. Undeterred, Irela does this over and over again, trying to thin the numbers.

Chyzu and Tulalo summon bolts of water to intercept the fairies, following Irela's example.

"This isn't going to end, is it?" Uloru complains about the seemingly unchanged number of fairies while repeatedly throwing her hammer and calling it back with her gravity manipulation.

"We just need to wait out her mana," Kadona says, standing at the front of the group.

"She should be running out soon," Esofy comments, watching the fairies for any opening.

However, she doesn't run out. If anything, more fairies are showing up.

"She... did take her Kyhosa off, right?" Tana asks, keeping their shield raised.

"I'm sure she did." Chyzu answers, panting from the exertion of the battle.

"It could be that the monster is feeding her mana." Irela explains. "If it lacks proper ways to attack and relies on others to fight for it, it may need to sustain them in some way."

"That makes sense," Esofy nods. "But if that's the case then we stand no chance. If anyone else had been controlled then we might have been able to subdue them, but not one of Alysara's illusory clones. This is the worst case possible."

The group is at a stalemate, only barely holding off the fairies by intercepting them. However, they can't last forever and the mages are starting to falter, running low on both mana and concentration before the seemingly endless tide. Esofy slashes at one that gets close, then breathes a tiny sigh of relief that it wasn't explosive; although it doesn't really matter to the mages, to a martial fighter the inability to tell apart the normal and exploding ones is a serious hazard.

Esofy watches as the beauty mana damages her sword, the enchantment on the blade degrading rapidly. Even with mana-infused enchantments, it can still be worn away by spells.

"Ahh!" Klora screams in pain as a fairy strikes her; she had been trying to save her arrows, but it looks like she can't afford that luxury anymore. Chyzu is next to be hit, then Jowaru as more and more fairies break past their defenses, the specter of defeat looming closer and closer.

At the worst possible moment, an extra-large group of fairies flows through the archway. Irela tries to blast them with a wall of needles, but she can't get them all and more are still coming through into the hall. Jowaru tries to form a metal wall but one fairy dashes ahead of the swarm and blows up where she was trying to anchor the metal to the stone bricks of the wall, disrupting her attempt.

"Run!" Esofy shouts, turning to look back, only to see another clone turning the corner behind them. Before her shocked eyes, a burst of mana comes from the clone and hits the swarm of fairies, which stop moving.

"It's my skill, don't think you can outdo me!" Alysara declares to the unseen monster, seething rage clear in her tone.

Chapter 66: Mind Break

The boss may have access to my skills by proxy of my primary mind, but it never learned the breakthroughs and doesn't understand all the nuances to them. Plus, it's still my skill. Even if it's being fueled by the boss, I can override the fairies' orders.

I see a mass of lightning-based essence around the heads of Kadona, Uloru, Irela and Chyzu. I'd bet anything that is mind essence and that the boss is trying to take control of them as it did me. I could try to fight over the manipulation of that mana, but I know it won't work and it'll only reveal my presence to the boss, so instead, I put my efforts into overriding the orders of the fairies. The boss is providing mana, might as well use what I can against it.

The time-delayed exploding fairies do pose a problem but I dismiss them with a wave of my hand, instead sending my own timed explosive mana to the fairies for my counterattacks, and turn towards Esofy.

"The boss has five minds and is trying to take control of Kadona, Uloru, Irela, and Chyzu in addition to my Clone," I explain.

"What?! No way!" Irela says.

"This could be another trick to divide us." Kadona speculates.

"Master is right. We can't trust her." Uloru agrees with Kadona.

Only Chyzu remains quiet.

Looking at the soul of the boss, I see that it has five separate mind components and, unlike mine which are normally clumped together, the boss's are spread out. I don't know if that helps its spells or not, or if it's just a product of having multiple minds naturally.

I need to kill the boss fast!

Within the range of my [Sense Mana], I see about a hundred more fairies in the boss room and send bursts of mana to them to override their instructions. As with everything else I've done since I arrived, the boss doesn't seem to notice my attempts to block its attacks.

Once the fairies' numbers in the hall build up to almost two hundred, I order them all to attack. Then I order the fairies in the boss room to attack once the main force of fairies enters.

"What?! Don't attack my master. Attack the enemy!" My Clone yells, confused. I notice that it's still producing sound despite being illusory.

I cut off the link from the illusion, so it should have dissolved, but it seems like the Mind Slime has taken control of the link.

Bursts of mana come from my evil Clone to take back control of the fairies, but I interrupt them with [Manipulate Mana]. Knowing myself, I don't maintain much control after sending out a spell so I expect the same of my clone and capitalize on its oversight.

The fairies strike the Mind Slime as I overcharge as many as I can. The slime writhes and wriggles as it is struck over and over again. It has lower vitality than the Alpha Wolf, so it should be easier to take out. The explosions from my fairies shake the ruin's halls, followed by a thunderous sound which forces the group to cover their ears to protect their hearing. Air rushes past us as the explosions force it out of the room.

"W-why isn't it working?!" My Clone isn't using [Sense Mana]... or perhaps it can't because the skill is attached to my race now? That means it's using the slime's ability to see, but what method is that? Perhaps the Mind Slime can only see light? I know it can detect mental presences, but the fairies don't have a mental presence.

To test my theory, I cast a globe of darkness around the Mind Slime with [Echoes of Reality] and nullify sounds within it as well for good measure.

There is a commotion around me as I watch the mental intrusion spell shift from Chyzu to Uloru and from Irela to Kadona. The master and student duo lash out at the nearby group as the slow attempt to mentally influence them turns into a desperate attempt to divide us. Esofy jumps to block an attack from Uloru while Jowaru blocks an attack from Kadona. The heavy hammer throws Esofy off balance and sends her skidding across the hall, over the slimy ground.

"Hold them off while we take down the boss!" I say, motioning for the rest of the group to go into the room and attack.

We all run into the room; Chyzu immediately starts blasting the boss with powerful jets of water while Tana's sword thrust sends forth a jet of his vitality-draining flames, which cling onto the Mind Slime and begin to spread. Irela sends several balls of metal flying up at the floating Mind Slime and smashes them through the viscous liquid. Burning slime sprays everywhere, and several good hits easily strike the core with how much has been blasted off with my previous explosions.

Slime is everywhere, much of it drifting up to rejoin the floating main mass. Just then, Esofy is hurled into the boss room as Uloru emerges from the hall, growling like a feral beast. I hear Kadona trying to smash past Jowaru's defense and see that it has little effect on the juggernaut.

Tana runs to aid Esofy as I send one exploding fairy after another, tossing more normal [Fairy Strikes] into the mix when I can. Tulalo is blasting the boss with water jets and intercepting enemy fairies. I notice mind essence start to build up around Esofy.

We need mind essence repelling armor! I mentally smack myself for not realizing it sooner. I have a way to prevent mind spells or at least make it hard for them to take root. It's lightning-based, so it's repelled by earth mana! With the rush of everything going on, I didn't have time to fully think about how to defeat the Mind Slime or even how to defend against it, but now I finally have a proper tactic.

I weave a hood out of earth mana and enchant it to resist mind essence specifically. It takes a few dozen seconds and uses most of my focus, focus that would have been used to override the orders of enemy exploding fairies. Irela realizes almost too late, barely managing to intercept one fairy in time. An explosion rocks the room and sends everyone sprawling to the gooey floor, except me. My illusory Clone only shimmers from the shockwave.

With my hood fully enchanted, I tell Esofy to put it on. It isn't decorated, but it will do the job. I override more fairies sent by my evil Clone and run over to Esofy, ignoring the approaching Uloru.

"It will prevent the monster from mind-controlling you!" I shout. It looks like Esofy is a little dazed and might have her ears ringing from the recent explosions.

Esofy puts the hood on. I watch as the mind essence is dispersed and clarity shines on her face.

"I never knew mind spells felt like that. I was wondering what was going on."

Her moment of weakness, however, gives Uloru enough time to assault Irela. The metal mage forms a shield as Esofy runs to aid her. A clang echoes in the cylindrical room as Uloru's hammer is brought down on Irela's shield, the metal caving in from the force.

"Intercept the fairies. I'll make us armor to help prevent mind control!" I shout out. The last time I failed to communicate, which almost resulted in heavy injuries, I am not making the same mistake twice.

I make another two hoods, watching Kadona and Jowaru battle; however, Jowaru has a buildup of mind essence around her head, and she seems confused and sluggish.

"Chyzu! Give these to Jowaru and Kadona if you can!" I order. Chyzu nods and immediately runs to the hoods to pick them up, then runs out of the room and into the hall where the two warriors are fighting. I start making more mind resistance hoods.

Chyzu comes up from behind Jowaru and slaps the hood on her before grabbing Kadona's arm to restrain her. They continue struggling as I shift my focus to see how Esofy is managing. She keeps parrying Uloru's heavy blows, her relative combat experience giving her an edge despite the heavy hammer.

Shifting my visual focus back to Chyzu, I see that she has managed to get the hood on Kadona, but she is still mind-controlled and attacking Jowaru. The boss must have formed a link like how I have a link with my Clones and Familiars, so it doesn't matter if the essence is there or not anymore. But that does seem to take up one of the boss's minds.

The boss's slime wriggles around as half its vitality is depleted from our attacks. That's when I see mind essence forming around everyone and feel the familiar warmth invading my mind. The sweet scent soon follows, and the familiar siren song alerts me to the mind-influencing attempt.

Oh no, you don't!

Its spell must be independent of its ability to mind control. My resistances will help me, so I first start using [Manipulate Mana] to prevent my allies from being controlled. However, I feel my attempt at dispersing the mana to be difficult, a tug of war over the mana, and it's two versus one.

I let go of the mana and instead override more fairies. There is only one thing I can do, and that is to prevent the fairies from attacking us. But what if I can unleash a powerful attack? If I can channel a spell, as I did against the Hive Slime, I may be able to take out this Mind Slime in one final attack. But I run into the problem of needing to do many things at once. I need to make mental resistance hoods, stop the fairies and channel the spell. I need [Multitask]. I procrastinated because I was working on other things, but being able to do multiple things with one mind would be so helpful here.

"Fall back into the hall!" I order, and we all run back into the hall with Uloru aggressively chasing us.

"Intercept the fairies!" I command. Since the group was already running on fumes before I arrived, and now Jowaru is keeping Kadona busy and Esofy is handling Uloru, they still need my help.

But we'll have to make do; we need mind resistance hoods now! I start weaving and enchanting. Several normal [Fairy Strikes] hit members of the group, Chyzu has somehow managed to pull Kadona's hood off and put it on herself, so that means Chyzu, Esofy, and Jowaru are protected. The next to be protected are Tana, Irela, and Tulalo.

The mind essence sings its song to me, growing ever more enticing as I work, and I feel a mental presence gently try to brush up against mine. I mentally jab at it and order my [Summoner's Core] to produce earth mana to slow the advancement of the mind spell. Finishing up the last of the hoods, I give one to Klora and put my own hood on back in the main camp. The siren song fades as the spell is blocked by my new armor.

Klora takes several hits from fairies to protect Tulalo and slumps against a wall, breathing heavily. Tana runs over and starts healing her with his flames just as Tulalo shoots a water jet to intercept another fairy.

Next, I start charging a spell with my racial beauty magic. A spear of beauty essence begins forming in front of me. I can't actually charge a fairy spell, so this is the next best thing. The beauty mana spear starts to vibrate with power and hums with intensity. I keep pouring mana into it, two thousand mana, then three thousand, Esofy's leg is hit by a fairy, and she stumbles to one knee, trying to resist Uloru's onslaught of attacks. Tana rushes over to help defend and heal her.

Four thousand mana in my spear, and Irela let an exploding fairy get too close before intercepting it. She and Chyzu are blasted to the ground again. Five thousand mana, the spear is pulsating with power, Esofy slips on some slime while dodging Uloru's attack, and Jowaru is hit in the back by a fairy. Six thousand mana, the spear is visibly shaking, and the hum grows into a high-pitched whine. Tana is struck by one fairy as Chyzu is struck by two; Irela intercepts another exploding fairy with the last of her energy, her mana completely spent. Seven thousand mana, the spear is violently shaking. I grab the spear and pump [Beauty Empowerment] into it. The spear grows larger and longer, pulsing with the sheer amount of mana put into it. Tulalo is blasted by a fairy and hits the wall, slumping to the ground in a daze.

I activate [Acting] and take the role of a dragoon warrior; I use [Shape Beauty] on the Clone I am controlling, morphing armor around it and forming a pair of stylized dragonish wings. I dash into the room and crouch low, aiming my spear at the boss, then I jump up and forward, use [Manipulate Mana] to move the evil Clone out of the way with a wave of my hand and thrust my spear into the Mind Slime's core. The mana of the spear rushes into the slime core in a single burst, burning its vitality directly for three seconds before my spear disappears, leaving the boss with only a few percent of its vitality.

I take control of its fairies and summon more of my own as I fall to the ground, landing on my feet. I send the fairies at the boss as I watch Esofy take a hit from Uloru that breaks her arm. Tulalo and Tana rush to her aid, with the fairies now diverted away from them.

Explosions ring out, signifying more vitality losses for the slime. Tulalo screams as Uloru lands a hit on her leg, shattering bone. Irela pants, exhausted, as she tries to lift her metal, but the blades merely quiver and raise a few inches above the ground, then fall back down.

I supercharge three fairies with multiple doses of [Fairy Explosion] and blast the slime. The last of its slime drips off the core, which hovers in the air for a second before it too falls, a bell ringing in my mind to signify the Mind Slime's demise.

Ting! Your party has killed a Mind Core Slime (Grand), Mind Slaver (Grand) Level 300, extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

I drop to the ground, feeling my second mind return to me. Welcome back.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 270-292!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained levels 127-154! 420 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Bond skill, Summon Clone, has evolved into Create Twin!

Create Twin: Create a semi-autonomous twin of you by constantly feeding it 1 mana per second.

Ting! New active skill available, Summon Arms! Would you like to accept this skill?

Summon Arms: Creates weapons for your summons to use to inject their mana into your opponents, costs 5 mana.

Interesting. If what my spear did is an example, it'll lead to a more efficient attack method than even my normal [Fairy Strike]. I wonder how this will pair with [Fairy Explosion]? Will it inject the mana inside and cause an explosion inside the body? That would be so useful; explosions are actually horrendous at efficiently using their force; that's why it has to be so strong; you are guaranteed to at least lose half the energy.

As I think this with my returned mind, I rush to the aid of my companions, checking to see who needs healing.

So the question is, which active skill do I want to get rid of? There is really only one choice, [Beauty Mark]. Yes, it has the potential to be really great, but my range is already so high, and my moveable perception kind of fills its place anyway. If the intent of the skill is to allow me to track the Mark's position for bombardment, then it's only useful for someone without my ridiculously high [Sense Mana].

Ting! You have lost the Beauty Mark class skill!

Ting! You have gained the Summon Arms class skill!

Summon Arms: You've managed to summon weapons for your summons; this will help their attacks be more efficient and deadly.

Ting! Acting has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 90!

9th Breakthrough: You've assumed a class role; this will help you imitate skills you normally wouldn't have.

Ting! Acting has obtained levels 79-86!

Excuse me? I can now 'act out' other skills?! This seems "game-breaking"... but thinking about it more, the limiting factor is the breakthroughs. Yes, I can act out skills, but I won't ever have their breakthroughs... meaning that it is a very welcome boost to my abilities, but it's relatively minor. A [Doppleganger] type skill might be able to imitate breakthroughs, but then I'd have to know which breakthrough and still have to figure out all its nuances.

Ting! Sense Soul has obtained level 97-100!

I've capped my [Sense Soul], that's nice to get.

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained levels 64-68!

Ting! Graceful Movements has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 70!

7th Breakthrough: You've learned to attack precisely and gracefully; this will help your aim.

Ting! Graceful Movements has obtained levels 64-72!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained levels 210-213!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained levels 253!

Ting! Fairy Commander has obtained levels 25-40!

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has obtained levels 34-39!

Ting! Fairy Explosion has obtained levels 33-39!

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has obtained levels 18-24!

Ting! Summoner's Affinity has obtained level 5!

That fight was deadly despite technically having a relatively easy counter to it. The stakes of being permanently controlled and made to fight my own people probably also contributed to the insane amount of exp gain.

This fight shouldn't have gone like this. We should have been prepared and cautious. I didn't know the abilities of this boss but gathering information was my role in this group, and I let my inexperience fail us. This almost turned out to be a disaster, thanks to me.

After making sure that the rest of my party is stable, I stand up, taking one last look over the exhausted group. I'll do better. I promise. I walk back into the boss room and examine the slime's core. The mind core is large enough that it takes both my hands to wrap my fingers around it, about twice the size of my fist.

Mind Core: The empty mind core of many-minded slime mage. Temporarily acts as another mind to anyone who impresses their mind into it.

Am I reading this right?! I can get a third mind?! It's temporary, so my guess is that it fades after some time and would have to be renewed. Maybe if I can make this into an item, it can be permanent as long as it's worn or something like that.

This dungeon delve has been lucrative, the wolf fangs that will hopefully let my clones have real, or at least quasi-physical, weapons, and now this mind core, both from bosses too. Now I almost want to hunt down more bosses. I look at the slime ooze itself; it too usually has some lingering mana that can make it a magical material.

Mind Slime: Slime from a mind mage slime. Increases mind spell effectiveness by 100%

Esofy walks into the room and collects the materials into a storage ring. The rest of the group enters behind her.

"Mind if I call dibs on the Mind Core?" I ask.

"We'll split the materials once we're done with the delve into these ruins, but for now, we should rest before moving on," Esofy says, looking just as thoroughly exhausted as the others.

"Yeah, I also need to refill my Kyhosa and mana reserves," I say as the party rests on the few places where the ground isn't covered in slime.

A treasure chest appears in the center of the room, a golden ornate chest with inlays of gems.

Loot! The one downside to my clone is that I am not actually there to get the treasure.

Esofy opens the treasure chest and reveals a sword of true steel. It's not decorated other than the pommel being a sapphire. It has a durability and sharpening enchantment on it, and the steel is of excellent quality. The other piece of treasure is a ring that boosts wind resistance.

Honestly, I am more hyped for the monster materials that we got. Esofy puts them into a storage orb that I made, and then we just… rest

Chapter 67: Gathering Intel

With a total of twenty-one thousand mana generation per hour, it takes me two and a half hours to completely refill my Kyhosa, but we have to wait longer for the warriors to refill their mana so I use the extra time to make mental resistance cloaks for everyone. The emergency hoods I made during the battle were made in haste and I didn't have time to decorate or properly fit them; these cloaks, though, are proper Runalymo attire. They're more carefully made and better enchanted; not only do they help resist mental attacks, but they also warn that such attempts were made.

I use earth slime cores, which function similarly to Domr pearls in that they help increase an item's enchantment allowance while also giving their material bonus to the wearer, which is usually some form of earth-type bonus.

After making the cloaks, which almost make it look like we are wearing a uniform, I scout the second floor more carefully, to prevent another Mind Slime fiasco. The trap enchantments and mechanisms are more complicated and more deadly and the 'normal' slimes are also stronger, although nothing new except for a higher ratio of essence type slimes, Poison, metal, speed, sound, even a gold essence slime is found, I'll lead the group to the gold slime eventually; I want to see what its materials can do.

The first mini-boss I see is now fully in the Grand tier with an unknown fire-type essence. I ask Esofy to look for it and report its level.

Blast Slime (Grand), level 310 Regenerator (Grand)

An explosion type – I honestly don't like the sound of that – and its regeneration will make it hard to kill. Although it may be susceptible to high burst damage that doesn't give it the chance to regenerate.

I scout around, marking the map with details, and find several treasure chests. I even find a huge ornate chest with true gold inlays made with some unknown earth essence.

The second mini-boss we find is a speed essence slime; instead of being huge like the other mini-bosses and bosses we've seen, this one is tiny.

Speed Slime (Grand), Level 317 Size Manipulator (Grand)

This one also looks very annoying.

I note several groups of roaming slimes and what looks like a roaming boss.

Gluttony Slime (Grand), Level 313 Predatory Hunter (Grand)

This one looks easy for me; my Clone can't be eaten, but the rest of the group? They won't like it. The Gluttony Slime has a water essence, not sure how that will fare for us, but I'm not keen on finding out.

"Can't I just blast all the bosses from here? That will make it much easier for us," I ask with a sigh.

"I would love to let you, Alysara, but we need to learn how to deal with them too. We can't rely on you all the time," Esofy makes a fair argument. It's the same situation as relying on the Guardian all the time; it made us weak. We need to learn how to fend for ourselves, and this, unfortunately, means diving headfirst into danger.

"Alright, then let's plan on how to defeat the roaming boss. We may encounter it, and we need to be ready for it," I sit my Clone down as everyone else rearranges themselves; we form a circle, all sitting cross-legged.

"First, we need to engage it on our terms," Esofy suggests. "We attack it. We don't let it attack us unless we have a defensive advantage" Everyone nods. It is better to attack it when we are prepared for it than to be taken by surprise or already engaging in another fight.

"It's a hunter type, and going by the name of the race it may try to envelop us as a form of attack, so we need to plan against that," Chyzu says, thinking with a hand on her chin.

"We summon walls of water, and I freeze them with ice magic," I suggest.

"It'll take too long." Irela shoots down my suggestion. "Jowaru and I can summon walls of metal quickly, so if it does try that, we can block it."

"What if it can melt your metal? Not only will you lose your defense but also your means of attack." I shoot down Irela's suggestion in turn. She shoots a glare at me. "It's not unreasonable. It may have some way to dissolve things it envelops," I defend myself.

"Alysara is right; it's too risky. You'll lose your weapons for the rest of the dive into these ruins," Kadona agrees with me, looking sternly at Irela.

"Fine! But how can we defend against its attacks then?" Irela asks, annoyed.

"That's why we are discussing this," Kadona replies.

Irela just huffs with her arms crossed and waits for some other suggestion.

"Can't we just freeze it like the other boss?" Tana suggests.

"Charging spells takes too much time; half of us could be dead by then," Tulalo answers.

"Hmm, maybe we don't have to?" I say, thinking out loud. "Sometimes the best defense is a good offense..."

"What are you considering?" Klora asks, eyebrows raised.

"Spell crystals are generally very volatile, so if I make each of us one or two ice spell crystals, we could toss them into the slime and freeze it that way," I say, fragments of my memory resurfacing with images of grenades.

"That could work, but how long will it take to make twenty spell crystals, two for each of us?" Chyzu questions. By her expression, she already knows the answer.

"Too long," I say with a defeated sigh. Then I remember something; I'd mostly forgotten about this, since I didn't have a proper chance to use it before my Evolution upgraded my memory, so I actually had to remember it. "Buuuuttt..." I say, drawing out the word. "If I weave a precharged ice spell... it would let anyone be able to cast it" This is it, this is the answer. Weaved spells, made by one of my breakthroughs in [Mana Manipulation], are just as volatile as spell crystals but can be discharged like a fantasy spell scroll. It's hard to get right, but we have time to prepare.

"That could work," Kadona says, her hand still on her chin. "But will it work just as well?"

"I've only tested it on smaller spells, which seem to work fine, but for charged spells? It'll only take ten minutes to make one." I reply.

"Then let's try it out," Tulalo says.

I start charging my spell and then weave the mana. About one thousand points of charged mana should make about half a square meter of cloth, but the end result is about twenty percent smaller than it should be; clearly, there is some loss in the weaving process. No matter, I'll just weave more mana.

Using the spell cloth, it disintegrates into a beam of freezing mana that chills the air of the boss room that we are in.

With the test complete, I start weaving five thousand mana into a spell cloth; however, the end result is significantly smaller than expected. The cloth should have been about two square meters in area factoring in the twenty percent loss, but it's even smaller, losing a total of about twenty-five percent of the mana. It seems like there is more loss the more mana you try to weave. Still, losing a thousand mana is not something I like; there has to be a better way to do this.

I enter my state of focus for [Sense Mana] to get a better picture of what is going on, then I charge up another spell and keep charging it until it starts humming and vibrating – like my charged beauty spear had – at around seven thousand mana. With seven hundred and twenty wisdom, it seems that the amount of mana I can charge is ten times my wisdom. I weave the spell, a little over thirty percent being lost.

The mana arranges into a structure just like normal mana silk. It is somehow 'locked' loosely into place; however, this isn't a perfect application of the skill, mana threads are brought too close to each other, making them become way more closely locked together and forming clumps of mana that can't be used effectively. Other mana is flung entirely out of the webbing that makes up the mana silk and is lost. The only way to fix these is to get better at [Mana Manipulation].

"Right, this will work, but the efficiency of making the spell cloth is pretty bad," I complain.

"At least we have two spell cloths. We should make more for the other bosses, especially the one at the end of this floor," Uloru suggests.

"So, what will we do if the ice spell doesn't work?" Irela groans at my question.

"And what if it does? Do we seriously have to plan for every conceivable outcome?" Irela complains.

"W-What's the harm in doing so? I-If we don't, we could die," Tana speaks up, stammering a little.

Irela flops on her back with another groan. "Wake me up when you're done." We let her sleep, not like she would contribute much with her mood.

Hours go by, and I make several more spell cloths as we plan and prepare for each boss. All the while, I continue mapping out the second floor. It is larger than the first and, while I did find the entrance to the next floor, it is blocked off by another wall of hardened slime, preventing us from moving past. The floor boss is nowhere to be seen, but I do find three more mini-bosses.

Fortress Slime (Grand), Level 300 Vitality Juggernaut (Grand)

Everwinter Slime (Grand), Level 300 Ethereal Blizzard (Grand)

Mana Slime (Grand), Level 300 Mana Fountain (Grand)

An armored type and what looks like two mage slimes. Honestly, they all sound like a pain to deal with, but so far we have a plan for all of them.

We have no idea what to expect from the Mana Slime other than a general caster. Tana will be absolutely vital against the ice slime, which may have a Bond class. The tank slime might just be a tough nut to crack with no good way to deal damage, but we prepare in the event that it is just as hard-hitting as the rest. The Blast Slime, it's reasonable to say, is an explosion slime so we plan to hit it from a distance. The speed and size manipulating slime will be countered with slow spells and my homing fairies.

There's just one problem; despite all of our plans, we lack intel on the monster's skills, which may well be our undoing. We need intel on how the bosses operate; we can take a million guesses, but we just don't know. To combat this weakness, we agree to send my clones to gather the necessary information.

Before I start testing the bosses, however, I first want to spend my stat points since I am sitting on over one thousand one hundred of them. I decide to have a total of five hundred points spent on my intelligence, putting three hundred more into it. This leaves me with eight hundred points, another three hundred go into my wisdom, and then two hundred each into mana and mana generation.

Unused stat points: 10

Mana: 200 [8200] (+10414)

Mana Generation (/hour): 200 [8200] (+32964)

Vitality: 100 [1100]

Strength: 9 [99] (-18)

Agility: 12 [132] (-12)

Endurance: 10 [110] (+27,5)

Intelligence: 32 [1632] (+979.2)

Wisdom: 28[1428] (+785.4)

Charisma: 20[220] (+32)

Welp, my mana regen has shot through the roof now. My tails are giving off even more mana, and my surroundings are filling up with mana faster than ever, although it's mostly beauty and wisdom essence.

I start with the Blast Slime. With an invisible clone, I walk into the room. The boss doesn't seem to sense my presence; I mark down that weakness. I observe its mana core and vitality levels. Its mana is very high, as is its mana generation; however, its vitality is very low, unusually so. Much lower than what one would expect from a mini-boss, although 'boss' is more just a high level, high tier monster. The next things to test would have to be its defensive and offensive capabilities; first, I'll provoke it with my attack.

I charge my beauty spear; a good way to test defenses is through a high powered attack, right? Not only can I see how tough and resistant to damage it is but also get a good measure of just how much vitality and vitality regeneration it has. I suppose I have a better understanding of how much damage my fairies do, but [Fairy Strike] deals less damage so the charged spear allows me to gain more information overall.

After pumping one thousand mana into it, then two thousand mana, I still don't sense a reaction from the Blast Slime. A surprise attack on this one will be vital in getting the upper hand. At seven thousand mana, my previous maximum charge The Blast Slime doesn't even show a hint of any danger sensing skills. Since I raised my wisdom, my new maximum is almost nineteen thousand. Twelve thousand mana and now the spear is starting to show signs of power; it pulsates gently. Fifteen thousand and the spear is beginning to vibrate and making a high pitched sound, this time the Blast Slime wiggles from side to side as if looking for the source of the sound. Seventeen thousand, and now the Blast slime looks agitated; it knows something is nearby but doesn't know what.

At eighteen and a half thousand mana charged, I cast [Beauty Enhancement] on my spear, further nudging it into instability while watching the unstable mana closely so I don't overdo it and trying to get as close to the line as I can. The spear grows larger in my hands, a second dose making it fit for a large adult, a third turning the spear into a giant's weapon - or just one that matches Uloru and Kadonas' weapons in 'overly large fantasy' style. I cast a speed spell on myself and, taking inspiration from one of the Kheshamo warriors I saw fight in the tournament, I begin [Acting] the role of Blitz Spear Master. With a burst of speed that leaves dust in my wake, I thrust deep and hard into the core of the Blast Slime. Beauty essence erupts into the core, burning out its vitality. I watch as its regeneration can't keep up with the sudden burst of damage, and then the slime slides off the core just as my spear runs out of mana and vanishes.

"Oops," I mutter. I wasn't supposed to one-shot the boss like that... It's its fault for not having a good sensing skill! Actually, now that I think about it, I am getting insane boosts to my beauty spells. Six hundred from my race, five hundred from my Kyhosa, however much my intelligence gives me, my Bond level, the [Beauty Enhancement] the thousands of mana put into that spear, the efficient delivery of the damage. All of it meant my damage output killed this boss.

Ting! You have killed a Blast Slime (Grand), Regenerator (Grand) Level 310, extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and solo.

I was simply testing its ability to take damage. I didn't realize just how strong my attack was, I swear!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 293-298!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained levels 155-160! 90 status points awarded.

"Umm, I might have accidentally killed the Blast Slime," I say aloud.

"How do you accidentally kill a boss monster?!" Uloru says, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"I was testing its defensive capabilities, but I guess it wasn't all that tough? I think it specialized in high damage and high regeneration and didn't have very much vitality and defense?" It's still hard to know how much vitality is a lot for level three hundred monsters, but it definitely had less than all the others I've seen.

"Well, if there is a next time, then that'll be good to know," Esofy gives a resigned sigh.

Moving onto the Fortress Slime, it also doesn't sense my presence. It could just be that my clone, while invisible, can only be detected by a form of mana detection. The Mind Slime noticed me because it could sense mental presences, but this Fortress Slime doesn't have anything like that.

I am confident that even at full power and with my new stats, I won't be able to kill this slime. Its vitality is the most I've seen, excluding the Guardian. The Fortress Slime should also have an incredible defense, so my attacks shouldn't count as much as they did against the Blast Slime. Its mana, however, is basically nonexistent; it seems to be focused purely on its defense.

I thrust my charged spear into the slime, equally powerful as the one I killed the Blast Slime with, noting just how much harder it is to penetrate slime filled with an unknown earth essence. About twenty percent of my spear's mana is spent just going through the slime; once the spear hits the core, the vitality rapidly drops by about fifteen percent. I do not miss the spell resistance this slime seems to have: a true tank. The Fortress Slime wriggles angrily and juts out spikes in all directions, piercing the stone walls of the room over and over again. I note down that the strength is enough to crack the unusually hard stone.

After testing the Fortress Slime I move over to the Mana Slime which immediately sees me and unleashes a hellfire of flames. My clone simply stands in the fire and charges an attack while looking at its mana and vitality levels. Its mana generation is easily five or six times higher than my own and its mana reserves are even higher. Its vitality is what I'd expect from a mage boss. The boss stops the fire and uses ice mana to the same effect. It switches again this time to earth, then lightning. I note how it's trying to figure out my weakness by switching to opposites. I attack with only three thousand mana in my spear when the boss uses light spells; I have to know its defensive capability before it uses dark spells and destroys my clone. My spear chunks its vitality down, so its defense is about what I'd expect.

My clone is destroyed by the next spell but I already have another running to the next target for information.

The Speed Slime doesn't notice my presence either, so I stab it with a powerful attack and remove almost half of its vitality. Its resistance to attacks seems to be about average, it didn't completely ignore it like the Blast Slime, nor did it focus on it like the Fortress Slime. Its vitality is a little higher than the Mana Slime, by about ten to fifteen percent. The slime immediately starts to bounces around like a ricocheting bullet after being attacked. It'd be a blur to normal eyes, even I have a difficult time keeping track of it. It only gets faster as it casts a speed buff on itself. My guess is that it attacks with its body, which appears to be shrunken. All that mass with that amount of speed and in that tiny body will pack a powerful punch. I'll need to weave several force-absorbing blankets to bleed it of its speed and remove its one trick. I do notice the cracks it leaves behind when bouncing off the walls; it is kind of hard to miss when the sudden cracking sound meets my clone's ears.

Uloru's weight manipulation won't work. Weight is mass times a force, usually gravity. By manipulating the strength and direction of gravity's pull on an object, she can change the weight of things, but the mass remains the same. Its attack uses its mass times speed, so manipulating its weight won't do much; in fact, it might help it. Casting slow spells on it and bleeding it of speed will be the key to defeating this boss.

I leave the Speed Slime, my invisible clone walking away as if nothing happened. The destruction the Speed Slime is causing still echoes throughout the halls.

Arriving at the Everwinter Slime, it also doesn't notice me. My bet is that it can sense temperature, which my clone doesn't affect. Its mana is high, and its vitality is about the same as the Mana Slime. Its defense is on par with the Mana Slime, but its attack has the entire room and adjacent halls frozen solid in a matter of seconds. With its race, Bond, and class all geared toward the ice element it's getting huge bonuses to its ice spells. Many layers of fire silk will be needed to survive this one.

I report my findings back to the group, and we make the necessary preparations.

Chapter 68: Boss Rush

With all of our preparations done, we decide to tackle the roaming boss first. I keep an eye on it as we make our way to a room relatively close to the current position of the meandering Gluttony Slime. We slay all the weaker slimes up to and in the room, then begin erecting walls and pillars of ice to make defensive positions. Esofy and Chyzu give out spell cloths from the storage devices and do a last-minute check on everything.

"Tulalo, got everything ready?" Esofy asks.

"Yes, I just need to channel this spell, right? I'll be using a lot of my mana, so I won't be able to do any other big attacks or last very long if this fight gets drawn out."

"Aly, you have everything you need?" Esofy addresses me.

I start channeling my spear. "I'll try not to accidentally kill this one," I say with a confident smile and assume my spear master role, shifting my clone's illusory armor to fit the aesthetic. I'll never be as good as Esofy; [Acting] can partially mitigate my lack of training but it won't actually make me good at spear combat, it's pretty much bringing me up to what my past life's history might consider as 'militia levels'. Not to mention [Acting] doesn't do anything about my stat distribution, so even if it did make me technically good at combat I wouldn't have the stats to back it up.

"Chyzu?"

Chyzu gives a thumbs up.

"Kadona?"

"I am ready," Kadona readies the spell cloth.

"Uloru?"

Uloru gives her hammer a few test swings. "Just hit it after it's frozen, right?"

"You need to tighten your cloak; you could trip," Kadona says to her.

I made everyone acid-resistant, skin-tight suits to prepare for this fight, but Uloru's mental-resistance cloak is loose and dragging on the floor.

"Klora?" Esofy asks after Uloru corrects her clothes.

Klora plucks her bowstring a couple of times and knocks an arrow.

"Tana?"

"Ready!" Tana raises the backup spell cloth in case we need the extra power.

"Jowaru?"

Jowaru lifts her battle axe, "Use my metal as a last resort shield, right?"

"I'd prefer if we don't smash the core to pieces, we might be able to make something amazing out of it," I say.

"We hit it with all we have, we're not strong enough to think about holding back. That said, it is our goal to get the best materials we can, so that we can go even deeper in this place." Esofy nods in my direction, "Go get its attention."

I leave another clone behind me, piloted by my second mind that is charging up another spear. My first clone is running through the halls, invisible, passing the weaker slimes unnoticed and charging down the roaming mass of slime. I reveal the clone just as the spear hits and the boss immediately envelopes both the clone and spear. I notice that the spear's mana is burning out faster than usual.

"It's eating mana!" I tell the others with my second clone. Through my first clone, which has almost been fully eaten by the Gluttony Slime, I summon a Familiar that leads the boss back to the group. Despite being partly eaten, my spear attack still burned through what looks like thirty percent of its vitality.

A squelching sound can be heard as the boss approaches and enters the room. Immediately, Kadona blasts the slime with the charged ice cloth, freezing about half of it. Tana, catching the Gluttony Slime in a crossfire, uses his spell cloth as well, although he is clearly panicking slightly and so his angle has some overlap with already-frozen parts, leaving about a fifth unfrozen.

Uloru jumps and, with a yell, smashes the slime with her massive hammer, revealing the core. I leap forward with my beauty spear and stab it at the same time as Tulalo's water blasts the core and washes away the remaining slime. The core drops to the ground, empty of vitality.

"It's dead," Uloru announces, her [Life Sense] letting her know that it died; not that she needed to say, the notification informed us of that.

Ting! Your party has killed a Gluttony Slime (Grand), level 305 Predatory Hunter (Grand), extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

A treasure chest appears next to the core of the boss. By now, I have learned that the treasure chests have mediocre loot and that the crafting prospects of the monster materials are way better. I suppose it makes sense, it's a lot harder to keep the materials intact while defeating the monsters.

"I didn't even get to do anything!" Irela complains. "You didn't even ask if I was ready!"

"You were asleep during the planning, and we didn't want to wake you," Tulalo says.

"We rest to refill our mana here; then we move on." Esofy says.

Irela pouts, folding her arms under her bosom.

"I reached my next class evolution! Level two hundred! Ohh! Major-tier!" Chyzu excitedly jumps up and down and attempts to hug me, falling through my clone in the process.

"I reached level two hundred too; well, I got it when we defeated the Hive Slime, but there have been too many things going on since then," Kadona says.

"I am very close to two hundred, at one ninety-eight right now." Jowaru says.

"One ninety-five," Esofy says and opens the treasure chest.

A white fist-sized orb that boosts ice manipulation, something that my Aydomr pearl does, and a true steel black helmet, enchanted to see in the dark.

RNG sucks! Loot boxes sucks! What's with these drops, they are all so bad! I suppose I could use the orb and my pearl to make something useful at the very least.

Looking at the Gluttony Slime's materials, I hope for something better.

Core of Mana Devouring: The core of a Gluttony Slime; can absorb spells and mana.

Battery 5000

Not bad. Absorb and store mana for later use.

I am reminded of my sisters' Kyhosa and its 'absorb and discharge' function. I probably won't lay claim to this one.

Acidic Slime: This slime is full of a potent acid able to eat through almost anything.

This could be used as a weapon. Throw flasks of this at an enemy and watch them melt into a puddle.

As we rest, Kadona and Chyzu evolve their classes. I watch their mana signatures warp and become blurry as the changes take place.

They give us an overview of their improved and new abilities. Chyzu's water jet became more powerful, a quick test showing that it can now easily carve through the stone walls at close range. She can widen the water jet too; she pressure washes an area of the floor clean of slime as part of the experiments. Her skill that she used to turn the arena's sand to mud back during the tournament became [Liquefaction], a skill that can easily make quicksand. It doesn't work in the ruins because the floor is solid stone, but it should work with soil, sand and other loose ground. She also gained a water whip ability that can restrain others; the range our tests find it to have is surprising considering that it's a completely new skill that showed up to fill the empty skill slot left by merging of two others.

Kadona, in contrast, simply tells us that her ability to swing her weapon improved and that her attempts to decapitate the Alpha Wolf paid off. I find it strange, as it was Uloru who chopped the thing's head off, but maybe it was the effort that mattered?

In addition to the class evolution of Kadona and Chyzu, Tana announces that he obtained a new active class skill, an ability to drain vitality from others with a touch. He's almost like a vitality vampire now, one that uses fire.

Once we're all familiar with what's changed for Chyzu and Kadona, we go to where I killed the Blast Slime, so that we can retrieve its material. We have to take a longer route, however, as the most direct path has a large trap that we can't disarm or avoid.

Blast Core: The core of a Blast Slime. Increases the power of any explosion-type abilities.

This could be really good for my [Fairy Explosion], but I can't just call dibs on everything we loot. I already have a claim on the wolf fangs and the Mind Core. The core that I hope we'll get from the Mana Slime will probably be amazing, so I want to see what it can do before making any new claims.

Blast Slime: This slime is highly volatile and can be ignited with a flame.

I wonder if this can be used in place of gunpowder? Even if it can, we lack the quantity to really do anything with it. Still, this might imply that some industry can be fueled by monster farms.

After collecting the Blast Slime's materials and spending some more time running through tunnels, we tackle the Fortress Slime. I charge up my spear, noticing that this boss has fully recovered from my last attack. The group dons their force-dispersal gambeson armor to help defend against the attacks; it should block all physical damage, in theory.

Force-dispersal armor, at least the way I made it, works by distributing incoming force evenly over the entire structure of the material, rendering the wearer effectively immune to forces below a certain threshold and requiring an attack powerful enough to overwhelm the collective durability of the entire armor. As such, the more material there is – the bulkier the armor is – the better the defenses work, although this is offset by, obviously, the agility and dexterity reduction from wearing thick, bulky armor. In addition, the enchantment that spreads incoming force is limited to the speed of sound travelling through the material, meaning that some amount of damage will always remain at the impact point, reducing the overall durability of the whole thing slightly with every attack sustained. My solution to this was to make multiple, disconnected layers but, since there's an upper limit on how bulky I make it, that leaves each layer relatively weak individually.

The slime quickly takes notice of the others and starts jutting out slimy spikes at them, pulling the spikes back into its mass and extruding more in a rapid cycle. Jowaru takes the brunt of the attacks, grunting and being pushed against the wall before even taking two steps into the room. Her metal shield is continually battered and dented and reformed by her [Metal Manipulation]. Tana sprays his vitality-draining flame over the spikes as they strike Jowaru's shield, covering the boss in flames when it pulls them back.

I turn my clone invisible, rush into the room and stab the boss with a fully charged spear, burning about a sixth of its vitality. The Fortress Slime wiggles in a fury and juts out spikes everywhere, lessening the onslaught against Jowaru.

I wait in a corner with another charged spear while the group slowly whittles the boss's health down; they're peeking around the corner of the archway to launch single attacks as Jowaru's shield takes hit after hit. Irela's attacks just bounce off the metal slime, so she helps with defensive duty.

Esofy tentatively steps into the room and dodges a metal spike by a hairsbreadth. She swings her sword to cut one of the slime spikes, but a metallic clang rings out and her attacks result in little or no damage. Esofy tries a few times, before giving up switching to giving orders instead.

"Tulalo, charge your spell and hit it as hard as you can. Tana, keep your flame on it; it seems to be working. Chyzu, get up close – if you can do that safely – and try to cut the spikes with your water jet."

As the group continues their battle, I spot the Gold Slime wandering nearby! I leave the room and run it down, overkilling the poor thing with my charged spear. A treasure chest appears next to the remains, a beautiful thing made with gold essence gems and 'true gold' – gold saturated with gold essence. I simply wanted the materials, eager to study a gold essence attuned monster; I wasn't expecting a treasure chest to appear like they did when killing bosses.

As I can't gather the materials with my clone I return to the group. Klora is just standing there, not knowing what to do; her attacks have been just as useless as Esofy's. Uloru and Kadona are discussing ways to try and peirce or cut through the metallic slime.

Still, even with only Tana actually attacking, the group has managed to whittle down the boss's vitality by what seems to be three percent in about ten minutes; a slow, yet steady pace. I wave to Klora to get her attention.

"Come with me. I found something that you can do," I lead Klora over to the Gold Slime to collect the materials, examining them as she picks them up.

Gold Core: Crystalline gold essence. Glows when near gold, glows brighter with more gold nearby.

Gold Slime: A slime filled with gold essence. Infuses metals.

So with the gold slime, we can make true gold or gold steel or whatever, and the core is a metal detector that only detects gold.

I was hoping for something a bit cooler and more esoteric. Gold has some interesting properties; it's a good conductor of electricity and heat – although I don't know if the same is true for mana saturated gold as that can give it different properties – it's denser than lead despite not being very hard, it's inert so it doesn't corrode and it is one of the few 'heavy' metals that don't poison people. Sure, the metal itself has value; the Runalymo don't use it as currency, but it's often a great choice for jewellery – but there has to be a better trait that the material could have assumed? That's without assuming that the traits and skills the monster had influenced the material... or maybe they did? Perhaps naturally occurring Gold Slimes live in gold mines and use some skill to sniff out gold to… eat?

Slightly disappointing corpse examination complete, we open the gilded chest. Surely such a grand chest has something good in it, right, even if it's relatively small? Inside sits a small black oval that fits in Klora's palm and a black starry orb, much like the dungeon waystones.

Dungeon Waystone Key (Major): Attunes to dungeon waystone and allows teleportation to that location; can bring anyone who is touching the user.

This. This! This is what we've been wanting all along! With this, we can teleport to each of the waystones on the ruin floors and the dens and the dungeon entrance; this is huge!

Dungeon Waystone (Major): A waystone to anchor a teleportation location of the dungeon waystone key.

This find was easily worth all the trash chests before. Can this work outside the dungeon? If anything, it gives us a way to teleport right into the main camp. We need to find more of these Gold Slimes pronto!

We run back to the group in high spirits, Klora holding the chest and the goods inside. The group is still battling the boss. Fuck it, if they haven't found a way to kill it by now, then I will! To start with, they are being overly cautious; they did take a few hits, but the armor did its job. Now they need to be a little bit bolder and use more powerful attacks, otherwise we'll be here all day.

"You guys have only lowered its vitality by a tenth," I complain as I start charging my spear. "Piercing-type skills probably work best against monsters like these." Not to mention that Tana's vitality-draining flames have been doing most of the work.

Once the spear is fully charged, I charge down the boss and stab into it again while casting an invisibility spell on Esofy, Kadona, and Uloru, all of whom couldn't do much against the fluid metal.

"Focus your attacks! Uloru, drive Kadona's sword into it! I'll take some of the boss's focus away from you, trust in your abilities to dodge its attacks! Alysara, give us a speed boost!" As if my eagerness breathed some life into the stagnant battle, Esofy gives out more orders, adapting to the situation.

Kadona rushes in without hesitation and stabs her giant sword at the metal slime, making a small dent. Not even a second later, Uloru slams her hammer onto the sword's pommel, driving it in like a nail. It is a good effort, but the slime is shifting rapidly, so the sword will miss the core.

Both Kadona and Uloru take some hits, their armor taking the brunt of the force, while Esofy just dodges the strikes aimed at her. I notice with my [Sense Mana] that the mana silk cloth tears in some places.

I strike the slime again, using the last of my mana and eliciting a dozen strikes upon my immaterial clone. I shouldn't have used a full charge on the Gold Slime; I got distracted and didn't realize just how bad of a match-up this boss is against most of our group. Kadona is on the defensive while Uloru slams her hammer down onto the sword again, driving it further in; clearly nobody else has noticed that the core has shifted. Uloru is struck again and I hear some tearing from her armor as the first layer is torn to shreds, the accumulated damage exceeding what it can endure.

"Physical attacks aren't working, should we retreat?" I suggest.

"No," Esofy says, narrowly dodging a spike covered in Tana's flame, "I may not be able to hurt it, but I can take some heat off Jowaru, and this is leveling up my [Battle Movements]." The skill she's talking about is a variant of [Agile Movements], just like my [Graceful Movements].

"Same," Kadona pants, taking a grazing hit. Tana's flames aren't spreading to her, either by his direct control or some sort of friend or foe property of the flames.

"I still have two layers of my armor, I can continue," Uloru says, mimicking her master's determination.

"Ready!" Tulalo finally calls out that her spell is charged and immediately shoots a powerful jet of water, cutting the slime almost in two and revealing the core. Unfortunately nobody is in a position to strike and the damage is quickly covered up as if it had never happened. Our one window of opportunity is wasted due to our inexperience and lack of proper teamwork, problems we'll need to reflect on and rectify.

Thirty minutes pass and in that time the warriors have to retreat, either having too much damage stacked up on their or simply getting too tired from dodging all the attacks. Uloru is on her last layer of armour and Kadona lost her first, while Esofy has somehow avoided getting hit at all and is only tired. However, Tana's flames have now drained most of the boss's vitality and my mana has recovered enough for another charged spear. My clone leaps forward with one last attack and delivers the finishing blow to the Fortress Slime.

"I hate to admit it," Esofy pants as she half-sits, half-collapses on the floor, "but our skills didn't measure up well against this one."

"We made many mistakes, but we found something amazing! A teleportation stone that can warp us back to the main camp!" I say and gesture to Klora to show them the waystone and waystone key. We can reflect on the battle later, this is much more interesting.

"While that is a good find, we can look at it later, first we need to discuss what went wrong in this fight." Esofy looks upset with me.

"Yeah! Running off like that is not good, let alone taking someone else with you. What if something happened and you two weren't here?!" Irela says with clear annoyance. My excitement drains away and I droop my ears and tails, realizing my mistake.

This sparks a long discussion over what could have been improved. Our teamwork, timing, staying vigilant and not getting distracted, following orders and knowing when and when not to give them. The way I jumped the gun and forced Esofy into action was a bad thing as it could have gotten someone hurt. While it would have taken longer, letting Tana's flames slowly kill the monster was the safest approach. And, more to the point, Esofy is the leader, not me, so I shouldn't have been giving orders at all.

I didn't realise it before, but now that I'm trying to look at it from the perspectives of the others I start realizing my own problems. Their lives are on the line; they are in the thick of the fighting whereas I'm... not. I see the world from a third person perspective – even when looking at myself – and, while that's great for just seeing everything, I only now realise how it's been affecting my perception of reality – particularly danger and risk.

I use my clones to fight remotely so it's hard for me to relate to how it's like for the others. I might be so disconnected from all of this that I am not realizing the severity of things... but I am too scared to throw myself into danger like everyone else. In this, at least, even if my abilities are tailored for it, I am a coward. My self-reflection keeps me mostly silent for the rest of the discussion.

Once the after-action discussion is over we then move our focus to the treasure, which cheers me up a bit.

"Isn't that waystone what was back at the entrance?" Irela asks. Peaking over Klora's shoulder.

"I spotted some on each floor, and in the dens as well, so we can just teleport where we need to go," I say "we got this from a Gold Slime so if any one of us spots one, we need to kill it to hopefully get more!" Teleportation technology— Can it even be called technology if it's magic? Manalogy? Anyway, this could be the key to discovering ways to make teleportation devices, I just need opportunities to study how it works.

"Can this waystone work outside the dungeon?" Uloru questions, Kadona nodding approval of her student asking the important question.

"I don't know, but it's worth a try!" I say cheerfully, already looking to [Analyze] the Fortress Slime materials.

Fortress Core: Obtained from a Fortress Slime, this core improves all-metal manipulation abilities.

Metal Slime: This slime is rich in metals.

Jowaru lets Irela claim the core while she takes the slime for more metal to manipulate. Personally, I think Jowaru just didn't want to argue with Irela over who should get the more valuable slime core, but it's results that matter.

We take a long rest to recover mana… and just to recover in general, physically and mentally, from the drawn-out fight, then we set out towards the next target.

The next boss we encounter, after working through rooms and halls of slimes and traps, is the Everwinter Slime. On the way, we got a lucky treasure chest from a random slime, but it had mediocre loot. Still, this shows that sometimes treasure may just randomly appear after killing a monster. We all don our very thick fire silk armor and step into the boss room, invisible. As I expected, the boss immediately freezes the room with a wave of ice mana and conjures a concentrated blizzard.

Chyzu and Tulalo instantly become useless with their water spells, so they stay at the back. Tana douses the slime in flames while the warriors slash and smash at the slime. Icicles shoot out in retaliation, but Jowaru and Irela block them with floating shields of metal. Klora looses her arrows, and Esofy deflects icicles flying at the two water mages with a flourish of her blades. Realizing that they are only a hindrance standing in the back doing nothing, Chyzu leaves the room to get herself out of harm's way while Tulalo helps Tana with healing.

I hit the slime with a charged beauty spear. The Everwinter Slime emits an angry purring sound after being hit and retaliates with a pulse of mana. The blizzard's rage becomes ever colder and more furious, ice spears forming and flying out towards random targets. Klora is hit with an ice spear and Tana rushes to heal her, but another ice spear flies toward him. Jowaru steps in front of Tana and blocks the attack with her shield, but has to jerk her head to the side to dodge the spear as it pierces half its length straight through the metal. Even when blocked they can kill, apparently, although if Jowaru had angled her shield the ice spear would have been deflected instead of piercing.

Tana's vitality-draining flames have now fully enveloped the slime, damaging it steadily. However, I notice that its vitality is being drained slower than normal; I don't recognize any resistance skills in the slime's mana signature but it could just be a skill I am unfamiliar with.

Kadona blocks several more conjured ice spears with the flat of her huge sword, but when she tries to move forward finds herself unable to move, her legs encased in ice.

"It's doing the same thing as the Aydomr!" Esofy's yell holds a harsh edge of incipient panic, clearly she's flashing back to that awful day. However, what's different this time is that there aren't claws of death coming to break people in half, only the constant conjuration of spears.

I use [Mana Manipulation], fighting against the Everwinter Slime for control… and losing! I put both my minds to the task, only managing to force the entrapment to recede slightly. Even with my full focus, freeing the others will take too long, so I switch to charging another beauty spear as quickly as I can.

More ice spears are conjured and launched. One of them pierces Uloru's abdomen, her armor doing far less than it should to stop the attack, then another hits Tulalo. Both scream in pain and fear as they struggle against the ice encasing their legs, even as their bleeding wounds freeze over in the intense cold. I jump forward and ram my charged spear into the slime, but to my surprise its vitality has gone up since last time I looked, even with Tana's flames! How? The flames should have reduced its health by a lot.

Looking more closely I realize that it's not just cooling everything down, but also draining the heat from the surroundings to heal itself! Fire mana is turning into vitality and being drawn to the slime., so Tana's flames are healing it as much as they're draining its vitality and our fire silk armor is basically just feeding it free healing.

I closely observe the group's armor, noticing that they've all lost at least half their defences, not only weakening the armor physically but also making the group more susceptible to the cold. I charge another spear, wincing as Kadona, and then Esofy, take hits. I try to nudge the spears with [Mana Manipulation], of course, but the boss has some sort of skill preventing me from doing so, or it just has that much more wisdom than I do.

The boss has some sort of sensing skill, probably [Heat Sense], so making illusions of the others won't work. I'll just have to overwhelm it with powerful attacks.

I summon exploding fairies and order them to blow up near the ice spears to knock them off course. It takes a few seconds for me to get the timing right, but once I do so no further injuries are being incurred. I then summon Familiars to heal the injured with [Grace of Wholeness].

I summon another clone next to my current one and have my primary mind pilot it. I charge two beauty spears, watching the fairies zoom around to intercept the endlessly forming ice spears – and now also balls of unstable ice mana, indicative of an exploding attack, which are a new and unwelcome addition to the fight. Esofy is hit again; she manages to reduce it to a grazing blow by leaning to the left, but I can see the rising panic in her eyes. The ice entrapment is slowly encasing her, spreading upwards from her feet, limiting her movements more and more.

I drain all of my remaining mana into the spears, my clones actually starting to flicker for a few moments as I almost forget about [Create Twin]'s upkeep cost, and then I stab both spears into the slime core. The sheer amount of damage is too much for its healing and the cold gel drips off the core as life escapes it.

We've won, but… I once again failed to gather proper intel, turning what could have been an easy fight into another nightmare.

The group is visibly shaken, especially Esofy, who seems to be reliving the Aydomr fight, although half of her shivering might be from the conjured blizzard.

"I'm not sure if I want to keep fighting ice monsters," Chyzu says bitterly as I free everyone. Esofy remains silent. I can tell that she is trying to fight off her trauma by attempting to get her breathing under control.

"It was just like fighting against Alysara. I just couldn't do anything..." Uloru mutters to Kadona, shivering.

Kadona pats Uloru's head. "We're still alive; it just means we need a skill to prevent things like this." Kadona then turns her head toward me. "Once this is over, can you help us train a skill to protect our freedom of movement? Even if we must swap out a skill, it's far better to have it so that this never happens again."

I look toward Esofy as if to make eye contact. Esofy may be going through a hard time, but she moved past it once before. "I'll help train everybody who needs it," I say with a nod.

"I'm not sure if I'm being very useful, the last few fights I've barely contributed," Klora says, looking down sadly.

"It's because we want to salvage the monster parts, Physical attacks sometimes aren't the best for that, and the slime just isn't good for your weapon and your Bond. But who knows, maybe deeper in there might be something that only you can do?" Chyzu tries to cheer Klora up.

As the group recovers I set one of my minds to [Analyzing] the materials.

Everwinter Core: This core can conjure a small ice storm in a localized area.

Ice Slime: This slime freezes anyone who ingests it, slowly killing them.

So it's a poison that kills via hypothermia.

As per usual, the treasure chest doesn't have very good things, except for one.

Bracelet of storage: This bracelet has been enchanted to provide a large dimensional storage space.

This one is high quality and has the equivalent of three slots of storage, just over three square meters more of loot available for us to bring back.

With my [Mana Manipulation] I banish most of the ice mana from the room and conjure flames to provide a soothing and comfortable warmth. Next I use a water spell to recreate the humidity levels of the Nexus, the spell isn't true water but is fine to mimic it for an hour or so. I hope to create a familiar atmosphere to help everyone through the ordeal.

While we rest, Esofy and Jowaru – and also maybe Irela, although I'm not sure and she's not saying anything – are evolving their classes. I check my level gains while everyone else is doing their thing.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 299-309!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 161-180! 300 status points awarded.

Really great experience considering we are in a party; although there are no skill gains as I haven't been using them much, I've just been using my charge spear, which isn't using any class skills. My max class level is currently two hundred eleven, meaning I need to temporarily drop [Fairy Rush] so that I don't go past level two hundred and suffer an experience gain penalty for passing the level milestone. I want to get my bond to level five hundred faster.

Ting! You have lost the Fairy Rush class skill!

I'll regain the skill later, when I am ready for it, or maybe I'll get something better.

As we work our way over to the Speed Slime, we make a detour and attune the waystone key to this floor's waystone. Upon reaching the room that the Speed Slime is on, I sneak up to it and wait for the signal. The plan is to hit this boss as hard and fast as we can, so I wait for Tulalo to finish charging up her spell. When she finishes she steps out from around the corner, blasting the slime with a powerful jet of water; at the same time, I stab the slime with my attack. The slime around the monster's core is blown off - its small size working against it - to reveal the naked core. With no slime the boss can't move, but it is quickly drawing the slime back to regain its gelatinous body. Chyzu dashes into the room and starts spraying the goo with her powerful water jets to prevent the core from regaining it.

Tana follows and sprays the core with a flame to drain its vitality as the warriors dash in, Irela erects a dome around the slime core, and we wait for the flames to do their job. Just like a skeleton without flesh and muscles, the core is helpless to do anything; a plan well executed – and a much needed easy victory for the others, after the harrowing experience of the Everwinter Slime. I am thankful I didn't experience the fear of being trapped and helpless like that, and I hope that never happens to me in the future.

"That was anticlimactic," Irela says once we receive the killing message.

"Barely worth any exp, I didn't even gain a level." Jowaru nods in agreement.

"We level up more with challenge and danger. Beating this boss so easily, while is a feat and thus worth some exp, didn't have the more valuable danger and stakes to consider," Esofy says, kneeling down to inspect the monster materials. The light in her eyes is slowly returning but, from the amount of fear essence – and another type of essence I am unfamiliar with – I can tell that she wants nothing more than to go home and relax in a safe environment. I don't know how she does it, honestly, being able to continue while hiding her true feelings.

Both Kadona and Uloru seem to have bounced back, their mental tenacity surprising me again. I wonder what sets them apart from everyone else? Tana too, if anything he looks even more determined.

Do they see the overwhelming power and only seek to overcome it? I should ask them how they've dealt with these recent experiences, sometime.

Sizing Core: This slime core is capable of increasing or decreasing the size and volume of things by up to five times the normal size; the mass remains unchanged.

"I would love to have that. I could have a much heavier hammer made and still keep the size I am used to." Uloru lays claim to the core with anticipation, her eyes glazing over as she imagines her new weapon.

I've been wondering about that, actually. Both her hammer and Kadona's buster sword have to weigh at least as much as they do, yet they swing them around like twigs. Even if the weight is lessened, the mass remains the same, so they should still have trouble swinging around the massive things.

There is obviously some sort of skill that lets them ignore weapon mass, and a quick look at their mana signature shows that they share a few general skills and even class skills. Which one exactly is responsible for their weapon wielding capabilities, I don't know.

Speed Slime: This slime contains a large amount of speed essence, imparting it to whatever it is applied to or ingested.

It could be made into a speed potion or perhaps to make a projectile move very fast.

The treasure chest actually has good items this time. A huge shield that draws in spells and projectiles, which is given to Jowaru immediately, and a circlet that transforms water spells into ice spells and ice spells into water spells. Chyzu and Tulalo will have to fight over that, but it gives us more versatility.

After resting, we walk to the last boss of the floor, the Mana Slime. It immediately launches its attacks at us, and it seems to have remembered me as it starts off with dark spells. It's a good thing I left one clone outside, just in case. Unfortunately for it, Jowaru's new shield has us all protected, spells curving mid-flight as they are drawn towards it.

In response to its attack failing, the Mana Slime sends out a burst of lightning in all directions, shocking the group continuously until Irela erects a faraday cage around the slime. I use this opportunity to attack with my charged spear and Tulalo releases her charged attack, a hydrating spell this time that seeps into the slime and dilutes it. Chyzu uses her circlet to blast the slime with ice spells, while Klora uses a charged spell cloth I made, freezing the slime solid. Despite this, the slime is still conjuring spells and thawing itself with a fire spell.

Acting quickly, Uloru and Kadona smash the frozen slime, but they take a burst of flames at close range. The flames wash over the entire room, but Chyzu manages to make a water barrier over herself and Tulalo. Klora is badly burned, while Tana looks unharmed and Jowaru is covering Irela.

Following up quickly is a burst of dark mana that dispels my clone. I shift my second mind to the other clone waiting in the hall, summon yet another one to replace this one as the backup, and charge my next attack while sending in fairies from around the corner to strike the Mana Slime.

The now melted slime rejoins the rest of the mass, making Tulalo and Ulorus' efforts meaningless. Klora conjures walls of earth to be used as cover for the group. The slime continues with its burst-type spells, alternating between elements: light, earth, ice, fire, lightning, wind. I dash in and discharge my attack into the boss again, but this time I notice how its mana refills completely by absorbing my attack!

Chyzu, Tulalo, and Tanas' spells are all being absorbed now, only effective the first time. It still hasn't healed itself, but we must do what it is doing and alternate our spells after using it.

"It's absorbing our spells!" I call as I charge up a dark spell. It won't get bonuses like beauty essence does, but my Kyhosa still applies to elemental spells. Tana is healing Klora's burns, and Irela is launching steel balls to try and smash the slime.

Klora and Uloru run forward with Jowaru in front of them and Esofy a step behind. The Mana Slime counterattacks with a multitude of different spells; lightning flashes, ice shatters, wind blades break all are blocked by Jowaru's new shield. The warriors reach the slime, despite its attempts to intercept them with powerful bursts of spells. Uloru smashes the slime with her hammer hard enough to spray it across the walls, Kadona and Jowaru slash at the moving core but both miss, and Esofy stabs at it, landing a glancing hit.

I run forward with the last of my mana in a dark mana spear, but the Mana Slime suddenly explodes in dark mana, throwing everyone back and dispelling my clone, which in turn dispels my charged spell. The dust takes a few seconds to settle enough that we can see, at which point the seemingly-unharmed slime switches its attack to the opposite element, shooting beams of light everywhere which burn into the walls and strike Tulalo and Irela. Tulalo begins to heal herself while Tana runs to Irela's aid. With most of my mana used up in my last failed attack, I have my final clone remain in the hallway.

With us mages unable to do any damage, that only leaves one avenue of attack. The warriors stand up and charge in again in the same formation as last time they ran. Uloru jumps and slams her hammer down, splashing slime all over the room, Kadona swings her sword, but the slime moves its core out of the way just in time. Klora takes a shot but that is dodged as well. Jowaru's axe hits the core but lacks the power to defeat it, although a successful stab from Esofy manages to chip it.

Tana finishes healing Irela and with a quick burst of speed dashes under the slime and, instead of using his weapons, thrust his hand into the slime and grabs the core. Vitality is drawn from the slime to Tana and the slime retaliates with a burst of wind. Everyone else is thrown back but Tana, being under the monster, stands resolute until the last of its vitality is gone and the Mana Slime falls apart.

Tana is bathed in slime as it sloughs off the core. He, along with the rest of the group, slumps to the ground, exhausted.

"That was another tough one!" Chyzu complains.

I [Analyze] the materials with one mind and make sure everyone is alright with the other.

Mana Core: The core of a Mana Slime. Produces mana.

It seems to produce about five hundred mana per hour, not much but very useful for utility. Especially for the airships, we need more of these.

Mana Slime: A slime rich in preserved mana.

This too has many uses: mana potion ingredient, fuel for airships, fuel for spells.

A treasure chest appears, containing a spear with thirty thousand points of mana battery, and three health potions. The spear is given to Tulalo, mostly for her to draw more mana from.

And with that, after a rest, we make our way to the final room. Perhaps there is a way for us to get past the wall of hardened slime.

The level of the mobs near the floor boss's room is upwards of level one-eighty and one ninety, now strong enough to provide a decent challenge with enough of them. We have to conquer each room slowly so as to not bite off more than we can chew but it isn't too long before we arrive at the boss room. When we get there, however, it isn't empty. Now there's a gargantuan slime in the middle of it, a massive blob of absolute blackness, like a void.

Void Slime (Heroic) Level 400 Space Manipulator (Grand)

Chapter 69: Kayafe's Advice

"We should return to the main camp, rest for a day, and make preparations, plus we should attune the waystone key to more waystones," Esofy says. I can almost feel her apprehension looking at the powerful Void Slime.

Even though we've managed to kill the bosses, level four hundred Heroic monsters are something else entirely. It's getting one thousand percent bonuses from its race, and it has a hundred levels above what we've been fighting.

We trek our way back up the ruins, stopping at the ruin's waystones and attuning the waystone key to them, then we make our way back through the forest. We collect as many monster materials as we can on our way back and kill the rest of the first floor bosses, collecting the treasure chests in the process.

We bring back quite the haul in the end, plenty of loot from the chests, and more importantly, monster materials.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 309-316!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained levels 180-191! 165 status points awarded.

Almost capped on my class. I should run a clone to the other dens and slay the bosses to grind up levels. Getting solo kills should help boost my Bond level to three hundred fifty, maybe even three hundred seventy. Having a group run and collecting the materials should help too.

After unloading all the monster materials, we get to planning our next course of action.

"First, we should make better equipment. We found some excellent materials and could use upgrades," I say, eager for the two items I've been eyeing.

"I agree, us warriors haven't been able to go all out due to wanting to preserve the materials. We won't be able to afford that against a Heroic monster." Kadona says.

"I've been thinking about that," I say, turning my head toward Kadona. "If I can enchant a weapon to charge up a mana blade much like my spear, then not only could we solve that problem, but it would work better against monsters like the Fortress Slime."

"That would be wonderful, but we typically don't have high amounts of mana so we won't be able to charge it up all the way, and it will be an all-out attack using all of our mana. It's best to stick with what we've got," Kadona says.

I then turn toward Klora, who still seems a little depressed "A bow that shoots mana arrows for you; not only will you not have to use stone manipulation to make more arrows, but you'll have an easier time damaging your opponents."

"Thank you... but as Kadona said, we don't have as much mana reserve as mages, so it's an idea best for someone else."

"We should also take some time to level up in the other dens." Esofy says and looks towards me, "Without you. I mean no offense, but we need to learn how to gather information about our enemies, plan accordingly and slay monsters without your powerful attacks and incredibly useful mana weaving and enchanting abilities. Being able to custom make armor against our enemies isn't something most people can do, and you can't be there for us all the time."

"I understand. While you guys do that, I'll be leveling up too; the only downside is that I'll need someone to gather the materials for me."

"We should end the expedition for now, take a week off and let all the stress from this wash away. Speaking of, I really miss taking baths; I feel so gross and icky," Chyzu grumbles, to the amusement of everyone.

Esofy nods, "I'll talk with the other leaders. Now, on to the loot claims."

We spend the next hour going over our loot and placing claims on them. I have to fight Chyzu over the Mind Core, but I win in the end, saying that my clones benefit more from it. Nobody else wanted the wolf fangs though, so I got those easily.

The next morning the announcement comes that the expedition will be taking a week-long break for everyone to go home and see their families. I can see how some people look more jaded than before, likely from near-death experiences. Some will never come back, some may quit being a warrior altogether, but we are all stronger from our experiences.

We all leave the dungeon and immediately head to the baths on Temple Island. Dirt and grime we didn't even think were on us wash off, turning the water a grey color from all the people. The water mages create water currents to take the filth out to sea and replenish the freshwater.

"I missed this! I never want to go back." Chyzu leans back and closes her eyes.

"You want to get stronger, right? Sacrifices have to be made," Esofy half-whispers, staring at the sky with a hardened look.

"Perhaps we can create a portable bath. Bring a tub and fill it with water; we can heat the water if need be." I say while rubbing the bath oil on myself.

"That is a great idea!" Chyzu exclaims.

After the baths, we take boats back to our villages. The others of our group are bringing back our village's share of materials. The hides and furs still need to be cured, and some other materials need to be preserved as well. Since I'm not carrying any of that, I head towards home.

"Aly's back! Aly's back!" Yafel and Yafe rush towards me and tackle-hug me, having seen me passing from where they were playing in the playground, then grab my arm and practically drag me home.

"Alysara!" Mom, who is going over the ledger at the counter, sees the twins bringing me in and runs towards me to give me a hug much like Chyzu's, squeezing me to her bosom tightly.

"I was so worried! I couldn't help but think of everything that could go wrong!"

Dad comes in with a smile on her sweaty face. "You've grown a lot stronger."

"Hmph murph myph!" I try and fail to get a single word in while being smothered.

"Alysara, you are still too young to do anything like this; my heart can't take any more!" Mom says, squeezing me tighter.

"I told you she'd be fine, Feyan; I doubt she was actually face to face with any monsters," Dad says, patting Mom's head while gently trying to free me.

I gasp for breath as I am finally released.

"I stayed at the main camp the entire time, and I wasn't that far from the dungeon entrance. Besides, I have something for us to make." I show my parents the wolf fangs and the Mind Core.

The wolf fangs are easily a hand and a half long, and the core is the size of a small ball, large enough that dad needs both hands to wrap her fingers around it.

I've been thinking about what I want them to be made into. One wolf fang is to be made into a spear, and the other is to be made into a dagger. The Mind Core, being so large, can be split and cut into a diadem. Of course, I'll want to preserve its ability to create another mind, even if only a temporary one, but it's much too large to be made into any kind of equipment besides a staff unless it's cut.

In order to make the diadem, I'll need my [Mana Manipulation] higher. I want it to be made of solid metallic mana or at least high-grade mind essence gold or platinum. All the better if I can find a dragon mind mage, but I don't think that will work out too well.

I spend the day with my family, telling them how the dungeon looks and some of the wonders that can be found in it.

The next day I go to the place with the most amount of mana I can think of, the top of the temple. I need to go there anyway to collect liquid dark mana, speak with Kayafe and check on the fire mana, so we don't accidentally mess up the current system.

The liquid fire mana levels have gone down noticeably. Once it runs dry, the nexus will cool down, and the sea won't be suitably warm for baths. I collect all the liquid and solid dark mana into storage rings and then initiate communication with Kayafe. With my higher mana reserves and generation, I should be able to talk for longer.

"Hello again, it has been a while." I greet the ancient woman.

"How long? It's hard to tell the passing of time, and I mostly sleep anyway." Kayafe says, purposefully yawning.

"A few months, I've been really busy with things and we were exploring the dungeon."

"I take it by your tone that something must have happened?" Kayafe asks.

"Yes, there were several casualties and several monsters intent on killing us, monsters with powerful abilities such as a mind mage with five minds."

"Well, for one, the monsters are themselves; the dungeon may control their creation but has little say in preventing them from killing, not without taking direct control of them." Kayafe doesn't sound too bothered as she guesses one of my major concerns: no exclamations of a broken deal, and she's not surprised by the mind mage. "Look at it from their perspective. Intruders came into their home and started killing them; of course, they'll want to retaliate. As for monster abilities, having multiple minds is a staple for mind mages; five is on the lower end."

"I see, so it was simply that we've become too weak." I give a heavy sigh. Just how weak are we?

Well, there's no use worrying about it right now, and it's depressing to think about, so instead, I change the subject. "My [Manipulate Mana] has reached level two hundred now, and I need to start making solid and metallic mana for multiple reasons. Can you give me some advice?"

"It's relatively simple: like mana weaving, just compress the mana more. At level two hundred, you should just be able to do it with enough focus, but I recommend finding a place with very high mana density."

"Yeah, I thought you'd say something like that. Basically, do the same thing I did with mana weaving. What other advice can you give me for the skill? What other skills should I consider getting?"

"For someone with more levels in [Sense Mana] than me, you'll already have plenty of ideas to reach breakthroughs in [Manipulate Mana], so let's not waste our time with something you already know. As for your other question, I'll need to know more about you." Kayafe sounded a little annoyed that I was asking about something that, in all fairness, I did already know. Maybe once I've gotten all the breakthroughs I can think of, then I should ask what other breakthroughs I can get.

"I'm a Bond mage that specializes in summoning fairies and I've recently found my illusory clones to be very useful. I have [Acting] that seems to be useful for all sorts of things, and [Twin Minds] so one mind can pilot a clone. I can use magic through the links I have with my clones and Familiars, so I can explore the dungeon while in the safety of the main camp. I guess you can call me a unique type of artillery mage? I also have [Clear Mind] and recently obtained [Mental Fortitude] after having my second mind be taken over by the mind mage."

Kayafe thinks for a moment before speaking. "That build has incredible potential. It's almost like a powerful mind mage build, but adapted for attacks at extreme range and the control of multiple bodies instead of taking over others'. I can confirm the existence of the skill called [Unlimited Minds], and I never want to fight someone with that skill ever again; it was a friendly duel against a hive mind-like creature. [Unlimited Minds] is the apex of mental skills and, from what I've been told, includes all those skills you've mentioned and many, many more, minus [Acting]. It is one of the few skills that are the absolute best, much like [True Sense] and [Manipulate Mana]. You have two paths that your build may split off into, the clone focus and the artillery focus. If you go down the clone path and cultivate your clones, you may very well have one of the most powerful non-ultimate classes!" Kayafe is starting to talk a little more animatedly with the mention of [Unlimited Minds], but something else she said catches my attention.

"Ultimate classes?"

"It's a class built by spending ten legendary points. If you ever meet someone with an ultimate class, run and never look back."

That sounds very similar to what the Guardian had said.

"I think the Guardian has one, from what I saw."

"She definitely does, but she's your protector, so it should be fine."

"So we can get more classes; how many can we get, and how do we get them?" I ask. I thought it was unique to the Guardian, but Kayafe has confirmed that a class can be 'built', which indicates that a second class should be possible for us.

"I don't know how many, but one is the ultimate class. You get another from having a combined total of one thousand general skill levels and another for reaching level one thousand in a class. I suspect getting your Bond to some level milestone will give you one, but other than dragons and elementals, I haven't met anything else that could have possibly gotten that high in their Bond. Of course, those ancient monsters like keeping secrets and wouldn't confirm or deny my suspicions about that. One thing I do know, however, is that it's way above level one thousand, since my Bond is past that I've yet to unlock another class from it."

"So what other skills do you recommend I get? You haven't given me any suggestions. The Guardian recommends [Persistent State], and I also want to get [Multitask]."

"You still don't have those? They are both a must for any mage, and [Multitask] will help in getting [Unlimited Minds]. If you are lucky, your mental skills will combine if you go down the clone path. As for other skills, you have [Mana Manipulation] which is a caster skill, so you should think about getting skills like [Quick Channel], [Unbreakable Focus] – which also combines into [Unlimited Minds] – and [Expanded Channel]. Caster mages lack the raw power that non-casters and Bond mages have, but they make up for it by channeling powerful spells. It does cost a ton of mana, so they have to make every one count, and high wisdom to channel spells with hundreds of mana." Kayafe speaks more passionately about the skills.

I had almost forgotten about the caster vs non-caster vs Bond mage lesson I got from Chyzu years ago. Casters use a skill like [Mana Manipulation] or [Water Casting], which gives them versatility as they can cast any spell the skill allows, but it's not as specialized or powerful as the others. Non-casters have a select few spells as skills that can gain breakthroughs, which makes each spell stronger than a caster's at the cost of only having access to those few spells. Bond mages apply the bonus they get from their Bond level, which gives them the highest overall power but makes them a bit more predictable since their class has to match their Bond.

After running back through my memory of Chyzu's lesson I return my attention to Kayafe's continued focus on [Unlimited Minds], taking note of how enthusiastically she's pushing me towards it.

"Seems like caster classes are way more powerful than I thought," I say, having newfound admiration for caster mages since realizing the power of my charged spears in the dungeon. Although those were boosted by being based on beauty essence, the same as my Bond and class, and [Mana Manipulation] is the greatest known caster skill that exists, so that's probably too high an expectation for casters in general.

"They are the reason why legendary monsters stay away from settlements. Matched with [Shared Channel], they can combine hundreds of mages for a truly devastating attack, strong enough to completely annihilate everything for tens of kilometers." Kayafe says, as if pointing out the most obvious thing in the world.

So they drop a nuke on super-powerful monsters...

Kayafe is a caster mage, so obviously she's biased towards casters, and the Guardian is a Bond mage, so she's obviously biased towards Bond mages; perhaps I should filter out the bias and come to my own conclusions as to what's best. Casters' true strength lies in nuking their foes; Bond classes are attached to a source of unlimited potential; what about non-casters? Surely they have something that can compete with the other two.

"You seem to be pushing casters and [Unlimited Minds]; why is that?" I have to ask, with the constant mentioning of the skill Kayafe clearly wants me to get it.

A small giggle is sent to me from the telepathic connection. "Not many can claim to possess one of the five best skills ever known; you already have [Manipulate Mana], and you can gain a second."

"Third, actually, I have [True Sight] as a cursed skill, although it's still very low level as it causes extreme pain when I open my eyes."

Kayafe falls silent for a few moments. "You have two right now? And you can potentially get three?! While [True Sight] is second to [True Sense], it's still considered among the best. You are truly remarkable to have such powerful skills and have some of them at such a high level at the age of ten. What next? You get a Heirloom race?"

I fall silent.

"Umm, Alysara? You've fallen quiet, did something... No, you don't actually have an Heirloom race, do you? You can only be so much of an enigma... you can't surely have an Heirloom race," Kayafe seems to be trying to convince herself.

"I do, Unique race, actually, up from Heirloom."

"I..." Kayafe sighs. "Nothing can surprise me now. Which skill are you cultivating for your race? Actually, let me guess, it's [Sense Mana], right?"

"Yes, and [Mana Toxicity Tolerance], is that bad?" I can't help but be worried.

"No, it's actually one of the best outcomes, doubly so since you also have [Mana Toxicity Tolerance], I take it that is because of the higher Heirloom tier in your race."

"How do you know about Heirloom races anyway?" I ask, in the hope that perhaps she has met one before.

"One of my companions was one, the progenitor of the three-eyed elves. His skill focus was [Analyze]; I don't know how but he always knew things that wouldn't even appear if you looked at your own status."

"I have one more question, should I get rid of [Soul Damage Resistance] for a more immediately relevant skill? It's only level one, and I have almost no ways to get more breakthroughs in it." I ask. It's useless now, but who knows, just like with [Mental Fortitude], I may need it in the future.

"It's level one? Alysara, that's like questioning whether or not to use paper as your armor; get rid of it." Kayafe sounds like a teacher trying to explain a basic concept to an adult who should already know it. "You are far better off replacing it with a skill that can actually save your life; almost any other skill will work. As an artillery build, and with your level of [Sense Mana], you should not need resistance skills; you can see danger coming for you and run away before they arrive. If you're really that worried you can get it later – general skills often get transferred to classes, so if you go for [Unlimited Minds], you'll probably free up four or so skill slots, get it then if you still think you need it."

"Our time is almost up," I say, noticing that my mana is running low. "It was nice talking with you, and thanks for your advice."

"Until next time."

[Unlimited Minds], huh. I really should try getting that one.

Papuyo listens to the troubles of Myrou's children. She sighs inwardly, wondering if the high priestesses could have done better. She questions over and over again, "Why me?" Why was she the only priestess to survive?

"I don't know how to move on... The constant looking over my shoulder, thinking that a monster will get me just like Julio, I just don't know what to do anymore. How can I participate in the tournaments? I've wasted so much time, and restarting my class is..." the Kheshamo fighter trails off, the look in her eyes like that of a frightened child.

This is why she survived; this is why she is a high priestess now. To make sure Myrou's children are safe and living fulfilling lives.

"It's simple, Hanu; join the priestesses. Help us prevent this from happening again." Papuyo says, leaning forward.

"How? How can we stop people from suffering?" Hanu asks, almost pleading, with a fragile flame of hope lighting up in her eyes.

"We've strayed away from the goddess, Hanu; we need to bring the people back to her ways. We need to shut down the dungeon, lock it away forever. It's what the grand priestess Shara did, and it's what we'll do too. But first, we need more warriors and mages, and anyone else who feels like you do, to join us. With an order of our own warriors, we can bring our people back to Myrou and forsake all the falsities that have crept up over the years!" Papuyo extends a hand. "Join Myrou's Warriors."

Chapter 70: Choice

As interesting as [Unlimited Minds] – and some of the other things Kayafe mentioned – sound, I've got many, many other things to do before I can worry about any of that. For now, I still need to work on [Manipulate Mana]... and making solid mana is my next objective. I wait at the top of the temple for about an hour and a half while my mana regeneration fills up my reserves and my Kyhosa, then start compressing the mana nearest to the Mana Arc. I shrink my focus down to a small point, and with the help of my second mind, I squeeze and squeeze the mana. Slowly, very slowly, the mana gets denser and denser until it somehow locks into place. Too bad I left the Mind Core back home; I could have really used it right about now. The extra mind would have helped me exert more pressure on the mana.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 240!

24th Breakthrough: You've learned how to forge mana; this will help you create metals of pure mana.

I don't bother checking the level gain just yet because there are still more breakthroughs to be gained. I single out dark elemental mana and start solidifying it into a solid flake of mana, which drifts down onto the floor. Next, I start doing the same with my beauty essence, commanding my core to ramp up production to make more beauty mana to compress. Finally, I start compressing my own unique mana, using the pressure near the Mana Arc to do the 'heavy lifting' for me. With each level gained it becomes easier for me to make solid mana until after half an hour I have all the breakthroughs I need for forging mana.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 270!

25th Breakthrough: You've learned how to forge elemental mana; this will help you create metals of pure mana.

26th Breakthrough: You've learned how to forge essence mana; this will help you create metals of pure mana.

27th Breakthrough: You've learned how to forge unique mana; this will help you create metals of pure mana.

I begin training my activity levels; the level of first use I already have, next I gain the level of extended use, then the level of repeated use, and then the level for doing a lot at the same time. I try to get the level of mastery, but even with my knowledge of mana and high [Sense Mana] level, I am unable to get the last action level. Instead, I work towards mastery of mana forging by first making raw, rough stone-like mana and slowly refining it, slowly compressing it down, observing the mana, and learning about the structure of solid mana.

[Inquisitive Perfection] helps me figure out the best way to compress the mana into something akin to metal, smooth and flexible, not brittle and rough like rock. I watch the mana get denser until I have a thin piece of mana metal, flexible yet durable. I observe the mana, noting the sheets of monolayers; sheets of one particle thick mana. This can still be improved by squeezing down just a little more; I can make it more solid, compress the layers further. I do so, watching as the layers start blending, becoming more solid, less flexible, more brittle, yet stronger. Like hammering a piece of metal, I push at small sections, unable to squeeze down on the whole thing at once. Little by little, the mana metal takes shape.

[Inquisitive Perfection] screams at me, as tiny microfractures are present in the piece. I hammer those down ever more delicately until there are no cracks in the solid piece of perfection. I do this for each breakthrough, and only when completing the last breakthrough do I finally understand what I am seeing: tiny spheres connected to each other through a force... mana particles and the MM force. It appears that the MM force spreads like rings, or static ripples in a pond, from the mana particles, with 'capture points' in the low regions that prevent mana particles from getting closer to or further away from each other. Like a valley between two hills, one will have to climb them both ways. This, it is now clear to me, is how mana weaving and mana forging work; I squeeze the mana into the stable points and the structure maintains itself.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 280!

27th Breakthrough: You've learned to see the mana particle; this will now let you study the interactions and true nature of mana.

28th Breakthrough: You've learned to see the MM force and empowering fields, letting you see the workings of one of mana's driving forces.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained levels 254-267!

I gasp, seeing the effect of the mass level gain in my mana signature. The skill's presence abruptly grows a lot brighter, vastly outshining most of my other skills. It looks so... radiant, but its saturated color could become more; even though I have almost all of the breakthroughs, I still need to reach the max level of the skill.

As I look around, I can now clearly see the fields produced by mana. I can see how mana particles are pushing and pulling on each other, their chaotic movements becoming easier to understand. The strength of the fields, the range of them, all become clear to me.

Finally I return my attention to what's floating right in front of me: the Mana Arc has a vastly exaggerated MM force pulling all mana towards it. The peaks and valleys in the MM force that normally keep mana particles at certain distances apart have been replaced by an endless attractive force, sucking up all the mana near it.

"That's how you did it, isn't it? You manipulated the MM force, molded it as if it was clay in your hands," I whisper in awe. Kayafe was truly a master at controlling mana... she may not have known everything, but she came damn close to it.

I look back at the pieces of metallic metal I was working on. I can see now that I can still get the particles closer, I just need to push the mana particles up five ever-higher mountains to create the most compressed, solid metal possible. However, it seems that what I already did is the limit of my capabilities so far; if I want to make it more solid, I'll have to level up [Mana Manipulation] more. I check my level gains from what just happened to get an idea for how high I need my [Mana Manipulation] level to be.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained levels 211-251!

I can easily take [Mana Manipulation] much higher. Kayafe is right; I already know what I can do to improve this skill; even level five hundred is within my grasp. The question is, do I want to take the dive? It'll ruin potential race evolutions and maybe even class evolutions, not to mention my second class options will have to be Bond-based as all others will likely be corrupted.

I need to figure out how, if it's even possible, to remove cursed skills. I have many of the puzzle pieces, [Inquisitive Perfection] is telling me that, but I don't know how they fit together. I have almost ten years to figure this out - I can delay my fifteenth-year evolution until a day before my twentieth if I have to - otherwise I might be stuck choosing a weak evolution or even missing an evolution opportunity altogether. There is another argument to be made, too, which is that perhaps the answer will become clear as I dive deeper into this cursed skill. It could be that those who master their cursed skill learn how to cure it in the process, but most people don't or can't, and thus almost no one knows how to cure cursed skills.

I have nine whole years. Do I choose to master the cursed skill?

Yes, I do. There isn't really any choice, when it comes down to a final decision. There is simply too much to be gained for mastering [Mana Manipulation].

Night has fallen by the time I row the boat back to the village. Mom won't like me being late for the Lojyo, but I'll just make some excuse of doing something related to the airships, which isn't far off from the truth now that I think about it. My [Mana Manipulation] is important for making airship control crystals.

I look at the gains I made today, feeling like I crossed a line I shouldn't have. Anxiety and nervousness stir in my stomach as I read over my messages. There's no turning back now.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 350!

28th Breakthrough: You have managed to transform essence mana within another entity; this will help you do so with more ease.

29th Breakthrough: You have managed to split your area of control, allowing you to control mana in multiple areas.

30th Breakthrough: You've transformed mana into vitality; this will help you heal others.

31st Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate very small amounts of mana. This will help you master doing so.

32nd Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate extreme amounts of mana. This will help you master doing so.

33rd Breakthrough: You've learned how to fuse elements; this will help you do so with more ease.

34th Breakthrough: You've learned how to fuse essences; this will help you do so with more ease.

35th Breakthrough: You've learned how to make nexus mana; this will help you do so with more ease.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained levels 251-330!

I have figured out mana wiring and, at the same time, found an answer to mana filters. By making flexible mana steel in such a way that the stable points in the MM fields overlap to produce channels of low resistance, I can have the loose mana particles ride a rail of sorts between the plates of locked particles. I can now start working on automating spell crystals and making mana wire.

Arriving at the Lojyo, I apologize for being late and sing and dance with everyone else. Chofel invites me to play music, lending me an instrument while she sings. As always, after the socializing comes the time when people show off mastery of their crafts. Nyam shows off her first Myrou dedication project, a small clay sculpture of a featureless woman; a projection of Myrou inhabits the sculpture just like the statues at the baths. Others show off their works, not dedications for Myrou, just advertising their wares. Dedication projects are always shown before non-dedication projects.

The next morning I start planning, both to make my weapons and to upgrade my armor. With mana steel available I won't have to rely on cloth anymore; although making a full suit of armor will take millions of mana. It will take days to make mine, but it will be well worth it.

For today, however, I'll start with making a diadem, using the Mind Core for it. Dad has already cut the Mind Core to my specifications and carved the wolf fangs. The wolf fang dagger will have a pommel with a piece of the Mind Core. My hope is that it will at least improve my connection to the clone or something, but I don't know what to expect. The spear will have its piece of Mind Core just beneath the blade.

I start mana forging with a mix of mind essence and my unique mana, hammering the layers of mana together. I carefully hammer each group of mana particles until there is no gap between each piece, only separated by the last MM force peak to prevent it from becoming liquid mana. When I try to enchant it, however, the enchantment mana can't fit between the particles and fails to take.

"Interesting," I mutter. It seems that mana metals need a gap between the particles for the enchantment mana to fit into. What if I learn the exact enchantment structure and make a gap specifically for that?

I begin practicing my technique, forming replicas of the diadem over and over again. At first I place the the mana comprising the diadem into a very loose, uniform structure to allow the enchantment mana to be applied in the gaps, but I quickly learn that the enchanting mana has a non-uniform structure. It twists, turns, branches out, and some of the already existing mana does not conform to the enchantment structure despite leaving gaps I thought would be large enough. The incorrect structural mana gets in the way of the enchantment mana, preventing some of the enchantment mana particles from taking their places and reducing the enchantment's effectiveness.

In addition to that, another problem with having a loose structure is that I am unable to compress the mana particles as close as I want, after the already imperfect enchantment is placed, without destroying the enchantment in the process.

For the next three days, I work on my mana forging techniques, gaining more levels as I perfect the process. For figuring out the technique in such a short time, [Inquisitive Perfection] has been a godsend, both pointing out errors and potential improvements and increasing my rate of learning when it comes to art and crafting.

In the end I have to forge the whole thing, carve out a hole for the enchantment mana to be inserted, then slowly fill the mana back in. It takes a painfully long time to do: five more days, when it's finally finished I had begun to wonder if I'd complete it before the next dungeon expedition. Conveniently, Esofy informed me that there's been some trouble with getting the next expedition started; it will be delayed for another week, possibly two. With the extra time, however, I have finally completed my diadem.

The centerpiece of the diadem, over my forehead, is the two-dimensional figure of a Runalymo – with the usual number of tails – crafted from my unique mana. Nine oval gems cut from the Mind Core, getting smaller as they are further from the centerpiece around the circumference of the diadem, are the source of beauty essence metal vines that twist and grasp around wisdom essence metal books and scrolls. The vines twine around these representations of knowledge, their elegant lines finishing by merging into the centerpiece figure.

With the diadem finished, I look it over. My [Inquisitive Perfection] is pleased with how it turns out— no, it's more than pleased; it's proud. A perfect creation down to the particle level, leaving no gaps between the mana particles except what is necessary to process the mana for the enchantment.

I put the diadem on my head, and to my surprise, mana starts rushing into the diadem... no, mana is being burned out of existence! Tons of mana, hundreds of thousands of points worth of mana is consumed... and then, as suddenly as it started, the diadem stops burning mana; instead, its mana has shifted to a new unique mana. It has become a magical item.

Diadem of the Lonely Princess:

(Grand)

This Diadem has been crafted, with incredible mana sensing capabilities, to such perfection as to be the magnum opus of a master mana manipulator with multiple minds, with the express purpose of gaining more minds to pilot illusory clones.

When worn, grants three additional minds to its wearer. Grants the ability to make three semi-real clones made of the wearer's unique mana that can be controlled by each of the minds.

I'm not lonely! Nor am I a princess. Regardless, this is a powerful item.

I use the Diadem's clone ability, finding that it costs a whopping ten thousand mana per clone! There is a reason why though, the body of the clone is filled with dense mana and its 'skin' even feels like skin when I touch it.

"Hello," I speak with the clone, finding that I don't need to use sound essence to talk or even to hear. There is still a link between me and the clone, like [Create Twin] and [Summon Familiar], but in my eyes that's a good thing as it means I can cast spells through it.

I now have five minds, just like the Mind Slime, but I only have two spheres of perception. I never experimented with further splitting my perception, and my breakthrough never stated I had to only have two... I split my perception in two, each with half the range; I split them again with some effort to give me four with just a quarter of the range. This means I can take on four dens at the same time and even bring back materials from three of them.

Before I start on the wolf fangs, I make simple mana silk and cast my enchantments on it to study the crystalline patterns that I need to make the mana steel around. The most confusing one is the mana battery enchantment; it purposely leaves gaps for mana to be stored in, but I have a better way to make the mana battery – using the same technology as the mana wire. I make the whole handle of the spear one long mana battery encased with mana steel and the carved wolf fang, as the spearhead, has its cutting edge reinforced and sharpened with steel, leaving the flat side exposed.

I decorate the spear with inlays; swirling, crisscrossing, spiraling lines of beauty mana that cover the entire thing all the way to the tip, flowing around the mind gem set just below the blade. Even the fang has inlays, placed so perfectly that it still has a smooth surface. Next, I cast my three enchantments; one is just to augment the innate ability of the fang, the second is mainly to give it the mana battery identifier, the third is to allow for discharging the stored mana just like my charged beauty spears.

Discharging Pack Fang Spear:

(Enchanted)

This spear is made for a powerful caster warrior, able to store a charged spell for later use. However, the primary use of this weapon is its ability to form quasi-real spears to be split up among others. The mana stored for discharge will be equally distributed between all created spears.

Battery 30000, Discharge, Cloning, Linking.

A quick series of tests show that forming each spear for my clones takes two thousand mana, not exactly cheap and that the spear is just an enchanted item rather than a magic one. I had hoped, with my technique, I could make more magic items, but I guess it's a one-time deal.

Like the spear blade, the dagger also has steel around the sharp edges of the carved fang, and it has the same style of decorations. However, this dagger only has a simple battery enchantment instead of one that can store and discharge spell mana. The dagger's hilt is made just like the spear, with the mana steel battery and the mind gem is set in the pommel.

Pack Fang Dagger:

(Enchanted)

This dagger is made for a powerful caster warrior, linked to its spear counterpart, and able to provide additional mana should the need arise.

Battery 10000, Cloning, Linking.

With my weapons and Diadem all set, I set my new quasi-material clone, piloted by a third mind, to start making my armor while I leave to do something else for a while with my 'real' body.

Chapter 71: Meanwhile

Esofy sits on her couch, sipping a cup of Fuchy wine, named after its golden color. She enjoys the warmth the drinks bring; it helps her forget the cold, the creeping ice encroaching around her feet.

"Maybe I should get married, settle down, and have a child of my own," Esofy voices her thoughts. Tanafyam has been a delight to mentor, but the funny-looking child is way too diligent; just as, if not more so, than Alysara.

Esofy tries to imagine her own little Alysaras and Tanas running around, but the image just won't come to her.

"Lionr is so lucky..." Her friend is married – to Chozu, Alysara's aunt, no less. Married and expecting a child.

Who could possibly connect to her, though? Who can understand what she's been through? There's just no one for her.

Esofy breathes a heavy sigh and takes another sip of the sweet and mildly citrusy beverage... it may help her forget the cold, but the shadow of loneliness remains in her heart. She doesn't want to sleep tonight – not with the nightmares – which is why she's staying up so late. Deciding to take a late-night bath, she walks under the shining moons; Fydrao, the red moon, is shining full and radiant, the closest of the three lighting her way in vibrant crimson.

Esofy arrives, strips, and settles into the bath waters to soak, staring up in the sky. Myrou smiles warmly in her eternal pose, sitting cross-legged and bare to the world. Yashyo, the watery blue moon, is almost halfway hidden in darkness and sits low on the horizon, as if her waters are feeding the sea. Kygloo is timidly peeking out from behind Fydrao, the furthest moon and always the shyest one; it is because of Kygloo that green is associated with shyness.

"I'm not sure I can continue doing this…" Esofy whispers to herself, "The danger, the life and death struggle." And yet she must: Tana needs her, even Alysara needs her... Chyzu needs her, that happy-go-lucky woman who never seems down and always has a smile on her face.

As if answering her thoughts, Chyzu leans over Esofy from the edge of the bath behind her, her face covering the moons as her blue, braided hair hangs down.

"Mind if I join?"

"Can't sleep either?" Esofy responds, nodding.

"Yeah, my thoughts won't let me; they're racing too fast." Chyzu undresses, flicking her silky tail with a weird twitch.

Chyzu notices Esofy raise an eyebrow.

"It happened when I was eight," Chyzu explains and slips into the waters. "I was playing around a house that was being constructed; it was after work, so I thought I'd be safe. A windstorm blew in suddenly and blew over a section of wall, and it landed on my tail and broke it. I've had this twitch ever since."

"I always thought the weather was unpredictable, the storms always arriving suddenly and disappearing just as fast. Though, now with [Sense Mana] I can sense them a few days ahead of time." Esofy has no idea what to say, but she feels she has to say something. "I am grateful, but... in a way, it took the mystery out of it.".

"Aly really changed things. Or perhaps it's that things have just started happening around her?" The conversation trails off awkwardly. Chyzu isn't her normal cheery self, and Esofy doesn't know how to deal with it.

"Why did you take a 'Nurturer' evolution? You don't have any children, and you've turned down all advances." What am I saying?! Esofy admonishes herself, mentally smacking her head against a wall for the insensitive question she blurted out just to break the silence.

Chyzu gives a small smile, then looks up at the moons wistfully and touches her two Kyhosa; a pair of water gem earrings with water gold and a water silver ring decorated with fine water gems. "I guess I wanted recognition? I was the fifth child and never really had much. I was always sidelined, always overshadowed by my older siblings who often got my parents' attention. At first, I joined the Kheshamos, but I always felt that something was missing."

Chyzu falls silent for several moments, the quiet getting heavier and heavier until Esofy finds a question: "Until Alysara, right?"

"That girl... only sometimes participated. She is so focused on her studies and training that she hasn't ever been – and still isn't, even though she sees so much more than we can – able to see the world how it really is," Chyzu says with a tiny smile. "But yes, there's something about her; her will to live, her drive, something that breaks us out of this mold we are in and shows us what we can become."

They share another moment of silence, contemplative now rather than awkward, before Chyzu asks a question.

"What about you? What has you up this late?"

"The Everwinter Slime brought back memories of that Aydomr attack from years ago. This time not even Alysara could free us… so what about next time? I just don't know if I can keep doing this." Esofy answers truthfully in a shaky whisper.

Even the wind falls mute while Chyzu is deep in thought, staring intently at Esofy.

"It is frightening, yes, but you've charged into battle against the monsters just fine. I think what you are most afraid of is losing control," Chyzu finally says, looking Esofy in the eyes.

"Losing... control?" Esofy asks, confused.

"Yes, you are afraid that you can't control what happens to and around you. I saw how you looked after the superstorm; you had this same look. It was completely out of your control. Isn't that why you took [Sense Mana]? Even going so far as to drop a good skill?"

Esofy opens her mouth to reply, but Chyzu shushes her and keeps talking. "When you say it took the mystery out of the weather, what you meant is that now you have to prepare for the weather. If there's an ice storm, you have to prepare, find warmth, knowing that it's out of your control. Before, you could just accept it as part of the world and say to yourself that there was nothing you could do, but now that you can prepare for it, it hurts that that's the only thing you can do."

Esofy sits there, shocked; she has never considered it, but it makes so much sense. Chyzu moves closer, her generous bosom coming closer and her tail swaying along with her hips. Esofy finds herself wrapped in Chyzu's embrace, the other woman's tail with its odd twitch suddenly seeming rather cute as Chyzu whispers in her ear.

"You don't have to always be in control, Esofy. You just need someone to share uncertain times with, and maybe together you… we can find a way."

Esofy returns the hug and manages to unscramble her brain enough to reply.

"I have some Fuchy wine back home; want to share a drink?"

"I would love some." Chyzu smiles, a genuinely happy smile this time.

Tana swings his sword, practicing his edge alignment. After the morning exercise, he practices his skills. He qualifies for the three hundred rankings, but he is still behind Alysara, who is now in the four hundred rankings.

Next year. Tana promises himself. Next year he'll duel Alysara in the Kheshamo tournament, which means he'll have to get into the four hundred rankings too.

"Tana!" Esofy calls, "Your parents are here." Tana sheaths his sword and walks to the two standing women.

"Tanafyam, I know you want to be a Kheshamo, but you need to learn an art or craft," Momara Folor says, the tall orange-haired woman looking down at him with her green eyes. "Since you haven't made your choice of craft despite being given years to think about it, you're going to be working with me as a carpenter for three days of the week."

Three days? That's half the week! Tana will fall behind… or rather, even further behind, he won't be able to catch up to her if he has to do this.

"But—" Tana tries to protest but is cut off.

"No! You need this! You're already ten years old, time's up now, you have to learn a craft. You will not be going into that place again, at least until you show a competent level in your craft," Momara Folor says sternly. By 'that place' she means the dungeon.

It will be years before Tana is that good; he will never be able to catch up. The image of Alysara in his mind shrinks, getting farther and farther away.

"Tana," Esofy kneels down to his level. "I know a craft too, and you know how strong I am. If you don't like carpentry, you can try sculpting with me. I know bamboo sculpting, stone sculpting and clay sculpting, so at least one of them should be fine for you. It may even help you in battle."

"How?" Tana asks, confused.

"It will help you understand the anatomy of others, so you can better understand your opponents."

Momara Folor looks annoyed, but an art is an art and no argument can be made against it.

"Then I want to learn sculpting!" Tana says with determination.

"You still need to dedicate three days a week towards it, Tanafyam." Momara Folor warns him. "And no going into that dungo or whatever you call it!"

Uloru brings her smithing hammers down on her large weapon; a good warrior needs to know how to forge their own weapons.

"Watch the temperature, Uloru," Her master says, watching over the careful process. "You have to keep the heat consistent so the core will bind properly." They've done many tests with the slime cores over the past few days, figuring out the best way to retain their properties, before attempting the real thing.

Uloru's new hammer is easily five times larger than her previous one, which makes adding monster materials easy. Pure dark platinum, one of the heaviest known metals, saturated with dark mana to aid Uloru's gravity Bond.

Uloru has to constantly use her Bond on the weapon so that its weight doesn't break the furnace. The Size Core is embedded in the top middle, light glinting off it like a jewel. On the hammerhead's sides are gravity essence gems, the only two that have been found so far to help with Uloru's weight manipulation. The pole of the hammer is three times Kadona's height; it has to be that tall to be proportionally correct since the head is the size of an adult's torso. On the opposite end is a long pick meant for piercing attacks.

The two warriors spend two days forging nonstop, only taking breaks when the massive weapon needs to be reheated. They work together, shaping the weapon; Uloru does most of the work, and only when her forging skills reach their limit does Kadona take over and provide the needed touch of a master smith.

On the dawn of the third day, the forging of the hammer is complete, so they take it to an enchanter and pay for her services.

Size Shifting Hammer:

(Enchanted)

This hammer can freely change its size and amplifies any gravity spells cast upon it by 135%.

Uloru wills the hammer to shrink, spending a couple hundred points of mana to reduce its size to that of its predecessor and its weight to something vaguely manageable, then gives the heavy weapon a few test swings, her [Massless Weapon] straining and gaining a level.

"Master, my skill leveled up!" Uloru beams a smile and swings the hammer enthusiastically.

"Hey, don't break anything in my shop!" The enchanter yells and shoos the pair out.

"Now you're ready to smash just about anything!" Kadona gives Uloru a thumbs up.

I look over my completed armor, a thing that could never be made by the smithing know-how of the Runalymo. In fact, it took a lot of experimentation and pieces of memories from my past life, pertaining to late medieval armor, to get it somewhat right; even then I had to reinvent several techniques where my memories of the armor technology were lacking.

The breastplate is made of overlapping parts, to help me bend my upper body. The shoulder plates are also made with overlapping plates to give more mobility to my arms. The gauntlets cover my fingers in tiny overlapping plates to fit more like gloves; the mana metal is thinner for my fingers, and my range of motion isn't restricted much.

A metal skirt flows down to just above my knees. Every joint is covered with yet smaller overlapping plates, so not a single weakness exists. The leggings and greaves are made just like the rest of the armor.

The entire piece is made with speed and agility essences to provide extra flexibility, and responds to my will to become even more flexible when I want it to, further increasing my range of motions while wearing this armor. With five enchantment slots, one went to flexibility, one went to storing the armor in a belt of dark steel – much like my sisters' Kyhosa – two went to a speed boost to provide a bigger bonus and the last slot went into a force-dispersal enchantment, just like how my sisters' Kyhosa is made. It is for this reason I did not add any beauty essence, as the light attuned essence cannot be stored in a dark attuned storage item.

The armor, just like my dagger and spear, did not become a magic item, and I don't need it to. If all goes well, I'll never have to rely on my armor anyway, so it'd be wasted as a magic item.

While my third mind was working on my armor, I played with my sisters, catching up on the weeks we missed. My second and fourth minds practiced sparring at Chyzu and Esofys' dojos, sometimes at the same time, and my fifth mind worked on spell crystals. More specifically, I was making devices to make spell crystals. Storage crystals, healing crystals and large devices to make spell cannons – the spell crystals that effectively charge powerful spells like casters can, just without the bonuses from class, skills, and race.

I practiced my music and [Tailoring] and helped at my parents' shop with my fourth mind when it wasn't doing anything else. I made Dad an ice anvil so she can try to forge the fire mana, and I oversaw yet another airship prototype being made. Tusile is really trying to make the best one she can.

"You not only found a way to make devices that can make spell crystals, but you also found a way to make better mana batteries?" Tusile asks excitedly.

The new batteries make use of the empty spots in the MM force; this method holds way more mana, it's like comparing acid batteries to lithium-ion batteries. My old way of making batteries technically worked in the same fashion, making cavities within a mana crystal, but these are way more advanced. It's like a sponge being used to store mana versus using a bottle, they both get the job done, but one holds a lot more mana.

"Yes," I decide that explaining those details is probably unnecessary, "although both technologies require making mana steel."

"Which you can do now?" Tusile asks, somehow looking even more excited.

"I can, but it is quite mana-intensive."

"And you say you've figured out mana wiring?"

I nod. The channels that mana travels along in spell crystals work by aligning the MM force valleys so that it forms a 'road', but lining up the fields correctly requires a relatively large distance between the individual sheets of mana metal, and also requires the 'walls' of the channels to have the particles arranged in a specific manner, resembling a honeycomb.

This technology can also be used as a mana filter. By using the repulsive function of the MM force a mana filter prevents the opposing element from entering the filter. Additional steps would have to be added to filter out the non-opposing mana types, using different elements opposing the undesired elements until only the intended element is gathered.

There is a problem with this method, however: the pressure in the channel can't get too high, otherwise the mana will be forced closer to the walls of the honeycomb and get locked in place when it slips into a higher 'valley' in the MM fields.

With my new ability to form mana metals, and plenty of practice, I think I can try creating mana crystals more quickly. I can properly see the crystalline structure if I enter my state of focus and, with time, place the mana particles exactly where they need to be to form a spell crystal. It'll take several hours of effort, but I should be able to do it, and it certainly beats taking a few days to make each crystal.

Also, I have one more thing to accomplish before going back into the dungeon: I have to get either [Multitasking], which will synergize with my multiple minds, or [Persistant State], which will help me get vastly more powerful because the state of focus improves all other breakthroughs for a skill. Which do I need more? Utility or power?

Right now, more power is what I need, since we'll be facing off against a Heroic-tier monster. Besides, with my three new minds from the Diadem of the Lonely Princess, I think I can hold off on [Multitask] just a little bit longer.

Chapter 72: Persistant

Ting! You have lost the Soul Damage Reduction general skill!

Ting! You have gained the Persistent State general skill!

Persistent State: You've managed to keep a state of focus while keeping your attention on something else; this will help you keep your state while your focus is elsewhere.

After eight hours of training, I finally got it! I can't cheat this one with multiple minds. While it is possible to have one mind dedicated to one state of focus, now I can simply have it running with less effort... sort of. The reduction in the amount of focus required is very low at [Persistent State's] current level. I'll still need to get the skill to level one hundred before I can just have the other skills running in the background with no focus required.

As it's currently the middle of the night, I have three minds working on making spell crystals. With three minds doing the work, I can get a large crystal with its battery done in three hours, as opposed to six days before I leveled up my [Mana Manipulation]. I am honestly loving my three new minds; I am getting so much done now that I can literally be in multiple places at once.

Over the next few hours, I work on leveling up my new skill and trying to understand how it works. I could just ask Kayafe, but for now, I want to figure it out myself. [Persistent State] seems to work by holding the 'state of focus' from another skill in your mind, like trying to keep a name or face in the back of your mind. It's just that the state of focus requires almost all of your concentration, like trying to remember a long string of words and repeating them over and over again. But just like many things, if you do it long enough, you can become acclimated to it, and it'll start shifting to an autopilot mode or, to continue my analogy, it's like repeating the numbers so much you've ingrained them into your memory.

Ting! Persistent State has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 10!

1st Breakthrough: You've become used to holding a state of focus; this will make it so that the longer you hold any single focus, the less concentration it requires.

Naturally, holding a persistent state will have to be tested against distractions, meaning combat, casting spells, fear, pain, sleep, and many more things. I need to get as many as possible done today as this is the last day before we go back to the dungeon, so off to Chyzu's I go!

First, though, I eat breakfast with my family and take a bath with them. I observe Myrou's projection, watching the mana shift and move.

It's not static; it flows; it circulates. I still have tons more to learn, even if I get all the breakthroughs and levels. I may have figured out how to "lock" mana in place but making the mana shift like this? This is true mastery.

As I walk to Chyzu's dojo, the twins follow me. "We want to see what it's like!" "Is it fun? We can play with our Bonds there, right?"

I pat them on the head and smile. "Just don't cause trouble for the others."

Chyzu is delighted to see the two adorable twins, picking them up and attempting to smother them in her crushing hug.

"They are too adorable!"

"Try not to kill them, Chyzu," I say, walking over to a wall and sitting down.

I enter my state of focus for [Sense Mana] after a few minutes of meditation, forcing myself to hold onto it and feeling the ability grant a large boost to my perception.

"Can you try to break me out of my focus?" I ask one of the other students. She complies and claps in front of my face, prodding me, poking me. It isn't until Yafel runs up to me and shakes me that I realize that seeing what is happening means that I am less surprised by it, so I reduce my vision so much that I can't see anything beyond myself and try to keep my focus as I am continually poked and prodded. My focus is broken three times before I get the breakthrough.

Ting! Persistent State has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will now continue leveling past level 20!

2nd Breakthrough: You've held your focus despite being distracted; this will help you resist further distractions and attempts to break your focus.

Next is spell casting while trying to hold my state of focus. Naturally, I can't use a state of focus like [Mana Manipulation] that's directly related to casting spells, otherwise I'd just be casting spells as part of the focus. Yafel and Yafe are currently on the sidelines - having stopped poking me after I got my breakthrough - watching the sparring, oohing and aahing at some of the fights and spells being flung around.

I begin constructing my spell in my head, getting the image right... and I lose my state of focus. I try again... over and over again. The problem is that spell casting requires a lot of focus, which is one of the downsides to casters; I suppose that is why they have support skills like [Calm Mind] and [Strong Focus]. I sigh, spend a few minutes to regain my state of focus, and try again, and again, and again. Perhaps I just need to level my skill more before it's possible? Perhaps the reduction of needed concentration to maintain the state is just not enough yet to allow for casting spells at the same time.

I practice, with the twins as my distraction, for the next few hours. During that time, I work on my stances at Esofy's dojo with another mind. I also am weaving a dress for one of my customers with a third and have my fourth and fifth minds producing spell crystals. My two diligent minds have produced enough sets of linked spell crystals for each airship, something that was sorely lacking for a while now. Tusile will be very happy with four airships flying around.

"Oww!" Yafel accidentally steps on the tip of one of my tails; curse its length... and I suppose having three has also increased the chances that they'd be stepped on!

Ting! Persistent State has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 30!

3rd Breakthrough: You've held your focus despite being in pain; this will help you maintain focus even through being wounded.

"I'm sorry!" Yafel droops her ears and tail apologetically.

"I know you didn't mean it," I say warmly, then flick Yafel's forehead gently. "No using charm on me!" It was probably a trained reaction to use the charm function in [Acting].

I go back to trying to cast a spell, but it eludes me for the next three hours. Still, I slowly keep my focus for longer each time, first getting past the image phase, then the channeling phase, then finally casting the simple breeze spell I was aiming for the whole time.

4th Breakthrough: You've held your focus even while casting spells; this will help you cast spells while maintaining a state of focus.

Finally!

The next to gain is maintaining focus in combat… which proves to be a lot harder. I can take all the time I want when casting a spell out of combat, but in battle? I need to think about my opponent, cast spells, dodge attacks, try not to trip over myself, and many more things competing for my attention at all times.

"Alright, everyone," Chyzu eventually claps her hands. "It's time to go to the baths." I still haven't gained the breakthrough by the end of the workday, but I feel like I understand the skill more.

The after-work bath signifies the end of my training, so I go about the rest of my day without worrying further about [Persistent State], allocating my minds to other work and training.

I practice my music and [Acting] during the socializing phase of the Lojyo; however, at the end of it the local Storm Warden steps in front of everyone. The first thing I notice is that she isn't wearing her eye wraps; I prefer it this way, it never felt right to have them imitating me. This woman is of the later generation of Wardens– the ones I didn't directly teach – since my village was one of the last to receive a Storm Warden, my presence here meaning that the other villages needed them more.

"Our faith in Myrou has been declining for decades! We've let our children stray away from Myrou and follow the ways of savagery! We need to return to how we were; we need to return to the path of Myrou! I ask you, what do savagery and fighting bring? Why do we glamorize barbarism? We follow Myrou, beauty, and creativity, not bloody competition!" The Storm Warden takes a breath and looks everyone in the eyes.

"We need to pray more to Myrou for her protection instead. The recent disasters are because we've strayed away from her; we've rejected her and lost her protection. We need to pray more to receive her guidance and safety!" The Storm Warden brings her hands together and closes her eyes. "Please let us pray together. 'Myrou, we thank you for your guidance, and we ask for your blessing this Lojyo, bless us with inspiration and guide our hands to make arts and crafts worthy of you.'"

I am getting bad vibes from all this. Perhaps this is that priestess's answer to her wavering faith, to go even further into it. It doesn't seem too dangerous right now; garnering faith isn't inherently a bad thing, but it can lead to all sorts of problems. Fanatical oppression, mandatory prayer, trying to force religion into anything and everything.

The current faith is separate from most things and only has a place in art and craft, in cleanliness and other things one would attribute to beauty. It's a general way of life, not a strict set of rules to live by. I like this way of life, the focus on creation and beauty helps give purpose and gives a sense of accomplishment in one's life instead of chasing basic and surface level entertainment. However, philosophy and faith are separate, science and faith are separate and, as the part Storm Warden, part Priestess is saying, combat and faith are separate.

It seems like the priesthood wants to make changes... I suppose this was inevitable. The Priestess took over the Storm Warden training for the second-generation Storm Wardens and often included them in priestly duties so it makes sense that they'd be more focused on faith. I need to talk to the elders about this; it's not a large problem now, but it may become a massive one if given time.

"Is everything ready?" Papuyo asks. She and two others are meeting in a small room with a round table in a corner of the temple.

"It is," the other two nod.

"Good, then we will start excavating the ruins tomorrow. We have other issues, the heretics are gaining strength, and we can't fight them head-on. Do any of you have any suggestions on how to deal with this growing problem?" Papuyo asks.

"We do not have a lot of public support right now, if we can get more we'll be able to put social pressure on them and prevent them from entering the dungeon in the future." Thyka, one of the two priestesses, who are not Storm Wardens, answers. "I suggest we ban all heretics from entering the Temple when that time comes."

"That's a start, but we should allow them into the dungeon without any trouble this time. That way, we can garner public support while our enemies are away," Gutaly, the other priestess, says.

"We have other enemies. The village elders, they'll resist us," Papuyo says, leaning forward and placing her elbows on the table.

"We can't do much about them...yet. However, with enough popular support even they won't be able to deny us." Thyka leans back in her chair and crosses her arms, then continues. "Considering other problems, we also need to purge the heretics among the Storm Wardens, particularly the first generation, the survivors of the superstorm who respect and remain loyal to Alysara, the one leading our enemies to the dungeon to gain power. As long as the priesthood is infested, our efforts to bring the Runalymo back to Myrou will fail."

"People will start asking questions if anything happens to the heretic Storm Wardens. For now, we should make use of them," Gutaly says. "I suggest putting them to work excavating, or having them report to us on the movements within the dungeon. We can make up some excuse as to why we are sending them in there."

"That's a good idea," Papuyo says, smiling and brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes, cursing herself momentarily for allowing her bangs to grow too long while she was duped into thinking the blinding eye wraps were a good idea. "I'll let you handle both that and the gathering of public support. However, we should have only those loyal to us excavate the ruins, otherwise the secret might get out. Thyka, you manage the excavation of the ruins."

Meeting over, the other two leave. After a few minutes' silent thought, Papuyo decides that she will investigate how to make an elixir. She'll need a source of Myrou water, and she thinks she knows a way to do it, to have Myrou bless the water. It has been years since she last did anything related to alchemy, but one of the few things that stuck with her is that she needs a good base for the alchemical mixture.

"I think the Priestesses are trying to get more influence. They want us to stop the yearly tournaments, which are a time-honored tradition, and they'll likely oppose the training of the fighters even though we need them to defend our villages."

I am making an argument before the elders. Normally children wouldn't be allowed to do what I am doing... but I'm not the average child, and the Elders have invited me to meetings a few times now already so it's hardly an unexpected outcome.

"There's nothing wrong with them trying to increase our faith in Myrou." Yukika disagrees, frowning. "In fact, I agree that we haven't been sufficiently stressing the importance of Myrou in having a fulfilling life."

"That isn't the issue," Guklaro says. "The issue is the priestesses overstepping their role. By advocating against one of our longest-standing traditions, they send a message that they want to abolish all that is not overtly under Myrou's domain. Yes, we need beauty and creativity to live a fulfilling life, but that has no place in other traditions."

"The number and quality of dedications to Myrou has not declined. At worst, our faith is merely going through a slump as it does every few decades," Tusile adds. "The dedications are proof that more recent events are more prevalent in the minds of our people, and once things calm down, faith will return as it always does."

The elders are making better arguments than I am; do I really need to say more?

"That may be the case, but you said it yourself, Tusile. We are on the cusp of a new age. We need to reinforce our faith now, so we do not forget how to live properly!" Yukika remains adamant in her stance.

"Then how about we make an airship dedicated to Myrou? To bridge the old age and the new? It will also be to prove our mastery of making airships" Tusile, who has gone back to airships for a solution as usual, turns toward me. "You can make Myrou metal now, right? Steel with both creativity and beauty mana?"

"You underestimate how much mana it takes, but yes, I can. I still need to observe in more detail how mana interacts with matter, but once I figure that out it should work... unless you mean to make it out of pure mana metal?" I reply, leaning back in my chair, relaxing as at least two elders understand my concerns.

"With you providing materials, we can hopefully train mana smiths. Perhaps with your teaching, we can find a way to do so without your cursed skill!" Tusile smiles warmly. "In either case, this is a project for the future. We'll announce it for all islands to participate in, but it will be months if not a year before everything is in order."

"Regardless,' Guklaro says with a frown. "We need to put a stop to the foolishness of the priestesses. I agree with Alysara; this gives me a bad feeling,"

The elders continue arguing and then discussing how to best deal with the priestesses.

"Alright," Tusile says at last, "we'll talk with the priestesses and, if need be, we can threaten to withdraw our donations to the Temple."

"That's going too far!," Yukika says with a disapproving frown.

"They are the ones going too far, Yukika. The purpose of the priestesses has always been only to represent Myrou, nothing more than that," Guklaro replies.

I hate politics, but for this, I agree.

Chapter 73: Back to the dungeon

I climb the Temple, observing the mana within the Mana Arc as it swirls in a manner that almost makes it seem alive. The Arc's basic composition is metallic mana with veins of liquid mana, but there's more to it than that. The mana circulates in a specific pattern, as if there is a beating heart driving its motion, producing warped MM fields of much greater strength than usual. Lacking the usual structure of stable valleys between peaks of increasingly high resistance, this MM field is more akin to a drain into which ambient mana just falls endlessly.

"How did she do it?" I ask myself.

It is the day after I talked with the elders about the priestess problem. I came to the Temple with the dungeon expedition, but have now separated from them to talk with Kayafe.

I reach the Mana Arc and place my hand on it, establishing contact.

"Hello again," Kayafe says.

"Hello, I have a few questions to ask you."

"When do you not? Ask away." Kayafe sounds appreciative. I can't imagine what it must be like to be in her situation, but contact with another being after thousands of years probably makes her feel at least a little bit alive.

"First, do you know of any place that is almost entirely devoid of mana? It's one of the last breakthroughs I need for [Sense Mana], since I finally got my twenty-eighth."

"Hmm, as far as naturally occurring areas go, there isn't much anywhere that I've been to. However a sufficiently powerful [Mana Manipulation] could create one, but you won't be able to do it at your level because yours is not part of a class."

"I actually got twelve more breakthroughs since last time I was here and leveled it up to three-thirty. I figure that I have about ten years to figure it out, so it should be fine to level it up more, but that means that I really need to know more about cursed skills now."

"I see... I can't help you there, but maybe some of the research of one of my companions survived. I suggest seeking out Dwarves, especially Dwarven soul mages, and asking around for Dhwol. My other companion, the Elf with the heirloom race, could see skills and worked with Dhwol in their search for a way to remove the curse from skills. Maybe they found something after I left? You may want to seek out the Elves too; if any Three-Eyed Elves survived, they'll be able to see more."

"The Guardian did say that there was a rumor of an Elf purifying a cursed skill, but she didn't believe it at the time.

Next question, how did you make the circulating mana in the Mana Arc and the Likeness of Myrou?"

"Ah, that. That is something only possible once you enhance the skill; you gain the ability to leave behind permanent effects in mana. For example, you can make mana unable to leave an area, or you can make a pot that turns all water into life essence water, essentially making an endless healing potion. [Mana Manipulation] was my greatest talent and strength; yours seems to be [Mana Sense], surpassing even me in that skill." Kayafe's voice turns curious. "What did you learn, by the way?"

"It's a dense subject, but to put it simply, I can see the MM force now, and I can see individual mana particles."

"MM field?" Kayafe asks.

"Mana magnetic force, named after its attracting and repelling forces, like those of a magnet."

"I see. I simply called it the attraction/repulsion force."

"Anyway, I can see the force fields that the particles create and how the force works, how mana can form structures or become solid or liquid. It's helped immensely already by making better mana batteries and mana metal, and I even made a Grand-tier magical item!" I can't help but brag. "Although I still need to actually make liquid mana, maybe if I can get my [Mana Manipulation] to three-fifty it'll be possible."

"You are already close to four hundred then; at that point, forming mana weather should be possible without a class. At four-fifty, maybe a little higher, you might be able to manipulate the... MM field, directly." Kayafe goes silent for a few moments.

"Try ripping mana out of monsters, that will get you a breakthrough; same with vitality as it's technically mana. Also try using ambient mana around you to cast spells, gather it in front of you, and simply impart a spell identity on it. Being able to do that has saved me a lot when I ran out of mana. Also, I don't know if you've figured it out, but try turning mana back into reserved mana; it's one of the best things you can do."

"I haven't even thought of some of those! That will definitely get me past forty breakthroughs. So what does it mean when a skill in my mana signature is... glowing, for lack of a better word?" I ask. I still don't know what that means, although I have a few guesses.

"Already?" Kayafe doesn't sound too surprised; I guess when she said nothing could surprise her anymore, she meant it; that, or she has just come to accept crazy things from me. "Let me guess, it's [Sense Mana]? Mine was just starting to show signs of that. It means you're reaching the next stage of it, Alysara. It means that it's ready to be enhanced; once you get your last breakthrough and cap your skill, you will get a legendary action point. This point is tailor-made to enhance the skill; there will be no safer point than that one to enhance your skill."

"And then what? What happens when you enhance your skill?" I can't help but feel excited; I am only a few breakthroughs away.

"First, the level cap doubles; keep in mind that your progress before still counts, so don't be surprised if you suddenly gain one hundred levels. Instead of five levels each per breakthrough for action and knowledge, it will be ten. The extra five is the same as before, just a mastery test version, so it's normal for your first ten or so breakthroughs to be instantly capped. Next, the per level bonus is vastly increased but, and this is the most important thing to note, the type of legendary point you use to enhance your skill will determine how much this per level bonus is increased by. Using the tailor-made legendary point will result in ten units per level instead of the unenhanced amount."

I almost choke hearing that.

"What's normal for unenhanced general skills? It's one unit per level, right?"

"Yes, so using that legendary point would normally result in a tenfold increase in your skill's power. However, you have [Sense Mana] in your race, right? That means your race bonus is applying, too. What's your tier?"

"Major and Unique, about a three hundred percent bonus for several skills."

"Then that applies; instead of ten units, it will have three hundred percent more added to it, so a total of a forty unit bonus per level."

"If that's per level...?" I can't help getting increasingly excited as I run through numbers in my head. "One hundred levels will be four thousand units? Three hundred levels will be twelve thousand units, and my new cap of six hundred twenty will be over twenty-four thousand units; that's crazy! I can see one meter per level, so forty meters per level instead,"

"You're thinking out loud, Alysara," Kayafe says, amused. "Yes, it's quite powerful, now do you see why ultimate skills like [Mana Manipulation] and [Unlimited Minds] are so powerful? With up to one thousand skill levels, they become truly devastating."

Now that I think about it, I've been expanding the range of my spheres as if it wasn't being modified by my race; I didn't even know it was being modified. With two hundred sixty-seven levels, its radius is normally two hundred sixty-seven meters, but with my race bonus, it should add three hundred percent, about eight hundred meters, for a total of just over a kilometer radius... I could have seen that wolf much sooner, people wouldn't have died if I'd been paying attention to this!

This realization makes my gut feel heavy, as if I had swallowed a stone. Because of my oversight, because I was complacent in my skills, people have died. I shake my head to dislodge the guilt temporarily; there's time for reflection later. Right now, I only have limited time to talk with Kayafe.

"The last thing about enhanced skills is the extra breakthroughs. You may end up with forty breakthroughs, or who knows, maybe even fifty, and be able to get your [Sense Mana] to level one thousand. Also, since it is a legendary achievement, getting your skill maxed out will be broadcasted throughout the realm, your name will be known to all, whether you want it to be or not."

"How will enhancing my skill affect my descendants?" I ask, although I don't want to think too hard about leaving descendants for quite a few years yet. "As an Heirloom race, I will pass down my skill in its entirety, at whatever height I reach with it. Does that count for enhancing it as well?"

"I don't know; there has never been any record of that happening. For one, most Heirloom progenitors don't live to the point of getting an enhanced skill... and I've never heard of raising the Heirloom tier to Unique, for that you are the first." Kayafe's curiosity is transmitted through the telepathic link, I get the feeling she is perhaps more eager for that question to be answered than I am.

"Also," she continues, "You should take time to really learn mana and practice with [Mana Manipulation]. It's one thing to have the skill at such a high level; it's another thing entirely to figure out all of the obscure uses for it. You are only ten years old, so you haven't put in the time, at least in [Mana Manipulation]. I have no doubt that by living your whole life with [Sense Mana] you know more about that skill than just what's given by breakthroughs."

"One last question." My mana is starting to get low. "How do you make a Mana Arc? It doesn't have to be a magic item, but maybe if I can enhance my skills then I can free you."

"A Mana Arc is a thing that has absolute control over mana. Think of it as a spell crystal, but one that effectively becomes the [Mana Manipulation] skill. It is capable of controlling vast amounts of mana, and even this one that I reside in is incomplete. I had to rush and could not fully understand everything. In short, it is a type of skill gem, although it encompasses all breakthroughs."

"Skill gem? How can I make one?" I can't help but ask.

"You don't." Kayfe replies stoically. "Skills are in the realm of magic, and thus one cannot simply 'make' one. Instead, I tried to use my knowledge of [Mana Manipulation] to make something similar, a gem that can funnel the vast amount of mana that moves through the Nexus into the dungeon, which can safely consume it."

"In other words, this is just a prototype?"I can't help but sound a little dumbfounded. The Mana Arc, the thing that has kept all Runalymo safe for thousands of years... is not even the true form of what it could be.

"Yes, a true Mana Arc should have total control over mana."

That is honestly terrifying. Given that its range extends over the entire Nexus, which is hundreds of kilometers in diameter, such an item could compete against even dragons.

"So," something rather frightening occurs to me, "the only reason it's working now is that it's using your abilities?"

"Pretty much."

If it's using Kayafe's skill right now, then its current power is equal to hers?! Let's see, she has the skill enhanced, and I think she has a Legendary-tier class for it, a minimum of five hundred levels and the class bonus of five thousand percent. With a minimum base of ten units per level that's five hundred per level... two hundred fifty thousand units?! I can already do crazy things with my measly three hundred thirty; with that much, she can channel almost ninety percent of all mana that goes through the Nexus. Ultimate skills are scary!

"Is your ultimate class based on your [Mana Manipulation]?" I ask, tentatively.

"No, though I wish it was. If you ever get a chance to make your ultimate class, base it on [Mana Manipulation]. Of course, you'll have to uncurse your skill first, but—"

My mana runs out, cutting Kayafe off. After a frustrated sigh and a few minutes of just staring at nothing, thinking, I walk back down and into the Temple.

The others have already gone into the dungeon. I get some weird looks from some Storm Warden priestesses on the way in, but I pay them no heed. I expand my perception to its fullest, and continue pushing it to make sure it's at its fullest. I will not be letting anyone else die because I didn't use my skills properly. With a spherical radius of one kilometer I can see far underground, but as expected, it's full of nothing but dirt. I don't need to see that far down, so I pull on the bottom of my perception to form more of a dome shape, only seeing about fifty meters under me. This has the benefit of expanding how far out I can see, keeping the total volume of perception the same.

Not only could I have seen that wolf way before it ambushed us, I could also have scouted the ruins much faster. Another stone drops in my stomach, the weight of my sins. I take a deep breath. What's done is done; I can only move on, I tell myself.

I make my way back to the main camp. There are large storage crystals now, ready to store all the materials we will process and ship back.

I see Esofy; she's wearing the Alpha Wolf furs that she claimed. Tana claimed some as well; I wonder where he is. I see a lot of people with upgrades, both gear and higher class tiers than before. Way more people have Adept and Major classes instead of Minor, and more should be near their next class evolution. However, I also notice that only half the first expedition came back. There are a few new faces, of course, but over a hundred are absent.

"It's a lot roomier now," I say, walking up to Esofy and Chyzu. Chyzu is also wearing wolf furs. The camp and all of its tents was left as it was for the larger first expedition which has now created an impression that there are more people here than there really are.

"Yeah, a lot of people just couldn't take it, not the danger, not stress, not the grief. I don't blame them; I was pretty close to doing the same thing, especially after the Everwinter Slime." Esofy then looks to Chyzu and smiles affectionately – With the help of [Inquisitive Perfection] I didn't miss the significance of that look – before looking back at me. "Tana couldn't make it, not because she didn't want to, but because her parents are forcing her to learn a craft."

I see. Tana hasn't been learning an art or craft after all, although one can make an argument that martial arts are an art form, much like dancing is.

"I don't see Klora either," Chyzu adds, looking around. "It's possible she hasn't come back yet, she does live in the outer islands and they are only just arriving."

"Irela and Jowaru are back; their rivalry won't let one get above the other in terms of skill; Jowaru still counters Irela due to her being able to form armor that Irela's lightweight blades can't pierce."

"And Tulalo?" I ask. With Tana gone, we need her healing.

"Gone, she was here but said that she had something to talk to the priestesses about and that she probably won't be coming back this time," Chyzu answers.

"Uloru and Kadona will be back; they live on one of the furthest islands, so it's still going to take them a while," Esofy adds, shifting her weight.

"We'll be spending a week just training, right? Preparing for the level four hundred boss?" I ask.

"Yes." I can see Esofy's eyes widen slightly as she notices my Diadem, which I'm wearing partly to get used to the weight on my head. "You have a new piece of equipment; I assume it's better than you aimed for, seeing as how it's a magic item?"

With a broad grin, I take out my spear and dagger from my storage ring, summon my armor from my belt and create four clones. Three of them are the quasi-real creations of the Diadem and all are wielding my weapons. Both Chyzu and Esofy look surprised by my sudden transformation.

"I'm more prepared than ever!" I declare boastfully. Unable to resist the temptation to pose somewhat, I hold my dagger in a reverse grip and my spear withdrawn, as if prepared to lash out.

"That's so cool, Aly!" Chyzu exclaims, after a second of open-mouthed shock.

"You never fail to exceed expectations," Esofy smiles. "You'll have to make us one of those after this."

"Assuming you're talking about the armor, it takes a ton of mana and a long time, but it's very strong," I say and slam my fist into my chest for effect. "Mind if I get a head start?" Without waiting for an answer, I send my clones off to the dens; the three quasi-real ones are given storage backpacks.

"That's not fair," Chyzu pouts.

"Maybe you can try making a water clone? And if we get another Mind Core, you can have it. I'll even make you one of these diadems, though it probably won't be a magic item."

"Thank you, Aly," Chyzu smiles.

Uloru and Kadona arrive two hours later and claim a tent for themselves. I admire Uloru's new hammer; I'd offer to make a mana hammer for her, but mana particles have no mass, so it defeats the purpose. Really great for armor, crap for weapons. My spear and dagger are the exception to that; the less mass the better for them; my clones aren't the strongest weightlifters and the damage is dealt mostly by the spell discharge rather than the physical impact.

Chapter 74: Me, Myself, and I Dungeoneering

I run through four dens, my [Sense Mana] split four ways but reduced to a quarter of its normal size as the tradeoff. I slay each monster and gather their bodies. With a large storage crystal in a mana silk backpack - the crystal has five slots or about five square meters of storage space - I can store a large amount. However, bodies aren't the most efficient use of space, so I still have to run back to the subcamps and deposit the bodies.

The backpacks themselves are a little larger on the inside than the outside, allowing for an even larger storage crystal. It was the result of an experiment I did on spatial enchantments, which was a partial success; the backpack is only about fifteen percent larger on the inside and getting it any better is difficult. There are two points I can try to get a larger space inside. One is a more efficient enchantment, the other is a better container. Up to a certain point, the larger the container is, the more enchanting mana I can use; however, this is offset by the amount of space I need to expand on the inside, so it follows the square-cube law. The backpacks as they are, are an optimized size, where if they are any larger the space inside will actually decrease and still take more enchanting mana.

The first boss I reach is in the arachnoid den. It's a lower level than what I fought in the Glade and the Ruins, so I easily kill it with my charged wolf fang spear. Because the spear is split five ways, including the true one 'I' am holding, its innate ability to discharge mana is also split in five, so I use my charged spear spell instead. With four clones slaying monsters, I burn through my mana very fast and have to take frequent breaks that I use to dump monster bodies at the subcamps, so even reaching the first boss took a few hours.

The bosses of the weaker dens are not able to provide any challenge, and even though they are higher level I don't get a lot of levels from them. When I reach the first floor boss of the arachnoid den, the entrance to the second floor is blocked off by a wall of thick webbing.

"So it's like this in every den? You have to slay the floor boss before continuing on, huh." I mutter to myself.

It's level three hundred. I turn my clone invisible and charge up a spell spear, almost twenty thousand mana going into it. I summon another clone next to it and transfer my primary mind over to it, charging another spear. Both spears hum with a high pitch, almost like a warning that if I push it any further the spell will fail and probably explode. I sneak right up to the unaware arachnoid as it squirms and looks around for the source of the humming, then stab it with both attacks. This takes most of my mana, so if it doesn't kill it, I'm going to have to wait for my mana to recharge.

Ting! You have killed a Champion Arachnoid (Major), Level 300 Web Guardian (Major), extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo, and for being in an enemy-empowering environment.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 192! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 317!

What? Just one level each? I was getting four or five while having the experience split for being in a party; why is it so low?! I am getting more exp bonuses, too; what's the deal?!

I sigh and calm myself; there are hidden variables when it comes to exp gain, modifiers like being under-leveled and getting solo kills are just bonuses that don't always factor into experience gain. What does always factor into experience gain is danger, stakes, and challenge. One could argue that effectively one-shotting the floor boss is a challenge, so I get experience for that, but there is no danger, there are no stakes; thus, the experience gained is very low.

With the others, even if I wasn't in danger, the rest of my party was, so the stakes were very high for ten people, thus the exp gain was high. It probably meant more since I consider Tana, Chyzu, and Esofy my friends. Those that mean more to me will be considered higher stakes than those I don't care about much… although doing that kind of calculus with the lives of others isn't a habit I want to get into. What this means, overall, is that I should fight in groups more or seek out higher challenges.

With my mana spent, I take a break and observe the Champion Arachnoid corpse for any magic materials. Several parts of the spider have gained magical properties – the fangs, web sacs and venom glands –, so I carefully take those out and store them, then continue on my way after dismissing my extra clone. sheathing my daggers that I used to dissect the boss

At the same time, in the Glade, I enter the floor boss's room with a different clone. Thunder rumbles and lightning strikes the ground; sleeping in a curled-up ball is a Felin with lightning coursing through its fur. It raises its head and cocks it to one side, as if sensing my presence but not actually seeing me. The Felin eyes the entrance as I slowly creep forward, invisible. I silently move around the side of the Felin, whose ears twitch and turn in my general direction.

Foe sense? Danger Sense? It's definitely got something; it knows there's something going on but not exactly what.

I summon another invisible clone that sneaks to the other side of the Felin, then both clones start charging spears. The Felin stands up with its hackles raised, lets out a warning growl and crouches for a pounce, keeping its eyes glued on the entrance even as the high pitched humming starts emanating from my spears.

I launch my sneak attack without giving it a chance. The spears burn into the Felin as it screeches in pain; it survives the attack with only a small amount of vitality left, so I start making fairies and empowering them as fast as I can. The Felin sends out a burst of lightning, but it doesn't disrupt my clones since they're mostly made of beauty mana. It growls and looks around for its attackers; it can't see or feel anything, but it knows where the fairies are coming from.

Finally managing to get an attack in, the Felin swipes at one clone with its claws and sweeps the other with its tail. My quasi-real clone has its chest raked open, but the wounds close immediately; one of the backpack's straps is cut, but I'll fix it after the fight. I dance around the Felin as it attacks, but my insufficient dodging abilities are allowing it to continue hitting my clone. Regardless, I burn out the rest of its vitality with [Fairy Strikes], my clone's shape reforming afterwards. The shredded backpack is too damaged and needs to be remade.

Ting! You have killed a Lightning Felin Matriarch (Grand), Level 330 Electrical Beast (Grand), extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo, and for being in an enemy-empowering environment.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained levels 193-194! 30 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 318!

A little bit more of a challenge, this one… unlike the first floor boss of the rodent den, which I kill without particular effort after letting my mana recover. I gather the monster parts, dumping many of the lesser Felin corpses to fit the Lightning Felin in my storage since I'm not good with skinning pelts, then take all the dead monsters back to the subcamp before heading deeper into the den. I'm wasting so much time going back and forth, I really need a 'Scroll of Town Portal' or something!

Actually, maybe I should examine the waystones and waystone key to see if I can learn a spell. It won't be the same thing – those are magic items after all – but If I can somehow use spatial spells to make a wormhole then it might just be possible... it may even help me make a larger internal space for my backpacks. The spell will probably need to make use of a link; the only way I know how to do that is to link crystals together as they are made, but the waystone can form a link after its creation, which is why I need to examine it. If I can figure out manual linking, that will allow me to make my own waystones and improve airship technology.

As I let my other minds do their thing in the dens, I walk my 'real' self towards Esofy.

"Do you still have the waystone key?" I ask. The portable waystone is in the main camp and the key is already linked to it, so I can't observe that. I need to observe the process of forming the link.

"Yes, why?" Esofy is currently taking inventory of our supplies. I have made a lot more healing and storage crystals and a defensive "spell cannon" for each subcamp. It's not actually a cannon, obviously, but it's the only thing I can relate it to in my mind.

"I want to study it; perhaps I can make something similar."

Ting! You have killed a Den King Rovlat (Grand), Level 250 Gnawing Biter (Major), extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo.

"That's actually a good idea." Esofy hands me the key, and I examine it as one of my clones slays another boss.

Perhaps there's something in the key or waystone, an anchor? No, a link is magical in nature, a type of magical effect; a linked item is a sort of pseudo magic item with one requirement, to be a twin of another object, which means that making a waystone such as this is currently impossible for my current skills. Perhaps if [Mana Manipulation] were enhanced, but that's still a long way off.

I still want to see the linking process in action in more detail, but there will be a time for that. I thank Esofy and go back to my tent and go back to drawing maps for the dens I am in.

That's when I notice something in the rodent den's second floor; at the edge of my perception, there seems to be some sort of stone structure. I make my way through the labyrinthine tunnels, getting closer and seeing more of the structure, which is revealed to be an entrance to what looks like another ruin. Gargoyle monsters are near the entrance in the rooms further in. This ruin is about at the same level as the Glade, the monsters starting at level one hundred.

Is it possible that there is a ruin in every den? The waystone is near the ruins too. I send enough fairies at the gargoyles to slay them and walk in after the monsters fall dead to the ground. There is a trap at the entrance, a hinged floor that falls down to a spiked pit; the latch of the floor is designed to give way if there is too much weight on the trap. The room directly ahead contains a mimic in the form of a treasure chest, with two more gargoyles standing like statues next to the door on the inside.

I test the trap by putting Rovlat rodent corpses on it, noting that it will only trigger once about the weight equivalent of two adult Runalymo – or one very heavy person – walks over it. It's easily avoidable if you know how it works. I note down all of that on a new map.

I work my way through the ruins, testing the traps and making notes of treasure chests and monsters. The first non-mimic treasure chest contains a steel sword with a sharpness enchantment and a pair of resizing boots.

I store the loot and move on; this ruin is cursed with the same bad RNG as the other; that or the good stuff is just that rare.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 195! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 319!

Focusing on another clone, I slay an Ant Champion boss in the giant tree, store its body and take it to the subcamp. The levels are starting to get harder to obtain; for each boss that I effectively trivialize, I get diminishing returns, the novelty of slaying higher level monsters quickly losing its bonus against my own gains.

Focusing back to my clone in the Gargoyle Ruins, I come across the first mini-boss, a massive mimic shaped like piles of gold and treasure chests. Mind essence fills the room just as it fills the mimic and several other, smaller, mimics in the room. I feel something enticing about this room, a sweet smell and a siren's call, mind spells meant to lower my guard and go to the treasure; I feel safe in this room.

Treasure Hoard Mimic (Grand) Temptation Caller (Grand)

I see; it uses subtle mind magic to lure its prey in; mimics are ambush hunters, after all. Well, if it's just going to wait, then I'll respond with exploding fairies and charged spears.

Ting! Clear Mind has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will now continue leveling past level 90!

9th Breakthrough: You've maintained a clear mind, even while allured or seduced; this will help you resist such attempts.

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained levels 69-72!

The mimics don't even respond to my spears' high-pitched noise… and I don't give them time to respond to my attack, either. As soon as my spear sinks into the boss monster's flesh my fairies dive bomb it and the smaller ones, quickly resulting in their death.

Ting! You have killed a Treasure Hoard Mimic (Grand), Level 230 Temptation Caller (Grand), extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 196! 15 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 320!

I take it that the danger was higher because I am still susceptible to mind fuckery?

Ting! Mental Fortitude has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 50!

5th Breakthrough: You've resisted allure or seduction; this will help you resist more such attempts.

Ting! Mental Fortitude has obtained levels 25-26!

As is usual, a treasure chest appears, and as usual, it holds mediocre loot. I go around exploring the entire floor of this new ruin, slaying monster after monster, boss after boss. All the way up to the floor boss. In the other dens, I reach the second floor.

Resting for some time after killing the bosses I explore the camp and observe the changes made. During the day, everyone got all the camps set up. My kills have already been processed, too, although some people grumbled about others 'not doing their part'. Hey, I am; I'm the one making the maps.

The camp is better organized than last time, a reduction in people allowing for space to be made and an opportunity to better organize the warehouses.

I talk with Uloru and Kadona, admiring Uloru's new hammer. She keeps it in a reduced size most of the time, but she enlarges it as much as it can to show off. It really is a massive hammer, easily fit for a titan.

As the expedition leaders are about to have their meeting, I tell them about the new Gargoyle Ruins and show them my map, my discovery, sparking a long discussion.

As night falls, I put my minds on resting rotation and continue exploring the Gargoyle Ruins and the Glade.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained levels 197-198! 30 status points awarded.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 321-326!

I finally hit my level cap, which means it's just Bond levels all the way from here.

In the Glade's second floor – perhaps better called the Woods, as the trees become denser and the rooms larger – I encounter a Speed Felin, a tricky one to catch and slay, as it climbs trees and jumps down from them at ludicrous speed. A Blaze Felin, one that seals off its room in flames and burns the whole area. An Earth Felin with a tough hide, which takes two hours to slay because of its regeneration and vast amounts of vitality. A Sonic Felin with screeches loud enough to make ears bleed, and possibly kill if I were physically present. A Gravity Felin that changes gravity for me, using its ability to disorient its prey. Finally, as a roaming boss, a Stalker Felin capable of camouflaging itself.

The pelts from the Sonic and Stalker Felins are quite good; the sonic pelt nullifies the sound made by the wearer, although that unfortunately includes speech, which will require some cleverness to work around, and the stalker pelt has invisibility effects. Combined, they have a near-perfect stealth effect.

The Earth Felin's heart has the ability to provide constant vitality generation, which works with its extra tough pelt. The Speed Felin pelt could go well with the sneaky ones to possibly make some ninja furs.

I look upon the second floor boss in the glade. A titanic beast with what looks like crystalline fur and massive diamonds coming out of its back. Its race, Bond, and classes are diamond essence, something I haven't seen before. Wait... classes?

Diamond Felin Patriarch (Heroic) Diamond Resonator (Heroic) Diamond Regenerator (Heroic)

This is the raid boss, I don't know what level it is, but it's gotta be high. By the looks of its mana signature, some of it's skills are similar to the Alpha Spine Wolf's... I wonder which skills it has? Spell resistance, teleportation, or something else?

I scout past, into the next Glade zone; dark woods with a thick canopy. The rooms are massive, easily capable of fitting dozens of people with room to spare.

Dire Felin (Grand) Black-Ice Raker (Grand)

Yeah, this is the raid zone; if the normal mobs are Grand-tier, then this is going to be a tough area.

Chapter 75: Meeting of the Fools

Going through the Gargoyle Ruins, I defeat the first floor boss, a silver Gargoyle. Its heart, a silvery glowing crystal, allows for the manipulation of silver, which its body seems to be made of rather than simply coated with.

On the second floor, I see door Mimics, floor Mimics, ceiling Mimics, as well as the normal treasure Mimics. The Gargoyles are becoming more unique, too. Fire Gargoyles light the rooms instead of braziers, poison and wind type Gargoyles attack with toxic air, and more.

I take my time to rest after killing each boss. One is a light mage, able to shoot lasers and blind its opponents; obviously, it can't do much against me. The other is a wind warrior who can summon blades of wind. It takes almost all of my mana to defeat the level three hundred bosses, so I need to rest for about two hours to refill my mana reserves after each kill.

I have five hundred seventy points to spend; should I put more into mana reserves or more into mana generation? I should also try to put more into my other stats, endurance and vitality at least. I'll put one hundred more into both my mana stats, one hundred into vitality, and two hundred into endurance.

Unused stat points: 70/2970

Mana: 200 [10200] (+12954)

Mana Generation (/hour): 200 [10200] (+41004)

Vitality: 100 [3100]

Strength: 9 [99] (-18)

Agility: 12 [132] (-12)

Endurance: 10 [310] (+46.5)

Intelligence: 32 [1632] (+979.2)

Wisdom: 28[1428] (+785.4)

Charisma: 20[220] (+33)

Fifty thousand mana generation per hour, that's an insane amount, and I can get it even higher by working on my [Summoner's Core]. Adding my Kyhosa, I have a total reserve of seventy-three thousand mana, not nearly enough for what I need. I can take on the level three hundred bosses with that much mana, but any higher, and I'd burn through all my mana before killing the boss. Tank-type bosses are annoying, too; they take three times, or even more, as much mana to kill, so they are out of my reach.

I suppose they can't kill me either. Whelp, it's worth testing out.

Conveniently for this test, the next boss seems to be a type of life tank Gargoyle, so I make myself invisible and sneak directly to it.

Vitality Guardian Gargoyle (Grand) Lifespring Juggernaut (Grand)

I can see vitality pouring from it instead of mana; much like Tana, it seems to have traded mana generation for vitality generation. My only hope is to damage this one faster than it can heal and restore, but the Gargoyles have naturally high endurance. With a fully charged spear costing nineteen thousand mana I now have enough for three of them, so hopefully I can kill it with the combined attacks of all three spears, but my hopes aren't high. I really need a Bond version of my charge spear so I can get the Bond-level bonuses. I have my class version, but if I use it now, I'll level up the skill and raise my max class level above two hundred; I want my Bond at a higher level before then.

I suppose I don't have to evolve my class. Still, I really should before I hit level two hundred fifty, where I'd gain another evolution opportunity, since I don't know what will happen to my potential evolution options then. Will they go away? Will all I have achieved before not be applied? The risk is too high. Also, if I get to level two hundred, I'll get a massive experience gain reduction for passing a hundredth level milestone, and that will make leveling my Bond a lot harder.

I summon two more clones and shift my minds to them, all charging up spears. The high pitched humming of three spears sings like a chorus, signaling that my attack is ready. I run into the boss room while invisible, my signature starting move at this point. I jab into the Gargoyle once, twice, three times; its health drops as the spears discharge their payload over the course of three seconds. I see the Gargoyle's vitality continue to thin as its body's cells die; but as the last of the beauty essence is spent the gargoyle still has a fifth of its max vitality and is recovering rapidly with its massive vitality generation. It roars angrily and lashes out, swiping at the air around it. I don't stay; I clearly can't slay this one without help.

I work throughout the rest of the night. However, I cannot slay two Gargoyle bosses because they regenerate vitality faster than I can damage them. An advantage that physical fighters have over me also becomes increasingly clear; if I run out of mana I can't do anything other than wait and recover, but people like Kadona and Uloru can still fight on physical stats and skills alone.

Unfortunately, the floor boss is not there, and the way down is blocked off. Now that I think about it, it seems like the floor boss will only spawn once all the bosses are slain. The floor boss was already spawned the first time we came through the dens, probably because they spawned when the dungeon was last in use.

This means that I literally can't progress in the Gargoyle Ruins until the tank bosses are slain. I can't progress in the Glade because the floor boss is a tank type and a mighty one at that, it would likely take dozens of people to take it down. That leaves the ant tree, continuing down the rodent den or the arachnoid den. The Slime Ruins we are saving for a deep dive, but I guess I can kill the bosses we've killed before, although I don't know if it will be the same ones. I probably shouldn't kill all the bosses and should leave some for other people, which means I should choose one den and go as deep as I can.

In the morning, I report more of what I found in Gargoyle Ruins to the leaders, giving them an updated map and telling them about the Diamond Felin.

"The materials we'll get from the Diamond Felin will be incredible," Shura says, greedily.

"It's too dangerous; if we send a lot of people, that just means more people are at risk of dying, but if we send too few then we can't defeat it. We should just ignore it," Tato says dismissively.

"I agree with Tato. It's too risky," Haruo says, shaking her head at Shura.

"I didn't say we have to go after it now, but once we get multiple people with good enough armor and weapons and our people at a high enough level, then perhaps we can kill it." Shura defends herself with a slight pout.

"Either way, this should be a discussion for when we might be able to take on the Diamond Felin," Esofy says. "Right now, our number one priority is getting our people as strong as they can get, and that means getting better equipment, higher tier classes, and higher levels. So we'll be training for a week before doing another deep dive."

Esofy then turns toward me and says, with a slight grin, "I hope you haven't slain all the bosses yet?"

"Even if I wanted to I couldn't, I have to let my mana recharge for a couple hours after each one."

"It's good to hear that a lot are still around. They are good challenges for groups and are worth a lot of levels." Esofy says.

Tanafyam molds the clay, a misshapen lump of earth. It is so bad [Perfectionist's Eye] doesn't even recognize it as an attempt at making something. Tana sighs frustratedly, four days of this and not a single thing even close to resembling a sculpture. Perhaps he should go with carpentry.

"You'll get there; it just takes some practice," Chozu, Alysara's aunt, says encouragingly.

Tana would like nothing more than to go back into the dungeon and fight more monsters. Yes, it's scary, but at least he can do something competently there. Getting stronger, the rush of leveling up, the thrill of battle; it spoke to him during the first expedition and is still calling for him now.

Chozu walks away to check up on Nyam, hand on her gravid belly. Tana rolls his lump of clay back into a ball and starts elongating it, first rolling it, then flattening it, until he's struck by a moment of inspiration. It's hard to sculpt a person, but he knows swords, axes, and spears. His hands move over the clay, now with purpose, and before Tana knows it, he has made a clay arming sword, scaled down to the size of a dagger, double-edged with a fuller, wider at the base and tapered at the tip. The hilt is nothing special, no decoration, just an average sword.

[Perfectionist's Eye] at least has something to say about this; it recognizes it as an actual attempt to make something. The work is uneven, the handle is bent, and the blade guard is too long on one side, but it is progress, finally.

"Good work!" Chozu praises. Tana was supposed to sculpt something else, but at this point, any progress is good. "This is a good point to stop; it's time for an after-work bath."

He nods, cleans up and then leaves, walking to the baths and, on the way, passing the Storm Warden, who is talking to some people passionately.

"Once we stop doing unnecessary things and start living according to Myrou's ways, the disasters will stop. If we pray to her at least once every day, things will get better. Ideally, we should pray during every bath, when we clean ourselves."

Tana doesn't care. The only thing that matters is getting stronger; the system facilitates this; why else does it reward people for killing monsters?

"Tanafyam!" Tana's parents call to him, motioning for him to join them in the baths.

"Tana, you should stop trying to be a Kheshamo; it's tainting your mind. You've heard what the Storm Warden says." Momara Aya says, before he's even fully in the water.

"That's right; fighting is neither art nor craft; it's a waste of time!" Momara Folor agrees with fervor.

Tana can't believe what he is hearing; they praised his decision a couple of years ago, now they want him to stop?!

"If you really want to be a warrior, you can be a Warrior of Myrou! The priestesses are looking for capable and faithful warriors to help spread the faith to all of our peoples, detain and judge criminals, and help keep monsters away from our village. It's a much more prestigious position than a Kheshamo!"

"That's right! If you join Myrou's warriors, then Myrou will understand if you neglect your arts. Protecting the people is important after all; it is even a form of art in some ways."

If Tana can continue fighting monsters, then perhaps he should look into it, but what is the feeling he has in his stomach? He doesn't like it, but it can't be that bad... right?

"You are going against our way of life, Papuyo!" Tusile chastises. "Who are we if we let our faith consume us?! It's one thing to live with Myrou's guidance; it's a whole different thing to live with nothing but Myrou in mind! You are promoting excess; anything taken too far is bad, faith included!" She paces back and forth. The priestess is simply going too far; even Yukika agrees.

They are in a coliseum with over a hundred other village elders. Papuyo sits on a chair in the center while the elders stand around her, judging her recent actions.

"Pray three times a day?! 'Myrou's Warriors'?! You want to abolish the inter-village tournament?! Have you even thought of what you are doing?!" Tusile's rant continues, her face red with anger. "Not only are you corrupting tradition, but you are warping the very foundation of Myrou's priestesses! We need to separate arts and craftsmanship and warriors. It's not under Myrou's guidance to be peacekeepers! That's on us! It's our responsibility to maintain peace, each village has its own rules, and if a person doesn't like a particular rule they can just move to a village that better suits them!"

"You should calm yourself, Tusile," Henaru, the head elder of another village, says rather cautiously.

"She doesn't show any remorse," Kilonu, the eldest among them, adds. "I've lived a long time and made many tough decisions in my life... we may need to consider exile if Papuyo continues this madness."

That gets Papuyo's attention. She looks at Kilonu with wide eyes as if she can't believe what she is hearing.

"I was hoping we didn't have to come to that conclusion, but I think you may be right," Tusile sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose, her rage fading, leaving her looking tired.

"I say we exile her now," Mara, former Kheshamo warrior turned Elder, speaks up. "She knew what she was doing when forming 'Myrou's Warriors'. She wants to take over and at the same time remove opposition by denouncing the Kheshamo fighters."

Mara leans forward, closer to Papuyo. "We aren't idiots."

"That may be going too far, Mara, but she has shown less care about Myrou's guidance and more for increasing the priestesses' power. I say we strip her of her priestess position," Hajilu says, crossing her arms.

"Can we even do that? It's never been done before," Another elder says warily.

"We may not even have to do that; a simple warning is all that is necessary," Another elder argues.

This prompts a long discussion as to how harsh the punishment should be with Mara spearheading for exile. Finally, a vote is cast, with thirty-four being for exile, eighty-nine for stripping Papuyo of her Priesthood, and ninety-two for a warning.

"Idiots!" Mara curses as the elders head for the docks. "This is a major mistake!"

Tusile agrees, silently; although she had voted for stripping Papuyo of her priesthood, exile may be too much. Still, either way, Papuyo can't stay with the priestesses; the look in her eye shows that she won't take this lying down. The elders are only forcing her to act in the shadows more.

"We need to keep a watchful eye on the Storm Wardens and priestesses and make sure they aren't hiding anything," Tusile says quietly, Mara nodding in agreement.

Chapter 76: Spawning

Fools! Buffoons! Can't they see what's happening?! I know warriors aren't part of Myrou's domain, but it's the only way to bring people back to her guidance!

Papuyo paces in anger and frustration.

What makes them think they have any power to take away my priesthood?! That has never been done before! It's because of that girl; she made them into heretics!

Papuyo will have to tread carefully. People forget things easily; the disaster of the superstorm is but a passing breeze to many. It seems that they need another disaster to remind them that the more they stray from Myrou, the more danger they are in, but what disaster will that be? In addition to tiptoeing around the Elders she needs to work on the elixir, and for that, she needs the aid of alchemists. There aren't many, but that shouldn't be a problem, there are bound to be a few sympathetic to her cause.

Although… Gutaly is having trouble recruiting people, so it might not be so easy. Perhaps the elders are hindering their efforts already; despite a lot of warriors coming back from the dungeon complaining about the trauma they went through, only a fraction of those returning are joining them.

Getting more and more frustrated thinking about the setbacks, Papuyo takes a deep breath, feeling the anger subside a little.

I should check on the ruin excavation site; maybe there is at least some good news there.

Papuyo stops pacing, walks to the pier, and rides a boat to the excavation site, a place between islands; conveniently, the ruins are near Temple Island. Many boats have been strapped together to form a staging platform for people to rest and hold the treasure that they've found, of which there is only a small pile for now although people are diving in and out of the waters, occasionally bringing more. In her [Sense Mana], Papuyo can see the top of an excavated tower poking out of the seafloor, which has somehow remained standing despite the disaster it went through.

"What brings you here?" Thyka, who is overseeing the operation, asks as she walks over.

"Looking for good news, hopefully," Papuyo sighs. "Please tell me you've made good progress over the last few days."

"I take it that the elders did not see our cause the same way as us? Yes, we've excavated all the way to the bottom and found several treasures, as you can see from that small amount, there's a lot more waiting to be brought up; somehow many things have gotten Historic and Archaic tiers, becoming magical items capable of resisting the effects of time and erosion."

"That is indeed good news, much better than what I expected," Papuyo replies, the fortunate turn of events bringing a smile to her face.

"It also seems that this place was very important, a building dedicated to Myrou and the Grand Priestess Shara; you'll see what I mean if you go down there. But it's not all well," Thyka says, watching an excavator mage climb onto the boats to rest and regain mana. "Many report ominous feelings and some report seeing shadows in the corner of their eyes, many require more incentives to go back."

Of course it's like that; people just need faith in Myrou, but they require constant reminders of that faith.

"We should pray for Myrou's guidance before every dive."

"We've already started doing that, but there is one more thing; you really need to see it," Thyka says, turning towards the water's edge and beckoning Papuyo to dive into the water behind her.

Earth mages and bond users are excavating the ruins and reinforcing it as they go, so it doesn't collapse on the expedition. Papuyo dives down into the water to inspect the stonework of the tower, Thyka leading the way. The interior is mostly devoid of furnishing, but some seems to have survived the millennia of water. Cushioned chairs, wooden desks, even a few books seem to have resisted decay and damage from the water. The stonework was once a thing of perfection, but is now a ruined shell from the influence of time.

The tower leads down further, below the seafloor. Papyu swims down the stairs, trailing Thyka. A wall has partially collapsed; the excavators have removed the earth and reinforced it but the stonework is still missing. At the bottom, several more excavating mages are digging outward from the doorway into a large, tall cavern. The once-imposing doorway, now just an empty frame, opens up to a cavern of excavated sandstone, revealing broken brick streets and houses.

Signs of erosion carve through the ground, the remains of stone houses and other bits of rubble swept up by currents of water litter the area of the artificial cave. Most things wouldn't have survived time, but magical and protected things can. Old vases, coins, tools and weapons have been gathered; all of them seem to have Historic and Archaic tiers. They are not magical in any other way but simply seem remarkably resilient to weathering and time. An old blacksmith hammer with a wooden handle shows no decay, as if it was made just a few years ago.

A painting stands among the gathered items – it bears some damage, but nowhere near what it should for being underwater for so long – and a book also seems to have survived as if it is water repellant. Papuyo turns back to look at the rest of the building that is attached to the tower, a huge cathedral with many depictions of Grand Priestess Shara, showing her many exploits, from building the Temple to bringing the Runalymo back to Myrou and away from the false gods. A large statue of a woman is holding up what looks like a slice of a heart.

Chills go down Papuyo's spine, and she suddenly feels as if she is being watched, but she shakes the feeling off as Thyka motions to the heart and begins swimming towards it. Papuyo follows and [Analyzes] it as she gets closer.

Shara's Middle Heart Piece:

This heart, from the angel Shara, has been cut into three pieces by the killing blow of a great being. This heart has the ability to convert any blood passed through it into angel blood.

This is an unexpected find. Papuyo smiles at her good fortune and takes the heart, storing it in a spatial ring.

Three days in, and I am finally unable to progress in any of the dens, all paths now blocked by tank bosses that heal or regenerate faster than I can damage them. I didn't want to ask Esofy for help, but I'll have to throw in the towel, leveling will be painfully slow if I don't. Fortunately, Esofy is on her way back from the slime ruins, going over the places we have already explored, so it's easy for me to find her.

"Can you help me defeat the Shelled Aegis Ant in the Giant Tree? It has a healing class, so I am unable to kill it." I say, fidgeting a little and feeling my cheeks redden with nervousness. I don't want to seem weak, I want to be the one who can take on any monster alone, but I just can't as I am now. Maybe if I focused on my class skills, maybe if I was a higher level, but I have to wait; I have to hold back because a Unique-tier race is expected to have more, and greater, achievements to get better classes.

"Sure! We'll help you tomorrow, it's getting late today. On the way there, we can attune the waystone key to the waystone in that den." Esofy pats my head with a warm smile, then speaks again after a short pause. "It's alright to rely on others, Alysara; you can't always be the one offering support."

Esofy walks with me over to the 'lounge', really a large semi-permanent tent of pillars holding up canvas, with lots of chairs to rest in and talk with others. It's mainly used by the group that stays behind and maintains the main camp, sorts the processed materials brought back from the subcamps, continues building more permanent structures, and builds things to improve the quality of life, such as carts.

The groups rotate every day. Esofy's group and two others had the duty yesterday, while my duty remains scouting the dens and making maps. I am getting really good at making maps even though I turned down the [Cartography] skill.

So far, I've scouted out all accessible dens and ruins to their third floors. The Arachnoid den has what looks like a ruin on the third floor, although I haven't scouted it yet.

The next day we work our way through the level one hundred monsters, slaying groups of five to twelve at a time. The rest of the group has gotten a lot better at handling multiple monsters, even some of the more powerful ones.

We walk into a room with a dark orb sitting on a pedestal, the dark element aligned space essence within serving as an anchoring point. Esofy walks forward and looks at me.

"Ready? You wanted to observe the process, right?"

"I'm ready." I nod. I have my [Sense Mana] state of focus running in the background with [Persistent State], so I shrink my perception until only the waystone and waystone key are visible. Esofy touches the key to the waystone. The key seems to transfer some mana into the orb, and for a split second I see a line of mana form that is immediately burned out of existence to form a magical link.

I nod and summon a Familiar, watching the same linking process happen between me and it. My link is also magical in nature, but it seems like I can observe my own link that I form and not any others.

"I think I understand the process a lot more now," I say, trying to bring the disparate thoughts and ideas in my head into a cohesive whole. A magical link is formed by using mana to make a sort of scaffold, then burning the mana as the fuel for the magic that turns that scaffold into a link. The waystone seems to hold the key's unique mana as an anchor for the link.

I previously made links from the same piece of spell crystal, but if I can make a mana device that holds this mana instead, a link might form. Nailing down the magical side of the process may be tricky, but it may be possible to make teleporters if I can do it. There are downsides, however; links tend to have a range on them, at least my clone and Familiar links do. The mana usage for such teleporters will be a problem too, and if I can't get the link to form, I'll have to do it in a more roundabout and mana expensive way.

Still, I think I might be able to make a teleporter work to some degree. Will it be as good as, or even remotely close to, these waystones and keys? No, not at all. But if mankind could go from a half-minute flight to landing on the moon in seventy years, then I can make equivalent progress too!

"Alright, let's continue," I say, having ordered my thoughts.

"Think you can replicate these?" Chyzu asks, walking beside me.

"No... but something simple that can do a similar thing? Yeah, probably, now I just need to watch it in action to better understand the spell used."

We arrive at the Shelled Aegis Ant boss, the sleek shell on the giant creature shining in the light of the crystal on the top of the staff held by Lotuna, a healing mage that came with us.

Shelled Aegis Ant (Grand), level 339 Body Perfector (Grand)

"Ant" is not a perfect descriptor but the similarities are close enough, and the translation from Runalymo is basically describing the appearance of an ant. This boss is tough and has great regenerative abilities as well as a healing essence Bond.

I start with my usual opening attack, my charged-up spears. Three clones dash forward with screaming spears to quickly burn out seventy percent of its vitality. Immediately following up, the group dashes into the room and starts attacking the Ant. Uloru swings her hammer, barely able to control the shrunken and extremely heavy weapon, breaking a leg in two as the sheer mass of the thing carries the impact through the tough armor of the monster. Next, Kadona thrusts her buster sword down at the boss from a high jump, piercing the chitin a few millimeters before Uloru slams her hammer down onto the sword, driving it clear through the boss and into the ground.

The impaled Ant struggles to move out of the way but is stuck. Despite its predicament, I see its vitality slowly rising. Esofy jabs her swords into the creature's eyes and, with a clean movement, hacks off its antenna. The boss flails its legs to try and kick someone, not able to retaliate in any other way, then it raises its abdomen and sprays formic acid at Esofy, who dodges with a side step. Chyzu gets close and pierces the tough chitin with a powerful water jet; however, I do not see its vitality lowering from any attacks other than Kadona and Ulorus' combo.

Minutes go by, and the Ant's vitality has fully regenerated. The antennas are half regrown, formic acid eating through the floor from the monster's desperate attacks and threatening to unpin it. Despite the healing, however, its exoskeleton is cracked and has holes in many places from our combined attacks. Uloru continually hammers the chitinous beast while Chyzu amputates the legs with water jets to prevent it from pushing itself off the ground.

The new party members, Lotuna, a healer and ice mage, pierces the eyes again with ice spears. Gojune has a rare speed essence Bond and a lightning mage class; she casts a speed buff on the fighters. Uloru swings her hammer faster to add to her already powerful hits with Gojune's buff. Gojune is slowly roasting the monster with electricity, helping to combat its regeneration. Lastly is Vakelu, a defensive warrior with a shield almost as massive as Kadona's sword, like a thick iron wall; she is our second vanguard to help take some heat off Jowaru.

Our vanguards are at the front of the boss to lure its bites and formic acid attacks. Lotuna has covered their shields in ice so they won't be eaten away by the acid. And yet, despite all the attacks, the monster's Vitality has risen overall.

With a final smash from Uloru, the beast's shell breaks away to reveal another layer of the boss's exoskeleton.

"Another layer?!" Irela complains, slamming a stake down onto the revealed armor with Uloru's gravity assist, not doing nearly as much damage as Uloru herself, who then hammers the stake in. I watch as the metal infiltrates the innards of the monster and shoots spikes out in all directions inside the boss; a chunk of its vitality is burned out from its flesh being destroyed. The monster's organs are pierced and wrecked one by one. Uloru flips her hammer around to its pick side and brings it down on the first layer, again and again, breaking off more and more of the destroyed exoskeleton.

It only takes a few more minutes for the monster to die, Irela's metal infiltration dealing the bulk of the damage in the end.

Ting! Your party has killed a Shelled Aegis Ant (Grand), level 339 Body Perfector (Grand) extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

"That was a hard one to crack open, but you could say we had it pinned down," Chyzu jokes, making a couple of awful puns.

I watch the floor boss's room remotely, seeing a swirling cloud of mana surge into the room, all condensing into one location. There is something else in the mix, too, ectoplasm and... something else, similar to ectoplasm but clearly different. I watch with my state of focus active, seeing the soul stuff condense and take form, an empty soul shell that draws in more of the ectoplasm and soul stuff until nothing is left outside of it. Seconds later, growing in the soul are the organoids, the soul components. Finally, I realize what the soul stuff is; it's raw soul matter... or energy – whatever it is – and I've just witnessed the birth of a soul.

The mana condenses even further until all of it vanishes out of existence and, forming in the air as if crawling out of a hole in space-time, a monster emerges, a newborn monster with soul and all, born from pure magic.

Ting! Sense Soul has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 110!

10th Breakthrough: You have seen raw soul; this will help you study the strange thing we call soul.

11th Breakthrough: you have witnessed a soul being born; this will help you understand the process of life and death.

Ting! Sense Soul has obtained levels 101-105!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained levels 267-270!

Got you! I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever get a chance to observe monster spawning, now I just need to put in the time to practice my skill levels. I have a lot of skills I need to work on, so maybe after my class evolution I'll spend a few months just leveling my skills. I should also try out Kayafe's ideas of 'test' levels; I certainly could use more practice with my skills to better understand all their nuances, actual levels aside.

I [Analyze] the newborn monster. It is a crystalline Ant with pointy crystals jutting from its back. However, I notice its vast mana reserves and incredible mana generation; it must be generating at least two hundred thousand mana per hour, maybe even more, all pouring into a reserve that is probably in the low millions.

Mana Devouring Ant (Heroic) Tides of Mana (Heroic)

I want it. I want to get its materials. Just what kind of monstrosity can I make from this?

"Alysara? Alysara?!" Chyzu is waving her hand in front of my face.

"Huh? Oh, I was just scouting the floor boss."

"How strong is it?" Esofy asks cautiously.

"Both class and race are Heroic. Can you see what level it is?" My heart quickens, my desire for the potentially powerful materials clashing with my rational cautiousness.

"...Four hundred fifty, rounding up," Esofy says after a minute.

"We struggle with Grand-tiers, as a party no less, even you can't kill some of them Aly. Not only is it a higher level, it's also at least twice as strong as a Grand-tier of its equivalent level," Chyzu says with a clear warning in her voice, seeming to read my mind.

"I know, but I at least want to try," I sigh.

"No, Aly. Your parents won't ever let me off if I let something happen to you," Esofy says with a stern look.

I sigh again in resignation.

Chapter 77: Heroic

It's been a week now and the bosses that I killed last week have respawned. I helped other groups kill them but this time I used my fairies instead of the charged spears, being very careful not to raise my class level cap.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 327-362!

Ting! Acting has obtained levels 87-94!

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained levels 73-77!

Ting! Graceful Movements has obtained levels 73-75!

Ting! Persistent State has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 50!

5th Breakthrough: You've held focus even through combat, this will help you fight while focused.

Ting! Persistent State has obtained levels 22-32!

Ting! Twin Minds has obtained levels 81-84!

Ting! Tailoring has obtained levels 107-109!

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained levels 331-337!

Esofy, Chyzu, Jowaru and everyone else has reached somewhere around the level two hundred fifty mark; I probably would have too, but I want my Bond to be a much higher level – no, I need it to. The achievements I need to reach higher tiers are too demanding. Everyone except me in the deep dive group is Major-tier in their class now.

"The ruins have been cleared all the way to the Heroic-tier slime now, so we can just go straight to it," Chyzu informs me, her tail twitching.

"Our goal is not to get materials this time, so don't worry about breaking the slime cores," Esofy says, unfurling the map I made. "Unfortunately, the bosses don't remain the same so the detail on those is old."

We prepare for the next deep dive, hopefully getting past this next floor, but it will be much harder if the trend is anything to go by.

We walk into the Slime Ruins, easily getting through the first two floors and finding a few treasure chests on the way as we slaughter the lower-level monsters. As we near the Heroic-tier slime Esofy becomes visibly nervous, so Chyzu puts her arm on Esofy's shoulder and purrs soothingly. I wonder if they are still at the courting stage of their relationship?

"First Aly will go in, test the slime and see its abilities. Our first encounter will be only to gather information, then we'll prepare for the fight. It doesn't matter if it takes days, we must prepare correctly." We all nod in affirmation, even Irela taking this too seriously to express her usual antics. I put a mind into a clone standing next to Jowaru, in case the one I am using currently is destroyed.

I charge my spear, turn invisible, and stare at the slime. In its mana signature, I can see a skill similar to the one the Alpha Wolf had, the teleportation skill, but I don't recognize any of its other abilities. It wiggles as I step closer, and then it shoots a beam of void essence which I hurriedly block, my humming spear held in front of me like a shield, while I try to dodge out of the way. My much more condensed mana spear splits the beam in half, the remains flowing past me and hitting the wall, eating through them.

I hear a high-pitched, disgruntled, 'grring' from the slime as it shoots out smaller beams, rapid-firing them like a machine gun and hitting my clone in several places. The illusion reforms as if nothing happened, but the wall behind me is riddled with deep holes digging halfway through to the room on the other side.

I assume my spear master role, enhancing my clone with speed essence, and dash forward, stabbing into the thick jelly-like substance and reaching ever further towards the core of the slime. There is so much slime I have to hold the spear by its very end and even then my illusory arm enters the slime body before the spear reaches the core. The mana in my clone's arm fights with the dark attuned mana within the slime and is slowly being dispersed, so it's possible that anything that is enveloped is eaten away by some sort of void skill.

A well of space mana forms behind me and just as my spear is about to touch the core, it disappears; the core, slime and all, reappearing where the space mana is.

I try stabbing it again and again but each time it teleports and shoots void beams at me, further destroying the room. I can tell from the intensity of its spells that it is getting massive bonuses for its abilities.

If only there was a way to weaken its spells, or even outright prevent them. That's when I remember something: I've never used it before, never had a reason to, but my Kyhosa has a skill called [Calm Mana]. It's only level one, but maybe I can do it manually with my [Mana Manipulation]. I decide to give it a go, spending a few minutes to enter the state of focus for [Mana Manipulation] with another mind and tying it off with [Persistent State]. I dodge spell after spell, reforming my clone after each hit while focusing on all the mana in the room, shrinking my manipulation area, and using its whole volume to bleed the energy from the mana in the room to reduce the intensity of the Void Slime's spells.

With the mana in the room returning to normal intensity, I focus on halting all mana so none can move without my permission. I set all my minds on calming the mana in the room, the task proving too much for one and slowly the mana stills as if I took the breath away from its currents. I dash forward with my spear and stab into the slime once again, and again space mana appears elsewhere in the room while I fight to keep the mana serene.

There is simply too much intensity in the spell for me to cancel it completely, but I stall the slime's spell long enough for my charged spear to connect! The slime purrs angrily as its vitality rapidly drops, and then it finally teleports away, my spear having used seventy percent of its mana. The Void Slime makes another 'grr' sound, sounding just like its high-pitched purring, and releases a burst of intense void mana. My spear is overwhelmed and its form disperses from the wave of dark attuned essence, my clone being destroyed along with it.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 360!

36th Breakthrough: You've created an area of calm mana, this will help you create a field where no spells can be maintained.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained levels 337-341!

"As expected, it's extremely powerful and probably has even more tricks than what I've seen," I say as I pull my awareness back to the group and tell them of the abilities I encountered.

"Sounds very tricky, and that's only three of its abilities, but it is safe to say it has a Bond class which means it's not as versatile as it could have been. Any plans on how to prepare for it? It sounds like it's got incredibly powerful attacks and can dissolve whatever we hit it with." Esofy summarises the problem.

Everyone falls into silent contemplation until I speak up.

"It will take a few days, but if I make everyone shields made of light mana metal you can protect yourself from its attacks, at least for a while, I won't have time to make a full suit of armor for everybody but light mana silk armor should help block one or two attacks if you're lucky."

"We'll also need light mana weapons, or at least have our weapons gilded in light mana to help our damage output and to prevent them from being eaten away by its body," Kadona suggests. Esofy nods in approval

"The armor and shields will already take me a lot of mana, millions of mana, so you will have to donate mana to get our preparations done in a reasonable time frame," I say

"We just have to put our mana into your Kyhosa, right?" Chyzu asks. I nod in affirmation.

"Then let's head back to the main camp," Esofy orders. Everyone holds hands and Esofy activates the waystone key. I dismiss my clone and get up with my real body to greet the group, then I begin working on the preparations.

It takes two days to make the shields and the rest of the second day to gild everyone's weapons in light elemental mana; of course I decorate it all with beauty mana, we are Runalymo after all. The biggest issue was Uloru's hammer, being so steeped in dark attuned essence I had to create a thick layer of earth mana and then cover that in light mana. It takes me four times as much mana as making one of the shields and is rather complicated since I have to make it fit both at full size and while shrunken for transport.

I make several gambeson and brigandine hybrid armors and enchant them to resist void essence. This takes another two days but having light mana plates to protect everyone's vitals is better than flimsy armor that won't hold more than three hits. The arms, legs, and tail aren't heavily protected, but those are more expendable – meaning that you won't die if you lose them – anyway. After that, on the seventh day, I make everyone mana metal helmets with mana silk padding. The helmets cover the entire face, not even eye holes to create a weakness; however, the helmets are enchanted to be see-through. I don't need such armor for myself, as I won't be there physically.

There is one detriment to all the light mana armor, and that is that the group won't be able to utilize teleportation via the waystone key and will have to travel on foot. We'll still bring the key though, to attune it to the waystone on the third floor.

"Alright, this time we still won't be fighting to kill," Esofy says, looking everyone in the eyes as we stand just outside the boss chamber. "If we can then we will, but we are still going to be testing the boss. We will try to get more information on it, test our capabilities at fighting it and test our armor. No one is dying in this fight, is that clear?"

"Yes," Everyone answers, meeting Esofy's gaze. Of course, I can't do the same but I hold the same sentiment. After a moment of silence, we begin.

I first draw the Void Slime's attention using my usual opening strike, while calming the mana so it can't teleport away as quickly; then everybody rushes in. Lightning erupts from Gojune as Uloru makes her hammer return to its normal size for greater reach and swings it, with difficulty, deep into the side of the boss. She can't use her weight manipulation due to the light mana gilding, so I am impressed by her strength. It must be her focused stat, like intelligence is for me; I wonder how much she has?

Lotuna shoots ice spears at the core and Chyzu blasts it with jets of water. Irela sends light-gilded blades spinning into the slime, the light mana easily parting the void-laden slime and slicing through to its core, chipping it in several places. The Void Slime teleports and I charge at the teleportation location with my spear, delivering its deadly burst of mana the moment it reappears.

The slime angrily explodes with void mana, the same omnidirectional attack that destroyed my previous clone With our armor and shields none of us take any damage, but I do notice some minor wear and tear on the silken defenses of the group. As before, my clone is destroyed by this attack, but I have backups in the hall outside. I charge back into the fray just as tentacles from the Void Slime whip around, clanging on shields and armor. Jowaru and Vakelu tank the hits; Jowaru, not using her metal for armor for this fight, has loaned it to Irela to attack with.

I calm the mana in the room again, taking care not to interfere with my allys' spells, and stab the boss when it teleports again. With around a third of its vitality burned up by our attacks, I am beginning to think we might be able to kill it now. The battle continues as the warriors continue to chip away at the slime and defend against the tentacles, utilizing the shields I made for them; while the mages, especially Irela, continue to hit the core. The slime chunks sprayed around the room try to flow back to the boss, dissolving the stone beneath them as they move, but I burn them out with [Fairy Strikes] in an attempt to reduce the Void Slime's mass more permanently.

Slowly but surely we work at the boss, until as its vitality continues to drop from our attacks the Void Slime teleports to a corner and, with a high-pitched angry 'grr', sends forth a tidal wave of its slime toward us, to envelope us in its all-consuming slime. Everyone is swept up and I can see the slime trying to seep into the armor, trying to squeeze through the gaps between the helmet and brigandine. Small amounts of the slime manage to get into the armor and begin to eat away at the flesh of my friends. My clone is destroyed in moments, but I charge back in with another.

The slime recedes, pulling everyone next to its core, but that's a bad move on its part as the warriors take this chance to attack the core directly. Uloru, Kadona, Vakelu, Esofy, and Jowaru all attack, cracking and chipping the core; the slime then teleports away, having been punished for its instinctual mistake.

The group is left sputtering and pulling at their armor to try and get the slime out as it continues to eat away at their skin. The slime growls and begins to charge up a spell, pumping tens of thousands of mana into it at a surprising rate. I try to fight over the spell with my manipulation, slowing it down to a crawl; even with all my minds, it's surprisingly difficult to prevent the spell from gathering. As the group runs out of the room to remove the armor, I stay behind to keep the slime busy so it doesn't give chase.

I keep fighting the slime, sending in more clones each time one is lost, until everyone is at a safe distance and I let the slime continue its spell. The spell fully charges up at sixty thousand mana before the Void Slime unleashes it upon my clone, immediately destroying it and blasting through the wall... and the next wall… and the next, until it has blasted a perfectly circular hole halfway through the Ruins. I have no doubt that spell will break through the armor I made for everyone, but the shields should hold up for one or two attacks. Still, that's not a certainty, so the only way for us to deal with it is for me to slow it down and for everybody to run away once it gets close to completion.

Once my allies have regrouped, healed, and donned their armor again they charge back into the fray, faltering for only a few moments when they see the scale of destruction the spell unleashed. The walls are slowly reforming, by what process I don't know but I sense a lot of mana being used to heal the damage. It will take hours, probably a day, but the Ruins will return to its normal state.

Even as the group gets back to the boss chamber and starts attacking again, Esofy seems conflicted. She knows we have been doing well so far, but those attacks and the wave of slime prove that it has more up its sleeve.

"Fall back!" Esofy calls out to the rest of the group, who are battling the boss. "It's too dangerous, we should fall back and make better preparations!"

"We can do this Esofy! We can't just stop now!" Irela complains as she launches more blades at the Void Slime's core.

I kind of want to agree with her, but I acted out before and got people into danger, if Esofy thinks that it's too dangerous then we should listen to her.

"It will be here when we come back; if it is really that easy then what's the harm in leaving?" Kadona sides with Esofy.

"Uug! Fine!" Irela falls back with everyone else and I cover their retreat, keeping the boss's attention.

Once everyone is far enough away I let my clone be destroyed and shift a spare mind to a new clone, summoned by my Familiar that is following the group.

"The armor needs improving, what do you guys suggest?" I ask. If the Void Slime can get in then that's a problem that should be covered.

"Fill the gaps with cloth at least, anything that will effectively prevent the slime from getting in," Jowaru says.

"Enchantments, I can use some extra speed or strength," Uloru requests.

"A full breastplate," Vakelu suggests. "Anything to better block those charged attacks."

I take mental notes and wait for the group to come back to the main camp, where I make improvements to their armor. I thicken the cloth and form the brigandine plates into one solid breastplate, then add a thick metal skirt that ends just above the knees. I also make enchantments to help everyone. Speed for most of the group to help dodge, strength for Uloru and Kadona. It takes two days for the adjustments, so we use the time to strategize and rest.

For our second attempt, I will keep a large number of clones further away from the room just in case the adjacent halls are destroyed, and I will keep them spread out so not all are destroyed at once. I will keep the Void Slime's attention when it charges its spells while everyone falls back to a safe location, and we keep this up until it's dead. If the Void Slime pulls any surprises we'll try to deal with it on a case-by-case basis.

We once again head into the fully-restored Slime Ruins and make our way to the Void Slime.

"Alright!" Esofy says. "This time we kill it! Stick to the plan, prioritize safety, and don't take risks!"

Just like last time we turn its teleportation to our advantage. I slow it down and tell everyone where it will appear while Uloru and Kadona hit it whenever it appears. The others don't have weapons long enough to reach the core without fully enveloping themselves, unfortunately.

The Void Slime tries its slime wave again but this time the armor holds. The slime pulls everybody back to it in some instinctive feeding method, and everyone uses the chance to strike its core again. The fight proceeds much more smoothly this time, the team finding a rhythmic synergy.

We continue fighting for dozens more minutes, slowly whittling away the boss's vitality. My initial bursts of damage helped, but now I am saving my last attack, either for the finishing blow to try and save the monster materials, or perhaps to quickly kill it if it has another card up its sleeve. Again and again, the slime attacks with charged spells, not just a beam but a burst attack that eats through all of the walls, expanding the room's size a lot. I warn the others of the danger every time so they can run a safe distance away, just like we planned, and also keep several Familiars nearby in case we need emergency healing.

It isn't until the Void Slime's vitality becomes very thin all through its body, and several deep cracks have been made in its core, that it becomes desperate. It starts to rapidly burn through the rest of its mana reserves, void mana saturating it and then some. It pours more and more void essence into its body, so much so that the blades Irela is shooting at it lose their protective mana and instantly disappear on impact. Still, more and more mana is spent for this attack, the slime's body swelling to twice its normal size.

"Fall back!" I shout. Just as we had planned before for if it shows any new trick, the team retreats. The slime wriggles as the group runs, then lunges. As fast as a speeding bullet it engulfs Vakelu, as well as Gojune behind her. I watch for a moment in shocked surprise as their silken armor dissolves just as their weapons do, their limbs slowly being eaten away. We can't even hear their screams.

"Attack! We have to get them out!" Esofy shouts.

Lotuna and Chyzu attack with ice spells, trying to freeze the slime, and Uloru swings her giant hammer trying to free the two. The hammer has its light mana protection eaten away quickly, but the earth mana below prevents any damage, providing an additional buffer. Kadona throws her sword at the core, the blade spinning in the air and cutting through the slime. it loses its protective light but hits the core, the massive weapon being too large to completely devour in time. A large piece of the core breaks off, but it isn't enough.

I assume a spear-throwing role, inspired by a Kheshamo fight I saw and with a short running start throw my spear at the core, somehow throwing a little faster and harder than I can normally, likely due to the effects granted by [Acting]. The spear barely manages to hit, slightly curving in the air as the slime tries to dodge by moving its core. I watch the slime's vitality rapidly drop... but as the spear runs out of mana the Void Slime is still alive!

"Just one more attack!" I shout, but the slime suddenly blitzes across the room, catching Esofy and Jowaru and beginning to dissolve their armor too.

"ESOFY!" Chyzu screams in rage and fear and shoots ice spear after ice spear as quickly as she can, utilizing her circlet.

"Irela, combine all your metal for one final attack!" With Esofy out, I take command. Irela forms all of her metal into one large ball and shoots it at the slime core, the ball zooming across the room and slamming into the slime, shrinking as it's eaten away. Even though it loses half of its size, the metal ball smashes through the core, shattering it. The slime starts to lose cohesion, puddling as the boss struggles to keep its form, its remaining vitality rapidly dropping in an attempt to keep itself alive. The shattered core and slime pool on the ground like a rapidly melting blob of ice.

Ting! Your party has killed a Void Slime (Heroic) Level 400 Space Manipulator (Grand) extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

We rush over to the captured members of the group. Little remains of Vakelu and Gojune, mostly small plates of light metal and a few bones. Jowaru and Esofy are still alive, although heavily injured, their forearms and shins are gone and large parts of their skin are eaten away. Their helmets are heavily damaged but did their job, keeping their heads from any harm. I immediately bring over Familiars to heal them with the limited effects of [Grace of Wholeness] as they are dragged out of the void slime that continues to eat away at everything it touches. Lotuna is doing most of the work slowly regenerating their limbs.

The storage ring Esofy had is gone and most of its contents are destroyed, but the waystone key proves its durability as it is completely unharmed. Kadona picks it up.

"We should go back to the main camp," Kadona says. Uloru grabs the chest that appeared in the room and I disperse the mana of the light armor so the group can teleport back to safety.

Chapter 78: Treant

We take Esofy and Jowaru to the infirmary, really just a large tent with beds. There we use several healing spell crystals to heal them along with Lotuna's and my healing. While tending to the wounded, I look over my messages.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 363-379!

Ting! Persistent State has obtained levels 33-40!

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained levels 78-79!

Ting! You have developed a new Bond skill, Channel Beauty!

Ting! You have too many Bond skills; please remove one.

I have never really made good use of [Aura of Elegance]. It probably could have been very useful, but I just didn't have an opportunity to really improve it, and it doesn't quite fit my build anyway.

Ting! You have Lost the Bond skill, Aura of Elegance.

Channel Beauty: You can channel your Bond skills to cast a potent effect.

Interesting, can I channel my clones to make them more physical?

I then look at the contents of the treasure chest. The chest is made of void essence gold and covered in ornate space essence decorations. Inside the chest is a war scythe with a blade of void steel, an attempt to recreate my metallic mana. Did the dungeon just learn from me? Not to mention that it has done extremely well in constructing the mana blade, placing the mana particles in just the right MM valleys so the blade will be flexible enough and not too rigid.

Devouring Void Scythe:

(Enchanted)

This scythe blade is made of void essence and removes matter that touches its edge.

All of its enchantments seem to be for the void devouring capability, which suggests there is a limit to how much it can handle. Additionally, the description explicitly mentions matter, not mana, so mana armor of mana silk or metal could still be effective against weapons like this.

The second item from the chest is a pair of space essence gauntlets.

Gauntlets of Retrieval:

(Enchanted)

Can teleport objects and small beings to the wearer's hands.

There should be a range limit for it, but it would be very useful for someone who throws their weapons. It does seem to be made to pair with the void scythe, however.

The last item is a bow made of light steel; it has a string of pure light mana and is enchanted to fire arrows of light like a spell.

Bow of Light:

(Enchanted)

Shoots spell-like arrows with up to 300 mana.

Too bad Klora isn't here; this is exactly what she needed.

We don't actually open the chest, since it would be in bad taste to do so before Esofy and Jowaru are fully healed, but with my [Sense Mana] I can see what's inside of it.

A part of me wonders if my crappy luck with the chests is because the dungeon doesn't like me... maybe this treasure chest, with properly useful rewards, is its way of thanking us for me showing it mana metals? Or is it all a coincidence?

Once Esofy and Jowaru are fully healed we go through the loot and make claims. Esofy claims the scythe and Kadona claims the gauntlets, then we take the rest of the day off to relax and sort out the trauma from the near-death experience.

Early the next morning, I notice a commotion at the edge of my perception; a group coming from the direction of the Arachnoid den. They are heavily injured and trying to support each other.

Leaving the Infirmary I send out a small army of healing familiars to tend to the injured, but that won't be enough; my [Grace of Wholeness] really isn't great healing. I am getting good bonuses to it, so it is only mediocre rather than actually awful; at the very least, it'll prevent lethal wounds from killing someone. I also summon dozens of instances of [Fairy Strike] to escort the group back.

The group is still far out so I have time to inform Tato, the leader managing the main camp today. When I walk into the command tent, she looks up from the papers she's organizing – inventory records, by the looks of them.

"Did something happen? Tato asks.

"The Arachnoid den group is returning, heavily injured and they are missing several people; I don't know if they are still in the den or not." As I explain what I am seeing, Tato appears visibly worried, getting up and running out of the tent when I finish talking.

When the group arrives, we tend to the wounds too serious for my healing to fix before in transit, while Tato questions them.

"What happened? Where are the others?" Tato scans the group, appearing more and more agitated as she doesn't see whatever, or whoever, she's looking for.

"Dead," a fire mage says. "That thing knew the exact right moment to catch us all at the same time."

"What thing?" Tato asks. "Is it a roaming boss?" There are only two known roaming bosses outside of the dens: the Treant, and the Alpha Wolf that was killed. Another boss should have spawned to replace the Alpha, but the Treant is still out there.

"I couldn't even [Analyze] it, but all of a sudden roots and vines started bursting out of the ground, wrapping people up and... oh Myrou! The sound of their bones breaking... I can still hear it" Tears are streaming from the fire mage's eyes now as the immediate shock wears off.

"Razor Leaf Treant, Grand, level four hundred nineteen." A speed warrior volunteers, one of the few uninjured people. "We tried to burn it, but it seems to be immune to fire, or very resistant at least."

"I know that one," I say quietly. "Its class is Iron Bark, also Grand tier with a nature essence Bond. We managed to kill a Heroic-tier monster in the ruins, so we should be able to handle this one."

"It seems that before we continue, we'll have to find both of the roaming bosses, and more if they are out there. Call back all the groups." Tato gives orders with a calm voice and a hard expression, then goes back to her tent, but I can see her grit her teeth and clench her fists once she's alone.

Did she lose a friend?

I'm not good with these things, so I let her sort her own feelings out while I focus on finding the Treant. From the report, it attacked from below and worked around the subcamp's fortifications, which suggests that not only is it capable of thought, but of planning ahead. It also waited to strike at the perfect time, when the maximum number of people were actually in the subcamp. The Alpha Wolf, too, showed intelligence not befitting the usual monsters in here.

A worrying question occurs to me: if the Treant has attacked one camp, perhaps it's going for others. How far can its roots grow?

My perception extends for over a kilometer now that I've stopped forgetting about my racial bonuses like a complete idiot, but I have some control over its shape, so in order to see farther outwards, I normally reduce the area I can see belowground; after all, I don't really need to see hundreds of meters below the earth. However, maybe I do now. I extend my perception downwards, much farther than I would normally, and see... Roots, a huge network of roots, lying one hundred meters below the main camp, all leading off to the north, away from any dens.

For weeks we haven't seen anything of the Treant, and now I know why; it's been preparing ever since I first saw it; it knew the range of my senses from that time! Way back when I first saw the Treant it learned the distance I could see it at! Even worse, not only did it learn my weakness but it also seems to have copied my long-range artillery-style method of attack.

It's waiting for us all to group up here or at the subcamps. It intentionally let some people live to scare us all into gathering together!

Presumably it learned from the wolf attack that, when we think there's a new danger, we all group up for a few days.

What do I do? I can't stay in this camp— nobody can stay in any camps; we need to seek shelter inside the dens or outside the dungeon until we can kill the Treant.

I'm confident we can kill it, but what if it can live on through the roots? We'll have to burn kilometers of roots if that's the case; either way, we need to leave the dungeon altogether, now.

We have the waystone key, so we can teleport everyone directly to the dungeon entrance. I head into the command tent again – Tato taking a few moments to stop staring grimly at nothing – and explain the danger and what my plan is.

"Alright, let's do it," she responds after a few moments of thought. "We'll take what we can and leave until the Treant is slain."

"For it to learn so much from us…" Esofy steps into the tent behind me, having overheard the tail end of what I told Tato. "Aly, we cannot underestimate this one. It has clearly planned ahead and shows great intelligence. We are calling off the expedition; for now, no one is allowed into the subcamps for any reason; we'll get what we can from the main camp and then we'll leave." Esofy says.

I nod in agreement. I initially, impulsively, thought we could take it on but now I am rethinking it. I know from first-hand experience just how much of an advantage planning ahead gives, so we can't treat the roaming boss like a simple monster.

I send out my clones to warn the subcamps as quickly as possible. Thanks to Kadona volunteering to use the waystone key to teleport everyone out of the dungeon, the evacuation itself is mostly uneventful. Utilizing the key, Kadona teleports to each den, orders everyone out of the subcamps and teleports each group back to the entrance one by one.

I send a clone with a storage backpack to the Arachnoid subcamp to retrieve the bodies. Roots have taken over, the subcamp looking like it's been abandoned for a hundred years, they don't react to my clone even when I store the bodies The roots have the same mana signature as the Treant, so I seriously hope we don't have to hunt down every single one to kill the thing.

I can probably retrieve any materials left behind from the subcamps too. Since they don't react to my clone I might as well get everything I can. I start sending more clones out to each deserted subcamp, gathering what I can and running it back to the main camp where it is all dumped into random crates. There isn't any time to sort the materials, so it's just boxed up and stored into a large spatial item. Once we have everything ready, we leave the dungeon, feeling the familiar humid atmosphere of the Nexus, the mana density brightening my vision.

I get a few dirty looks for some reason from some of the priestesses as we walk by, however, there seems to be one carefully studying me. She is holding a book titled 'Incidents involving the Likeness of Myrou', which seems to be a simple record.

"Gutaly, I have something for you." The priestess holding the record gives me a knowing look and walks away when someone calls for her. It's odd… but I've had people do weirder things around me over the years, so I put it out of my mind for now.

Now that I am here, at the Temple, maybe I should ask Kayafe for some advice; I wonder if she has encountered any Treants before? I can get some information on it and its abilities with my clone, but it's impossible, for example, for me to determine what sensory skills it might have using the clone, since most such skills aside from [Sense Mana] can't see my clones anyway. [Sense Life], [Sense Heat], [Tremor Sense] and many others simply don't apply to the clones.

"I'm going to ask Kayafe for some information; perhaps she has some experience with Treants," I tell Esofy.

"That's a good idea; I'll wait for you then." She replies somewhat absently, still looking a bit haunted after what happened with the Void Slime, now that the immediate pressure of the evacuation is gone.

I walk up the pyramid to the now familiar scene of the Mana Arc floating in the middle of the sheltered platform. I approach and place my hand on it, establishing contact with the ancient ancestor, then wait for her to wake up before asking my question.

"Kayafe, what do you know of Treants?"

"Treants? They are usually guardians of forests, but I take it this one is in the dungeon?" Kayafe waits for my confirmation before continuing. "Treants are known to be watchers, able to see through any tree in their territory and command vegetation from a distance. Their race is almost always tied to nature essence and usually their class is too; their Bonds are usually water or earth aligned, but they do have a higher than average chance for nature essence Bonds. Vitality Treants are a thing too; I once met a Treant that had shed its corporeal form to become pure vitality; another I have met became the forest itself, planting itself and spreading its roots to sprout an entire forest. Treants are varied and usually peaceful if left alone, but they do hate wooden buildings and will seek to destroy them; stone buildings they tend to leave alone as long as trees aren't destroyed in the process of clearing land."

"What about their intelligence? The one we are facing seems to have learned by watching us." I ask, worried that this one is perhaps abnormal. "It's a nature Bond Treant and seems to have a defense-focused class and offensive race."

"Treants normally act instinctually, but ones that have been around for thousands of years do tend to develop intelligence and may observe offenders, often for years. It's important to note that they don't have the same emotions of people and animals; most plant-based beings don't, so it's incredibly difficult to reason with them," Kayafe informs me.

"I see... that makes a lot of sense." Plants probably don't have the right brain chemistry to allow for similar emotions.

"What tier is it?" Kayafe asks. "Most old Treants are around Heroic-tier, but it being locked into a dungeon may change things."

"Grand for both race and class, level four hundred."

"Normally, I'd say that is a weak one, but I also know the Runalymo haven't been training for thousands of years and your current civilisation is likely experiencing your first 'real' fight with monsters in that dungeon, so let me warn you: dungeon monsters tend to be weaker than ones in the normal world. When monsters are spawned they are born with instincts and intuitive knowledge of their skills, and they start with maybe five breakthroughs... but what this means is that for each of their breakthroughs they only have three levels in knowledge and that's it, no action levels. A dungeon monster's skills, if recently spawned, are three tenths the max, which makes them very weak even if they have good stats."

Wait, so that Heroic-tier monster we killed… I put the pieces of that statement together with a sense of growing horror. The Void Slime… that killed two of us and almost killed two more... was just a flailing baby?!

Chapter 79: Regret

With Kayafe's explanation, it makes sense now why the Aydomr was so strong; it had the skills, it had the years of experience. The Alpha Wolf, too, was weaker than the den bosses but gave us way more trouble, even killing two people. All the monsters we've been slaying in the dens, although built with high stats, aren't equivalent to their level or tier.

"We killed a Heroic monster; most of us are Major-tier; what would have been our chances if it hadn't just spawned?" I ask, somewhat nervously.

"Zero. Even for Grand-tier monsters, you'll have a tough time." Kayafe doesn't even sound surprised at the notion of a high-tier kill. "This is why dungeons are so valuable. Getting high tier and high level kills are great for evolutions, and dungeons are great sources of not only materials but weak monsters. That Treant, however, will be much more difficult for you because it will have its skills trained. Honestly, if you aren't at least at the same level you won't be able to kill it; not only is it a tier higher, but its level is higher, I assume."

"I am at level one hundred ninety-nine, the rest of my group is in their mid two hundreds, I want to wait until my Bond is at least level five hundred before evolving my class, and with my skills and classes, I can afford to do so," I inform her.

"Right, Heirloom progenitors need exponentially more achievements to reach higher tiers, so that is a smart idea." Kayafe's telepathic voice turns more serious again. "Your levels are simply too low, though; even if you do kill it, more than half of your group is going to die. Treants usually have a base endurance in the hundreds and base strength at least in the fifties. Their high endurance often leads people to hunt them for ingredients for mutagenic elixirs to raise one's base endurance."

"You can do that? How else can you raise your base stats?" I had not thought such things possible.

"Legendary points can also magically augment you; there are problems with it just like skills, so you'll have to be very careful about which ones you use. Magic-based legendary points don't work well on physical stats and can have mutagenic side effects just like elixirs. Your base stats seem to be based on your full potential, something written in the code of life."

I see, so it's based on your DNA, your full biological potential.

"Can the effects of those elixirs be passed down from generation to generation?" I ask. It should be possible if it affects reproductive cells.

"There have been no known cases of that, and the side effects often aren't worth it. For starters, the mental stats are much harder to augment with elixirs and often lead to impaired mental functions; even if the stats are boosted, there can be major negative side effects. It is much better to just get powerful skills and have good classes; stats aren't everything."

We spend a few moments in silence while I digest all that, before my awareness of my dwindling mana forces me to move on to my next question. "What kind of advice can you give me for making things with solidified mana? I have managed to make a Grand-tier item, and I do know that enchantments need space for the mana to be applied, so normally mana metal can't be enchanted unless specifically made to take that enchantment." It's actually kind of nice to have a mentor in mana-related things for once.

"You're already that far?" Kayafe doesn't sound surprised, just curious. "That took me a long time to figure out. I suppose it's no surprise with how high your [Sense Mana] is. Items made with pure mana are one of the best you can get if made properly. Mana silk is good, but oftentimes normal mana-saturated ores and silk are just as good, if not better than it. Mana forging, on the other hand, can be crap or the best thing one can make and, as you've discovered, it's all based on making room for enchantments. Not only can you have a lot more enchantment allowance, but you can make it a lot stronger, enough that the enchantment can't be worn away."

"But there are some things I just don't know; how did you make the Likeness of Myrou?" I ask. "It's almost as if it's a living, breathing thing. I understand that it has something to do with making liquid mana, but I don't know how to do it."

Kayafe gives a light chuckle. "It's tough to do, but there is a sweet spot between solid mana and liquid mana where it behaves as both but is neither; it can't stay that way for long and will take significant focus to prevent it from decaying into one of the other two states so you will need a high level [Multitask] skill for it, simply having multiple minds won't do it for you. You may have accidentally created this mana while enchanting, when two types of mana are combined. It's when two mana types are touching but not actually fused together."

"I see, so it goes from combined mana to fused mana to liquid mana. Liquid mana is just a mass of fused mana, right?" I ask, just for confirmation's sake.

"Yes and no, it's more of a quantity thing, but there is a distinction that I'm not too sure on."

This will require experimentation. What exactly is the difference between fused mana and liquid mana if they are made the same way? I suspect – and [Inquisitive Perfection] seems to agree – that it's when there is so much fused mana that the valleys within the MM force can't contain it all, like water overflowing from a cup, and thus it behaves as if the force isn't there anymore. If there is a point between the two, the most definitive point between fused and liquid, it'd be the moment that enough particles of mana will be present to overflow the final and most difficult peak of the MM force.

I tell Kayafe my thoughts, seeing if she has anything to add.

"Interesting…" she takes a few moments to think, "Yes, I think you're right on that. Liquid mana bypasses the MM force with little effect; ripples will form on it, but that's all. This applies for opposing type repulsion too, but it's one-way. Liquid wind mana will repel earth mana as long as the earth mana is not liquid."

With my questions on mana mostly answered – Kayafe has a habit of not addressing the question directly it seems – I change the subject.

"What do you know of teleportation and links?" I ask. Since I am here, I might as well get advice on this as well.

"I assume you mean part of a spell?" Kayafe asks. "You are right that a link is needed outside of a spell's teleportation. There are several ways to do this. The first is to form a link with space essence to form a sort of tunnel. The other is to link two different spots so that it is as if they are physically connected this method is extremely mana intensive, however, and scales with distance. The most common form of 'teleportation' using a spell is more a form of fast travel by forming a bubble around yourself and having that ride across a link. However, you must always have a destination, and this almost always means having a linking device at your destination. The technology is complicated and in most places they can't be made anymore."

"How do you make one? It is like making a spell crystal? My observations of the dungeon waystones show that it needs compartments to contain mana that is used to make a link, a sort of tether."

"If you're that far, then yes, you understand what you need to properly make one. Having a specimen to study must be helpful." I almost fancy I can hear the faintest hint of envy in Kayafe's tone at that, but it's gone when she continues. "You'll likely be able to make link stones with just a few experiments. It's honestly hard to believe how far you have progressed in the understanding of mana at your age; I tremble at the thought of what you'll be able to do when you are an adult. Keep practicing, keep studying, and one day you'll know everything there is to know about mana."

"Thank you for your advice and your warnings on the Treant. We'll train for it, test its abilities and prepare the perfect counter for it, even if it will take us months."

"It'd be even better," Kayafe adds, "if you just get a couple dozen mages with [Group Channel]. Blasting it with enough force to wipe out an entire village should do the trick."

"It will take too long to train that many people with a new skill, not to mention they will have to drop a skill they value, and they'll be reluctant and resentful for having to do it."

"That's why you have an all-in-one channeling skill, a staple for caster mages."

"We're out of time. Rest well, Kayafe."

"Good luck"

I end the connection and walk back down the Temple. We can still go into the den via the waystone key, but so far, only one group can afford to do it. This means we can still train in the dungeon, but it'll also mean that I will have to physically enter the dens too and put myself at risk.

I tell Esofy, who was sitting staring off into the distance until I got her attention, what Kayafe told me about Treants.

"So they can see through trees and control them. Once the Treant is dealt with, we'll want to upgrade the camps with full stone walls and maybe even buildings too, but what then? Will there be some monsters that hate us for using stone?" Esofy half-asks, pessimistically.

"Not to mention we'll need a source of stone," Jowaru says. She had also stayed behind to hear what I learned.

"We have not explored beyond the forest of the dungeon; perhaps there are more regions, perhaps a mountainous one where we can find a quarry?" I speculate.

"In any case, we can't do anything with the Treant yet, so we should focus on preparing and getting stronger. We'll meet back here in a month, the expedition is officially over and we've been spending too much time away from our friends and families." Esofy turns to leave.

I follow Esofy, getting on the same boat that Chyzu is waiting on, to go back home. The ride back is silent until we near our village, at which point Esofy speaks again

"Alysara... can you help me train some skills?" The look on her face is that of pure determination.

"Yes," I reply simply, nodding my head.

Esofy wants freedom, to never be caught again. She has a rare battle essence Bond, which may allow for some sort of escape, precognitive, or at best a teleportation ability, but first there's something that I want to know.

"What is the sum of your general skills?"

"One thousand forty-seven, why?" Esofy says after a moment.

Then there must be another requirement. The question is, what is it? Kayafe said something about 'growing' the Ultimate Class; I wonder if it is similar for a class gained by having one thousand total levels of general skills.

"You get a second class for having one thousand levels of general skills, or so I've been informed," I say, watching Esofy's expression turn to surprise.

"I've had no such opportunity, though. Many have had one thousand levels of general skills before," Esofy says, looking skeptical.

"There may be another requirement; I'll have to ask Kayafe about it." I say, promising silently to return soon.

Esofy nods and we stand in silence until we arrive back at the village, then part ways. I go home and greet my family, hugging the excited twins before going into my room to unload my stuff. I sit on my bed, the events of today finally hitting me.

We did everything right, and still, two people died... no, I was complacent, I didn't want to take the extra time to make the best armor we could have used... Vakelu and Gojune may not have died if I simply took the time to prepare properly!

I clench my fists, angry with myself. Simply to save time, I cut corners, and people died as a result. Then there's the subcamp. I knew the Treant was out there; I was simply too lazy to look for it. We may have known about the attack long before it actually happened, yet because I was so focused on getting levels for myself, dozens died.

I flop on my back. I want to hit myself so much right now for being a greedy brat. Why did we have to challenge the Heroic monster? For levels? For materials? That doesn't equal even one person's life, let alone two!

I have an ability to track mana traces; I could have easily found the Treant. I have an incredibly versatile skill to create armor to combat our enemies, and I either didn't use it or half-assed it.

Should we even go back? The Treant is supposedly even more deadly than the Void Slime.

I roll onto my side.

We weren't ready. I could have made more enchanted items. A bracelet filled with healing mana for emergencies. I could have prepared powerful spell cloth, I could have—

A knock on my door breaks me out of my thoughts. Mom and Dad are at the door.

"Aly, what's wrong?" Mom says, opening the door. They walk over and sit on the bed on either side of me.

I bite my lip in frustration. "I messed up. I really messed up." My voice cracks and tears start threatening to spill out from my closed eyes.

I tell Mom and Dad what happened, what I did and what I should have done. I tell them everything, of my selfishness and my laziness, not doing the things that needed to be done.

Mom hugs me, rubbing my back and purring to comfort me.

"You're too young to be doing things like this, Aly. You're too young to be worrying about things like that"

"If what you did was not enough, the others would have said something," Dad reassures me, placing a hand on top of my head. "Everyone thought you had done enough; it's not your fault, Aly. You are still a student; you weren't a leader of the expedition. You are still learning, and it's natural for you to overlook things; it's what makes us Runalymo. Perfection is for the gods, not mortals like us."

I just can't help but feel disgusted with myself despite their words. I let my tears flow and cry into Mom's embrace.

Papuyo sits across from Tato, listening to her grief. They are in the Temple, in a side room with a golden and silver table, standing on a metallic sculpture of sprouting bamboo. The chairs are likewise decorated, being part of the set.

"My niece always looked up to me. She always aspired to be like me, and now..." Tato's reddened eyes renew their tears.

"The dungeon is evil." Papuyo says flatly. "All it does is consume, luring people with the glint of treasure to trap them."

Her voice softens to a more gentler tone as she continues, "You didn't know, it's not your fault... but you can help others, you can stop them from entering that evil place. All you need to do is to join the Order of Myrou; become a warrior of our goddess, and together we can seal it back up."

Papuyo leans over the table and takes Tato's hand. "We need warriors like you. The Elders have already proven themselves heretics and threatened to abolish the priesthood; we need to defend this place. Will you join us? Will you help us defeat evil and bring our people back to Myrou?"

"Yes," Tato says without hesitation.

"We will need more warriors, we have around thirty, but that is not enough. You know the other warriors better than I do. Will you convince them to join the Order of Myrou?"

"Yes, Grand Priestess Papuyo."

Chapter 80: Talks with Kayafe.

"What are the other requirements?" Kayafe repeats my question back at me. It is the day after we got back from the dungeon and I have come back to Temple Island to ask Kayafe about the requirement to unlock a second class.

"Well, first you need at least one skill capped, with at least ten breakthroughs. That skill then becomes eligible to be the seed from which the second class is grown. The class will be based on that skill, and it will be incorporated as a class skill. Alternatively, if you want a Bond class, you need to choose a Bond skill or just the Bond as a whole, however the Bond must be at least level three hundred and the Bond skill must be an evolved versions to be the seed of another class. It's a bit of a hidden thing, but once you do have a skill capped, you'll have a feeling that the skill can become more"

"Just like how much [Sense Mana] feels like it could become greater?" I ask quietly, mostly to myself, as I sink into thought.

What skill would I want to base another class on? [Acting]? It's an excellent skill that works well with my multiple minds and might also bring [Graceful Movements] along with it. Or should I base it on [Twin Minds], which has the potential to free up some more general skills by bringing all my other mental skills into a class with it? However, basing my Ultimate Class on [Manipulate Mana] would also have a strong chance to bring over [Twin Minds]. The possibility of having two ultimate skills in an Ultimate Class would be hugely beneficial. The biggest issue is, of course, getting the Ultimate Class, as well as purifying [Mana Manipulation].

There is a strong possibility that I'll never unlock the Ultimate Class, and doing so would require good second and third classes. So let's look at things in a different light: what is best for me right now. [Acting] has a possibility to incorporate [Graceful Movements] and maybe [Musician] as well, freeing up some skills, and that's not even getting into the many possibilities of a class based on a skill that's already so versatile.

On the other hand, a class based on [Twin Minds] will probably get me more minds and has a strong probability to bring over four other general skills, whereas [Acting] is more of a coin toss on its associated skills. Having a good mind-based class will likely result in a mind mage class of some sort, and I know from experience how potent those can be. It might help make my illusions more powerful or I may gain some passive ability to help make me unnoticeable. No doubt this will also help my clones immensely, possibly giving out pseudo minds, but do I need that if I have enough minds to begin with?

Speaking of clones, I can use [Create Twin] to form a Bond class which may incorporate [Twin Minds], however it may not bring over my other mental skills. It'll fit my build more but probably won't free up as many skills… and it'd mean I'd have two Bond classes, although I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing really.

[Acting], if combined with [Graceful Movements], could also help my clones in a much more tangible way. It will likely give me better close-quarter combat, which I may need, and each of my clones can take an individual role. Making the skill imitation better would mean I can become much more versatile and it may even give my clones the ability to mimic people, thus making them appear real to more advanced sensing skills.

This is a hard choice to make, both skills being great possibilities for a second class; there's just one more issue to consider. [Twin Minds] is much harder to level and almost requires me to let myself be taken advantage of by mind mages, which I can only find in the dungeon. I may be in a situation where I can't form a second class around it. With [Twin Minds] out it'd be [Create Twin] versus [Acting]: continue my build or try for a jack of all trades class. Now that I think about it, I should continue my build; I shouldn't need to have a generalist class.

"What would you recommend for me?" I'm pretty sure I've made my choice, but maybe Kayafe has some ideas. "Which of my skills would be good for a second class?"

"It's up to what you want more. There are no bad options, just what fits you best, and only you can answer that." Kayafe forces a neutral tone, but there's a definite undercurrent of 'that was a stupid question'.

Right, Kayafe doesn't know much about me and my style, so obviously, she is the wrong person to ask.

I move the discussion to another subject. "Has anyone died because you didn't do enough?" I ask, sorrow filling my voice.

"Too many times to count. You certainly don't act nor sound like any ten-year-old I know. For starters, most wouldn't blame themselves or even comprehend the situation enough to attribute blame onto themselves. Hindsight is always our greatest vision. Looking back, we can always see the obvious answer. However, if you shift perspectives back to how you were then and look at it from that point, you'll realize that, while you could have done things a little better, I assume you acted efficiently. Most often, we try to save time, which may lead to worse outcomes. While it's easy to look back and say that we should have taken longer, it doesn't make sense when you look at it from an efficiency point of view" Kayafe pauses to let her words sink in.

"You can spend a lot of time preparing a perfect encounter, but there is a cost to everything; think about it long term. Getting stronger, even at the cost of a few lives now, may mean that you save more people later. The mistakes you make now may mean more lives saved later. Imagine if no one had died; you would still be making the same mistakes only now it's reinforced by previous successes. One day you may make the same action but involve more people or do it against a more powerful foe. It's the mistakes that make us who we are, not our success."

"I still don't like it." I reply, more sharply than I intended to. "My choices were complacent and lazy, and that is never an excuse,"

Kayafe doesn't reply for a minute.

"That... is an interesting choice of words, Alysara. A sentiment often shared by one with a full lifetime of experience, the sentiment of those who look back on their lives and realize they've gone nowhere. I do not think you lied when you said you unlocked your class a few months ago, so that leaves only one option. Are you a Legacy soul?"

Cat's out of the bag. The Guardian knew, and someone with as much experience as Kayafe would have found out sooner or later.

"Yes, you've heard of people like me?"

"A human companion of mine was one; I knew him since childhood. It makes a lot of sense now, why you are the way you are, why you are so strong for your age. Even if your memories haven't returned, the regrets are more or less etched into your soul. The experiences and maturity you've obtained in your previous life are imprinted on your soul somehow. Dhwol says the soul has a component to store memories, so that is likely the cause. Tell me, does this Mana Arc have the Legacy tier?"

"It does," I say. Then I realize what Kayafe is getting at. "What does it mean? If my soul counts as Legacy, then what does that do?"

"The Legacy tier is based on the Heirloom tier. It means to be the 'will' of something; in your case, you are the will, the legacy of what your previous realm was, the proof of its existence. It's a very powerful tier because of that and grants a three hundred percent bonus. As it's on your soul, that means you are getting a three hundred percent bonus to some things most people do not get; what that is exactly... no one's really sure, it's not based on your stats or mana generation or anything else identifiable. Alexander did mention something about getting skills easily, so we guessed that magic, the system, is easily applied to your soul, but what that actually means no one really knows."

"What about the other Tier? Primordial? What does that mean?"

"Primordial?!" Kayafe nearly shouts, "Do you know what that even means?"

"Umm, is it bad?" I tentatively say.

"No," Kayafe takes a few moments to calm down, then continues. "No, it's part of another tier system based on age. The first is Historic; to qualify, something merely needs to be one hundred years old plus the normal magic item requirements. Archaic is one thousand, Ancient is ten thousand, for Timeless it's unknown how old something has to be, but it's beyond one hundred thousand. Primordial has one requirement, in addition to qualifying for the previous four tiers, and that is to be the beginning, to have existed at the earliest of times. Could be anything; the first crown of the first-ever king, or the first souls of a realm."

"Or perhaps from one of the first realms? Even if not the first soul of that realm?" I say, continuing for Kayafe.

"Near impossible, but yes... assuming souls can survive that long, although I guess you are an example?"

"Yes, according to Myrou, but I do know my life in that realm was not anywhere near the earliest of times, relatively speaking. But what does Primordial give you?"

"Perpetuity." Kayafe pauses for a moment to let that sink in, then clarifies, "Not indestructibleness: it allows for change and alterations, damage can be done in the form of altering the shape, like scratching or scarring it, but the fundamental identity cannot be damaged or removed. For example, Primordial Iron can be shaped into a sword, pot or tool, but the Iron itself cannot be eroded by time or utterly destroyed by void spells.

In addition to the regenerative capabilities of the Timeless tier, it means your soul will always reform, no matter the damage. How long that takes? What will happen to your memories if your soul components are destroyed? That's up for debate. It also means that while you can die, your soul cannot be cleansed during reincarnation, as that would remove the identity of your soul."

"Just so I understand," I say, very slowly, "my soul can still be damaged but not totally destroyed? And any damage I take will be healed slowly?"

"Yes."

This is good news, but in some ways could mean that becoming a cursed being could be worse. What if I get stuck as a cursed being forever? Yes, my soul will reform, but my memories? I could still lose everything that makes me who I am.

It just means I have to be just as, if not more, cautious. In any case, I've learned what I came here for and more.

A sudden thought strikes me… perhaps inspired by the sudden idea of being stuck eternally as something I'm not. I'm sure Kayafe feels lonely and exploited by me only talking with her to get answers to questions. Maybe I should get to know her more, ask about her instead.

"Why..." I pause, not quite sure what to say. "Why did you choose to sacrifice yourself? Surely with your level of power, you didn't need a Mana Arc; you could have held the torrent of mana at bay."

I feel surprise, and then happiness from her, the telepathic link conveying her emotions. "I could have, but for ten thousand years? What if something happened to me? But there was more to it. It was to prove to Safyr my resolve for my people. We had intruded upon her territory where she wanted a quiet place. I may have matched her in battle but fighting her while holding back the mana? No. She asked for proof of my resolve, and this was it. She even offered to protect our people in my stead."

I wonder if the Guardian feels guilty, since she could protect everybody from the water elemental but couldn't do anything at all about the superstorm.

"I see. The Mana Arc has an ability to inject mana into the surroundings. I assume this helps serve some function, but why fire mana? Wouldn't that have made it uncomfortable for the Runalymo at the time?" It is a question I have been wondering about for a long time now.

"Fire?" Kayafe sounds perplexed. "I had set it for earth mana, to help grow and fertilize the land. If it's fire mana now, then someone must have changed it."

It's possible, nay, likely that someone had gotten high [Mana Toxicity Tolerance] within ten thousand years. They could have changed it; it could have been changed multiple times. Plus, chances are they wouldn't have known about Kayafe in the Mana Arc, or didn't have the means to communicate with her. Still, why change it? We could have much more land if it remained earth mana. What are the chances that no one would have changed the Mana Arc within the last thousand years, since the water elemental?

"Speaking of, what was the nexus like when you first came here?" The nexus would have been very different, and the mana density would have been much higher for hundreds of millions of years, perhaps since creation.

"It was a large island full of mana crystals as far as the eye could see, like a crystal forest. There were even pools of liquid mana when conditions were just right. There was, of course, almost a constant mana storm, but with my abilities, I calmed the area enough for habitation. There was almost no life here; nothing could survive the mana density, not without my help. I take it that it's changed a lot?"

"Yes, it's an archipelago now, lots of small islands. Apparently, a water elemental attacked and flooded the area," I explain.

"That doesn't make sense; why would the area be flooded? Did the water elemental leave? But they like places of high mana density," Kayafe says, sounding more and more contemplative. "Not to mention Safyr would have killed the Elemental. She wouldn't just drive it away..."

"Why wouldn't it make sense? Water elementals bring water, don't they?" I ask, perplexed.

"That they certainly do, but the only way to kill an elemental is to completely remove its element, both mana and matter, meaning the fight with the elemental would result in the complete removal of water."

So how did the water get here? It's freshwater, so it can't have come from the ocean. Unless... The Guardian is a water dragon and has openly said that people being spread apart makes things peaceful, and that things should stay that way. If, after the battle, Safyr flooded the land and changed the mana arc to put fire mana into the land instead of earth, that would make sense, but why fire mana? I think I need to talk to the Guardian.

Chapter 81: The dragon's revelation.

I walk down from the temple but, instead of heading home, I walk the stone path to the Guardian; my yearly meeting should be coming up anyway. I see the slumbering Dragon long before I arrive, my perceptive range extending quite far now. As I near, the Dragon stirs and raises her head, checking herself before puffing out her chest in a prideful manner and slightly shifting her wings to make herself appear more majestic.

It's probably best to pretend I saw nothing.

"Greetings. Your dungeon exploits have been fruitful, I see," the Guardian says, with a royal presence, when I arrive.

"It has." I bow respectfully. The Guardian may have her reasons for doing what she did, and I don't hate her for it. In fact, she is right when she says that tyranny is the rule, not the exception, so in a way, I am grateful for being born in peaceful times.

"You have trained your skill to great heights; you are almost ready for something greater."

I nod. "A legendary point, right? I talked with Kayafe about it." Now that I know what to look at, all of the Dragon's skills are enhanced. I thought it was just because she was so powerful, and she didn't have an unenhanced skill for me to compare against. The more I learn about the Guardian, the more I learn just how powerful she really is. It's like seeing an iceberg. You see a large mountain of ice, but the greater part lies beneath the water.

"...You did?" She sounds surprised. "I knew her soul was in the Mana Arc, but I did not think communication was possible. Not that I could have done so anyway, I am not a caster nor a mind mage. It is good that it has been explained to you, though. Tell me, what new secrets have you learned of mana?"

I tell Safyr everything new I learned about mana. She has done nothing but help me, help the Runalymo, and even though she may have flooded the place, the Water Elemental would have killed everyone and probably flooded everything anyway.

"Intriguing, and you have implemented your new discoveries to create a powerful magical item, proof of your newfound knowledge. You will discover that magic always rewards achievements and, as long as you never intend to control it, it will react to your desires, provided you meet previous requirements." Safyr says, complimenting my Diadem.

"Guardian, after the Water Elemental, did you flood the lands? If so, why?" I ask, hoping she won't be too offended. Instead, the great being takes a few moments of silence.

"While I do enjoy the peace, and I most certainly took advantage of that, the primary reason was to bury the ruins. You see, no matter the warnings, someone will disturb that which rests below. By covering them under a sea, I hoped to make it too difficult to dig into the ruins, or to accidentally find them." The Guardian pauses so I can take her words in; she is back to her teacher mode.

"Ruins are great places to find treasure, especially magic items, but the risk is too great. A ruin born from disaster contains a miasma of terror, regret, resentment, hate, and anger. This miasma, if disturbed, will give birth to cursed beings, and they are usually powerful. The more death and destruction, and the stronger the feelings, the more powerful a cursed being will arise from it. Believe me when I say that they are worse than Elementals, even if they're usually weaker." Again the Dragon pauses while I think over her words.

So in order to protect us, Safyr flooded the lands so no one would awaken cursed beings, even by accident. In a way, it makes sense. In search of resources, the ruins will eventually be uncovered and terrors will be awoken, but if it's underwater most will simply ride a boat above it, completely unaware of the danger that lies below.

"In addition, such cursed beings, like wraiths – or worse, revenants and shades – often grow the more death they cause, and tend to curse the lands to create more suffering. Literal blood rain to create fear, plagues of locusts to starve people, sicknesses that rot people alive. One should never disturb the dead; even grave robbery can lead to the creation of cursed beings such as zombies and skeletons." The Guardian says with a warning tone.

"Basically, if strong emotions or sentiments are involved, then there's a higher chance of cursed beings being born?" I ask.

"Yes. Remember, cursed beings are born from magic, and magic works with achievements, such as when rare conditions are just right. The same process that grants classes and evolutions is what creates magic items, and it also creates cursed beings. There's just one difference, and that is a lack of a magical framework; a guide, a structure that makes the application of magic safe." The Guardian explains.

"Hang on, if classes and magic items are made the same way as cursed beings, then what about cursed skills? And how does cannibalism create cursed beings if that's the case, then?" I ask. I thought the Guardian didn't know how cursed skills are gained.

"That's different. You see, skills are part of a magical framework, a piece of the structure. If there's no framework, then there are no skills; therefore, cursed skills cannot be made the same way as normal skills since we have a magical framework for those. Instead they have to be obtained in a way that bypasses the framework. As for cannibalism, it is likely a mix of magical effects as well as spell-like effects, which would explain why most cannibals are usually the weakest of cursed beings."

This mystery will still need to be investigated but for now I should ask other questions before Safyr gets tired of talking.

"At what level do you need your Bond to unlock another class?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Once the mana you are bonded to answers to your whims," the Guardian cryptically answers. "You will understand what that means when you reach level five hundred in your Bond. Now you may go. You have given me much to ponder." Safyr rests her head between her paws as I bow and leave.

Once the mana I am bonded with answers to my whims, I repeat in my head. What does the level in my Bond really mean? And why does it not have a limit?

I go back home thinking about everything I learned. If skills are part of a magical framework, then that means cursed skills are not. Cursed skills don't have the same protections and are subject to random influence; just like how I cannot control how magic is applied to items – my sisters' Kyhosa transforming significantly when becoming a magic item is an example – gaining a cursed skill will likely include something unexpected due to not being part of a framework.

Because I knew so much about mana when trying to control it originally, it was an achievement, plus the desire for improvement and strength could have factored into the creation of my cursed skill. So why does bringing the skill into the magical framework destroy the soul and create cursed beings? Is it because the skill is not compatible with the framework? If so, then building a framework around the cursed skill that safely attaches it to the currently existing one like an adaptor may work. Or perhaps... if classes can evolve and change, and skills can evolve and improve, then evolving the skill may make it compatible with the current framework. [Inquisitive Perfection] points me even further down this logic, only slightly nudging me onto a similar idea. It doesn't have anything else to go off of, meaning that it doesn't strongly agree but only agrees due to not having any other explanations, a sort of shoulder shrug and a 'that seems to add up'.

It's a risky idea; if I'm wrong, it could be disastrous. But, if I'm right, then that is how a cursed skill might be able to be purified: enhancing the skill, evolving it into the correct version that it was supposed to be. I'll want to talk with both the Guardian and Kayafe about this idea, but I've already talked with them today. Perhaps next week I will ask them.

The next day I tell Esofy what Kayafe had told me about getting a second class.

"So I need to reach the level cap in my skill? It shouldn't be too hard, then. I am already close with the skill I want, just a few more weeks of training it should get me there," Esofy says. "I'm going to try and get the second class first and then use my free skill slots to get a skill to help my freedom of movement."

"I need to work on a few skills of my own," Chyzu says, looking determined.

Hopefully, we can get much stronger with more classes. I, too, should work on my skills; I am far behind with only seven hundred sixteen general skill levels. My cursed skills aren't counting, and even if they did, I don't have my skill levels capped yet. Continuing this train of thought, I consider what I need to reach the current maximum level in my general skills.

With my new levels of [Sense Mana], I should finally be able to tell apart colors based on light mana saturation to get the last few levels of my 'eye for fashion', capping my [Tailoring] skill. [Twin Minds], [Mental Fortitude], and [Clear Minds] will all need me to seek out a mind mage in the dungeon and do resistance training with them. The mimics often had some sort of mind-affecting effect, so that's a start.

[Acting] and [Graceful Movements] are both skills I can work on while training with Esofy and Chyzu; I might want to get Uloru and Kadona in on the training as well, Tana too if possible. [Musician] I'll train with Chofel and the others at the Lojyo; I'll max it out just given enough time, which I should have given that the Lojyo happens at the end of every single day. [Sense Soul] I can work on throughout all other training, and [Persistent State] I can easily work on with [Graceful Movements] and [Acting].

Tato walks in front of the gathered Kheshamo fighters, both mages, and warriors. "Sisters, daughters of Myrou, some of you have seen the strife in the dungeon, some of you have lost friends and family in there. Some of you are just put off by the dry and cold atmosphere in there. Regardless of the reasons, we all must recognise that it is an evil place, a place of death.

Anyone who wishes to deny such an evil place, anyone who wishes to prevent others from going in there and dying, please consider joining the Order of Myrou. We are warriors dedicated to protecting our people from such evil. We will help others reach Myrou and guide those lost in their ways. We will bridge the savage and bloody ways of the Kheshamo and develop an art of martial combat, a true martial art." Tato looks each warrior in the eyes.

"First, we must—" Before Tato can continue, the doors to the dojo burst open, and in the archway stands Elder Mara. She has a huge battle-axe in hand, the blade masterfully crafted and well-decorated, with green metal forming vines that seem to sprout from a metallic bamboo handle. Tato, along with more than a few others if the expressions of some are anything to go by, suddenly remembers that the physically imposing elder is a former Kheshamo fighter herself.

"Tato," Elder Mara almost growls, "I am disappointed that you would turn your back on our ways. That fucking priestess is not right in the head and not only is she trying to grab as much power as she can, but she is actively trying to destroy our way of life. If you truly support her to the point where you're willing to try spreading her nonsense in this manner, then you have no place in this village!"

Murmurs erupt from the fighters. It's a rare occurrence that someone is exiled from the village; it hasn't happened in over a hundred years.

"You weren't there in the dungeon!" Tato retorts angrily.

"And I don't give a shit about it either! I am an Elder, my top priority is this village, and I know that priestess is no fucking good! If the other Elders weren't such pansies, she'd be fucking gone already!" Mara swings her axe down to the side. "So, are you going to leave? Or will you stop this nonsense?"

"Look around you, Elder! Don't you see the children? Can't you see the lack of faith in our goddess?!" Tato shouts and grits her teeth in frustration.

"You see degeneracy where there is none, but worse you impress your own failings onto others, the last time you made a dedication to Myrou was eight years ago, Tato. Eight. Fucking. Years!" Mara isn't shouting anymore, but the intensity in her quieter tone is even more forceful than before. "And now, you want to preach how we are lacking in faith? You are a hypocrite; go back to the other hypocrites if you care that much, but you are not welcome here anymore!"

Tato clenches her fist but turns and walks out a side door, making her way to her home to pack her things. She hadn't managed to recruit any fighters for the order either.

I am doing this for Myrou! This is my dedication! Tato doesn't need any other reason. Her servitude will be her undying devotion to the goddess to make up for the years of her lacking faith.

I am awakened not by the twins but by Dad, who is sitting on my bed and smiling warmly at me. Of course, half my minds are far from slumbering: one is working on spell crystals, one is practicing [Musician], and the last is engaging in combat against a Domr at around level ninety to practice [Graceful Movements], [Acting], and [Persistent State]. The clone body has little resistance from the water around it, much to the frustration of the angered Domr.

"Alysara, It's been a crazy year, but we need to talk." Dad's tone is serious, but not worried, so I relax slightly. "Your Diadem and spear are proof that you've mastered your craft, so now you need to start thinking about making a dedication to Myrou. It shows her our faith, and it shows everyone in the community our mastery of our chosen arts and crafts, so it helps bring us all together as well."

I think about it for a minute. With all the craziness, especially coming from the priestesses, showing some faith will help mitigate any potential problems coming from them. I know Mom and Dad both make a dedication every year, as do most people. Normally someone's first dedication is when they are around thirteen to fifteen, but really it depends on their skill in their art or craft.

So, what kind of dedication should I make? I could make a statue of Myrou, not a Likeness but one of the normal ones, a featureless one that has a projection attached to it... or I could make a dress. Yeah, let's make a dress fit for a goddess, to hopefully cap my [Tailoring] skill.

"Alright, I think I know what to do!" I say, giving Dad a smile and getting one in return

Chapter 82: Dedication to Myrou

I start formulating a dress design in my head. Then revise it... and revise it again, and again, and again, going around in circles. Naturally, it should be made out of beauty and creativity mana silk, and it should be in equal parts, but how do I put it all together? What kind of design should I focus on?

I start pacing in my room, the movement helping to drive my thoughts as my clones and other minds go about their own work. The Domr that I have been training with has gotten too frustrated by its inability to harm or restrain me and walked off an hour ago, and now I am training with Esofy and Chyzu to help improve my skills and theirs.

I spend the next few hours thinking about the perfect dress for my dedication to Myrou; I weave several dresses for concept designs... then dozens. Eventually, discarded options are laying all around my room where there is more cloth than room showing; each of them pleases my [Inquisitive Perfection] but none of them make it proud as my Diadem had.

I sit on my bed, thinking. I think back to when I first encountered Myrou; she had a warm, inviting voice like a hug, that was both beautiful and creative in the sense that it was meant to calm me, give me something to focus on, during that confusing time. If the dedication is to be from me, then I need to capture that, it needs to be a deeper form of beauty and creativity.

I order my core to start producing more beauty mana, but not the normal flat kind. A different form of beauty, a warm, inviting kind, the kind you feel when you are close to someone you love, a more emotional form of beauty. This is it; this is what I need; there isn't just one flat form of beauty – the mere concept – there are many different kinds. The vastness of the stars, the mysterious veil of the Aurora Borealis, the cold serenity of a wintery landscape, the entrancing dancing fire, they're all forms of beauty.

Ting! Your Bond skill, Shape Beauty, has evolved into Evolve Beauty!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 380-384!

Evolve Beauty: This allows you to change the shape and type of beauty essence.

How? I didn't use my Bond, or is it because I understand beauty more? If my Bond represents my affinity for beauty essence, then my better understanding of the essence itself may help me grow my Bond even more.

As I feel the embracing warmth of the beauty essence, the same feeling I felt from Myrou's words so long ago, a sudden epiphany comes to me. Can I perceive the differences between two essences of the same type? Can I perceive the different forms of beauty?

I have to try. This could mean getting my thirtieth breakthrough in [Sense Mana] without getting the breakthrough for sensing mana-starved areas. Of course, reaching this far doesn't necessarily mean that everything was learned, just most of what there is, like ninety-five percent or whatever.

I take a few minutes to enter my state of focus and start comparing the conceptual flat beauty essence to the new form of essence. There is a difference; it has a luster that isn't there for the normal beauty essence. Actually, it's oddly similar to the same luster from vitality; I wonder if there's a connection of some kind?

Unfortunately, I do not get another breakthrough, not even a level up, but I have no doubt that my essence perception breakthrough may be maxed out now for the enhanced skill. It is a core breakthrough, meaning that it depends on many other breakthroughs to fully understand, and understanding essences to this degree shows that I have reached a new mastery in such a pivotal breakthrough.

Still, now that I know what to look for, the differences of the essences are more apparent to me; some have a dull luster, some are bright, some glittery. As I start producing different types of beauty essence, I learn what each looks like.

Returning to my main task, I next start experimenting with creativity essence: the curious nature, the explorative desire, the wonder of creativity. Myrou chose to speak to me with the warm, inviting beauty, and this dress is meant for her and her alone, so I'll use that type for the beauty essence. As for the creativity essence, I'll use many types of it.

I start weaving the dress, structuring the mana deliberately instead of letting the weaving process create uneven structures. What I make is a cloudy string of mana at first glance but looking closer reveals that many strings, each only one mana particle thick, are wrapped around each other, locked into the valleys of the MM force. The silk is as tough as steel, but the strings are flexible enough to provide the soft springiness of normal mana silk. Each strand of silk is made of beauty and creativity mana in equal parts, the same type of essences Myrou greeted me with.

The embroidered designs are made of creativity silk, depicting Runalymo with bodies woven of fulfilling creativity, the type you get with inspiration and the completion of a project. Their hair is made of a cleanliness form of beauty, the freshness one feels after bathing. The figures of the Runalymo are simple, no more details included than are needed, with the style inspired by Egyptian artwork.

Floating above them is the figure of Myrou, arms open wide to accept her people with the same inviting beauty I felt from her. Her dress is the one she wore in the void between the realms, crafted from the 'wonder' that inspires creativity, and the infinitely vast beauty of the stars.

The Runalymo are creating works of art and in the background is the temple, topped with a large crystal drawing in a torrent of mana.

It takes two hours to finish the full garment, a long flowing dress with a relatively simple style, for a 'less is more' kind of feel, to draw more attention to the depictions embroidered in the dress.

Among the Runalymo figures is a family of five; not much detail is given to them, other than that three of them are made with water silk, one with fire, and the last with beauty silk.

I take a step back and look over my work, [Inquisitive Perfection] proud of my work. The dress isn't meant for anyone but Myrou to wear; it's not just a dedication but a gift, a way of saying 'thank you' for reincarnating me as a Runalymo, for giving me a loving family and an accepting community. She chose this realm, these people, over all others, although she couldn't have known the trials and tribulations that have come since then.

Just then, mana starts to flow into the dress, being consumed by it. I am understanding the process of magic item creation more and more; just as much as 'how' the item is created, the 'why' matters too. The occasion, the meanings, and the sentiments are all part of it.

Both my and my sisters' Kyhosa gained the significance to become magic items partly because of the importance of the Kyhosa to our culture – it means 'Life Celebration Gift', and represents the community's wishes for the child to live a good life – and partly because of our parents' love for us.

My Eyewraps became a magic item because I capped my [Sense Mana] at the time and had been wearing them for most of my life, proof that I'd mastered the skill so far... but more than that, it meant mastering my new vision, it mattered because I am blind. My hair ornament only barely counted, becoming a magic item because of the circumstances and symbolism of the situation.

Lastly, my Diadem of the Lonely Princess became a magic item not just because of my mastery of mana forging, but in part because I may have felt distant from others. My cursed skills set me apart in multiple ways. My race evolutions, my own pioneering in the study of mana… I thought when I created the item that I wasn't lonely, but now that I'm thinking about it more honestly I can't deny that it has become hard to relate to others. The 'Princess' part probably refers both to the authority over mana granted to me by [Mana Manipulation] and to my young age, with the fact that it's headwear likely also inspiring the name.

Speaking of being hard to relate to others... every time I'm around Tana his core starts producing small amounts of love essence; I'm not sure how I feel about that but I am very anxious about it, not in a bad way but… it feels like I'm not deserving of it. Everyone praises me of accomplishments but that doesn't feel like I've done anything deserving of it, I am just trying to train my skills.

I am pulled from my contemplation as the mana finishes fueling the dress's transformation, and I [Analyze] it.

Dress of Myrou's Embrace:

(Major)

This dress is made by one blessed by Myrou, as a dedication of her faith, using her full knowledge and abilities of mana manipulation and her craft.

Increases the wearer's connection to Beauty and Creativity Essence.

Ting! Tailoring has obtained level 110!

I finally capped my [Tailoring] skill!

I pump my fist in celebration and carefully pick up the dress, then head off to show Dad that I completed my dedication project.

"Aly... this is remarkable..." Dad gazes at the dress in wonder. "It feels different; how did you do it?"

It seems as if the different types of beauty essence can be felt, although most won't understand why or what the difference is. I explain what I did, Dad making general admiring noises as I go.

Of course, the next thing to do is to show it off at the Lojyo. After the singing and dancing and general socializing, I stand up and walk in front of everyone. Even after doing this a few times, it's still absolutely nerve-wracking.

"T-This is my dedication to Myrou," I say while trying to keep my voice even, holding up the long dress. There are a lot of 'ooh's and 'ahh's while the village admires my creation. I stay only as long as is needed, waiting for everybody to be done admiring my work, and then I am all too happy to leave the stage for another to show off their craft.

After the main events of the Lojyo, during the baths, I am bombarded with requests for similar dresses; it quickly becomes overwhelming, like being surrounded by a flock of penguins huddling together for warmth.

Now I see why doing dedications can help boost sales, and why my parents do it every year. Still, that doesn't help my anxiety at having so many people crowding around me, and I doubt it will get any better for the next few days.

So, what do I do with the dedication project? Well, I highly doubt Myrou herself is going to come here and get it; in general dedications are most often put on display since they are meant to be the best work and it'd be blasphemous to steal or even to use them. they're for Myrou, after all, not for us, so we keep them, normally putting them on display much like a painting to attract customers.

I suppose the intent of making one just for marketing really bends the unspoken rules, but it's 'just putting it on display'; after all, putting it in front of a storefront window is better than putting it in a closet. And that is how the idea of using the dedications became a marketing scheme, although no one will admit it.

I, however, won't be doing that. The point of the dress is to thank Myrou for putting me here and not in some war-torn kingdom. Using it to promote a business would violate that sentiment; I only showed it at the Lojyo because 'tradition' didn't give me a choice in the matter.

A week later, after I have completed the dresses that pretty much everyone ordered, I walk to the island, strolling between the rows of fruit-bearing bamboo that extend from one end of the island to the other. This island is large enough that even my extended perception radius cannot encompass all of it, or even a small part of it. It is one of the few places that still makes me feel small.

If I wanted to, I could extend my perception to encompass the entire village now, but this island is one of the largest at about twenty kilometers in diameter, large enough that it has three villages next to it. Even if I enhance my [Sense Mana], I still won't be able to see the entire thing at once.

Which brings me to why I am here; if I am to free Kayafe, I need to master [Mana Manipulation]. If I am to uncurse this skill, if I am to get stronger, make more powerful items and help these people, then I need to master this skill. Lastly, I need it to create an area mostly devoid of mana to push my [Sense Mana] to the thirtieth breakthrough. I need my [Mana Manipulation] to be stronger.

I start mana forging, bringing mana ever closer, pushing a single particle past the MM peaks into another particle. I watch the two mana particles fuse, becoming bigger and the MM force becoming more powerful. This increase in the MM force's power means that adding each new particle to make liquid mana will get increasingly difficult, so I'll focus on other breakthroughs for now. I start gathering ambient wind mana in front of me and impart a small amount of spell mana to use the mana as a simple breeze spell.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 370!

37th Breakthrough: You've learned how to use ambient mana for spells, reducing your usage of mana.

I start practicing with this breakthrough, trying first large and then small amounts of mana, figuring out the best ways to use the mana efficiently. It's definitely a lot weaker than using spells normally, but it might work if I ever get in a pinch.

Next, I grab the mana reserves from a nearby bamboo plant and rip them out. I intend to tear out all of its mana but only succeed in removing a mere fraction of it; I will have to learn how to best remove mana from my enemies.

38th Breakthrough: You've managed to drain mana from another being's mana reserves; this will help you drain more mana.

After another few hours of practice, I do the same with vitality.

39th Breakthrough: You've managed to drain vitality from other beings; this will help you drain more vitality.

While this will give me another method of attack, it shares the same issue as controlling the spells of another being: it won't be easy with them resisting me, and I may not even be able to do it if they're strong enough.

I continue through the day, practicing and gaining more breakthroughs.

Chapter 83: Shades of the Past

Spell mana proves much more difficult than normal mana to solidify; the increased intensity of spell mana makes it a lot more slippery, having the energy needed to escape the valleys of the MM force, and causes the structure to fall apart easily. Trying to get the particles close enough to stabilize is also incredibly hard to do as it's too easy to overdo it, creating an imperfect structure, or worse, fusing the spell mana. In short, actually forging spell mana for longer than a few minutes is way out of my practical capabilities, takes too long to be of any use in combat, and takes far too much mana to do, but I do manage to get a few new breakthroughs from it.

Fused spell mana is incredibly unstable and will often tear itself apart. There is simply too much energy in the mana particles; the fused particles violently undergo fission back into separate mana, often contaminating any forged spell structure that it may be part of. Fused spell mana is even harder to control than simple unfused spell mana as part of a structure like a sword and it only lasts for a few seconds at best, not nearly long enough to form a usable spell out of it. Still, if I could, I would be able to cast much more powerful spells.

As I predicted, liquid mana is indeed a point at which fused mana particles become large enough that the MM force is mostly irrelevant. I start by first adding mana a little bit at a time, fusing each particle until I get the breakthrough notification. I don't know what the practical uses of liquid mana are, except for a way to transport vast amounts of mana.

One curious thing, however, is that since it normally doesn't interact with the MM force, it will simply flow straight through mana-based structures such as my mana woven clothes. However, if one can manipulate the MM force, they can make the force so strong it can hold the liquid mana. Mundane matter can hold the liquid for some time before the liquid mana leaks through; however, since liquid mana has a hard time moving through physical matter, interlacing an opposite mana can create a container capable of holding the liquid mana.

There is another method to store liquid mana: spatial spells and enchanted containers that can manipulate space. By making a special container curve back onto itself, the liquid mana cannot escape.

If I am to be honest, it would have taken me a lot longer to think of some of the breakthroughs Kayafe told me, so her advice has been invaluable.

As I walk back home, I look at my gained breakthroughs.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 440!

40th Breakthrough: You've managed to solidify spell mana; this will help you forge spells into weapons.

41stBreakthrough: You've managed to fuse spell mana; this will help you cast much more powerful spells.

42nd Breakthrough: You've managed to make liquid mana; this will help you create this strange substance.

43rd Breakthrough: You've managed to make liquid elemental mana; this will help you create this strange substance.

44th Breakthrough: You've managed to make liquid essence; this will help you create this strange substance.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained levels 342-397!

A part of me wonders if I should be doing this... but [Inquisitive Perfection] is telling me that the only way I have to gain more knowledge on cursed skills is to take one to a high level. Is it risky? Well, two ancient beings only warned me not to take classes and evolutions, they didn't say that just leveling the skill was dangerous outside of the side effects. I even asked the Guardian if it was safe to level the skill, and she said that the risk was low, so I have to assume that it is mostly safe.

Regardless, this is the only way to save Kayafe, and who knows? I may need the power later. It's already gotten me out of several bad situations and it's allowed me to save others numerous times.

Do I regret leveling this skill? No. It's caused me a lot of worries, yes, but if I had to do it all again to save my family and people again, then I would not hesitate.

I focus on the area in front of me and push away all of the mana – as much as I can, anyway. A pressure less than that in the dungeon forms in my attempt to force a mana vacuum.

Almost; I just need to level [Mana Manipulation] a little bit more to get my breakthroughs in [Sense Mana].

What will happen for my next race evolution if I manage to empower my skill? It doesn't matter, I won't even look at any potential prospects until I cure [Mana Manipulation] of its curse, and for that, I should seek out the dwarves and elves... but in order to do that, I need to make an airship to ferry us to other lands.

Kanato hammers away at the solid metal, its shape slowly taking form as that of a dagger. It's made of fire mana, and Kanato had to use fire saturated metal for the handle; inserting the tang into the handle results in the MM force holding the two pieces together like glue. In addition, the heat from the tang will cause the metal to expand and lock it in place more securely than any adhesive. All that is left to do is to finally wrap the handle with earth leather from a Felin pelt.

This has been months of practice and work, and now Kanato lays her eyes on a blade of pure fire mana. The air around the blade burns and shimmers with intense heat. The blade will pose a great hazard if left out of its sheath, which is made of ice-saturated metal to keep the blade from burning anything.

Ting! Your class, Apprentice Manasmith, has obtained level 200! 15 status points awarded.

Finally! Finally, Kanato has reached level two hundred, and the next evolution options look great. From Warsmith, which specializes in making weapons and armor, to Jewel Smith that incorporates her gem cutting skill to make highly enchantable things. But the only one Kanato would think of getting is...

Ting! Apprentice Manasmith (Adept) has evolved into Manaforging Gemsmith (Major)!

[Smithing] has evolved into [Mana Smithing], a skill capable of hammering mana together to form solid mana, exactly what Kanato needed. [Temperature Control] evolved into [Control Mana], a lesser, specialized form of [Manipulate Mana], and [Precise Strike] evolved into [Mana Strike].

One day, the prospect of making another Likeness of Myrou will become tangible, but for now, one step must be taken at a time. First is to forge mana, then to perfect it, and to further improve [Sense Mana], then Kanato can study the Likeness.

Feyan walks into the room, wearing a worried look. "Aly is practicing her cursed skill again."

Kanato nods. They've talked about this before and come to the conclusion that they should let Alysara do what she thinks is best. As much as it pains them to watch their little girl continue doing self-destructive things, they don't know much about cursed skills; the only thing they can do is watch over her with their [Sense Mana]. Of course, they tried to learn more about cursed skills, even asking the Guardian while Alysara was in the dungeon.

"She knows the risks and knows what to avoid; little damage will come to her while she is on her current path. Encourage her growth in her Bond, and she'll have options open to her," was the Guardian's reply. They would have discouraged Alysara from going into the dungeon if not for that.

"She's a smart girl; maybe she's already figured it out or something." Kanato hugs Feyan and purrs to calm her.

"I know, I just... I just can't help but imagine the worst! She's too young..." Feyan's voice cracks as she tries to hold back her tears.

"I know, but is she really young? She's mature far beyond her age; it's as if she's an old soul in a young body." Kanato strokes Feyan's head and ears.

"It doesn't matter! She's our little girl, our little Aly." Feyan shakes her head.

"She's blessed by Myrou, and the Guardian favors her. They won't let anything bad happen to her. Just have faith in them; everything will turn out fine," Kanato reassures her.

Papuyo arrives at the excavation site. Everyone is praying, some even begging Myrou for mercy.

"What's the problem?" Papuyo asks Thyka, the leader of the ongoing excavation.

"They won't go back down there, they're saying that the place is haunted by the souls of the past. I admit that it's grown a lot worse, it is very... unsettling to be down there. Most are refusing to even enter the waters near the ruins; some are saying to bury the place again and leave it be." Thyka says, fear clearly showing in her trembling fingers and tail.

This is bad news. They've gained so much knowledge from the books brought back. Art and crafts from ages long past have been recovered; they can't just stop now.

"I will show the workers that there is nothing to fear," Papuyo declares and turns to the praying masses.

"Have faith! Only those dedicated to Myrou can bring back the arts from this long-gone age! This is a test from Myrou, a test of our dedication to creation and beauty! But I will not ask of you what I will not do myself! I will go down there in your stead. I will prove to you that faith will lead us to prosperity!" Papuyo finishes her short speech, looks everyone in the eye, and without hesitation dives into the water.

Papuyo swims down the tower ruins, finding herself in a giant hall with depictions of Grand Priestess Shara on the walls and ceiling. Just like last time, Papuyo has an unsettling feeling; only this time it is much stronger. A chill is sent down her spine, and she has a feeling of being watched, surrounded.

This matters not; Papuyo has faith. She looks around, swimming through several houses in search of lost knowledge and crafts. Many books taken from the cathedral have several references to the heart she took last time she was here. Many assume that if it is made whole again, it'll bring Shara back, but Papuyo knows better; it is simply a monster material. The Guardian slew the cursed being that Shara became but mentioned an 'Angel Fragment', which the heart does not identify as.

The other pieces of her heart will have to be found, but not for the same reasons as her ancestors; rather, Papuyo will use them to do research into making true angels, not cursed beings. Shara's sacrifice will lead to her dream being realized at last.

Papuyo swims into an unexplored house, finding several books and putting them into her storage ring; they'll have to be dried. Still, the magic in them is preventing the water from permanently damaging them. Papuyo then takes the painting from the walls, portraits of her ancestors that she will now allow to be forgotten.

A shadow moves in the corner of Papuyo's vision; she snaps her head in that direction but doesn't see anything. However, the ominous sensation she's feeling flares up, screaming at her to run, to flee, and never come back.

Papuyo swims back to the cathedral in a blind panic and swims up the excavated tower as fast as she can, her heart thundering in her ears like a drum's beat, at a lightning pace. It isn't until she is out of the tower that the ominous feelings fade away. Papuyo looks back at the tower, and her heart nearly freezes. Something is standing in the hole they use to enter the top of the tower, a shaded figure like a shadow made manifest, with eyes of blackest void and a mouth that is just a line curved in a sadistic grin.

The thing has no mana, like an apparition, a mere hallucination. The shadow fades after an eerily long few moments, the eyes and grin being the last to disappear. Papuyo, released from its gaze, shudders and swims back onto the boats.

"I-I have returned! A-and I have brought back arts and knowledge of our ancestors." Papuyo stammers a little and regains her composure, summoning the items out of her storage ring as proof. "What you may have seen is just a mere apparition; it has no mana, no soul, a simple trick of the mind." Papuyo declares.

Many people breathe a sigh of relief, more begin praying with increased fervor.

"You look very pale. Are you sure this is a good idea?" Thyka asks, doubt clear on her face.

"Of course. It had no mana signature, so it can't have been real," Papuyo answers with a reassuring smile.

Chapter 84: The Mana Particle

I track Yafel's mana signature trail; although the ambient mana currents disrupt some parts of it I quickly catch on again. Like a bloodhound, I track my sister all throughout the village. She has left quite a confusing trail, doubling back several times, but with the help of [Inquisitive Perfection], I easily work through the puzzle she has laid out for me.

Finally, I see her with my vastly reduced vision. Yafel ducks around the corner of a shop. I follow her and pounce, grabbing her and tickling her sides.

"Monster's got you now!" Yafel laughs from my tickling, struggling to break free from my grasp. "Now, where is Yafe?" I say and turn my head towards a barrel.

"Run Yafe, she knows where you are!" Yafel shouts. Yafe bursts out of the barrel and tries to flee, but I catch her with the enhanced speed from [Graceful Movements].

After tickling Yafe, I release the twins. I'm a kind monster; I catch and then release. We continue playing all morning, which helps level my breakthrough a few times in addition to the emotional value of just spending time with them. For the afternoon, I experiment with and study mana, observing the particle and the MM force.

Mana intensity – the amount of energy a mana particle has – is the 'spin' of mana. This spin can alternate back and forth to cause instability within the mana that, with a frequent enough alternating instability, will eventually cause the things responsible for the MM force to flip, repelling the same mana type rather than attracting it; this results in an explosion. The more energy is given to mana, the faster the spin. Many things can give mana intensity, from Race and Class to magical and enchanted items.

Mana uses the MM force in a myriad of ways in enchanted and magical items. The peaks and valleys in the MM force generated by a mana particle not only allow mana structures to form, but also give them purpose. The arrangement of mana particles to overlap the MM force in specific ways can create all manner of effects, from mana paths – using channels formed by the MM force – to even a logic gate and transistors. I'll have to refine my techniques even further to make computers, but the possibility is now within my grasp, assuming there isn't some unforeseen complication that makes them impossible to make.

Ultimately, the idea of a mana computer relies on the formation of complicated mana structures, the problem being that the structures will have to be perfect – not a single particle out of place, something that will take considerable effort and be extremely complex and fragile. My Diadem was made mostly by hammering mana together and I only had to worry about one enchantment; mana computers will have dozens, all interacting in complex ways. This means my method of hammering mana together won't work. Instead, it'll be like trying to build a ship in a bottle; I need careful and precise movements.

"If only Kayafe was here and could show me how it all works," I complain to myself. Visual aid would be tremendously helpful in figuring all this out. The countless hours of experimenting and careful observation are very tedious and often result in failure, since I'm really just tossing ideas out and seeing what sticks.

So far, I've made simple mana structures in tiny flakes of solid mana. I have hundreds of these flakes now, and my efforts have been rewarded with reaching all ten levels in two of my breakthroughs.

Moving onto my studies of vitality and hyper-dense mana, I find that vitality is a form of non-elemental mana, and has no MM force; rather, it seems as if the particle components responsible for the MM force are inert, much like reserved mana. However, in vitality, there seems to be something else, something that I can only describe as 'lifeforce'. It's much like the MM force, only it pulls on the soul and ectoplasm, stimulating the body and gluing the soul to the body. With enough of it, if the MM force is restored, one can probably build a body out of pure vitality, keeping their soul in a vessel of mana instead of matter.

Hyper-dense mana – liquid mana – is the equivalent of exactly one hundred fifty points of mana compressed into a single point. A single point of mana less, and it can't overcome the normal MM force and will just be a huge blob of fused mana. A 'point' of mana is actually an absurd amount of mana particles; I haven't done an exact count, but I estimate a single point of mana to be a collection of around a million mana particles.

Liquid mana can be further compressed, although actually doing so is far beyond my capabilities, and I don't actually know what the result would be. Another aspect of liquid mana is that it overwhelms the MM force; it can and will erode mana effect of ignoring the MM field is only one-way; the liquid mana itself still generates an MM force which can repel other mana, or catch it to form solid mana around the liquid. However, if an object made of mana can't be pushed away, the liquid mana will sink straight through it and leave a hole in its wake.

After my review of what I have learned from my studies, I check to see how many levels I gained for my efforts.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 272-284!

I only have four breakthroughs remaining to cap out for my [Sense Mana], let's see what they are...

13th Breakthrough: You've observed and learned the mana interactions of magic items. This will help you better understand the process of magic item empowerment and creation.

19th Breakthrough: You've observed and learned how mana interacts with mundane materials. This will help you better understand these interactions.

21st Breakthrough: You've learned to Identify through Sense Mana; this will help you learn more about people and objects.

26th Breakthrough: You've learned how to track magic items and materials; this will help you find the sources of mana signatures.

For the last level of the thirteenth breakthrough, I need to observe many magical items at once. For the nineteenth, I should be able to easily get it with a little bit of study on mana-saturated materials, maybe observing how enchantments have to work around mundane materials. For the twenty-first, I need to study mana signatures more. And lastly, the twenty-sixth breakthrough I am currently working on by playing with my sisters, and I will get it eventually.

With each level I gain in [Sense Mana], the skill's glow becomes more saturated, developing more color. I am getting ever closer to enhancing this skill, my most useful and important skill.

Let's start with [Analyzing] through [Sense Mana]. What I need to do is determine people's levels or Bond levels. I'll first try to sense people's Bond levels; that seems a lot easier, since I don't even know where to begin to look for Class levels.

I enter [Sense Mana's] state of focus and observe some spirits around me. The tiny souls float through the walls, their bodies of mana able to permeate slowly through solid matter. I can't really get any information from them; they seem more like jellyfish and don't seem to have much, if any, intelligence. They are probably very low level and don't even think about getting more levels.

I turn my attention to more active souls, the villagers around me. I compare their mana signatures to each other, looking for similar Bonds. With my targets in sight, I stare at their mana signature, ignoring the rest of the world.

The difference is very subtle and not where I initially thought to look for, but there is a correlation between the amount of elemental or essence mana generated in people's core and their Bond level. Of the fifty percent of mana produced as waste by my core, the vast majority of it is beauty essence, with the rest of the waste being random elemental mana types and a few other essences influenced by my emotions. Mom's core produces higher than average amounts of water mana, but still less than what my core produces in beauty essence. The more of the mana produced, the higher their Bond, but that's just a general indication: my Race, for example, also heavily affects my core's mana production. Now that I know where to look, I just need more reference points. Both Mom and Dads' Bonds are relatively low level, around level one hundred ten to one hundred twenty. Mine's three hundred eighty-four, over three times their Bond level.

Yafel and Yafe are at around eighty-six, so that puts the average villager around the low to mid one hundreds in their Bond, depending on how old they are and a few other factors. For example, Chofel, the sound essence musician, should have a higher than average Bond level.

I compare Chofel's Bond to a Kheshamo fighter's, finding that Chofel produces more sound essence. [Inquisitive Perfection] points out that Class, in addition to Race, also factors into the mana production, so if I take those into account, Chofel's Bond should be around level one hundred thirty to one hundred forty.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 285-286!

One down, three to go.

Next, I go downstairs into the forge on the first floor of our house. It's after work, so the forge isn't being worked on at the moment. I examine a water-saturated steel sword. The mana inside seems to maintain an odd structure, one that shouldn't be possible. It appears that it is attached to something else, something very, very small but like a mountain in comparison to the mana particles. The mana seems to use this other thing as an attaching point and uses some sort of interaction between instances of it to form new mana structures.

Knowledge of my past life, as well as [Inquisitive Perfection], tells me that mana is interacting with the atoms – or possibly the particles making up the atoms – to give them new chemical properties. Although it is ferrous steel the water mana makes it more flexible, to allow a higher-grade steel without sacrificing the flexibility needed to make a good sword. I'll have to spend the next few days observing the interactions between mana and matter at this level of detail.

After half a week, I finally make sense of my observations, reaching the max level in the nineteenth breakthrough.

"Mana actually uses the weak and strong nuclear forces in tandem with the MM force. Somehow, the three forces are connected." I mutter as I write down my thoughts. One thing is certain; the mana particle is ridiculously small. I've found out that the mana particles are tiny, like a sand grain compared to a mountain, to what are probably subatomic particles like protons and neutrons. Mana particles are also somehow capable of inducing changes to the chemical properties of atoms; some cases are very drastic, others not so much. Iron, the most stable atom, retains most of its properties, but atoms like hydrogen, theoretically, will be very different, and uranium even more so; I can only guess at the differences.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 287!

Only three more levels and two more breakthroughs to go! I'm already working on the twenty-sixth, and the thirteenth breakthrough... I don't have the means to level the thirteenth to the cap.

With my higher levels in [Sense Mana], I should be able to finally sense the individual particles that mana is composed of. I enter my state of perception and focus on the smallest area possible, trying to feel the 'innards' of mana. There is a reason why elements are elements, why vitality is the way it is. There is something there that makes mana the way it is.

Slowly, like fog clearing up, I begin to get a picture of what's happening inside the mana. Hundreds, maybe even thousands – it's unclear how much – of something is present the things appear to be aligned in a certain... for lack of better words, 'direction'. These things are giving off the MM force, a warping of... reality? The thing that realms are composed of? In any case, it's very similar to how gravity warps space-time.

The MM force is a lot like gravity, but also works similarly to the nuclear forces and magnetic force. Could they all be related? If they are, then is it possible that normal mundane matter is also formed by mana? What happens if I compress liquid mana so much that its composite particles fuse? Will it form larger particles like electrons and protons?

There is another particle in mana, just as I suspected. It, too, is aligned in a 'direction' not a physical one but more of a metaphysical one. If my suspicions and [Inquisitive Perfection] are correct, then that will be what determines the elements.

Using [Mana Manipulation], I transform the mana I am observing into another element. I watch with fascination as the particles shift 'direction', aligning to a new element. The MM force also changes; I assume shifting only the MM force will be harder. The two particles are mixed; it's easy to apply a change to the whole thing but much more difficult to pick out specifically one type of them and only change those.

I cycle through all the elements, cataloging the direction of each element and I notice six seemingly unused directions, empty spots. Using my other mind to control my body, I draw out a diagram to represent the elements. At the top is the lightning element. To its left is water, then ice. Continuing on the left, there is a blank spot, then dark element, then another three blank spots. Earth is alone on the very bottom with three more blank spots on its right. Next is the light element, then another blank spot which leads to fire, then wind, and finally back to lightning.

I put my hand on my chin, using multiple minds aided by [Inquisitive Perfection] to complete the diagram. Different elements attract their similar elements and repel their opposites. Lighting attracts water which attracts ice which should, in theory, attract the unknown element, which in turn attracts dark and round it goes. Ice repels both fire and wind elements; maybe it'll repel the unknown between fire and light? Earth repels water, lighting, and wind, so maybe lightning repels earth and the two unknowns immediately next to earth?

So now the next question is, can I transform an element into one of the unknown ones? I try, but no matter how hard I attempt it, I can't get the element to stay. It technically exists, but it's too unstable, quickly becoming the nearest stable element. Why mana tends to favor one side, I don't know, but the asymmetry of the universe is not unique to mana; matter and antimatter is a prime example. In fact, it could be this exact asymmetry that is responsible for the asymmetry between matter and antimatter, assuming mana can compress into matter and form atoms.

Feeling content with what I've learned, for now, I check my system messages.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 290!

29th Breakthrough: You've seen the components of mana particles; this will let you study the interactions between them and the true nature of mana.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained levels 288-293!

Chapter 85: Convocation

Speed essence seeps into my body, filling every cell, infusing me with quickness. This is a dangerous technique, one that requires giving oneself mana toxicity and so is unusable more than a few times by those without the required immunity.

It has taken me dozens of minutes of concentration, but now I am ready. In an instant, I blitz across Chyzu's dojo, the world becoming a blur, and then everything suddenly stops; pain shoots up my arm as I feel my shoulder pop out of place and something in my wrist crack. I let out a small scream and fall to kneel on the floor as I cradle my broken arm, then, immediately start healing myself, feeling my arm pop back into place and the fracture in my wrist heal. I shake out my arm to make sure everything is healed right before looking at my notifications.

Ting! Graceful Movements has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 90!

8th Breakthrough: You've entered a state of focus; this will help improve all other breakthroughs.

9th Breakthrough: You've learned to infuse mana into your body to have a burst of speed; this will help you move incredible distances in short bursts.

Ting! Graceful Movements has obtained levels 76-87!

Ting! Pain Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 40!

4th Breakthrough: You've managed to break your bones; this will help you tolerate such pain.

Ting! Pain Tolerance has obtained levels 21-23!

"Are you alright?!" Chyzu rushes to my aid, helping me to my feet.

"Yeah," I answer, somewhat sheepishly, "I severely underestimated the amount of speed I had."

"You shouldn't do this if it's going to be so dangerous," Chyzu chastises me.

"It's fine. I'll just use less speed essence next time" I wave her off.

"Use a lot less speed, and don't try to break your neck!" Chyzu huffs.

I continue practicing, using much less speed than before to a manageable point, trying to increase my accuracy and timing. Without a supportive mental skill, I won't be able to judge how far I will go nor how quickly, so I just have to do it over and over again to get a trained feel for it. But neither that nor the bruises and scrapes I am healing away are even the worst aspect of filling my body with so much speed essence; no, the worst is my mana hearing and smell.

It's like being in a room with a thousand alarm clocks going off at the same time, with the air choked with incense. Although the smells and sounds aren't unpleasant on their own, it's just way too much, almost overwhelming. Is it going to be like this every time I get mana toxicity?

As I practice my [Graceful Movements] over the week, I try to maintain my [Persistent State] even through sleep. This is quite difficult, as the mind holding it often breaks focus when sleeping. To be honest, this is another case of me being able to sort of cheat with multiple minds. Like how dreams can be influenced by stimulating the body's senses, like the urge to relieve oneself, I influenced that mind with the help of two other minds, to hold focus even in sleep. Although, I must say that the dreams influenced by holding a state of focus are very weird, like seeing a wavy, distorted and constantly color-changing world when holding my [Sense Mana] state of focus.

Other than trying to use [Persistent State] in my sleep, I try to hold focus through everything I do, from sparring to playing with my sisters.

At the end of the week, I have accomplished my training goals.

Ting! Persistent State has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 60!

6th Breakthrough: You've held focus even through sleep; this will help you keep your state of focus perpetually.

Ting! Persistent State has obtained levels 41-62!

Ting! Graceful Movements has obtained levels 88-97!

I sit down at my desk in my room, writing out a training schedule for this new week. [Persistent State] is now reducing the focus needed to maintain my skills by sixty-two percent; this means that I should be able to have two active in one mind. For this next week, I should try to get the breakthrough I suspect exists for holding multiple breakthroughs at once. [Acting] could also use a few more levels and I have an idea for a breakthrough for it, but I don't like it. I can try to con people, fool them, scam them... but for moral reasons, I'm not keen on doing such things. Maybe if it's someone who deserves it, but I don't know anyone who does.

Even if it means holding back on my skills, I won't compromise my morality; it's one of the reasons why one of my [Acting] breakthroughs isn't capped yet. I have to use [Acting] to get out of punishment, and, well, I'm not going to do anything that will get me in trouble.

Moving on, I can probably cap out my [Musician] skill this week; I only have five levels to go. The rest of my skills are more resistance orientated or require combat or special circumstances to get more levels in. When comparing my skills to my [Sense Mana] and [Mana Manipulation], I can't help but wonder why I can't think of more breakthroughs in my other general skills, but I need to keep in mind that it's normal for skills to stall out after ten breakthroughs, sometimes less than that.

I guess this just means that instead of continually expanding the skills, instead of seeking number increases, I need to actually master the skills. Simply getting ten out of ten levels doesn't mean there's nothing to learn, nothing to master; I know there's more because enhancing the skills raises the level cap.

I lean back in my chair, reconsidering my methods.

I've only been seeking the easy gains, the easy way, but now that I am at the end of all that, I need to shift my mentality.

It's hard coming to terms with the idea that getting breakthroughs and levels will be few and far between now; it's been my focus for my entire life.

I bury my face in my hands. I still have my Class skills. I just need to level my Bond up a bit more and then I can focus on them, but in the meantime, let's finish my general skill levels.

"At first, I thought what we were doing was for good. I thought that I really was helping to uncover the lost arts of our ancestors, and in a way, we were. But that was not the only thing we uncovered; there's something of pure evil down there. We must not let it come out; we have to bury the ruins again and forget about them!"

Mara listens to the woman recount her story to the Convocation of the Elders. She had helped excavate some ruins nearby, but she thinks that they woke up evil shades or something of that sort.

The Convocation is, as per usual, held at one of the coliseums on Temple Island, the only place large and central enough for all the elders to meet. Mara notices a figure standing in the distance, listening in on the meeting.

You will get what's coming to you; it doesn't matter if you know ahead of time. I will personally throw you off the Nexus ring. Mara glares at the figure. Either it's Papuyo herself or a spy for her.

"We should have banished that priestess when we had the chance!" Mara shouts, making sure everyone can hear her.

"Indeed, she shows little regret in her actions. Not only that, but if this witness is telling the truth, then she risks uncovering something with the potential to be… bad, beyond what we know." Tusile says.

"It's no longer a question of if she's guilty or not, but rather of what her punishment should be." A third Elder declares.

As is usual in these cases, the discussion goes on for a few hours. More Elders have attended this convocation; the new ones are the primary proponents for a warning. Unlike last time though, they are the minority. Many who voted for a warning last time now advocate for exile, leading the vote for exile to a twenty-vote majority. Mara's own testimony of what happened in her village plays a pivotal role in showing that the priestess has not even considered stopping the actions that caused her first trial.

"Then we are in agreement. The Priestess, Papuyo, is to be banished from the Nexus." Kilonu, the oldest of the Elders, declares.

"Should have done it from the start!" Mara mutters, then stands up and walks to the front before calling out, loud enough for everyone to hear: "I will capture her; who else is with me?"

"That will not be necessary." With a soft voice that projects across the entire coliseum, Papuyo walks down to the arena. "This island is holy, not a place for a bunch of old heretics. I will give you this chance to leave peacefully and never return to Myrou's holy land."

"You still don't get it, do you?" Mara says, walking towards the delusional woman, "You betray our ways, you betray our customs and traditions, and most grievously, you betray Myrou. You have no place here; you shouldn't even call yourself Runalymo!"

Papuyo sighs, stopping a few meters away from Mara. "No, you are the ones who don't get it. You can't enforce your will here in Myrou's holy land. Your rules don't apply here."

Mara grits her teeth. The woman won't go easily, or cleanly... but Mara has to respect that at least, better to die fighting than to be exiled to probable death in the briny waters outside of the Nexus.

"Kill the heretics; they refuse to leave this holy island," Papuyo says, her voice carrying too far to be un-aided by a spell or enchantment.

Before Mara realizes what's going on, explosions and screams fill the coliseum. Whirling around, Mara witnesses slaughter; spells are being launched, arrows are raining down and dozens of armed warriors are cutting down the ill-prepared Elders.

"You traitor!" Mara screams and dashes at the Priestess, who calmly stands still. Just as Mara is about to cut her down, a blade meets her own. Appearing out of nowhere, Tato stands; her invisibility is dispelled, revealing her sword blocking the attack.

Mara grits her teeth. As much as she wants to slay these two, she knows she can't. Tato has recently gained a lot of levels from the dungeon, and there are more traitors around.

"This isn't the end!" Mara promises and, with a burst of wind, hurls herself back to join the fleeing Elders. The traitorous warriors and mages do not pursue, only watching the Elders run away.

"I hereby declare that no heretics are to enter Temple Island, Myrou's holiest of islands!" Papuyo's voice is heard behind her.

Safyr watches the Elders flee, giving a small sigh. The peace will only be broken for a few months; it's not her place to interfere. This is something her pets need to sort out themselves. But there's a more pressing matter to be dealt with, and this one is her business.

Under normal circumstances, Safyr would punish the priestess... but in her complacency, she forgot in her recounting of history to the Runalymo to instruct them against ever uncovering the ruins. What's done is done; all she can do is hope that it's not too late.

The miasma present in the ruins is gathering from the recent disturbance, and Safyr has done what she can to rebury what was uncovered.

Safyr walks to the coliseum where the fighters are removing the bodies, towering over the troublesome pets. Some cower, other bows in respect, the weaker ones turn pale as mana toxicity visibly builds inside them.

"Give them a proper funeral," Safyr commands.

The priestess bows but questions her orders. "Why? They are not deserving of it; they are heretics!" Papuyo spits out the last word.

Safyr growls; the warriors immediately flee at her displeasure while Papuyo cowers with shaking legs.

"It's not a matter of deserving. Although the chance is low, they can rise as lesser cursed beings if not given a proper funeral according to your customs; you have already caused enough problems on that front!"

"W-w-w-what d-do you mean?" Papuyo can't keep the fear out of her voice.

"You should have noticed the miasma in the ruins. Apparitions, foreboding feelings, and more. It means that a cursed being is beginning to form from the condensing miasma. If you're lucky, it is not too late, but if it is, pray it's a mere wraith, and not something far worse. You are only alive now because I forgot to mention that fact to you last time!"

"I-I-I understand, I'll h-have it buried again immediately!" Papuyo stammers in fear.

"I already did so, and never dig up another ruin again!" Safyr growls.

Safyr returns to her resting place, the unpleasantries dealt with… hopefully.

Chapter 86: War

"Elder Yukika and many others are dead, murdered by Priestess Papuyo's supporters. They ambushed us with the intent to kill. They show no remorse in their actions and continue in their excessive zealotry." Tusile speaks at the end of the Lojyo, just before everyone goes to the baths, with Guklaro at her side.

"They will not let us access Temple Island and will kill anyone who attempts to do so. They are all criminals who must be punished; unfortunately, there are too many of them, and they will try to fight back. As of now, we are at war with these criminals. Anyone who supports them is not welcome in our village, and anyone who joins them on Temple Island will be considered a criminal along with them," Guklaro says darkly, making sure everyone knows the consequences of joining the enemy.

The news of Yukika's death and the betrayal of the priestesses is a surprise to many. I am also surprised, not by the fact that the Priestess tried killing the elders, but instead by how fast it happened.

Even now, I can see conflicted looks on many faces within my perception as everyone heads to the baths.

"Alysara, can you stay for a moment?" Tusile says. I nod, my family staying behind with me. Once we have some privacy, Tusile speaks.

"The airships will prove vital in the coming conflict. We need your help in making a few new models for this," Tusile says before looking at my parents. "I promise she won't be involved any further outside of making preparations for our warriors."

"You better keep your promise, but I think your biggest issue will be gathering enough warriors willing to fight," Dad says.

"Yes, but out of all the islands, we should have enough people," Guklaro replies.

"It will take months of preparation, and they will be doing the same. We'll need to know exactly how many supporters they have, how many warriors, mages, and their supplies. They lack the infrastructure we have, so that's a major plus on our end, but we have to worry about sabotage and maybe even assassinations," I say. Knowledge of some of the most basic warfare strategies surfaces to the forefront of my mind from the memories of my past life.

"Let us worry about that, for now, just get some rest," Tusile says.

Tanafyam wakes up to noise in the house. Investigating the sounds, he finds his parents putting things into boxes: their few dedications to Myrou, clothes, tools and his old toys.

"Momara? What are you doing?" Tana can't help but ask with a foreboding feeling in his stomach.

"Grab that pot, Tana; we're leaving this heretic village!" Tana's taller parent, Folor, points at the cooking pot. "We're going to Temple Island."

"Why? This is our home; we can't leave to join the criminals." He can't understand what his parents are talking about. After all this time, they are just going to leave? Even after hearing that the criminals murdered somebody?

Momara Aya sighs angrily. "You were always an ugly child! Never once did you have faith in our goddess, did you?! This is your punishment for your heresy! The only way for you to become beautiful is to pray to our goddess, have faith in her, and serve her. Even now, you don't take art and creativity to heart! You are a sinful child, an ugly child!"

Tana cannot believe his ears; why is Momara Aya saying this?

"You will either join the Order of Myrou, or we will leave you behind!"

Tana is taken aback. Why would Momara Aya even say such things? Tana looks at Momara Folor, eyes pleading. This all feels like a bad dream.

"You wear your sins, Tanafyam. Only through faith can you be washed clean of them. You either come with us and be cleansed of your sins, or you stay here with the rest of the heretics, but we will not tolerate ugliness or heresy within our family."

Tana just wants to get stronger. All he wants is to prove to himself that he can stand by the side of his only true friend. But if he goes with his parents, he'll be forever set apart from her. Tears threaten to overwhelm his eyes as he hears his parents' harsh words.

What do I do? If I choose to stay here, I won't have a family anymore; I won't have anywhere to go. If I go, then I can't be friends with Aly anymore.

"C-can I think about it?" Tana asks, almost pleading.

"There's nothing to think about! You are either a heretic or not!"

Just then, a knock comes at the door.

"I'll go get it," Momara Aya says.

She opens the door revealing Esofy, who takes one look around before fixing Momara Aya and Folor with a cold glare and speaking harshly.

"I thought as much. You two were always very... over-eager in your proclamations of your faith, and judging by your yelling, you're trying to pressure your child into joining our enemies. Do you even hear yourselves talk? You are not good parents." Esofy's voice is filled with cold venom.

"Begone, heretic! We will not tolerate your presence!" Momara Folor hisses.

"I'm not the one proclaiming my faith with words alone; I put my faith into my sculptures. When was the last time you did anything of the sort, I wonder? Regardless, that's not why I'm here." Esofy looks at Tana and her gaze warms. "You've got such a talented child, and yet you reject her. Come here, Tana, be the person you want to be, not what someone else demands of you."

"No! Tanafyam is going to serve Myrou in the Order of Myrou; stop corrupting my child!" Momara Aya shouts.

Esofy pushes the door open forcefully, making Momara Aya stumble, and walks over to Tana. Momara Folor picks up a broom and attacks Esofy, but she doesn't even flinch under the strike. Kneeling down, Esofy hugs Tana.

"Be the person you want to be, Tana... don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Tana can't hold back his tears any further as he returns Esofy's hug.

"Come with me, Tana, let's get stronger, let's prove to the world how strong the Runalymo can become."

The next morning I meet with the Elders to help make plans for the warships. These ones will have several large spell crystals to power strong spells, which will in turn necessitate a few changes so that the spell crystals can target the ground properly, but other than that the designs won't change much.

All the elders will be attending a meeting in a few days to discuss the war, on the offshore shelter that was made after the village fire, the place that we took shelter during the superstorm. I don't know how they'll approach this war, but I can be sure that people who've not seen real conflict in a thousand years won't make the best decisions. I can only hope that they don't mess up too much. Not that I'd be much better, really, I don't remember nearly enough to handle something like this.

The next week I take the relative calm as a chance to train my skills; I don't know if I will have a chance to do so later. I have one clone practicing [Musician] with Chofel; apparently, I can get another breakthrough, one which helps me communicate through music, although it is a hard one to get. I practice with Chyzu to work on my [Persistent State] and [Acting] with a second clone, while a third is working at home, helping Yafel and Yafe practice their Bonds. My fourth clone is working on the warship spell crystals.

Despite the news of war, the village atmosphere has remained relatively normal, although that is probably because the Runalymo doesn't understand what that really means. A few people have or are leaving the village, presumably to go to Temple Island, but for everyone else it's just another day.

As I spar with others in Chyzu's dojo, I take note of how her style of teaching has changed since the dungeon. Her focus has shifted from practice to preparation, dealing with unknowns, and skills to break free of restraints, both magical and physical. There are even times when we all sit down and discuss scenarios one might find themselves in against monsters, although Chyzu has adapted it wonderfully to the Kheshamo tournaments.

"Just because someone has a skillset that is hard for you to deal with doesn't mean that you automatically lose. Think, 'How will they defeat me?' 'If I were them, what would I do to defeat me?' Put yourselves in the other's position and plan around that. Do your best to cover your weaknesses while capitalizing on those of your opponent."

Just then, a knock comes at the door and Chyzu smiles and stands up. "I have a special announcement for you all." She walks to the door and opens it up, revealing Esofy and her students. With the others joining us, Chyzu and Esofy stand next to each other.

"From now on, we will be combining our dojos to form the first Runalymo Academy of Combat. We will focus on many things, from learning how to fight in tournaments as usual to fighting monsters, strategy, tactics, using equipment effectively, and even on-field training to get real experience fighting monsters. If some of you only want to learn sports combat, that is fine; we won't force you to do the rest." Chyzu says with a bright smile.

"You might ask 'why teach both warriors and mages the same things?'" Chyzu adds, "The reasons are simple. Real combat doesn't care what you are; whether you beat your enemy or not depends more on your capabilities. We will teach you how both warriors and mages fight; this will help you understand how each will approach the same situations. It's to widen your perspectives so you can better overcome monsters, as many can use combinations of physical and magical combat styles."

With that said, the lessons begin, which adds a new shift to how things are taught. The first thing that Esofy stressed to get, especially for warriors, is a skill to prevent being caught in crowd-control spells like those used by the Aydomr and Everwinter Slime.

I am called on to provide the spell, while Esofy and Chyzu join in the training as well. To further push the importance of this training, I summon fairies to boop people's noses, delivering a painful sting, and say "You're dead" to them. By the end of the training session, no one has yet to gain a skill or breakthrough to resist the restraining spell.

I begin to think about how [Graceful Movements] might gain a breakthrough from putting myself in their shoes. The first step would be to perhaps use quick movements to evade physical restraints, such as rope or chains. The next would be to somehow resist or free myself from spell entrapments. But how could I do that? The variant skill uses beauty mana; perhaps I can start there?

In any case, figuring out how to get those breakthroughs will also help Esofy, who has her own variant of [Agile Movements]; [Battle Movements], probably influenced by her battle essence Bond just like how my [Graceful Movements] was influenced by my beauty essence.

At the end of the day, Esofy and Chyzu dismiss everyone to go to the after-work baths, but ask Tana and I to stay behind.

"Tana's parents... have decided to go to Temple Island," Esofy says. The news shocks me, but in hindsight it shouldn't have; they were always zealous. "Tana will be staying with me, and I ask you to help Tana through these times."

I turn my head towards Tana, studying his face. It's clear that he's trying to put on a hard expression, but I can only imagine the turmoil going on inside him. I walk forward and give my friend a hug, softly purring.

For years, Tana has only been interested in one thing, getting stronger. Well, two things, I know he has feelings towards me, but now definitely isn't the time for that. So I say the only thing I can think of to help take his mind off things.

"Let's train together, Tana. Let's get stronger together."

We go to the baths together with Esofy and Chyzu, after which, I train with Tana for the rest of the day.

The next morning my family's shop receives several orders for armor and weapons to be made, although not all are for the war efforts: a lot have come from the Academy of Combat too. With a large backlog of orders, one of my clones has to help manage the shop. Even at the end of the week, we still have orders to work through.

After the workday, ten days after the announcement of Yukika's death and the declaration of war, we have finally gotten through all of our work orders. With some free time for my clone, I check out how the production for the warship is going.

I walk to the pier, only to find a crowd clamoring around something. Moving closer, I see the burning form of the warship. Not just that, though... all of our airships are burning. The Valymo, the Winamr, the prototypes that Tusile wanted to experiment with, all of them. Struggling on the ground, being held by three others each, are four people. Some of them are shouting, but I can't hear them over the noise of the crowd. One of them has a fire bond, so I assume her to be the main culprit of the sabotage.

I sigh and walk away. This may be the first sabotage, but it won't be the last.

Chapter 87: Storming

The daily grind. Wake up, go to work, go home and kill time, only to repeat the next day. I worked all week only to live for the weekend; I filled my free time with surface-level entertainment that left my soul hollow and unfulfilled. Day in and day out, year after year. Getting angry at politics as if my voice could change anything, letting the world manipulate me as a cog in their plans for control. A wasted life, an unfulfilled life, looking back, I see the hours of time I put into the mediums of entertainment and realize how much none of that mattered. If only I could have a second chance, I would do things differently; I wouldn't waste time on unfulfilling and pacifying entertainment.

I wake up, a cold shiver going down my spine at the images of my memories flashing through my mind: random scenes of mediocrity, along with a deep feeling of regret and unfulfilledness.

That life is gone; that's not me anymore. I tell myself. This is my second chance, and I'm not letting it go to waste.

My body aches, and my skin feels grimy. I put my hand on my swelling chest and let out a small sigh. I started puberty late, and now it's hitting me hard, as if to make up for lost time.

It has been four months since the war started, and it seems our enemies have perfected their sabotaging methods. Our warships have continually been destroyed, but the worst thing is that they have someone who can hide their mana signature. After the third time, I made sure to cover all the airship sites with my perception, which extends over a kilometer in radius, and I never even saw the culprit when they returned.

Some fires have been started in the village, the sabotage attempts made worse by being done on days with firestorms, using the increased fire mana to their advantage. I had to use my [Mana Manipulation] to aid the fire control teams.

I get out of bed, still feeling tired, and head to the morning baths, cursing my body's overactive growth and musing that the frequent baths are probably the only reason I don't have acne problems.

Esofy managed to unlock a second Class, grown from her [Battle Movements] skill. The class gained her several movement-related skills, including a short-range teleportation and an anti-entrapment skill. Despite her Class being low level, it's leveling as if it is in the mid-two hundreds, meaning that all Classes will level up at the same rate, but having a second Class is still very beneficial for the extra skills.

Chyzu, too, managed to grow another class, hers being a Bond Class based on a Bond skill she acquired recently, [Water Clone]. Following my example and tutelage, Chyzu has gained [Twin Minds] and is now working on [Acting], her loss in the tournament probably influencing her decision.

Yafel and Yafe got their first Race evolution: Water Child Runalymo, A Major-tier Race heavily aligned to the water element.

As I settle into the bath, I look back on my months of training. I have finally gotten most of the levels and breakthroughs I can, so now all I have left to do is truly master the skills and go far beyond what the levels would normally suggest I am capable of.

Ting! Acting has obtained levels 95-99!

Ting! Persistent State has met requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 70!

7th Breakthrough: You've held focus on multiple states at the same time; this will help you maintain focus on multiple states of focus.

Ting! Persistent State has obtained levels 62-78!

I am now able to hold three states of focus with one mind. I constantly keep [Sense Mana] and [Sense Soul] active; the third I change depending on what I am doing.

Ting! Musician has met requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 120!

12th Breakthrough: You've managed to use music to communicate ideas and emotions; this will help you overcome language barriers.

Ting! Musician has obtained levels 116-130!

It really helps to have a musical genius like Chofel to teach me. Even now, she is thinking of ways to get more breakthroughs in this skill. On some nights, we brainstorm together, but that usually turns into just chatting or musical sessions.

Ting! Graceful Movements has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 110!

10th Breakthrough: You've used your quick and graceful movements to escape physical restraints; this will help you escape capture attempts.

11th Breakthrough: You've used a burst of beauty essence to break free of entrapment spells; this will help you escape dangerous situations.

Ting! Graceful Movements has obtained levels 98-120!

Esofy and I really worked hard to get here, and eventually, our efforts lead us to not only gain the breakthroughs but also teach them to others.

It feels good to have three of my general skills capped, [Tailoring], [Musician], and [Graceful Movements]. I want more capped, but it requires fighting mind mages, and for that, someone either needs to become one, or I need to go into the dungeon, which is now in enemy territory.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained levels 398-444!

I haven't gotten any new breakthroughs in [Mana Manipulation], instead focusing on maxing out the levels for now. My Kyhosa is strongly tied to my [Mana Manipulation], and the only other times a magical item of mine with a skill was improved were either a significant achievement, like saving a village from a superstorm, or capping a skill, like my eye wraps. This means that if I cap my [Mana Manipulation] at four hundred fifty, there is a strong chance of my Kyhosa improving. It will be a huge power boost for me if it does, and if it doesn't then there's always level five hundred.

On the plus side, Kayafe once said that I should be able to make mana storms at my [Mana Manipulation] level by now. My Kyhosa is also strongly tied to storms; perhaps I should get that one first before capping? I'll think about it. There is also one more thing I can almost do with my [Mana Manipulation], and that makes a mana-starved area. Level four hundred fifty seems to be what I need to be at to make it happen. So, do I get another breakthrough for the level boost? With my knowledge gained from [Sense Mana], I'll have a minimum of four knowledge levels immediately gained, take another week to train the active levels, and boom, I can get my thirtieth breakthrough in [Sense Mana].

Is it really a hard choice to make? I am so close I can almost taste it. Not to mention, through my training, my [Sense Mana] is at level two hundred ninety-nine; I am actually one level away from capping the skill. Only my thirteenth breakthrough needs the level, and for that, I need to sense a large number of magical items at once. There is my Kyhosa, not sure if the set counts as one or three, same with my sisters' Kyhosa; I'll say it counts as one each for now. Then there's my hair ornament, eye wraps, and Diadem. That is five magic items. There are an additional four Minor-tier magical items in the village, all of them Kyhosa.

Myrou's statues aren't magical in nature, not even enchanted; they work more like my clones. So there are nine magical items within my perception range. Now that I think about it, I hold almost half of the village's magic items, which feels... unfair? Or perhaps it's my complete focus on training? Thinking about it more deeply for a moment, I've done more than many people twice my age, so maybe it's just that I've had the opportunity to make more?

After my bath, I go to Chyzu and Esofys' Combat Academy, which is funded by the elders. I spar with the other students and help capture some low-level Domrs for the lowest leveled students to fight.

After the after-work baths, Esofy requests for me to teach her [Sense Mana] to help her get more levels and breakthroughs. She's been asking me to teach her for the whole month now.

"I still can't wrap my head around it." Esofy shakes her head with a sigh. The fifteenth breakthrough about how monster materials work seems to be a tough subject for her.

"As I said, It's not like an enchantment, more like a Class. It's a magical effect, not a mana-based one"

"I know! But I just don't know how it happens!" Esofy says frustratedly.

"It's magic; the 'how' is mostly irrelevant. Certain conditions are met and magic happens, just like how certain achievements impact your Class evolutions."

"I know!" Esofy says through her teeth. "But how does skin, or whatever else, achieve anything?!"

"Perhaps we should take a break," Chyzu says. I nod in agreement.

"I can try to make a small mana storm for you to study instead; I should be able to make one now," I say.

"Well, I can use a level in sensing a more extreme storm, something like the superstorm would be ideal, but I understand if you don't want to, or can't, do that yet." Esofy leans back in her chair and lets out a sigh to drain her frustrations.

Making a superstorm? Well, I should be able to easily make a nexus core. From what I know now, they occur where the pressure of mana has squeezed mana to fuse but not enough to fully liquefy; this forms a solid core, or a cloud of dust-sized bits of solid nexus mana. The most important thing is that the nexus mana isn't fully balanced, so the MM fields fight against each other, which causes a large MM force pull on the mana around it. Not to mention the huge fluctuations of the MM force easily has a pull and release effect, which makes things worse in terms of making spell-like effects. It's one thing to grab and hold onto the mana; it's another to grab, swing it around and release it.

"I should be able to make one," I say, nodding to myself.

I focus on the area around me; the mana is already heavily skewed to water, beauty, and battle essence from our mana leakage. I pull on all the mana in the room and then squeeze it down until the mana starts fusing. I continue to compress more and more mana until there is a cloud of nexus mana in front of me. It's small, about the size of Esofy's fist, and although its effects are weak for now, I can already see it affecting nearby mana.

I slowly increase the pressure, noting how close the nexus mana is to becoming liquid mana. With a sudden chill, I realize that the superstorm would have had to have enough mana to form a large ball of liquid mana in the center of it to cause effects on the scale that it had.

Already the nexus core I have in front of me has way more mana than the ones I had accidentally produced when fighting against the storm. Those only had a couple of tens of thousand of points of mana, this one in front of me now has at least twice that.

"Got the action level," Esofy says.

"Me too, you can stop now," Chyzu says as a gust of wind blows past us from a weak wind spell effect caused by my miniature storm. I disperse the nexus core, and the mana immediately settles.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 450!

45th Breakthrough: You have created mana weather; this will help you unleash devastation on a large scale.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has obtained levels 445-450!

Six levels, that mean all five knowledge levels, and the first use action level. I also noticed how the mana I manipulated was boosted by my Kyhosa's effect, the bonus it grants to elemental spells. It makes sense, I was manipulating elemental mana, but this also means that my storms will be unnaturally strong.

That wasn't everything I noticed, either: [Manipulate Mana] is faintly glowing now, a sign that an enhancement opportunity is within reach. Do I dare do it, though? No, it's a cursed skill; enhancing it will likely have the same effect as making it a Class skill. I can wait for it to be purified before enhancing it. With my skill at level five hundred, I can't blame myself for not training it in a situation where it could have saved someone's life.

Now I just need to train this skill's action levels for the next couple of days, and then I can finally get thirty breakthroughs in [Sense Mana].

Chapter 88: Assassin

Yae swims to the half-constructed warship. The heretics are building them in several locations, and all it would take is just one being finished to doom the fledgling Order of Myrou and all they've been working towards. In order to prevent the destruction of their faith, Yae's mission is to burn the warships down, destroy the spell crystals, and then leave completely unnoticed.

Yae climbs onto the warship, her stealth skills active and on full alert, then stops to catch her breath while she offers a silent prayer to Myrou. She looks down at the ring she wears, one, one of three like it taken from the ruins.

Ring of Anti-Clairvoyance

(Major) (Archaic)

This ring, passed down from the members of the Hidden Dagger, serves to hide the wearer from all sensing skills.

If it wasn't for these rings, they would have been defeated by now. The means by which to sneak past the heretic Storm Wardens, and anyone else who has sensing skills, is invaluable.

Yae dumps oil from a waterskin onto the warship and spreads it around with a rag, then ignites the oil and jumps overboard before she is discovered. She swims to a boat in the distance that has two others waiting for her on it. When she climbs on board, the others start rowing to the next location, the next warship.

No matter how many times it will take, airships must never be seen over Temple Island's skies.

When morning arrives, Yae and the other two return to Temple Island to rest; however, Grand Priestess Papuyo is waiting for her.

"Follow me to my office; I have an important mission for you this night." Papuyo doesn't wait for a reply; she turns around and leaves.

Yae follows, wondering what mission could be more important than destroying the warships.

Once at Papuyo's office, a place full of art taken from the ruins, Yae takes a seat opposite the Grand Priestess and takes a look around at the art. Paintings fill the walls; a giant vase is in one corner and a sculpture in another, all magical items sharing the same (Archaic) tier.

"We cannot keep destroying the warships; we must eliminate the source of the spell crystals that allow them to fly," Papuyo says, folding her hands.

It makes sense to Yae, so why hasn't it been done before?

"However, it's not a matter of what creates them, but of who. Alysara, a blind heretic child, is the source. She lives on a nearby island; you've been there many times when sabotaging warships. Now you must find her place of residence and kill her." Papuyo says darkly.

"Kill her?! Don't you think that is going too far? She's just a child!" Yae protests.

"A heretic child that is making the spell crystals." Papuyo replies and breathes a small sigh. "It is a small price to pay for victory. The heretics will eventually complete a warship; it's only a matter of time. For the sake of all Runalymo, she, the only one capable of making spell crystals, must die."

"But... she's just a child, I can't kill a child!" Yae shakes her head in denial. Why must the Grand Priestess ask this of her?

"You are the only one who can. If the heretics win this war, they'll abolish our faith, and the entire Runalymo people will lose their way. Do you want that?" Papuyo says, with genuine concern in her voice.

"...No," Yae says after a few moments of silence. "No, I don't want that."

"Then do what must be done. Take a rest; tonight, this war will end."

Yae leaves the office, her heart feeling heavy. Can she do it? Can she kill a child?

I focus in front of me, pushing against the tides of mana that threaten to collapse the area of a near mana vacuum. It takes all of my minds, and it would be easier if I was in a better location – like the dungeon or just not in the Nexus at all – but this is what I have.

I have my states of focus running for both [Mana Manipulation] and [Sense Mana], one to help me hold open the vacuum and the other for me to study the phenomenon.

The difficulty here is that without my incredibly high [Sense mana] level, actually sensing the thin amounts of mana would be difficult, which makes this breakthrough a beginner one, just like sensing the high amounts of mana in the Nexus, so actually obtaining the breakthrough was easy.

Mana in a vacuum attracts its similarities via the MM force; what's more is that the lack of pressure means that the repulsion of the MM force has much greater sway, making mana easily separate into like clumps. These clumps tend to arrange themselves in a line. Ice repelling fire most means those two are at the ends, with water and air next and then lightning in the middle. Earth places itself at the opposite side of the vacuum from lightning, with dark and light also as far apart from each other as they can be.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 300!

30th Breakthrough: You've learned to sense mana even in mana-starved areas, letting you pick out even the faintest trace of mana.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained levels 300-304!

The skill in my mana signature glows radiantly, no longer settling for just shining bright. All it needs now is the lustrous color that it desires, proof that not only have I gone this far but that I can master everything this skill has to offer.

I'll have to make a mana vacuum container, now that I know that I can make a mana vacuum.

It doesn't take long; the sphere has a thick layer of fused mana, a mana particle with exactly one particle of each element to have a perfectly MM force-neutral shell of mana. The sphere isn't very large, only about the size of my fists clenched together.

With my vacuum orb complete, I can study a mana-starved area for as long as I want; getting that breakthrough higher will only be a matter of time. Although, even when I do get all the levels for that breakthrough, I still need one for observing many magic items at once, which may take a while.

Actually, there may be a place where I can get the breakthrough level. Kyhosa are the one thing that is most likely to become a magical item; half of the magical items in the village are Kyhosa and most of the ones that aren't are ones that I made. A person's Kyhosa is buried with them, so if I simply wander through the graveyard on Temple Island, then I should be able to see dozens, if not hundreds, of magical items in one place, all buried beneath the bamboo that is planted upon their ashes. All I need to do now is wait for the war to end.

I walk downstairs. After my long research session, I need to stretch my legs. Dad is hammering away at a block of solid metal: having now obtained a mana forging class, she is practicing working with solid mana. It takes a long time to forge mana metal, but at least now I am not the only one who is capable of it.

While I walk around, taking a break from my studies, my second mind is waiting at the docks, piloting a clone. Esofy and Chyzu are there too, the three of us waiting for Kadona and Uloru to arrive for their restraint spell resistance training.

However, before they arrive, Elder Guklaro comes up to my clone.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but can you help us figure out a way to catch or at least detect saboteurs? Four more warships have been burned down, all of them from different villages."

"I think the biggest issue is information leaks," I say thoughtfully, "they can't sabotage an airship if they don't know where it is, but I may have an idea."

The saboteurs have some way of hiding from sensing skills, and invisibility and sound nullification is a simple thing to do, so how does one see the unseeable? Well, you don't, but you see the effects they have on the world. They still exist physically, so setting up a perimeter of something that the saboteurs must distort is a way to see them.

I already fitted my house with something like that; after all. It was one of the first things I did, since I am a high target for assassination, being the only one able to make airship control crystals. Or rather, while I am not technically the only one who can make spell crystals, I am the only one who can make them as quick and advanced as they are. Despite my expectations of a nightly visitor, that hasn't happened yet.

Nowadays, I keep my perception at max range. Up to now, I have been shrinking it to only what I and my clones are near to respect the privacy of others, but I can't afford to do so in times of war. Whenever I see people start something intimate, however, I try to exclude them from my perception. It took a lot of practice, but I managed to create a blind spot in my vision. Doing so works off of my sixteenth breakthrough, seeing in multiple places at once, only this time, instead of seeing multiple places, I exclude multiple places from my vision.

Arriving at the village hall, Tusile is waiting for us. I sit opposite of the two Elders, the third seat still vacant.

I explain to the Elders my ideas. We go through several potential options but it's not enough to have something that we can see; it needs to alert us too, which complicates things a lot. A simple wire attached to a bell won't do it; it's too simple and too easily bypassed. My idea of mana beams, like a laser grid from spy movies, is shot down as it doesn't alert anyone; I have one set up in my house but it only works for me. Unfortunately, we can't come up with an idea even after many hours, and I go home, thinking of how to make an alarm system that will work for the village.

Yae swims to the docks at the village Alysara lives in. The moons are covered by clouds, blanketing the village in darkness. The night is unusually chilly, and a thick fog shrouds everything, the weather matching Yae's mood.

"It has to be done; this is for the future of all Runalymo," Yae tells herself as she creeps through the empty walkways. The creaking as she steps seems loud enough to alert the whole village and with each step she takes, she expects someone to investigate the noise. Yae knows the house that she needs to go to, Alysara is known widely enough, and her family's shop too.

"Why does it have to be in the middle of the village?" Yae complains under her breath.

Still, if all goes well, it will be morning before the body is discovered. Yae double-checks that she has her concealing ring on her. She does. With a cloak of invisibility and socks that conceal the sound of her footsteps, no one should even be able to detect her unless she directly bumps into them.

Creeping up to the door, Yae opens it very slowly, so as to not ring the bell on it. She likewise closes it slowly once inside. She is finally in, now all she needs is to do the deed and get out. The house has decorative crystals hanging from the walls and ceiling.

Yae walks up the stairs, carefully examining the white crystals. It almost seems as if there is a beam of light coming from the others; the few specks of dust catch these beams and glint. It is a very interesting way to decorate the house, using something immaterial. Yae checks each room for the child; she finds a room with two very young children, too young, not the target, however she notices several winged creatures of mana in the room. They are strange but perhaps, it's another form of decoration? Yae closes the room's door and continues on. The parents' room likewise has the winged creatures of mana. On a wall is a convenient family picture, so at least she knows the target's face now. Finally, in a room at the end of a hall, she finds her target sleeping peacefully. The room has way more light crystals, all at different elevations, the beams of light illuminating the fog rolling through the open window. Yae takes a moment to appreciate the beauty of it, spotting another of the eerily motionless mana creatures almost glowing in the fog. After a moment, she shakes her head: she is not here to appreciate her target's decorations, so she brings her focus to the sleeping child.

A quick and painless death; if she must die, then that is the next best thing. Yae creeps up to the bed; the child not even stirring. Yae hardens her heart, grips her dagger's handle, and unsheathes it. She places the edge to the girl's throat and, with a quick motion, cuts through her flesh. Blood pools onto the sheets as the girl becomes paler and paler, still asleep.

Yae feels an itching on the back of her neck, the weight of her sin, but the deed is done and the Runalymo will be saved now. Yae is about to turn around and leave when a blade suddenly protrudes from her chest; the dying girl in the bed fades and disappears, not even the blood remaining. The spear is pushed further through her, and she can feel her right lung filling with blood.

Trying not to scream in pain, Yae coughs and turns around, not feeling any resistance from the spear; the girl has let it go. Yae sees the girl's frowning face, but she has a dagger in hand too. No matter, Yae is stronger and has more experience with the weapon. Yae dashes forward with a downward stab, dagger held in a reverse grip. Yet when the blade stabs into the girl's neck, she feels no resistance.

The girl simply sighs, and suddenly Yae feels drowsy, as if something is commanding her to sleep. "You won't die," the girl reassures her quietly. "It's not my place to judge you."

Yae looks around frantically; she must be around here somewhere, she must! She coughs again, blood coming out of her mouth. Despite the pain, fear, and racing of her heart, her eyelids feel so heavy.

"What is going on?" Yae says, trying to be as quiet as she can.

The girl doesn't answer her.

Yae lashes out with her dagger, not at the girl but under the bed where she might be hiding. However, Yae feels nothing but air.

Yae looks up at the girl. She holds up her dagger in a fighting pose and looks around the room. Is she in a corner? Perhaps she snuck out of the room? Every moment that passes, she feels ever more drowsy. Her blade catches a glint from a light beam, and then Yae realizes what they are. The light beams were never for decoration; it is a means of detecting her! Yae looks out of the open window with half-closed eyes; her arms and legs feel too heavy. Yae takes one step towards the window before darkness consumes the world.

Chapter 89: Betrayal

My hands shake from the adrenaline rush. That was a close one; I only had barely enough time to escape before the assassin was at my room's door. If she had known which room was mine, she'd have caught me jumping out of the window.

I had thought my laser warning system foolproof, having set it up like the spy movies from my past life, except I didn't allow for 'spy acrobatics' to sneak past them. I would have noticed the mana being blocked even if I couldn't see the person, but that did not happen. Instead, the mana was sort of passing through her; I only noticed her because my [Sense Mana] was so high I noticed the very slight disturbance in the mana beams, an almost imperceivable shimmering as if it was light passing through hot air.

There could be more assassins out there; I need to be very careful. I keep watch over the entire village, looking for any disturbance in the mana. I send a clone each to the two elders' homes; they will be targets too. I stay up all night hiding and waiting for anyone to come to look for the assassin or to assassinate the elders, but my fears of more assassins prove to be unfounded. I kept a sleep spell around the assassin and heal her wounds enough that she won't die.

When morning comes, I return home, checking every inch of the house for assassins before undoing my invisibility. I wake mom and dad while my clones wake the elders, and then I tell them all what happened.

After waiting for several Kheshamo fighters, the assassin is detained. We take no chances and strip her of everything except her mundane clothes. That is when we discover how she managed to escape our sensing skills: an old ring, presumably found in the ruins.

Ring of Anti-Clairvoyance

(Major) (Archaic)

This ring, passed down from the members of the Hidden Dagger, serves to hide the wearer from all sensing skills.

I had never thought something like this was possible, but I know there is a possibility that other beings can have items, or maybe even skills, that can hide even from me. I can see the ring when it's not being worn, but the moment I put it on I vanish from my own sight. I take the ring off and pop back into view. It will be challenging to move around when invisible to myself, so I am not keen on using it. It'd be like walking around with my eyes closed and arms outstretched to feel for objects.

The assassin also wore enchanted items, every one of them pertaining to stealth, from sound nullification to invisibility.

After removing the assassin's magical and enchanted items, I return home to let my real body sleep; I've been up all night. Then, with a clone, I wake her up. I'm not taking any risks, no poison in teeth, no suicide bombing, nothing. There is no way I am letting my real body be anywhere near her.

"What...? Where?" The assassin seems confused, looking around. She is tied to a chair with two warriors standing next to her, weapons drawn and at the ready.

"You tried to murder a child," Tusile says, glaring down at the woman.

"She's the only one who can make spell crystals for the airships. Without her, this war is over; without her, we can bring Myrou back to the people!" The assassin speaks very fast, as if trying to say everything at once.

"Excuses!" Guklaro spits out. "All of you are murderers and criminals!"

"How many died in the dungeon?! How many more would have died?" The assassin shouts, interrupting Guklaro. However, before she can get another word in, Tusile slaps her, rage on her face, a vein threatening to burst on her forehead.

"How many people did you murder?! And for what?! Just so your 'Grand Priestess' can have more power? How many more people are you planning to kill? All the heretics? You call everyone not on your side heretics! That's thousands. Thousands!"

Silence swiftly sweeps through the room, dominating the atmosphere. I've never even heard of Tusile shouting like that. Even Guklaro is looking at her, shocked.

"And yet you prattle on about how 'good' you are, 'Myrou' this, 'Myrou' that, it's sickening because you don't even know what you are saying!" Tusile says through gritted teeth. "How meaningful is your life now? Are you fulfilled? Are you happy now that things are this way? Yes, people died in the dungeon. Do you know how many people die building houses every year? Hundreds! I would know; I was once a priestess myself! Every day we would get up and attend funerals, at least one but more often four or five." Tusile takes a moment to breathe before continuing.

"Death happens! Some jobs are more dangerous than others. Children playing in the orchard farms can and do occasionally have bamboo fall on them. Loggers are obviously the most at risk of this, and yes, they do die if they're unlucky. Would you abolish these professions because too many people die?! The dungeon is a place we have yet to figure out; we have yet to find an optimal way to navigate it and slay monsters, but as we get better, fewer people will die. Eventually, it'll be just as dangerous as any other dangerous job, but we have too much to gain from it to ignore it!" Tusile sighs and collects her thoughts.

"I left the priesthood because most of them see 'serving' Myrou as their only duty. They wouldn't make dedications, they neglected their arts, they rarely crafted anything and just lived on our donations. They are hypocrites! Ask Papuyo when was the last time she made a dedication, then ask yourself how her answer makes her more devout than anyone else!" Tusile turns around and leaves, still grinding her teeth in anger.

Silence is left in her wake. It is a long time before anyone speaks.

"I... I didn't know..." The assassin mutters.

"Even if you didn't, the fact that you committed the crimes you did means your morality is lacking," Guklaro says, not a hint of sympathy in her voice. "But you can do something to start redeeming yourself. You can tell us if there are any more of these rings; you can tell us the state the Temple Island is in and how ready they are for an attack."

The assassin looks down in shame, but, after a few minutes of contemplation, she starts talking. There are two more rings that they found and they are setting up their infrastructure, getting a village built, building houses and workshops and everything that is necessary. They rely on sabotaging our airships because if they don't, they will lose the war. They may have the support needed to fight a war but don't have the means to fight our technology.

With the confessions of the assassin, the elders organize a meeting. I am brought along to help discuss ways to catch the saboteurs.

"Before we can make the warships, we need to catch all the saboteurs," Tusile says.

"There's something else I've been worried about too," Guklaro says, looking at me. "It's been getting colder, and the days are shortening. The abundance of fire mana is quickly draining, and dark mana is growing in higher amounts."

"It's not anything bad," I reply. "We've been collecting the liquid mana that the Mana Arc produces; we need a lot of dark mana, but that means switching the liquid mana production from fire to dark. It's been months now, so the reservoir of fire mana is probably running dry and being replaced with dark mana."

"I see, so in order to return things to normal, we need to take back the Temple," Guklaro says. "Then that gives us all the more reason to win this war."

We begin our long discussion on how to catch the saboteurs, but the best we can come up with is to use the ring we got to hide and catch them in the act.

Back home, I am being smothered by Mom, the incident with the assassin not making her worries any better.

"That's why I put up all of those mana crystals," I try to explain between a whole set of new rules. Always be in a place with at least three other people, always be invisible and use a clone to interact with others, always stay in the village, and don't leave for any reason.

Even Yafe and Yafel are getting caught up in some of the new rules.

I can't blame Mom; of course, she will be overprotective if someone is trying to kill her child.

"Where is Yae? She should have been back hours ago!" Papuyo paces back and forth.

"Maybe she got caught?" Gutaly suggests.

"Caught?! And how do you think that is possible? As long as she doesn't trip over half the village, getting detected is impossible! Invisible, inaudible, and immune to sensing skills!" Papuyo huffs and slumps down into a chair.

"Then she might have run away, betrayed us?" Gutaly shrugs her shoulders. clearly not taking this seriously.

"That's the only possible explanation... Which means we'll need to send someone else to kill Alysara."

"Hmmm, I've been wondering about that..." Gutaly doesn't seem to agree. she is using overly exaggerated movements, almost in a mocking way.

"What do you mean?" Papuyo says, annoyed.

"Well... that girl is blessed by Myrou, so why do you want to kill her?" Gutaly puts a finger on her lips in contemplation, with overly dramatic movements.

"Blessed? What the hell are you talking about?! That girl is a heretic!"

"There are records in this temple that Alysara was set before Myrou's Likeness and was blessed, even being allowed to have a Kyhosa made from a nexus gem, which would normally be reserved for dedications."

"Lies!" Papuyo slams her fist down on the table in front of her. "That girl wants to reopen the dungeon that was sealed by Shara; she is a heretic!"

"Papuyo... you have to see reason. We aren't going to win this war. My spies have already confirmed that Yae has been captured, and now they know about the rings." Gutaly says grimly, ending her act.

Papuyo grinds her teeth. "You knew?! And yet you held this information from me?!" Papuyo stands up in anger.

"Yeah... I mean, ever since the ruins, we've been questioning your sanity. Well, I at least was questioning your sanity before that. Killing the elders was possibly the biggest setback you could possibly have caused us; not only will you have to die, but most of the warriors who participated will have to too. It is the only way to survive." Gutaly says with a dark smile.

Papuyo is shaking in fury. Gutaly is talking about betrayal!

"But... at least we can give you a chance, a chance in the briny waters outside of the Nexus." Gutaly returns to her mocking tone. She knows that being exiled means death, there is no survival on the ocean, not with the leviathans.

"You think you can betray me?! I have dozens of warriors on my side, there is no way you can fight me!" Papuyo clenches her shaking fist.

"And why do you think you haven't been able to get more?" Gutaly grins. "Over half of the warriors on our enemy's side are sympathetic to us. Over a hundred never returned to the dungeon and many more refused to ever go in from the start. I'll tell you why; it's because they've joined under my leadership, not yours."

"GUTALY!" Papyu screams and summons forth her Bond, but pain erupts over the back of her head, and she is sent sprawling to the floor. Papuyo turns around only to see Thyka! She is completely invisible to her [Sense Mana]!

"Your tale ends here, Mad Priestess. You have done enough damage to our cause already," Thyka says with a disappointed look.

Betrayal! BETRAYAL! These fools dare to betray her!

However, what Thyka does next shocks Papuyo. Thyka grabs her hair and drags her out of the Temple. Papuyo kicks and screams, but no one comes to her rescue. Being dragged into the main hall, Papuyo can see unfamiliar faces, all staring at her, judgingly.

Papuyo is dragged outside, where she sees all of her followers bound, with dozens of warriors surrounding them, weapons and spells at the ready.

"Boats have been prepared. Do not come back; we won't hesitate to kill you, Mad Priestess," Thyka says. Then she is tossed in front of the bound group where three warriors pounce, and before Papuyo knows it, she is bound and gagged as well.

Rage seethes inside her, a fury she has never felt before, as she gazes upon the traitors.

"You are all judged as murderers and are hereby banished from the Nexus!" Gutaly calls. "But worry not, for your dreams will not die today; we will keep living on as a sovereign state! We will keep Myrou's faith true and untainted by heretics... and by Mad Priestesses. Today is the dawn of Lynakhery Village, the new centerpiece of our faith!"

Chapter 90: Unparalleled Mastery

Tusile frowns. The letter in her hands details the events of the previous day, when Papuyo was overthrown. They will be banishing her from the Nexus today and are inviting the Elders to witness the event; to signify the end of the war, although one could not really call it a war. Hostilities were open, yes, but there had yet to be a battle.

If this was all, then Tusile would be delighted at the news... but that isn't all, and the timing of all of this has her worried. The priestesses are declaring a new village on Temple Island, which goes against the long-standing notion that no centers of population be built there. The reason is simple; Temple Island is supposed to be a neutral place, a place where all islands can gather and not impose on any other villages. A place of pure faith, a place of celebration, a place where the souls of Runalymo move on and are reincarnated.

By declaring the end of the war and by setting up villages, they can better prepare for another war.

"This was a very calculated move," Guklaro says, breaking the silence.

"We cannot support the decision to allow villages to be built on Temple Island," Tusile nods, thinking the same thing.

"We need to talk with other village Elders about this. Some will inevitably allow the village, but some will not; we need to gather allies. This war has not ended; it simply became cold."

"This Gutaly seems to be a lot more politically minded than Papuyo. She knows we cannot deny the end of the war; everyone wants it to end, so she has done this to buy time. What can we do, though? They will simply wait and gather followers and public support until the time is right; they will move subtly and slowly while we can do nothing even while knowing what they are doing!" Tusile clenches her fist in frustration.

"Alysara," Guklaro says. "She is our answer. We join faith to our technology through her. We need to revolutionize our society, and we need to make many Dedications to Myrou, technological ones. Spell crystals, airships, and whatever else she can come up with."

"Guklaro, she is just a child; we cannot put everything upon her shoulders." Tusile sighs.

"Do you honestly believe that? She is an adult, and you know it. I do not know why but she seems to have retained knowledge from a previous life, who or even what she was before she has shown no signs of knowing, but you cannot deny her maturity, Tusile."

"I... Even if she is an old soul, this is her new life. Who are we to meddle in that?" Tusile shakes her head.

"She's Blessed by Myrou, Tusile; you were there when she was placed before the Likeness; I heard it from Yukika."

Tusile sighs again. "And you're going to say that she was made a Runalymo for a reason. Fine, we'll ask her what she wants to do, but we will not force her to do anything; we've already done that enough already, let the child be a child for once."

Papuyo is shoved onto a large boat. The boat is entirely devoid of art, a statement denouncing exiles as no longer being Runalymo. The boat is large, much larger than what one would normally find in the Nexus, but it has to be to fit everyone being exiled. Turning around, she sees the mountains dividing the Nexus from the rest of the world. Waterfalls cascade down from the mountains and the ley lines above are dim, only barely visible.

This won't be the end. No matter how long it takes, I will return and lead the Runalymo people back to Myrou. Papuyo swears to herself.

"This is the moment of peace between us, I hope?" Gutaly says, turning toward some of the Elders.

"It is," Tusile nods, but she is wearing a displeased expression.

"Are you unhappy? No blood was spilled; this war hasn't come to any fighting." Thyka asks.

Tusile stays silent for a few moments. "Perhaps it's just anti-climatic... This war doesn't feel like it had a conclusion."

"It may have been anti-climatic for you, but for us it's a release to be rid of the Mad Priestess," Gutaly says with a grin, staring at Papuyo.

Papuyo glares at her. If she wasn't bound and gagged, that wench wouldn't be so smug!

Next to be shoved onto the boat is Tato. Elder Mara does the honors, roughly pushing the warrior, who trips on the boat's ledge. There are two other boats with people being loaded onto them, everyone loyal to Papuyo.

She recognizes two very faithful people who are sobbing uncontrollably, Folor and her wife, Aya.

Once everyone is loaded onto the boats, the Elders step forward onto the rocky beach.

"You are all henceforth exiled. You are to never return to the Nexus under the penalty of death. Your crimes are inexcusable; you took advantage of others, you murdered others and all of you threatened to bring chaos and destruction to our peaceful land and waters. You have betrayed that which makes us Runalymo; you have betrayed our customs and traditions. You have betrayed our Goddess, Myrou, in an attempt for personal gain and power. You are traitorous to everything we hold dear. You are no longer Runalymo." Tusile says, staring coldly at everyone.

The boats are pushed away, and finally, someone unties Papuyo's bindings and gag. It is Yae; Papuyo thanks her and stares back at her home, shrinking as the distance grows. Many people are crying but Tato sitting beside her, shares her resentment with a furious look. Yae just looks resigned, like she's just given up.

The cold, salty air of the ocean is uncomfortable, and the three boats are not nearly large enough for the dozens of people exiled.

Papuyo stands up, the boat threatening to capsize before a water mage stabilizes it.

"This isn't the end! We will reclaim our land from the heretics! It doesn't matter how long we have to wait; it doesn't matter how harsh our journey is! We will come back!"

With the war finally over and the priestess's faction mostly exiled, I can finally return to Temple Island. The morning bath has been lukewarm the past few days, so I really need to set the Mana Arc's liquid mana production back to fire mana. However, the Elders are still being cautious and have some Kheshamo fighters escorting me. Once at the Temple, I can see that the walls that normally have fire mana in them are partially filled with dark mana instead. We'll need to get containers to store them, but it'll be a few days to make them. For now, I store what I can in my storage ring and walk up to the Mana Arc and change its settings.

Next, I initiate a telepathic link to Kayafe.

"Hello. It feels like it's been some time since last we talked." Kayafe says, sounding like she has just woken up.

"It has. We had some trouble with a Mad Priestess taking over the island for a few months, but she's gone now."

"It's good to hear that you were able to deal with her. Is there anything you want to know?" Kayafe asks

"Well..." I say, trying to organize my thoughts "My [Sense Mana] only needs one more level, and I might be able to get it soon..."

"I understand. It's a big moment, and you are probably feeling nervous or apprehensive about it."

"It... Doesn't feel... I don't know." I say, trying to find the right ideas to form my words "It doesn't feel like a big momentous moment; it feels like there should be more to it."

Kayafe takes a few moments to answer.

"Does the final step of a journey of a thousand kilometers feel momentous? No, but the journey itself is. You have taken that journey to the final step; now, all you have to do is take it. Each level, each breakthrough is small by itself but put them all together, and it really is a momentous thing to accomplish, and you did it much faster than anyone I know," Kayafe says gently, with an encouraging tone.

"You're right. It's just one more breakthrough; the big momentous moment is when that journey is complete." I admit. "How did you feel when you enhanced [Mana Manipulation]?"

"I didn't have much time to think; it was in the middle of a battle," Kayafe says, adopting a nostalgic tone. "I was defending myself from a powerful spell that would have killed me; I manipulated the MM force of my barrier just enough to deflect the spell and keep myself alive. That was enough to get me to my last level. I instantly spent it to overcome the monster."

"So you didn't even have time to question it; it was do or die." I change the subject slightly. "What about your companions? One was an Heirloom Progenitor, one was a Legacy Soul, and one was a soul mage, any others?"

"I'm sure they are all dead by now, but we traveled the world in search of strength. We all wanted the same thing, the end of war and slavery for all peoples, but we weren't strong enough. So we traveled and gathered allies. From the deep depths of the ocean to the floating island in the sky, we even traveled to other realms and met beings far being our imagination, from Starborn to Cosmic Dragons, from Primordial Guardians to world devouring plants. Dragons aren't always at the top of power; some beings out there dwarf them in strength and magical potential."

I listen to Kayafe's stories of corrupt nobles and ruthless slave states. About how any being with a Race tier less than another's is referred to as 'lesser'. Apparently this isn't always meant in a supremacist way, although it often is.

We are lucky to have a place all to our own; well, we share it with a kind Dragon, but the point is we don't have to fight for freedom over other races that are born at Major-tier, Grand-tier, or even higher. As a race that is born at Adept-tier – although, in Kayafe's time, the Runalymo was actually born at Minor-tier – we are basically bottom rung, and everyone would take advantage of that. Now I know why Kayafe was so desperate for a land that no other civilization inhabited.

This has the Guardian's words resurfacing in my mind, "Tyranny is the rule, not the exception." If we do want to explore the wider world, we will encounter many cruel civilizations and cultures; how bad will they be? I don't know, but this means that not only do we need to get stronger, not only do we need to raise our Race and Class tiers, but we also need to keep our homeland top secret.

All too soon, my mana runs low, and I have to say goodbye to Kayafe. I walk back down the Temple to my awaiting escort.

"Can we visit the graveyard for a few moments?" I ask.

"Sure," one of my guards reply.

I feel like some sort of VIP with a secret service, minus the suits and earpiece.

Walking the stone paths, I see the graves long before we arrive. My perception extends far enough that I don't even need to stand at the top of a hill to get a good look.

Even after the ashes of people are long gone, their Kyhosa buried with them last a long time, wrapped in the roots of the bamboo-like plants. A starry landscape of magic items enters my vision.

How is it that almost every single Kyhosa is a magic item? I ask myself. A quick examination of them holds the answer.

Omtelu's Kyhosa:

(Historic)

A symbol of life for Omtelu, now the marker for her final resting place.

Almost every single one has gained the age-based magical tier (Historic). The sentiments and importance given to Kyhosa, the love and grief the families of the dead experience, all give a simple meaning to the Kyhosa and turn them into magic items. They don't even have any other effect outside of what the tier gives. Still, fools may seek out grave robbery if desperate enough; and the same magic that made the items can give birth to a cursed being just like robbing a pharaoh's tomb was said to.

I am woken from my musing by two system messages, the second making my heart skip a beat.

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 310!

Ting! Alysara, the Runalymo, has reached unparalleled knowledge and mastery in the Sense Mana skill!

Chapter 91: Enhanced

In my mana signature, [Sense Mana] ignites, like a nascent star reaching the tipping point and beginning to fuse matter. It immediately outshines all my other skills, a beacon that nobody with the appropriate mana sensing breakthrough will miss. The only upside is that it will be hard for anyone else to notice my other skills, plain and dim as they are in comparison.

It's surreal. To have a world-spanning message mention me... I don't know what to think about it. I can see the surprise of the faces of my escorts. What about my family? What do they think of it? What will the Elders think? Everyone will want to say something, they'll want to praise me, but I don't want that. I just want to go back home as if nothing happened.

I am broken out of my thoughts by mana gathering into my Eyewraps, more and more mana swirling until a torrent of mana is being consumed. When the devouring stops, my Eyewraps' unique mana has changed slightly.

Alysara's Eyewraps:

(Grand) (Unique)

This Unique item has been with Alysara since she was a child. It has protected her from painful sights and shared in her growth, even when she has reached such mastery that none may hope to compete with her in the Sense Mana skill.

When worn, grants Sense Mana: 250/250, and Sense Soul: 80/80

I had expected this. It is still lower level than my [Sense Mana], but now it is vastly higher than anyone else in the village. Considering that two hundred fifty is almost at the point the skill starts glowing, this should be extremely valuable to anyone in the world, but I have to say that I am quite attached to it. I don't want to simply give it up; it's been with me for so long.

While I am here, I should talk to the Guardian. Maybe she has some advice that she has been holding until now.

"I'm going to see the Guardian," I tell my guards.

"Ah... Right!" one of them replies and starts following me.

I arrive at the Guardian's resting grounds; she is already sitting proudly, like a queen.

"Honestly, I thought you'd take a few more years to finally get your skill to the point of being enhanced." The Guardian says, more praising me than a mere statement. "However, you must be warned that just because you have an enhanced skill doesn't make you all-powerful. Rather, it only raises you to the point where other races are. Yes, their skills aren't as strong, but they have a longer history, and there will be those with many enchanted and magical items to cover their weaknesses. Be careful, and don't let yourself become overconfident; that is the number one killer of any bearer of recently enhanced skills."

I nod. My skill is a sensing one, not a combat one; while it does help, I am still disadvantaged. But with what I can learn, perhaps I can make things to help.

"There is not much else I can say; you are in uncharted waters. You can expect higher levels to gain and more breakthroughs, but any more than that? That's what you need to find out for yourself."

"How exactly do I spend a Legendary Point? I don't want to spend the wrong one," I ask, nervousness settling in.

"Focus on your Legendary Points when looking at your stats and focus on using the one you want to. You can't accidentally spend the wrong point."

I do as instructed, seeing in my mind the information take form.

Legendary achievement: 1

You have reached unparalleled knowledge and mastery in the Sense Mana skill!

Mythic Achievement: 1

You have survived the Great Calamity and been reincarnated from a primordial realm.

This is it; this is the moment I enhance my skill. I focus on using the Legendary Point on [Sense Mana]. A small part of me wonders what would happen if I use it on another skill. Would that skill gain some weird breakthrough? I squash those thoughts and confirm my choice.

Ting! Sense Mana has evolved to Sense Magic!

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 311-555!

I almost choke. I have suddenly gained almost two hundred fifty levels! My vision instantly became so clear, so crisp! The burning star that is in my mana signature bursts in a bright light... no, it's more than that, it's not just mana I am seeing but now the magical signature of the skill! The range of my vision didn't just increase tenfold; it almost increased by twenty times what it was before I almost doubled my skill level. My vision radius extends out over twenty-two kilometers! Before, I could move my vision out during scouting to a maximum of... my level, divide by ten... thirty-one kilometers. Now? I have to check, but it should be over five hundred fifty kilometers, one per level. Factoring in my Race bonus, I should be able to see four times further than that.

I wonder if I can discover a continent, or if we are too far out in the middle of an ocean. Still, even if I can see that far, I am still limited by my summons' own range.

[Sense Magic], it's not just about mana anymore, but what mana fuels. I wonder what else I can see now? Magic, not just a simple spell, but the most powerful phenomenons known, a mystery that not even the Guardian truly knows the truth of, the source of the system and monsters. No wonder you gain access to new breakthroughs, it almost becomes a new skill.

As the realization of what I can see finally hits me, I begin to scan around to try and actually see what magic is. There should be several sources of magic, but all I can see is mana. Surely there has to be at least one source of magic around, right? I then realize that my ability to sense magic is as basic as it can get. For starters, I should try to think of what magical sources I can find right now. First, my magic items, second, Classes, third... well, thats all I can come up with.

I focus on my Kyhosa, trying to see its magic. It takes me several minutes of staring at it but slowly, as if fading into view, a shining light seems to radiate from the Kyhosa. It is enveloping me with its magic, passively consuming the waste mana I produce.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained level 556!

"That is quite the improvement," the Guardian says, taking me out of my own world and back to reality. "With such high potential in your skill, there is one more thing you should be warned about. Sensing skills such as your own are widely known as clairvoyant skills and many others have means of hiding from them, or even attacking you through your clairvoyance. When out in the world, you need to be careful with how you use it, and should only expand its range as far as you need it lest you find unwanted retaliation."

Retaliation through my vision? It is like how in Earth's mythology some monsters could turn you to stone if you look them in the eyes? That actually sounds dangerous.

"It is a common strategy to use clairvoyance to spy and gather information," the Guardian adds. "Naturally, many found ways to guard against this strategy, and you'll be lucky if some of the worse ones don't immediately kill you."

"So what you are telling me is that I need to level up a resistance skill or use protective equipment?"

It's just like with the Mind Slime. If I'm not careful, I can be attacked through my perception. This means that I need strong mental resistance. I have [Mental Fortitude] and [Calm Mind], but I should also have enchanted items to help resist retaliation. I don't even know where to begin with that, though.

"Yes, you may also want to ask Kayafe about safety measures, or you can try to experiment and discover it yourself."

"Thank you for your advice, Guardian," I say with a respectful bow.

I return home after talking with the ancient being. I see the entirety of the village long before we arrive, long before it is even visible on the horizon. People go about their day, working their craft, making art; divers swim down to the seafloor in search of elemental gems, or check on Domr traps or search for bigger ones to hunt. We arrive at the docks, and immediately after I get off the boat, I am swarmed by passersby all congratulating me while also bombarding me with questions.

"Alysara! You've had a world notification about you! I always knew you were a genius!"

"Alysara! How did you do it? Can you teach us to do the same?"

"Alysara, congratulations! Do you want to come over for dinner?"

I hate this. It's just like after the superstorm all over again. I want nothing more than to get away from all of these people, to get away from the suffocating wall of bodies. I turn invisible while at the same time summoning my clone, then I muffle my footsteps with a spell and run out of there.

I arrive home, panting. I know if I enter, I'll get more of the same treatment, but I have to return home sometime. The twins are probably too young to know the meaning of a world notification, but my parents do. Welp, I might as well just get it over with.

I open the door and undo my invisibility. With the twins playing outside, it's just Mom and Dad home, working in the shop. They immediately come out, noticing me through their [Sense Mana].

"Alysara, I'm so proud of you!" Mom says, embracing me in a crushing hug.

Dad simply pats my head with a proud smile. I can tell they are trying to tone down their reactions for me. I let them have their moment before gently pushing Mom off me and tell them all about the enhanced version of the skill. I'm going to have to lay low for the next month until everybody gets the hint that I don't want too much attention again.

Surprisingly the Elders never show up; I guess Tusile can sympathize with some of my plights after all.

The Lojyo is a nightmare. With everybody in the village here, I cannot escape, but I don't have to. I am invisible, while my clone is being surrounded by everyone. I don't even have a mind piloting it; I just have it on autopilot, thanking the upgraded intelligence from when the skill evolved into [Create Twin], it's probably the first time I have used it this way. It still can't do anything complex, but simple, vague, and non-promising replies are just fine.

The people with [Sense Mana] can still see my real body, even if it's invisible, but they probably get the hint that I want to be left alone or just assume the clone is piloted by a mind. I am all too thankful for when the Lojyo comes to an end and we all go home.

During the night, when everybody is asleep, I continue looking for more sources of magic. I take a look at my soul, my Class should be... 'applied' to it; there should be some sort of magical framework. I stare at my soul, looking for anything that might stand out. Eventually, I notice a glow on my soul. I can't make it out but there seems to be some form of... structure to it. like a drawing or something, a deliberate order to it.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 640!

31st Breakthrough: You've learned to see magical frameworks, this will help you identify and study them.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 557-559!

As the sun rises and falls, I fill my days with study and experimentation; I hold off on preventative measures against clairvoyance retaliation until I meet with Kayafe again. I even hold off on seeing just how far I can remotely view, just in case there are some monsters out there that can seriously fuck me over. I shrink my perception to only cover my house, and I ignore the rest of the world now that there is no danger currently present... and I may need to get used to this in the future.

I work on a project I've been meaning to make progress with for a while now while my second mind continues exploring my newfound vision. There isn't much else I've discovered, other than that magic items also seem to have a magical framework, and I'm beginning to think that anything that can 'evolve' or upgrade to an improved version of itself has a magical framework. As for what exactly this framework is? I'm trying to figure that out but so far my sight of it has yet to clear up.

I try to make a teleportation device, and after many days two crystals are in front of me. A large one, almost as large as I am, and a small handheld one. The crystals are made with space essence. This one is just one of the dozens of prototypes, none of which work properly.

It turns out that the dungeon waystones and waystone key do indeed work outside of the dungeon, the major problem being its scarcity. However. we cannot use it to enter the dungeon from the outside. The dungeon entrance seems to interfere with any link; both sides of the link must be either in the dungeon or outside of it. I used the dungeon waystone for study, but I don't understand how to replicate it's teleportation; I'll need to find a master space mage to teach me to hopefully copy that mechanism.

Instead, the teleportation crystals teleport something to the other end of the link... which is inside the anchoring crystal. Naturally, this means death for anyone who wants to use the crystal. However, this new prototype should be able to bypass that issue. Being larger, it can hold an enchantment to put the other end of that link into an extradimensional space and deposit a person outside of the crystal. This will, unfortunately, have the side effect of cutting the link, but that can be reformed.

Using the teleportation key, I teleport a small object. The object disappears and reappears next to the teleportation anchor. I jump up with joy; it works! I quickly calm myself; I need to make sure it's safe and efficient for larger objects and longer ranges. Just as importantly, I also need to make sure it's safe for living things.

The next object I teleport is my chair, then my desk; however, that is where the problems start. The desk, being slightly longer than the crystal, didn't end up in one piece.

I sigh and sit down on my bed. Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. I'm trying to copy the dungeon waystones, but without understanding the whole thing I'm left with just trying to copy the end result. First, the crystals need to have an anchoring enchantment and be built to handle it; just the enchantment alone won't do it. Then I need to store and immediately remove anyone teleporting to the anchor... It's too complicated, and I should have listened to [Inquisitive Perfection]. I still have years to figure this out, so let's start simple: a doorway that connects two points in space via a link.

It takes a month to get a working portal, and the end result requires all of my expertise in [Mana Manipulation], but I do have a working portal. A set of archways, made of space essence metallic mana, made and enchanted like my Diadem. The main reason it took so long to get it working was because of how much time it takes to craft the portals; I also decorated them so as not to neglect my Runalymo nature.

The biggest problem with making the portals work is how much mana it requires to keep running: no one wants the portal to suddenly close while they are halfway through it. The battery I ended up making is the large platform that the portals stand on. It holds a whopping one hundred thousand mana for each side of the portal, and it burns through a lot every second the portal is open. Actually, it's even worse than that, since the mana cost increases drastically with the distance between the portals.

I toss a pencil through the portal archway, watching it come out of the other portal. I continue putting things through it, and it seems that as long as it can fit through the archway, it can be safely teleported. However, what about living things? The portal does not deconstruct you and rebuild you elsewhere, so it shouldn't run into the 'Ship of Theseus' problem. There is a good way to test it, and that involves seeing if the body is transported with all of its vitality and soul. If one of the three isn't teleported, then it's a death machine.

Naturally, I use small Domrs for the live test subjects and, according to my observations, it does indeed work safely as intended. No vitality is lost, the soul remains the same, the body is in one piece. In summary, it's perfectly safe to use; the only problem is that it can't change destinations without moving the portal itself. So, in order to make a portal to every island, it's going to need to work off of teleportation hubs for each region. Thankfully, that's not my problem aside from the sheer number of portals that will be needed: I'll leave the logistics up to the Elders.

Speaking of... It's time to go talk with the Elders yet again and introduce myself to the newest Elder.

Chapter 92: Retaliation and Cursed Beings

"You don't have to do this," Tusile says. "You've done enough for us already."

I am once again sitting in front of three elders; Tusile, Guklaro, and now Verako.

"But I want to," I reply. "I like discovering and inventing new things; I don't just want to open a dress shop and live a simple life; I want to learn more about mana, spells, and magic, and a lot of that is experimenting with and inventing new things."

"I understand. If that's the case, then I would like to ask that you make more of those portals. We have a lot of stored liquid dark mana that you can use; how many do you think you can make with the mana?" Tusile asks.

"Hmmm, it is a lot of mana, but it also requires a lot to make, and I'll need to transform the dark mana into space essence, but I can make around forty portals" I give a rough estimate of how much I can make.

I explain to the Elders the problems with the portals, namely the amount of mana it takes to form the portal and the increasing mana cost as the distance grows. I tell them my suggestions before leaving them to discuss the details of how they want to go about the portal implementation.

Next, I go to the Combat Academy, I find Tana there training as usual.

"Hey, Tana. How are you handling everything?" I ask, walking up to him.

He blushes at me approach and looks down. "I-I'm fine" He replies, then he realizes what I was referring to. "I... try not to think about it."

I give Tana a hug, "If you need company just come over, I can train with you. Don't try to bottle it all up" I let go of Tana and give him a smile.

I watch as his core starts giving off a strong amount of love essence. I'm not sure how I feel about that, I'm too young and too focused on other things to spare any minds to it. Plus I've been a horrible friend locking myself away for a month, in my own puberty induce anxiety of others... well I've always had anxiety of talking to people but it's just so much worse now. With the recent world notification about me, I just don't want to talk to people. The questions, the praises, everything... it all just feels suffocating; it doesn't feel real to me, like I'm someone I'm not.

Tana looks determined, "Y-you don't need to worry about me, Esofy and Chyzu is nice and I have more time to dedicate to getting stronger"

"Then let train together!" I say with a smile.

With another mind I have a clone walking to the warehouse storing the Liquid mana. The Liquid dark mana is stored in barrels of light-saturated lead; the material has to be above a certain density to properly contain with the added push back from the MM force; otherwise, the liquid mana will leak. We managed to gather a large amount of dark mana after I switched the Mana Arc's liquid mana production back to fire mana.

First, I open the top of the barrel and begin transforming the liquid mana to space essence. It takes so much mana that I had to refill my reserves three times before I managed to complete the barrel. One down about sixty more to go.

This will take too long; first, I should make a large mana battery and have volunteers donate mana. I make a large cylindrical mana battery. It takes a long time and several sessions when I needed to recharge my mana reserves, but Now I have a battery that has enough mana to fully convert a barrel to space essence.

It wasn't hard to find volunteers, I ask the elders to help find some people, and at the Lojyo, they made an announcement. The next day I have more than enough people to make ten barrels of space essence. They put the mana in the battery, and I used the mana to fuel the transformations. Over the course of the next week, wherein I trained with Tana with my primary mind, I managed to convert all barrels to space essence. I thank the volunteers and ask them to refill the battery one last time.

Now comes the hard part; making the portals. It will take a week to make them, and that's not just because of mana restrictions as I still use mana to build the portals and enchant them, but also because I am taking delicate care to make mana structures to form a battery for the portal and to make it like how I made my diadem, having the mana as close together as they can be without fusing the mana.

I'll be making the portals for the rest of the year, and that's not including the times that I'll be going into the dungeon. I'll be twelve years old by the time all forty portals are done. Perhaps there's a better way? I'll need to improve my [Mana Manipulation], but that won't be enough to make them faster; I'll need class bonuses or a magical or enchanted item that will improve my [Mana Manipulation].

First things first, in order to do a job correctly and efficiently, I need proper tools, and that means I need to make them. Finding a rare space Domr, making space essence crystal, finding or even making a space essence gem, all will be needed to make what I need.

I again talk with the Elders, but this time about putting a bounty on the largest space Domr that can be found. But I don't just leave it up to chance; I'll use my enhanced [Sense Magic] and search for Domrs; I should be able to scout the entirety of the Nexus, ten kilometers at a time. I should be able to scan a length of four hundred kilometers in about an hour which should cover the entire Nexus in under a day, quicker since I can scout with two perceptive spheres ten kilometers in diameter, but I need to wait until I figure out clairvoyance safety.

With my plan set, I use the rest of the day to make several space essence crystals that I may need and research how mana gems are made. Using several examples in the village, the mana structure is clear to me; making it, however, will prove tricky. It's going to need to take a long time to form the correct mana structures as it seems to need delicate and precise manipulation.

I didn't manage to make the gem today, but I have plenty of time to figure it out. For the next day, I visit Kayafe again. I arrive at Temple island and notice a large flock of people building the foundations of a village. The village is on a jetty just like all villages, leaving the valuable land space for farms. Despite the Bamboo used for funerals being on the island, no one uses them for construction. For one, the plants haven't been selectively cultivated for use as a construction material, and two, it's sacred. The bamboo represents the next life of the dead; when the bamboo dies, it is believed that they've died in their next life.

I don't know if a cursed being will be created if the bamboo is cut down. It does seem like cursed beings can be too easily created, but that can't be the case, can it? Maybe I should ask Kayafe and the Guardian about that?

I walk to the Mana Arc with those thoughts swirling in my mind and initiate contact with the ancient soul.

"Greetings"

"Hello, Kayafe. I finally managed to enhance my [Sense Mana] into [Sense Magic]!" I brag, feeling my success settle in. At first, it just didn't feel real, but now I am getting used to it. Use to my incredible sensing range, use to my clear vision.

"[Sense Magic], Huh," Kayafe says, impressed, "I thought it might be something like that, [Mana Manipulation] turns into [Magic Manipulation] after all. Before you ask, I haven't been able to get very far into the breakthroughs. I have figured out several things like making permanent effects onto mana, which is inherently a magical phenomenon, but as far as using magic for non-mana applications, I have yet to do that, and it is likely an advanced form of that skill."

"The guardian warned me about Clairvoyance retaliation, is there any advice you can give me on protecting myself? What are ways that people retaliate, and how likely are monsters to do the same?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Clairvoyance retaliation?" Kayafe repeats. "Well, as you discovered already, mind mages are the most common forms of it. Skills and protective equipment are a requirement, and even that only delays some of the more powerful mind mages. Also, just because you have a resistance skill at level one hundred doesn't mean that the enemy won't have a skill or breakthrough that pierces your resistance, be mindful of that. You know how bad a five-minded mage can be; remember how I said that's on the low end? Mages with ten or more can easily use all their minds to crush your defenses. In war, clairvoyant scouts are often accompanied with mind mages to defend them; it's a whole different war that takes place at the same time as the actual war."

"What about non-mind mages? What do I need to look out for?" I ask.

"Skills and items, both magical and enchanted. Some will put you to sleep; some will harm you; others will try to kill you depending on the laws implemented by the governments. The most common way to deal with those is through the use of a scapegoat, to redirect the attack rather than try to contest it in an attempt to block it. Usually, the skills and items only activate once per clairvoyance attempt, but they don't always activate immediately; some are activated by how long the observation is. For example, if you pass by someone with a clairvoyant sphere, it won't activate on an innocent blind person or military warrior. It pays a lot to learn the clairvoyant laws of each city and kingdom, and most will usually enforce a delay in items or skills as they don't want their internal spies to be attacked. Some laws will only allow non-lethal retaliation." Kayafe explains

"So it's very nuanced, governments don't want their internal affairs to be hindered, but they also don't want enemy spies getting too much information." I summarise.

"Exactly. Also, retaliation can be staggard, so for every interval amount of time retaliation can occur and many times get progressively worse. Also, scapegoats won't work from area of effect attacks; be mindful of those."

"So those are things to look out for. Other than scapegoats and items and skills to resist retaliation is there other ways to get around attacks? Hiding from them? Working through a proxy?" I ask.

"Those are more advanced forms and are very hard to do." Kayafe says. "While it can fool enchanted items, which will protect you from most retaliatory items, it may not work against magical items or skills. Fortunately, most of those are reserved for military and government personnel, so it's easier to know where not to remotely view. As for proxies, clairvoyant mirrors, and spells that project onto reflective and smooth surfaces also work. Those can't be affected by most nonlethal retaliation but can be destroyed by more dangerous retaliations, and again, area attacks will still hurt you."

With my perception covering such a large area, it's possible that I might face retaliation from hundreds or even thousands of people and things. I need to be very careful; I doubt even the sturdiest of defenses can handle that all at once.

"So proxies are the safest way; unfortunately, it sounds like it relys on normal vision, so I can't use those. And there are likely to be dozens if not hundreds of potential retaliation which rules out items to resist specific attacks, which leaves either a skill or a catch-all resistance item, and scapegoats, lots of them." I say with an exasperated sigh.

"You'll need a very powerful item; catch-alls have a reputation of not fully protecting you. You are best off with a skill; it is unlikely you can make a powerful enough item." Kayafe warns.

"Great... yet another skill I need. I still need [Multitask] and now another resistance skill. I really need a second class to help free up some general skills," I complain. "Anyway, What do you know about cursed beings? The Guardian warned me about them. How common are they?"

"They are rare. Most cursed beings are weak enough that killing one won't result in a realm notification, but that still doesn't mean they are pushovers. In fact, even weak ones can still kill legendary beings; it's because they use magic. Some of the strongest can kill multiple dragons; it's happened before. Liches, Undines, Fallen Legacies; they have the power to kill all life on continents. Just keep in mind, while there are many, even common, ways for cursed beings to arise, they usually require certain difficult to achieve and rare conditions to be created; of course, that is not always the case. Defilement of the dead are sure ways to make cursed beings. Some even do it intentionally to fight wars, overthrow leaders, and many other things." Kayafe explains.

"so, other than defilement of the dead, I don't have to worry about cursed beings?" I ask.

"Mostly, yes. Just stay away from ruins, always at least bury or burn the dead and never take anything from crypts. Some kings will even go through extraordinary steps to make sure they will become cursed beings if their tombs are disturbed. The pharaohs of the Xanadeha dynasty often did that."

"Why do people go out of their way to make things worse for everybody?" I say, incredulously.

"I don't know, but people do, and we have to be careful of that."

After talking with Kayafe, I ask the Guardian about the bamboo.

"It's only a problem if they are all cut down or if the Kyhosa's beneath them are taken; cutting one bamboo down isn't a problem, not even a few. However, cutting them down will result in miasma, which can make any cursed beings more powerful."

"What is miasma, exactly?" I ask.

"Miasma... It's hard to say" The Guardian says. "It's much like lingering sentiments. For example, the bamboo, if you cut it down, the sentiments of it symbolizing another being's life is released, creating miasma. It's fine if the plant naturally dies Miasma won't be created. This is another problem with cities; places of great disparity between the haves and have nots, the neglected poor, the tyranny of authority, resentments from feuds, and much, much more can all create miasma. Unless you have a paradise city, there is usually a limit to the population density of cities, and this limit is lowered based on things like slavery, war, and corruption."

Another point for villages and why Safyr wanted to spread out the Runalymo's population density. Tyranny is the rule, not the exception. Just how is the world not overrun by cursed beings?

"You see the conundrum," The Guardian says with a smile. "Conditions for cursed beings are still rare, and there seems to be a minimum threshold before cursed beings can even form."

"So what you are saying is that even though cities create a lot of Miasma, there just aren't any conditions for cursed beings to be created?" I ask.

"Yes, that is mostly the case. However, Fallen Kings are a type of cursed being that can arise, the conditions are rare, but because of the amount of miasma, they are generally greater cursed beings; the worst I've ever seen was a Soul King Lich. A being so powerful that when we dragons slew it, the entire kingdom transformed into a Magic Zone."

"Magic Zone?" I ask.

"Also known as a Magic Biome," Safyr says. "It is a place transformed by magic, not unlike the magic that creates magic items. They are generally places of high danger, but there are a few safe exceptions. You don't have to worry about those, for now, little one. Train your skills and grow stronger, conquer the Dungeon and keep advancing the Runalymo. I have a feeling you'll need to."

Chapter 93: Scapegoats

Clairvoyance retaliation, how does it work exactly? I muse.

Let's start with how sensing skills work. Sensing actively feels out for whatever you are trying to sense. For mana, I 'feel' the mana around me; it's like a metaphysical touch, for [Mana Manipulation] this 'touch' become a real force for which it manipulates mana. So, in order to sense something, one must act upon it. This action can be traced and/or pushed back against as part of a retaliation. Alternatively, if one were to trick or camouflage from the sensing skill, one can hide from it.

Now that I have my thoughts in order, let's test this theory. An enchantment to 'push back' on sensing. A simple enchantment to cast a breeze spell, completely harmless.

I make a bowtie and cast the enchantment upon it. I put the bowtie on Yafe, who is helping me conduct these tests, and watch as a breeze manifests around me. It seems to work well enough.

So the question now is, how do I shift the spell onto a scapegoat? I remember how we deflected some of the Matriarch Chyaotmo's attacks by using water crystals. If I do something similar, I might be able to make a scapegoat by enchanting a mana crystal to attract attacks. How far away from me does it have to be? That's what I am going to find out.

I make a wind crystal and enchant it to attract wind and wind-based essence spells. I make Yafel another bowtie, but this one retaliates with a soft sound. I did not notice any retaliation, so step one is a success, and repeating the test with the crystal on the ground in front of me reveals that I must be wearing the scapegoat to be protected by it.

Let's see if I can't make something better. I have [Sense Magic] now, I should be able to figure out something and make it with [Mana Manipulation]. I don't just want something that will redirect attacks; I need something to protect me from them as well. Just like the breeze demonstrated, attacks that include "everything in the target's location" will also hurt me since I have to wear the scapegoat. So how do I deal with that? The answer is simple, and I've made something similar before: an item that will store the mana. It can be overwhelmed, but it should protect me from low-level retaliation, maybe even mid-level spells.

I pat the twins and thank them, to which they both respond with beaming smiles and hugs.

"I don't want to see you hurt" "Be careful!" They say.

I make several scapegoats to attach to the armor belt I made, one for each element. These scapegoats will absorb the mana and discharge the mana slowly and safely over ten minutes. It won't save me if I try to see a large population center all at once, in which case it will be overwhelmed immediately, but it will save me from one or two retaliations.

With my safety now covered, I can finally explore the newfound functions of [Sense Magic]. I don't need to fear a retaliation skill that a monster might have. First, exactly how far can I remotely view?

Just as I send my perception on its mission, I remember the first trouble I had with scouting monsters: mind control. I have retaliation protection, but now I need mind control protection. Before my perception gets too far, I retrieve my mind essence resistance cloak, that I made while in the dungeon, from my room. With my safety now secure, I continue my tests.

My perception moves much faster now; before it was as fast as I could run, now it's like a plane. I quickly see the mountains that encircle the Nexus. Beyond that, and about a hundred meters below, lies the ocean; it seems the Nexus sea is elevated above the standard sea level. Waterfalls cascade down the mountains and into the ocean below, a white mist hiding the rocky beach of the mountains.

Going beyond, I see nothing but an endless ocean. I don't let that deter me and press on. Waves, waves, and yet more waves, no land in sight for hundreds, thousands of kilometers. We really are in the middle of the ocean, or perhaps I just went the wrong way. I see whales, massive beings that I first mistake as islands. I see huge kilometer-long sea serpents with massive fins on their tail to propel themselves forward. I see schools of fish the size of boats, not the ones the Runalymo have, but the large shipping boats from my previous life. Everything in this ocean is way oversized. After a few hours, I finally reach my distance limit, over two thousand kilometers away.

My fears of retaliatory skills seem to be unfounded as none of my scapegoats absorb any attacks, but I don't take any further risks. I am tempted to see what lays at the bottom of the ocean, but if Earth was any example, I don't want to know. Instead, I move my perception around in a circle, seeing if there's any land at the maximum range I can scout. After making a full circle, which takes the better part of a day, I conclude that we are truly in the middle of nowhere with nothing but salty water around. Perhaps there may be a few islands around, but no continent.

I can do a more extensive search later but for now I'll scan every inch of the Nexus for space essence gems and Domrs, and, while I am at it, I might as well make a map of the Nexus and see where the most powerful Domrs are at. I know there is one the size of a large house out there somewhere.

I begin by looking near the edge of the Nexus, looking partially into the seafloor for any buried gems. I mark anything interesting down onto the map until I find the first ruin. I do not write down the location of it as the Guardian has taken steps to make sure they stay hidden, but in my curiosity, I look into it. It is a large city that once housed tens of thousands. With the passage of time, thousands of items, probably tens of thousands, have become (Archaic) magic items. Resisting the effects of weathering and time, perfectly preserved in the lost ruins.

It is a treasure trove of magic items, lost arts, knowledge, and wealth... all for the price of unleashing a cursed being upon the world. There is something off about the ruins, though, like a faint black mist, wisps flowing from house to collapsed house, moving through the eroded streets. If I hadn't talked with the Guardian about cursed beings, I wouldn't know what it is: Miasma.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 660!

32nd Breakthrough: You have sensed Miasma; this will help you discover more about it.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 560-561!

Only two levels, I guess there is a lot about Miasma I don't know... well, I only know that it forms cursed beings, and that it must have something to do with magic, but anything else? Nope, got nothing.

I wonder what else I can sense with [Sense Magic]. For one, I can try observing how magic items work now, it is a magical process, so I should eventually see something. Maybe I can finally see Class levels? Perhaps get more information on skills, Bonds, and Race? Will those be new breakthroughs, though? I kind of already have them; it should just be more levels for them.

What new breakthroughs can I get? What about magic is new to [Sense Magic]? What about sensing magic sources? The effects of magic? Perhaps seeing how magic changes Classes and Races can be one.

I honestly don't know where to start; It's just like having a new skill all over again. For now, I'll try not to awaken any cursed beings with my observations until I know it's safe.

I continue searching for the materials I want and mapping the Nexus. I find more ruins buried beneath the seafloor, dozens of them, over a hundred if you include small towns and villages. I locate many useful and interesting materials on my search, from a boulder-sized nexus gem to veins of death essence saturated ore and even a buried crystalline tree in the middle of what looks like a Stonehenge. It doesn't have any Miasma, so that should be safe to dig up.

It isn't until I see a ruin near both my village and Temple Island that I pause. The Miasma is much more condensed and still gathering at a point of churned-up earth... as if the ruins had been excavated and reburied before.

A dark swirling mass like the blackest void draws in nearby Miasma; like a greedy maw, it devours the Miasma and even nearby mana, mana that is being burned out of existence. Something has to be done and fast. If mana is being burned, then it is fueling a magical process!

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 680!

33rd Breakthrough: You've detected a source of magic; this will help you find and study more sources of magic.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 562-564!

All of a sudden, the magical source becomes clear to me, like a fog has dispersed from it. It shines in my vision like a burning star growing brighter and brighter as it consumes mana, a tremendous amount of mana must have been consumed already if it's been going at this pace for long.

There is something I can do. I can try to keep mana away from that place with [Mana Manipulation]. It's close enough that I can reach it with my manipulation and try to create a large area of mana vacuum; however, the Guardian must be warned first.

I continue looking, to see if other ruins have been disturbed by my quest to locate useful materials, as I run to the pier and get on a boat to deliver my warning. I row to Temple island and just about jump off the boat in my hurry to deliver my warning. I run along the stone path as fast as my legs can carry me, muttering some complaints that I didn't put more points in my physical stats. Compared to the scale of my perception, it feels like I run painfully slowly. The Guardian is leisurely napping, basking in the warm sun, but notices my hurried approach and raises her head, tilting it quizzically.

When I finally reach the dragon, I fall to my knees, panting. The Guardian doesn't speak for a moment but frowns, trying to figure out what has me worried.

"The ruins!" I gasp, fighting for the air I need to speak. "Miasma is gathering, and mana is fueling magic!"

"So it was too late after all," the Guardian mutters, then asks in a commanding tone, "How much Miasma is there? How much mana is being used?"

I shake my head. "I don't know; I have no points of reference to know how much is a lot or not for Miasma. As for mana, it is a lot, and the magical source is like a burning sun to me."

"You can see the magic at work now? I'll have to ask you about that later, for now, every village within fifty kilometers of the ruins must be evacuated."

"That's all of the central and inner Islands." I mutter, then suggest the idea I had before. "I can try to keep the mana away, to prevent it from being consumed."

"You are not strong enough, little one. If it were Kayafe, she could do it, but that doesn't mean I don't have means of delaying the creation of the cursed being; let me handle this, do what you can to ensure the safety of your people." Safyr stands up and stretches out her wings to their full length, looming over me, and with a flap of her majestic wings, she takes flight, flying toward the ruins.

I walk back to the docks, watching Safyr dive into the waters, commanding them to swirl and remove earth to get her closer to the source of the magic, following the location that mana is disappearing into. She sends out a pulse of mana, which does something I can't even vaguely understand before all of the mana in a sphere around her turns into water mana and winks out of existence, creating a perfect mana vacuum and preventing the magic from consuming more mana. I understand now what the pulse is for, magic. Much like how a link needs to first build a scaffold of mana this seems to use the mana which sets the distance for a mana exclusion zone.

What the Guardian did seems to be centered on her, as her movements also move the mana exclusion zone. Any mana that does try to enter it is converted to water and simply removed from existence.

This will buy us time, hopefully enough to get to safety.

Chapter 94: Evacuation

"It's just one thing after another," Tusile says, after Alysara has left.

"We can use this. As manipulative as it sounds, we can simply tell the truth. The priestesses disturbed the ruins and awakened a monster that the Guardian is currently holding back. This will help limit the support the priesthood has." Guklaro says, hand on her chin in a thoughtful pose.

"We need to send messengers to every village in the inner islands as soon as possible. It is fortunate that they are sparsely populated after the superstorm."

"It was Papuyo who disturbed the ruins, not the current priesthood; we don't need to place guilt onto them," Verako says.

"Do you honestly believe that?" Guklaro says bitterly. "Gutaly was in on the whole thing; she only rebelled against Papuyo because if she didn't, they would have all been exiled. They still intend to fight, but they know they will lose right now, so they hide behind pretense."

"What about everyone else? Those who joined after exiling Papuyo? They'll be caught up in those implications; we can't place blame on them!" Verako fights back.

"If they are truly innocent, they'll show it. Regardless, we should focus back on the issue at hand. There is a monster, and we need to get to someplace safe and out of the way. So, how do we manage that? Building an airship large enough will take too long." Tusile says.

"We have a portal that Alysara made; perhaps we use that?" Guklaro suggests.

"Tusile, I would appreciate it if you didn't just dismiss my concerns; we need to properly discuss the issues with placing blame onto the priesthood!" Verako says, trying to bring the discussion back.

"Verako, need I remind you that you have not been formally accepted as an Elder?" Guklaro says in a warning tone, "Our number one concern is the safety of our village, not others, especially an organization that continues to break our customs. Temple Island is supposed to be neutral ground, and that can't happen if someone wants to set up a sovereign village there. They still won't allow people into the dungeon, which means that they aren't neutral."

Verako looks down in resignation.

"The priesthood is supposed to represent Myrou and her tenets, nothing else. They are to have no say in other matters." Tusile adds. "Papuyo was just a young apprentice priestess who had yet to fully understand that, and Gutaly and the other priestesses came in after the superstorm. In short, no priestess understands their role. Now, going back to Guklaro's suggestion; the portal won't work; it uses too much mana to bridge the distance we need it to."

"Well, we certainly don't have enough boats; it will take days for us to make enough, not including the cost of proper building materials." Guklaro says.

They go back and forth several times, running out of ideas.

"I hate to say this, but it seems like just building an airship will be the fastest method," Tusile says.

"Why can't we just use normal boats?" Verako says.

"One: because we only have enough for a fifth of the village population. Two: because we want to evacuate to an outer island, not a middle island, so it will take days to fully evacuate everyone by going back and forth. And three: with a chance of our village being destroyed, everyone will want to bring their valuables, so that will make the whole process take even longer, at least an airship can travel faster."

Silence takes over the room until Guklaro speaks up.

"We have a lot of liquid space mana, right? Why not have Alysara turn all of that into an airship that is larger on the inside? We save on materials, and hopefully, we can evacuate everyone and their stuff within three trips."

"Because we don't have enough mana," I explain. The Elders have called me back to their meeting and proposed I make an airship out of pure mana, which is a good idea but comes with some problems.

"First, mana is massless; while it does mean we can make a larger airship, there are also a few drawbacks, primarily retraining the pilots to adjust to it. Then there's the issue of actually getting all of that mana: we'll need double the amount we have for the evacuation and quadruple for an airship that can house the entire village. It's why we originally opted for having the Mana Arc produce it for us. Then it will take weeks for me to actually shape the airship with the proper mana structure for enchanting."

"Your cursed skill produces the mana you work with, right? What's the ratio?" Tusile asks.

"It transforms my mana reserves," I correct her, "and it uses one point of mana for every three I manipulate, which is a lot considering I have to work with not millions, but tens of billions if not hundreds of billions of points of mana. I simply do not have enough."

"So, while we could supplement the lack of workable mana with the cursed skill's side effect, the biggest issue is the amount of mana you have; you'll use all of your mana very quickly." Guklaro summarizes. "We can have people give you mana through the battery you made for the portals. With an average of fifty thousand mana production between all the villagers, roughly to three hundred people now, there is a combined total of about three hundred million mana produced every day, and you can manipulate three times that with that amount, that is almost one billion points of mana that you can work with every day. Also, you just need to make the shell and floors of the airship, which should reduce how much you need."

"It's still weeks of work," I say; even with the mana problem mostly solved, the time it takes to work it is still too much. "I'll need a strong enchanted item that boosts my manipulation, ideally a Domr pearl with space manipulation. I've spotted a few small ones and a mid-sized one near the middle islands. However, even if I manage to make something that doubles my space manipulation, it'll still take too long."

"If you have all of your minds working on the airship, how fast can you do it? Assuming mana isn't an issue." Tusile says.

"Half a month at the shortest," I reply.

"It just needs to fly, right?" Guklaro says. "It doesn't matter if it needs to make several trips to fully evacuate everybody. If we forgo nonessential enchantments and only have you make the hull – the floors we can make with mundane materials – how fast can you make it?"

I think about it for a few moments. Just a shell with no enchantments, all my minds working on it with everyone donating mana. "It'll take three days at the shortest."

"Then we'll get you your Domr pearl; we'll start work immediately," Tusile says.

Following a village meeting where the announcement of evacuation and plans for the airship take place, everyone starts offering help. After all, the sooner the airship is made, the more things can be brought with them. Of course, there are a few naysayers who think the Guardian will handle everything, but with the ruins so close most are aware of the danger. Carpenters start work on making the airship flooring; others are helping by getting the materials from the warehouses. Barrels of liquid mana are brought to the worksite, where I start shaping the mana, slowly expanding the liquid mana into a dense metallic state. With my real body, I explain to the foreman the dimensions the floors should have. Tailors and mana weavers make the sails, and the enchanters enchant the sails for more effectiveness.

Just like when the village was half burned down, almost everyone is pitching in to help build the airship in record time, even if it's only to give me mana so I can continue my work. It's going to be the largest airship yet, our Titanic, albeit hopefully with a better ending to its tale.

The work is done in haste, meaning no decoration, but that's fine as the airship won't technically be completed, just in a flyable state. The control crystals are taken from storage as we have a large stock of them.

Late in the day, the Domr pearl I requested is retrieved and given to me. The pearl is the smallest; they had to kill all three of them to get a pearl with the right magical effect. I immediately start to work on a long staff of space essence. I use several space crystals that I previously prepared to hopefully offset the size of the pearl; more material to make a reinforcing enchantment. In addition, I grow a crystal spiraling up the staff like vines with crystalline leaves sprouting at the top.

Next, I enchant the staff after carving out mana to make room for the enchanting mana structure; even in the crystals, I make sure that the enchanting mana is unimpeded, and then I refill any gaps to seal in the enchantment.

Staff of Space Manipulation:

(Enchanted)

Made by a master of Mana Manipulation using a tiny pearl of a weak monster as a seed, this staff shows that even the weakest has the potential to become great. Enhances space essence manipulation by 135%.

It takes several hours to make the staff, but I am quite pleased with how it turned out. Could it have pushed two hundred percent with a better Domr pearl? If I had more time to prepare better materials, study natural space gems, and figure out the best way to make a space manipulating staff? Yes, but we are in a time crunch, and we have to settle with what we have now.

The next day we work with renewed vigor. I burn through my mana much faster now with the staff, as I am working faster, but with people supplying me mana, I don't have to stop. With five minds working on shaping the mana, I get a lot done, and since it's all just me, they all benefit from the staff.

The other villages in the center and inner islands are already evacuating, sending boats back and forth. The middle islands are on high alert, and some are even preparing to evacuate too. The Runalymo will not suffer another disaster like with the superstorm again, this we promise.

Tanafyam looks around at all the work being done. What can he do? He doesn't know how to work bamboo nor forge nails; neither does he know how to weave sails or enchant them. All he knows is how to fight, and even in that, he is weak and inexperienced. He has never felt so useless before. He tries to keep his mind away from his parents, but he can't help but wonder why they joined the mad priestess and the criminals; he can't understand why they were so horrible the day they left.

Tana shakes his head to clear his mind and looks around to see if there's anything he can do. Esofy is helping the carpenters, Chyzu is donating mana to Alysara, something that he can't even afford since he produces vitality instead. No matter what, Alysara shines brightly in everything that she does; whether it's making something or fighting, he will always be far behind her.

Tana sighs and sits down next to a wall, watching everyone work while he can't do anything. The only thing he can do is practice fighting in hopes of one day finally being useful. With another sigh, Tana walks away from the worksite and to the empty combat academy, where he draws his sword and starts swinging. With a slash, a wave of negative vitality shoots out.

Ting! Slash Wave has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 90!

8th Breakthrough: You've learned how to send out vitality and negative vitality; this will help you heal or damage anyone at a distance.

Alysara had said not to use this, as it will corrupt his evolutions, and that possibility is why he only gets a few breakthroughs per evolution, not enough to be a major factor. Yes, one or two have been corrupted, but there has been an alternative of equal tier. He will get four more breakthroughs once evolving.

Tana then starts practicing with Class skills, making sure to cap each one if he can. He will prove himself one day; he will challenge that beautiful girl and prove he can stand by her side.

Chapter 95: Cursed Being

I watch the bare-bones airship fly around the village. It is very simple in design, but that can easily be changed after this coming crisis. The pilot and crew are currently practicing flying the airship; after months of being unable to fly, they need a refresher.

While the crew practices their flight, everyone is packing their things. Necessities first, tools to rebuild should that be needed, clothes, Myrou dedications. Then valuable and sentimental things, and finally common things if there is any room to spare. Everyone is given a limit on how much they can bring, but that limit is fairly generous.

Once the crew has had time to practice, they land the airship and dock, then allow people to begin boarding. The airship can fit almost a hundred people and their things, more if they were to be packed like sardines, but we aren't that desperate for time; even the other villages haven't fully evacuated.

My family is among the first to leave. Yafe and Yafel are excited to get back onto an airship, running up the gangplank to be the first onto it. The airship already has many supplies on it; not just for flight training but also materials to assemble a temporary shelter at our destination.

Once the airship is full we take off, flying to the outer mountainous ring a hundred kilometers away. The mountains tower high into the sky; more tall than wide, they pierce the sky, forcing clouds to part for them. I never knew how tall they were, but they are simply colossal. They even tower above the ley lines, the mana currents that bring the world's mana to the Nexus. We reach the evacuation rendezvous point, the sandy beach at the base of the mountains, in an hour and a half.

As to not intrude onto any other islands, the elders seem to have opted to settle the mountains instead. I wonder if there are any caves, but, considering the building materials, we'll be building shelters here, not sheltering in caves.

Splashing down near the beach and rowing to the sands, we start unloading the materials, everyone forming a conga-line to pass materials down the line. Once everything is taken off the airship, we get to work setting up the first shelters. With almost a hundred people, we should have at least one by the time the next group gets here, in three hours.

People unskilled in construction help by holding things in place while the skilled quickly hammer everything in place and direct where the next pieces need to go. Piles are driven into the ground to provide a foundation; again, we don't take the time to decorate our work. I watch the skills in action as the dedicated builders hammer in nails at a lightning pace. Each support is precisely placed, each plank nailed in, and within a few minutes, the wall is complete. [Inquisitive Perfection] grumbles at the work, but it's not exactly displeased, more just barely giving a passing grade. This isn't to say that the workers are bad; it's just that there are almost three hundred people that need a place to sleep other than wet sand, also; we need places to bathe, which is being set up by another crew.

How am I going to help in all of this? They are simply going too fast for me to keep up, I don't know all that much about construction, and I'll probably just slow everyone down if I try and get involved.

"Aly, why don't you make everyone towels and blankets. I am sure some people forgot those," Mom says, giving me a reassuring smile. I nod, returning her affection, and start mana weaving.

Only now do I see why we were the first to be evacuated. Most of us have skills that can help set things up: construction workers, smiths, mana weavers, and tailors. Our culture has given us the means to quickly overcome natural disasters; since most of us have some sort of craft that can be used to rebuild, most of us have some way to contribute to the efforts.

By the time the next shipment of people arrives, we have several buildings set up, more than I initially thought we could get done. These people help by unloading more supplies and starting to set up a few workshops. The first is a blacksmith's workshop, then a potter's workshop. Things are established to quickly set up a society, the beginning of infrastructure starting to show.

Baths are taken in turns as we only have one bathing spot for now. No bathing oil has been brought yet; it's nonessential, but it is the main export of our village and I doubt the Elders will let that go if they can help it.

The last members of our village arrive, and more supplies are unloaded. The airship crew takes a brief bath and rest before getting back on the airship once everything is unloaded. Not everyone has left the airship, though, and soon they go back. Probably to get as many supplies as we can, so in the case that our village is destroyed we can rebuild without losing too much of our livelihoods.

Warehouses are built to hold everything and, when night falls and the airship returns for the last time, we all celebrate a job well done. We hold a Lojyo on the beach, and a bonfire is lit, but before the events begin, Tusile and the other Elders call for everyone.

"Everyone, I am proud of you." Tusile says, "We have managed a great feat; in a single day, we have built all that we need. In a single day, we have gotten everyone to safety and retrieved most that we can afford. It is a shame we could not take everything, and I hope there is more time tomorrow but for now, enjoy what we have!"

The Lojyo starts, and music is played, and everyone dances to the rhythm; spirits are high after the three days of hard work; one could almost believe it's a field trip, just an outing for fun. The realities soon hit us when a world-spanning roar echoes across the Nexus.

The pets are rather greedy; they don't know how close they were to getting caught up in the coming fight.

Safyr feels the miasma being consumed. With the flow of mana cut off, it is a signal that the metaphorical egg should hatch. She knows not how strong this one will be, but cursed beings are never to be taken lightly, even with her title empowering her. Speaking of... she should use it to summon help. Safyr swims to the surface and climbs onto the surface of the water as if it were solid ground. The water isn't disturbed by the huge dragon rising out of it, not a single drop of water disturbed or a wave made.

Safyr breathes deep and then lets out a roar. A call to other dragons, not a cry of help but a proud "Join me, brothers and sisters, join in this glorious battle!"

Safyr then focuses on the powers granted by her title. Mana rushes into a point in front of her, being consumed to fuel the magic.

"Erandur, come, my child," Safyr mutters, and then a golden-red dragon appears, wreathed in blood-red flames of vitality.

"Mother, I heard your call. Where's the foe?" Erandur asks, looking around.

"You still have much to learn if you can't feel it," Safyr says, looking down at the ruins. "A cursed being is about to be born."

"It has to be strong if you are calling for help," Erandur says, mimicking his mother's majestic aura.

"I do not know, but given the circumstances, I'd say it's not going to be weak. Regardless, all you've been doing is hunting Elementals for the last three thousand years; you need the experience in fighting other things." Safyr says, her heart beating faster as the Miasma is almost gone. Any minute now the cursed being will be born.

"Speaking of Elementals, it seems that some are trying to invade this realm from another. Ice elementals and great winter spirits. They seek to conquer all the realms. I do not know how many there are, but I may need your help should they arrive in force." Erandur reports.

"I'll be there should you call, now get ready," Safyr says, warping reality around her, the very concept of motion and liquidity granting her improved speed and reaction.

The last of the Miasma is consumed and, appearing as if crawling out of space itself, is a shady being, like swirling shadows in a vaguely Runalymo shape. It isn't large, only a little taller than the pets. At first glance, it seems to be a mere wraith, but its shade-like features prove otherwise. The most damning evidence are the tears streaming down its face from the eyes of blackest void, and its sadistic grin. Cracks are running over the creature as if it was broken like glass, and a void lies beneath the skin, showing through the cracks. A feminine humming echoes with an unworldly presence; it's as if the humming comes from all directions, with no origin.

Chills immediately shock Safyr as she realizes what this cursed being is: a fragment of a fallen legacy.

"KILL IT! Kill it now!" Safyr shouts. But before she can do anything, she finds herself flying in the air, rushing past the clouds high above. Looking around, gore fills the sky, scales, blood, and bone. Her body regenerates near-instantly, as does Erandur's, his body growing from flames.

Far below, the earth shifts as massive amounts of mana are consumed. Under the moonlight, the ruined city rises, earth and water sloughing off as if the ruins suddenly reject them.

Safyr dives as fast as she can, reality bending to allow her to move faster, a shockwave rattling the air for only a single instant before she crashes into the cursed being, the ruins being blown away from the impact. The cursed being screams as it is torn asunder by her claws. Appearing in a burst of flames, Erandur bathes the cursed one in flames, the ruins instantly combusting and the waters around vaporizing from the heat alone. Even the fabric of reality seems to burn from the flames, but the cursed being has cast an impervious shield to protect it from the fire.

The mana vanishes once again, and Safyr finds herself smashing through a mountain and splashing into the ocean. Her body restores itself from the largest piece and she flies up, kilometers away from the Nexus, the mountain still crumbling from her being thrown through it. Then the sound catches up, an earsplitting roar and a shockwave crashing against the earthen barrier. Whatever the pets have built, they'll need to rebuild now.

Safyr flies back in seconds, wreathed in flame, with a vacuum behind her roaring as air fills back in her wake. The ruins are pristine now, any damage done either a thousand years ago or just a few seconds ago gone, as if it had never happened. Shades of those long past walk the streets, a re-enactment of the life that once was.

Safyr sweeps up the floating cursed being high into the sky. She has to stop it from absorbing the Miasma from the other ruins and becoming a true Fallen Legacy.

Safyr bites down onto the cursed being, empowering her jaws with magic to sunder the ethereal being. Suddenly Safyr finds herself elsewhere, this time crashing into an island and skidding next to a village. The pets are shock and running away; they have been trying to rescue those that are trapped in the rubble of what once was a village. Clearly, not just the central and inner islands needed to evacuate.

Safyr regenerates her body again, leaving a shredded wing behind, and charges back at the cursed being, only to start falling as the mana around her vanishes. Her wing regenerates yet again, and she continues her charge, leaving two more wings falling to the waters below.

I lay close to the ground, crawling closer to my sisters as I watch the battle with my perception, the unworldly and eerie humming not matching the current situation. The cursed being has no soul, no mana signature; it does not produce mana. But it shines brightly to me. A powerful being made of magic, visible only to me by my [Sense Magic].

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 680!

33rd Breakthrough: You have seen a magical being; this will help you study them.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 561-563!

I never thought to see a dragon matched, let alone two of them. This is what a cursed being is capable of? They use mana, so the less mana there is, the easier it might be to fight them... but here in the Nexus? There is just too much mana.

Everything that we've built today is nothing but rubble now, all blasted to pieces from the shockwaves alone. There really was no safe place, was there? No matter where we had gone, we would have been in danger from the cursed being; the humming is a testament to that. Well, there is a place safe for us, or that would have been safe, anyway; the dungeon. We just need to slay the Treant and build a bunker there, a place where we can go in case of cursed beings and elementals.

Another shockwave hits and pieces of rubble go flying. I am nearly picked up by it myself, but I can only watch as a broken log arches through the air and lands on someone, crushing the life from them in an instant. We have to get away from the mountain, now!

"Yafel! Yafe!" I shout to get their attention. I get up and run toward them, throwing myself to the ground as another shockwave hits. The Guardian rushes overhead, smashing through another mountain. Rocks and boulders the size of houses start raining down and rolling down the side of the mountain in a monumental landslide.

"Into the waters!" someone shouts. "Get into the water!"

I pick up the crying twins, each under one arm, and run as fast as I can. I fill my body with as much speed essence as I can and run faster and faster.

"Summon your armor!" I yell at the twins. The Heroic-tier armor that I made them will empower their abilities and should defend them from the rubble. Their armor appears just as mine does, little pebbles clinking off our defenses.

Mom and Dad catch up with me, each grabbing a twin, and we wade into the warm waters, ducking our heads into the waves as another shockwave hits. As we swim farther out, the landslide shakes the waters from its fast approach. We swim farther and farther, the beach ending to the sheer underwater cliff. Mom propels us with her water Bond to faster escape the rocks and boulders sliding down the mountain.

The first rocks splash into the water, soon followed by a large island's worth of earth. A huge wave carries us farther out to sea just as another shockwave shakes the world.

Chapter 96: Lost Minds

My head breaks the surface of the water, and I gasp for air. The tsunami has carried us far, but by the looks of it, most of us have survived; however, about a dozen people are trapped in the landslide and four of them are already dead.

We Runalymo can survive without air, but it will eat into our mana generation. The longer we go without basic needs, the more it'll take. Mages with high mana regeneration can probably survive for weeks or even months, but people with less mana generation will only be able to survive for a few days.

Regardless, no one will want to be stuck under all of that earth. Fortunately, three of them have earth bonds that they are using to dig themselves out. I swim back to them, using a water spell to propel myself. Mom yells something after me, but with my speed-enhanced body, I am already long gone. I use earth spells to help dig out the earth mages, then together we rescue the rest who are buried alive.

Just as the last is freed, a large wave sweeps us up and crashes us against the mountain. My head hits a large house-sized boulder, and the world turns black.

Safyr whips her tail, smashing into the cursed being and knocking it towards Erandur, who whips his flaming tail at it and then breathes his unmatched flames onto it. The world burns from the heat of his breath; the very air combusts and turns into plasma.

The mana vanishes around them and suddenly chunks of meat with red and blue scales are falling from the sky. Safyr regenerates again, her Ultimate Class keeping her alive and regenerating her body. Erandur reforms from his flames and the two dragons charge back, not letting up their attack.

Cracks run deeper throughout the cursed being, its form slowly repairing as it sucks in the mana around it. Safyr won't let it have a chance to heal. They will slay this greater cursed being and prevent it from obtaining its true form.

Safyr claws and bites the cursed being, but each time it summons barriers to block her attacks. Erandur's flames are endured with an impenetrable shell, and then it retaliates with its magic. Gore fills the sky once again as the two dragons ceaselessly regenerate and continue attacking as if nothing happened.

Shock waves rock the world from each blow and counterattack. Each magic conjured unleashes a blast powerful enough to annihilate cities, but also thins the mana in the air faster than the currents can bring in more.

Safyr flies under the cursed being and breathes a jet of water like a powerful beam. The cursed being, as expected, conjures a barrier, but is blasted high in the air, above the mana currents where the mana is thin. Erandur whips his tail at the cursed being, smacking it further up, only for Safyr to tackle it, flying higher and higher where the mana thins to a mere fraction of what it was below. But Safyr finds herself flying alone as the mana disappears.

Below her, the cursed being teleports back into the ley lines to continue eating mana to heal itself, only to be ambushed by Erandur with a full blast of his fire breath. The unworldly humming turns into a mind-shattering scream.

I wake up on the rocky beach with people over me. Someone is healing me with a spell, someone I rescued from the landslide. My perception remains where I left it, and I watch as each blow the dragons land upon the cursed being sends out a shockwave strong enough to topple towers.

Each punch and tailwhip is like a nuke, and the magic the cursed being conjures surpasses even that, powerful enough to devastate the entire Nexus with the shockwaves alone.

I sit up, scanning the area around me. Large waves are crashing onto the beach; we can't swim out without being caught up in the waves and washed back onshore. Above us, stray pieces of rock tumble off the mountain, threatening to unleash another landslide; all it will take is a powerful enough nudge from one of those shockwaves to bring another island's worth of earth into our heads.

"We need to get off this beach somehow," the healer says.

Out of nine people, not one is a water mage or even has a water Bond; I suppose that makes sense as all of them would have used their spells to get away. Fortunately, I can use water spells; I get up and jog over to the shoreline, casting a spell to split the waves and give us an opportunity to swim out to the rest of the villagers.

Just then, another powerful shockwave hits, knocking loose another huge piece of the mountain. The ten of us swim as fast as we can; I cast speed buffs onto everyone, using my minds to simultaneously cast it on half of us, and then I use a water spell to create a wave to carry us further out of danger.

The second landslide hits the water, splashing another huge wave, washing us even further out to sea. We manage to swim back to the rest of the villagers, and I swim to my family.

"Alysara! Don't you ever swim away like that! We were so worried about you!" Mom briefly hugs me while Dad is making sure the twins are unhurt. They are crying, but from the fear essence I see emanating from them, it's probably due to terror rather than injury.

"Sorry, I had to rescue the people who were trapped in that landslide," I say, watching the other dragon unleash his fire breath. The very air around him seems to break down; a flame so hot even matter itself seems to break down into mana. The only condition that I know of that can produce such temperature is at the beginning of the Big Bang, where it was so hot that even matter could not form. But it's further than that; it's almost like reality itself seems to burn from his flame.

Just then, the humming stops, and, for a split second that seems to drag for an eternity, a deafening, eerie silence rules the world. The next thing I know, all of my minds feel like they're being torn to shreds, like daggers being driven into my head, everything I am put into a wood chipper only to be burned to ashes. I can't even scream as the world ceases to exist.

Safyr awakens, half-submerged in the water, her mind having regenerated. She hopes her poor pets will have survived that; many will have suffered from it, but unfortunately there is nothing she can do to help them for now.

Safyr gets up, seeing the cursed being engaged with another dragon... not just one dragon, but two more. Erandur is still unconscious, and her mind is still clearing up. After shaking her head she charges back into the fray.

"Even with your Title, you are still having trouble with this one, Safyr?" Ithronon teases. "You've grown complacent and weak."

"Shut up, Ithronon, this is a greater cursed being inside a Nexus!" Safyr retorts.

Suddenly the air stops and everything slows, reality itself seeming to freeze as an unmatched coldness seeps into the very fabric.

"Use your flow Safyr; with it stopped, we can destroy it," Xerithro says, the ice dragon calm and collected.

Safyr focuses on her Bond, the fluidity and momentum, the concepts that govern the element of water. Time starts flowing normally again for the dragons, while the cursed being remains a frozen statue; suddenly she is falling again. She regenerates just in time to see Erandur rush past, engulfing the cursed being in reality-burning flames again.

The other two dragons regenerate and attack, bending the realm to their whims. Lightning flashes past, striking the cursed being and energizing the world in its wake. Colors brighten to blinding intensity, fires burn hotter, the freezing cold stills even time itself, and keeping everything moving is Safyr. She blitzes up at the frozen being, the roaring of sound as the air blazes around her. She draws her hand back and, with a final rending strike, cleaves the cursed being entirely in two. It doesn't have time to heal; Xerithro won't let it. Safyr returns the flow of time to only the cursed being's wounds and, with its regeneration still frozen, it finally perishes.

Ting! Your party has killed a Fallen Legacy Fragment; extra experience has been rewarded for being in an enemy-empowering environment.

Ting! The Guardian of the East Nexus, Safyr, the dragon, has slain a Fallen Legacy Fragment!

"Thank you," Safyr says, bowing to the other dragons as mana is consumed to turn the remains of the cursed being into magical materials.

"You can consider my favor paid," Xerithro says, returning the bow.

"And you owe me one," Ithronon says, bowing as well.

"I will call on you should I need it, Mother," Erandur says, also returning Safyr's bow.

Now, how are my pets doing? Did any of them survive?

Safyr is certain at least one of them will recover from that scream, but the others? Well, Safyr may have to find a soul mage to help.

I groan, the world seeming to spin as I realise I'm lying on grass and try to sit up. I turn on my [Sense Magic] only to find myself near Safyr, on Temple Island.

"What..." I stop myself, my heart plummeting as I see rows and rows of bodies, all laid out on their backs. Thousands, tens of thousands, everyone. Mom, Dad, my sisters, Esofy, Chyzu, Tana too. They aren't dead; thankfully, they still have vitality and souls, but... something's wrong. Their souls are missing a component: the mind.

I check my messages, looking to see what had happened.

Ting! Pain Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 60!

5th Breakthrough: You've had your soul damaged; this will help you tolerate pain of the soul.

6th Breakthrough: You've had a soul component destroyed; this will help you tolerate this pain.

Ting! Pain Tolerance has obtained levels 24-27!

Ting! Mental Fortitude has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 70!

6th Breakthrough: You've resisted mind destruction; this will help you resist total mind destruction again.

7th Breakthrough: You've fought against overwhelming power; this will help you resist attacks from beings beyond your imagination

Ting! Mental Fortitude has obtained levels 27-32!

Ting! You have gained the Soul Damage Reduction general skill!

Ting! You have too many general skills; would you like to remove one or keep what you have?

"You are awake; it seems a primordial soul will recover quickly enough," Safyr says, raising her head. "Before you ask, you were recovering for three weeks."

"W-What about everyone else?" I ask, my voice filled with worry.

"Unfortunately, their souls are not like yours; they can't regenerate. Unless I can find a skilled soul mage willing to heal them, which is unlikely, they will remain like that."

It's like the world is suddenly falling away from me. That can't be! Everyone's just braindead?! Just like that? There has to be a way to save them!

"Please! There has to be some other way! The dwarves! Perhaps there are soul mages among them!"

"... Little one, there are not many willing to save lesser races that aren't subjugated by them. I can intimidate them, sure... but they'll come looking for revenge, Peace will be disrupted, not just for me but for you little ones as well. Your people won't die as they are, not with me here to help sustain them. I also don't know how long it will take to find a skilled enough soul mage; me leaving here could put your people at risk."

"Then let me find the soul mage!" I plead.

"No. You are too young, too weak. Now's not the time." Safyr replies coldly. "All they lack is the mind; everything else is functioning. Calm yourself, little one; there is time."

I can't help but clench my fist in anger. Not quite at the Guardian, but just at the situation as a whole. That's when [Inquisitive Perfection] nudges on my mind, trying to tell me something. What is it? The mind is missing, destroyed; it can be healed, but that requires a soul mage who not only is willing but also capable. But... there is something else, isn't there?

"What..." I say slowly, trying to figure out what it is [Inquisitive Perfection] is trying to point me towards, "What about donating my mind component? Will that work? Will it be safe?"

Safyr is silent for a minute.

"Technically, yes, they will return to normal, but it will take years to restore everybody; you will only be able to heal one person every month, assuming that we can find a soul mage willing to transfer soul components. But that isn't the core of the problem; we'd need to find a soul mage regardless," Safyr says with a kind and soft tone, one that someone would use for someone in a lot of pain.

"My [Twin Minds] can split my mind component, and my cursed skill, [Astral Projection], can transfer it." I look up at Safyr, determination filling my heart and soul.

Chapter 97: Solitary Treatment

Safyr stares at the child, carefully studying her. She is set on saving her people, her family; she is just like Kayafe in that regard.

Safyr knows what her concerns will be. If it's her mind component being used to restore the others then will it just be her mind in another's body or not?

"That will work." Safyr says, "The mind component will not overwrite them; it is a mere vessel for the metaphysical consciousness. In other words, the 'you' will not be transferred unless your true consciousness is in that mind component" Relief fills the little one's face.

"There are still tens of thousands with their mind destroyed, and it will take years to fully heal everyone. It will take a lot of ectoplasm to form new mind components; fortunately, I know where to find crystallized forms of it, it will only take a few days to retrieve some." Safyr says.

The little one has proven herself worthy of respect, not just for accomplishing many things at her age but also for the willingness to go to great lengths to save her people, just as Kayafe had. This is a powerful feat worthy of a legendary point if the little one can do it without external help; however, that would also mean taking a lot longer as interference such as retrieving the crystalized ectoplasm will be considered 'help'.

She will be corrupting many evolutionary paths with this achievement, too. Despite knowing this, she does not hesitate to make this sacrifice.

"I will go now; the sooner I retrieve the ectoplasm, the sooner everyone will be able to wake up," Safyr says and extends her wing, flapping them and raising to a high where her speed won't injure anyone. It will disqualify the legendary point, but knowing the little one, she wouldn't care.

I watch as the dragon seems to warp reality, it's as if motion itself bends to her whims, and in a split second, she's gone, only the deafening roar and air rushing in to fill a void.

I walk over to the place where everyone is, an open field with the Temple in the distance. I sit down next to Yafel. It's almost like they are just sleeping; it feels like I can shake them awake.

"It's time to wake up, Yafel," I say.

With [Twin Minds], I focus on splitting my mind component. Both had been destroyed before, and only one had regenerated. I watch as a large amount of ectoplasm condenses into my mind component, causing it to grow in size and then split in half. I wince at the sharp pain, but it only lasted for a half-second. I'm going to get very familiar with that, but that's not the worst part; I have to get past the soul barrier. Whelp, if there's any time to train my [Pain Tolerance], it's now; I'm just glad I haven't gotten rid of it yet; I was very close to doing so.

I focus on my soul and start meditating. I'll need every level I can get to make sure this works, so I try to enter a state of focus for [Astral Projection] and [Pain Tolerance]. I enter my soul space with my spare mind, my primary mind watching through [Sense Soul] to guide the movement of the mind component. I open a door in my soul barrier, tether my spare mind component, and leave my soul. From my primary mind's perspective, I watch my soul component drift away from my soul, a tiny string of ectoplasm attaching me to it.

I pilot the mind component slowly over to Yafel. I drift far away from my own soul, so much so that it isn't even insight from the perspective of my second mind, yet my mind component hasn't really gone that far when I see it from my primary mind.

How would anyone be able to use [Astral Projection] without other minds? It'd be so easy to get lost and be so close to your own soul. Perhaps they send out 'feelers'? Strings of ectoplasm sent out in random directions that 'grab' onto other souls? That is definitely a way to do it. Let's see; the mind component is not able to use any skills, which means that there is no magical framework on it. This is good as it means that transplanting it will have no adverse side effects but does make it hard to use sensing skills to navigate. I can form a magical link, I think? It should make skills useable through the link.

I'll have plenty of opportunities to train, but for now, I just want my family back. My soul component drifts painfully slow but, eventually, I see a soul barrier, Yafels soul barrier. Now, how do I get inside? Surgery involves cutting open the skin to get into the body, and it seems like soul surgery is the same. I draw in more ectoplasm from my tether and form a drill, only as large as it needs to be for my soul component to barely fit in.

I approach the soul barrier and start drilling in. Pain immediately assaults me, pain that I've only felt once before, like my whole body has a million insects stinging me both inside and out while being put into a blender and poured into a pool of acid all at the same time. I double over, clenching my teeth and fists, but I don't let up. The pain increases as I get farther into the soul barrier, and I can't stop myself from crying out as waves of pain wash over me again and again. Tears stream from my eyes, and my nails dig into my palm, drawing blood; so much pain. It feels like an eternity, of nothing but pain. I scream and scream until my throat gets sore, yet the pain never ceases, it only grows worse and worse. I curl up, trying anything to make the pain less to go away yet despite my prayers the pain never stops, just an eternity of suffering. I don't know how long it took, but I finally get past the soul barrier and finally, the pain subsides.

I lay on the ground in the fetal position, sobbing. It had been much worse than just accidentally hurting myself last time. It's not a pain I am looking forward to repeating again, and I even have a reduction in how much I can feel. I don't know how long I spent just crying, but I no longer feel the sun's light.

Eventually, I regain my composure and inject the soul component into Yafel's soul, sealing up the hole in her soul barrier with ectoplasm, and then I cut the ectoplasmic tether.

I wait, holding Yafel's hand, hoping that it worked; I don't want all of that pain to be for nothing. The soul component is in her soul and seems to be adjusting. Ectoplasm is flowing in and out of the mind component doing... something. I wait and wait, and finally, Yafel stirs and opens her eyes. Relief fills me as tears threaten to spill again. I embrace Yafel in a hug, feeling her warmth; I pet her head and purr for comfort.

"Wha?" Yafel says, confused.

It worked! I can bring everyone back!

I sniff. All that pain hadn't been wasted.

"Shhh, everything will be fine," I say, still stroking Yafel's hair. I start casting a sleep spell on her; I don't want her to hear my screaming. Once Yafel is deep in sleep, I lay her back down and move over to Yafe and repeat the soul surgery after splitting my mind component again.

The pain is still unbearable and still breaks my persistent states; it still makes me curl up and clench my hands to hard I bleed; it still feels like an eternity of suffering. However, I am not just feeling it less due to [Pain Tolerance] leveling up, but I am also able to just ignore the pain better, just by a tiny amount. I can still feel the pain, but it doesn't seem to scream at me as much. I'm not sure which skill is doing that, but I'll find out when I check my notifications.

After drilling a hole in Yafe's soul barrier, I again just lay on the ground, sobbing. The pain is still too much; a part of me... a large part of me, just wants to give up. Why should I suffer like this? Why me? I don't want to feel any more pain. I don't want to do this anymore. Even with my rising ability to tolerate the pain, I still can't do it; it's just too much... Why does it have to be me?

I transfer the component into Yafe's soul and hugs the twins together for comfort, tears still staining my cheeks. I keep Yafe asleep and just stay cuddled with them for a long time. I don't know how long, but the sun had started rising, and the Guardian entered my vision, carrying a large crystal made out of pure ectoplasm.

The dragon lands nearby and walks toward me, placing the crystal close.

"Good work." The Guardian compliments, after examining the souls. "I am aware of the pain involved, but that just makes your feat that much greater."

"Does it matter how great my feat is?" I reply, hollow and with a raspy voice from screaming so much "It's tied to a cursed skill; it'll be corrupted."

"And yet you still do it; I respect you for your sacrifice," The dragon says proudly.

"Was it just as painful for Kayafe?" I ask after a long minute of silence.

"... Not in the same way." The Guardian says.

I get up and walk over to Mom, entering several states of focus with the minds given by my Diadem of the Lonely Princess.

I kneel down next to her and start the soul surgery. I curl up in pain once again, the process more tolerable yet still unbearable. I spend the next few hours snuggled against Mom and purring to soothe myself and rest from the ordeal. I cry myself dry of tears by the time I work on Dad, keeping Mom asleep; she shouldn't see her child in such pain, she would probably stop me anyway... and I would probably let her, but if I stop now I will never be able to start again. I have to make sure my family doesn't know how it's really like.

I recover from Dad's treatment faster, falling into a deep sleep. I awake with a fresh mind, and then I start treating others. My grandparents, Tana, my Aunt, Nyam, Esofy, Chyzu, the Elders, after each treatment, I return to my family and snuggle with them, their warmth helping me recover. I keep everyone asleep; I don't want nor do I need anyone to stop me. Eventually, I had to stop; my ectoplasm is very thin, most being consumed to form soul components for mind transplants.

I walk over to the ectoplasm crystal, touching it.

"Break off a piece and eat it; your soul will do the rest." The Guardian says. She is the only one watching me, the only one to witness my work.

I nod and form a small pick out of mana. I break off a piece and chew it, crunching it into dust. I choke a little as it feels like eating sand. The Guardian summons a ball of water, and I drink from it, washing the ectoplasmic dust down. I watch with Sense soul as the crystalized ectoplasm is slowly absorbed into my soul. Realizing that it's not enough, I break off another piece and wash that one down and then get back to work.

I treat person after person, day after day, week after week. Eventually, the pain of treatment became tolerable; with all of the levels I gain. The whole process becomes faster, the amount of time I need to recover becomes shorter. I don't know how many people I've treated so far, hundreds? Thousands? I don't even remember keeping others asleep; I don't remember renewing the spells on my family. Is Safyr helping me? Is she keeping everyone asleep? I don't know. I just keep treating people, week after week, month after month.

Storms blow in, world notifications of some great feat or death of a legendary monster appear once or twice; I ignore those. I just keep treating my people; I continue splitting my mind component, drilling holes into people's soul barrier, and transplanting their missing soul component.

After all of this time, after months, I just want to talk to my family again; I want everything to go back to normal. I want to desperately play with the twins again. To eat Mom's cooking again, to train with Tana, and go to Esofy's and Chyzu's Combat Academy. I want to take baths with others, go to the Lojyo with everyone. After all of this time, I just want someone to talk to; however, I am afraid. What will they say when they find out I've been keeping them asleep? Will they stop me from treating everyone? Will people try to have me prioritize others? Or not treat someone at all?

I can't afford any distractions. If people wake up now, the treatment of everyone else will be slowed. Problems will arise, more disasters will come, more things to worry about. I don't want those; I can't afford to. It's best that everyone waits until I'm done; that way, no one has to wait for their family to wake up.

I just wish I can stop crying myself to sleep. I'm so alone, being the only one walking among the endless rows of sleeping people. I'm alone, being the only one awake. I'm alone, suffering the pain that the treatment causes me.

I work, wholly lost to time, day in, day out; eventually, the pain just becomes a numbness. I am all too familiar with it; I know exactly why it hurts and how it hurts. I work with a clear mind, with a calm mind. I continue treating my people, not paying attention to who they are. The Guardian and I are mostly silent; sometimes, she flies off to gather more crystalized Ectoplasm. It isn't until I finally treated the last person that she congratulates me on my work.

"Thank you, Alysara, Blessed by the Great Spirits, Heirloom Progenitor, and Savior of the Runalymo. You have done something which I cannot; I promised to Kayafe to protect her people, the Runalymo, yet this was not something I could have done myself. You have sacrificed much and expected nothing in return. You have my deepest respect," The Guardian, in my surprise, bows to me.

Mana starts condensing into my Diadem, a rush of hundreds of thousands of mana, then millions. So much that even Safyr's eyes seem interested.

Diadem of the Lonely Princess's Benevolence

(Heroic)

This Diadem has been crafted to such perfection as to be a magnum opus by a master mana manipulator and one who has twin minds. In order to save her people this Diadem's creator replaced the missing mind component of her entire civilization, even at the cost of her pain and solitude.

When worn grants three additional minds and mind components to its wearer. Grants the ability to make three semi-real clones made of the wearer's unique mana that can be controlled by one of the minds. Can temporarily pass a mind and mind component to someone else that lasts for a day before dissolving.

Chapter 98: Guardian's Wisdom

"I must say that you exceeded my expectations," The Guardian says, raising her head. "You have treated over thirty thousand in just under two years. I thought it would have taken you longer," The Guardian pauses for a moment. "This feat would have been a legendary feat had you been able to do everything yourself, but that would have meant taking much, much, longer, at least five years, and likely longer."

"You put everyone in stasis, didn't you?" I ask, "They never seemed to change; it's as if time slowed for them," I clarify.

The Dragon nods.

"You wished for them to not see your suffering; I merely granted it. Besides, taking this on yourself as much as you can makes the achievement that much greater."

"It's going to be corrupted, so what's the point in how great it is?" I say pessimistically.

"The achievement itself won't be, only potential evolutions," The Guardian corrects me with a gentle and understanding tone. "How the achievement is applied is what matters more. You saved your people from extinction, Alysara. Without their minds, they cannot bring themselves to take care of themselves; they would have all died eventually without help. I, of course, would have sought help from a soul mage, but there are potential problems with that. You will have options; even if it's not what you are seeking, power growth is possible."

I sit down on the grass, thinking.

"You are highly specialized in your Bond. How is it that you can put people into stasis? Just what are Bonds?" I ask.

"You will understand more when you reach level five hundred in your Bond. The Bond is your affinity, your connection, your Bond to your element or essence; the more you grow it, the more in tune you are with it, the more it answers to you. You have to do more than just kill monsters, Alysara; you need to understand it, connect with it." The Guardian says.

"It's not the killing of monsters that grows your Bond," I say, sorting what the Guardian just said. "It's the trust you put into to when fighting against powerful adversaries that increase your connection to it. It's why doing new things, forming new skills, and studying it also increases your level; you understand it more, you become more used to it and more in tune to its nature."

"Yes. I suggest you rest now; the others will wake at dawn," The Guardian says, walking back to her nest.

I haven't checked my notifications since I started healing everyone; I should do that first.

Ting! Pain Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 90!

7th breakthrough: You've felt overwhelming pain; this will help you tolerate such extreme amounts of suffering.

8th Breakthrough: You've entered a state of focus; this will increase all your breakthrough's effectiveness.

9th Breakthrough: You've managed to ignore pain; this will help you ignore your suffering.

Ting! Pain Tolerance has obtained levels 28-66!

Unsurprisingly I've capped several breakthroughs, not just the new ones. Still, no wonder it became more bearable, having the pain reduced by sixty-six percent in addition to being able to just ignore sixty percent of what I do feel really helped me; I don't think I'd have been able to do it otherwise.

Ting! Mental Fortitude has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 100!

8th Breakthrough: You powered through incredible pain; this will help you ignore your suffering.

9th Breakthrough: You've entered a state of focus; this will increase all your breakthrough's effectiveness.

10th Breakthrough: You've begun to recover from mental trauma; this will help you recover faster.

Ting! Mental Fortitude has obtained levels 32-67!

Interestingly this has a shared breakthrough to ignore pain, but I guess it makes sense since this skill helps me become tougher mentally. I wonder how this stacks with [Pain Tolerance]? Does it add? Or does it affect only what's left after pain tolerance? Maybe it takes precedence and calculates things before [Pain Tolerance]? No surprise that it saw just as many levels. Still, am I getting one hundred thirty-three percent to ignore pain, or just eighty-nine percent rounded up?

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained levels 73-75!

I already had the breakthrough for pain; I just capped it now, so I didn't get many levels from it.

Ting! Astral Projection has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 60!

2nd Breakthrough: You've entered a state of focus; this will increase all your breakthrough's effectiveness.

3rd Breakthrough: You've attacked a soul barrier; this will help you get past soul defenses faster and easier.

4th Breakthrough: You've successfully transplanted soul components; this will help you heal others with damaged souls or take their components for yourself.

5th Breakthrough: You've sent out feelers; this will help you to find your way to other's souls.

6th Breakthrough: You've linked your soul component to your soul; this will help you use your skills while traversing with your mind.

Ting! Astral Projection has obtained levels 16-70!

I didn't experiment with taking control of bodies and other things, such as destroying the soul from the inside but considering as this skill was the star of the show, it naturally sees the greatest growth, and it's capped on levels.

Ting! Persistent State has obtained levels 79-80!

I finally capped this one, too; I'll have to try and find some way to get more breakthroughs in it.

Ting! Twin Minds has obtained levels 85-88!

None of this would have been possible without this skill; that said, I haven't actually done much except use it to split my mind component.

Ting! Sense Soul has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 120!

12th Breakthrough: You've seen souls in a damaged state; this will help you diagnose what is wrong.

Ting! Sense Soul has obtained levels 106-110!

There is only so much I can learn from one type of wound; in order to train this breakthrough, I need to study more about how souls are damaged.

I go back to my family and curl up with them, sleep instantly taking over all of my minds.

Feyan opens her eyes, the rising sun peaking above the mountains in the distance. Curled up next to her is Aly, her long, beautiful tails covering herself like a fluffy blanket. She looks a little older now, more developed as she is growing into an adult. Feyan couldn't have been asleep that long could she? There's no way... but they are on Temple Island somehow; everyone is. Many others are stirring, waking up from the light of dawn.

"Feyan? What's going on?" Her love, Kanato, sits up.

Sitting up herself, Feyan looks around and sees the Guardian patiently and proudly sitting in front of them. Like an all-powerful ruler, a royal presence seems to exude from the great being. Once she has deemed enough people awake, she addresses them.

"Cursed beings are not to be taken lightly. Your homes are in ruins, your livelihoods destroyed, and your souls stripped of what houses your minds. It has been two years since and would have likely taken a lot longer if not for the efforts of Alysara" The Guardian looks toward the curled up child, sleeping peacefully next to Feyan; all eyes drift toward her too.

"She alone recovered from the mind-destroying attack wrought by the Cursed Being, and with her cursed skill and skill to form new mind components for your souls, she gave back what was taken from you at a sacrifice and suffering to herself." The Guardian pauses and sweeps her head to look at everyone, making sure she has their attention, not that anyone wouldn't listen to their great protector. Then she looks off in the distance.

Feyan looks to see a massive city. Many huge stone structures, pristine and standing tall from behind the horizon. A huge cathedral stands in the middle of the city.

"The ruins that Cursed Being came from has been risen from the depths and restored to its former glory. With the death of the being, it has been cleansed and is safe for use now. You may use it for shelter until you return to your islands and rebuild your villages. Now, you best make your way over; you'll find the waters still and solid enough to support your weight. I would like to talk to your elders in more detail." The Guardian says before looking at Feyan and her family. "You should stay too"

Feyan nods and bows. It is unusual; the air around the Dragon doesn't seem to be choked full of mana. It is still higher than normal but not oppressively so. Once everyone except Feyan and her family and the elders has left, the Guardian spoke again.

"There are other ruins beneath the sea; they aren't purified and will result in the creation of another cursed being. It's best that you lie to your people and say that the city is the only one left and that the others had been completely obliterated so that none will be foolish enough to awaken cursed beings in search of riches." The Guardian looks at all the Elders, her aura growing oppressive, the mana around stifling. It only lasted for a minute, but the message is clear, the Guardian won't tolerate people poking around in the buried ruins.

"Furthermore, as a mere suggestion from a being who has lived for tens of thousands of years, do not use the city as a seat of power. It should be a neutral place, shared by all Runalymo. It is all too common for tyrants to rise in an environment of high population density. Oppression is the rule, not the exception. Your peace will be threatened if you do not take actions now to prevent Tyrants." Safyr pauses to let her words sink in.

"Power, political power," Safyr corrects herself. "Needs to be spread as thin as possible. What you have currently works well enough but keep in mind that it is still fragile; the recent situation of the Mad Priestess should be enough of a lesson."

The Elders bow and thank the Guardian for her wisdom.

"Use the city as a place to connect with other villages, use it to trade, use it to hold meeting amongst yourselves, but do not stay for too long lest you be lured by what it brings and sacrifice what makes your civilization peaceful. Now go to the city and start rebuilding what you've lost."

Dismissed, the elders walk away, but Feyan stays as the Guardian turns toward her, waiting for the village leaders to be out of earshot.

"Alysara has been through a lot and needs care, even if she'll deny it. Her body may be healthy, but her mind has suffered a lot."

"I appreciate your concern. We will take good care of her" Feyan bows.

Problems after problems. Now is the perfect time for Gutaly's faction to gain strength and followers while we are weak. Tusile ponders. The Elders have found city hall and are holding a meeting to discuss how to properly rebuild. Mara was the one to bring up the issue of the priestess faction.

"What are we going to do with the Priestess faction?" The hot-headed former Kheshamo says, focusing on their internal enemies.

What indeed. With Papuyo gone, the last of the priestesses are too, as well their teachings, what little she knew anyway. What stands in the priesthood now, usurping Myrous faith, are frauds. Tusile feels a sudden epiphany come to her like a falling star smacking her in the face. She stands up and starts detailing her plan, looking toward the other Elders, who, like Tusile, are former priestesses.

With a unanimous vote, the Elders agreed to Tusile's plan, and they call for Gutaly and Thyka and set their plans into motion.

" Thank you for inviting us here, we see the error of our ways," The more politically minded Gutaly speaks first, a cunning smile plastered on her face. "You are right that Temple Island should be a place of neutrality; however, those who follow our faith do not agree to your rules and thus seek a place of our own. There are no other islands that we can settle, so we shall claim a fifth of this city as our home."

"I am glad you see reason," Tusile stands with a cold smile. "However, surely you would have counted yourselves amongst the Elders that the Guardian held for further information, right? You sought to lead your own village, after all, so surely you must have known that the Guardian's desires are for no one to permanently settle this grand city, right?"

Gutaly's smile disappears quickly. She hadn't been there after all, likely in an attempt to claim the city first.

"So," Tusile continues with a widening smile; now that Gutaly is being shaken up, she presses her attack. "Why do you disregard the wisdom of our protector? The one who slew the cursed being that was awoken by the Mad Priestess, who, might I remind you, you followed." Not giving Gutaly a chance to speak, Tusile continues. "You are just as guilty in awakening the cursed being seeing as you didn't remove the Mad priested when she first delved into this city. But we forgive you; you didn't know this would happen, after all," Tusile looks around at each of the Elders, the more politically minded Elders nod.

"Thank you for your forgiveness," Gutaly says and gives a polite bow.

"However, there is one concern that many of us have," Tusile says, seizing the brief silence Gutaly gave much to her annoyance. "Sosela, Bryn, Chishi, Ladu, and Wawena" Tusile lists several names and looks at specific Elders who stand up. "As former Priestesses, do you think that Gutaly and Thyka have undergone the proper training of a priestess?"

"No," Sosela says.

"Their behavior has much to be desired," Chishi crosses her arms and says, frowning.

"They have not gone through the Ysynaly ritual; they have not established a connection to Myrou, and thus cannot declare themselves as true priestesses" Wawena shakes her head.

The other Elders share the same sentiment. Gutaly clenches her fist in frustration and anger while Thyka looks defeated.

"Elders of the Nexus, there is no living priestess beyond us former, yet fully trained priestesses. I would humbly request that we take temporary leave to rejoin the priesthood so that new priestesses may be trained." Tusile turns toward Gutaly and Thyka with a triumphant smile" Of course, you are fully welcome to receive training, Gutaly, you do have a strong desire to serve Myrou after all that we can recognize."

Chapter 99: The City

I wake up in an unfamiliar place, a city with pristine and well-decorated stonework. Rows of houses line roads arranged in a grid, with sewers running beneath. There are tens of thousands of magical items: furniture and jewels, tools and books, clothes and artwork. Paintings, vases, pots and pans, everything that has survived the weathering and destruction has an age-based magical tier that helps them resist time. Why did the cursed being use its magic to restore the city rather than to bring further destruction? I don't know, perhaps the Guardian might, but it doesn't really matter.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained level 567!

Relief fills me as I see the city bustling with new life. Everyone is healed, and my efforts have finally paid off! I can't stop the tears from squeezing out of my closed eyes as emotion overwhelms me.

I was never so taken by my emotions in my past life, but I know puberty is partly to blame. I sniff, trying unsuccessfully to calm myself for several minutes before [Clear Mind] finally flushes out the intense feelings from my mind. It's weird, as I can still feel the emotion as intensely as before, but it now feels... muted... disjointed? It's like a barrier between my body and my mind. I am still crying, but my mind is clear.

Ting! Clear Mind has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 100!

10th Breakthrough: You've maintained a clear mind even through overwhelming emotions; this will help you think clearly through emotional situations.

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained levels 76-77!

Mom walks in, noticing that I have awoken. Dad is off exploring the city with the twins, they're looking at forges right now.

"Aly..." Mom says, sitting down on the bed and gently hugging me, purring. I tightly hug Mom back, purring in response.

I don't say anything; I can't bring myself to, I just want to feel Mom's warmth.

"Do you want to explore the city?" Mom asks, after a long time.

I don't need to. With my perception, I can already see the entirety of it. I know every street, every house and every shop and, with my improved memory, I can map this place out to even the tiniest detail.

"Mhm." Despite my vision, I agree to walk with Mom; she likely hasn't seen it all, and right now, I just want to spend time with my family.

The city is full of people, only able to house slightly more than the current total population of the Runalymo, so it appears to be a fully bustling city even though most people are just exploring, talking with their fellow villagers, or grieving for loved ones who died during the cursed being's attack.

I don't know how the elders have things set up, but to my perception it seems that each village has its own small section of the city for now. It's not a claim of territory but more of a way to maintain normalcy. Each village has its own style of rules and customs, so districts are set up to prevent unnecessary conflicts. There are currently no borders between the districts and people seem to still be adjusting to it, so it's probably rather easy to wander into another village's district without knowing it.

One good thing about everybody living in the city temporarily is that it's easy to visit others now. I quietly follow Mom as we look at a place that was obviously a market once. Shopfronts are abundant here, and most still have a few surviving wares inside, although I doubt it will stay that way. I expected everything to be looted by now, so the fact that it's mostly not probably means that the elders told everyone to not go crazy and take everything before others had a chance or something.

Considering that there are a few people trying to be sneaky and remove things from some of the buildings, it is likely that the elders have claimed all of the magical items for the village as a whole. Knowing Tusile, she'd claim everything and sell it to the villagers to raise funds for the village; considering that we'll need to rebuild, this is likely the case for our village at least.

Many people come up to me and thank me for healing them as we walk through the city, so we often have to stop and wait for the crowds to disperse. The Guardian had told everybody that I healed them, even though I'd rather they not know; I hate dealing with things like this. Eventually, the last crowd moves on, and we are finally left alone.

"It seems that they like fountains, doesn't it Aly?" Mom says, examining the seventh fountain we have passed. I simply nod, staying close to her as she traces the fountain's decorations with a finger. The fountains all have featureless statues with Myrou projected onto them, just like the ones we have in our baths.

Speaking of baths, this city has many bathhouses... bath temples? It's more like a mix of the two, likely influenced by Myrou's beauty domain. I wonder if they bathed three times a day back then too?

We continue to walk throughout the city, admiring the works of the past, until we meet up with Dad and the twins, who, upon seeing me, rush over and give me a hug.

"You're finally awake, sleepy head!" "You sleep too much!" the twins say with a purr.

I smile and pat them on the head, purring alongside them.

Now all together, we head to one of the temple baths. Pyramid in design they are like miniature versions of the Temple on Temple Island. Walking in, there are a lot of open baths, although judging by the amount of fire mana in them, they aren't quite up to the heat we Runalymo like.

Dad simply uses her bond to heat up one of the baths to the right temperature before we strip and get in. The twins jump in and splash around, causing enough of a ruckus that Mom chastises them.

"You're growing up nicely," Mom says after a few minutes of soaking, motioning to my chest. "In a year or two, I'll have to teach you how to take care of yourself."

I feel my face redden and allow myself to slip further into the waters. Mom giggles and pats my head with an affectionate smile.

"It's always a little awkward at first, but you get used to it."

After the bath, I spend the rest of the day with my family.

"I'm worried," Feyan says, cuddling with Kanato in bed. "It's been a week, and Aly has barely spoken at all."

"She just needs time," Kanato replies. "She spent two years with no one to talk to, and besides, you know how shy she is."

"I know, it's just... I don't know; she seems so distant, even more now than before." Feyan says.

"I don't know what exactly she went through, but it must have been tough; just give her time." Kanato falls silent for a long time, long enough that Feyan is convinced she has fallen asleep until she suddenly speaks again." Perhaps we should help her go back to how she was before, help her return to normalcy."

It is a good idea, except that Aly had a habit of ignoring some of the important things in life. Now Aly is spending more time with her family, but Feyan is unsure if the apparent cost is worth it, or whether she just wants her oldest child to return to being the person she knows. Aly healed everyone, yet there was nothing anyone could do for her. Why is the world so cruel sometimes? With this thought lingering in her mind, Feyan falls asleep.

In the morning, the elders have called a meeting.

"We'll be taking a trip to the island to clean up and get it prepared for the rebuilding to start tomorrow. For today, we need volunteers to help dig up everything we lost at the original evacuation site. There are still plenty of materials that we can use there, but it's currently buried under the landslide," Tusile says.

Many people volunteer, Kanato included, but Feyan refrains; her main priority now is Alysara.

"Aly, why don't we find an instrument for you to play? You can train [Musician] while at it, or perhaps you want to learn how to cook?" Feyan suggests.

Alysara smiles and, after a few seconds, forms a beautifully decorated flute out of mana. The flute makes Feyan's [Perfectionist's Eye] proud, the way the different types of beauty mana make up the decorations in such fine detail showing her daughter's mastery of shaping mana.

Feyan can't help but feel her chest swell with pride that her child can already make such crafts at her age. Alysara blows into the flute, playing a soothing tune that reminds her of the bamboo leaves rustling in the wind. She smiles and pats Aly on the head, wishing silently that things had gone differently. Aly has grown a lot in two years; she missed so much time with her child.

Kanato pulls another piece of rubble out of the dirt. Everything they have built here is destroyed and buried; fortunately, some of the less fragile things survived. They have dug out the airship already, but it's in a bad shape; it's bent and dented in several places, the floors are mostly broken and the sails are ripped to shreds. Tusile, wisely, anticipated the sails being destroyed and brought a mana weaver to fix them.

"How's Alysara doing?" Esofy asks, jumping into the hole to help Kanato pull out a particularly large piece of wall that has a few salvageable pieces.

"It's hard to say. The Guardian said that she went through a tough time, but didn't elaborate. She was obviously lonely during the last two years, but there's definitely more to it than just that." Kanato shakes her head.

They share a quiet moment while the earth mages and Bond users will the earth away, revealing an undamaged crate of supplies.

"It's just so... frustrating!" Kanto says, kicking a rock. "How can I help her if she doesn't talk with us? How can I help her if I don't know what's troubling her?!"

"Alysara puts way too much responsibility onto herself..." Esofy says sadly. "She tries to take everything onto her own shoulders and doesn't want anyone else to bear the burdens. She may have taken too much this time, and just can't handle it anymore."

Esofy puts a hand on Kanato's shoulder. "Pry some of that burden off of her, even if she resists it." Esofy gives Kanato a smile before hoisting the crate out of the pit.

Kanato grabs another crate with only minor damage and follows Esofy.

Just how great of a burden has Alysara been carrying? Or is it a lot of little things, and this was just the final rock?

Setting down the crate in the airship, Esofy turns toward her.

"Alysara healed all of us, and now it's our turn to heal her; everybody in our village."

"That is a great idea," Tusile says, walking up to them. "You know Alysara best, Kanato. How do you think we can help her?"

Kanato sets down the crate and sits on it with a sigh.

"I don't know... I don't even know how she is hurt..." Kanato buries her face in her hands. "I... I feel like a failure of a parent."

Tusile sits down next to Kanato. "Alysara keeps her troubles to herself while trying to take the weight of everything. If you don't know what's troubling her, then try to get her to speak, make her open up."

"How?" Kanato sighs again.

"Just do what feels natural to you." Tusile says, "Everyone is different, and Alysara is even more unique than most. If anyone can get her to open up, it's her family."

Chapter 100: Back to Training

I wake up early in the morning with Mom and Dad coming into my room. We are still in the city, in one of the residential houses with an open-air forge workshop attached to it in a manner akin to a garage from my old life.

"Aly..." Mom begins softly. The tone of her voice tells me this is something important.

"We know that you went through a hard time for the last two years. It's impossible for us to understand what it was like; for us, it felt like just a night of sleep." Dad says, sitting down on my bed next to me. Mom joins me as well, gently holding my hand and purring while Dad speaks.

"Please... tell us what's troubling you," Mom says.

"Nothing's wrong," I reply. It's been a long two years, and I am grateful that there were no problems.

"Aly," Dad says, a bit more firmly now. "You've barely talked, and you haven't trained at all."

I roll over and open my mouth to say something, but I immediately stop myself. I was about to say, 'You wouldn't understand,' but even thinking that is making me cringe… they already admitted that they can't possibly understand. When did teenage angst set in? I may be thirteen years old, but I am better than that. Of course they are worried; to them, it's like I just changed all of a sudden.

"I..." My voice catches in my throat. How do I explain everything? "I don't know where to start," I finally say.

"Why don't you start right after you recovered," Mom suggests.

I hesitate at first, not trusting myself to say the right words, but after I get past the first few words, the rest come out like an avalanche. Along with them, the pain and solitude return to the forefront of my mind, just as clear as while I was experiencing them, my improved memory working against me.

I can't stop myself from crying as I explain my worries, my fears, the pain and worst of all, having to deal with all of that with no one to lean on; if I had let anyone wake up, I would have quit and left thousands in a vegetative state.

Mom and Dad hold me close, stroking my head and purring to comfort me. It feels like a weight has lifted off my chest when I'm finished, like suddenly climbing to the top of a hill or breaking out of a thick jungle and seeing the clear path ahead.

"It must have been hard," Dad says gently, "but that is over now; everything will go back to normal once we fix up the village. We brought the airship back, so in just a few months, we'll have our home again. For now, why don't you play with Tana and the twins while we work?"

I nod, but stay with my parents until I've properly calmed down, and then walk with them to the edge of the city where the excavated airship is at, to see them off. It certainly needs repairs to be 'complete' again; that's something that I can do given a day's effort, but it pains me to look at my hard work in such a state.

The impromptu docks have several boats in place already, but more are likely out and several are still being built as each village tries to rebuild. I watch everyone board the airship but am caught by surprise when, Mom and Dad wave to me, I can't help but feel an irrational fear of being abandoned. I know it's silly, but... I spent so long without them and now they are leaving in front of me. I take a deep breath to calm myself, hearing the notification of [Calm Mind] leveling up. They will come back, they are just cleaning up and will be back by nightfall. I keep telling myself this as the airship lifts off and heads toward our village.

I find Tana in my perception and walk to where he is, fighting against the feeling that I'm the only person in the world even as I walk past people. He is currently training with his swords in a building that I presume is the one Esofy claimed as her temporary home. Approaching his door, doubt fills me, a strong feeling of reluctance like I've already been rejected. I raise my hand to knock on the door but I can't actually bring myself to notify him of my presence. What if he doesn't recognize me? What if I've grown too old for him? I push the doubts down, knock on the door and wait. Tana stops training and walks to the door, surprise on his face as he sees me.

"A-Alysara." Tana stammers as nervousness visibly claims him. "I-I didn't expect you."

It's kind of cute how he is trying to avoid eye contact, and the sudden rise in love essence shows me that his feelings haven't changed. He looks a little older, but doesn't seem to have aged as much as I have.

Relief fills me as I realize that he still sees me the same as before, that knowledge lessening the almost overpowering loneliness somewhat.

"Can you help me look after Yafe and Yafel?" I ask, fidgeting.

"S-sure..." Tana blushes and looks down.

Alysara turns around and leads, walking off. Tanafyam can't help but admire how she has grown. Supposedly two years have passed, but it doesn't feel like it. Alysara's tails swing with her gait as she walks and moves, almost like a beautiful dance. Her tails are so long, so fluffy, so beautiful, with an unworldly touch to them; a warm, inviting beauty like a dancing fire in a hearth, they seem to have a silky luster to the fur, almost begging him to feel the softness. Her body is more shapely now but still not quite like an adult's.

Tana catches up to her side, taking a glance at her. She's grown much more beautiful, with soft skin and full lip., Her hair has grown longer too, after not being cut for so long it now reaches the base of her tails and, without being tied back in any way, frames her body like a portrait, He likes it like that. Her clothes hug her bust tighter than they used to, and give her the start of an hourglass look. Overall, she looks like she's just beginning to grow into a young adult.

Yet another thing that she is ahead of him in. Looking at himself, he just can't seem to match up, he is just leagues below Alysara in every possible way. Tana's heart pangs for her, but also seems to constrict when he thinks about his ongoing failure to catch up with her. No matter how hard he trains, it just doesn't seem to matter; he continues to fall further behind.

Alysara seems a lot more distant now. He can't tell why but it just seems like Alysara is keeping her distance a little more than she used to. She's also unusually quiet – usually she wouldn't let the silence between them go on for so long – but when they meet up with Alysara's younger twin sisters she finally shows a warm smile. The twins both stop what they are doing to run up to their older sister and give her a hug, big smiles on their faces.

"Oh? You jump into the jaws of the tickle monster?" Alysara says with an affectionate smile.

"Oh no!" "Run!" the twins say and run away giggling. Alysara lets them go and gives them a head start, staring off after them with an odd expression on her face.

Envy sparks in Tana, he never had such affection from his family, but then again, he spent all of his time training. Would he have had this if he had taken some time off training, or would it just have let him realise sooner that his parents were zealots? He shakes his head, banishing the thoughts and feelings. He can't change the past, so there's no point in worrying about it. He chose his path; now, he needs to stick with it.

"They've had enough time; let's go find them," Alysara says, giving him a smile.

She's just too beautiful to look at when she does that; he can't help but look away, his face warming up. Alysara saunters off, seeming to follow Yafe's trail.

"Why do you always train?" Alysara asks suddenly. "You are always practicing with your weapons and skills." She seems a little more comfortable now.

Tana wants to ask what's troubling her but he just can't bring himself to do so: he, who hasn't accomplished anything, might offend her, she may even tell him to go back home.

"I-I, umm, well," Tana's face burns as he tries to find the words. I want to become as strong as you. There's no way he can say that to her; he'd die of embarrassment.

"I want to become strong... like Esofy," Tana says, unable to give the whole truth.

"I see... but she's much older than us, so there's plenty of time to reach her level. Why don't you want to learn a craft?" Alysara asks.

"I-I'm just not good at it. Besides, I'll have to replace a skill, and that would make me weaker." He replies.

"No one is good when they first start, it takes years to become good at something, and you don't need to get a skill. It helps, sure, but not having one doesn't mean you can't do it at all." Alysara turns down an alley, her certainty making it seem that she is being led by something he can't see.

"Also, fighting doesn't only mean you are better or stronger, or have higher combat skills." she continues to explain. "Having other skills, like perception skills, can make you stronger as well, sometimes faster than only practicing fighting. For example, my [Sense Mana] helped me learn spells and enchanting much faster than just learning those by themselves."

Esofy had also stressed how important those skills are. 'Listen, Tana, It's one thing to fight with your normal senses, but to fight with [Sense Danger] or [Battle Sense] gives you a huge leg up. It gives you a whole new sense to help you react in battle or dangerous situations. I even knew someone with [Danger Prediction], which lets you know when an attack will happen even before it happens.' Tana took both.

Alysara soon finds her sisters, tickling them once she catches them. She stands so far above him, even though she doesn't spend all of her time training. It makes him a little jealous that he can't be a genius too.

"You can incorporate training into your normal life," she says, turning toward him. "Take this game, for example; even if it was for fun, I was tracking them with my skill and training it. You don't always have to be in a dojo."

Alysara takes his hand and pulls him close, his heart speeding up and pounding in his ears.

"You can practice your footwork with dancing." Alysara starts moving, leading him in a dance. "And maybe you can even gain a breakthrough."

Being so close to her, he can't take it; with a burning face and shaky legs, it takes his full concentration to not run away out of sheer self-consciousness.

"Sorry, was it too much?" Alysara asks as she suddenly breaks away.

"N-n-n-no," Tana stammers, looking away.

"A-Anyway," Alysara says awkwardly. "You get the point. You can train your skills with everyday things."

He nods. Perhaps he should ask Esofy to teach him how to dance.

It is very... awkward? That's not quite the right word, but it's a strange feeling to know that I am the focus of someone's crush, although the sense of validation is nice.

Wait, when did I start caring about validation? Regardless, I'm too young to really want anything like that.

This is why I hate puberty! Stupid hormones, stupid emotional swings, and stupid overly sensitive self-consciousness.

I focus back on my sisters and ruffle their heads. I play with them until they are out of breath, and we take a break. Tana has mostly been awkwardly tagging along, so, after our rest, I ask what he wants to do.

"Umm, well, p-perhaps..." Tana struggles to say what he wants, his eyes darting around with nervousness. "Umm, m-maybe you can teach me how to d-dance?" He's blushing furiously, but he finally manages to get the words out.

"I want to learn how to dance too!" "Teach me too! Teach me too!" the twins say.

If only there were more of me, I think with a silent internal giggle that catches me by surprise, summoning two of my Diadem clones.

With the help of my multiple minds, I teach them basic dance movements. Tana remains flustered throughout the lesson but handles it rather well.

"What else do you want to do?" I ask once we get tired of dancing.

Tana shrugs, rather unhelpfully, although his slightly blanked-out expression tells me he's probably not thinking too clearly after dancing with me for that long.

"Why don't we play with our Bonds?" I suggest after a few moments' though, this way we can also train the twins' Bonds. "Here are the rules: no Bond skills; we each summon three balls of our element or essence and try to hit each others'; if yours are hit, remove them; you lose if you have no more left."

After laying out a few more rules, we start. It is immediately apparent that I have a major advantage with my much higher Bond level, and I end up being ganged up on after winning the first round. I let the twins win the second round, Yafe beating Yafel after I am taken out, and then I make sure everyone wins at least once.

For much of the rest of our available time, we play netball. I remember Tana being very good at it, and, despite not playing it for years, he only seems to have gotten better. I can't help but feel nostalgic, replaying some of the games we played back then. We end the day with another dancing session in which Tana manages to get a breakthrough in his [Agile Movements], since he isn't quite as flustered as he was before.

Chapter 101: Magic Frameworks

It's been a few weeks now, and the village's restoration has been progressing rather nicely. Everything has been cleaned up or salvaged, and now the village is actually being rebuilt. It's still amazing to me how fast a house can be built; with several houses being completed every day, it will only take one more month for the village to be fully restored. That's accounting for the fact that time is being taken to decorate everything, too, since much of the decoration is being done by other people who are not skilled in construction.

After checking in with the village, I move my perception further out, checking to see how other places are doing in their restoration efforts. I notice many people are stripping the abandoned islands for materials and supplies, which makes sense; I doubt there is enough bamboo cultivated for building to rebuild all of the villages.

After checking in on the islands I take a boat over to Temple Island, where I notice a group of priestesses-in-training being taught by Tusile and several other elders. Once we have finished rebuilding, we'll have to go into the Dungeon and get strong enough to slay the Treant. Should another disaster come, the dungeon needs to be available as a place we can evacuate to, since it's the only place that can truly shelter us from cursed beings.

Clearing away the idle thoughts, I walk up the temple steps to the Mana Arc and place my hand on it, connecting to Kayafe.

"Hello," I say, and wait for her to wake up.

"How long has it been? You sound a little older now." Kayafe asks, taking longer than usual to reply.

"Around two years... some things happened, and I couldn't talk to you."

I hesitate at first, but if anyone can give me advice, it's Kayafe, so I tell her. Tears slide down my cheeks as I retell what happened, my fears of losing everyone I know, not letting anyone wake up because if I had to rely on anyone I would have given up, but before I can continue Kayafe stops me.

"You don't have to say any more if you don't want to." Kayafe says, gently. "When I first ran away from the human kingdoms and everyone I knew, I couldn't help but feel like I abandoned them so that I could have freedom. Of course, that was never my intention; I was trying to find ways to free my people from slavery, but as the years went by, I couldn't help but feel guilty. Here I was, adventuring, exploring the world, and meeting new peoples and cultures, while they all suffered under a tyrannical rule, at the bottom of society. But that's a story for another day." Kayafe pauses for a moment before continuing, as if reminiscing on something.

"I can't say I understand what you went through. You had no desperate bid for freedom; everything around you just came crashing down, and that isn't something I've really experienced, but I can sympathize with you to some degree.

"I've been told that soul barrier backlash is the most painful thing anyone can experience, but I've never experienced it myself. For you to throw yourself into the depths of such torment... I can only say that you are perhaps the most determined and caring person I've ever known and that you have my full respect."

"Thank you," I half whisper, still trying to calm myself from my recount of the cursed being incident.

"You've witnessed dragons fight, something I cannot boast about, other than my match against Safyr. Now, of course, I know she went easy on me. You've also seen the dangers of cursed beings firsthand, which few do and fewer survive. Most know that cursed beings aren't to be trifled with, but it's a danger that must be experienced to truly understand. Most simply cannot comprehend their power and it ultimately leads to foolish attempts to use cursed beings or even become them. People think they can control them, use them to defeat their enemies, use them in war or rebellions. People think they can simply go into ruins and defeat cursed beings like any normal monster, but all such thing inevitably lead to catastrophic destruction. Fortunately, most governments wisen up and forbid those things… or rather, the ones that ban anything related to cursed beings survive, and the others do not."

I think about that for a few moments, then shudder and decide to change the topic to something less bleak. "The Guardian keeps telling me to get my Bond to five hundred; why is that?"

"What level is your Bond now?" Kayafe asks.

"Three hundred eighty-four"

"Have you noticed that level three hundred didn't lower your experience gain that much?"

"Not really..." I say, trying to figure out what she is getting at.

"The first milestone is one hundred; before that, your Bond is unresponsive to you, you really have to work it like moving around rocks, but after that, it becomes easier."

It... kind of felt like that, but I've never really had that much difficulty. I did have to 'push' it at the beginning, I suppose; now it feels more natural, more responsive to what I want.

"Between level one hundred and two hundred, it stops resisting you, but it doesn't necessarily help you either. You're now at the stage where you've earned the attention of your Bond: it's finally noticed you and is paying attention to you."

While Kayafe is anthropomorphizing it to make it easier to understand, what she means is that it now feels more like a tool, a hammer rather than a rock. Both will drive in a nail, but the hammer is easier to use; it's more like an extension of a limb, but not yet like a whole new limb itself.

"At five hundred is when you finally earn your Bond's respect, and it will help you rather than resist or sit neutrally. You'll also notice that it is following the tiers. From level zero to one hundred, it's Minor, one to two hundred it's Adept, two to five hundred it's Major," Kayafe says.

"Then the next milestone after five hundred is one thousand, then two thousand," I say, continuing for Kayafe.

"Indeed. The equivalent to a Legendary-tier Bond should be level five thousand to ten thousand. Safyr says that you'll gain another Class once your Bond 'answers to your whims', that is either level two thousand or five thousand."

"What's the best way you've found to level up your Bond?" I ask after a moment's thought.

"Same as leveling your Class, challenging yourself." Kayafe replies, "Fighting monsters does help and is still one of the most efficient ways. The higher the stakes, the more invested in the fight you are, the more you'll grow your affinity with your Bond. You get a better intuitive understanding of it, just like you'd get a better intuitive understanding of swordplay if you fight with swords. But one does not have to fight with it. Meditation, study, and using it in everyday life can be an effective, if slower, way to level your Bond if you try. Don't just use Bond skills; the mindset that leads to is that of using a mere tool. Instead, you should use the Bond alone, without support from skills, this will shift your mindset to one of… deeper meaning, I suppose."

I see. Whenever I use my clones, I'm just thinking about using the clones and [Create Twin], not the Bond itself, that's why I don't level it when using it. This also seems to suggest that I can do more with my Bond than just manipulate the mana itself.

"So, tell me about [Sense Magic]; what have you learned?" Kayafe asks.

I tell her what little I found out, but considering that I haven't delved too much into its workings yet, there isn't too much to talk about. After I explain my findings, I ask her about my hypothesis of how to cure cursed skills.

"It's possible that the magical framework is incompatible with cursed skills; it might be possible to use legendary points to build a customized framework into a sort of adaptor to make them compatible."

"Hmmm," Kayafe ponders, humming softly to herself. "It's a huge risk; it could work, from what we know, but that is not much and if you're wrong then you will almost certainly become a cursed being. It's not worth the risk until we know more."

"Hopefully, I'll figure it out with [Sense Magic]. I have a lot to learn still."

Soon enough, I run out of mana and bid farewell to Kayafe.

I return home to look after the twins, and with another Mind I start examining my own magical signature. I have to learn more to hopefully solve my cursed skill issues. For two years, I delayed learning these things, and I have only six years left. Even worse, [Astral Projection] has further complicated the issue.

I steel my determination and summon more clones to practice my skills and Bond. I am running out of time; I need to get back into my training mindset!

I stare at my magical signature, trying to make sense of it. There is some form of structure to it, but it is blurry and hard to make out. I continue staring at it, gradually piercing through the fog. Slowly, very slowly, I start seeing the outer shape of the magical framework: three conjoined circles with lines running inside them.

There's more to it, but it's still hard to make out, it's very difficult to tell the circles apart with all of the lines and this blurry vision. The details inside the circle seem to be what skills are; if that's the case, then the circles are Class and Race magical frameworks. There are three circles, probably for Bond, Race, and Class, but where are my general skills in my magic framework?

[Inquisitive Perfection] is trying to tell me something. There's... an outlier? If the circles contain skills, then should I not have four circles? Let's start with the overall picture. The circles look like they want to form a flower of life; the edge of the second circle intersects the center of the middle circle, with the edge of the third circle intersecting the middle of the first and second circles. If the general skills are the center and the Class and Race are the other two, then where's the Bond? Or perhaps it's the Race that is missing?

I have a way to check; I need to match my mana signature to my magic signature. My Bond, Race, and Class are separate but overlaid with each other. However, now that I am looking at it with the magic signature, it is clear that the Bond is the outlier. Bond skills do not transfer to Class skills, and Class skills only augment Bond skills, which means the Bond cannot be connected to the other magical frameworks since the skills cannot move over.

My Bond Class augments my Bond just like my Race augments my body, so that leads to the question, just what is the Bond? I can now see what the Race and Class are, but this suggests the Bond is something else entirely; it's not magical in nature.

I almost facepalm. It took me too long to figure it out. Of course the Bond would be different; for starters, it doesn't have a magical tier. Yes, there's something about the level, but it never has a tier identifier and doesn't seem to have a level limit. There're still questions to be solved, though. Where can I see the Bond skills? There are definitely Bond skills, which suggests a magical framework, yet I see none of it. There's still a piece of the puzzle I am missing.

Alright, now I have found the outlier and, as enticing as the mystery is, I need to shelve it for now.

So, Race, Class, and general skills are represented by magical circles. That means I should have three... somethings outside of it, which will be my cursed skills. Which circle is my Race? Well, that's easy; it's the one with the bright star of [Sense Magic] inside it. Which means that the faintly glowing star way off to the side is [Mana Manipulation]; at least I found one cursed skill. And that leaves the last circle as my Class

As I identify the cursed skill and differentiate the magical frameworks, I notice the signature star of [Sense Magic] fluctuate a tiny amount, glowing slightly brighter and seeming to grow in... depth, for lack of a better word.

Suddenly the fog seems to disperse and I can clearly see the magical frameworks in all their glory. All three of the magic circles have the same base, which skills slot into, but the Race and Class magic circles have a core and an outer layer, the meanings of which I have yet to figure out. The skills themselves seem like tiny classes, small magic circles within larger frameworks. The lines that connect it to the larger frameworks make them seem like one piece, and it's not hard to see the different parts within the skills. Tiny points inside them, which are joined to the skill's outer ring, indicate breakthroughs.

Moving on to the cursed skills, I easily spot what sets them apart: instead of a circle, they are pointed, the number of points indicating the number of breakthroughs. It's almost as if they are turned inside out... which is probably why they don't normally slot into a magic framework. Inside the cursed skills is only what I can call a black sludge, something I can easily identify as miasma. Somehow, the miasma has turned the skill inside out, and if the skill is absorbed by a magical framework it will form connections to the Class or Race, allowing the miasma to spread and consume the magical framework to fuel its own magical process... warping me into a cursed being.

My purification hypothesis seems to not be correct after all.

Chapter 102: A study of Magic

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 568-579!

I meditate, feeling the beauty mana in and around me. While another mind is studying mana, this mind is forming a better connection to my Bond. There's way more to the Bond than I ever thought there could be. It's not a magical connection, but it is related to mana... or is it? The way the dragons fought the cursed being suggests something else.

It's as if the Bond is more profound, something more fundamental to reality. I still can't make heads or tails out of it, I am missing a large part of the picture, and [Inquisitive Perfection] doesn't have much to work off to guide me.

Instead, I do what I know. I bath myself in beauty mana, many types of it, from the serene to the elegant, and even the seductive form of it. Beauty is whole; it is pure; it is primal and natural. Beauty can be formed by many little things; it can be formed by things that aren't even beautiful. It is emergent, greater than the sum of its parts.

I continue meditating until Mom and Dad come back from rebuilding the village.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 385-387!

"Momara is coming back," I tell the twins. With my real body, I have been playing with them and Tana all day. It's a little refreshing to use my minds to do many things at once again, but at the same time, it feels a little lonely. I am the only one doing this, the only one studying magic and my Bond so much. I have no one to share my theories with, or to have excited conversations with when I make a discovery. Well, there's Kayafe, but I can only talk to her so much before running out of mana, and the Guardian... she likes to be left alone. I lack any real connection to anyone outside of my family, and it's only getting harder to relate to others.

I take the twins home and wait for my parents. Once they arrive, we have dinner and then go to the Lojyo, meeting in an open city square. Everyone enjoys themselves and rests after a long day of restoring the village. Yet another way I am distant from everyone, they all work while I play, but what would I do? How would I help?

"Alysara," Chofel comes up to me with a smile. "Let's play the next song!"

If I can't help them rebuild, then the least I can do is help them relax after a hard day's work. I form a flute out of mana and follow Chofel to the stage.

Feyan can't help but smile. Aly is training again, but now she isn't ignoring her social life as much.

"I hate to say this, but it seems we just need to get her used to her old ways again," Kanato admits. "We may have to send her into the dungeon again."

"I'm not so sure about that, but making dresses for everyone may help her; also, so many people lost all their spare clothes," Feyan suggests.

Kanato wraps her arms around Feyan and nuzzles her neck. "As long as it helps her heal."

The next morning Feyan sits next to Aly at the dining table. The twins are happily digging into their food, cracking open a Domr leg and dipping it into butter. Aly is doing the same, but there is an odd sense of elegance and beauty to her movements despite their normal, everyday nature.

When did she learn to do that? Feyan wonders.

"Aly," She says, getting her child's attention. "You want to help, right?" Aly nods, a small movement that makes her appear elegant and collected. "Most people have lost their clothes and now only have the one set; it's going to take a while before enough are made."

"I understand. I'll get started on them now." Aly summons a clone, who walks upstairs with straight-backed elegance. "Blankets and towels too, we've been managing with the bare minimum on those."

Kanato helps the twins crack open the hard shell of the boiled Domr to get to the main body as Feyan studies Aly with her [Sense Mana]. Aly seems to be more comfortable now, even if she still seems a little more distant than before.

Once breakfast is over, Feyan and Kanato board the airship. It still has not been repaired, and large parts of the flooring are unusable, but it only needs to ferry people back and forth over a short distance.

Arriving at the village, they immediately get to work, holding piles to drive them for others to drive into the ground, setting up sections of wall for the builders to nail in and decorating their work.

They are only building essential infrastructure for now: workshops, shops, warehouses, and anything else that is needed to maintain a village. After that, they'll work on residential housing, playgrounds, baths, and other non-essential or luxury things.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 388!

After a day with deliberate movements, I get a level in my Bond. It's not just using my Bond that matters, I have to live with it; I need every aspect of my life to be in tune with beauty and its domains of elegance, serenity, and more… although I'm avoiding 'seductive' for the time being.

I have made about a hundred clothes, being limited by how much mana I have and can produce. This is something that I'll need to work on for a few weeks. I trained more with Tana by throwing solidified mana pebbles at him for him to cut out of the air; later in the day, we hunted Domrs at the edge of the city and helped train the twins' Bond levels. In the evening, we played a few Bond games until Mom and Dad came back.

I continue my studies of magical frameworks while my real body plays music at the Lojyo, beating the drums tonight. I study other people's magic frameworks; Esofy and Chyzu, with their two classes. The levels of each Class are becoming apparent now. Each skill's breakthroughs make a connection to the outer ring of the skill, which aligns to a connection to the Class's outer ring; each connection has a certain level of luster to them, representing the level of the breakthrough. This also lets me know the level of the skill even if I can't yet know what the skill actually does. The Class has the same type of level indicator; the richer the saturation of its color, the higher its level is.

The color determines the tier of the magic framework. The color isn't based on any visual light like blue or red; it's its own unique color that I simply can't explain. I continue to scrutinize the magical frameworks, trying to decipher every little detail of them when I realize that the Race magic circle seems to be... different; not turned off but not quite on the same... for lack of better words, layer. Same with my Class, now that I know what I am seeing. They both seem to be placed on my soul, but not quite. The magic circle that governs my general skills is fully placed on my soul; my Race is partly on it but also placed on my... body? It's hard to describe. That would mean that my Class is partly placed on my Bond.

Looking at others with normal Classes, they seem to be placed fully on their soul, with their Race occupying the soul and the body. Tana, who has a Bond warrior Class, has his Class placed on both his soul and his Bond too. This is very... interesting; Esofy, with a warrior Class, has skills that augment her body, and, while the magical framework is placed on the soul, the skills that slot into it seem to 'touch' the body. Some of my general skills do, too, like [Graceful Movements].

I feel like this is related to how monster materials are formed. If the residue of the magical framework is somehow left or imprinted on the body, then it may augment certain parts of the body.

There is still more to learn. I need to see the exact moment evolution takes place and how that changes magical frameworks, I need to see how magic frameworks influence the body when a monster dies, and I need to see how magic frameworks are created. What's more, I need to see if magical frameworks are on other things, such as magic items.

I move my focus from my magic frameworks to my Kyhosa, peering deeper into it until I see the faint signs of a magic circle. It is different; it doesn't have skills that resemble Classes. There is a centerpiece in the middle, which I think was the original framework when it first became a magic item. Next is a set of five ellipses that connect the centerpiece to the outer ring, giving it the appearance of a flower. This layer probably represents the additional power gained when it evolved.

The magical frameworks of Classes and items are different. They both evolve, but how they evolve may be different. If I, and [Inspirational Perfection], are right, then a magic item adds more layers, while I don't really know what Classes do. It is clear that since Classes can swap skills in and out, they have basic functions that are different. Magic items aren't built to change; instead, they grow. Classes and Races, however? They are a lot more complex and will require more comparisons. The addition of skills and their connections change things. I still have a lot to learn, and I still need to study cursed skill and skill frameworks. So much to learn.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 580-584!

The Lojyo ends, but, while I am walking home, I can't help but feel like I am missing something... a connection to people. I can call Chofel my friend, but outside of music I don't know her. Tana, too: outside of training, what do we have in common? Despite my efforts to fill this void, I feel I am still lacking. Is this just a teenage thing? Is it part of being a Runalymo? Is it because of the last two years that I have become afraid of being alone? I am... lost, and I don't know why or how to find my way.

"Momara?" I ask, grabbing Mom's hand.

"Yes, Aly?" Mom gives me a smile.

"I..." I don't know what to say or how to explain my feelings. I've never really felt this way before. Am I just looking for attention? I'm too young for love, right? But Runalymo do start puberty earlier, so am I equivalent to a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old human? "I can't help but feel... like I am... missing connections to people. I thought that maybe it's just because of the last two years that I miss you guys so much, but..."

Mom lowers herself and pulls me into a hug. "You finally realize that community is important, Aly."

I'm not entirely sure it's just that. Why now? Surely it is just a developmental thing, right? Dumb hormones running rampant; I've always been introverted, after all. But maybe... Maybe it's just that simple?

Chapter 103: Returning to the Village

I walk through the fully restored village with my family, observing everything. It's not how I remember it. Many things are in different places, the village layout is more planned-out now with clear residential, market, and industrial sections. Included in the industrial part of the village are production facilities, like the ones that produce bathing oil, and other facilities that don't directly sell their products. This section is mostly owned by the village and managed by the elders. Since the airship production is owned by the village as well, the construction yard for them is also here. Bordering the industrial section is the pier, for easy access to warehouses. The industrial section is closest to the island for easy access to the fruit that the oil is made from.

The residential section only makes up about half of the village, since most people with a shop live above their store and workshop like my family does. The residential houses are mostly owned by miners, divers, Kheshamo, and apprentices who don't own their own shop yet. The children's playgrounds are in the middle of the residential area for ease of access. The market is mostly dominated by any building that sells products, even if the product is made in the same building, like forges, tailors, and restaurants.

Baths are sprinkled throughout the village but are mostly concentrated in the market and residential areas. Many statues have been destroyed, and since they are dedications that people made, they have not been replaced yet, but I expect that most will have a statue again by the end of the year. Whether it's made out of clay, stone, metal, or bamboo, many will seek the prestige of having their dedication be a vessel for Myrou's projection and be on display for the whole village.

Many people are moving their stuff from the airship to their new homes. I fixed the dents in the hull of the airship while the flooring was being repaired, which took me a full day of work, and now it is as good as new again.

Just as I was starting to get used to living in the city, we have to move again; I hope this is the last time we have to move.

The village is in debt now. We had to buy building materials for the evacuation site, then more to rebuild the village, and since the other villages also need to rebuild the demand has driven prices way up. Luckily for me, it's not my job to manage the village, so I'll let Guklaro worry about the debt. Still, this would be a very good time for a group to go into the dungeon to get materials for the village; I should expect a visit from Esofy or Guklaro asking me to join the expedition team.

With Tusile training new priestesses, Guklaro is filling in as Head Elder. I do not envy her that position, especially now.

We arrive at our house, and I go upstairs to unload my storage ring. We've managed to salvage many of our more important things from the evacuation point, even though much of it was buried. Looking at what I carefully empty onto the floor, I realise that I have never really had many material possessions. My Kyhosa and my hair ornament are things I care deeply about but clothes, blankets, window curtains, my bed and many other things I can simply make out of mana, so I never had much investment in them.

I look around my mostly empty room, the lack of furniture very apparent. My dresser, bed frame, jewelry chest... anything I can't simply make out of mana is gone, and I admit it does hurt a little to not have them anymore, but I have a lot of money for the work I did for Tusile; I can easily buy replacements.

Our house is in the market section since we own a shop. It's going to be very convenient to shop for things now, since most shops will be within a five-minute walk, but the twins will have further to go to get to the playgrounds.

I notice something missing from the village: a sewage system. Having lived in the city for two months, it's something that I've grown accustomed to, and I don't know why I haven't made a proper toilet yet. We've always just used a pot and dumped our waste in a designated dumping place, a chore Mom and Dad had always done. If, however, we made a sewage system that drains into the dump, then that chore can be made obsolete.

The waste is dumped off the corner of the village. The Domrs are filter feeders and feed on the waste, and the water is actually too hot to support microbial life and kills any germs, so the water remains safe and unpolluted.

Making toilets out of mana, while convenient for me, will still cost a ton of mana. The next best choice would be to use ceramic, Aunt Chozu could probably make them, and it would be a good thing to sell provided I can convince Guklaro to install a sewer for the village. Actually, I could probably make it out of mana if everyone donates mana, like how we did with the airship. The sewer pipes don't have to be metallic mana, just loosely solid form. I can easily make it, and it doesn't have to be one type of mana, meaning I can simply pull the mana from around me. I can probably set up the sewer system within a week.

Modern toilets use siphons to flush, which means that we only need to use a pump to draw water up from the sea below us, and that should be easy to make. All of this is old technology that requires no electricity, just siphons and hand pumps. Actually, I can incorporate enchantments, so we don't even need to hand-crank the pump, but the piece will need to be higher quality and made of void essence or air mana to draw up water.

Making hundreds of pieces that need to be enchanted will be a huge pain, especially since it will also need a battery to fuel the enchantment; otherwise, people will have to stand there and power the enchantment until it's done drawing water. However, if we make a water tower, we will only need one high-quality pump with a large battery, and that can supply water to all homes. It will require more plumbing, but it will also raise the quality of life for the whole village as we can bring modern concepts like individual bathtubs, showers, sinks with running water, and more.

It's a project that will likely take a couple of weeks, but it will be cheap since I will be the one doing it. With that in mind, once I finish unpacking I walk downstairs, where Mom and Dad are setting up their tools and shops. I send a clone to talk to Guklaro while I help my parents with their tasks.

"Thank you, Aly," Mom says, organizing her tools while I sort the raw materials.

Another problem abruptly catches my attention: after years of unchecked growth, Domrs have grown quite numerous and large, and they will need to be dealt with. I send out another clone to cull their population.

There is an Aydomr, an ice Domr, a kilometer away. It is Adept in both its Race and Class and should be close to level two hundred judging by its size. Last time I could barely do any damage to it and had to support the warriors in killing it. Now, my Bond level is much higher, my Cass level is about the same, and my Race tier has increased.

My clone charges up a spear of beauty mana in conjunction with my Fang Spear of the Pack's charging ability. I dash forward, ignoring the ice spear it shoots at my clone and stab it in the face. The beauty mana rushes into the Aydomr's brain and rapidly drains its vitality, yet, surprisingly, it doesn't drain it all. The Aydomr turns and runs away in fear, but I pursue it with [Fairy Strike] until I kill it.

If only I had this power last time... but I was too young, I had yet to unlock my Class and my Bond was below level two hundred. I wonder if Esofy can solo kill one too? She has the breakthrough to resist its movement restriction now, which was probably the only reason why they had so much trouble with it.

While my second clone is going after the Aydomr, my first clone arrives at the village hall. Guklaro is managing the village ledger and several other things, such as airship projects. I let myself in and walk up to her office, then knock on the door politely.

"Enter" Guklaro looks up as I do so. "Alysara, I am glad to see you well; what brings you here?"

I tell her about my idea for village plumbing.

"Hmmm, this is certainly the best option for now; we are running low on funds. Plus it will help bring people to the village who have become used to the city's luxuries." Guklaro puts a hand on her chin in thought. "I don't see many people not wanting this, and I am sure most will be willing to donate mana to this project. Very well, I will make an announcement at this evening's Lojyo. The battery we used last time is destroyed, so you may need to prepare another for tomorrow." Guklaro grabs a journal labeled: 'Expansion Projects' and starts writing.

"We'll also need materials for the water tower, that will take a few days at least to acquire unless you are also willing to make it out of mana?" Guklaro asks.

"If it needs to be, then I'll do it, but that will be another week to make," I answer.

It will have to be made of higher quality mana than the pipes. It is going to be the tallest building in the village, so it needs to look nice, be structurally sound, and have pumps and mana batteries. It would be best if it was made out of space essence to be larger on the inside than the outside, but I am not a miracle worker, my [Mana Manipulation] would need to have Class bonuses to make that possible. Well, we could cannibalize a part of the airship, but it is currently being used to ferry people around even in its incomplete state.

"Right now, construction materials are being sold at a premium – the price has inflated to over seven hundred percent of what it used to be – and there's a waitlist for materials, so making the tower out of mana is likely the cheapest and quickest way to get it."

"I didn't think that the price would rise that much." I knew it would be bad, but that's ridiculous.

"Bamboo takes time to grow, so good materials are limited in supply. That and the fact that almost every village needs the materials means that demand is at an all-time high. It honestly could be much worse. If we weren't the only village producing bath oil for years now, we wouldn't have the money to fully restore the village. I have to say that Tusile is the best at business, and her foresight for times like these really helped."

"If everyone is buying construction materials, then they won't have money for our products, will they?" I ask after thinking about that for a few moments.

"Yes, but we will still see some trade. The villages which grow bamboo specialized for construction will buy our products, and they will buy more than they would normally since they have a large excess of money. These things will circulate around over time and, eventually, things will reach equilibrium."

I'm not worried, Guklaro knows what she is doing and can ask Tusile, who has proven to be the best person during times like these.

"I'll get started on the battery then... where will the water tower be? I'd rather this battery be used for the water tower enchantments to help cut down on time needed to make it."

"Use one of the empty lots in the industry section," Guklaro answers, still writing in the book.

There are many empty lots throughout the village for later buildings Many will likely end up as houses, shops or both as people move here, since we are one of the first villages to have been restored. Or we may need to build more warehouses, or, in this case, a water tower.

"Wouldn't the market or residential area be better, placing it closer to people who can refill the battery to keep the enchantment running?"

Guklaro looks up. "Hmm, that might be better, or perhaps closer to the docks? Yes, the docks are still in the industry section, but close enough to the market that it's a convenient location."

With the location picked out, I walk there to start making the mana battery.

Chapter 104: Bond Upgrades

It is significantly harder to compress the normal density of mana into solid mana than to uncompress liquid mana into solid mana, which is why it was faster and easier to make the airship: I was drawing mana from the Mana Arc for that. Now I'm forming solid mana from the air, which burns through my mana reserves a lot faster. Still, I expected this, which is why the water tower will take a week to make.

In the meantime, I hunt large Domrs around the village and send out a clone with a large storage crystal to collect the materials. I study magic frameworks, train with Tana, play with my sisters and work on my Bond, not just with my real body but with all of my clones too.

It's not enough to just use my Bond; I have to incorporate it into my every movement. I need to act and speak in a manner with one of the forms of beauty, whether it is elegant, graceful, or – in theory, although I'm not actually going to try it until I'm completely out of other ideas – seductive, and what is better than doing it with one body? Multiple bodies and minds! I've more than doubled the rate at which my Bond is leveling up.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 389-393!

A month's effort is equal to just five levels, but this isn't something easily measured, with which I can just study my way to level five hundred. I can, however, try to evolve my Bond skills, which usually adds two to three levels; it has been a long time since I last evolved a Bond skill, and it seems to be a requirement to getting a good Bond Class evolution, so I should use this month to try and evolve most if not all of my Bond skills. I have the knowledge and capabilities to do so now, so I just need to put it into practice to make my Bond better; and who knows, maybe I'll get more insight into what the Bond actually is.

First on the list! [Beauty Empowerment] originally evolved from [Beauty Enhancement] and gained the ability to empower my Bond spells instead of just empowering my body; it was a simple expansion on what the skill could do. So how else can I expand its capabilities or change it for the better?

Hmm, this is harder than I thought. The skill will change based on how I use it, but first, I need to think of how to use it. It empowers my spells by adding more mana to them; it works wonderfully for skill-spells that have a maximum limit of mana that can normally be used. I suppose I could change it to also make the spell explode, but I already have an ability that does that, same with increasing the intensity of the spell. No matter how I think about it, this skill doesn't need to evolve right now; any potential evolutions are already filled.

On to [Fairy Strike]. It evolved from [Beauty Beam] when I constantly used [Shape Beauty] to shape the skill-spell into the shape of a fairy. It functions as a packet of deadly mana that damages enemies, much like how x-rays will damage and kill cells instead of burning like a laser. There are many paths for me to evolve this skill; giving it more intelligence, changing how it damages enemies or using different identities of beauty mana. I think I'll try that last idea, I haven't experimented with the different identities as much as I probably should.

Next is [Channel Beauty]. I got this by constantly channeling beauty spells, even though I wasn't using my Bond. I haven't really done anything with this yet, and I'm not sure what I can do to make it better.

[Grace Of Wholeness] is next on the list, my healing spell. It's been around for almost my whole life, but it's not true healing; it's more returning something to a whole state. It is slow and cannot cure poisons or diseases, but it can repair inanimate objects provided all the pieces are there. I can regenerate living matter but cannot regenerate non-living matter. Overall it's a good skill to have; it just needs to be more powerful; I wonder what will happen If I use [Beauty Empowerment] or [Channel Beauty] with it? Will using other skills help it evolve?

[Evolve Beauty] evolved from [Shape Beauty] when I discovered different beauty identities. It has the ability to shift beauty essence to any of its identities. I don't need to evolve this skill right now, as it already evolved and will count toward my next Class evolution.

[Impart Instructions] is another old one. Using it to give better orders or even impart intelligence will be very valuable. Seeing as how Tana somehow augmented his Bond with vitality spells, perhaps I can augment this to give a pseudo mind? It would be dipping into soul spells, but it should make me much more powerful. On the flip-side, however, evolving the skill that way will open up my evolutions to the cursed influence of [Astral Projection] and, since it's a skill good for summoning, the main focus for my Class, summoning fairies and clones, will be corrupted due to my feat of restoring the minds of my people. Unfortunately, I can't risk evolving this skill to give a mind, a will, or any better intelligence. So the only other avenue is to expand its current capabilities, namely giving more complex instructions.

[Imbue Beauty]... is pretty much obsolete now. It was good for tailoring and music, but my current level of [Mana Manipulation] is just better. I can either drop it and hope for something better or try to evolve it to be useful, perhaps [Imbue Spell]? Make it so I can enchant something with a spell or skill-spell?

[Create Familiar] evolved from [Summon Familiar], and it pretty much just gained slightly better intelligence. Unfortunately, [Astral Projection] will corrupt future evolutions if I am not careful with this skill too. I should just leave it alone and not risk it.

[Echoes of Reality] evolved from [Dreams of Reality] and is my primary illusion ability. It's very useful; the only thing missing is making the illusions tangible, but I may have the ability to do just that now, especially since I can study the tangible clones that my Diadem can make.

And now we arrive at my most useful Bond skill, [Create Twin]. Evolved from [Summon Clone], it gained slightly better autonomous ability; unfortunately, I can't risk increasing its intelligence, but I can make it better by making it tangible like the Diadem clones, so I am not completely screwed on this skill.

And that's all ten Bond skills that I need to improve on; unfortunately, I can't afford to evolve some of them, which will result in a weaker Class evolution, but at least I will have a Class evolution that won't turn me into a cursed being. I'd rather take what I can get than lose everything on a gamble.

Let's start with what I most desperately need to improve on, [Grace of Wholeness]. I simply need it to be more effective; I don't need it to do anything crazy, just a straight-up power increase; I can try to make it cure diseases and poisons later.

There was a ton of materials broken during the cursed being's attack; if I could have just restored them, we wouldn't have needed to spend so much money buying more construction materials.

I weave a small dress of mana, not even taking the time to decorate it; then I rip it to shreds. I continue ripping it until it's reduced to confetti. I begin channeling [Grace of Wholeness] with [Channel Beauty], finding that my channeling speed is faster. I channel five thousand mana, ten thousand, fifteen thousand, and still, it shows no signs of reaching its stability limit. At twenty-five thousand mana, the spell in my hands starts humming, my previous limit. It isn't until almost twenty-nine thousand mana, forty percent more than my normal limit, that the stability limit of the spell is reached.

I cast the spell onto the shredded dress, watching the spell carefully with my [Sense Magic]. The pieces of the dress start reconnecting and melding back into the seamless dress it was. I used way more mana than I needed; after mending the dress, the extra mana bursts forth, a wave of mana washing over me and restoring any damage in the vicinity around me.

I did not evolve the skill yet; it will take repeated uses. If I used this spell on the piles of ruined planks and other things, we could perhaps begin to sell those and make the restorations of other villages progress faster; also, the added competition will lower prices of construction materials. The only problem is that each piece I mend will have to be gathered and matched before it can be made new again.

The cleaned-up wreckage of this village has already been turned into mulch, but the abandoned villages still have materials that I can fix; they've already been picked clean of anything usable, so all that is left is the unwanted stuff.

A plus is that now we will have materials to build the water tower, so I don't have to spend a week building it. I should talk to Guklaro before I continue my work.

Walking over to the village hall, I see Guklaro talking to Tusile, who is taking a day off from teaching the priestesses.

"Alysara, I was just telling Tusile about your plans for a village sewer system," Guklaro says, noticing me enter the reception.

"It's a great idea," Tusile says. "We have explored the city sewer somewhat, but I never thought we could make something like that with the way our villages are built above water."

"Thanks, and I have another idea, one that will help build the water tower, thus making the sewers faster to build and pay off the village debt." I say, "I was just training with my Bond and figured out how to restore broken things. We can go to the abandoned villages and restore the wreckage for usable construction material."

"Don't you think you're doing too much for us? I appreciate the offer, but you don't have to take everything onto your shoulders." Tusile says, sounding a little worried.

"It's fine; I need something to restore to help evolve my Bond skill anyway. I am only offering to do this to train my abilities and, while at it, do some good." I reassure her.

Tusile thinks about it for a minute before answering. "Very well, but only do enough until we have enough material for the water tower and until you get your skill evolution. Your priority should be the sewer system; for now, try not to get too distracted but other projects."

"Finish the work for today; tomorrow, we'll go to one of the abandoned villages," Guklaro decides.

I nod and leave to continue working on the mana pipes. Meanwhile, with my real body, I am playing a Bond game with Tana. I form several rings of beauty mana, instilling them with enough intensity to make them visible. I command the rings to spread out with different distances, each one getting progressively farther. I don't use [Mana Manipulation]; instead, I use my Bond to control the mana.

"The goal is to shoot through the rings, start at the closest, and only when you hit the ring can you try one father out. The first one to hit the farthest wins." I lay down the rules, and we get started.

Instead of launching out a bolt of mana, I focus on working with beauty, not entirely the mana but more the concept; I need to trust in my connection to the essence. While I'm meditating, Tana has already scored the first two rings.

I raise my arm and launch the first bolt, not aiming. I miss. It was close, but just like letting the essence guide my movements to make me more elegant in my everyday life, I need to let my Bond guide me in this. I readjust, and I make my first score on my second try while Tana gets his third.

I aim at the second ring and miss; I readjust and miss again, and again. I take a deep breath and center myself, and readjust, finally hitting the second ring. Tana scores his fourth ring and moves onto the fifth ring, halfway to the last.

As I meditate further on my Bond, a flicker of memory enters my mind. A story about space wizards and the saying "use the force" distracts me. I shake my head and push the memory out of my mind; the memory intrusions have been getting more frequent and, honestly, quite annoying. I am my own person now: this is my life and I don't need all the baggage of 'past me' as a distraction.

Tana makes his fifth score as I refocus from my distraction and shoot another bolt, missing. I make my next shot, but that may have been a fluke. I move onto the next ring and get it on my first try, but the fourth ring takes me five tries as Tana moves onto the seventh ring.

Perhaps I am trying too hard? The distraction broke me out of my focus, and I had an easier time; perhaps I just need to turn off my brain and just go with it?

I score within three tries for the next two rings while Tana gets a lucky shot on his eighth ring. I slow my breathing and aim for the next ring, scoring after another miss as Tana moves onto the tenth ring. I miss five times, each time getting close to the ring, and on the sixth try, I move directly onto the ninth ring, but as I repeat my third try on it, Tana completes the tenth ring.

"I... win?" Tana says, surprise on his face. He clearly didn't expect to win.

"Congratulations, it seems like I need to work on my aim," I say, smiling at him. He blushes and looks away.

"M-M-Maybe we can, uh, try dancing?" Tana fidgets, "I-It's just to help my footwork." he adds, more to convince himself than me.

"Of course!" I say.

Chapter 105: Solidifying Illusions

Ting! Your Bond skill, Grace of Wholeness, has evolved into Blessing of Wholeness!

Blessing of Wholeness: Spend up to 100 mana to restore someone or something.

(Beauty) (Restoration)

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 394-397!

Considering I can simply channel the skill, I can still spend more than the mana limit, the only difference is the amount of time needed to cast. I can cast the skill by itself almost instantly, while I need to take a lot of time to channel it. Still, mid-battle healing with it will be a lot more effective now. What's more is that it is a burst of healing rather than the continuous flow that it was before, which is another great thing about this evolution.

It took me the better part of a day of restoring materials before finally evolving [Grace of Wholeness]. My efforts are rewarded with more than a skill upgrade though, the town now has plenty of materials to make the water tower and can even sell some or use it for a different project.

"I finally got it!" I call out, "We can leave now!" Even I am getting tired of using the same skill all of the time and this island is too far for me to use clones back home so I couldn't even do other things that I want to do.

"Congratulations!" my helpers reply. They have been gathering and matching pieces of the wreckage for me to fix.

Riding the boat back home I consider what to do with [Imbue Beauty]: make it better or replace it? I can probably use it to imbue an item with one of my other Bond skills, which would be very useful... but I can already make Bond crystals, the Bond version of spell crystals, so even in that regard it's obsolete. I can think of what I should replace it with while I am working on my other Bond skills.

My planned evolution paths for both [Create Twin] and [Echoes of Reality] are the same, so I might as well work on both of them. Making both of the skills more tangible is absolutely vital. For my clones it gives them more utility, being able to interact with things. For my illusions, it will allow me to make walls and barriers to defend myself, more convincing illusions, and perhaps even summon illusory warriors to help me. If I can turn my illusions into a more summon-based thing that will make me a lot more powerful and flesh out my build more.

Returning home I summon my clones, trying to mimic the way my Diadem makes its clones. It's really just an illusion with a 'skin', there is not much else inside. That is not good enough for me, though, I can do better. I will not just copy a better spell, I can improve it further. First I form the 'skin' of the clone, just like the Diadem does, but I add my own mana signature leakage to it. It helped me obtain my clone skill and I hope that now it can improve it. Next, I add more beauty mana inside the clone, denser than the 'mana skin', more like muscles and even bone. I add organs; lungs, heart, liver, every organ. Lastly, I add hair and fur, not just an image of it but actually weaving the hair in a manner similar to mana weaving cloth, adding my mana signature to it all the while.

It takes me several minutes and seventy thousand mana, most of my capacity, to fully create the clone, but the result looks like me even to my perception. The only thing that gives it away as a fake is that it is entirely made out of beauty mana, with my mana signature mixed in.

With [Mana Manipulation] I make the heart beat and the lungs take in air. I take control of it with one of my minds and have it go about its tasks while I meet up with Tana. With my first clone done I let my mana regenerate before making another, refining my technique, then I make a third, and finally a fourth before finally being rewarded for my efforts.

Ting! Your Bond skill, Create Twin, has evolved into Duplicate Self!

Duplicate Self: For 50,000 mana create a near-identical, tangible, and semi-autonomous illusion of yourself.

(Beauty) (Summoning) (Illusion)

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 398-402!

Fifty thousand mana is really expensive, but still cheaper than making it by hand, which suggests that my techniques can be improved? Or is it just the magic of the skill? Either way, the improvement is welcome and better than what my Diadem can make, although my Diadem can make cheaper versions. Maybe I should try to see if I can use my skill to make simple clones?

I focus on my skill, trying to summon a previous version of the skill; however, no matter how hard I try I just can't do it. I am stuck with these extremely expensive clones. On one hand, I really only need to summon them once and keep them active, but on the other, if they are destroyed in battle I am not getting them back quickly or in significant numbers. That means I can't use disposable clones like I did in the dungeon, although fortunately they will be harder to destroy due to the quantity and density of the mana.

Now, onto my next Bond skill. This too will massively increase how much mana is used on a skill that is already moderately expensive for me, but maybe I can give it some variance? I need it to keep its minor illusion ability while giving me the option for tangible illusions.

I focus on the area in front of me while using [Echoes of Reality] to craft a simple model of the village with tiny people inside. I keep the people as simple illusions while making the buildings denser to copy the almost skin-like properties of my clones. I can't make it too hard, otherwise it'll be too expensive, not to mention it won't quite be an 'illusion' at that point.

I test the strength of the illusion, pushing against the building; there is some give but it holds. It may not be as solid as I want it, but it should be convincing enough for now and should give more variety to my defenses. It will be mana expensive, but summoning a wall to block attacks will be an option now.

While I work on improving my illusions another mind is making pipes for the sewer project. A third mind is playing a Bond game with the twins, helping train their Bond; while my true mind with my body is training with Tana. My fifth mind is helping Mom and Dad in the shop.

By the end of the day I manage to evolve my illusions.

Ting! Your Bond skill, Echoes of Reality, has evolved into Figment of Reality!

Figment of Reality: You can create tangible or intangible illusions capable of producing sounds. The mana cost increases with how solid the illusion is.

(Beauty) (Illusion)

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 403-406!

Finally! Now I can try to obtain a barrier skill to replace [Imbue Beauty]. However, one thing I have noticed is that more advanced skills are harder to get. I had to defeat several strong opponents to get [Channel Beauty], which is really more of a caster thing than a Bond thing. Beauty, being based on the light element, is strong in matters of illusions, lasers, and producing light, but weak in more physical things like barriers and launching projectiles. However, illusions can make something physical, as my Duplicates can attest to, which means that it's not outside the realm of possibility, only that it is advanced illusions.

Now, let's work on upgrading [Imbue Beauty]. I really need it to stand out, even if I am eventually going to replace it, so how can I use it in a useful way? I pretty much lost my disposable clones with my Duplicate upgrade so maybe I should focus on how to replace that role? A Bond crystal won't work, but perhaps I can 'imprint' an illusion onto something... or perhaps make an object that projects an illusion around it, like Myrou's statues?

I create a pebble-sized beauty crystal, then I half-cast [Fairy Strike] with the intent of imbuing it into the crystal with [Imbue Beauty]. It should work, as the fairy is just a spell and thus is made of mana, beauty mana specifically. It takes several minutes of focus as I slowly cram the mana into the tiny crystal.

Now what? I ask myself. What did this accomplish?

I throw the crystal but nothing happens when it bounces off the wall. It is, by all means, just a mana crystal with a spell crammed inside, which isn't what I want. Perhaps I should think about it differently. I make another pebble-sized beauty crystal and focus on casting Fairy strike, only this time as I channel the cast and, as the mana builds up in front of me, I imbue the mana onto the crystal, using [Evolve Beauty] to shape the mana into wings.

The wings grow from the crystal and I use [Impart Instructions] to make the wing flap, resulting in the crystal hovering in the air in front of me after a few seconds, with its rather incongruous-looking wings flapping. The fairies themselves are mere mana constructs and therefore weightless, so it is interesting that the wings are able to lift a physical object, since there's no way they are producing enough lift to do so by physical means.

Intriguing, but ultimately useless, but if it can do that then perhaps it can do more. If I use it on myself...

I don't even wait to finish the thought. I start channeling [Create Familiar], this time imbuing the mana onto my back in the form of large, beautiful fairy wings. I even toss in [Evolve Beauty] to create a mosaic of different beauty identities, and I create a link to them to help me mentally control them.

Once I have large enough wings I command them to flap and lift me up in the air. It is very unsteady but I am now floating! I shift my weight and command my wings to move me forward, after which I start moving about as fast as I normally walk.

I feel giddy with excitement at my success, but it's imperfect. I have to mentally command my wings and I can probably make them better in some ways, but hopefully an actual flying skill will make them function like extra limbs.

I fly out over the water and circle the village, flying faster as I feel more comfortable with my current capabilities. I am still scared of flying too high but as long as I am above water I won't be hurt too much if I fall for some reason. Regardless of my apprehension of flying high, it is a thrill to be flying at all!

Relishing in the moment I do a backflip, twist in the air, and barrel roll, laughing in excitement. After doing several more tricks I decide to fly a little higher, then a little bit more, then before I know it I am high above the houses. If I could properly see the village from this point of view it would probably be wonderful, with the sun setting and everyone going to the Lojyo.

I fly down and land in front of my house, dismissing my wings and nearly jumping at a sudden notification.

Ting! Your Bond skill, Imbue Beauty, has evolved into Adorn Wings!

Adorn Wings: You can sprout large fairy wings to fly, at the cost of 8000 mana.

(Beauty) (Illusion)

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 407-410!

Pricey but affordable, still not something I want to use willy-nilly. I can use it nine times before I am out of mana, or only once if I am not wearing my Kyhosa. I wonder if I can make my clone fly too, or if that will cost me more? Or less, since the clones weigh a lot less than my real body does.

As I ponder ways to explore my new skill, I walk to the Lojyo to join in the partying.

Chapter 106: Flying and Fairies

Wings sprout from my back, making my family gasp in surprise.

"So beautiful!" Mom exclaims.

It is the morning after I gained [Adorn Wings] and I am showing it off to my family.

"I want wings too!" Yafel says with starry eyes.

"Me too! Me too!" Yafe is almost bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Can't hold you down any longer now," Dad says with a proud smile.

My wings flap as if they are my own limbs: no more conscious effort, no more commanding it through [Impart Instructions], I have perfect control over them.

I fly up and back-flip, then twist in the air, testing my movements. Next, I test my speed; I fly faster and faster until, soon, the wind is howling in my ears. I clock out at what appears to be a hundred kilometers an hour; fast, but not super fast. Still, it means that I can fly to the edge of the Nexus in about an hour, which is a lot faster than using boats.

I feel an electric shock of excitement fill me as I realize that I can now go anywhere I want! No more being reliant on boats, no more needing airships to fly!

I fly around the Nexus, passing over several islands, all of them abandoned and in ruins. Clearly the villages of many of these islands have selectively cultivated their bamboo to produce unique fruits or oils. Some islands mostly grow a type of cotton plant, while another seems to have a large mine. They will need to be restored and repopulated for their products to be introduced back into trade… it will take years to return things to 'normal'.

One thing that will help fix the islands is making a dungeon town, to make use of the trees in there, not just the monsters. But for that to be possible we must first slay the Treant, and to slay the Treant we need to get stronger.

After a few hours of flying around, I return home and summon my first clone; I'll have to wait for my mana to recharge before summoning another one. I had to cancel my previous clones because I flew too far from them, and now I am paying the price of needing to summon them again.

Now I need to work on upgrading [Fairy Strike]. To start with, what do I need [Fairy Strike] to do? It needs to deal damage, obviously, but how can I improve that? I can make it be really powerful but cost a lot of mana, which is good as long as I retain the ability to use less mana if I want. What I really need it to do is use only part of the mana to attack rather than always using it all at once. If I can summon a fairy with a lot of mana and have it only use what I need it to, it should help me not waste any mana against weaker monsters.

Now that I have my plan, I need to think of how to implement it. It's kind of a catch twenty-two in some ways; you have to do the thing you need first before getting it as a skill. Of course, the skill is better, so it's more like training the Bond; you need to show it what you want, if only partially, before it learns how to do it.

I channel [Fairy Strike], dumping five thousand mana into it before finishing the spell. A large fairy takes form and hovers in front of me, its wings flapping quickly. I pinch off about a hundred points of mana with [Mana Manipulation] and shoot it at a mana ring I made. Next, I pinch off only five mana points and shoot it, then fifteen points, and so on until the fairy is gone, shrinking to nothing.

I channel five fairies and, with the help of my five minds, simultaneously do the same with all of my summoned fairies. I continue to do this for several hours, hoping that the skill will evolve into what I want.

Unfortunately, it isn't that easy, and it's something that I will have to work on for a while. The next day I have my clones work on other things, with only one working on upgrading [Fairy Strike], trying to hit moving targets.

All of this upgrading leads me to a question, can't I keep trying to evolve my skills to grind my Bond levels? Can't I just keep dropping a skill, gain a new one, evolve it, drop it and repeat? I should probably ask Kayafe or the Guardian first about it before I screw something up.

I fly over to the Temple, glad I no longer have to walk up the long flight of stairs. I land next to the Mana Arc and establish communications with Kayafe.

"Hello," Kayafe says.

"Hello. I have a quick question."

"Ask away," Kayafe says, although she sounds a little bit hurt that I only came to ask something.

I tell her about the Bond skill upgrading being used to farm levels.

"It is certainly something that is commonly exploited by warrior guilds and military all over the world," Kayafe informs me. "But it can only go so far. It technically counts as exploring your Bond and trying new things to better understand your Bond; however, eventually, you'll get diminishing returns as you'll be trying out ever more similar things that you have done before. However, it is encouraged that when starting out, you try all sorts of new skills before settling on the ten you want the most."

I see. So it is a known thing and openly done to get a leg up, something we Runalymo aren't doing, yet another thing that we have fallen so far behind in.

"Can you easily regain a previous skill?" I ask, following the logic to its conclusion.

"Yes, even its evolved form provided you obtained that evolved from before. It's a lot easier to regain it too." Kayafe replies.

"Wait, so you can regain an early version of a skill?" It certainly sounds like you can.

"Yes, it's often referred to as an upgrade tree; you just need to keep track of what you did to get the skill. Have an open slot and work on regaining the skill for a few hours, and you'll get it back. But do note that I said it takes a few hours; this means you can't just swap out skills whenever you want; it's something you have to prepare for." Kayafe says.

Interesting, so not only can you swap out for previous skills, you are kind of encouraged to do so. I can also work on other evolution paths to gain more levels and then swap back when I need to. It's not like my everyday life really needs [Fairy Strike]. However, there is the issue of how it all works with my class.

"How does switching Bond skills work with a Class that specifically requires that skill?" I ask.

"It becomes an unusable skill, which is the primary reason why people don't take Bond Classes. Of course, you can simply switch back, but if you need the skill and don't have it, you're going to be in deep trouble," Kayafe responds.

It makes sense, and I never know when I might need [Fairy Strike]; however, I can probably see danger coming long before and can regain the skill with my current perceptive abilities.

"What about upgrading the skill? Won't it mess up the Class skill too?"

"Sometimes. Generally Bond Class skills are broad enough to apply for future evolutions, though, so it's not as bad as it could be, but more than one person has been screwed over before... yet another reason why caster Classes are superior," Kayafe says, obviously biased in her opinions.

Thinking about it, my upgrade to [Imbue Beauty] was so drastic it's almost a different skill. There are still roots in the same concept, however, which is why it is considered an evolution, not an entirely new skill. Still, If I had Class skills boosting [Imbue Beauty], they wouldn't work with my wings, or only partially work, and would likely require me dropping a skill and getting a more fitting one.

Seeing as how my fairy Class skills work with all fairy things, as long as my [Fairy Strike] becomes [Fairy Something], it will still apply. I wonder if my fairy skills will work on my wings? They are fairy wings, after all, but the name doesn't specifically say it's a fairy skill.

Feeling vaguely guilty for waking Kayafe up just to get answers out of her, I decide to stay with her for as long as I can today, and tell her about my observations of magic frameworks and cursed skills.

"Miasma inside the skill? Are you sure about that? If only Dhwol knew this, it's a huge breakthrough in the study of cursed skills! Ugh! If only I worked on my [Sense Mana] more!" Kayafe complains. "Your study into magic frameworks is still in its infancy, yet you've already learned so much. I had no idea a magic item framework compounds more on itself, simply adding more layers. At least that's what you think is going on. And Bonds not having a magic framework spit in every scholar's theory, no one would have guessed that!"

"How is it that people even know about magic frameworks in the first place? Did someone have [Sense Magic] before?" I ask.

"Hmm, I don't know. Probably, but what we do know comes from a few texts from ruins, so it's second-hand knowledge at best and poorly translated in most cases. Chances are someone studied magic through some certain way like your [Sense Magic], but their methods are long gone, and only a few records survived. Keep in mind that having an enhanced skill is rare, and having more than a few is something only seen in very old being like Safyr."

"Right, most people tend to stall out at around ten breakthroughs, give or take, and it often requires advanced knowledge and application of that knowledge for more breakthroughs," I clarify, mostly to myself.

Thinking about it, how far would I have gone in [Mana Manipulation] if not for [Sense Mana]? Skills, perceptive ones in particular I think, can give you the necessary knowledge to get further in other skills. This only highlights the importance of perceptive skills. If I had a skill that could see sound, how far could I go in [Musician]? Also, people tend to take a lot longer than I have. Some of these things might take decades of research to fully understand, which is probably why only ancient beings have enhanced skills.

I make small talk with Kayafe for the rest of the time I have and then return home to train some more. I make use of my Diadem's clones as they are much cheaper to make; unfortunately, it can only make three, which means one of my clones is an expensive one.

It takes me another whole day of practice and training to upgrade [Fairy Strike]. It may have been faster if I was fighting monsters, but that is something I'll have to test out later.

Ting! Your Bond skill, Fairy Strike, has evolved into Fairy Soldier!

Fairy Soldier:

For up to 500 mana, you can summon fairy soldiers that can shoot beams at your foes. Each beam costs up to 50 mana and uses the mana the fairy has been summoned with.

(Beauty) (Summon)

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 411-415!

This seems like it will require a little more micromanaging or more advanced instructions.

I summon a fairy with five hundred mana. It is larger than before, but otherwise, it looks the same. Next, I make a beauty ring for it to shoot.

{Attack the ring with thirty mana} I order the fairy. The fairy attacks the ring until it runs out of mana and disappears.

I suppose I didn't say to attack once, so I suppose I need to be careful with my wording.

I summon another fairy and give it a slightly different order experimenting with a slightly vaguer instruction.

{Fire at will at the ring}

The fairy rapidly attacks with the most powerful attacks it can muster, quickly disappearing.

It seems to want to kill something as fast as it can.

At least I won't have to tell it how many times to attack or to use its full force, which is probably going to be what I want against most monsters anyway. But against a lot of weak monsters, I'll need to specify it to use only what can kill the monster and not any more than necessary to make efficient use of my mana.

Now, onto my Class skills and how those change based on this new evolution of my fairies.

I summon another and augment it with [Fairy Explosion], seeing all of its mana becomes unstable. I order the fairy to move far away from the village and then attack the water below it. The fairy shoots out a beam of unstable mana, which explodes upon contact with the water.

That is... very inefficient. It would be better to shoot out a ball rather than a beam since the first part of the beam will explode and cascade back through the beam, which would not be in contact with a target when it explodes. I order the fairy to dive-bomb the water, using its body like a bomb. It does so with favorable results.

Looks like they will still be kamikaze fairies for now. With that thought, I end my experiments, having a much better understanding of how my fairies work with the Class skills. The Class skills will augment all of the fairy's mana, but the fairy can still function normally; overall, a big improvement, but I will need to think ahead with the next evolution. Although I suppose I could swap out back to [Fairy Strike] and redo the evolution, but with a better attack method?

Hmm. Always more experiments.

Chapter 107: Evolution Trees

It's been five months and I have finally completed the village's sewer system. It took a lot longer than I expected, simply because I was also focused on building my Bond skills' evolution tree. I also told Chyzu, Esofy, Tana, and many other people that they should do the same, if only to level up their Bond more.

For my main attack, I went back to [Beauty Beam], a poorly thought-out skill but one with a lot of upgrade potential, and I upgraded it to [Beauty Laser], a proper laser attack that utilizes actual laser-like damage rather than the more conceptual damage type [Beauty Beam] used. I then upgraded [Beauty Laser] into [Beauty Prism] which takes advantage of the different types of beauty to create a cold attack, fire attack, and is even capable of healing like [Blessing of Wholeness]. It is a mix of conceptual and laser attacks.

The conceptual damage type is the main reason why [Beauty Beam] dealt less or more damage based on how 'beautiful' something is. It's fueled by the very concept of beauty and destroys what is not. This is also why beauty essence can heal, it's conceptual healing rather than regeneration.

My third evolution tree for [Beauty Beam] is [Beauty Pellet] which attacks with pellets of mana rather than a beam otherwise it's functionally the same as my laser version with only one main difference. The lasers are more powerful, being able to fit more mana into a continuous beam while the bullets are weaker but more fitting for explosion-type attacks, which led me to evolve it in that direction. Other than pellets I have [Beauty Bullet] which is the [Beauty Prism] version, then I have [Beauty Gatling] a machine gun type skill, and [Beauty Canon] which fires a large ball of beauty.

At this point, all of my [Bullet] version evolution only give me one level each to my Bond. Yes, the Gatling and Cannon are still innovative and kinda new but it's really just a large and rapid-fire version of previous skills, so it's not that rewarding.

All of these evolutions were able to take my Bond to level four hundred twenty-nine, fourteen levels.

The next skill I worked on was [Beauty Enhancement] which I turned into [Beauty Blessing]. Following the conceptual function, it's more of a plastic surgery type of skill. It's very mana expensive but can do things like remove blemishes or grow or shorten hair and fingernails, but nothing too drastic. It can't reshape limbs, bone or muscle. Maybe there is a stronger evolution that I can unlock when I am higher level in my Bond.

Next, I upgraded [Beauty Empowerment] into [Intensify Beauty], which is just the Bond version of my [Empower Fairy]. It can work on all of my beauty spells including non-Bond spells. Then I branch [Beauty Empowerment] into [Beauty Explosion], taking inspiration from [Fairy Explosion]

I earn nine levels from these evolutions, bringing my Bond level to four hundred thirty-eight.

The third skill I worked on is [Imbue Beauty]. Although it became [Adorn Wings], it was a rather basic skill so it's not hard to get back. I evolved it to [Bestow Wings], which lets me cast my wings on myself or others, and would be a better version if it wasn't slower and less agile. It's good for getting a lot of people from point A to point B, but not as good in combat. Still, the twins love flying with me and I don't plan on ever being face to face with a monster, so I decided to keep this skill on me instead of [Adorn Wings].

I also evolve [Imbue Beauty] into [Imbue Bond]. It lets me cast a Bond skill onto an object, which then can be used by anyone for a certain number of charges. Once all charges are used, I need to recast the skill. In other words, I can cast [Beauty Cannon] on Esofy's sword and she can use it four times. However, due to the nature of mana, It won't work with dark aligned weapons like Uloru's hammer.

I earn six levels for the two evolutions of [Imbue Beauty], which advances my Bond level to four hundred forty-four.

Unfortunately, half of my Bond skills are ones I don't want to risk evolving, so for now I'll have to hold off on them. I have managed to upgrade [Create Twin] into the slightly better version [Copy Self], which costs about as much as my Diadem's clones. It's cheaper than [Duplicate Self] – not the degree that I can spam it in combat, but at least it won't cost seventy percent of mana to replace a single clone – but still tangible enough to hold things.

The last skill I work on is my old [Aura of Elegance]. It's one of the skills I honestly think had some good uses, and I am able to upgrade it to [Beauty Nova] for a burst effect centered on me. I also made a new branch of the evolution tree, [Beauty Sanctuary], a shield-type illusion skill which I further upgraded to [Serene Sanctuary] which also weakens any attacks that may break past my defenses. Branching off of [Beauty Sanctuary] again, I gained [Sanctuary of Wholeness] which, you guessed it, heals everything around me.

Branching off [Beauty Sanctuary] yet again I got [Sanctuary of Passion] and [Sanctuary of Stillness], which are mildly offensive auras that can heat up or cool down my surroundings respectively.

For these evolution trees, I managed fourteen levels, bringing my Bond to level four hundred fifty-eight. In addition to all of that work, my efforts at becoming more in-tune with my Bond paid off with twenty-two more levels over these five months, taking my new Bond level total to four hundred eighty.

Just twenty levels away.

I've been holding off on my Class levels for so long, and soon I'll finally be able to work on it again. It's only taken fourteen years of my life to get this far... maybe I should ask Kayafe for some Class advice sometime.

I am almost fourteen years old now, just a month away. I am quickly running out of time to find a cure to cursed skills, but I have so many things to do and not enough time to do it in, even with all of my clones.

Also, with my Bond almost reaching five hundred, I should also work on my general skills to get the last few levels so I can get a second Class. Once I do that I can probably drop [Tailoring], I don't need it anymore with my [Mana Manipulation]. I'll just mana weave and mana forge everything. If I do need a little more help in weaving I have [Acting] to help. And since Acting works off what I know, it should bring me back to where I was, especially if I use the breakthrough of 'acting a skill'. For now, I need to keep [Tailoring] for its high levels.

With the plumbing in place, our village is now more popular than ever before, and we are seeing a large influx of people moving in. People tell their friends and family about the innovation our village has and, since they are already in the nearby villages, they move in. It's not expected to stay this way, however. Things will return to normal, many people will seek their fortunes in the underpopulated villages and resettle the central and inner villages again.

Several other villages have been restored now, although the price of lumber is still very high. Thirty villages have been restored in total and, slowly, trade is being re-established. Things like bamboo seeds, cotton, clay, metals, stone, and other goods our village doesn't produce are making their way back to our markets.

"With the completion of the sewers I'd like to ask you to start working on the airship again," Guklaro asks.

I had set the Mana Arc liquid mana production back to dark mana, and we now have a good stockpile of the mana that we can work with again. I also have to alter the airship slightly to make it ready for enchantments: when I built it originally I just smashed everything together, which makes it bad for enchanting. The airship alterations will likely take two or three months, unless it ends up taking longer like the sewer project did. That would be… annoying.

"Alright, we have enough mana for the flooring at least, but this airship will require at least two more sessions of gathering mana to complete it," I tell her.

Because this airship will be enchanted to be larger on the inside we have to make it accordingly. This means that the floors will be made closer to each other, possibly so close together that someone can't normally fit between them. This is great for having many floors, but will require a lot more mana and time to make it. On top of that, the amount of mana required to maintain the enchantment may be beyond what we can manage, and once the enchantment runs out of mana it's bad news for anything left inside it.

We do have that slime core that produces mana, which will definitely help but it's not going to solve the issue on its own. If we want the airship to be self-powering then we need more monster parts that can produce mana, and there just so happens to be a Heroic-tier monster that may have something that can help us.

"Are you sure you want it enchanted?" I ask. "The mana upkeep will be... a lot. Possibly too much."

"We will figure something out, even if it takes us fifty years to get it off the ground," Guklaro replies.

With that, I walk that clone over to the docks where the airship is and start getting it ready for enchantments. I send another clone to prepare dark mana by transforming it into space mana. My third clone, I send to play with the twins while with my real body I visit the combat academy.

"Alysara! Good to see you here," Chyzu says, noticing me and stopping her lecture. "Thank you for telling us about the Bond skills being able to switch back and forth, it's helped us grow our Bond so much that it's been a primary focus here for a while now."

"For the longest time we thought you lose all progress on a Bond skill if you drop it, it kinda shows how stuck we are in our ways that no one thought to test it," Esofy says.

I notice Tana avoiding eye contact shyly. He's probably the one who's grown the most in his Bond, having grown his evolution tree more than even I have with mine. He really is a genius when it comes to combat.

"I probably wouldn't have questioned it if I had asked you about it, it's normal to trust those that are more experienced than you," I reassure her.

"Yeah, I suppose so." Esofy thinks for a few moments after answering, then shakes her head and continues, with slightly more excitement in her voice. "Since you are here, we plan to go back to the dungeon next week. We won't be challenging the Treant or the heroics but we still have second Classes that are ready for evolution and we want to level them up."

I nod. Esofy and Chyzu have been training their second Class' skills for a while now. They would have probably gone into the dungeon already if it wasn't for them working on their evolution trees. This is a good chance for me to power-level my Bond to five hundred.

Now is probably a good time for me to ask Kayafe about what I need to do to obtain the best Class evolution I can. I leave the combat academy and fly over to the Temple. I spoke with her a few times over the last five months, my wings making the trip into an easy five-minute fight at my top speed. We often spoke about magic and magic frameworks, mana, our skills and I even told her how to get her final five breakthroughs in [Sense Mana].

"Hello again, Alysara."

"Hello, Kayafe. I need some advice. What are the best common ways to obtain better Class evolutions? What should I focus on most?"

"Hmm, that is a difficult question. The first is to try and max out your Class skills, even if you must hold off on some breakthroughs. Keep in mind that your next evolution will be fifty levels later, so you have some wiggle room to hold off. Just be wary, since you gain a Class level for every breakthrough and every five levels in a skill." Kayafe says.

"I see, so when I reach level five hundred in my Bond I should go straight to training my skills."

"Yes, it's better to have a capped skill level than to have more breakthroughs but not be capped. Obviously, it's best to have both. Next, for people with Bond Classes their Bond level is just as, if not more, important. It's another thing that sets Bond Classes back, you not only have to train your Bond and Bond skills but also your Class skills, so they often have to spend more time training."

"I get it, I get it, you think Bond Classes are sub-optimal," I say defensively.

"Of course, why have a Class to augment your Bond when you can have your Bond round out your build. For example, I use my Bond for mostly defensive purposes so I don't need to cast defensive spells manually."

Considering that a dragon can burn even the fabric of reality, and that the Bond isn't sourced in magic, I feel like Kayafe's bias may be hurting her in the long run. But then again, I have [Manipulate Mana] without a Class, so I don't need a caster Class unless I want it to be a lot stronger.

"The next thing you want is monster kills," Kayafe continues. "Mostly, you want a number of high tier and high level kills. As I've said before, dungeons are a great resource for these achievements. Your Class is Adept and you already have a Heroic kill, which is really impressive, so with five hundred levels in your Bond you will certainly have something very good."

"Factoring in my Heirloom tier, it should offset my negatives at least. Actually, why do Heirloom progenitors have such a large negative anyway? Did your companion ever find out?" I ask.

"We think it's because of the tiers themselves. The higher the tier you have, the harder it is to obtain greater tiers, and since Heirloom is so rare we think it counts as much as a Major or even Heroic-tier in addition to the tiers you already have. This is also why second Classes are just as hard to get higher tiers, you already have a Race tier and Class tier and it all adds up." Kayafe explains.

"The last thing you should know about are trials." Kayafe continues, after a short silence. "These are deliberately made and are often very difficult to accomplish. It can be anything, but the most common trials are tournaments, which are often worthy of at least a Major-tier achievement. Some trials are made for legendary achievements and are all but impossible or extremely deadly. Most organizations and governments make a few trials to train talented people and gain power."

"That sounds a lot like the Analysha, one has to make a likeness of Myrou or be exiled if you fail," I say. Dad has been wanting to do the Analysha for a long time now but clearly isn't ready for it yet. I am trying to explain mana to her, but it's going to take a lot more time before she understands mana physics.

"Yes, that is a trail I made, although I called it something else, The Tribute to the Gods. Specifically, you must make a likeness of Myrou, Venaro, and Varath, who embody the three main focuses of civilization: culture, science, and war. You must have a rich culture, good understanding of how the world works, and the ability to defend yourself to have a successful civilization. It should be a legendary trial as one pretty much needs an enhanced skill and the consequence for failing is high. If you manage to enhance [Mana Manipulation] it should be very doable for you."

Which means if I want to attempt the trial I will need the other likenesses to study... and those are somewhere in the dungeon.

Chapter 108: Returning to the Dungeon

I step through the dungeon gate, and the vast area comes into view. With over twenty kilometers of radius for [Sense Magic], I can see all of the camps we made and all of the dens that we discovered: a reminder of what we need to reclaim.

Each camp is overrun with vegetation, the walls are torn down and the buildings are falling apart. The Treant seems to think that we won't return; it is wandering around the forest near the Glade. To the west is an open plain, but I can't see too far into it. In the south, the land starts rising into what could be a large hill or a mountain; I don't know yet. I will need to go farther to the north and east to see if there's anything beyond the forest. I hold onto Esofy as she activates the waystone key, and we teleport to the rodent den.

I summon my clones as everyone double-checks their equipment.

"Remember, we are not here to do anything crazy, only to get stronger," Esofy says, looking everyone in the eyes.

Our group is Esofy, Tana, Chyzu, Jowaru, Irela, Uloru, Kadona and me. Aside from Uloru, Tana and I, who have yet to get one thousand total general skill levels, everyone here is trying to level up their second Class.

Esofy's second Class is based on her [Battle Movements], which makes it another warrior Class. Looking at it with [Sense Magic] and seeing how it seems to 'touch' her Bond, it is a Bond Class, perhaps because of the Bond-influenced variant skill?

"What's it like when you get a second Class?" I ask.

"You don't know?" Chyzu responds. "It's like getting a Class for the first time, or evolving a Class. You get a lot of different options based on what you have accomplished before."

I cringe at that. It means that most of my options will be corrupted, but it also means that it will be easier to predict what kind of skills will be brought over from the general skills. It also means that many choices will likely be Bond Classes, which at this point may be my only option left. Not that I'm complaining; I'm not Kayafe, and Bond Classes are very strong and surprisingly versatile with their ability to switch out skills. Kayafe says it takes a few hours to do so, but I have found that it only takes me half an hour on average; I wonder if it's because I specialize more in it?

I look at Chyzu's new Class. Another mage Class, ice-based non-caster this time.

"Chyzu, why do you choose non-caster Classes rather than caster or Bond Classes?" I ask.

"Hmm," Chyzu hums, putting a finger on her lips, "It doesn't require me to focus on casting spells." Chyzu snaps her fingers, and a water bolt shoots out. "My spells are faster to cast, too, making it great for instinctual fighting. I don't plan my movements; I let my instincts and experience do the thinking. As for why I didn't choose a Bond Class, it's because I wanted more variety in my abilities, especially in combat. It works for you because of your [Mana Manipulation], but imagine if you didn't have that. You wouldn't be able to channel your spells, your ability to take down much stronger monsters would be reduced, and you wouldn't have the ability to weave or forge mana into powerful items to prepare for things. That all means you'd have to be a lot more careful, or get more abilities in combat that can help you fight and survive."

She… has a pretty good point. My cursed skill, even if it has bitten me in the ass, has also helped so much… it's a double-edged sword. I can see people purposefully getting cursed skills to get more powerful or to cover a weakness they have, and who would have more interest in purifying cursed skills than those who use them? Perhaps I should also seek out those groups if any exist. For all I know, using a cursed skill could be outlawed, or a forbidden thing. This also leads to another issue; what if I do successfully discover a way to purify cursed skills? If it's easy or safe then it's likely to completely change the game. Everyone will seek out cursed skills and just purify them; the power dynamic of the world will change overnight and lead to chaos. Perhaps some things are best kept secret. Although, that assumes that it's not only possible but replicable, for all I know it might be a thing that a person can only do for themselves.

Both Irela and Jowaru seem to have gotten Bond Classes, probably to enhance their metal manipulation abilities. Kadona has a new weapon, since her old one was destroyed by the Void Slime. Now she is wielding a halberd with an oversized head. I'm not sure what her second Class does, but it no doubt has something to do with having oversized weapons.

We start going through the rodent den, pretty much massacring its weak monsters. We quickly make it to the first-floor boss and carefully slay it before moving on.

"The second Class is much more difficult to level up," Kadona remarks.

"The levels add up," I explain after a moment's thought. I did pass Kayafe's warning on to Esofy, but she must have forgotten to tell the others. "If you have two level one hundred Classes, they both level as if they are one level two hundred Class."

"I see; I may have to hold off on my main Class if that's the case." Kadona gives a slight nod.

"If they add up to one high-level Class, then why not just have one Cass?" Uloru asks, splatting a rodent under her hefty hammer.

"More skills," Kadona says simply. "It's better to have more skills that can augment your abilities. And the second Class also means that you have twenty skills with a Class bonus."

"Kadona's right, it's better to have more Classes." Esofy agrees, then clarifies. "Remember, the level only gives you more stats, so the real strength is in the skills."

After a long day of squishing monsters with her hammer, Uloru looks over her gains: just a level each in her Bond and Class. They have made it to the fourth floor, and now the monsters are getting strong, reaching upwards of level two hundred for the normal monsters and three hundred fifty for the bosses. No Heroic monsters yet, which is a good thing as Esofy would probably not let them fight one.

Despite the bosses being at the same level as the last time they were here, they seem to be a lot easier to kill, probably because the majority of their party have gained significant power due to their second Class.

Uloru looks ahead at the clone of Alysara. She, too, has gained in power, although seemingly not as much as the others. However, she always knows where to go and where to take them to find the bosses and lower floors.

The girl she knew has grown a lot, her figure becoming fuller and more shapely. Her beautiful tails dance behind her as she walks and Uloru can't help but admire the beautiful sheen of the light spells reflecting off them. Although Alysara is two years younger, Uloru can't help but feel a growing attraction to her.

Suddenly Uloru is woken up by a smack at the back of her head. Leaning forward, her master whispers in her ear.

"Stop staring. I know she is around your age, but you should be polite."

Uloru rubs the back of her head and looks elsewhere, occasionally catching glances of those long beautiful tails.

Something I've noticed is that Runalymo are attracted to long, silky tails. Considering that I have the longest tails, not to mention three of them, I'll be getting a lot more attention from potential suitors. At least now I know why we have such long tails; it's from sexual selection. As for our large ears, it's because the Nexus is a very hot place and the large ears are a way to keep cool. Desert foxes like the fennec fox also have large ears to keep cool, same with a lot of animals like elephants and servals.

It's possible that due to my Bond, I developed very long tails because it's what the Runalymo find attractive, and that could also be why my race has three tails as opposed to some other mutation like golden hair.

I let out a sigh. As I continue to grow, I'll get more and more attention, and there is a maelstrom of emotions inside of me when I think about that. On one hand, I want to focus on myself; I am still too young for anything like that, and I don't want to be the focus of anyone's desire. On the other hand, a part of me desires and enjoys the attention – likely the influence of puberty – and I am glad that I am accepted by others and that two years of pain and loneliness haven't gone to waste.

Pangs of guilt, pain, and loneliness resurface as I think about that time; my chest tightens, and my hands shake slightly. I take a role with [Acting] to calm myself and push away those feelings, a tactic I have been using for months whenever I think about those events.

With my emotions back in control, I ease off my [Acting] and check my Bond level. Four hundred ninety-three, only seven levels to go. Despite killing the bosses that previously would give three or four levels each, I am lucky to gain just one now. Our group has become a lot stronger, and dealing with the monsters is a lot easier.

With the second Class, better Bond skills, and Bond levels from training evolution trees, these monsters are being slain with much greater proficiency. We rest near the fourth-floor boss's room and discuss strategies for the fight. It is a level four hundred Grand monster; a tough fight but theoretically doable with our current strength.

Phase Rovlat (Grand), level 404 Ghost Striker (Grand), level 326 Space Bond

I send in a spare clone to test its abilities while the others rest. As I have done before, I make the clone invisible, both to test its sensing abilities and to test its defenses with a sneak attack.

I don't charge my spear so much that it starts making a humming sound: I already know these monsters can hear. As I approach, the boss stands up with its hackles raised and turns transparent. With my [Sense Magic] I see a skill in its Race light up, indicating active use. Other skills are already lit up, both in its Race and Class. The Phase Rovlat slowly walks around my clone's position, light mana coating it, indicating an invisibility spell. But that's not what worries me most; rather, my greatest concern is that it's transparent even to my [Sense Magic].

Chances are that it's sensing space in some way; distortions, presence, it's definitely sensing something that the presence of my clone disturbs. It can't hide from me, not with my [Sense Magic] and [Sense Soul], but it is certainly trying.

The boss suddenly rushes at me with fangs bared, and I brace my spear so it will impale itself upon it, only for it to pass right through my spear and all the mana it contains. The Rovlat bites and rakes my clone, but the mana simply seals back up. I try stabbing the oversized rodent but only succeed at stabbing air. It's as if the Phase Rovlat isn't there.

Obviously, with the name 'Phase Rovlat' and 'Ghost Striker', it specializes in hitting enemies without allowing them to land a hit in return. The basic idea is much like what I do, just executed in a very different way. The only way I can think of hurting it is with space spells.

I cast a simple spell to cut the boss... only for the spell to pass right through the monster. If I didn't know better I would think it's an illusion... except I know it's not, so why didn't the spell work? I don't know enough about 'space' to be sure, but maybe it's on a different spatial layer, and the spell attacked the one I am on, which means I need to strike on a different spatial layer?

I summon the spell again, only this time it costs almost thirteen times more mana and appears transparent, much like the boss, so I'm probably on the right track. I strike with the spell... and again pass through the Phase Rovlat. It seems that there are several 'layers' and that I must find which one it is on. If I had some sort of [Sense Space] skill, or a related breakthrough, this would have been easy; unfortunately, I do not have either, and I'm basically making things up as I go along here, since I don't really know anything about how 'space' works for this kind of thing.

Again and again, I try to hit the boss. I eventually do find the right layer, I think, but its phasing skill lights up and it switches to a different layer before I can hit it. All the while, the boss tears into my clone. We are both at a stalemate, unable to hurt each other. No one else will have the means of hurting it, unless Tana can somehow drain its vitality when it strikes him. It is definitely using some space ability to strike our layer without fully leaving its own. But, with only one of us who might be able to hurt it, it's not worth the trouble, so we should just go to another den.

"Whelp, we can't kill the floor boss," I declare to the rest of the party as the other clone fades away. "It's a space warrior that has phasing capabilities, even if we try we can't actually hurt it."

"Then let's make our way back to the Gargoyle Ruins instead," Esofy says, standing up and stretching.

Chapter 109: Fear

Entering the Gargoyle Ruins, I start hearing the familiar siren song of mind essence through my [Mana Senses] and see the mana building up around my head. I see faint traces flowing from a monster on the tenth and final floor. My retaliation scapegoat is absorbing the mana and my mind resistance hood is helping resist control, but despite that, judging from the intensity of the mana, I don't have long to identify the culprit.

Despite the tenth floor being the largest, there is only a single living creature in it. A tall thin, bipedal thing with a hundred tentacles made of mind essence flailing about as it patrols the ruin halls, grasping around as if it is searching for something. Its arms are easily long enough to drag on the floor, even considering its long legs. It has no eyes or ears, its only facial feature a large mouth capable of fully engulfing a head, filled with writhing mind essence tentacles.

The creature looks in my direction, seeming to sense me through my perception: in the brief moment that it studies me, I [Analyze] it.

Elder Mind Eater (Exalted), Mind Dominator (Heroic), Ectoplasmic Vampire (Grand), Soul Flayer (Grand), Level 1234 Mind Bond

RUN! My instincts scream at me to get as far away and as fast as possible.

Near-instantly, my retaliation scapegoat explodes, shrapnel tearing at me. I scream in shock and pain as I summon the waystone key, left in my care for situations like this one, out of my storage ring. I recall all of my minds to defend myself and shrink my perception, but I feel the full force of dozens of minds pressuring me, trying to tear my metaphysical minds apart. I send my Diadem minds to the front line; they can just return through my magic item if they get destroyed. Quickly two of the minds are torn apart by twenty Mind Eater minds and more come for the third. I summon more from my Diadem and break off decoys with my [Mental Fortitude] breakthrough, doing everything I can to delay the onslaught of minds.

Ectoplasmic tentacles fly toward me at blinding speeds, even across the full distance to the tenth floor, digging into my soul barrier, then quickly worming their way in and grabbing one of my mind components. The other tentacles start sucking ectoplasm out of my soul, and more flail around in search of my last mind component. I teleport to the dungeon entrance just before my primary mind component is taken, and dash out of the dungeon more frightened than I have ever been before.

I stumble to the ground after passing through the entrance, clutching my bleeding side. I groan as I heal myself, ignoring the embedded shrapnel of my scapegoat for now, my hand trembling violently with both fear and the fading adrenaline rush. There is absolutely no way I am returning to the Gargoyle Ruins... well, there is something I caught a glimpse of in my perception on that tenth floor. I didn't pay it any attention because of the Mind Eater in the room, but with my enhanced memory, I can now examine the floor safely. Venaro's Likeness is down there. If I want to retrieve it, I must first slay the Mind Eater... A Mind Eater with who knows how many minds, and it even took another from me.

My [Sense Soul] can't reach that far, unlike [Sense Magic], so I can't count how many minds the Mind Eater has, but it is definitely the reason why there are no other beings on that floor, meaning it could have hundreds of minds. There is only one way I can fight it, and that is to get [Unlimited Minds]. Well, I suppose if that were the only way they'd have taken over the world, but it's certainly the most obvious answer. Likely I could also just get by with very powerful resistance skills and magic items, but it gives me a good reason to get the most powerful mind skill possible.

I hope the others are safe. I couldn't even tell them what was going on.

Esofy dances around the Gargoyle, cutting the legs and dodging the claws swiping at her midriff.

"Haa!" Uloru yells and swings her hammer, smashing into the monster and tossing it into the wall. The sound of breaking stone comes from both the wall and the monster. Kadona jumps with her halberd drawn back and swings it down for the finishing blow. The sound of crumbling stone signifies another Gargoyle being destroyed by the others.

"You two are really effective against these types of monsters," Esofy compliments the oversized-weapon-wielding duo.

Uloru grins widely. "Of course! The bigger the weapon, the better!"

"It's how you use it that matters," Kadona replies. "Skills like [Massless Weapon] and [Shift Mass] really help to raise the damage you can do."

Esofy's preference is for technique over pure power in her strikes, but she has to admit their way is more effective against these monsters. Fighting monsters is an entirely different affair to fighting other people, and what is best for one is often mediocre for the other. Esofy still has the void war scythe in her storage ring, and it would be more effective than her swords against the Gargoyles, but she isn't too familiar with other types of weapons. Yes, she has [Battle Arts], a variant of [Weapon Arts] which is the culmination of skills like [Sword Arts] and [Spear Arts], but swords are her specialty.

"Alysara? Alysara!?" Esofy turns towards Chyzu's worried voice, to see her waving her hand in front of the illusory clone, trying to get the girl's attention. After a moment, Chyzu sees everyone else looking at her and explains: "She just stopped moving in the middle of battle."

That is odd. They've barely stepped foot in the ruins, and this happens. They've explored the first few floors before, so why is this happening now? There can only be one reason for this: Something happened to the real Alysara. She should have said something by now, and, being on the first floor of the Rodent Den, nothing should be powerful enough to pose a threat to her. On top of that she also had cast an invisibility spell on herself so she wouldn't be detected by the monsters. Not to mention, she would have seen any threats coming kilometers away.

There can only be one explanation. Another Mind Slime event. Alysara is a smart girl and would have teleported out of the dungeon before she can be controlled; having felt the influence herself, Esofy knows that it takes time for control to set in, but... What if there's a more powerful monster? What if Alysara didn't have time to escape?

"We should check on her," Tana says, worry clear in her voice, a voice that has grown slightly deeper-pitched in recent times.

"Yes," Esofy agrees, "but let's be careful, in case there's a Mind Slime repeat." Esofy waits for everyone to nod, then leads the group back to where Alysara should be.

My wounds fully heal, and I dissolve the pieces of the retaliation scapegoat buried in me, thanking my luck that I made it entirely out of mana. I repair my clothes with [Mana Manipulation], regenerate my stolen mind component with [Twin Mind's] breakthrough, and stand up, looking at the entrance to the dungeon.

The oddest thing about it is that it isn't magical; it's just a doorway into something or someplace else. It has nothing to do with mana other than mana falling into it. It is definitely a spatial phenomenon, and if I had something like [Space Sense], I might be able to learn something, but right now I have other things to focus on, namely curing cursed skills, improving my Class and Bond, and slaying the Treant.

I try to step forward, but my leg barely moves. I try to will my body back into the dungeon, but I can't even get close. It should be safe now – the entrance cuts off all connections – and I need to check on the others; if anything, I need to give them the waystone key so they can leave safely. I'm their scout, and without me they'll be in a lot of danger while they cross the dungeon forest, so I need to go back!

But… even thinking of going back makes my legs tremble and my heart beat faster. Despite my efforts to regain control of my body, a deep primal fear takes hold of me. I know I should be safe so long as I don't observe the tenth floor of the Gargoyle Ruins with a clairvoyance skill, but my instincts don't run on logic.

Honestly, I'd probably be flying back home in terror if not for [Clear Mind] dampening such intense emotions, but this issue seems to be something else.

Well, if fear is the issue, then let's remove that altogether! I focus on [Acting], assuming the role of a fearless and reckless warrior ready to face any challenge. I feel the fear fade from me, and courage fills my heart. I take a slight step forward and stop; it feels like trying to move through tar, every movement closer to the dungeon making me want nothing more than to turn and run, to never look back.

[Acting] and [Clear Mind], struggle against my fear of the Mind Eater. The sensation of having my soul torn into, having my metaphysical minds torn apart while the mind component and ectoplasm are stolen, replays over and over again.

Each time my skills suppress my fear, I take another step forward. I wait, take a step, and wait. If I let terror win, I'll never be able to go back. Who knows, I might be too afraid of going out into the wider world, of being captured by slavers. I'll always ask myself, 'what if...' 'What if I am captured by slavers' 'What if there are other, more terrible monsters out there' 'What if I find genocidal xenophobic people?' I need to conquer my fears, lest I let them control me.

Step after step, I get closer and closer until I am only one step away from walking into the dungeon. 'What if it can still see me?' 'What if it's waiting for me to come back?' 'What if I can't escape next time?' I stand there, unable to take the final step. Even my [Acting] can't stop these thoughts from plaguing my mind.

I have to move! I need to check on the others! Tana, Esofy, Chyzu, I need to see if they are safe or need my help!

'But what if they are already dead?' 'What if they think you abandoned them?' 'What if they are safe and don't need your help?' 'They are strong and capable; surely they are fine, they can manage on their own, why take the risk?'

I find my body taking a step back.

'Everything will turn out alright.'

I take a second step back.

'I can always come back tomorrow and try again.'

I take a third step back.

'I just went through a terrible ordeal; I should take a rest. This doesn't mean I'm abandoning anyone; I'll try again tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll go back into the dungeon.'

I take a fourth step back.

I shake my head, realizing I have fallen out of my [Acting] role. I can't use these excuses; if I do, I'll always find an excuse. I raise both my arms, and, with all of my strength, I slap the sides of my face, the stinging pain reduced by [Pain Tolerance] to something distant, like a faded memory, but the act seems to have cleared my mind of those thoughts. I renew my [Acting] role and steel my determination, stomping closer and closer to the dungeon entrance. Like an unstoppable train, I pick up speed and barrel through the entrance, tumbling over the waystone on the other side.

Ting! Mental Fortitude has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 110!

11th Breakthrough: You've resisted overwhelming fear; this will help you conquer that which terrifies you.

Ting! Mental Fortitude has obtained levels 68-79!

Ting! Clear Mind has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 110!

11th Breakthrough: You've cleared your mind of betraying thoughts; this will help you stay collected.

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained levels 78-90!

Chapter 110: Catching Vision

I let out a sigh of relief when I don't feel the Mind Eater intruding upon my soul. I am safe. Now I need to return to the Rodent Den and check on the others.

Memories begin to resurface as I take out the waystone key, memories of my past life. I was introverted, and talking to people always filled me with anxiety. I would tell myself, 'It's fine, they wouldn't like me anyway' or 'we probably don't share the same interests', and I would always walk away.

The fact that I didn't walk away this time only proves that I am not the same person. I am successful, motivated, and strong-willed, not the lazy, complacent, and cowardly person that I was… before.

I shake my head, clearing it of the stray thoughts, and, with only a slight hesitation, I teleport back to my hiding spot, making sure to not have my vision extended too far. The others seem to be making their way back to me, fighting through groups of monsters, so I send a clone to meet up with them and to explain what happened.

"Alysara! You're back. What happened?" Chyzu asks, hugging my clone.

Tana looks relieved to see that I came back while Irela huffs, probably annoyed that she has come back for nothing.

"There's a really dangerous monster at the last floor of the Gargoyle Ruins, a powerful mind mage," I explain.

"It seems that your suspicions were right, Esofy," Kadona says.

"There's not a clone that has been taken over, is there?" Uloru asks, clearly remembering the last time something like this happened.

"Hmm, no, one of my minds is not being controlled..." I say and shudder at the thought of having Mind Eater tentacles intruding into my soul. "It was more interested in stealing a mind instead. I don't know how many minds it has, but it has a lot, way more than the Mind Slime. It's probably best that we stay away from the Gargoyle Ruins for now."

"Is it really that dangerous?" Jowaru asks.

I nod, probably too vigorously.

"Well, if you're that sure, then we should go to the next den," Esofy says and starts leading the group back to my real body so we can teleport to the Arachnoid Den.

I keep my vision at a short range even as we leave the Rodent Den; chances are that there will be at least one mind mage monster somewhere here too, although that doesn't always mean I am at risk of retaliation or being controlled. The Mind Slime didn't really have a retaliation skill, but it did sense my mental presence through my clairvoyance.

"Let me prepare first," I say before the group leaves to kill monsters. "If there is a mind mage in here too, I would rather get it out of the way first rather than stumble upon it when you guys are deep in the den."

"Are we going to have to stay away from this den too?" Irela asks, clearly annoyed.

"It's better to play it safe; if Alysara needs to run away from it, then it's probably too much for us to handle it too." Esofy retorts.

Tana looks even more determined while Uloru swings her hammer and takes a side glance at me, my tails specifically.

Feeling a little self-conscious under Uloru's glances, I make another, more powerful scapegoat – three actually, just to be extra safe. As the others rest, I also take some time to make a more powerful mental resistance helmet. It takes a few hours, but now I feel safer.

I slowly expand my vision, encompassing the first floor, then the second, until on the third floor I find another ruin entrance with what looks like serpentine statues on both sides of the entrance. Looking a little further into it, I see large snakes in the rooms. We aren't going in there yet, so I continue searching the fourth floor of the Arachnoid Den. Suddenly, my perception seems to get stuck right as some webs come into view. The webs appear to have been spun into the form of a dream-catcher.

Interesting. If these webs can 'catch' my clairvoyant field, then I don't want to know what the Arachnoid can do. I try to pull away, but feel glued to the webs. I pull harder and harder, feeling my perception slowly peel off the webs. As I am about halfway off the webs, I see a large Arachnoid come into view, and I [Analyze] it.

Dream Weaver Arachnoid (Grand), Sight Eater (Grand), level 484 Poison Bond

The Arachnoid rears back, then, with a lunging motion, sinks its fangs into my perception! Pain assaults my mind; I easily ignore it and try turning off my [Sense Magic], but am unable to. I pull back as hard as I can, my vision blurring as the Arachnoid somehow seems to 'eat' my clairvoyance! With a final tug, I pull my perception back, hoping my vision will be restored.

I turn my perception off and on again, but it remains slightly blurry. Panic creeps up as my vision doesn't immediately return to normal. My skill's magical framework doesn't seem damaged in any way; it shouldn't be able to damage my vision!

I feel [Clear Mind] kick in and calm me, allowing me to take a breath and sort through my thoughts. It's possible that my vision will return to normal, or maybe I can take it back by killing that Arachnoid. Still, this is another lesson; it's not just retaliation and mind mages I need to be wary of; there are other things out there that can cause trouble, and I should try to find a way to deal with them.

I should ask Kayafe about cases like these, but for now, we should try to kill that monster. I report what happened to Esofy.

"I'm not sure if we can get to the fourth floor," Esofy says, "But we'll try. It's not Heroic, so it should be doable."

As we fight through rooms infested with monsters, I try to think of ways to counter the Dream Weaver's abilities. How does it 'eat' my vision? Is it a type of poison? Is it stealing my vision? Is it temporary? My best guess is that it is a type of conceptual damage, and if that's the case, then conceptual restoration should heal it, right? But how do I heal my skill? How did it even hurt my skill in the first place? It is undoubtedly a magical effect, a powerful Class skill, so do I need magical healing, or will my Bond work?

I pump [Blessing of Wholeness] into myself, but my vision remains blurry. It seems like I need to specifically target my skill... How the hell do I even do that?! [Clear Mind] kicks in and calms my frustration while [Inquisitive perfection] whispers to me. I have [Magic Sense], I can see my magical frameworks and their skills; they exist somewhere, so they can be targeted. There's only one problem; I don't see anything wrong with my magical frameworks! It's possible that it's so minute that I don't notice it, however, or that there's something else that I don't see and I need another breakthrough.

Regardless, it's worth a try. I focus on the magical framework that is my [Sense Magic] in my Race's magic framework, and flow my Bond through it... Nothing changes; my vision remains the same. It's possible that my Bond just isn't powerful enough, or it's just not the way to heal my vision.

Uloru splats an Arachnoid against the wall, some of the blood dotting my clone's 'clothes'. Tana is burning another and draining its vitality while Esofy expertly cuts one in half with her void scythe; she mutters something about her edge alignment being off.

The Dream Weaver didn't attack my magical frameworks, if that's even possible. It attacked the metaphysical perception of my ability, much like how mind mages can attack the metaphysical mind. [Inquisitive Perfection] isn't helping much, just giving me a shrug; it's great, but it only works off of what I know, and in this case, I don't know much.

I focus on the perception itself, the act of feeling for the mana and magic around me and the 'idea' of perception. I shrink my vision so all of it will be affected, and channel my restoration spell.

Once fully charged, I release my spell and feel a sort of... 'warmth', for lack of better words, flow through my vision. A wave distorts my vision for a moment, and it clears up. Elation wells up inside of me and I jump up and down in joy, glad that my clone accompanying the party isn't doing the same. However, my success is short-lived as I notice my vision slowly blurring again several minutes later. My heart plummets as I realize it's only temporary.

I let out a heavy sigh. I am on the right track, but there are a multitude of potential reasons why my vision didn't fully heal. One is that it just needs several healing sessions; it heals, but not all the way. The second is that I need to get more powerful in my Bond for permanent healing. Or it can be both; perhaps I only healed the symptom and not the cause. For now, I should just focus on getting to the next milestone in my Bond and see if my healing works then.

For each boss monster, I test their abilities before we take them on. On some occasions, I have to prepare some mana-woven armor, but soon we reach the third floor. All the while, I have two minds trying to figure out how to defend against attacks on my perception. Whether it's a skill or an item, I need some way to defend myself. [Inquisitive Perfection] is nagging me about something, something about the magic circles that make up the magic frameworks? It's not a solution, but a suggestion to try something: perhaps I can use a throw-away perception, so it doesn't matter if it gets damaged? It's not always correct with its suggestions – healing the frameworks didn't work – but just to shut it up I decide to follow its baseless suggestion. I weave a ribbon and embroider the shape of my [Sense Magic's] magic circle into it. Nothing happens.

It's as I suspected, you can't just draw the shape into something and grant it a skill. With its curiosity fulfilled, [Inquisitive Perfection] goes quiet, but it does leave me wondering… what if I were to flow mana through the pattern? After all, enchantments work the same way. I send my mana reserves to flow through the pattern and see it light up. It's not the same as my skill, that is very clear, but the influence it has on the mana around it is evident, burning away the mana as if fueling a magic process, although with no apparent effect. This, unfortunately, means that the mana making up the ribbon is also being burned away, and soon the magic circle is compromised and the process stops.

"That's... interesting," I mutter. It clearly can't be used near objects made of mana, and it doesn't seem to grant me any abilities. Chances are that it grants the skill to an object, or simply uses the skill on the inscribed object at the cost of mana. This could be a reliable way of using true magic, but is it actually useful? I will have to study this phenomenon in greater detail later; for now, I have other things to do.

I need to figure out how to hide my perception, make it go through a proxy, or somehow encrypt my perception so I can't be found through it, as that seems to be how mind mages find me. I wonder if there's a breakthrough for that? Even if it's an enhanced level breakthrough, I should be able to get it. Of course, this won't save me from what the Arachnoid did, so I also need a way to divert damage or attacks... Perhaps I just need a resistance skill.

While I work on a possible breakthrough, my second mind is helping the others fight a boss monster, a huge Arachnoid that shoots out porcupine-like quills. Tana and Jowaru easily defend against those attacks with their shields, but Uloru and Esofy are hit by a barrage of quills until Irela forms a metal shield in front of them.

Kadona chops a leg off but is kicked back, her ribs making a loud cracking sound. Chyzu shoots out ice bolts, aiming for the eyes, and one manages to hit, enraging the Arachnoid, which charges at the vulnerable mage. I jump in to deliver my charged attack as Jowaru jumps in front of Chyzu, her massive shield raised to take the attack. I hit the underside of the Arachnoid, the mana destroying the boss's organs and burning out a good amount of its vitality. The Arachnoid screams, its stridulation making everyone cover their ears in pain.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Arachnoid launches its quills in all directions, hitting several people. Irela screams as the quills sink into her while Esofy tries unsuccessfully to deflect the quills with a swing of her sword.

Uloru leaps forward, ignoring the quills digging deeper into her, and slams her hammer on the Arachnoid's abdomen, puncturing through the tough chitin with her heavy hammer. In a stroke of genius, Uloru doesn't remove the hammer, but instead forces it deeper in the monster's innards and then makes it expand as large as it will get. The Arachnoid's abdomen explodes from the sudden expansion, spraying everyone nearby in guts and blood.

Ting! Your party has killed a Quill Shooter Arachnoid (Grand), Level 385 Sharpshot; extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 494!

I gained the three other Bond levels while fighting the other bosses; it seems that, while dungeons are good for achievements, getting high level and high tier kills, they aren't actually good for leveling up once one is strong enough. The better one is at fighting, the less risk there is, and that is taken into account, so one will level up slower.

That said, it's still a very important resource for training and leveling untrained people, and there's something to be gained for mentors as well; even if they aren't in much danger, the risk of their wards dying or being injured raises the stakes, which helps with leveling. Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way? We may need to bring in other people to make full use of the dungeon, or maybe explore more into the other areas of it.

Now, to think about my perception, and how to stop this sort of thing from happening again.

Chapter 111: Oppressive Vision

To use a clairvoyant skill, one must feel out for what they are trying to sense; in my case it's mana, magic, and things related to magic, such as miasma. This means that I am imparting some sort of observational force, which might be what is being detected to trigger retaliation or trace back to me. The webs that the Arachnoid used probably caught me through my 'touch' like a Chinese finger trap; I hypothesize that if I remove my 'touch' I can get away. The only issue with that theory is that I already tried doing that by turning off my skill, and it didn't work.

Still, no 'touch' means no retaliation. So now I need to find a way to exert a lot less 'pressure' when using my perception: I need to only barely 'touch' the mana around me.

Turns out dialing down my perceptive pressure is fairly easy – well, easy for my level five hundred skill, it is likely very hard for an unenhanced skill. As I dial down my perception, everything turns more and more transparent until I can barely see the outline of things. It will take a lot of practice using my perception in this way.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 700!

35th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate perceptive pressure; this will help you hide from, or attract the attention of, beings that can feel your perception.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 585!

This leads to one question: if I can lessen my perceptive pressure, can I increase it? The way this breakthrough is worded suggests I should be able to. And how is that any different from normal [Mana Manipulation]?

If perceptive touch is fundamentally different from manipulative touch, then I can see why it's a different skill, but if it's not, then why is it not just another breakthrough? Let's find out.

I increase my perceptive pressure around Esofy and the others as they are resting from the boss fight. Instantly everyone jumps and looks around, their weapons and spells ready. It's such a funny reaction I can't help but burst out laughing.

"Was that you, Alysara?" Esofy realizes that I would have warned them of incoming monsters and relaxes, releasing her held breath.

"Sorry! Sorry!" I say between fits of laughter. "I was just trying something new."

"You nearly gave us a heart attack Alysara!" Chyzu chastises me while Irela mutters something about 'immature children'

"What was it like?" I ask after calming down.

"It was like being watched by the Guardian from all around us... Or like being watched by thousands of those Void Slimes... It's a little hard to explain," Uloru says.

"Like being watched by a very powerful being," Kadona clarifies.

Interesting, I wonder if that's because of my high level, or because my skill is enhanced? Perhaps both? In any case, it gives me an idea that may give my highest level skill some combat potential. If I want to hide my real body, making people feel watched will make them more likely to overlook me.

I have a lot of things to learn once I have my Bond at level five hundred. For now, we continue deeper into the Arachnoid den, avoiding traps… such as the one that would cause a nearby egg sac to rupture, spraying the group with Tarantula-sized, poisonous baby Arachnoids. Likely a potential feeding method, the babies are born when food is nearby. I've observed some Arachnoids bringing in live prey and triggering the eggs before, so we knew what to look for.

We arrive at the last boss we have to slay before the floor boss spawns, and by the looks of it, it seems like a tricky one to fight.

Instead of thick cable-like webs, these are very fine, spun all over the room and filled with steel essence. It will be almost impossible to even swing our arms without it getting caught on the webs. As usual, I make a spare clone to test the boss, but first, I [Analyze] it – with Esofy's help to learn its class level.

Razor Web Arachnoid (Grand), Level 389 Web Slinger (Grand), Level 352 Poison Bond

The boss doesn't notice my approach until my clone touches one of the webs, and then it reacts very quickly. With four of its legs, it hooks onto some of the webs and pulls; my clone is cut through as webs constrict around it. Even with my impaired vision, I don't miss the thin coating of poison on the webs, filled with poison essence for a lethal dose.

Seeing my clone unharmed, the Arachnoid pulls on more webs, making more webs constrict around me, cutting through the 'skin' of my clone. When its second attempt doesn't work, it tries again and again until it uses up all of its webs for where my clone stands. A normally deadly boss, but one with glaring weaknesses that I am uniquely well-suited to exploit.

For starters, it's not smart; it has low vitality and mana, which means it relies on the deadliness of its webs, and its ability to control them… but once they're used, they can't be reused. With the webs such a clear factor in its strength, simply removing them will severely weaken it.

I wonder how well it burns?

I cast a fire spell on the used mass of webs, watching as the poison catches fire easily and spreads quickly. The Arachnoid squirms in panic as its home burns, while I stand there and charge up a spear of mana. I don't charge it up all the way so as to make sure I won't kill it in one hit, which is possible if it's too much of a glass cannon.

I rush forward and stab the Arachnoid, making it flee into a corner and puppeteer more webs to constrict my clone's new location. I lightly charge a spell and burst forth an eruption of flame all around my clone, destroying the webs around it and then turning my focus to destroying all the other webs in the room, to prepare for the real fight.

With the eruption of my flames, the Arachnoid scurries away, afraid of the fire. I can't help my smile; it might just be this one, but if all the Arachnoids are afraid of fire then that's a pretty major weakness.

With the webs cleared out, I tell the others what I learned, with another mind piloting my spare clone while my test clone is pressuring the Arachnoid with jets of flame. The Arachnoid, having had enough, lashes out and leaps forward, the hooks on its legs that are used to control the webs now digging into my clone. My flames don't seem to have done much damage, but that is to be expected from a non-class skill with only my Kyhosa to empower it.

I stab the boss with my Pack Fang Spear, but I can't even scratch its tough carapace. I try another burst of flame, but it doesn't seem hot enough to even hurt it. I can tell by observing its vitality that my charged spear attack dealt a lot of damage, but it seems my other avenues of attack just aren't strong enough.

I can hit far above my level with my Bond abilities and beauty spells, but with my more versatile general spells, this level of monster seems to be too much. This seems to be a weakness of mine; if the monster has an ability to make my beauty spells insignificant, like the Phase Rovlat, or if they are too tanky, then I simply can't defeat them. I may need to consider this for my Class evolution and second Class.

The first to arrive is Uloru, grinning with excitement as she charges at the Razor Web Arachnoid, her hammer alight with Tana's [Sticky Flames].

"Wait!" Kadona shouts after her.

The Arachnoid raises its hind legs as it produces a long strand of web and whips it at Uloru. She doesn't even see the fine thread-like web until it's too late, her hammer falling from her limp hand and her arm falling from her shoulder as blood sprays from the stump of her upper arm. Uloru stares in mute shock for a few moments, then screams in pain and falls to her knees.

Jowaru catches up and stands in front of Uloru as Tana rushes forward and begins healing her.

"Idiot!" Kadona chastises. "Never let your guard down! Just because its main method of attack has been removed doesn't mean it doesn't have another option!"

I summon three familiars to heal Uloru and assist Tana in his effort to reattaching Uloru's arm.

"Tana! Keep spraying your flames to burn its webs! Let Aly's fairies heal Uloru!" Esofy commands, sidestepping a web being whipped at her.

Tana quickly does as he's told, thrusting forth his sword, a jet of flame catching the webs on fire.

"I feel a little woozy," Uloru says once her arm is healed.

"It has a poison Bond, Uloru, Alysara reported that to us," Kadona says. "Alysara, can you cure her with a life spell? I know you're not a trained healer, but anything that can help…"

I run over to her as I recall what I know about poisons, which is not much. I know that venoms, like snake venom, often work by breaking down blood or tissue, but I am not sure if poisons work the same way. The only thing I can really do is use life spells to boost her immune system and remove the poison essence that empowers the poison. I suppose I could use something like a void spell to remove the poison, but that would be too dangerous.

I do notice Uloru's vitality rapidly burning as her cells die, although that's something that Tana can easily heal. This makes me wonder just how effective venoms and poisons are in this world. If the damage can just be healed, it's not very effective, but normal healing doesn't restore vitality, only flesh. So, even if one heals through it, a poison can still kill without any physical damage caused. On the other hand, a vitality healer like Tana can easily keep someone alive even if the entire body is technically dead.

Then there are poison and venom essences: the more there is, the more potent it will be, and I suspect that it is the essence more than the purely physical nature of the substance that really determines how lethal a poison is. Very few have [Mana Manipulation], or some skill that can do the same, to remove the essences, so that's likely the main problem for most. There's also skill, Race, Class, and item empowerment to poisons, but that is usually adding and intensifying the poison essence rather than the poison itself... unless it's a skill that has a magic effect rather than a spell effect.

I boost Uloru's immune system and clean the poison essence from her body, seeing her vitality burning a lot slower now. I double-check her to make sure she's alright while Tana's [Sticky Flames] spread over the boss, burning it and draining its vitality. Kadona has already chopped off two legs, and Esofy has cut off three more. Irela and Chyzu have the poor thing blinded with their attacks aiming for the eyes, and Jowaru is doing her best to block any attacks.

"Seems like they are doing just fine," Uloru says, her head wavering as the poison works its way through her body.

I watch the fight, seeing how everyone is fighting in coordination with everyone else. No one is shouting orders; they just know each other's abilities and are acting accordingly. Chyzu and her water clone have the boss in a crossfire, while Kadona and Esofy jump out from behind Jowaru to attack before retreating once the Arachnoid has its attention on them. Irela stands in the back, helps shield others where Jowaru can't and attacks the boss's senses to make things easier for the front lines. Tana keeps close to Jowaru, attacks at a mid-range with his flames and heals anyone who retreats behind her.

Seeing the others fight, really seeing them, makes me realize that I am just an extra. I don't work with them like this. Because I use clones, I never needed to develop this level of coordination. I fight with them, but not with them. Any mistakes I make are entirely irrelevant because my clones can't be hurt.

It's a little odd: because of my clones, I don't really need them, so my way of fighting never adapted to co-operate with others, but for them, they needed to work together so they've learned how to fight together, and I am not a part of that.

My heart tightens as tears threaten to spill forth. At this moment, I feel like the only person in the world.

Chapter 112: Ruby Backed Arachnid

Two years of oppressive loneliness floods back, making me sniff as tears spill forth like two dams opening their floodgates. [Clear Mind] works quickly to settle my mental state, but that doesn't stop my body from feeling these emotions. With my minds calm, my clones don't react, which somehow makes everything worse and highlights the crux of the problem. My real body is alone, hidden near the waystone for safety. Even if they want to, no one can comfort me.

Ting! Your party has killed a Razor web Arachnoid (Grand), Level 389; extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 495!

Uloru didn't get to participate in this fight, and we have to rest until she has recovered from the poison. I don't feel like celebrating, so I remain quiet as the party goes over what they could have improved in the fight. No one has much to say about me, which only proves that I am not needed.

I refresh the healing on my vision. It will degrade again, but I'd rather not miss anything. I watch as the floor boss spawns. First mana is consumed, then soul stuff is... well, it kind of comes from nowhere; I am sure I am missing some important breakthrough, and I am not seeing everything there is. Next comes the creation of the body and soul, appearing to just crawl out of space. I wonder if there's a space anomaly during the spawning of a monster?

Whatever the case, I am missing a step, and it's related to space or the soul, possibly both. The actual magic part of monster creation is relatively simple – it is the catalyst that starts the process – but understanding the process itself seems to be something else.

The floor boss is a hulking Arachnoid covered in ruby rather than carapace. Tiny ruby needles stick out of it like hairs, and its legs are pointed like spears. As soon as it fully appears, it begins to spin ruby webs that seem to be just as flexible and sticky as normal spider webs.

Ruby-Backed Arachnoid (Grand), Ruby Heart Regenerator (Grand), level 325 Ruby Bond.

It has very little mana in reserve, and its mana core doesn't seem to produce much mana, but it has a mountain's worth of vitality and, like Tana, is constantly producing more. It's certainly a tank-type monster, which means it is an endurance fight, something I am not good at. Hard hitters like Uloru and Kadona are good in fights like these, Esofy will manage with her void scythe, Irela should be able to figure something out, and Tana is good in all fights with his vitality-draining flames. The only thing I can do is use my charged spells three times before I run out of mana.

What's more is that monsters made out of a material like stone or, in this case, ruby, are resilient to the type of damage I do, which is akin to intense x-ray radiation. I could do conceptual damage, but ruby is pretty and thus resilient to beauty attacks. I can try lasers to deal heat damage, but gems are not only very difficult to melt but will also scatter the light, reducing the effectiveness of a laser even further.

My heart drops from my uselessness: all that only serves to prove that they really don't need me. However, I can't just sit around moping. I need to kill the Dream Eater Arachnoid and see if that restores my vision. I enter a role with [Acting] to help gain control of my emotions.

"Esofy, can you scout the floor boss and tell us its level?" I ask, my voice a little more monotone due to the role I am assuming.

"Level four hundred fifty-six," Esofy says after a minute.

"What's wrong, Aly?" Chyzu says, picking up on my tone.

"Nothing," I reply, my role demanding that I say it without a care.

Chyzu eyes me suspiciously but stays quiet. I send a clone ahead to test the boss as Tana keeps Uloru healed until she has made a full recovery.

When my clone reaches the Ruby-Backed Arachnoid, it doesn't sense it. Since my clone is invisible, I can rule out some sensing skills, if it has any. As usual, I then charge up my beauty spear; not all the way, I know it won't be very effective, I just need to know how much it will resist my attack. It still has organs inside, so hopefully those will get damaged.

I carefully walk up to the Arachnoid, which is still busy spinning webs around the place. When I brush aside one of the webs, it immediately crumbles into powder, which is a bit ominous. hy does it crumble? It's part of something, but I don't know what, and it's almost certainly a danger.

The Arachnoid seems too busy with its work to realize that one of its webs has broken, but the fact that it has the legs standing on its own webs and they aren't breaking reveals something to me. The Arachnoid pumps vitality into the webs, which seem to gobble it up and retain strength to support the boss.

I relay what I see to the rest of the group to check what they think.

"It's got vitality-draining webs," Tana suggests. Considering that he has similar abilities, I agree with him.

"We'll have you and Chyzu clear up the room with your clones, so we don't get caught in them," Esofy says.

"I'm more worried that the dust that the webs crumble into will retain the vitality-draining abilities. If it does, it might be that it crumbles on purpose to cover prey in hard-to-remove, vitality-draining dust." Irela says, a hand on her chin as she ponders the possibility.

"I can wash away the dust," Chyzu says.

"We have a plan, then. First, we send in Alysara and Chyzu's clones to clear up the webs, then Chyzu will wash the dust away. Throughout the battle, the dust will have to be continuously washed away." Kadona says with a thoughtful nod.

"That will lessen our damage, and, considering this is a regeneration type, possibly a tank-type too, we may not have the damage output," Esofy counters.

"The biggest problem is the ruby chitin: once we get past that, I can do full damage," I say.

"Don't forget about me! Let's crack it open, and I'll infiltrate it with my metal!" Irela asserts.

"Alright. First, we clear up the webs, then Uloru and Kadona will try to break open its chitin for Alysara and Irela to do maximum damage." Esofy lays out the plan, "In the meantime, Jowaru and I will attract its attention and hinder its movements. Tana will drain the Arachnoid's vitality and replace any vitality stolen from us."

With the plan set, I deliver my sneak attack on the boss, which goes about as well as I thought it would. The Ruby Arachnoid whirls around at a dizzying speed, swiping the air with its spear-like legs.

"It moves very quickly," I inform the group, then I start weaving bands and enchanting them to improve the wearer's speed.

The Arachnoid then shakes, and all of the needle-like hairs on it shoot off in all directions, regrowing very quickly.

"It has a burst-type attack," I say, with a bit more life in my tone as I ease off my [Acting] role a little.

The Arachnoid settles down, content that any threat is either dead or gone.

In order to obtain more information, I drop the invisibility of my clone and attack the Arachnoid again. It responds with another burst of hair, then summons ruby spears and launches them at my clone. It must be a Bond skill, as I don't see any skill light up in the Arachnoid's magic frameworks. With that in mind, I continue testing the Arachnoid, trying to make it display more of its skills.

Its class skills must be mostly defensive, as they only light up when I hit it, but I don't do enough damage to know what they're actually doing. It's possibly a damage reduction skill, and there's definitely one that regrows its hairs. It seems that its attack skills are either from its Race, like the hair burst and webs, or its Bond with its spears. Other than that, it has demonstrated ruby manipulation and ruby explosion, which also works on its potential vitality-draining webs – a dangerous combo.

Once fully prepared, we fight through room after room to get to the floor boss, taking a brief rest to top off our mana and go over everything one last time.

When we're ready, both Chyzu and I send in our clones. I use my Wolf Pack Spear and start hacking down the webs as Chyzu washes away the dust. The Arachnoid doesn't take the destruction of its home without retaliation and summons spears, launching them at our uncaring clones. It releases several bursts of ruby hairs, but its efforts are useless.

The first to arrive, once all the webs and dust have been dealt with, is Jowaru, her shield raised to take any attack. Following her are Kadona and Uloru, then Esofy and Tana, and finally Irela and Chyzu. They get into their battle formations and proceed with our plan.

I wait on standby with three clones, all charging spears for the opportune time while Irela casts a wide shield to defend against the hair burst. Although that's not necessarily needed, with Jowaru's projectile attraction shield that we got the last time we were in the ruins.

Uloru manages to get a few good hits in, cracking the ruby chitin a few times, but the Arachnoid quickly heals. Tana sprays his flame over the boss but, while it does spread over its whole body and burns a lot of vitality, it's not overcoming how much the Arachnoid is producing!

After several minutes of back-and-forth fighting, the Arachnoid lunges forward with several spear-like legs, each one going for a different target.

"Nail!" Irela shouts, forming her metal into a long spike and hovering it above the boss. Uloru immediately catches on, deflecting the blow from the leg and leaping high into the air, her [Weight Manipulation] and [Gravity Manipulation] letting her jump much higher than normal.

The nail hits the boss, and Uloru flips in the air, then slams her hammer into the nail, cracking the chitin but not fully piercing the boss's armor.

"Again!" Irela shouts, but before Uloru can get another hit in the Ruby Arachnoid releases a burst of hairs, managing to catch Uloru with a point-blank attack. Uloru grunts in pain, pricked by hundreds of hairs; thankfully, only her extremities are hit, her armor blocking most of the attacks, but the boss causes the hairs to explode!

Uloru is blown off the Arachnoid and Tana runs over to heal her; however, the Arachnoid sweeps his legs and, with another leg, stabs at his chest! Anger wells up inside me, but the only thing I can do now is summon a familiar to heal him. Luckily, my intervention isn't needed, as he quickly heals himself and continues over to Uloru.

Her arms and legs are ripped to shreds and slowly regenerating, and all the while the others are fighting. Esofy manages to cut off a leg, but it quickly regrows. I can do nothing but watch and have my familiars provide mediocre healing. I want to be more useful! I need to get stronger!

After a few minutes, Uloru is fully healed. She gets back up and thanks Tana before jumping back into the fray. After several more minutes of fighting, Esofy gives new commands.

"Irela, get ready! I'm going to cut into the back of it! Uloru, hammer it in!"

Esofy jumps onto the Arachnoid's back and brings her scythe down, cutting into the chitin. Following almost instantly, Irela slams the nail down onto the cut and Uloru, already in the air, brings down the hammer with as much force as she can muster. The chitin cracks open, and the nail slips inside to wreak havoc on the Arachnoid's innards. Realizing that this is my chance, I jump forward, but the wound closes up before I can land a hit. Frustrations boil up as I mis-time my attack.

The Arachnoid retaliates with another burst of its needle-like hairs, catching both Esofy and Uloru in the barrage, then it makes the hairs explode again, shredding their limbs. Tana rushes to their aid while Jowaru defends them. I send in several fairies to assist Tana in healing.

Is there nothing I can do?! I scream in my mind. I reach out with my [Mana Manipulation], grasp a hold of the Arachnoid's vitality and try ripping it out, but even with the help of multiple minds I can't drain it much more than Tana's flames are already draining. Still, with both me and Tana draining vitality, it is no longer generating a surplus, and Irela's metal intrusion is whirling around like a blender inside it, making Arachnoid-gut puree. The boss's vitality rapidly burns away from Irela's devastating attack; it's only a matter of time now before it dies.

Ting! Your party has killed a Ruby-Backed Arachnoid (Grand), Level 456; extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 496!

Fifteen minutes later, the Arachnoid finally dies.

"Haha! We did it!" Uloru cheers. Kadona pats her head with a smile.

As the others celebrate the hard-fought victory, I feel anything but joy. I was completely useless; they didn't need me at all.

Chapter 113: Passive

"You could have timed your attack a little better, Alysara," Esofy criticizes during our after-action analysis.

"Don't blame her, Esofy; you didn't call for her when you called for Irela and Uloru!" Chyzu defends me.

"Er, fair enough. I'm just not used to including her; she hasn't attended our practice after all." Esofy says, giving an excuse.

"Perhaps you should attend our monster-fighting practice, Alysara," Chyzu suggests. "We focus on teamwork, mostly, as that was our biggest problem the last time we were in here."

I nod weakly, not much in the mood to talk. The two years I spent alone are resurfacing again.

"What's wrong, Aly? Tell me, I know something is troubling you," Chyzu says, bending down to eye-level with my clone.

With [Clear Mind] working hard, I force down my teen angst.

"I-I just feel like you guys don't even need me," I manage to say.

"Of course we need you," Chyzu says, pulling my clone into a careful hug. "Who else can prepare us for the bosses so easily? Who else can give us detailed information, map these dens or tell us how much mana and vitality a monster has? You can tell us their Bond-level and type and what tier their Class is."

"Knowing what to expect from our enemies is a huge advantage." Jowaru nods in agreement.

"Not everyone has to be good at killing monsters," Esofy pats my head as she continues. "Jowaru has probably contributed the least in terms of damage, but she's a valuable member of this group, just as you are. Information is half the battle, Alysara. If we know ourselves and know our enemy, then the battle is already won."

"You may be an annoying child," Irela says. "But you have put yourself at risk for us to bring us valuable information. I don't think we would have survived blindly walking into the Mind Slime, let alone the Mind Eater."

"U-Um, Y-you can't expect every fight to go well," Tana stammers. "M-mistakes are bound to happen sometimes, w-we can only learn from them."

I can't help but start purring as everyone shows their support, the depressive cloud above my head banished.

"Thank you, everyone," I say, the corners of my mouth tugging into a smile that I allow to carry through to my clone.

We collect what monster parts we can and continue down to the fourth floor; our first target is the Dream Eater Arachnoid. Due to its nature, we can't get any more information on it, and we can't use clairvoyance on it either. It is unknown if it will also 'eat' skills like [Battle Sense] and [Sense Danger], but the majority of us have agreed that [Sense Danger] is too close to a clairvoyant skill, an idea that aligns with the system name starting with 'sense'.

[Battle Sense] is the really iffy one, as it's kind of clairvoyant but also kind of not. You 'feel' the flow of battle, and I think that sounds a lot like how sense skills work, but Esofy and Kadona disagree.

"You're not actually 'seeing' battle." Esofy says. "It's just... a feeling, like intuition, or a hunch," Esofy says.

"In order to perceive, something must be acted upon!" I argue. "With eyes and ears, it is your sensory organs that are being acted upon by light or sound. With sensing skills, you are acting upon something, like how your sense of touch works." Kayafe understood perfectly when I explained this to her, but Esofy just stares blankly at me.

"It's different, though! This comes from within, a gut feeling!" Esofy animatedly gestures to her stomach.

"I hate to admit it, but I think Alysara is right," Irela says.

"That's because you haven't used the skill before." Jowaru chimes in. "It's a staple skill for every warrior; it helps us read the flow of battle, and it's why us warriors can more easily cooperate."

"W-we s-shouldn't risk it" Tana manages to get in. "A-Alysara does have an enhanced sense skill, so she knows more."

"That... is a fair point," Kadona concedes. "But once you feel it, you'll be able to see the difference. I can compare it to my [Sense Life], and it certainly feels different."

"I hope you're right..." I say with a sigh.

This fight is going to be tough for me because I'm blind; I need my sensing skills to see. Perhaps I should get [Echolocation] like Jowaru; that way, if I'm up against or ambushed by a monster that can eat or jam my perception, I can at least run away.

This is the second boss in a row that I won't be able to really do anything to. If only I could passively sense mana. I smell and hear mana, sure, but I've not trained to use those in a battle situation, plus I'd have to be there physically, which I'm not. If only I could have mana act upon my senses instead of the other way around...

I am reminded of my tournament fight with Jowaru. I was invisible, and yet she used her metal to sense me. Then there's the old skill I had, [Triangulate Summons], which works like a radar. If I can instead ping off the boss's mana and have that mana bounce back to me... Perhaps I can see it.

This will only work if I know what to ping the mana off of. By sending out a pulse of mana and using the opposing MM force to bounce the mana back, I should be able to see things via Radar... or would it be Manadar? Madar? Whatever.

I use the waystone key to get to a closer waystone and start channeling a spell. I don't know how much mana this requires, but let's start at one hundred. I'll be pinging off anything with poison essence. Since the boss has a poison Bond, it should be the clearest signal.

Poison essence's elemental alignment is actually fire, which might be because it's destructive, or because it damages the body through chemical reactions, something that fire also does. Either way, I just need a pulse of ice element mana to see any fire- or air-based elements and essences. It's not perfect, but I don't need it to be. I already know what room the boss is in; I just need to know the exact location.

I cast the spell in the right direction and wait. About a half-second later, I see some of the mana come back. Perfect. Now I need to learn how to use [Sense Mana] passively.

I turn off my perception, but I focus on using my skill. Rather than 'feeling out' the mana, I open myself to it. Instead of sending myself out into the world, I allow the mana to come to me. I send out another pulse of mana and wait. I feel the ice mana chill the air around, and I think I see something, but I need to do it again to be sure.

I cast the spell again and again, becoming ever more sure of what I am seeing. It's just a blurry blob that becomes more opaque in the center, but that's to be expected. I can't see what or who I'm looking at, or what abilities something has, but I can see that there's something there.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 720!

36th Breakthrough: You have learned how to sense passively; this will help you avoid retaliation at the cost of less information.

That's not all. I need to now use my breakthrough to split my passive 'perception' into two points, like eyes, so that I have depth perception.

I easily split my new passive perception and send out another pulse of mana from each point. This time I easily see how far away the Arachnoid is.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 586-590!

Now I need to learn how to 'see' from my clone. By attaching my perception to my clone and sending out the pulse of mana from it, I should be able to see. However, I need to be able to use the mana pulses without actively casting them. I need to make an item that uses one hundred points of mana periodically. A simple amulet spell crystal with a mana battery capable of holding one hundred points of mana. Once filled, it should automatically cast the spell; I just need to continually feed it mana.

This is going to be a tough battle. They are going in with little information. What they know is that the floor boss has some way to trap and attack their sensing skills. It has a poison Bond, and, judging from its Class name, it might not be a warrior type. Whatever the case, they need to be cautious.

"The usual formation," Esofy says.

Everyone nods and readies their weapons.

"Be careful of its poison, and expect anything from it," Esofy adds.

Jowaru is the first to charge in, immediately drawing the monster's attention. Esofy feels her [Battle Sense] kick in, but it doesn't get stuck like Alysara was worried about. However, a small part of her brain suggests that the boss simply doesn't have the required breakthrough. It is fundamentally different from sensing skills, but Alysara seems to think they work the same. If that is the case, then it may be possible that they can encounter a creature that does have the breakthrough.

Jowaru has the full attention of the Arachnoid, so Esofy breaks off to the side and slices the first leg as she does. Kadona takes the opposite side, trying to cut another leg.

Irela and Chyzu work in tandem to aim for the eyes while Alysara charges up her spears, although she shouldn't be able to see.

What is she doing? Esofy wonders.

Alysara did mention she figured something out. She was mentioning 'passive sensing', but even if she tried to explain, the genius keeps using complex words, 'see', 'mana', 'return', 'pulse'. The final word ended up being 'pulse of returning mana to see', which just doesn't make sense.

Esofy shakes her head and focuses on the battle. If her mind keeps wandering in the heat of battle, then perhaps she needs [Clear Mind] or some variant like [Battle Mind].

By killing hundreds of Arachnoids, both boss and non-boss types, they've perfected a method against them. First, take out the eyes and cut the legs off, to limit its sight and movement, then have Uloru hammer in Irela's metal nail to tear it up from the inside. It will die quickly even if it regenerates.

The boss ferociously attacks, trying to sink its fang into Jowaru, but, as Tana's flames spread, it goes into a panic and opens itself up to more attack as it retreats through its webs. Tana burns the webs to flush the Arachnoid out. Esofy keeps a keen eye out as she watches the burning nest. Sure enough, the Arachnoid leaps out, trying to pull Kadona into its grasp with its remaining legs; Chyzu shoots out a few well-timed ice spears, forcing the Arachnoid to reel back.

Jowaru jumps in front of Kadona and covers her with her shield, and soon everyone is back into their positions. The battle continues under the glow of the burning nest, and half of the Arachnoid's legs are quickly cut off. With its movement impaired and unbalanced, now it's time for the final bit.

"Nail!" Irela shouts, the signal for Uloru to get ready to follow up.

Uloru jumps just as Jowaru and Esofy pressure the boss so it can't retaliate, then Uloru brings down her hammer. The chitin isn't as hard as the Ruby-Backed Arachnoid, but the nail doesn't go in cleanly. Regardless it is enough, and Irela's metal is now in. The Arachnoid squirms in pain while Alysara delivers her attacks to kill it faster. Soon the remaining three legs curl up as the kill notification sounds in Esofy's mind.

Chapter 114: Another Boss Rush

Even after defeating the Dream Eater Arachnoid, my vision still doesn't return to normal, which makes asking Kayafe about it a priority. [Inquisitive Perfection] isn't worried; it seems to think that it is only a temporary effect. A skill like [Mana Manipulation] can affect other skills – mostly spells, and skill-spells – but it definitely shows that skills can affect other skills in some ways. So it's possible that the Arachnoid simply inflicted a vision loss effect with a certain duration – probably a poison of some sort, that would fit its Bond. I looked at my magic frameworks, and they don't seem changed at all, so the damage should be superficial.

However, the fear center of my brain doesn't care for logic or evidence and is threatening to cause an anxiety attack, giving [Clear Mind] a run for its money and forcing me to use [Acting] to remain calm and still my body.

Soon. I tell myself. Once I get my Bond to level five hundred, I can talk to her; I will have to anyway, to ask about classes.

With the Dream Eater Arachnoid dead, I can continue scouting this floor, so I start to expand my vision slowly. The first boss I see is one that really makes me question the limit of Race evolutions: a Magma Arachnoid, another one that I'll have trouble doing damage against.

Magma Arachnoid (Grand), Level 413 Obsidian Shredder, Level 387 Glass Bond

Magma is one of those weird essences; it is a liquid and therefore is a water element, since the water element governs liquidity; however, it has a deep identity in heat and thus also is a fire essence. The only way it truly works is as a fused mana of water and fire. Obsidian is just volcanic glass, and I can see that it's a Bond Class. It has high amounts of vitality and mana and doesn't appear to have fleshy organs, but rather obsidian in place of them. Our usual strategy against Arachnoids may not work against this one.

With Esofy telling me the boss's levels, I continue on, the second boss I see making me gleeful.

Mana-Blooded Arachnoid (Grand), Level 416 Mana Puppeteer, Level 298 Lightning Bond

With a name like that, I can only hope that we can get a material that continually produces mana like the Mana Slime Core. With enough of those, we can hopefully have an airship that requires no mana to upkeep its enchantments, meaning that it can fly indefinitely.

Wind Walking Arachnoid (Grand), Level 414 Air Blade, Level 400 Wind Bond

A flying ten-legged spider. It seems to have a Warrior Bond Class, but could also be a mage who shoots out wind blades. This one may be easy, if Uloru can ground it with heavier gravity.

As my perception reveals the last boss, an Arachnoid covered in eyes, all of its eyes move to look in my direction, and I immediately feel like I am being watched, a strong pressure as if a million eyes are staring right at me. This would be enough to scare anyone else, but I know what it is doing, and two can play that game!

I crank up my perceptive pressure to the max, as much as my five hundred ninety enhanced skill level will allow me. The entire floor erupts in panic, Arachnoids running all over the place. Thousands of Arachnoids dive into their nests, egg sacs erupt prematurely, and baby Arachnoids scurry about. The many-eyed Arachnoid cowers in fear, and I feel its perceptive pressure disappear as Esofy and the others jump.

"Eeep!" Chyzu lets out a squeak of fright, then turns toward me angrily. "Alysara!"

"S-s-sorry…" I mute say, tapping my index finger together. "One of the bosses tried using perceptive pressure on me, and I was just teaching it a lesson…"

"You have to give us a warning, Alysara," Jowaru says, just as Esofy opens her mouth to say the same thing.

"Yeah, plus, if another monster is capable of doing it too then we need to know if it's you or an enemy," Esofy says.

"I'm sorry," I apologize sheepishly,;"I'll let you know when I'm going to use it."

I need to figure out a way to localize my perceptive pressure, it shouldn't be too hard. Maybe I can keep a normal perceptive pressure around me and lower it the farther out it goes, which would let me still see without facing retaliation?

As we make our way to the first boss, I work on trying to localize my perceptive pressure. With normal monsters at levels of high two hundred and in the Major tier, it is a slow endeavor, so I have plenty of time.

Localizing my perception is basically the same process as changing its size, only with the 'pressure' aspect isolated from the whole. It takes some work, but by the time we reach the boss I have managed to do it.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 591-593!

As the group rests from their battles, I do my usual tests with the Magma Arachnoid. It conjures a swirling storm of small, sharp obsidian blades to cut and slice through anything nearby. As the obsidian storm rages, it attacks with its fangs and legs, making defending against the obsidian hard. However, with proper preparation and use of my [Mana Manipulation], I think I may be able to make it a non-factor in our battle. The boss displays other abilities, such as breathing fire and forming up to five blades of obsidian to swing around. My job in this fight is not to kill the Arachnoid, but to hinder its abilities as much as I can. Jowaru can't hold off all of the blades at once, so I will need to use my [Mana Manipulation] to interfere with the boss's spells.

I start by making armor, thick gambeson armor made of air mana which I'll be repairing as needed during the battle. The armor covers the wearer from head to toe and even to the tip of the tail. It is enchanted to let light and air through the hood, so there doesn't need to be any gaps. Interwoven in the armor is ice silk, to give resistance to the Magma Arachnoid's heat and fire.

With the armor done, my part of the preparations is complete. We enter the room and take formations with Jowaru at the front, as usual, and Esofy and Kadona next, taking the flanks. Tana is behind Jowaru and will take potshots at mid-range with his vitality-draining flames. Uloru will be using Jowaru as cover and jumping out to do damage when the opportunity arises. Chyzu is countering the fire breath with her water, while Irela is on her normal duty.

The battle turns to a slugging match. We try to use the usual 'nail strategy', but with no proper organs, it doesn't work. The only thing we can do is keep hacking and cutting until it stops moving. I am unable to completely stop the obsidian blades, but I can slow them down enough that they can be dodged or blocked. The glass storm continually wears away the gambesons, requiring me to constantly weave patches directly onto them. In addition to making sure everyone stays safe, I localize my perceptive pressure around the Magma Arachnoid, making it hyper-paranoid and drawing its attention away from the others.

The fight drags on and on; with each leg cut off, a new one forms out of magma and solidifies a new 'chitin'… which is just a layer of hard rock. Esofy and Kadona take a few good hits, but Tana is able to patch them up. We take this fight at a slow and steady pace, and eventually, it can't regrow its legs anymore, and the last of its vitality burns away.

Ting! Your party has killed a Magma Arachnoid (Grand), Level 413; extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 498!

With the Dream Eater Arachnoid also giving me a level to my Bond, I now only need two more levels!

Not using my Class has been annoying at times, and I can see why it's a deal-breaker for prospective Bond Classes. I have my [Mana Manipulation] to help me when I don't want to level up my Class, but most people won't have that option; they'll have to use their Class, schedule their skill breakthroughs and hope they don't get any by accident, or have to give themselves some leeway. This means they have to limit how strong they are, and have to work twice as hard to get levels for their Bond.

Bond Classes are definitely for the higher end of power, those willing to bide their time and play the long game. It takes a lot of work and can leave one more vulnerable than they'd like, so getting to that point is difficult, but once you are at the 'late game', that's when it really shines. Look at Esofy and Chyzu, for example; they don't have to hold back like me and Tana, although Esofy did end up with a Bond Class, so maybe she will have to.

Anyway, I unsheathe my Wolf Pack Dagger and try cutting into the Magma Arachnoid to retrieve the materials, but I am unable to cut the rocky layer. Instead, Esofy has to do it with her void scythe.

Magma Core: The core of a Magma Arachnid, can spin magma webs.

Interesting. I might be able to turn it into an item that mana weaves magma silk. I can do it with my skill, but the curse on it will also generate opposing mana inside me and hurt me, so this presents an intriguing safe alternative.

The next boss we face is the one that I really want to see the loot from.

"Don't destroy its organs; we need more materials that can produce mana," I request. It will take longer to kill the Arachnoid, but, as the previous boss shows, it can be done.

Irela grumbles something about wasting time.

"What do we need it for?" Esofy asks. Obviously, if it's something petty, she'll veto my request.

"For the airship," I reply honestly. "The enchantments on it will have a huge mana upkeep on them, but if it can produce its own mana, we can hopefully have an airship that can house an entire village."

Esofy lets out a long sigh, "Alright, but if we get in trouble, we'll do what is necessary."

As I test the boss, I quickly realize that it has [Mana Manipulation] as well. It is the same magic circle in its Class skill slot, just with six breakthroughs instead. Something Kayafe said comes to mind, that dungeon monsters spawn with only three or four breakthroughs and less than half the possible levels.

The Mana Puppeteer doesn't even have the ability to cast spells and seems more specialized in just controlling mana, as the Class name suggests. The fight to control the mana is much harder than I thought it would be, given our respective levels in the skill. But, thinking about it, it makes sense: its skill is getting Class bonuses, and, since it has a higher level overall, it has more stats than I do, so it's an even match. It would perhaps favor the Arachnoid more if it had tens in all its breakthroughs; but with its primary ability hindered, it is an easy fight.

The Arachnoid and I clash with our manipulation while the others fight, as it slings lightning with its subpar Bond. Irela simply erects a faraday cage, and they let Tana drain its vitality. When the time is right, I burn away the last of its life with a charged spear.

Unfortunately, the battle isn't even worth a single Bond level. I watch as mana condenses into the heart to fuel its transformation into a magic material, then I cut into the abdomen and take out its heart.

Mana Heart: The heart of a mana-blooded creature, this heart produces 700 points of mana and ejects it into the surroundings.

Normally this type of material would be subpar, even with its higher mana production; however, it's perfect for what we need. If it can pump mana throughout the airship, we won't need to space out the mana-producing materials; the airship will be able to have a mana heart as a pseudo-core. Combined with the Mana Slime's core, we have twelve hundred points of mana production. That's almost nothing compared to mine, which is in the tens of thousands, and, to power a whole village, it will need at least a hundred thousand per hour. Still, the more the better, as we can draw mana from it or use it for other things until we have enough for the airship.

My test of the Wind Walking Arachnoid reveals that it prefers to stay at a distance and bombard me with wind blades. However, I see that it specifically needs its legs to walk on the air, as the air solidifies under its feet. To solidify it using other body parts is likely a breakthrough that it doesn't have.

For our preparation, I weave a net of gravity essence – using mana that is happily provided by Uloru – and wind resistance armor in the form of earth silk gambesons.

Starting the fight, I pressure the boss with my perception while Irela shephards it lower to the ground with a cyclone of blades. Finally, with a surge of gravity, the boss tumbles to the ground, and Esofu, Uloru, and Kadona pounce on it, hacking at the legs. The Arachnoid frees itself with a sudden burst of air, but I am ready for it when it tries to flee upward, bringing it back down by removing the air under its feet with a void spell.

Tana and Jowaru toss the net on the boss, and Uloru uses her gravity manipulation to make it harder to escape. Esofy manages to get a lucky hit in and cleave off two legs at once while Uloru crushes a third. Kadona chops a fourth leg; Irela combines all of her metal into a spike and drops it onto the back of the boss, aided by Uloru's gravity. Seizing the opportunity, Uloru hammers the spike in, and the metal starts tearing up the boss's organs.

The boss manages to throw everyone off and starts shooting blades in every direction in hopes of stopping the metal from making paste of its innards. Everyone just stands behind Jowaru and waits for the boss to die.

Ting! Your party has killed a Wind Walking Arachnoid (Grand), Level 414; extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 499!

With one more level to go, we move onto the many-eyed Arachnoid, [Analyzing] it along the way.

All Seeing Arachnoid (Grand), level 419 Doom Gaze (Grand), level 298 Fire Bond.

I don't like the sound of its Class name, and I imagine something like a medusa that can turn someone to stone. It clearly specializes in sensing and sight skills, so invisibility may be the way to go, but it may have a way to see past that. We could easily kill it if we had brought that assassin ring, but we don't have it with us.

For now, I send in a clone to test it. I pressure the boss with my perception and have my clone walk openly into the room, assuming the role and look of a warrior of death, a grim knight with skulls for pauldrons and a bone greatsword; with the help of illusion spells, I create an ominous and dark aura. As the clone walks in, I increase the perceptive pressure to the max.

Ting! You have gained the Fear Gaze general skill!

Ting! You have too many general skills; would you like to remove one or keep what you have?

Hmm, a gaze skill? Can I attack anything within my perception? How far does that go? Can I turn things into stone with a different gaze skill? [Fear Gaze] is a general skill, which means it's probably not lethal, so a lethal skill will probably be a Class skill. If I can gain a Class focused on weaponizing my perception, with how large the area is and how far I can move it... that might be a little overpowered.

Gah! I need more general skill slots! But I also don't want to drop [Tailoring] because I need the levels to get my second Class!

Can I hold onto it? Let's see, I was offered [Soul Damage Reduction] again but never did anything with it.

Ting! You have gained the Soul Damage Reduction general skill!

Ting! You have too many general skills; would you like to remove one or keep what you have?

I still have the messages, so I guess it stays until I say yes or no; good to know. Sorry, system, but you'll have to wait for an answer.

With a name like Doom Gaze, this means that it's all the more to be worried about, but... it fell for my illusion? This means that it can't tell if it's fake, and that means invisibility will work, or maybe it's sight or sensing skills just don't have the right breakthrough; dungeon monsters are skill deficient after all.

The Arachnoid's abilities soon become apparent as flames erupt around my clone, then lasers shoot out of its eyes and I see sleep essence and fear essence building up around my clone. The boss is in a panic, doing anything it can to kill the aspect of death standing in front of it. The poor thing is absolutely terrified.

It doesn't have any instant-kill attacks; it definitely won't have the requisite breakthroughs for such a thing, which means it's just another mage-type monster. I make the necessary preparations, and then the group charges in with the usual formation, Jowaru taking a barrage of spells. With [Figment of Reality], I make three duplicates of each of us to divert attacks away as the real Esofy and Kadona flank the boss and start cutting off legs. Since each leg has many eyes on it, it also removes eyes that can use gaze attacks.

Irela and Chyzu blind the Arachnoid with ice spears and metal blades. With each eye lost, fewer attacks come our way, and soon all front-facing eyes are bleeding with cuts or entirely punctured. Tana's flames slowly spread and melt the delicate organs, eye juices dripping to the floor. The boss writhes in pain until Irela and Uloru do their nail combo to shorten the agony of the Arachnoid. I finish off the boss with a fully charged beauty spear.

Ting! Your party has killed an All Seeing Arachnoid (Grand), Level 419; extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 500!

Chapter 115: Divine Spark

Everything seems to shift slightly; the beauty mana around me wavers for a split second, as if doing a double-take. Next, I can feel my presence flow throughout the mana around me, carrying with it a feeling I can only describe as 'authority'. Almost instinctively, I raise my arm, and the mana follows suit; I point to the wall in front of me and the mana shoots off, slightly burning the surface of the wall as if I had used [Beauty Beam].

What else can I do with this?

I focus on the beauty mana around me, ordering it to take a shape, and it complies without effort. I then order it to change from generic beauty to a specific type, and this time there is some reluctance, but it still obeys after a moment.

"...When your Bond answers to your whims," was the Guardian's answer when I asked when I'll unlock another Class. I am not yet at that point, although I've clearly made a proper step on the path there. My Bond now recognizes me, I have earned its attention, but I have to properly tell it what to do, and there are still seemingly some things it deems me unworthy of. Low-tier Bond skills such as [Shape Beauty] and [Beauty Beam] seem to have become innate; I can use them whenever I want, although I'll need a lot more experimentation to be certain.

I order my Bond to launch a [Fairy Strike], but I feel a strong resistance. Next, I try [Grace of Wholeness], even if I don't have it in my Bond skills, and watch as the minor damage to the wall fades away. Next, I use [Aura of Elegance], finding that beauty listens to my authority.

Authority, command over beauty; [Inquisitive Perfection] whispers a hypothesis to me, one that I have mixed feelings about. There are two things that are commonly held to define what gods are: 'Creation' and 'Authority'. This new ability seems to be half of that. It's just a coincidence, though; we can't create or destroy things; we can only move and transform matter and energy. [Inquisitive Perfection] disagrees, telling me that we can destroy: mana is burned out of existence to fuel magic, as far as I know.

I shake my head in disagreement, ignoring the others giving me sideways looks as I argue with myself. Mana fuels a phenomenon when magic is used, which means the energy is transformed into something else; there should still be equivalent exchange. Regardless, this doesn't mean that the Bond is divine power; it's more akin to [Mana Manipulation].

But the Bond is neither magic nor a function of spells; if it is not divine power, then what is it? I frown at [Inquisitive Perfection's] argument. No matter how I look at it, what the dragons displayed in the fight against the cursed being is nothing short of divine power, and the Guardian said that it was purely from their Bonds.

Then there's the question of Mana Cores. The soul component that seemingly creates mana from nothing; if that's not divine power, then what is it? I need to talk to the Guardian about this.

"I just reached level five hundred in my Bond," I announce to the others. "I should stop here and focus on training my class skills now."

"Five hundred?! That's really impressive!" Uloru compliments me.

"I thought you'd be celebrating more, Aly; no jumping up and down?" Chyzu asks with a grin.

"I have some new things to think about," I reply, not going into detail.

"Now is a good stopping point anyway," Esofy says firmly. "We've been in the dungeon for almost five days now, and we can all use a bath and relaxation,"

The group works their way back to my real body so we can teleport out, and, after about an hour, we finally meet up.

"Whoa! That's different!" Chyzu exclaims upon seeing me.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"There's a sort of presence around you," Kadona explains. "It's hard to say what exactly it is, but it's definitely there."

I guess it's another thing I have to ask the Guardian about.

We teleport to the dungeon entrance and leave, going to the nearby baths to wash the filth, built up over days of fighting, off of us. It always amazes me how much, and how quickly, grime can build up, even on my real body, which is far from the action.

"Ah! Finally clean again!" More than one of us shows enthusiasm at finally washing away the dirt, blood, ichor and other unpleasant things, but I am preoccupied with sorting out my questions for Kayafe and the Guardian. After soaking in the waters for a few hours and decompressing, I fly up to the top of the Temple and place my hand on the Mana Arc, establishing communications with a telepathy spell.

"I need to ask you something; it's very concerning." I'm worried enough to ignore good manners.

"What is it?" Kayafe asks, sounding serious.

"In the dungeon, I found a monster that was somehow able to damage my [Sense Magic]. We killed the monster, but it has not returned to normal." I can't help the worried tremble in my mental voice.

"Ah, those kinds… I forgot abilities like those exist, because they're very rare. It's fine; they typically only last a few hours to a few days, depending on how strong they are."

"So it's temporary?" I push, making sure I understand correctly.

"Yes, it's impossible to permanently damage a skill."

Relief floods me, and I almost break the connection by falling to my knees.

"I assume you had to fight without your perception?" Kayafe asks.

"Kind of, I used a form of passive sensing," I reply, standing back up.

"How'd you manage that? From our discussions before, it shouldn't be possible to 'feel' mana without... you know... 'feeling' it?"

I explain what I did, using mana radar.

"Interesting, you don't get a lot of information that way, but... it should prevent retaliation. There're still a lot of shortcomings to it, enough to not make it practical outside of certain situations." Kayafe doesn't seem to think too highly of mana radar, but she is right when she says that it has a lot of shortcomings.

For example, to list just a couple, it can bounce off natural phenomena, like a drifting mass of mana, and it can't differentiate between elements and essences.

"The problem with passive sensing is that it requires the mana to come to you," Kayafe continues. I already know this, but she's just trying to find a workaround. "Mana doesn't produce light like fire does, nor does it produce sound or smells."

On that last part, I'd have to disagree slightly. Yes, it doesn't produce sound waves or give off scents, but that doesn't mean it can't be smelled or heard; I'm living proof after all, although it's a Racial skill. However, [Inquisitive Perfection] has another example, a much more practical one.

"Hang on!" I almost shout. "It does produce something that we can passively see!"

"What are you thinking..." Kayafe trails off.

"The MM force!" We both say it at the same time.

"We can actively sense the MM force as a breakthrough, so it should be possible to passively sense it!" I say excitedly.

"Not only that, but since each particle has its own MM force, it should be able to give us a lot more information and detail than your mana 'radar', and it's perfectly safe to use!" Kayafe clearly shares my excitement.

"I've been wondering something," I say, wanting to ask the question before I forget about it, "You have [Sense Mana]; why can't you use it to see the outside world?"

"I've wondered that for a really long time myself," Kayafe replies, a bit of frustration leaking through her mental voice. "I should be able to use it, but when I do, I can't see anything. My guess is that the Mana Arc is doing something to block my vision."

"You don't know what it is?" I ask.

"I have no idea."

I focus on the Mana Arc with my [Sense Magic]. I never thought to do it until now; I was far more preoccupied with other projects, but this might be important… and even if it's not, I want to help Kayafe.

The magic framework my sight reveals is… I find myself just staring at it, trying to make sense of the overlapping magic circles, but the more I look at it, the more I am beginning to understand what's going on. Kayafe used herself as part of the construction material, but didn't exclude her soul and the magic frameworks upon it. This means that when the Mana Arc formed, it used her magic frameworks like how we would use a skill, and it continues to do so.

That's where the problem lies, I think: her Classes and Race have other skills, and I can see them, but the Mana Arc can't use them because it was only made to use one skill. The Mana Arc's magic framework is acting like a dam, preventing her skills from going past it to reach the outside world. The skills can still be used – there's nothing wrong with the water in the dam –, but until the floodgates are opened, water can't flow. Essentially, Kayafe made herself into an intelligent item and botched the process.

Unfortunately, magic items only build upon what is already there, so, to free Kayafe, I will have to destroy the Mana Arc... If the Mana Arc is gone, it won't be able to divert the flood of mana, nor would it continue the pact with the dungeon. In order to free Kayafe, I will have to make an entirely new Mana Arc.

I tell Kayafe the bad news and a silence falls between us for a while as Kayafe digests the information.

"Purposely making magic items is hard to do; it never works the way we intend it to, unless sacrifices are made. Unless you stumble into making a magic item, or never intended to do so in the first place, you can't just make a Mana Arc." Kayafe says. She seems to be taking it rather well, or she just assumed she would always be stuck in the Mana Arc and so isn't actually disappointed by this.

"We'll figure something out!" I say optimistically. "We have time, and now two mana experts are working on this! Maybe there's another solution that doesn't require a Mana Arc, or maybe we can find one somewhere else!"

"Got anything else you want to ask me?" Kayafe asks, changing the subject.

Hint taken.

"Actually, yeah I do. I got my Bond to level five hundred. Since the Bond doesn't have a magical source, and, if what dragons can do is any indicator, the Bond isn't a purely spellcasting ability, what is it exactly?"

"You're better off asking Safyr; I always thought it was just like a Class. I don't know what it is."

"Then do you know what the 'presence' it gives me is? Or at least if I can dampen it?" I ask. Having an aura that screams, 'Somebody's here!' isn't the best for hiding.

"I don't know what it is, but you just need to focus on your Bond to reduce it or even outright suppress it. It has a lot of social aspects elsewhere in the world. A stronger presence, generally, will give you better standing, if only as proof of your strength and a way to intimidate weaker people."

"I see."

I continue to chat with Kayafe until I am out of mana; then, as I walk down the Temple steps, I ponder ways to free her while still examining the complicated magic framework.

It is a mess, but, as I continue staring at it, [Inquisitive Perfection] picks up on something. It was built around Kayafe's magic frameworks, sure, but it still isn't really her, which means it isn't one whole piece but rather two pieces glued together. What if I can 'slot' Kayafe out of it and replace her with something else? Like swapping out skills?

I will have to find something that can fill her role, though. The Mana Arc itself doesn't have the power to do what we need it to do, which means I need to find something – or someone – with mana manipulation capabilities equal to her, or perhaps a little less. We'll be fine if the amount of background mana rises slightly.

I arrive at Safyr's resting place: she has long since dropped her efforts of looking all royal-like around me, and is just lazing around.

"Congratulations on getting your Bond to level five hundred, Alysara," The Guardian says, not even raising her head.

I guess she figures that I have probably seen her when she is alone, and has decided that she doesn't want to keep up her image all the time just on the off chance I look at her when looking around the Nexus.

"What exactly is the Bond?" I ask.

"I believe you've asked me that before," The Guardian says lazily.

"Yes, but it's not magic and doesn't have a magic framework. If it does not have that, then what is the Bond that we have with the element or essence? And how does it warp reality?" I clarify.

"What do you think it is?" Surprisingly, Safyr asks me a question, something she has not done before like this.

"The best guess I have is that it is divine power, the power of authority over a specific aspect or domain of reality."

"That is the answer to your question." Safyr closes her eyes. "Every being is born with a spark of divinity, Alysara. If you nurture that and grow it, anyone can become a god. It is why Legendary-tier is hard to get, and why it makes you immortal: it is the point at which you become a god. It is why you have to prove your worthiness to the Bond, and why the Bond has unlimited potential. I suspect, though, that Legendary only barely qualifies, something more akin to a lesser god or even just a demi-god."

"But classes can't do what the Bond can; how do they qualify you as a god just by reaching Legendary-tier?" I ask, still a little troubled by this revelation.

"You're right." Safyr sighs. "Magic could be called anti-divinity. It destroys mana, whereas our cores create it. Think about what cursed beings are. They have no soul, no mana core, no divine spark. They are, in a way, an anti-god, a destructive force to our creative force. But that doesn't mean magic is evil or bad. Magic and divinity are two sides of the same coin, creation and destruction."

Safyr opens one eye to look at me.

"I could be wrong about all of this, but I suggest you find out if your mythic point is related to magic or not. If my hunch is right, then it's not a magical thing at all, but rather a divine one. If that is the case, that will explain why Legendary-tier and above work differently."

I have never seen the mythic point in my [Sense Magic], have I? Nor have I seen stat points. This indicates that the system is a combination of both magic and divinity: one provides authority, the other provides… 'fuel', I guess. The stat points don't make you faster or stronger, it doesn't augment you physically; instead, it gives you more authority over that aspect of reality as it applies to yourself. By increasing the strength stat you increase your authority over the concept of strength, assuming this theory is correct.

Chapter 116: Experience

I stare at my magic frameworks, thinking about the nature of the system's 'points'. A tangential thought catches my attention: I can't see any indication of tier for either Race or Class. It could just be that I don't have the right breakthrough, but it's also possible that the tier is more akin to a divine rank than something magical. If that is the case, it explains why the tier gives power to the entire Class and Race: it is the power of authority.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained level 594!

The system is a product of both magic and divinity. One provides the authority, and the other provides the complex structure to bring it all into a comprehensive form. Divinity itself can't form Classes and skills, but magic can. However, magic is only as strong as the mana that fuels it, so divinity gives the magic frameworks the boost they need to be more than the sum of their parts. As the Class grows with achievements – in other words, as it levels up – the structure becomes capable of holding more divinity, which takes the form of stat points.

However, the odd thing is legendary points; they are representative of achievements that I attained, but they're not magic? I don't see other manifestations of my achievements, not even the lesser ones, so what are they? They are experience, but what is experience? It affects magic in some way, so I should be able to see it.

I stare into my soul; where else could experience be stored? There has to be something there; I just need to feel for it, like how I use any sensing skills. I don't know how long I stand there, with Safyr watching me, but I slowly start seeing something, little bundles of... experience. However, one overshadows them all, a massive collection of experience, or rather just a single really huge piece, My mythic point. It seems that the Guardian isn't entirely right about it being divine energy, but it should be able to provide a framework for sufficient divine energy to increase in tier.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 740!

37th Breakthrough: You've sensed experience; this will help you discover how true magic works.

There is something odd about experience... it is something similar to... miasma. That is why miasma can be seen with [Sense Magic]: it is anti-experience! If experience is triumphs, accomplishments, and other such positive feelings, then miasma is the negative: suffering, failure, and oppression.

It all makes sense now! I got [Mana Manipulation] through my achievements, both in just doing it and knowing enough about mana to make that possible, and this fueled the magic to form the skill. However, because my Class hadn't formed yet and the skill was incompatible with my general skills, it didn't have a filter to remove the miasma generated by the frustration of failure, of having to try again and again, and of the desire to have something that I didn't have at the time. The magic used and consumed the experience but didn't use the miasma, possibly because it can't use both simultaneously, leaving a core of miasma in the skill's magic circle.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 595-596!

So now the real question is: how do I remove the miasma safely? Can I neutralize the miasma with experience? No, that won't work, producing experience for the cursed skill will produce miasma from the same actions, and just cancel out. Can I push it out with enough experience in one big hit? Possible, but I will need a legendary achievement, as it's the only type of experience I can control the destination for.

"What did you learn?" The Guardian suddenly asks.

I explain my newest breakthrough, and what I can now see, along with my few new theories.

"I see; it seems I was a little hasty in my judgment of what legendary points are," Safyr says thoughtfully. "It seems to me that if experience grows magic frameworks, then miasma should destroy them; thus, it cannot be truly used in the formation of skills. Have you thought of why Classes gain levels? Why does some experience collect and wait to be used while some does not?"

Now, that's a good question. How do magic frameworks differentiate experience?

"Here're my thoughts on it." The Guardian states. "The greater the experience, or the more impressive and high-tier the achievement, the larger it seems to your sight, yes? That means that the Class cannot readily absorb experiences larger than its 'capacity' and must be primed to do so. This would mean, for example, that a Major Class can only readily absorb achievements that would be of Major tier or lower. However, there are some problems with this, like how does the experience choose which Class to go to for those with multiples? But it would explain why getting achievements for higher tier Races and Class is harder, while the lower tiers seem to have a lot."

That seems to be on the right track, but it doesn't quite feel right to me.

"Maybe the Class just takes a portion of the experience? For example, you get experience for killing legendary monsters, right? But you also get the point. Maybe each tier has a certain threshold amount that is turned into an 'achievement' or point, and any excess is immediately absorbed?" I counter with my altered explanation.

Safyr is silent for a few moments as she ponders the issue.

"We are in uncharted territory," Safyr finally says. "The best thing we can do is observe with an unclouded mind. You have given me much to think about, and the sun is starting to set; you should return home."

In other words, I should make full observations first, then theorize on how it works while Safyr busies herself with all the fun theory-crafting.

On my way home, I reduce my Bond presence as much as I can. Tomorrow I will finally be working on my Class again, so let's look at what I have to work on.

First on the list is [Fairy Empowerment]. At the cost of mana, I can boost the damage of my fairies; it's almost capped out for now, so I can just get that last level to start with. Next, [Summon Arms]; I replaced [Beauty Mark] for it, which in hindsight might not have been the best choice if [Beauty Mark] can eventually be used to render a foe more vulnerable to beauty damage. In any case, [Summon Arms] gives my fairies weapons, to more efficiently deliver their attacks. I will have to experiment with how my [Fairy Soldier] works with it. It's level zero, so I have a lot of work to do on it.

[Fairy Explosion]; it works just like [Fairy Empowerment], except it makes fairies explode rather than strengthening them. It also has only one more level until it's capped, so I can just get that out of the way and work on other skills.

Next is [Summoner's State]. It empowers all my Class skills, like a state of focus breakthrough would empower them individually. I am very familiar with state of focus abilities, so this one should be easy to level.

The last active skill I have is [Triangulate Summon]… absolutely useless. It had some use before [Sense Magic], but now that I have such a long-range ability, I have no use for it... Unless I can't use my sense skills for whatever reason, in that case it might be very useful. However, I can just ping my fairies with a normal spell; I don't need to waste a Class skill on it, so it's just unnecessary. I'll switch it back to [Beauty Mark] until I get something better.

[Summoner's Expertise] allows me to summon more fairies and clones than I could otherwise. It's the difference between only being able to summon two hundred fairies and being able to summon three hundred fairies. That extra one hundred helps a lot when setting up ambushes and preparing for fights. Since I have very good scouting abilities, I will always have a chance to prepare, making this skill vital.

[Summoner's Core] is my highest level Class skill and a super good one. It increases both my mana production and my mana reserve, and allows me to slightly alter what kind of waste mana my core produces. It's an all-round great skill to have, and it's possible that it can become far more amazing in future. It is certainly one I look forward to training, especially since there may be more insights into the nature of mana to be found through it.

[Fairy Commander] is about giving orders to my summons and is currently capped, so I don't immediately need to train it.

[Fairy Rush] allows my fairies to move faster. In the beginning this just meant my attacks moved faster, but now, with [Fairy Soldier], it may be even better if it allows my fairies to deliver consecutive strikes much faster. I dropped it temporarily so I wouldn't accidentally get too many levels, just a natural downside for having to train my Bond so much, but I'll get it back soon enough.

Last is [Summoner's Affinity], which passively increases all (Summon) type power. It's sort of like [Summoner's State] but active all the time and only for actual summons, whereas [Summoner's State] is referring to my Class name and boosts all my Class skills.

I will get a Class evolution opportunity at level two hundred, and again at two hundred fifty, unless I evolve the Class before two hundred fifty. So the goal is to get my Class's skills as high as I can, which will earn me levels, until I am around level two hundred forty-five. This will give me the best Class I can get.

I arrive home, and, as soon as I open the door, I am nearly tackled by Yafe and Yafel wrapping their arms around me.

"Aly's back! Aly's back!" they chant as they pull me into the house. I arrive just in time for dinner, and of course, Mom and Dad grill me for details on how the dungeon raid went. I tell them of the Dream Eater Arachnoid, but keep the Mind Eater to myself.

The twins ooh and aah at the retelling of some of the fights as I make full use of [Acting] to make it as dramatic as possible. Once we finish dinner, we go to the Lojyo, where several people ask to dance with me; I've been getting a lot more attention recently, now that everyone is getting over the cursed being disaster.

I am entering the age where people will be interested in me, but I'm not ready for any of that, so I turn my potential suitors down and join the musicians, playing a stringed cello-like instrument.

After the music and socializing, several people show off their Dedications to Myrou. Now that the village has been restored and some time has passed, people are finishing up the work that they poured weeks of time and effort into. Perhaps I'll make one too… a paintbrush that paints using mana, something like mana weaving, but layering on a thin coating of mana. The painting will be worn away by ambient mana, but it's a cool idea and seems like a good thematic Dedication to the goddess of creativity and beauty. I can have a clone work on it while I train my Class skills tomorrow.

The next day I work on my Dedication, a relatively simple concept that I won't stress out too much about like I did with the dress. The handle is made out of several identities of beauty essence, all swirling around in a pattern, while the brush is made out of mana-woven threads of differing elements. I enchant the paintbrush to layer on mana: although that is the hardest part and requires several experiments to get right, I eventually figure it out with the help of [Inquisitive Perfection].

This Dedication doesn't turn into a magic item, not that I was expecting it to. This project is just a simple whim, and I wanted to see if I could do it; there hasn't been anything like this before, as far as I know, so I thought, 'why not?'.

The actual mana paint is made by pouring mana into a chamber in the brush, which thickens it into a paste-like quality when enough mana has been put in and the pressure is high enough. The mana is then filtered through the threads and put onto a canvas. I suppose I can make modern pens like this too, can't I? Now all that's left is to solve the mana erosion problem… Perhaps make specific paper that can more permanently trap the mana? Whelp, I'll figure it out eventually; for now, onto my Class skills!

Chapter 117: Training Montage

As soon as I use [Summon Arms], bursts of mana zoom toward my [Fairy Soldiers], much like how [Fairy Empowerment] works. Each of my 'soldiers' form weapons – swords, spears, halberds, and more – as they receive the mana. This should allow their attacks to inject damaging mana into the enemy rather than just splashing the mana onto them, which will more efficiently damage vital internal organs. In turn, that will make the enemy spend more vitality Animating its body while not in a normally livable state.

Since the skill works very similarly to [Fairy Empowerment] and [Fairy Explosion], I should be able to get shared breakthroughs, and, since I am so familiar with the breakthroughs now, it should be easy to train them and get levels.

Summon Arms: You've managed to summon weapons for your summons; this will help their attacks be more efficient and deadly.

1st Breakthrough: You've managed to send weapons to multiple summons at once; this will help you arm many summons at once.

I try giving multiple doses to the same fairy, but it doesn't accomplish anything. When I use the summoned weapons with my clone, I notice that it doesn't have any physicality to it, so with the help of [Mana Manipulation], I compress the mana at the sword edge to give it a physical blade to cut things with.

2nd Breakthrough: You've made your summon's weapon physical; this will let you inflict real wounds at a higher cost of mana.

I ignore the notification of my Class reaching level two hundred and continue observing my experience. As I gain more breakthroughs and skill levels, a single collection of experience grows a tiny bit larger; however, a faint amount is drawn out and consumed by the magic framework.

The Class shouldn't draw experience from something that I didn't use it for – say, for example, making airships – but it can still draw upon the experience when it evolves. I think what's happening is that certain experiences help alter the Class into the new evolution, but don't count toward levels.

As for how an evolution involving a cursed skill can corrupt a Class – or Race… the experience generated by a skill tends to cluster around the magic circle for that skill, while in the case of cursed skills the miasma is drawn to the inside of the circle. It is possible that integrating the skill into a larger framework may draw out some or all of the miasma, which might cause the magic framework to break down. Although, if miasma breaks apart magic frameworks, then how is it trapped in the cursed skill? Either that hypothesis is wrong, or… the experience gathered around the outside of the skill framework somehow cancels out the miasma on the inside, and drawing upon that experience for an evolution will free the miasma, or take it along with it and allow it to corrupt other frameworks?

I still need further study to know what is going on, but I feel like I am getting closer to finishing the cursed skill puzzle: it's possible that I can just use a legendary achievement to push out – or draw out – the miasma, but I need confirmation, and I need to know if the legendary point usage will enhance the skill or not so I can plan which point I need or want to use.

I focus back on my class skills for now. If [Summon Arms] works like [Fairy Empowerment] and [Fairy Explosion], on the most basic level at least, then can't I make exploding weapons? Or would I just need to use [Fairy Explosion] with it? If I can have the fairies stab a monster then make an explosion inside the monster, that will be a very devastating attack.

I summon a fairy, give it Arms and empower it with [Fairy Explosion], ordering it to attack an unlucky Domr wandering near the village. The fairy dashes off with its spear pointed ahead of it and stabs the poor thing. In an instant, unstable mana is injected into the creature, and it explodes in a cloud of gore. I am sure this can be a [Summon Arms] breakthrough; however, I already have this capability, so I should get a different breakthrough instead.

Next, I experiment with giving my clones ranged weapons like bows and throwing javelins. It works, but uses the mana I give them to make the projectiles, meaning it's a one-time deal; however, since my [Fairy Soldiers] already use their own mana to attack with, it works surprisingly well, and I don't need to manually reload them. Once they run out of mana they disappear and I can just summon more.

3rd Breakthrough: You've summoned ranged weapons for your summons; this will let them attack at range.

As much as I would like to keep getting breakthroughs for this skill, I should stop for now: yet another downside for Bond Classes. If I have every skill with three breakthroughs, then my max level will be four hundred, and that may be too much if my next evolution happens at three hundred and I want to level up my Bond even more before that point.

I spend the next few days getting all my levels for [Summon Arms] and the last point for [Fairy Explosion] and [Fairy Empowerment], bringing me to four capped class skills.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained levels 199-209! 165 status points awarded.

Ting! Summon Arms has obtained levels 1-40!

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 597-598!

Right now, if I cap all of my Class skills, my max Class level will be two hundred seventy. I should focus on capping what I have for now, and then learn two more breakthroughs so my next max level will be two hundred ninety, before my next opportunity for a Class evolution, even if only to check what my options are. If I can get a Grand-tier class, it will only evolve at level four hundred, so I can be safe in getting more breakthroughs before I evolve.

While I am working on the skill levels, I also need to learn how to passively sense the MM force before I go back into the dungeon. A monster with an odd skill can quickly turn things into a disaster, as I have learned in several different ways now.

I begin by using my passive perception, and turning off my active perception, although I'll have to try and use both at the same time eventually. I let my body sit in darkness for a few moments before trying to feel the MM force pass through me. Each particle projects its own field; each one is different, ever so slightly. Some mana particles may have a slightly stronger field while some others are slightly weaker, all forming a unique image. The way the force attracts one mana particle but rejects another shows that each force 'field' can be differentiated and form a clear picture. Even essences will have different forms of the MM force, the various essences will be ever so slightly different from each other, and all of them can be detected by the force they give off.

By splitting my perception into two distinct locations and sensing the MM force at both, I can gain depth perception. Slowly, I start feeling the forces, like a tiny push or pull on my passive perception. The image becomes clearer and clearer until I can see all around me.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 599-601!

No new breakthrough, but the levels are very welcome. Over the next week, I work on my skill levels.

Fairy Rush: You've managed to increase how fast your fairies attack, this will help them attack faster.

1st Breakthrough: You've managed to accelerate your fairies past their normal limits, this will help them move faster.

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to impart a boost of speed to your fairies; this will help you give your fairies a temporary speed boost.

Ting! Fairy Rush has obtained levels 1-30!

I first regain [Fairy Rush] and relearn those breakthroughs, then work on leveling up the skill through long hours of contemplation of the skill's inner workings and constant use of the abilities, before coming up with a test to prove my mastery of each breakthrough for the last level.

At the same time, as I am working on [Fairy Rush], I replace [Triangulate Summons] with [Beauty Mark] and level up the base skill to the cap. I hold off on any new breakthroughs for now, but the two I have in mind are to allow my beauty attacks to 'lock on' and to possibly increase how much damage the target takes. I can even go as far as to maybe make the mark itself explode or something… this skill may have a lot of uses I haven't considered before.

Since it was still the base skill, I also worked on [Summoner's State], which really helps with training other skills alongside it; not surprising, as that was what it is meant for. Since I am so familiar with 'state' skills, it is really easy to level.

Ting! Beauty Mark has obtained levels 1-10!

Ting! Summoner's State has obtained levels 1-10!

Another skill I work on while leveling up the others is [Summoner's Affinity]. As a passive, all I have to do was try and push my power to the absolute limit.

Summoner's Affinity: You've somehow managed to increase the power of your summons; this will empower your summoned forces.

Ting! Summoner's Affinity has obtained levels 6-10!

For [Summoner's Expertise], I have to summon as many [Fairy Soldier] as I can, as fast as I can, to level up. The mastery tests for the last levels take me a long time to accomplish, as trying to summon more fairies than the skill's limit allows is really hard: either the spell won't finish, or a previously existing fairy will disperse.

Ting! Summoner's Expertise has obtained levels 25-30!

The last skill I work on is one of my favorites. [Summoner's Core], by far the easiest skill to level simply because I already know a lot about mana. Unfortunately, since most of the missing levels are in the 'state of the core' breakthrough, I don't learn anything new about mana, and I am very tempted to obtain more breakthroughs just to see if I can learn anything else about mana cores.

I don't, though. I can resist temptation.

Ting! Summoner's Core has obtained levels 52-60!

With this last notification, I have capped out all of my skills. It took me a total of twenty-one days of training, but now I feel a little more complete, having one of my long-standing goals finally checked.

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained levels 210-226! 225 status points awarded.

Alright, now which breakthroughs will do me best? [Beauty Mark] is a little useless right now, so I really should get at least one thing for it, preferably more than one. I can also get one for [Summoner's Core], but what will serve me best in a fight against a Treant, or even against Heroic monsters? [Summoner's Core] is great and all, but right now it's not a very good combat skill, and I need all I can get, so getting [Beauty Mark] two breakthroughs is really my best bet. My other skills are already in an acceptable spot.

The first breakthrough, for homing attacks, is easy; I've enchanted items to attract certain spells before, and this is no different. It's almost like my anti-retaliation decoys, I suppose, but working in reverse and applied to my own spells? Now, what should my second breakthrough be? Detonating the mark? I can reapply it in a fight, and it can be a good finisher, but I feel like it would work best if I can pour a lot more mana into it, which will require another breakthrough. So now the question is, do I go all-in on an internal bomb? Or do I get something else? Let's look at it another way.

Do I need homing attacks? No, my [Fairy Soldiers] already have that effect, but it will work with their ranged variant… which doesn't ultimately matter, as the fairies are just a collection of mana and don't need to be preserved.

A finisher attack, on the other hand, would have come in real handy against the Void Slime as my last attack on it wasn't enough to kill it, and it almost resulted in Jowaru and Esofy dying.

Internal bomb it is, then. Pump as much mana as I can into a monster and then detonate it. I already know how to make mana explode; I already know how to shove more mana into something; all it will take is just another three or four days of rigorous training.

Beauty Mark: You've learned to mark someone with beauty, letting you target them even beyond your normal range

1st Breakthrough: You've marked someone with a lot of mana, this will allow them to act as a stabilizing beacon for your spells.

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to mark someone with unstable mana; this will allow you to detonate the mana should you wish.

Ting! Beauty Mark has obtained levels 10-30!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner has obtained levels 227-232! 90 status points awarded.

So... if I want, I can mark someone and be able to keep my clones around them no matter the distance? The mark does decay, though, so after enough time, I will have to reapply it, but I can do that through a link I have with a clone, so it might as well be for as long as I want. The beacon mark does take up three hundred mana, which is a lot less than I thought and will certainly limit the range at which I can maintain my spells around the beacon. Also, the amount of mana I can invest in a single mark seems to be ten points of mana per skill level, so the higher the skill, the more mana I can mark someone with, which will also increase how deadly my bomb will be.

Now all that's left is to check my Class options.

Chapter 118: Class Evolution

Alluring Summoner:

(Adept)

Achievements: Fairy Summoner at level 200, Have Bond at level 500, Have evolved Bond skills 24 times, Have the Acting skill, Have ten Class skills level capped, Have the evolved Bond skill: Bestow Wings, Have the evolved Bond skill: Bestow Beauty, Have ten or more people infatuated with you, Be well known to the Runalymo.

Whether it be the summons of fantastical creatures to entertain children or illusory clones to seduce adults, you are gifted in the ways of allure and seduction. You are well known to many, yet few can say they have met you, and fewer still can say they met the real you. You have the power to bless others with flawless beauty should they feel they deserve it.

Note: Some skills may be replaced.

This Class is not exactly what I am looking for. I want a general 'summoner' Class rather than a more specialized one, because I plan for my next Class to be specialized in clones, which count as summons, and getting two Classes that synergize will be very useful. However, this is not what I want my general summoner Class to be. This Class seems like it focuses on seduction, which just makes me uncomfortable to think about. Plus, I don't know how that will work with my existing skills, and the note suggests incompatible skills will just disappear.

This evolution is a definite pass for me.

Fairy General:

(Major)

Achievements: Fairy Summoner at level 200, Have Bond at level 500, Have evolved Bond skills 24 times, Have ten Class skills level capped, Have the evolved Bond skill: Fairy Soldier, Have the evolved Bond skill: Create Familiar, Have killed hundreds of monsters over 100 levels above your own, Have killed hundreds of monsters that are at least one tier above your own, Have killed a Heroic monster,

You have led your troops into battle even against a vastly more powerful foe and come out victorious. Now you'll be able to mark your enemies for death, improve your soldiers even more, and take down even more powerful foes.

Note: Some skills may be altered.

This is more up my alley! However, I want a more generalized summoner Class that isn't purely focused on my fairies. Yes, this will probably be a lot more powerful right now, but I am already playing the long game, so I might as well go all in.

A Class like this might be good for a second or third Class or, if I wasn't so close to a second Class, a good first option. As it stands, I am better served picking a general Class that can better synergize with my potential second Class.

Another thing is that some skills may be altered but not replaced, probably to change my general summoner skills to apply only to fairies.

Fairy Army Conjurer:

(Major)

Achievements: Fairy Summoner at level 200, Have Bond at level 500, Have evolved Bond skills 24 times, Have ten Class skills level capped, Have the evolved Bond skill: Fairy Soldier, Have the evolved Bond skill: Create Familiar, Have the evolved Bond skill: Blessing of Wholeness, Have killed hundreds of monsters over 100 levels above your own, Have killed hundreds of monsters that are at least one tier above your own, Have killed a Heroic monster, Have over 300 fairies summoned at the same time.

Wherever you go, fairies are seen; you have disregarded quality and have chosen quantity; you shall overwhelm your enemies in an unending tide of fairies or tend to the wounded with an army of healing familiars.

Note: Some skills may be altered.

If the Fairy General focuses on quality, then this is quantity. Another good choice if I want to go that route. Like the Fairy General, this Class also alters some skills.

Clone Summoner:

(Major)

Achievements: Fairy Summoner at level 200, Have Bond at level 500, Have evolved Bond skills 24 times, Have ten Class skills level capped, Have the Twin Minds skill, Have the evolved Bond skill: Copy Self, Have the evolved Bond skill: Duplicate Self, Have killed hundreds of monsters over 100 levels above your own, Have killed hundreds of monsters that are at least one tier above your own, Have killed a Heroic monster.

Walking away from the need to summon armies to fight for you, you have decided to use a body proxy to fight personally. Now you will be able to make better use of your clones; empower them, and be able to split your mind to control many more at once.

Note: Some skills may be replaced or altered.

Very tempting, but this is pretty much what I plan for my second Class anyway; also, I'll be losing some skills, even if they'll be replaced and freeing up general skill slots. The biggest downside is that if I move a general skill over to this Class, then my max level may be too high to let me efficiently grind Bond levels. The more I focus on Bond Classes, the more I realize why Kayafe doesn't like them; they require a ton of strict planning to pull off correctly, and for most people it's just not necessary.

This Class does mention [Twin Minds], but doesn't state anything about the skill level or breakthroughs. It's only two levels away from capping, but it requires me to engage in more mental conflicts to raise it. Perhaps I should train with Chyzu, who has a similar skill, and cap [Twin Minds] before my second Class.

Distant Summoner:

(Major)

Achievements: Fairy Summoner at level 200, Have Bond at level 500, Have evolved Bond skills 24 times, Have ten Class skills level capped, Have the evolved Bond skill: Fairy Soldier, Have the evolved Bond skill: Create Familiar, Have the evolved Bond skill: Copy Self, Have the evolved Bond skill: Beauty Mark, Have killed hundred of monsters over 100 levels above your own, Have killed hundreds of monsters that are at least one tier above your own, Have killed a Heroic monster, Have never personally faced mortal combat, Have enhanced a clairvoyant skill.

You are never in danger, for you are never in combat. You lead your forces through proxies and body doubles. Take your summons anywhere you desire, as your clones can serve as beacons near which your summons can remain stable.

This is exactly what I am looking for! This will mean that my summon range is effectively equal to my perception range, which can move over two thousand kilometers away from my real body. Looks like my investment in [Beauty Mark] really paid off! This Class is certainly a non-focused summoner Class, and my skills won't change, although I hoped that maybe [Fairy Empowerment] can be changed to allow it to empower non-fairies.

The rest of my options are all corrupted, which sucks since there are several Grand-tier and even two Heroic-tier options.

The choice is clear. Fairy General and Fairy Army Conjurer are both really good choices, but Distant Summoner isn't just a pure combat Class; it can also be used for other things, like meeting other people thousands of kilometers away or even helping them, managing a shop, guiding people to where they need to go. Life isn't just about killing, killing, killing, and I don't want to be just about that either.

I make my choice and watch as several bundles of experience flow into the magic framework that is my Class. The Class magic circle's core changes to something a little more complex, but apart from that, there are no other observable changes to the magic framework.

Ting! You have obtained the Class: Distant Summoner!

Distant Summoner: Level 232 (Major)

All summon-based spells' power is increased by 375%

All Distant Summoner Class skills are empowered by 300%

Active skill 1: Fairy Heart 30/30

Active skill 2: Summon Arms 40/40

Active skill 3: Fairy Explosion 40/40

Active skill 4: Summoner's State 10/10

Active skill 5: Summoner's Beacon 30/30

Passive skill 1: Summoner's Expertise 30/30

Passive skill 2: Beacon's Core 60/70

Passive skill 3: Fairy Commander 40/40

Passive skill 4: Fairy Rush 30/30

Passive skill 5: Summoner's Affinity 10/10

Ting! Fairy Empowerment has been upgraded to Fairy Heart!

Ting! Fairy Heart has lost a breakthrough!

Fairy Heart: You've learned how to summon your fairies with a heart-like core; this will empower them and increase the range at which they can operate away from you. (+120%)

1st Breakthrough: You've managed to stack hearts; this will let you stack even more. (up to 6 hearts)

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to further stabilize the mana without sacrificing intensity; this will let you pack more mana into the hearts to empower the fairies more. (+60%)

Interesting. The breakthrough I lost is about sending more to the fairy, but that is no longer needed since I create the fairies with the hearts now, rather than giving them a boost. This has led to a loss in skill level, unfortunately. Still, despite the lower level, the skill is certainly stronger; after all of the calculations, I am getting a total bonus of one hundred eighty percent power per fairy per heart, so a total of over one thousand percent.

Ting! Beauty Mark has been upgraded to Summoner's Beacon!

Summoner's Beacon: You've learned to mark someone with a beacon, making them act as a stabilizer for all of your summoning abilities. (240-meter stability radius)

1st Breakthrough: You've marked someone with a lot of mana; this will increase the beacon's duration. (+30 hours)

2nd Breakthrough: You've managed to mark someone with unstable mana; this will allow you to detonate the mana, should you wish.

The base skill and first breakthrough changed and I didn't lose a breakthrough; I guess nothing fundamental has changed, really. Too bad the anchoring effect won't work with my perception; it'd effectively make my range for it unlimited. Perhaps one day it will be.

Ting! Summoner's Core has been upgraded to Beacon's Core!

Ting! Beacon's Core has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 60!

Beacon's Core: You've managed to extend your radius of stability, allowing your summons to operate much farther away from you. (+240%)

1st Breakthrough: You've learned how to manipulate your core to increase how much mana you can hold. (+240%)

2nd Breakthrough: You've entered a state of focus, letting you increase the effectiveness of your breakthroughs. (+240%)

3rd Breakthrough: You've learned how to manipulate your core to consciously produce essence mana, allowing you to directly produce the mana needed for spells and tap your reserves less.

4th Breakthrough: You've learned how to manipulate your core to consciously produce elemental mana, allowing you to directly produce the mana needed for spells and tap your reserves less.

5th Breakthrough: You've learned how to produce spell-like mana, letting you precast spells and enchantments.

6th Breakthrough: You've managed to increase your mana production, letting you produce more mana. (+240%)

Another interesting improvement. The previous skill's base function has been moved over to a new breakthrough and has kept its levels, meaning I just need to level up the new skill base. Still, this means that properly planning out max levels will be difficult, as it can increase my maximum Class level if I am not careful.

No other skill seems to have been upgraded; did I fuck up my evolution? Hmm… when I think about it, my other skills can't really relate to distance, or maybe they can have a breakthrough to work with it? Maybe I should ask Esofy and Chyzu, and probably Kayafe, what their evolutions have been like. Perhaps it's just a Bond Class thing.

Anyway, now that my Class bonus to my skills has been raised, all my other skills have been vastly improved, gaining more than double the power. My mana generation and reserves have increased a lot, and, while I am looking at my stats, I should do something about those too; I have over five hundred points now.

I put two hundred stat points each into endurance and vitality. I may not plan to be in real combat, but I should prepare just in case. My run-in with the Mind Eater has shown that I can still be vulnerable, and it's only a matter of time before someone can just teleport right next to me through my perception. Plus, I did get damaged when my scapegoat exploded from the Mind Eater's retaliation, so more endurance and life-force is certainly a valuable investment. The last one hundred points I put into charisma, for more mana flow. Ever since I started channeling mana, it's been painfully slow, and channeling tens of thousands of mana is even slower.

Unused stat points: 80/3480

Mana: 200 [10200] (+27030)

Mana Generation (/hour): 200 [10200] (+55080)

Vitality: 100 [5100]

Strength: 9 [99]

Agility: 12 [132]

Endurance: 10 [510] (+127.5)

Intelligence: 32 [1632] (+652.8)

Wisdom: 28 [1428] (+499.8)

Charisma: 20 [420]

Now, I should study what the [Fairy Heart] actually does and how it works, as it seems to be different to the old skill; maybe I can learn something. Then I need to train my [Beacon's Core] to level seventy, talk to others about their experiences with evolutions, and work towards my second Class.

Chapter 119: Kayafe's Hope

The operating range of my Bond spells is about ten meters per level, so about five kilometers. This means that if I fire a laser, it will continue moving until it either hits something or until it has traveled five kilometers, then it will start dissipating. However, the range for my summons is a lot higher now than it was before the evolution. With [Beacon's Core] my range is seventeen kilometers, and with [Fairy Heart] I can increase my fairies' range further, to twenty-one kilometers with one heart or all the way up to seventy-one kilometers with all six hearts. Three times my perception radius.

[Summoner's Beacon] has its own radius of stability, two hundred forty meters, so now the question is: how does that interact with my other skills? It's a base number, so if it does synergize with the other skills, then it should be around eight hundred meters with [Beacon's Core] and three and a half kilometers with max fairy hearts.

I put a [Summoner's Beacon] onto one of my clones and have it fly away at max speed. Since it's not a fairy, its max range is normally seventeen kilometers. Once past my range, the beacon starts working, keeping the clone stable. I summon a normal [Fairy Soldier] with no hearts and have it fly away. Soon enough, I have my answer; the fairy easily goes past two hundred forty meters, but slowly starts dissipating after eight hundred, making it another hundred meters before it's gone.

Just to make sure of everything, I summon another fairy, with one heart, and sure enough, its range has been increased. Just how far could it go if I didn't have to limit my Class skills' growth? Kayafe said that dungeon monsters are weak because their skills aren't as trained as normal monsters… but aren't I the same? Bond Classes are a huge gamble at lower levels – or rather, lower tiers. If, instead, I had a Grand-tier Class, I would have to wait for level five hundred to evolve, but that would also mean I could level my skills much higher. If I didn't have [Mana Manipulation], I would have a very hard time making this work, but the trade-off for that is that I can't get those higher-tier Classes because it corrupts them all.

With the experiments on my summoning range complete, I tackle the next thing on my list. I summon a Fairy with one heart, and observe what it is actually doing. The heart circulates mana throughout the fairy, and, as the mana flows through the heart, it is intensified. The heart itself is a very complex mana structure that seems to induce 'torque' on the mana, increasing its 'spin'; it's not exactly those things, but those are the words that seem applicable.

It is a very complex structure, but it seems familiar somehow… ah! It resembles one of the mana structures within Myrou's Likeness, to circulate mana throughout that construct. It will take me days, or even weeks, to reverse-engineer the heart and fully study how exactly it works, and that is taking into account my racial skills that help me learn.

For now, I shelve that project and move onto the last item on my agenda, consulting others about their Class evolutions.

I send a clone over to Esofy and Chyzus' combat academy to ask them, and, while I am there, I might as well partake in their training. At the same time, I am flying over to the Temple to talk to Kayafe.

The students are currently practicing their Bond; ever since Esofy got her Bond Class, she has been focusing more on it during her practice. The students are between six and fifteen years of age: after I taught a bunch of children how to use their Bonds, people have been a little less worried about children accidentally hurting each other with them, although that does sometimes happen.

I don't miss the heads turning to follow my movements from some of the older students, their collective gaze making me a little uncomfortable.

"Alysara! Just the person I wanted to see." Esofy says, noting my entry. "I wanted to ask you the best ways to practice your Bond, I was going to go looking for you when we were done, but you're here now, so…"

I might as well tell her what I know. Her Bond might be a little harder than mine to passively level up, since it's battle essence, not exactly a day-to-day kind of thing like mine is.

"First, can I ask you something real quick?" I ask; her explanation probably isn't going to be as long-winded as mine.

"Sure!" Esofy motions for me to go first.

"What were your Class evolutions like? Did any of your skills upgrade, and if so, how many? What would you consider normal?" I throw all my questions at her at once.

"Hmm…" She blinks a few times, then answers slowly. "Those are difficult questions. For starters, I don't really know what's 'normal', because I've never asked. It's just one of those things we haven't thought about; if it happens, it happens. For me, I had four skills upgrade, but that could just be a fluke."

I thank Esofy for her input and answer her question just as my real body initiates contact with Kayafe. We say our usual greeting, and then I ask my questions.

"It is generally thought that altered skills are a sign of choosing an evolution that is a good fit for you, but not everyone agrees," Kayafe says. "For one, the skills often are altered in a way that favors the style of Class you are working towards. If you like that path, then it's a good thing; however, if you are working towards a different path – a different style for your Class– then it may not be as good." Kayafe pauses to collect her next thoughts.

"Sometimes the type of Class you really want requires a lot more work and needs an intermediary evolution to obtain; in that case, having skills altered to better fit it may not be what you want. It can also have the downside of overspecializing your skills, although that is rare. The best case is when it combines skills, like what you want for [Unlimited Minds]; shared breakthroughs merge, and combining skills almost always results in a better, higher-level skill."

I see, the fairy-centric evolution options I had would probably have had more upgraded skills, but also more specialized toward my fairies. Since I didn't want that, and instead wanted more generalized skills that can apply to more types of summons – which half of my skills already do – there was no need to upgrade them. As a result, only the skills to specialize for distance were upgraded… and to be fair, that is something that I probably needed.

I don't want all my skills to be distance-focused, so it's good to know that I didn't screw up my evolution, but I should start really planning out what I want from my next evolution, rather than roll the dice like I did this time. I want it to be a general Class that helps all of my other Classes, and for that I may need to drop a skill or two to help it go in the right direction.

With my question answered, I change the subject.

"I think I found a possible way to get you out of the Mana Arc; it may work, or it may not, but it's worth exploring, and I can use your expertise. I looked at the Mana Arc's magic framework, and it seems to be built around yours; the problem is that it's not perfect, and is interfering with your other skills." I explain. "It seems like it might be possible to push you out, like replacing a skill; the biggest problem would be to find a magic item to replace you."

Kayafe stays silent for several seconds before answering.

"You'll have to find an item that can match my power, which means it has to be a legendary item and have the advanced version of [Mana Manipulation]; just finding such an item will be near impossible," Kayafe pessimistically says.

"Don't be like that! The item doesn't have to be as powerful as you; it's fine if it's a little weaker, it's just a little more mana pressure, and we can adapt to the higher mana density." I try to cheer her up.

"You underestimate just how much mana is being diverted away," Kayafe says. "It's already deadly to anyone who isn't adapted, and even lowering how much is being diverted away by ten percent will put everyone at risk of lethal mana toxicity unless they are living on the edge of the Nexus."

"At the very least we can get you out, and you can help the Mana Arc divert the mana away. That way, you can at least live a life, and you can maybe create a proper Mana Arc; we can both work on it! With the two of us, I am sure we can accomplish it!"

"You..." Kayafe sighs; however, I can hear her smile. "You're right; I am better used to put my skills into making a better, proper Mana Arc, so don't make me wait too long!"

With Kayafe cheered up, at least a little, I make small talk with her… although 'small' might not be the right word considering we are discussing how magic frameworks work.

As I fly back home, I look through my general skills, considering which ones I can focus on leveling up. [Clear Mind] has mostly mind mage stuff, which I can't level up aside from finding a mind mage in the dungeon – and I am not going anywhere near the Mind Eater, which is a shame as the den it is in has a fair number of other mind magic monsters in it.

Fortunately, the last two breakthroughs together have earned me five more levels, as they help me deal with intense emotions and stray thoughts, [Clear Mind] is now at level ninety-five, and my total general skill level is at nine hundred seventy-seven, so I just need twenty-three more levels to get one thousand general skill levels.

I can't really get anything for [Mental Fortitude]: it's all about resisting mind mage fuckery, and not all of that is easy and relatively safe – like resisting alluring or entrancing spells – most is more like fighting off mages with multiple minds and fighting against overwhelming power. I suppose I can do that, the Mind Eater is there, after all, but it's not safe; instead, I need to find a willing mind mage master to train these skills, and we don't have any of those.

[Sense Soul] can still use some work; I still have two breakthroughs that I can work on. Both deal with observing monsters being spawned, which I can easily do in the dungeon. That's at least ten levels, so now I need to find thirteen more levels, less if I can find and fight against another Mind Slime.

Well, if I can't get thirteen more levels from any of my general skills that aren't capped, then I need to find a way to get more breakthroughs in skills that are capped, which is difficult because they wouldn't be capped if I knew how to get more breakthroughs.

I can try to see if I can work with my [Musician] friend, Chofel, to try and think of another breakthrough. If that fails, I can take another look at [Persistent State], since I am very familiar with those types of breakthroughs...

Hang on! Clear Mind doesn't have a state of focus breakthrough yet! If I can get [Clear Mind] the state of focus breakthrough, that's an easy ten levels! That just leaves three levels, which I might be able to eke out of [Sense Soul], or from a skill that resists mind mages, should I find another one in the dungeon.

I immediately start working on the breakthrough, and soon enough, I get it; I work throughout the next two days to fully max out the breakthrough.

Ting! Clear Mind has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 120!

12th Breakthrough: You've entered a state of focus; this will improve all of your Clear Mind breakthroughs.

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained levels 96-105!

With that done, I just need to get a few more breakthroughs in some of my Class skills, and then it's back off to the dungeon for me.

The only question is, which Class skills should I get breakthroughs in? I can get five more, so at least one for each of my main attack skills – [Fairy heart], [Fairy Explosion], and [Summon Arms] – then one for [Beacon's Core] for more mana and mana regen, and the last should go into either [Summoner's State] or [Summoner's Affinity].

Chapter 120: Other's Perspective 1

Nyam wakes up and gets dressed. She walks over to her personal bank and takes out several coins, counting each one of the cut Domr pearls. Fire and water pearls are the cheapest form of money, since they are the most common types of Domrs, both are about equal in value. Next are earth and ice pearls, being worth five fire or water pearls. Wind and lightning pearls are equal to about seven earth and ice. Light and dark are the rarest types of Domrs, and they are worth ten wind and lightning. The last and most valuable currency is beauty and creativity pearls, worth one thousand light or dark coins. They are very rare, and even those few that are found are only rarely made into coins, as most people will use the pearls in their dedications if they have the chance.

Why can't money be worth the same differential value? Nyam has often asked herself that question; it makes calculating money a little harder than it could be. If it was instead five each time, it'd be easy to calculate.

"Because it's rarer," Nyam recalls her Momara's explanation. "If wind pearls cost seven earth pearls to make, then why would it be worth five? We can't control what type of Domr are born, so we have to adjust our way of life around it. No one would catch Ice Domrs if they couldn't make a good enough profit off of it."

Many divers catch small Domrs and sell the pearls to the pearl cutters, at a value determined by type. Which leads to another question, what's stopping people from simply making their own coins? That's a very good question, one that neither Nyam nor her Momara have the answer to; only previous pearl cutters do, and they aren't allowed to tell others what the secret is. There is, however, a useful breakthrough for the [Trading] skill that Nyam's Momara almost demanded she take, which allows her to identify counterfeits, suggesting that the pearl cutters do something to the coins which makes them identify as real coins.

Money is made even more complicated since each village has their own pearl cutters and each village's coins, while worth the same in most cases, are cut with a symbol to identify which village it came from.

Apparently, a few hundred years ago, before that idea was implemented, a village decided that in order to solve its debt issues, it would just turn more pearls into coins, and made so much money that it caused problems for all other villages. Nyam doesn't know how that is possible, how can simply making more money be a problem? To solve this 'too much money' problem, each village now has its own form of currency, so if someone mints too much of their own, trade with that village will simply stop. As for why? She has asked that question many times; simply having a lot of money can't be too bad, right?

Nyam once asked Tusile why a village would stop trading with a village that has too much money and received a confusing answer.

"If a village makes too much money, then the money is less valuable."

She simply doesn't understand; if money is based on how rare Domrs are, then why does having too much make it less valuable?

With the money she got from her personal bank, Nyam walks over to the jewelers; she finally has enough money to buy the tail accessory she has eyeing.

She enters the shop and approaches the counter. The accessory is an embroidered red silk bow tie, with sapphires sewn into the edge and down the middle of the ribbons that hang down. The gems contrast the red of the silk and her hair, so it stands out like stars against the night sky. She hopes that it will impress Kolona.

The best way to attract someone's attention for courtship is to wear fitting jewelry and clothes that accentuate one's natural beauty. Having a good eye for what matches, and knowing when is too much, is vital in looking for a partner. But some desperate people just don't know when to stop, like Ery, who, at this point, is covered in expensive jewels and mana silk. It's entirely too much; it makes her look fake, and she has thrown out any semblance of what matches, so everything is a messy display of colors and hurts Nyam's eyes and her [Perfectionist's Eye].

Nyam takes an early bath before going to her grandparents' house for the annual family gathering. Kolona is a very distant relative who is only invited because her grandparents are cousins of Nyam's grandparents.

On her way to the family reunion, Nyam spots her younger cousin, Alysara, training. Her beautiful blue hair almost seems to glow in the evening light; her tails swaying elegantly behind her. Nyam can't help but feel like the world is unfair; why does she have such lush hair and fur, why are her tails so attractively long… the way they move side to side is like an entrancing dance… Nyam shakes her head clear and moves on.

Arriving at the reunion, there is a crowd gathered around something.

What is going on? Nyam can't help but question the odd situation. She squeezes in and sees what everyone is enamored by. Alysara is there; it's not strange seeing her in multiple places – that's been going on for years – but what is strange is that this Alysara seems much more beautiful than her illusory clone. Nyam can't place what else is different, she and her clones are identical, but this time there is... something. Her beauty is... deeper? More meaningful? Nyam can't tell what exactly it is.

Alysara is clearly uncomfortable being surrounded by so many people, a clear sign that this is the real Alysara and not a clone. Everyone is questioning her about the new... aura around her. It's been a while since the last time the prodigy shocked the reunion with something strange and new, the last time being when she gained her third tail.

Feeling inadequate in Alysara's presence, Nyam squeezes her way out of the crowd, looks around, and spots Kolona. Kolona has rich black hair and verdant green eyes; her black dress matches her hair, and the green embroidery and gems complete the look. Her ears are pierced with amethyst earrings, and her tail is adorned with amethysts dangling from gold chains.

Nyam can't help but feel her chest pang for the beautiful woman; she is like a night sky with green and purple stars. However, judging by her expression, Kolona is feeling the same way about Alysara that Nyam is. She can't blame her for that, her cousin is simply unfair and there's nothing that can be done about it.

Nyam musters up her courage and walks up to Kolona, determined to try her best anyway.

Waru dives under the sea, her [Water Sight], enhanced with several breakthroughs, making vision under the water clear and allowing her to see every little detail, from the grains of white sand to the rocks laying about. Domrs, mostly small enough to fit in her hand, dot the seafloor, many fighting each other for territory; they'll scatter if larger ones show up, and seek out new territory to fight over.

Waru swims downward, looking for a Domr of the right size: too small and it's not worth the effort, too large and they'll be too dangerous, the best size are the ones the size of a head. With the aid of [Quick Swim], she snatches a Todomr, an earth Domr, by its claws, making sure that it can't harm her with them, and drives a knife into the relatively soft underbelly of the creature. The damn thing's endurance makes it a little tough, but she isn't an apprentice anymore.

She ignores the kill notification and stuffs the body into a net tied to her waist, then swoops down to catch another one. One after another joins the rest in the net until it's full, prompting her to swim back up to the boat and deposit her catch on it. Breathing fresh air, Waru takes a new net and dives back down to catch more.

Waru has to be careful not to lose track of her boat; sometimes, she has to swim quite far to get good catches, or even row out to entirely new areas. After four hours, the boat is fully loaded with nets bulging with Domrs; some are in the boat, but most are hanging off the side, tied down securely so she doesn't lose any.

Arriving back at the village, Waru hauls the day's catch onto a cart and pulls it to her shop, where she takes out the pearls. This part is made quick by her years of experience and trained Skills. Once the valuable pearls are extracted, she then puts the pearls on display and the Domrs into a box, with ice to keep them fresh. She is thankful that her spouse has an ice Bond, otherwise she'd have to buy the ice.

Their village has been booming with business, since they are growing specialized bamboo for building materials. Recently, following the massive destruction, has been the best time in living memory to earn money, which is also why Waru has been working hard lately. These good times won't last forever, and she must capitalize on it while she can.

"Momara!" Lotis, her child, runs up to her with an excited grin on her face. "I can use my Bond now!" Lotis brags.

Lotis is almost ten years old; they thought that a few months' head start on her Bond wouldn't put her at harm. They just have to keep an eye on her, so she doesn't accidentally hurt herself or others with her Bond.

Waru has heard that there's a village where they are teaching their kids at a much younger age, but she thinks that's somewhat crazy; do they not care about the well-being of their children?

"Really? What type of Bond do you have?" Waru say, encouragingly. There's no real way of knowing what type of Bond someone has without an advanced [Analyze] skill, which no one in the village has.

"Beauty!" Lotis's grin gets even bigger.

Beauty? Myrou favors her! Waru can't help but feel overwhelming pride for her child; however, that also means that she shouldn't waste her life as a simple diver or dye maker. She is destined for more. Perhaps she should consider becoming a priestess? Or maybe she might have talents as an enchanter?

There is someone else who has a beauty Bond… Alysara. She lives in a central village next to Temple Island; maybe they should visit that village and talk to Alysara? Pretty much everyone has heard of her, and her feats have long-lasting impacts; some are even saying that she is directly sent by Myrou herself to help them through the recent disasters. That might be going a little too far in Waru's opinion, but she is certainly favored by the goddess.

Three days later, while friends are visiting, Waru can't help but share the news that Lotis's Bond is beauty.

"Speaking of," Vaun, one of Waru's fellow divers, says, "My once removed niece has a beauty Bond, Alysara; she's the grandchild of my grandparent's sibling. We'll be going to a family reunion soon; if you want, I can introduce you to her. She may be able to give Lotis some pointers."

Waru agrees without hesitation; she has been thinking of how to approach Alysara about Lotis.

Two days later, the family reunion is held. Waru and Lotis have to wake up early, since they have to take boats all of the way to the center of the Nexus. It's easily a three-hour journey, one that bores Lotis, but thankfully Vaun has thought ahead and brought extra toys for the kids to play with.

Waru feels the familiar increase in temperature, the central island being a little hotter than the outer ones, but being so close to the center also means that the weather is more extreme. The last time she was so close to the center was during the last Kheshamo tournaments.

Docking at the pier, they notice a tower close by, and pipes made from some strange multi-colored metal connected to it. It is a rather strange building, like a roundhouse built on long stilts. Nearby is a very large boat… or rather, Waru realizes after a minute or so of staring, an unfinished airship made of black metal. How this village even managed to build such a thing boggles Waru's mind.

The village is laid out in a grid to maximize efficiency, the streets are all uniform in width, and bathing areas are equally spaced out. It seems like this village took advantage of their reconstruction to remake itself in an improved manner.

Waru's own village feels shoddy by comparison, as much as it hurts to admit it even to herself. It seems to be slapped together, with some streets being narrow and others overly large. Houses and shops are just wherever people built them, which made for poor optimization, leading people to sometimes have to walk across the entire village to get what they want.

Here? The warehouses are close by the pier, making unloading boats quick; the shops are nearby so they can easily ship and receive goods. Passing through the market, Waru can see how shopping for things is easy; it's all in one location. With people's homes nearby, it's just a short walk to get to their job locations. With the children's playgrounds near everybody's homes, it's convenient for them as well.

Waru can see why this village has seen so much growth and why some, even in her own village, are talking about moving here. With Elders this competent managing the place, who wouldn't want to be here? If they can do this, then there's surely fortunes to be made here.

They finally arrive at the reunion place. There's already a crowd here, mingling and catching up on things.

"You have got to check out the plumbing system!" Waru catches a conversion as she passes, then more fragments.

"You should move here, with so many people, we can use more smiths!"

"We are in for some great times; I can feel it!"

All conversation suddenly stops, however, when a faint, serene aura washes over them like a weak breeze. It's almost imperceptible, and Waru finds herself unable to figure out what it actually feels like, yet it is almost impossible to miss. Heads turn, which prompts Waru to look too. A child, who looks to be about fourteen, has just arrived. Her long, royal-blue hair falls down her back, framing her like the backdrop of a portrait. She has black eyewraps covering her eyes and a magical hair ornament with illusory flames and snowflakes falling from it, as well as a headpiece made with some sort of gem and strange metal. Her dress is made of mana silk and is well-decorated, earning the eager approval of Waru's [Perfectionist's Eye]. Finally, making her identity certain, is her three-piece Kyhosa.

It's rather well-known that Alysara's Kyhosa is made from a Nexus Gem, something that should have been reserved for a Dedication to Myrou… but suddenly, now that she can see the girl in person, the claims that she is sent by Myrou herself don't seem all that outlandish. Alysara has a unique... 'air' about her, like beauty itself has acknowledged her existence. As soon as Waru has that thought, she realizes how silly it sounds, but no other words fit the feeling the girl carries with her.

People immediately crowd around the girl, asking her about the unworldly aura, but Waru notices that the natives of the village are not surprised; it's not a new thing to them, most of them at least.

The hosts have to intervene and break up the crowd; they must have timed Alysara's arrival well, as the food comes out just in time to distract the guests.

Rather than approaching Alysara directly, Waru decides that it's best to ask the hosts, Alysara's grandparents, to introduce them. Of course, Vaun has already informed them of her attendance, so she takes the opportunity to speak to the hosts while everyone lines up for the food.

"Thank you for allowing me to attend this reunion even though we aren't related," Waru says.

"Oh, it's no issue; you are a friend of my niece. Vaun told me about your circumstance already. I suppose you want to talk to Alysara?"

"Yes, I thought it'd be rude to approach her after everyone just left her," Waru explained.

The older woman simply chuckles. "You are considerate. Of course you can talk to her, come, let me introduce you."

Waru motions to Lotis to come over, and they are introduced to the famous girl.

"Thank you for meeting me," Waru bows respectfully.

"Nice to meet you," Alysara says with a hint of strain, something Waru notices as shyness. Yla, Waru's spouse, is also shy: like Kygloo, the green moon, always hiding behind the other moons. "You are here because you want me to teach your daughter?" Alysara asks suddenly, surprising her.

How did she know? Did Vaun tell her? When? She didn't see her talk to Alysara yet.

"I can sense mana around me; judging from her mana signature, she has a beauty Bond." As if reading her mind, Alysara explains how she knows.

"Uh, yes. Sorry, it's just..." Waru trails off. It isn't her intention to use Alysara, but she doesn't know how to explain that.

"It's fine; you want what's best for your child. I can show her some cool things that aren't dangerous." Alysara then touches Lotis's shoulder, and large beautiful wings sprout from her back, a multitude of vibrant colors separated by black lines making the wings look like a mosaic. As she does this, Alysara's aura strengthens, as if she just suggested to the world that giving Lotis wings was a good idea and the concept of beauty agreed, responding to her power without any apparent effort on her part. It feels like the air around her slightly thickens for just a moment before returning to normal… or rather, what's normal around Alysara.

Lotis stands with wide-eyed fascination, admiring what she can see of the wings on her back.

"It's a Bond skill; maybe one day she too can learn it," Alysara says with a smile, then turns her attention to Lotis. "Be sure to practice every day, but be very careful. Trying new things is the best way to grow your Bond, but it is not a toy."

Chapter 121: Other's Perspective 2

Yafe soars through the sky, the wings on her back giving her the power of flight! The thrill of the wind rushing past her, of seeing the village from so high up, all of it makes her yell out in pure joy.

Alysara chases after her, having already tagged Yafel, whose punishment for being caught is having her wings turn black from their previous wonderful display of vibrant colors. Even when turned black, though, the wings still have a sheen that makes them incredibly beautiful!

Yafe can't wait until she has the ability to make her own wings, so when her older sister goes to the dungeon for a week she can still fly. When she finally gets her Class, she is totally going to get a flying one!

Ever since riding on the airship for the first time, she has known what she really wants: to fly and dance in the sky! She twirls and flips, staying just out of Alysara's reach. Her older sister is going easy on her; she knows that… Alysara is amazing: beautiful, elegant, smart, she can do just about anything! Yafe wants to be just like her when she gets older, but for now she can't help but feel a little inadequate, unable to measure up to her.

Alysara finally tags her, and the game restarts, this time with Yafel as the monster. They play in the sky for hours, changing up games every now and then until it is time to return home, which is always the saddest part of Yafe's day.

That isn't to say that being at home is a bad thing, by any means: when she, Yafel and Alysara arrive home, Momara is already setting the dining table, and there is stew simmering away on the stove.

"Yafe, Yafel," Momara Feyan calls to them as they pass by. "Sit down at the table for a moment."

"Okay," they reply in unison, sitting in their chairs.

"You both are eight years old; you need to start thinking about what kind of art and craft you want to pursue."

"Dancing!" Yafe declares. Alysara has already taught them [Agile Movements] and [Acting].

"Mana weaving!" Yafel says. They knew this would eventually come up, so they have already talked, and this is what they really want: to follow in their older sister's footsteps.

"I can teach them both," Alysara says, elegantly sitting at the table next to Yafe. "But they should probably learn [Tailoring] under Topobe first; it will give them a good understanding of cloth-work."

"They aren't going to gain any cursed skills, are they?" Momara Feyan asks skeptically.

"I don't think so. If anything, mastering [Tailoring] first will help prevent that, by having an achievement related to cloth-work. That experience should help develop the magic framework in a safe direction."

Yafe doesn't understand what Alysara is saying, but she knows that it means she won't be learning actual mana weaving for at least another year.

"Aww, but I want to learn how to weave mana now!" She can't help but complain.

"No!" Momara Feyan says, adamantly, "You are learning [Tailoring] first!"

Unable to argue back, Yafe pouts, her twin doing the same. They aren't geniuses like Alysara, who mastered [Tailoring] in about a year; it will likely take them four or five years to reach the same point.

"It's alright," Alysara says, side-hugging the twins. "I'll help you whenever you need me to. Just train every day, and you'll have mastered [Tailoring] in no time!"

"We aren't like you, though!" Yafe complains, pouting and using [Acting] to raise her cuteness essence.

"We can't train all day!" Yafel adds in, drooping her ears cutely.

Alysara flicks Yafe and Yafels' foreheads.

"No charm!" Alysara chastises, which only makes Yafe pout even more.

"It's not fair; how do you always know!" Yafel says grumpily.

Alysara smiles her 'Older Sister' smile, her posture suddenly radiating an aura of refinement and elegance.

"I trained every day, for longer than you've been alive, that's how. Doing something productive is always more fulfilling than simply playing," Momara Feyan nods her head in agreement with what Alysara is saying. "When you fail, fail, and fail again, it makes actually succeeding far more satisfying." Momara nods again.

"Don't forget about having meaningful connections to others, Alysara." Momara Feyan interjects. "Having someone who you can trust and relate with gives your achievements meaning. Being able to share your successes with them, being able to show the village how well you've mastered something, it ties everything together. It took you long enough to understand that, so don't you go forgetting it!"

Alysara laughs lightly, the sound carrying a faint musical impression to Yafe's senses. It's not just a sound: there's something else present that Yafe just can't put her finger on. Whatever her older sister is doing, she wants to know how she's doing it!

"I won't," Alysara reassures Momara.

Chofel watches the toilet dispose of the waste. The technological marvel still impresses her as much as it did when it was first built: no more having to carry out stinky pots of waste every morning, no more having to walk across the village to the dumping zone, this automatically does everything for her. The water refills the bowl, the effect seeming almost like a spell even though she knows that none have been cast.

Chofel walks to the faucet and turns it on; again, just like a spell, water flows out of it for her to wash her hands with. What used to be a bowl of cold water, emptied and refreshed as needed, is now warm water that can be summoned at will. Somehow, the water comes from below with no action from her to draw it up: it's not magic, but nonetheless it just seems to defy everything she knows.

Leaving the toilet room, she rejoins the group. Once a week, the Lojyo Musical Band gets together to talk, share knowledge of their skills, and practice. They write new songs and teach any newcomers.

Among this group is the one who made the technological wonder that brings water and convenience to every home, Alysara. She is currently playing a song, one that immediately brings up images of a mountainous landscape blanketed with snow. The song tells a story of battling against nature, of surviving harsh blizzards, avalanches, and cold nights. She uses her breakthroughs perfectly, using mana to subtly change the sounds to icy yet beautiful notes until the climax instills feelings of joy, of having reached the summit of a tall mountain and gazing down upon the path taken to get there. Chofel's [Perfectionist's Eye] is practically humming along, it is so pleased.

Yet Chofel can't help but notice something... more. There's an unworldly beauty to the notes Alysara is playing, but Chofel can't pinpoint how she's doing it.

"Did you get a new breakthrough?" Chofel asks once Alysara is done with her song.

"No, why?" she replies.

"There's something… else, about your music, but I don't know what."

Alysara tilts her head quizzically. The simple motion of her body, the way her tails shift, the way her hair frames her, it all seems to be the epitome of beauty, and yet it's clear that she isn't actually doing anything to make it that way.

"I noticed that too," Sayo says, "There's just something about you, not just your music, recently."

Alysara adopts a thinking pose for a few seconds, then sighs visibly and slumps somewhat, even that action somehow coming across as almost unbearably cute rather than childish.

"Ah, that, I thought I had it under control... maybe it requires more practice than I thought," Alysara mumbles, mostly to herself.

Once everybody has had the opportunity to show off their individual songs, they work on their group songs to play at the Lojyo. After that, for the last hour of the evening, they brainstorm ways to get more breakthroughs in their skills.

"I notice that I don't have a 'state of focus' breakthrough for [Musician]," Alysara says eventually. "Not all skills will have one, but I am pretty sure [Musician] should."

"State of focus?" Epybu asks, as everyone else goes quiet.

"Fundamentally, it's a breakthrough that puts you 'in the zone', a state where all of your focus is on the task you are doing. Each level in the skill will enhance the power of both the skill itself and its breakthroughs when you are in the state of focus. It's probably the most widely-shared breakthrough among skills, since pretty much all skills seem to have it." Alysara pauses for a moment, then continues her explanation. "Most general skills anyway;, some of my Class skills can't get it."

"So let me get this right," Chofel says, after taking a minute to process the implications of that. "It's a breakthrough that will enhance a skill based on what level that skill is, as long as you're concentrating on that skill specifically? How much? Is it the normal one percent power increase per level, or is it a base number?"

The others are listening carefully: with the potential of a new breakthrough for their skills, they want to know as much as they can so when they get it they will start with more knowledge levels.

"Half a percent per level. So a level one hundred skill will receive a fifty percent bonus to all of its abilities." Alysara answers her.

"All of it?" Sayo clarifies. "Meaning every breakthrough will also get the boost?"

"Yes, but the normal rules apply; a two hundred percent increase to something provided by a breakthrough won't become three hundred percent, just two hundred fifty percent. But a base number like two hundred meters will become three hundred meters."

"You have that breakthrough for your [Sense Magic]?" Chofel asks.

"Yes," Alysara gives a short answer and an elegant nod.

"How far can you see with it?" Sayo asks, curious.

"Well, after the enhancement bonus and my Race bonus, it should be..." Alysara pauses for a moment and then facepalms. "I completely forgot that it also increases how far I can see, not just how well I can see."

"Sooo, just how far can you see?" Sayo asks again, dragging out the first word.

"Over nine thousand kilometers, assuming my math is right," Alysara says, face still hidden behind her hands.

Nine thousand? That's more than forty times the diameter of the entire Nexus... Chofel is completely stunned by the number. Surely that can't be right, it has to be wrong... but this is Alysara, and with an enhanced skill which she says is ten times as powerful as the base, maybe she is right.

"That's quite impressive," Kotodo says, patting Alysara on the head. "As expected of our most talented child."

Alysara pulls her hands away from her face and frowns at Kotodo's words, to which the elderly woman simply chuckles.

"You have to start accepting the fact that you are a genius, Alysara." Kotodo continues, still smiling. "Who else could enhance their skill? Who else could invent the village plumbing and make it work so well?"

"Yeah, who else could have invented the airships or the spell crystals?" Jyue chimes in.

Alysara is visibly upset now, still frowning and with ears slightly drooping, but she doesn't say anything.

All of those things, I could only 'invent' because of my memories from my past life… almost everything I've accomplished can be attributed to that. I could only invent the airship because I have basic knowledge of how lift works; I could only invent modern plumbing because, in my past life, I lived with it and knew basic things that make it all work, such as water pressure and how liquids behave. There is no way I could have enhanced [Sense Mana] without having basic knowledge of physics, something that I would have never come by without my past life knowledge.

I don't even consider my past life as me, so all of my greatest accomplishments are things I can't really see as 'mine'. I didn't discover some amazing breakthrough in the study of physics; I just had it handed to me. I am not a genius, just someone who is very fortunate.

What will everyone think if they find out I am just a fraud? I don't deserve any recognition for anything I have really accomplished. Even with my Bond, I was guided by the Guardian, and learned so much from battling with Esofy, Chyzu, and the others. I had help every step of the way: even from the very start, Myrou's blessing probably helped me with my Bond in some way.

The only thing I can really call my own accomplishment is my study in mana and magic, especially magic, and the nature of the System. Yes, I had previous knowledge that helped me understand mana, but I didn't actually learn anything related to mana from textbooks or videos from my past life. It is from my own observation and experimentation that I know what I know about mana and magic.

As one clone maintains my social life – what little there is, anyway – the rest are busy with their own tasks; training my Class skills, studying the mana-producing monster materials, and now testing just how far I can really see while using my state of focus for [Sense Magic].

Chapter 122: Before the Search

With a mind searching the ocean for land, I can't go into the dungeon and train my [Sense Soul] for the last few general skill levels I need for getting a second Class. However, that doesn't mean I'm not doing anything about it.

Chyzu also has [Twin Minds]; however, because a lot of breakthroughs rely on mind mage stuff, we both have been unable to really train it. Fortunately, [Mana Manipulation] is a general casting skill and can cast spells with mind essence. In other words, I can try to fill in the role of a mind mage.

I don't have any supporting skills other than [Twin Minds]; however, that shouldn't stop me from doing mind spells altogether, they just won't be very effective. I have used mind spells before, most notably putting the assassin who attacked me to sleep and communicating telepathically with Kayafe, but I still need to try other spells.

First, I need to understand the mind; what exactly is it? Turning my perception inwards, it appears to me that there are at least three elements to what we call the mind. First is the 'mind component'; it is an... ectoplasmic structure... a soul organ that houses the mind. When I first obtained [Twin Minds], I only had one of these, yet I had two parallel minds. Even now, I have five parallel minds but only two mind components, indicating that multiple... metaphysical minds can exist on the same mind component. I really need a better categorization for these.

The metaphysical mind is the second element to the mind; it doesn't have a form, hence why I call it metaphysical, it is more like the concept of the mind. Let's try an analogy. The mind component, the soul organ that houses the metaphysical mind, is like a computer. It is the hardware, and the metaphysical mind is the software, like a program. You can have multiple instances of the same program running on the same hardware.

My true mind – me, my personality, my consciousness – is also separate from the metaphysical mind; if the metaphysical mind is the program, then the true mind is the user. It is possible, theoretically, that I can form more true minds for multiple personalities. Of course, there are reasons why I don't want to do that, and I have to think heavily on the consequences of my actions if I do.

For example, what if I do make another true mind, a split personality, but don't want more people living in my head? Are they alive? Would it be murder to get rid of them? Technically they'd share my soul and body so they can count as being alive. What if they share the same mind component? Can they still be called someone else? Are they just me since they don't have their own mind component?

Too many questions, way too many. I know it would qualify as a breakthrough for [Twin Minds], but that is certainly something I can't deal with.

Tangent aside, those are the three parts of the mind. Maybe there's more, but for now, those are the three I know of. Telepathy is a connection from one metaphysical mind to another, so if I can instead adapt a telepathy spell to instead attack rather than talk, we can train our skills.

So, after explaining most of that to Chyzu, that's what I do. I use a spell to make a connection with Chyzu's mind, and I pressure her minds with my own. I am able to experiment with ways to attack and defend; the mental conflict is largely influenced by the intelligence stat, as well as imagination, concentration and sheer force of will.

Imagine a blade cutting through the mind of a foe, and it will harm their mind; imagination is the method of attack but force of will, which the intelligence stat improves, determines how powerful the attack is. It is worth noting that mana is used, not to attack but rather to maintain the mental connection. Think of it as a pipe. If I want to do a strong attack but the pipe is too small, only so much can be sent at one time. By widening the pipe, I can make full use of the attack, or I can turn the idea around and put pressure on the connection as a means of defence, preventing attacks from reaching me at all rather than trying to fight them directly.

Ting! Mental Fortitude has obtained levels 80-86!

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained levels 106-110!

Ting! Twin Minds has obtained levels 89-90!

Through a month of practice against Chyzu, we both have gotten some valuable levels in breakthroughs we normally wouldn't have been able to. The training isn't as effective as it could be, since I am not a true mind mage, so it's taking longer, but we don't have any other alternatives.

On another note, I should now have enough general skill levels for a second Class. I don't even need to count the levels, really, because I have a vague feeling that I can have something more. It's subtle, like a light craving, but just to make sure, I count my general skill levels and find that the total is one thousand-one.

In order to grow a second Class, it needs to be based on a general skill or a Bond skill. There are questions on how a Bond skill can grow a Class, since there is seemingly no Bond magic framework, but that just means I am not seeing the entire picture. The skill must have a minimum of ten breakthroughs and be capped in level; this means that [Twin Minds] is off the table. [Mental Fortitude] and [Clear Mind] are also not eligible for not being capped.

My only three general skill options are [Graceful Movements], [Musician], and [Tailoring]. Of the three, the only one I'd consider is [Graceful Movements]. This means that my best choices are my Bond skills, of which almost all are eligible to be Class seeds; the only requirement is the Bond skill needs to be an evolved version.

So now the real question is, should I pick now? Or do some last-minute preparation to get the best Class I can get? My perception is very far out now; who knows if that will count for something.

There is the added issue of what happens if I pick a Class seed and choose to wait. What happens to my skill? The best bet, for now, is to try to cap [Clear Mind] and [Mental Fortitude] and get more breakthroughs in [Twin Minds]. Or should I? Just those three skills will make my Class have a very high level cap when they are transferred into it, and if I am using Bond skills then I am probably going to end up with a Bond Class. If I don't get a high-tier Class, I could end up with poorly optimized evolutions, but the best way I can get higher tier Classes, for now, is by capping my skills. It's a catch twenty-two.

Do I take the risk? If I level my skills, I'd have to go all the way until it's capped, and with [Clear Mind] that's not likely to happen, since two of its breakthroughs are very dangerous to level, one needing me to be close to dying and the other requiring that I fight a vastly superior being.

I can maybe ask Safyr for help… or possibly even Kayafe, she can probably do it since it is a mental conflict. They'd both be strong enough to qualify as 'overwhelming power' and they wouldn't try to kill me.

No risk, no reward. I'll take the risk. This will either end very badly for me, or it will be exactly what I need. [Mental Fortitude] has a fear resistance breakthrough, though, and other than poking the Mind Eater again, which I will not do, I don't know how I'm going to level it up. I'll just have to work something out.

Maybe I should ask Safyr for help first? She did level my [Mana Toxicity Tolerance] very fast before. Hmm… no, I should ask Kayafe? It will raise her spirits to be able to actually do something for once.

A short flight over to the Temple, and I establish a connection with Kayafe. We greet each other, and then I ask her if she can help me train.

"I am ready for my second Class; however, I first want to get more levels in two resistance skills that should help me work towards [Unlimited Minds]."

"[Clear Mind] and [Mental Fortitude], right? Which breakthroughs do you need?" Kayafe asks.

"For [Clear Mind], I need to fight against someone more powerful than I, be near death, and be entranced, dominated, and allured. The last one is about controlling stray thoughts, which I can work on myself. For [Mental Fortitude], it's mostly the same, plus needing to resist or overcome fear," I tell her.

"Hmm, that's going to be hard without a proper mind mage; resistance skills can be hard to train if the trainer isn't a proper mage or warrior specialized in whatever you are trying to resist. I can really only help you with one breakthrough, and I am not skilled enough to get you close to death without going too far. Your best bet for training will be monsters in the dungeon, but the breakthrough for being a step away from death should never be trained without a master trainer. Unfortunately, you are going to have to deal with an uncapped skill until you can find one."

If I can't cap the skill, then it's not worth the risk.

"I see; if that's the case, I should probably ask the Guardian for any advice," I say, dejected.

"I'm sorry that I can't help you more," Kayafe says, sounding a little depressed. "But chances are that there is someone with a mind essence Bond, it's not so rare to be unheard of. They are probably going to be the best bet for a mind mage Class; maybe you can help them train, and then they can help train your resistance skills."

Now that I think about it, there are a few others with a mind essence Bond – none from my village, but I do remember seeing a few. The biggest problem is that our people are craftsmen; why would anyone take a mind mage Class if they are going to open or take over a family shop? Maybe as a Kheshamo, they might be a mind mage, but even then it's not as exciting as normal mages and fighters. This is why mind mages aren't around; there's just no reason for them to be. Other than to help people sleep by casting a sleep spell on them, how would a mind mage earn money in this society?

The best way is for them to become a monster hunter in the dungeon, and we are currently going through a little problem with that. Regardless, I can't just help someone become a mind mage; it won't work well in our society as it is. I must first change our society to allow mind mages to exist, and I'm not sure I actually want to do that, even if I knew how.

We chat until I run out of mana, then I make my way over to the Guardian. I tell her my predicament and that continuing to level my skills might screw up my Class's max level.

"We dragons usually don't have the same problem. Those of us who are spawned are born with high-level Bonds, so it's never really an issue for us." Safyr says. "However, the few dragons that are born are like you; they are born without a Class or Bond levels, they must train and earn their power. For them, they usually reset their Class once their Bond is at a high enough level." The Guardian pauses for a moment before speaking again.

"If you are worried about not getting a strong enough Class, then you should first train your Bond more and slay even more powerful monsters. Use the Dungeon to your advantage; kill the strongest monsters you can, and as many as possible. It'd be best if you do it yourself, too. Remember, it's not the levels you are looking for, but the achievements, and to experience how your Bond interacts with the world around you. You want a Class that is based on your clone? Then specifically perform actions using the clones that lead to achievements that will help you get a strong Class. Fight multiple powerful enemies in different places at the same time, by yourself. Evolve your Bond skills even more, and, most importantly, trust in your Bond, grow your Bond as much as should have one thousand Bond levels by the time your first Class is ready for its next evolution. Do that, and I'll solve your resistance skills issue."

Does the Guardian know a mind mage? Is it another dragon? How great of an achievement will it be to receive training from a mind mage dragon?

"Go now, you have a lot of work to do if you want to get your Bond to level one thousand." Clearly dismissed, I bow respectfully and go back home. I greet Mom and Dad as I walk through the shop, noticing that they are looking over the ledgers to summarize our monthly earnings. I walk upstairs and weave two small towels: Yafe and Yafel were playing on the island beach and have tracked sand all over the house. I summon two clones and order them to mop the floor, making use of their basic AI functions.

Entering my room, I think about the next item on my agenda. I still have a mind dedicated to searching the ocean for anything interesting so I can't train in the dungeon, but I can train [Sense Magic] and I still need to study some monster materials to get a better idea of how they work. I borrowed some from Guklaro, a while ago actually, so I probably should get that done and return them.

I take out the Slime Mana Core and the Arachnoid Mana Heart – both constantly producing mana – and stare at them, observing the mana and ectoplasm within. It seems as if residual ectoplasm has formed into a mana core soul component. They both have magic frameworks, small ones like those of skills, different but similar enough that they're clearly related. The cores themselves don't produce a lot of mana, nowhere near as much as the monsters they originate from produced, but it's something.

The most obvious question is: can a soul mage intentionally make these soul components? If they can, I can see mana-producing items or self-powering enchantments being widespread. I am not a soul mage, so I can't make more mana cores, unfortunately.

It would be nice if I could make mana-producing items, but it's not like I can do everything; instead, I should try to find someone who can, and teach them how to make them. Speaking of teaching, maybe I should write all of this down: not just everything I learned about mana and magic but also about Bonds, the system and everything I have learned from Safyr and Kayafe. It's certainly a multi-book project, but, with my clones, I can work on them at the same time. It might make it easier to teach Lotis, as well.

I still have levels I need to get from [Sense Magic]; it is level six hundred, but its cap is seven hundred eighty, and most of that is from my [Sense Mana] breakthroughs. I should take a month or two to focus on completing those before I finalize a book on it; I'd hate to write down incomplete knowledge when I can just learn it first.

First book, everything I know about mana. Second book, what I know about magic so far. Third book, everything I know about Bonds so far. My fourth will probably be a collection of miscellaneous knowledge, like all the things I learned from Kayafe that don't fit in the other books.

My thoughts are interrupted, as my other mind searching the ocean finally finds something!

Chapter 123: Land Ho!

It is the morning after the Lojyo Band meeting, and today I am going to explore outside of the Nexus; not only should I do that anyway, since I gained plenty of [Sense Magic] levels and my range has increased from that, but I should also use my state of focus to increase my range further. The only reason why I haven't done so before is simply that I never thought of doing so; I have always used it to help me observe mana and magic phenomenons in more detail, not to scout around.

There are, of course, reasons to not do it, not only will it increase how far I can move my perception, but it will increase how much I can see at one time, and that means it increases the chances of being hit by retaliation effects. While I do have my scapegoats, area hit spells like what the Mind Eater used will still hurt me.

My best bet is to use less perceptive pressure, so maybe I won't trigger retaliations. The only problem there is that using less perceptive pressure means not being able to see as well, although my state of focus will help mitigate that. Then there's the issue that lessening the perspective pressure may not even work against everything. I tested it with my own simple enchanted retaliation items, but that doesn't mean it will work against skills and magic items, which I can't test against.

In any case, I just need to see if there's land anywhere. I don't need to see detail, so lowering my perceptive pressure so much that I can only see large islands or continents is the safest way to go.

Unlike last time I 'left' the Nexus, I spiral outwards with my perception, so if there's anything in between the Nexus and my max range, I'll catch it if it's large enough. It will take a long time, but time isn't something I'm short of. I can dedicate one mind to this task as my others work on other things.

Ocean, ocean, ocean, nothing but endless waters. A thousand kilometers out and still nothing but enormous sea monsters and maybe a small island or two, it's hard to tell with my perceptive pressure so low. I continue searching and searching and searching, reaching where my previous max range was at two thousand kilometers out. A few hours later, I pass my current max range, without the state of focus.

As I go further out, it takes more time for each rotation of the spiral, having to cover more and more distance. Three thousand kilometers out and still nothing but water… and probably sea monsters, fit for the size of this ocean.

Four thousand kilometers, and I have been at this for an entire day and night with nothing but the endless expanse of water. At four and a half thousand kilometers, I finally find something! A floating mass of... water mana. I raise my perceptive pressure to get a clearer picture; it's just a four-kilometer-wide floating lake, complete with a soul... it's a water elemental.

Comparing the elemental to Safyr, I immediately notice the differences. The elemental only has three Classes, and it doesn't have an Ultimate Class nor any enhanced skills, but what it lacks in those it makes up for with its mana production. With over fifty mana cores in its soul, it's producing a torrent of mana, so much that it is rivaling what we are getting in the Nexus. Although… there's another strange thing about the elemental: while its mana production is absolutely insane, it is producing no vitality at all.

It both makes sense and doesn't at the same time. For one, how is it alive with no vitality? But it's an elemental, and is made from, and sustained by, its element; since vitality is mana, why wouldn't it be able to just substitute another kind of mana? Also, how the fuck do you kill it?! Kayafe said you have to completely remove every trace of its element within its domain, but, considering just how much mana this thing is producing, that should be impossible! And by the looks of it, its domain is at least four square kilometers; how do you remove all water and water mana from that much area, all at the same time, while fighting its insane mana production!? It has vastly more mana production than the Guardian!

Water Elemental (Legendary), Water Lord (Legendary), The Endless Flow (Exalted), The Crushing Deep (Exalted), Level 10252 Water Bond

This only reinforces the idea that it is unkillable. With a Bond level that high, just how strong is it? It seems to be moving away, so it doesn't seem like a threat, which is reassuring; we can't afford any more Nexus-destroying disasters.

I continue my search, and, at five thousand kilometers out, I could fit the average width of the Atlantic ocean between the Nexus and where my perception is. Surely I should be close to land by now… right?

At six thousand kilometers out, it's taking a full day to encircle the Nexus once; thankfully my state of focus also increases how fast I can move my perception. I notice a particularly scary Kraken duking it out with a kilometers-long sea serpent, both unleashing spells that more resemble nuclear bombs; the mana storm raging above them, formed by the sheer amount of mana they are unleashing, makes the superstorm that hit us look like a mild tropical storm compared to a full-on hurricane.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 602-603!

Yeah, just looking at that storm is enough to get two levels; maybe I should stay and study it more, perhaps I can cap that breakthrough? I continue observing the storm, noticing how each spell thrown by the monsters churns up the mana currents and makes the storm rage on. Every spell conjured causes the storm to spontaneously manifest its own spells from the pulls and pushes of the MM forces involved. Somehow the Kraken is utilizing the storm to its advantage… It is conjuring its spells with vastly empowered MM forces, to direct the inanimate wrath of the storm upon the sea serpent in addition to the primary effects of the spells? A few hours later, the Kraken is victorious, and I have earned two more levels in [Sense Magic].

At seven thousand kilometers out from the Nexus, I am beginning to lose all hope of ever finding anything. Maybe Safyr said "fuck it" and flooded the world? Or maybe a cursed being simply destroyed the rest of the world and somehow missed the Nexus? Or maybe the rest of the dry land in the world is a super-continent on the other side of the planet?

Eight thousand Kilometers and still nothing. I am ready to give up. By now, I've been at this for a month, and, if I can't find anything by the time I am done training my Class and general skills, then I am calling this a lost cause.

A few days later, at a distance of eight thousand four hundred kilometers from the Nexus, I spot land: not just a small pitiable island, but a massive piece of land with a coastline that extends for kilometers upon kilometers. What's more, there are signs of habitation! Immediately, I turn my full attention from sitting in my room thinking about books, and focus entirely on this.

It is hard to see who or what is living there without raising my perception, but if I do that then I may be subject to retaliation, assuming anyone has retaliation items or abilities.

I decide to risk it on a small fishing hamlet of maybe fifty people or so. The first thing I notice is the washed-up corpse of a dead sea monster; only the top part of it is above the waves, but no one can miss an island-sized whale on the beach. I slowly raise my perceptive pressure until I can make out the people's features. They resemble Runalymo, but they have much shorter ears and tails. They don't appear to be wealthy; their houses aren't built with care and, inside them, they have few luxuries. They all appear to be rather poor, but more the country bumpkin type of poor than the ragged, filthy, peasant type. There are, however, five who stand out, and not only because three are exiting a fancy-looking carriage and two are riding… what look like tiger-sized fox-like creatures, but with four large ears that pivot to any sound. They are completely eyeless and have large fangs, although not nearly as long as a sabertooth cat…fox… whatever. They have two long tails and sleek, well-groomed fur. They're clearly strong, since a third is harnessed to the armored and heavy carriage by itself.

War Forron (Adept), Fire-Steed Partner (Adept), Level 264 Fire Bond.

I stare at the bizarre creatures for a few more seconds, then turn my attention to the five fancy people.

One is rather well-dressed in mana silk, specifically gold essence mana silk. Her Bond, I easily Identify as a very rare gold Bond. The two mounted ones, both with fire Bonds, seem to be guards, wearing plate armor and holding spears. Two more, also with fire Bonds, I easily identify as mages due to how much mana they have. One of the mages is well dressed, but not as gaudy as the gold-Bonded one, and seems to have burning fur.

I [Analyze] them.

Runalymo Martialist (Major), Warrior of Flame (Major), Level 318 Fire Bond

Runalymo Amazon (Major), Warrior of Flame (Major), Flame Guard (Adept), Level 356 Fire Bond

Golden Runalymo Highborn (Grand), Midas Hand (Major), Golden Leader (Major) Level 511 Gold Bond

Runalymo Flamelasher (Major), Adept of Flame (Adept), Level 234 Fire Bond

Runalymo Firefur (Grand), Archmage of Flame (Grand), Flame Tracker (Grand) Level 573 Fire Bond

Lady Vanu Runa Lysha stares out of her carriage window, the sky overcast with grey clouds that drizzle light drops of rain.

Lysha looks over to the two mages sitting across from her: mages from the Order of Flame, a master and apprentice duo. Riding alongside the carriage are two warriors, also from the Order of Flame.

"Long, long ago, six thousand years ago in our ancestor's homeland, a cult of religious zealots took over, led by Serlia the Evil." Archmage Holuna Ruluna is telling her apprentice the story of how this land was first settled. It's certainly not the first time the boy would be hearing the story, but nonetheless he listens attentively, drinking in every word his esteemed master is saying. "Our Ancestors fought back bravely with science and technology, but one day Serlia managed to transform herself into a demon, a cursed being, and wrought untold devastation upon the land, Zifyr the Guardian Dragon fought against the demon for six nights and days before finally defeating the horror that Serlia the Evil had become, but it was not a day of victory, for… "

Lysha tunes out the rest of the story; she has heard it many times before. How the cult still managed to push their ancestors out of the homeland, and how they were adrift on the seas for months until the Dragonturtle T'Joak N'Glarl rescued them and brought them to these lands.

Eventually, the carriage stops.

"We are here, Lady Lysha," the driver says.

Lysha steps out and stretches her legs and tail.

"This is it?" Lysha asks, looking at the small hamlet.

"It is indeed, My Lady, the Leviathan corpse should be down the cliff," Archmage Ruluna says as she climbs out of the carriage and also stretches.

The corpse of a Leviathan will bring great wealth, both in money and materials, to her house, something that she needs dearly to contest her brothers for heirship of the family governship.

Suddenly Lysha feels her anti-scrying device vibrate and draw upon her mana; whatever fool dares to spy on her should have burst into flames by now, unless...

"Lady Lysha," Archmage Ruluna says, concern in her eyes. "We are being spied upon, and by a very powerful scryer."

The accomplished mage has some sort of counterintelligence skill, which is a major reason why Lysha brought her along on this trip. She can glean at least some information about anyone who spies on her.

Lysha's anti-scrying device stops retaliating, but it was active for long enough for someone to [Analyze] her, even if they should have been turned to ashes within a few seconds.

"Where? How powerful?"

"That's the thing; I don't know," Archmage Ruluna says, the tone of her voice halfway between frustration and fascination. "It felt as if there was no one spying on us, yet, at the same time, they were. They were using [Analyze], yet at the same time they were not; they were using a scrying skill, yet for some reason I can't get a read on it… it's as if it were a breeze I barely felt."

What's most pressing is the timing of everything; why here? In this small, out of the way hamlet? Why now, of all times? Someone heard about the leviathan, maybe, and they want to get it first… but who? Her brothers? Someone else? Another kingdom? Who is spying on them?

Chapter 124: Espionage

I finally found land, and what's more, I've found people! They are Runalymo, but they look different; probably a subspecies, too related to us to actually qualify as a different race despite their physical traits diverging over time. But how did they end up there? Are they descendants of exiles? Or were they part of Kayafe's group that broke off at first sight of land?

I notice my scapegoat growing warm, telling me that it is absorbing mana. The culprit is an item that the gold-Bonded person is wearing, and it is using a lot of mana, even though I'm not receiving all that much. Is it just a bad item, or could it be that the distance is weakening the retaliation effect? In any case, it only started retaliating once I started using [Analyze], so I probably should stop.

The retaliation ceases, but with my lower perceptive pressure I can still vaguely make them out; it's kind of like seeing through foggy glass.

That answers one question.

I know that my lower perceptive pressure does not trigger retaliation, at least for items of this quality, and that [Analyze] – or my perception-integrated version at least, it might not apply to the actual [Analyze] skill – does.

The people seem spooked; it couldn't possibly be my fault…. Jokes aside, I am a little interested in the culture of these people. If we are going to meet them, then we should know what they are like; for now, I'll observe these important-looking people.

Archmage Ruluna stares at the washed-up Leviathan with awe. Here is one of the most powerful beings in the world, an Exalted-tier creature that has lived for who knows how long until now. Its scales are bigger than her body; even if she were to stretch her arms up, she probably won't be able to touch the top of the one she's looking at. These scales should be incredibly tough, and just one can be used to make full suits of armor for an entire squad.

Ruluna walks to the head of the creature. The open maw reveals a tunnel of teeth tall enough to rival small towers; they look like adamantite, which suggests that its bones might be made of the same stuff. Just the one Leviathan can arm a whole army with top-tier armor and weapons.

No wonder the Order asked her to attend Lady Lysha; she must have told them of the Leviathan, and they no doubt negotiated to receive some of the materials. With how large the creature is, even a small part will bring a fortune, and great power, to the Order. However, one must learn from history; this isn't the first time a Leviathan has washed ashore, and the previous times caused all sorts of mayhem. Wars were started, neighboring countries were conquered and so many people died.

It's why the spy is cause for great concern; somebody else knows of the Leviathan. Lady Lysha is still questioning the villagers about who leaked the information, but so far, no one has said anything; each one seems to be very confused about all of this. The only other person that could have leaked information is the messenger, and if that's the case, they'll never see him again.

Ruluna studies the corpse with [Sense Mana], a very well-kept secret of the Order. Its existence is only revealed to high-ranking members, and even fewer people are actually taught the skill. Ruluna was chosen because the higher-ups hope she can gain some more insight into the skill and discover more breakthroughs but, at eighteen breakthroughs, it's already a very well-studied and -documented skill.

Still, when that World Message was broadcasted a few years ago, the Order was up in arms; someone had managed to reach the absolute pinnacle of the skill, a fellow Lunaleyan at that. Neither she, nor anyone else she knows, knows which kingdom they come from, but they are a threat. It may even be that very person who was spying on them… in fact, they are the most likely suspect, now that she thinks about it.

No other order or kingdom has come out or even hinted at knowing who the person is, but they must be somewhere.

Ruluna takes heavy notes on where the magic materials are by studying the mana signatures, but she can't help but feel like she is being watched. It must be paranoia from earlier, but the feeling won't go away, even if her skills aren't reacting to anything.

The sky finally makes due on its threat to wash the world, the dark grey clouds finally pouring their contents onto the land. Water drops land on her hair and are instantly evaporated by her burning hair and fur. She increases the temperature to stay dry and pulls out a voice stone from her storage ring.

"Headmaster Vulpun, this is Ruluna," She says, contacting headquarters. "I have confirmed the Leviathan."

"That is great news; we'll send everyone we can spare to harvest the materials. Is there anything else to report?" Vulpun replies. Usually, in a case like this, there wouldn't be, it's a low threat quest, but ambushes do happen.

"Yes, actually. When we arrived, my [Track Senses] and Lady Lysha's retaliation device both activated, meaning somebody else knows about the Leviathan," Ruluna says, in a tone dark enough to match the weather.

"Who? Where? How strong are they?" Vulpun asks, sounding a lot more serious now. With a potential threat contesting them for the Leviathan, they will have to act with all haste.

"I don't know, I—"

"You don't know? You don't know?! How can you not know?! You were chosen just in case this very thing happened!" Vulpun yells into the voice stone.

"It's probably 'Alysara', the one from the World Message" Vulpun instantly falls silent as Ruluna explains. "I couldn't tell who or where; it's almost as if they were watching us, yet at the same time they weren't. It's not like they were using a proxy either; I simply couldn't get anything from them. Who else could do that, but one who has reached the pinnacle?"

Vulpun sighs, calming down. "So it could be Alysara, but it also could not be. It might be possible that someone has a magic item or skill that hides them, but I do find the timing suspect. Why would they not use this item before? I'll use my contacts to see if there have been any other cases like this in any kingdom. For now, we'll redirect anyone we can to help with the material recovery."

"One more thing," Ruluna says, "I have a strange feeling of being watched, yet my skill isn't activating; I'm sure it's nothing, but, just in case I really am being watched, you should know."

Vulpun doesn't speak for a few minutes, but when he does, he sounds like he just ran all the way up the Order's tower.

"Very well," Vulpun pants. "Well, prepare things on this end; you'll be given unimportant missions for now. If we can give false information to any potential spy, we will."

"Ruluna out." Ruluna ends the connection and looks back at the Leviathan.

This mission has gone to absolute shit.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 760!

38th Breakthrough: You've sensed another's perceptive field; this will help you detect when you are being spied upon, or determine the target of others' attention.

The fiery-haired mage also has [Sense Mana]! Because our perceptive areas 'feel out' the mana, I am able to feel her tugging on the same mana I am sensing; maybe she can feel the same thing? Although my perceptive pressure is very low, so maybe not?

This is the first time I've felt this tugging, even though Esofy has the same skill; maybe it's because my perception is usually so strong that I couldn't feel any resistance? I wonder if I can block others' perceptions with enough perceptive pressure…

Either way, I'll keep an eye on these people, learn what I can from them, and see if they are dangerous to contact.

For now, I'll look over the land to get a good idea of where things are and if there are any other settlements around. I'll be able to get a lot of information on the general state of things. If they are in the habit of using banners, I can use that to determine factions. Uniforms, badges, styles of clothes, many mundane things can indicate the state of affairs.

Even what people are most producing. If smiths are making a lot of weapons, it can indicate expectations of war; old battlefields with lost weapons can reveal history; regional items showing up in other regions can indicate trade; and seats of power, from congresses to thrones, can show how people are governed.

I am more confident that my low perceptive pressure won't trigger retaliation from enchanted items, and maybe some skills, depending on how many breakthroughs that skill has and what level it is. In other words, I am confident that even if I trigger retaliation, the combination of distance, my scapegoat and the low likelihood of powerful retaliation will keep me safe.

I don't have to search far to see a mid-sized city flying banners, not flags, with the symbol of a volcano. There must be a volcano nearby, too, because the ground is enriched with ash and fire mana. These people probably enjoy very fertile farmlands, so I expect their main export to be food.

Yup, as I continue looking around, there are a large number of farms. Many fly two banners, one being the volcano symbol I assume to be the national one and the other showing what I assume, from the number of farms growing it, to be a staple crop. The second banner is probably that of some sort of guild, probably a farming guild, but not all farms have that banner; some seem to be independent.

The city has several other banners being flown by some buildings, likely indicating some sort of intra-national faction or guild. The banner with a flame is likely the affiliation of those 'flame warriors' that are with that gold essence woman.

The people of the city are dressed in something similar to togas. There are actual men here, and no sign of hermaphrodites. They may look similar to Runalymo, but in this regard they are different. There is a large population of people with fire and ash Bonds here; one mystery I have yet to really pursue is the relation of Bond affinities and genetics. Is it even genetics at all, or is it environmental? Perhaps it's both, or there are several sources that influence it?

For example, most blue-haired Runalymo have water Bonds; I can only assume that since Kayafe has a water Bond and she is very strong, that might be from her influence. This indicates genetics are involved, but my beauty Bond probably came from Myrou's blessing. Environmental factors are also heavily indicated; a lot of Runalymo have fire Bonds, which makes sense since the Nexus has a lot of fire mana due to the Mana Arc.

Anyway, the flame building looks to be some sort of militaristic place, with training grounds for mages and warriors. It has a barracks for its members, and there are several secret rooms. Of more interest to me personally are a library filled with books and an experimentation room with a crude mana pressure chamber made out of mana silk. Honestly, it's a very poor attempt at a mana chamber; they need solid mana at least for it to work well; what they have leaks mana constantly.

The large congressional building near the center of the city shows that the place is ruled by some sort of senate or something similar. It is arranged in a large circle with dozens of seats. Behind each seat is a banner, meaning that each city faction has a say in the going-ons of the government.

The faction/guild that I am dubbing as the 'Farmers' Guild' also has a secret room, containing a Heroic-tier underground topaz tree. Lightning sparks from branch to branch, and it looks like it is occasionally harvested for rare materials if the cut branches are any indication. I don't think they realize just what the tree really is though… its roots extend far down below the earth, sprouting into new trees in an underground chamber.

I flicker my [Analyze], relying on my memory to fully absorb the information I get.

Hive Root Topaz Oak (Heroic), Mind Whisperer (Heroic), Lightning Caller (Grand), level 2025 Lightning Bond.

It's a mind mage, and, judging by the mind essence around several members of the guild; it's the one in charge. I have a suspicion that it's not exactly friendly: it's probably not hostile either, but with Kayafe's warning that plant monsters don't have the same emotions and thought processes as us, it might be perfectly fine with puppeteering others. I'll have to see for myself.

Fortunately, I am either too far away or have gone under its radar, as I am not feeling any mental influence from it.

I start writing down everything I see in the city. Tusile and Guklaro will want to know it all.

Chapter 125: Falling behind

The new land is large, but it's not a full continent. Rather, it's just a very large island, many, many times the size of the Nexus. I can see most of it, but my perception range can't quite reach the whole thing, so there might be a lot more to it. I doubt that, though.

I can fully see the island's main mass, but it seems like land bridges connect three smaller masses, only one of which looks natural. Cities are built on the land bridges, with docks on either side and canals to allow ships through.

There seem to be six major factions judging from what visual cues I have. First, there's the volcano republic, which appears to have six primary cities, each apparently with its own ruling family. I'm not sure if they are city-states or not, but it seems they are all under some sort of republic, or something of that nature.

Across some mountains to their west is a slightly larger kingdom; they too have six major cities, but there seems to be a ruling king and some sort of caste system? There's only so much I can learn with the brief look I've given them.

To the south of the volcano republic is another kingdom; this one is smaller and protected by natural barriers. The forests' trees in that kingdom have ice Bonds, making the kingdom a cold and snowy one. West of that small kingdom looks to be a number of city-states, either or maybe in a very loose coalition? Between them and the small kingdom is what I am dubbing the Untamed Wilds.

There are no signs of civilization in that area, probably because of some very powerful monsters, an Exalted Treant and an Exalted Shadow Panther. Due to these monsters and a few other Heroic ones, the jungle cannot be claimed, and probably serves as a very good barrier between factions.

West of the large kingdom appears to be a sort of healing-centered government, kind of like a magocracy but only healers; it appears only healers can be citizens, although I do see a lot of healer-warriors, a lot like Tana, so it's not like they can't defend themselves. I see a city full of old people too; it seems like there are a lot of people still in their vitality days – when their body has finally died of old age, but they keep going with the vitality they still have left.

This... 'Healocracy' seems to have few issues with keeping people in their vitality days –, or rather, healers are most likely to keep themselves going; most vitality healers will be able to stay alive for longer.

The last major faction I can't fully see, most of it is too far away, but it seems a little imperialistic from what I can see.

The guilds seem to operate internationally, with operations in many cities, but it is worth noting that not all guilds are spread over the entire island. There are, judging by the flags at least, ten major guilds, with one basing themselves around each one of the eight elements and the last two being a merchant guild and a healer guild.

The fire and earth guilds are most prevalent in the volcano republic, the ice guild in the snow kingdom, the healer guild is obviously most prevalent in the 'Healocracy', with the light guild being the second most popular there. Dark and air both call the large kingdom home, with lightning in the imperial-looking country and water being most prevalent in the mostly coastal area that the city-states occupy. The Merchant Guild seems to be everywhere, but is most concentrated in the city-states.

I take my initial report to Elder Guklaro early the next morning and watch as she reads it over carefully.

"It's quite far," Guklaro says after thinking for a few minutes, "but if we want to explore the rest of the world, we will need to meet them eventually. The Flagship is still incomplete, and it probably won't be done for some time. I'd like to know as much as we can about these people, from common things to their secrets, before we get involved with them. We need to know how strong their warriors are, and if they are likely to be friendly or hostile."

"They probably won't take too kindly being spied upon," I warn. "As far as I know I've only triggered one retaliation, and I don't think I've been noticed aside from that. I can't promise that it'll stay that way if I look more deeply."

Guklaro sighs. "I know, but from your reports, their warriors are far stronger than ours. Alysara, we need the dungeon to train stronger warriors, and we need it soon. Not only do we need it in case there's another cursed being, but we need it for materials and for training. I've talked with Esofy, and we've agreed that we will attack the Treant in four months. We need your help to prepare; so far, you are the only one who can make anything from forged mana that's actually useful."

"I don't think we are ready for that, Elder." I voice my concerns immediately. "It may be Grand-tier, but it has shown high intelligence, and it will have strong skills."

"Are we not ready, or are you not ready?" Guklaro says bluntly "Alysara, I know you want to take everything on yourself, you always have, but you are not— you cannot be our only source of strength. I know you want to wait until we are as strong as we can be, but when will that be? We can't keep waiting, and we can't afford to lose you if anything is to happen, so for this fight, you are not participating."

"What?!"

Before I can say anything else, Guklaro raises her hand to stop me.

"You said it yourself; this one is smart. It was watching you; this means you are at risk. It knows you are strong, and it will try to lure you out. Besides, you will still be helping out by making the best armor and weapons you can."

"I can fight and still be safe! If I need to, I can just fly high above, far out of reach." I try to argue.

Guklaro sighs again. "I didn't want to say this, but I'm going to have to. Alysara, you put too much on yourself; you are too hard on yourself. When I say we worry about your safety, what we mean is we are worried about your mental health. If someone dies in the fight you will blame yourself. We don't know what happened in those two years after the cursed being, because you refuse to tell us and The Guardian just says it's your choice, but everybody can see that it was very hard on you."

"There's no point in talking about what happened after the cursed being, what's done is done. As for fighting, that is why I want to join the fight, so I can make sure no one dies!" I fight back.

"And what if you aren't able to save someone? There is no possible way to make sure of that! You need to realize what you are doing, Alysara. You are trying to control a situation that you have no control over, and that is not a healthy mindset," Guklaro explains calmly, then pauses before continuing. "On top of that you don't work well under leadership, yet you also don't know how to lead. When first going into the dungeon, you had issues deferring to Esofy, who was the leader. This is very dangerous, and it can get people into dangerous situations."

She must have learned all of that from Esofy's debriefings. But this leads me to a question: are they simply letting me tag along because they don't want to hurt my feelings? I don't think it's just that, and neither does [Inquisitive Perfection], but right now I can't calm down enough to think it through.

I try to argue, but as I open my mouth I realize my only argument is that I won't be in a position to be harmed. I've seen the others fight, and, while they may make a mistake or two, they work very well together. It's frustrating to admit, but I don't need to worry about them as much as I am.

Regardless, I can't help but feel so useless right now. I need to help; I need to make sure that it turns out all right. How many times has disaster only been averted because I was there? Three times now; I'd rather it be four times instead of having more funerals. When half the village burned down, fifteen people died, but if I'd had the power then that I have now? No one would have died. I can prevent disaster, I have done so before. I must do so again.

I clench my fists in frustration as my eyes start burning, threatening to flood with tears.

"I've averted or fixed three disasters; I can do it again!" I declare.

"We aren't the same as we were, Alysara; there won't be another disaster. The worst case is that everyone will have to use the waystone key to retreat, and with proper weapons and armor, which you can provide, no one will die." Guklaro reaches over and pats my head. "It's in your best interest to sit this one out; you need to learn to trust in our abilities now."

Tears start welling up, squeezing through my eyelids. I can't just sit this one out. My friends are going into danger, so I need to make sure they are as safe as possible. There are still some Grand-tier monsters that will give them a lot of trouble without me… what makes them think that they are ready for one of that power that is also intelligent and has mastered its abilities?

"This is proof of their abilities," Guklaro says, and draws out a large item from her storage ring. "They killed a Heroic-tier monster without you."

"What?" I mutter. When?! How?! The monster material is from the Mana Ant; it easily produces six thousand mana an hour.

Noticing my confusion, Guklaro continues. "While you've been training your skills for the last few months, they've been going to the dungeon and getting stronger. This is why they are going to be fine; this is how strong they've gotten. Trust in their abilities."

I've been so focused on training my abilities and searching the ocean that I didn't even notice their absence. There have been times when I tried looking for Tana and couldn't find him, but I thought he was in the city with Esofy and Chyzu, who often visit the nearby place to meet up with Kadona and Jowaru to share information, like getting a second Class.

I get up and leave, utterly defeated, finally unable to hold back tears. Is this what all Bond mages feel? Seeing others surpass you because you have to hold back? I can't help but feel like I'm back during those awful two years; no one to talk to, no one to comfort me, but I won't let myself drown in sorrow. I may not be ready yet, but Guklaro did say they will attempt to kill the Treant in four months, which means I just have to get stronger in that time.

Right now, my biggest problem is the dungeon entrance. It prevents any links and presences from passing through it, but it doesn't disrupt anything physical, which means if I somehow build a relay device that crosses the entrance through a physical link, then I may be able to bypass it. If I can do that, I can have a clone train in the dungeon all day, every day, only stopping to recharge mana.

The only problem with a relay is that it will also have to transfer my spells, which means that it needs to be capable of transferring large quantities of mana. First, I need to make some thick mana wire, for the physical link. The link itself will need to keep its physical scaffolding, but even then, how will the link pass through the dungeon entrance? The link is magic; it's metaphysical in nature. Even with a relay, it won't work if the fundamental problem is that no link can pass through it.

Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, why does it work this way, anyway? The only thing I can think of is that it is a spatial problem. The best way to test this is by turning on the portals I made and trying to hold a link through those, to see if spatial magic just disrupts metaphysical links. If that is the case, and it probably is if [Inquisitive Perfection] is to be believed, then how do I work around it? It's also possible that it may not even be the entrance's fault, and rather just that the real space the dungeon occupies is too far away for me to reach.

Alternatively, if, once on the other end, the link tries to connect through real space rather than seeking back through the entrance portal then the distance may equal to infinity because the dungeon is like a demi-realm; there is no physical way to it, only the entrance portal.

This quirk of links means I need to find an alternative, one that lets me both control my clones and cast spells through them; I wonder what will happen if I inscribe magic frameworks on a physical connection? They do something, and with the amount of mana in the area it should be self-fueling. If, for example, I put my [Summoner's Beacon] Class skill's magic framework on both sides of the entrance, connected to each other, will it work? There's only one way to find out!

Chapter 126: Inscriptions

I scratch a copy of the magic circle that is my [Summoner's Beacon] skill into a copper plate.

Now what? I ask myself.

Simply making the image isn't going to do anything. There needs to be mana involved. Last time I simply ran mana through it.

I take control of the mana in the air using [Mana Manipulation] and make it flow through the etched pattern. Once the circle is formed, the mana is burned away, and it continues to draw mana from the air. Each mana particle drawn into the pattern makes one complete circuit of the magic framework, then burns away. I move the plate, but the magic circle doesn't move with it. Because I drew the magic circle in the void of the scratches, using them as a guide but not actually attaching the circle to them, the magic circle remains floating in the air.

This isn't what I wanted, but it's certainly a breakthrough in this field of study. Anyone skilled with some form of mana control can form these, if they have access to the magic circle for reference, but how do I stop it?

I prevent mana from getting close to the magic circle, forming a sphere of mana vacuum. The mana runs out after a few seconds and the magic circle dissolves.

So once the mana runs out, it ceases functioning.

I make another circle in the air, to study in greater depth. The mana is pulled in from the outer ring and flows through lines to the middle ring, where the framework gets complicated. Then it flows through more lines to the inner ring that borders the magic circle's core framework, and yet further in to the very center where it burns away.

Now, how do I make a magic circle on the copper plate, rather than in the gaps? The only answer I have for now is mana-saturated ink.

I go down to Dad's workshop and gather copper shavings, and begin to infuse as much beauty mana as I can into the metal. The mana gathers around the copper atoms' protons, neutrons, and electrons, forming mana structures along some forces holding the atoms together. Somehow the mana is interacting with, or being influenced by, the weak and strong nuclear forces… or something similar.

I need the copper shavings to be a lot finer to make a good ink base, so I use an earth spell to do the job. Next, I take some oil and mix the copper dust into that, making copper ink. I go back into my room and fill the scratches on the copper plate with the ink. Once the ink completes the magic circle, the mana is burned out and starts the process of drawing in more mana, but at a slower rate than before.

I pick up the copper plate, and, to my delight, the magic circle moves with it. With the prototype working, my tails jitter with excitement. I take a deep breath to calm myself. This is just the first step, there's more work to be done, but half of me wants to celebrate and brag to Kayafe about my findings.

With the help of [Calm Mind], I control myself. Now, I need to break the magic circle. It's a little sad to do this, but I need to understand how to stop it. However, to my surprise, the copper plate begins to absorb incredible amounts of mana, way more than what the magic circle is drawing in. Mana rushes into the copper plate and it begins to change and warp, shifting into a beautiful circular shape, with words engraved around the edges of the now-pristine grooves of the magic circle I had carelessly scratched into a piece of scrap.

The First Inscription (Exalted) (Artifact):

Made by Alysara, a pioneer and visionary in the field of mana and magic; this is the first stable magic inscription made in history. This is the start of a revolution that may change the world. This item will stabilize all spells within a two thousand kilometer radius.

Maybe it's because I used beauty mana in the ink, or maybe it's because this is an Exalted-tier item, but what was previously a scrap piece of metal is now a beautiful work of art. The words around the magic circle are in Runalymo, a fluffy description of what's going on with the magic circle and what it does. It is worth noting that each letter is touching the magic circle, so maybe the words themselves have some purpose? Tests for later.

The name of this magic item is certainly a lie; it isn't the first 'inscription', but it does also clarify that it is the first stable inscription. As for its range, it is equal to its tier bonus, so the base is one kilometer, which is quite a lot even before the other changes that may have been at play. It is also Artifact-tier, after all.

The inscription still consumes mana at the normal rate, and, with a simple thought, the magic stops. I turn it back on, and it starts consuming mana again. I turn it off and set it down. My hands shake, and my tails tremble. This is – let's not mention the Mana Arc – the highest tier magic item the Runalymo have ever had! Exalted-tier! I want to jump up and down in excitement; I want to show the world what I have discovered!

I pick up The First Inscription and almost run downstairs to show my parents, but halfway down, I stop. Mom and Dad won't really know what this means. They know what Exalted-tier means, theoretically, but they won't understand the full scope of what I have accomplished. Kayafe will understand, but, being unable to actually see my work; she can't fully appreciate it.

There's a pit in my stomach. There is no one who can fully share in my success, as always. Dejected, I slowly walk back to my room, but then I remember that there is someone who can fully understand the scope of this; however, Safyr isn't exactly one to celebrate or get excited about any of this.

I don't know what I want. Do I want them to praise me and tell me how smart I am? No. Do I want attention? I've never really wanted any of that. I guess I just want somebody to relate to me, to know what it's like to pioneer a field of study, to know what it's like to have to tiptoe around cursed skills and to work around their Bond.

I smack my forehead as a sudden realization hits me. I know what this is all about; teenage fucking angst! I can't wait to grow out of this shit; I hate feeling like this, I hate how my emotions are controlling me so much, I hate the cringe after I realize what's going on.

I go back downstairs to celebrate properly. Who cares if Mom and Dad don't fully understand the magnitude of this? Who cares if Kayafe can't fully appreciate it? They will want me to share regardless!

"Momara!" I hold up the magic item with a grin.

Mom tilts her head for a second then gasps as she identifies the copper plate as a magic item.

"Exalted!? Aly, how did you do it? I'm so proud of you!" Mom pulls me into a hug. "Kanato! Come here, Aly made an Exalted item!"

A clang of metal being dropped came from the forge, and soon Dad emerges from the doorway, a hint of disbelief on her face. However, once she [Analyzes] the copper plate, there is no denying it.

"That's amazing! You've got to show it off at this Lojyo!"

"I-I don't think I am ready for that yet; I still need to study what these inscriptions are capable of," I stammer nervously.

After spending a moment with my parents, I go back to my room with a new piece of scrap and scratch a new magic circle into it. I fill it in with ink and then test the destruction of the circle. Once interrupted, the magic circle ceases to function.

There is a ton of potential here, but it's going to take a long time to study useful magic circles, time that I do not have. For now, I just need an object that can help me operate my clones past the dungeon entrance.

I begin testing ways to build a physical bridge to cross the entrance. First, I test a plate with a line connecting the outermost rings of two circles; seeing as how the mana is drawn inward, it predictably doesn't work. Next, I drill a hole in the very center of the circle and make a link to connect to the outer ring of another. This partially works: one circle draws in mana and transfers it to the other. I wonder if this can be used to make a mana collection array; if so, then maybe making liquid mana will become easy.

My third test works as intended; instead of drilling a hole in the center, I drill a hole somewhere in the middle section of the magic circle, close to a line that I can draw mana from without interrupting any 'circuitry'. I draw a line from one magic circle to the other, and, as both draw in mana, there is a connection from one to the other. However, there seems to be an issue: the connection only goes one way, for obvious reasons. In order for this to work, both magic circles need to share. I redo the third test, but this time I do it properly.

Now for the real tests! I fly over to the dungeon and insert my three test cases halfway into the dungeon. With any luck, I'll finally be able to send a clone over to the other side and still control it. I summon a clone and have it walk through. After a moment, I order it to walk back. It does not walk back; the tests have failed.

I half expected this; it would have probably worked if I could have inscribed my clone skill onto the plates, but it's a Bond skill, and those seemingly don't have magic frameworks.

Maybe I should start simpler? I need to copy my [Sense Magic] skill onto copper plates. If it works, then I should be able to see past the entrance and then I won't have to mess around with clones.

I redo the tests with my perception instead, hoping that the complicated nature of the Bond was messing with the experiment. No luck. The problem, now that I've eliminated some of the other issues, is probably that there is nothing that connects me to the magic circles, the bridge. So now I need to find some way to link to the bridge, and for that I need an enchanted item.

I've made link stones before, so that's not an issue; the real problem is the fact that link stones are made of mana, which will be consumed by the bridge. I pace in my room, trying to figure this new problem out.

I just need to feed the magic circle more mana than it consumes; that way, it won't eat the link stone. To accomplish that, I need a mana collection array… which I just figured out by accident anyway, conveniently. I build a metal box with magic circles etched onto its surfaces, then drill the cores of the magic circles out and have lines running down tubes to concentrate mana in the center.

I watch in amazement as large quantities of mana are drawn in, and I realize that the core of magic frameworks does the actual magic; the rest does… something, aside from just moving the mana around, but I don't know what, yet.

I don't think what inscriptions do can truly be called magic, more of a false magic. True magic is the formation of magic items, which does not need magic frameworks to accomplish its effects. This false magic requires the magic circles, which help bring order to the chaos that is true magic.

Inscriptions may be what bridge spells and true magic, however. There is definitely mana involved, and it's more than just consuming it. I will have to run tons of experiments to see if the type of mana matters, how the formation of magic circles works, and what each part of the framework actually does. The best way to figure out how something works is to break it. If it stops working, then I know what makes it stop; if it doesn't, then I know what is optional for what I want to accomplish.

I'll need to start small. I need to figure out the most efficient magic circle that draws in mana, that will be a good starting point. However, that is all for later; for now, I need to get this bridge working.

I insert half of the bridge into the mana collection array and have a mana-collecting magic circle redirect the mana to the link stone, which then feeds into the rest of the bridge.

My second experimental bridge has the same setup, but mirrored on both sides of the bridge; I need to know if one works better. I fly over to the dungeon entrance and place both test subjects halfway in the entrance… and suddenly the inside of the dungeon becomes visible!

Chapter 127: Apprentice

A couple of days after my first successful attempt at bridging the dungeon entrance, I finally have a clone on the other side.

Because Bond skills don't have magic frameworks, I had to use Bond spell crystals in the end; if the link stones worked, then why not spell crystals?

Esofy and the others are in the Slime Ruins, so I send my clone to the Felin Glade. Normally it'd be easy to deal with them, so I decide to challenge myself. My Bond can now imitate basic skills such as [Beauty Beam] without actually having the skill, so I will be using just that.

I creep up on a sleeping Felin and get close to its face, then blast its eyes and nose point blank with beams, singing the fur and burning its skin. The Felin yelps in surprise and pain as I stop trying to suppress the 'presence' that manifested once my Bond reached level five hundred.

The Felin snorts and shakes its head, trying to regain its senses, but once it feels my presence, it slinks away blindly.

I chase after it and continue blasting it with beams, but I quickly run into other Felins who snarl and growl with open maws. They can't hurt me, but they might be annoying, so I crank my perceptive pressure and Bond presence to the max to scare them away.

As if a fire has been lit under their tails, they jump and dart away. It's actually a little comical how they manage to fling themselves back like a cat being surprised by a cucumber.

I eventually back my prey into a corner, and it tries to scare me away with threatening yowls and screeches. I blast it with beams, angering the beast as it charges at me, bouncing off the walls blindly before it sinks its claws into my illusory clone.

"Sorry, but you can't hurt me," I say and grab the beast's head. My beams seem to only be equivalent to poking it with a needle; in order to not torture the poor thing, I need to hit it in a vital spot with a sustained beam.

I drill into its skull as it tries to bite into me, the kill notification coming only seconds later. This has been a messy fight, not something my Bond is proud of. I need to exemplify beauty in all things, including fighting and killing; a quick clean kill is a must, no dragging it out, no letting the monster run away, just an enticing, alluring, deadly beauty. I have much to learn.

Lotis jumps onto the pier from the boat; they will be living in this village now, with its straight streets and water pumped into each home. They have docked at the smaller pier near the residential area, the one used almost exclusively by divers who want a short commute from their houses.

"Don't run off, Lotis!" Momara Ara calls after her.

"Hurry up!" Lotis says impatiently, wanting to see the new house.

They soon arrive at the house, a single-floor building that is a little bigger than their previous house. They unpack their things from storage items and set up their furniture. Special large storage items had to be rented because normal storage rings aren't capable of holding large items like bed frames.

Fully moving into their new home takes most of the day, so Lotis is unable to meet with Alysara today, but tomorrow she'll be able to finally receive training and learn how to get wings! It takes her a while to sleep, because she's too excited, but she manages eventually.

The next day, Lotis hums happily as Momara Waru walks her to Alysara's shop; she has already agreed to train her today, she can hardly wait to fly! As they near Alysara's place, she can't help but get a feeling of... familiarity? It's not like deja-vu, but something else… like there's something nearby that she simply knows.

They enter the shop, and the first thing Lotis sees is the three-tailed girl already waiting for them. She's so beautiful! Everything about her, from her posture to her expression, exudes elegance and serenity; it's as if the air around her respects her presence and quiets down even as the breeze flows in from the open door.

"How are you today, Lotis?" Alysara asks with a smile. The presence around her shifts from quiet serenity to joyful passion, like the beauty of a sunrise banishing the silent dark.

How does she do it? Lotis can't help but wonder.

"Great! When can I fly? How do I learn to get wings?!" Lotis chatters excitedly.

"We can fly later," Alysara says, amused. "But for now, you need to learn the basics. First, what level is your Bond?"

"Twelve! I did what you said before and learned how to use my Bond!" Lotis replies proudly.

"First you need to get your Bond to one hundred, preferably to two hundred," Alyasra says; it seems as if she already knew the answer.

"What I am going to teach you is how to level up your Bond quickly and safely. To grow your Bond, you need to be in tune with beauty; this means even when walking and talking, you need to be graceful and elegant, which are different forms of beauty."

"Different forms?" Lotis asks.

"Yes, beauty has many ways to express itself, from the calm, still night with stars shining above to the hot, passionate enthusiasm of fire, from graceful dances to the allure of jewelry. These are different forms of beauty, different ways for beauty to express itself and for us to express beauty."

Lotis nods, drinking in the lesson.

"There is, of course, 'static' beauty, the normal kind people think of when they think of the essence," Alysara conjures a ball of beauty mana. "And these are the previously mentioned forms." Alysara conjures four more balls of beauty mana. The difference is subtle, but noticeable when compared side to side. The one that shimmers and gives off heat is the passionate, fiery beauty and the one that seems to be slightly swaying is the graceful dancey type.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 13!

Before Lotis can celebrate her level up, Alysara continues on.

"But there are even other types within each category of beauty. Serenity can be like that of a quiet night, or the snow after an ice storm. It can be like the stillness of water when there's no wind, or like walking through the orchard after work, where there is no sound except that of your own footsteps."

The lesson goes on. Eventually, Alysara moved on to how to incorporate beauty into different facets of life.

"Stand like this" Alysara moves Lotis into the correct posture. "It may be slightly uncomfortable at first, but your tail is shorter than mine, so it won't be as uncomfortable."

"It's still longer than most," Lotis complains.

"The most important thing is to listen to your Bond," Alysara says, ignoring Lotis' complaint. "Your Bond level is low, so it will be hard to hear, but I'm here to help you with that. There, now just listen as best as you can."

"I thought we were going to learn how to fly today," Lotis says, her disappointment growing.

"We are going to fly later today… if you are good and do as I instruct" Alysara gives a dark yet beautifully terrifying smile. Lotis can only grumble quietly.

The hours pass, until finally Lotis can stop holding her uncomfortable posture. Her back is sore, and her tail feels like it has been stuffed in a sleeve half its length. She stretches as she slips into the hot bath waters and breathes a sigh of relief. Still, the gains have been worth the soreness.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 14-19!

How can Alysara hold that posture all day?! Yes, it looks graceful and elegant, but it's seriously uncomfortable!

As if reading her mind, Alysara gives an answer. "You need to strengthen some muscles you are not used to using; that's why you are sore. The important part is to not put your body in an unnatural posture as that can hurt you in the long run rather than just for a short while like this."

Just then, two identical girls a couple of years younger than herself arrive, sitting down next to Alysara. They also have royal blue hair and pretty much look like younger Alysaras.

"Alysara, we are going to fly today, right?" they ask, in hopeful unison.

"After this bath, yes." Alysara turns toward Lotis and introduces the twins. "They are my sisters, Yafe and Yafel."

After the bath, the four of them are finally adorned with wings, and, with her heart pumping in excitement, Lotis takes off, the wings on her back flapping. She is finally flying!

There's something about having someone to teach that reinforces your knowledge. It forces you to revisit the basics and explain them, a process that somehow deepens one's knowledge of a subject in a way that ordinary review can't.

I don't know why this is, but I can certainly say that teaching another how to use her beauty Bond has helped me grow my own.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 502!

Perhaps it was listening to beauty on how best to train another's posture, or maybe it was my attempts at flying with grace, I don't know.

Anyway, my efforts in the dungeon have been fruitful, netting me two more levels in my Bond. It is certainly harder to slay monsters with just my Bond, and I have to hit below what my level suggests, but considering that the monsters are between level one hundred and two hundred and still giving my Bond levels, it's definitely helping.

It has allowed me to use less mana than I would normally have, so I could start sending in more clones to train my Bond, but I also can't neglect the things I have to do outside of the dungeon. I need to study Inscriptions, train my skills, train Lotis and do numerous other things. I only have five minds; I can't do that much, I need more, I need to be able to do everything at once.

If I have my three Diadem minds working the dungeon and my last two minds in the village, one studying and the other training skills, then I should expedite my Bond growth, and if I can get my Bond to one thousand for a good clone/mind Class then perhaps I can increase my minds to… maybe twenty? Hopefully? That's four times what I have now, ten times if you don't include my item-granted minds.

Can I get my Bond to one thousand in four months, though? I don't think so. It took me a long time to get to five hundred. I need to consider getting my second class in preparation for the Treant fight... or, maybe I can fight it now, or rather just before the others? I mean, I don't even need to be in the dungeon anymore; I can fight it in complete safety. It is Grand-tier, so it is a hard fight, but it won't have the raw power of a Heroic monster.

Hmm, I remember that one of its Classes was a tank type, and I am weak against tank-type monsters; I just don't have the mana needed to power through their endurance and vitality. I don't need to worry about mind attacks, my true minds are beyond the dungeon entrance, plus the Treant doesn't seem like it has any mind abilities.

On the other hand, what have I really killed all by myself? I get really screwed over by simple things. The Alpha Spine Wolf had spell-resistant fur; I was practically useless against it, and it was killed mostly by; Kadona and Uloru. There was the Mind Slime, but that was tricky and would have overpowered me if it wasn't focused on trying to control the others. I could have never killed the Void Slime by myself. The Blast Slime, I don't count; that one was way too weak.

There have been numerous bosses in some of the dens, but when I am up against some monsters I am just useless. The Ruby-Backed Arachnoid, for example, the Phase Rovlat, pretty much all regenerators. There was also the Mana Slime, that became resistant to the same spells thrown at it. There have been a rather large number of monsters I had significant trouble with.

So, I have to ask: Can I beat the Treant by myself? Will it have something that effectively takes me out of combat? If anything, it's worth a try, and I can inform the others about its abilities. In three months' time, I will challenge the Treant. For now, though, I have a lot of training to do and not enough time or bodies to do it.

Chapter 128: Progressing

Chapter Seven: ...The relationship of elements and essences is that of parent and child, respectively. The child is different, but similar. Rage essence is much like fire; it is a destructive essence that leaves one emotionally exhausted. However, this relationship doesn't stop there; rage essence has siblings, very similar, so similar that they can be described as the same essence, but are subtly different if examined closely. Just like how there is rage that is loud and destructive, there can be a quiet festering rage...

I write down the observations from my years of mana studies, as well as my recent marathon of study to finish up most of my breakthroughs. Each breakthrough's max level became twenty after I enhanced [Sense Mana] into [Sense Magic], but I had not yet gotten all breakthroughs to the new max level.

It has been two months since my first lesson with Lotis, and I've also improved in the dungeon, but I'll review that later.

Chapter Twelve: ...Enchanted items are much like a continuous use of a spell... The mana is changed by interactions with mana structures; the MM force will influence reserved mana and change it to what it needs to be for the desired effect... the enchantment allowance observed by [Analyze] is equal to how much space is available for enchanting mana structures. Many things can influence this, from mundane materials to existing mana structures; these can often create inefficiencies in the enchanting mana structure, so only an experienced mana manipulator can realize the full potential of enchantments...

Chapter Thirteen: ...through extensive study of magic frameworks, it is clear that magic items function more like a pseudo-Class, except that each evolution of the item adds on to the existing framework with little very alteration to the ones before it...

Chapter Fifteen: Monsters are created by magic, and there is definitely an interaction with raw soul material in the formation of souls... when monsters die, magic lingers in certain parts of their bodies, which will form magic materials. The magic frameworks of these materials are more like a seed, just a core which can then be grown into something more during a process of creation, crafting the material into something else... Due to the nature of death, miasma is always present in the material. I strongly suspect this miasma is the reason why cannibalism can create cursed beings, but why it only works with species of the same race is a mystery. One theory of mine is that when the body uses the meat, it is considered a process of creation...

Chapter Eighteen: … Mana infusion is a complicated topic; to understand it, one must understand the true nature of mundane materials as well... the mana forms structures along the nuclear forces, even magnetic ones, which suggest a relationship with the MM force. To properly infuse a material, mana must fully saturate these spaces between atoms... only when there is no more space will it be considered fully saturated. However, it is important to realize that forming metallic mana in between atoms will stop them from moving, so it is important that there is space if you need the atoms to move... mana being infused in the body can cause damage leading to mana toxicity...

Chapter Nineteen: … Much has already been explained in chapter eighteen, but now we will go further into detail with molecules and chemical interactions... Some essences can often mimic atomic structures, should they be missing, in a crystalline structure. Because of this, certain materials – like steel – can benefit greatly from metal essence, specifically the steel variant of metal essence. This can lead to metals that would normally have imperfections instead being perfect down to the very building blocks of the item...

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 602-648!

With my first twenty breakthroughs now capped again, and everything I learned about them written down onto a book, I just have the last ten breakthroughs to finish. Normally Runalymo use scrolls, but this book is made purely from mana for thematic reasons. A book detailing the nature of mana being made of mana just seemed fitting.

[Inquisitive Perfection] tells me that the symbolism of this book being made of mana is perfect for creating a magic item, but honestly, I don't care. For one, I will likely not need it, like how I don't need the [Sense Mana] function of my Eyewraps, and two, I'm only writing this to pass on everything I learned, not to take into battle.

The book is decorated with [Sense Magic's] magic circle. The magic circle is cut in half – as if cut with a blade, only having a small gap between the halves – to prevent it from consuming the book and all the hard work I put in to make it. The book is made from several variations of beauty mana and the lettering is made out of dark mana, with the natural rejection reaction of the opposing mana types overcome with careful use of the MM force. The goal is to make the reader question how I did it, to entice them to read further.

Ting! Sense Soul has obtained levels 111-125!

I have also had ample opportunity to study monsters spawning in the dungeon; it seems as if the raw soul stuff seeps into the world via cracks made in the fabric of reality. Where is the soul stuff coming from? I can only guess that it's a part of the reincarnation process and that there might be some sort of soul layer or something. The only question is: how do souls get to this soul layer? When a monster dies, their soul just kind of... vanishes.

In any case, that mystery is low on my priority of things to do. I have plenty of time to figure it out later.

Right now, all three of my dungeon clones are engaged in their own separate battles. The first clone is fighting a boss roaming the dungeon; it is a threat that needs to be put down before it gets stronger and interferes in the Treant battle.

Spectral Hunter Stygian (Grand), Winter Terror (Grand), Level 258 Ice Bond.

This boss is a large catlike creature with scales on its arms, shoulders, and tail. Long barbs come out of its back, with thick fur protecting it from the cold. It happily munches on some spine wolves that it recently caught; its guard is down, the perfect time for me to strike. My clone approaches behind it, hovering above the ground to not disturb it, an invisible stalker with dozens of empowered fairies following my clone. Each fairy has enough hearts to deliver a powerful blow; each one holds spears to pierce the hide and deliver an efficient attack.

The Stygian's hackles rise as it senses danger approaching. It growls and looks around, defending its catch. Frost flows out from it as the land nearby freezes; unfortunately for it, illusions don't feel cold.

I launch my attack; however, the Stygian seems to know where it will get hit and dodges several fairies. It can't dodge them all, there're too many, and its skills are too low-level, but it shows that the boss is no pushover when it comes to dungeon monsters. That said, even if it has high-quality skills, they are still low level and don't have the amount of breakthroughs needed to fight someone like me.

My fairies stab it repeatedly as I raise my perceptive pressure to the max to make it panic and open itself up for more attacks. The Stygian screams and lets out a nova of ice and cold, attempting to kill everything around it. Unable to properly retaliate, the boss tries to run, but a stab to its hind legs temporarily cuts off vitality to its limbs just as its tendons are cut to prevent manual movement, making it stumble.

Once vitality rushes back in to reanimate its legs, the Stygian gets up and runs off, an army of fairies chasing after it, lead by a familiar with a [Summoner's Beacon] attached to it.

I let it run off, slowly walking to its location. It will get tired eventually, and once that happens, it won't have the energy to fight. I feel bad for terrorizing it, but this is for the safety of my people; if we lived in a perfect world, none of this would be necessary.

I only managed to take out about twenty percent of the Stygian's vitality with that surprise attack, meaning it's still a threat to people.

I catch up to the Stygian as it slows, panting heavily. My fairies have harassed it, down another ten percent of its vitality. It growls threateningly at me and conjures ice javelins, shooting them at me. I let them pass through my clone.

As I stare down at the monster, it whimpers and backs away.

It knows that it can't hurt me. If I kill it, another will just spawn, and then I'll have to hunt down another until one has a build that counters me. Maybe I should just scare it so it will stay away from people?

As I approach, I increase my perceptive pressure to make sure it knows that it is me looking at it. The Stygian whines and lowers down submissively; I lower my perceptive pressure and start walking away; the poor thing has learned the lesson.

The Stygian cannot believe his luck! The being spared his life. Like an immortal god, it gazed upon him with the weight of an entire world. Nothing he could do could harm this being; she has to be a goddess, the All-Seeing Goddess! She commands those glowing soldiers of light, servants of the Goddess.

He knows what must be done; the Goddess had her eyes covered, yet could see him, that is the answer. To truly gain sight, he must close off his eyes; that is what the Goddess was trying to tell him.

The Stygian closes his eyes, the darkness overtaking him, and immediately realizes that this is going to be much harder than he thought. He stumbles through the forest, trying to navigate the world, bumping into trees and shrubs.

There is life all around him, from the shrubs to the insects in the ground, from the birds in the trees to the prey hiding in their burrows. That must be what the Goddess was trying to say; she wasn't attacking him; she was trying to say that in order to truly see what lives, he must close off his senses.

He understands now; before, he ignored most other things, just looking for suitable prey, he did not care to think of anything else around him. He had eyes, yet he saw nothing, that is why the Goddess covered her eyes, to show him that he was blind all along.

The Stygian casts his mind out, reaching for the life around him, to truly 'see' for the first time in his life. Suddenly, the world emerges in a color he has never seen before, and the Goddess's message rings in his mind.

Ting! You have gained the Sense Life general skill!

The world around him is alive! There is so much life! The plants in the ground, stretching out wide and deep, so many insects… things he should have seen before but never noticed.

This is a gift from the Goddess; he must practice this skill and learn to differentiate the types and shapes of life. In order to please the Goddess, he must master this gift!

Chapter 129: Magic Quantity

Class levels aren't just a number; they are the limit on how much divinity a magic framework can hold. Or maybe it's the opposite? Classes are limited by the skills, so maybe magic is limited by how much divinity there is? It's all really confusing; I just don't know, so I'm left trying to just guess which one comes first.

Let's start at the root of the limit, skills. Skills start with a cap of ten levels. Why? Is it because there's not enough divinity for more, or is it because the magic framework can only hold that much divinity by default? I'm going to need to start with something way more basic.

I start pacing back and forth in my room.

First, there are two major components to my system theory: magic and divinity. One provides the means; the other provides the authority to enact those means. Many skills do not consume mana, even though they should be a magical phenomenon; this suggests that they are either divine or some other non-magic source.

I sit down on my chair, flopping my tails on my lap, then grab my brush and absentmindedly start brushing them.

So what is divinity? I don't really know, everything I theorize is just conjecture, but for now, I'll just call it 'authority', the power to impress one's will upon reality and shape it to their desire. Divinity is law; it is 'order', in the archetypal, opposed-to-chaos sense of the word.

Now, what is magic? I know a bit more about it, but still very little. In short, magic is the power to change reality; it can do just about anything, but it is chaos, anarchy. Magic and divinity are opposites, but, mixed together; they form the system. Magic gives the means, the strange abilities that skills can sometimes allow, while divinity provides the safe authority to enact the magical powers in a controlled manner.

I start brushing my second tail; if I get any more, I'll have to start using clones to brush me like handmaidens... actually, that's not a bad thought. I summon three clones - and more brushes - and set their base AI to groom me, relishing in my newfound luxury.

Now, what do skill levels do? They make the skills stronger; in other words, the driving force, magic, gets stronger. Skills gain more divinity, new authority, when new breakthroughs are introduced, giving new opportunities for magic to grow. And how does magic grow? With experience. How do I get experience? Through accomplishment. Thus skills are divinity first, magic second.

So the answer is clearer now: levels are the current limit of magic, chaos will become greater than order if the skill's power ever exceeds its control, and that's very, very bad. Cursed beings are pretty much the embodiment of chaos.

Wait, doesn't this mean that legendary points are just huge amounts of divinity? They greatly expand the scope of what they are applied to, right? This means every skill has a set amount of divinity, and that only grows once there's something else to give order to. Thinking about a skill as a law book, each new breakthrough is a new law which requires greater order; kind of a bad analogy, but I'm sticking with it.

My clones move on to brush my long hair. I smile at the princess treatment; I don't even need to control them myself! But a sudden realization causes my smile to vanish. A princess getting groomed by empty copies of herself… I really am a lonely princess, as my diadem says. I smack my head onto the desk and sigh as I realize the prophecy has come true, then return my attention to my thoughts.

Still, if that's the case, then leveling up the Class should be doubling down on magic, meaning that there's twice the amount of magic compared to the divinity. The only answer is that there needs to be a new source of divinity, but isn't that the case already? The answer is obvious, the Class and Race tier is the source of divinity… but if that's the case then shouldn't Classes be hard-capped by their tier the same way skill breakthroughs are hard-capped?

Maybe Classes are gaining extra divinity from other sources? Or could it be that skills only use half of their divinity and the other half goes to the Class level limit?

In any case, I can only guess until I find some way to get [Sense Divinity]. For now, I think I have a way to finally see levels in other things, and that is to see how much magic is in something. Not only should this complete my twenty-first breakthrough, but it should grant me a new breakthrough.

I sit up and order a clone to massage my shoulders; all of this thinking is hard work, after all.

I focus on my Class's magic framework. Last time I could almost see the level limit, a certain depth to my framework. Now, I need to push it further, I need to see how much magic there is.

Entering my state of focus with the full power of nearly six hundred fifty levels, I crank my perceptive pressure to the max to get as clear a look as possible. I don't feel the weight of my perception as others do, maybe it's a subconscious thing, or maybe it's a quirk of the skill.

I peer deeper into the depths of my magic frameworks, like swimming down a deep pool of water, until suddenly everything seems to become more. The magic framework expands – not in a physical way, but it just seems like there's a lot of magic. I look at my magic items, and surprisingly some of them have less magic then what their tier would suggest they can, but maybe that's because it's different, more like a pseudo-Class and thus having less divinity?

Looking at other villagers, especially the ones whose level I know, I begin to get an understanding of how much magic represents what level. Soon, I have referenced every villager. cataloging each reference point in my mind, helped by my improved memory capabilities.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 780!

39th Breakthrough: You've sensed the quantity of magic in something; this will help you study magic and understand how powerful magical beings and items really are.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 649-657!

At this rate, one thousand levels seem possible; I only need ten more breakthroughs to reach that point. That said, I still need to catch up; I am running behind by one hundred forty-three levels.

Archmage Ruluna sighs heavily; it's been months since the last time she felt watched, yet Headmaster Volpun feels that maybe the spy is waiting until their guard is down to get information.

At least it's not all that bad, she isn't stuck trying to fruitlessly 'catch up' on [Sense Mana], and she is out here on missions to impress the council.

"Miss Ruluna!" a flame scout runs up to the party. "The drake has been spotted in Fire Crater!"

"Alright, tell the men to get ready; we'll strike in three hours," Ruluna commands.

Fire-resisting armor is passed around. It would be standard-issue, if not for bandits using spells and abilities to target the obvious weakness. If armor is enchanted to resist fire, it will strengthen ice, so the soldiers need general-purpose armor unless they know what they are up against.

Considering that fire- and ash-type monsters are most prevalent here, every armor should be made to resist fire, but of course, outlaws will ruin everything!

The squad marches south across the ash dunes. They are near the volcano, and ash drifts down like snow. Ruluna adjusts her mask to ensure she isn't breathing in the particles and damaging her lungs. The mask is stuffy and humid from her breath; the air is hot from the rivers of lava running between the dunes. Fire mana is very abundant here, swirling around like tiny chaotic dust devils.

Clouds of ash black out the sun and cast this land in darkness. The earth trembles slightly as huge boulders are ejected out from the mouth of the volcano. Fire tornadoes reach high into the sky and dance between the ashen dunes. The Drake couldn't have chosen a worse place to nest, in her opinion.

The tornadoes shift the dunes, slowly making them wander around, cutting off the paths of the lava rivers and creating numerous pools of liquid earth. Some dunes even cover the lava and create traps that people can fall into. The Ashlands is a very treacherous place to be, and more than one squad has gone missing when sent in here. It's a death trap to all but the most experienced guides. However, Ruluna does not need a guide; her [Sense Mana] tells her exactly where the hidden pools of lava are. It tells her where every danger is, whether it's coming silently from behind or coming up over the dunes.

The squad carefully navigates between the fire whirls and pools of lava, and other dangers such as Magma Scorpions and Lava Worms. After summiting a particularly tall dune, they see it, a pit of burning coal with a massive beast bathing in the flames, laying around its clutch of eggs.

Lyran, Archmage of the Order of Ice, walks next to Ruluna. This is a joint mission between their two orders to hunt one of the most powerful monsters.

"We are relying on your [Fire Manipulation], Ruluna; we can't get close without you."

Since the beast is highly resistant to fire, her abilities are sub-optimal in an offensive capacity against this dangerous foe. Despite being rivals, this mission is to help nurture relations with the Order of Ice. This mission requires a lot of trust, as the fire mages need to use their [Fire Manipulation] to keep everybody safe from the burning pit as well as from the flames the Drake will conjure. The Order of Ice is completely at Ruluna's mercy.

It's a very dangerous mission, one that does not have room for failure. If Lyran's team dies and Ruluna's team does not, the Order of Ice will think foul play is at hand, which means that if Lyran's team does die in this fight, then her team needs to fight to the death too.

The scout approaches them.

"Archmage Ruluna, It's Heroic-tier, three Classes, two of which are also Heroic-tier, with one Grand-tier Class, level totaling over one thousand." The scout gives his [Analyze] report and moves on to more detail. "It's a flame eater, so it will heal itself with fire, although that Class is its third and lowest-leveled. Its second Class is its defensive Class, and its first is a non-caster fire mage Class."

"I assume its Race is more physically focused?" Lyran says. She is hyper-focused; this will be her toughest battle yet.

Normally a platoon would be sent to deal with a Drake, but, with this one being in the heart of the Ashlands, that's impractical. Instead, there are two elite strike teams. Flame Paladin Julaly is giving his team a rousing speech to raise morale, which Ruluna is ignoring. Flame Paladin Kloro is talking with Ice Paladin Gana. They need to slay the Drake; with three high-ranking members, it will be a terrible blow if they all die here.

Another scout runs up to the group. "Ash storm, fast approaching!" she shouts.

Ruluna turns to see a wall of black sweeping across the Ashlands.

"Take cover! Pitch the tents!" Flame Paladin Kloro immediately commands, interrupting Flame Paladin Julaly's speech.

The squad immediately makes way to flat ground and starts setting up tents in record time, bracing them against the winds. Ruluna inspects the bracing and tests a few of them, making sure they will hold.

Within ten minutes, the camp is made. People will have to bunk with each other, but they don't have the full amount of time to pitch tents for everybody. Thankfully the command tent is set, so they can make plans while waiting for the storm to pass, but it needed extra bracing.

Ruluna sits down at the table as Lyran secures the entrance; the last thing they need is for the wind to intrude and stir everything up with ash. However, she feels a familiar sense of being watched.

Damnit! Why now?! Why me?!

Flame Paladin Julaly gives Ruluna a look; she must have felt it too. Ruluna answers with a subtle nod. Ruluna closes her eyes and focuses on the feeling of being watched, pushing her [Track Senses] to its limit. She knows she's being scried, but to her skill it's like a ghost, an almost undetectable breeze. No matter how hard Ruluna tries, she can't grasp the feeling. Ruluna sighs, giving up for now as the meeting starts.

"This is a good thing; the ash will smother Fire Crater's flames, making it easier on us." Fire Paladin Kloro says.

The wind howls and racks the tent. The ground shakes from volcanic activity, and ash piles up against the tent, making new dunes. Hours go by, and the roof of the tent sags from the weight of the ash burying them. Ice Paladin Gana stands and pushes against the roof to knock off the ash.

"We're going to have to fucking dig out," Gana complains.

The wind thuds against the side of the tent as a strong gust blows against them. The wind screams, and the tent shakes violently. But there's something weird going outside; there's a blank spot of mana moving around in Ruluna's perception.

What is that? Ruluna wonders.

However, before she can figure it out, one of the tents is violently lifted up by the blank spot, and it all becomes clear.

"We're under attack!"

Chapter 130: Crystals and Golems

Archmage Ruluna takes a dagger out of her belt and walks to the side of the tent. Normally she would go through the tent entrance, but it's covered by ash, so she has to cut the side.

"Attack?!" Archmage Lyran asks. She tries to listen for any sounds, but any noise will be drowned out by the ashstorm.

However, despite her questioning look, everyone else is readying their weapons.

"Something is attacking our men," Ice Paladin Gana explains. She must have some sensing skill; she didn't say anything about the blank sphere, maybe she can't see that?

Ruluna sets her goggles and mask, so they fit snugly, and slashes the tent before running out into the storm. It's so dark, and ash instantly finds its way into her clothes, itching against her skin. Ruluna puts out her hand but can't see a thing! It's almost like the fabled black night, a fairy tale that once every thousand years, the black moon shows itself and casts the entire world into darkness, a darkness in which light does not exist.

Ruluna always wondered how people would see the black moon if the world was covered in darkness, but now's not the time for such thoughts. Ruluna shakes her head to refocus herself and concentrates on tracking the blank sphere engulfing the soldiers. It doesn't leave much when it moves on, besides small pieces of bloody gore.

Ruluna conjures a large ball of fire in front of her, seeing flashes of light between sheets of ash being churned up by the storm. She launches it at the monster just as her companions rush forward to engage the unknown creature. She hears what she thinks is a feral roar, but that could have been the storm.

The monster thrashes around, at least that's what it looks like according to the blank spot's movement, before it suddenly stops moving. It stays still even as Ruluna casts spell after spell for several long moments before, with a fearful screech, it flies off.

They repelled the beast! Ruluna moves to rescue the lost and injured soldiers, taking them back to the command tent before they are buried alive by ash.

"What the fuck was that!" Flame Paladin Julaly shouts once everyone is safe.

Back in the command tent, people are being healed by Archmage Lyran. The cut hole is being repaired by a soldier with [Mana Weaving].

"It seems like..." Julaly shakes his head before turning toward Ruluna. "Did you feel it?"

"That spy was watching us, yes, what about them?"

"I don't think you felt what we felt," Julaly motions to the other warriors. One soldier is visibly shaken, muttering something about almost being eaten and praying to Venaro.

"A presence like... like..." Ice Paladin Gana shakes her head and shudders. "It was like being stared at by... I dunno, a god? It was like the weight of the world was behind that pressure."

"I don't know if it was a god or not, but it helped us chase away… whatever that was." Flame Paladin Kloro states.

"Whor they are doesn't matter; we need to focus on our mission," Lyran says. "We need to wait for the storm to pass and assess our situation."

Julaly gives Ruluna a look. Their spy has played a card. Whether it was a move to save them, or there was some other goal, is unknown. Whoever this 'Alysara' is, she is their only suspect as the spy. Someone who has mastered [Sense Mana] may have a Class specialized in the skill, giving them special abilities, like what Julaly has experienced. It would also explain why Ruluna can't find them with [Track Senses].

So the question is, do they play their card in hopes of getting the spy to reveal their hand? A plan forms in Ruluna's head. One that may test who the spy is.

Ruluna walks over to a supply chest and pulls out a deck of cards. She draws the top card and looks at it. The missive, a card that forces the other player to play a card.

I stare at the blank spot in the storm. Once the storm hit, the Drake started hunting and turned on its stealth skill. A clever strategy, but its hiding skill is rather... poor. Anyone will notice a big blank moving spot, a sphere of nothing.

I watch as the blank sphere envelopes people, leaving bits of metal behind. I should help, shouldn't I? But how? I am too far away, and the skill of the Drake will block my perceptive pressure. Unless...

If maybe I can break past its skill, then I might be able to scare it off? If it makes a sort of wall that people can't 'feel' past, then it may work; however, it'll be my skill against its Heroic-tier Class-boosted skill. Which one is stronger? It's getting about a thousand percent bonus from its Class or Race, or about an eleven times multiplier. Okay, when putting it like that, the answer is obvious.

I crank my perceptive pressure to the max, and instantly I feel the blank sphere crack and crumble under my pressure. The Drake freezes in place, a man in its mouth falling out and scurrying away. Other warriors are in the sphere, swinging blindly around, trying to hit a foe they can't see. These warriors are caught up in my perceptive pressure simply because I didn't know they were there, and just increased my pressure everywhere in the blank spot.

The Drake seems to be paralyzed in fear and confusion; nothing should be able to get past its sense-nullifying ability. The warriors freeze too, but only for a moment; still, by the looks of their faces, it's like they've seen a ghost. Realization sinks in, and the Drake screeches in fear and flies off back to its nest.

After looking around to see the average levels of people in the volcano republic, I think I am getting a good understanding of how strong these guys may be. The average level seems to be around two hundred for people like farmers, merchants and craftsmen, but I have noticed a few much higher level ones, topping out at over level four hundred.

As for the military, it's a little more complicated. The mercenary guilds, like the people I just saved from the Drake, are generally higher level than the average military. It seems like the military is around three hundred, the highest level I've seen being five hundred, but I have no doubt there are higher-level people. However, the mercenaries average around four hundred, with one topping out at a staggering eight hundred!

It is clear that the monster problems are delegated to the mercenary guilds, and, with monsters like the level one thousand three hundred Drake, a total of its three classes, it's clear how they have gotten so strong. However, only a few people have managed to get to Grand-tier. Take that Flame Paladin I analyzed, for example.

Fireheart Runalymo (Grand), Level 425 Flame Paladin (Grand), Level 364 Flame Dancer (Major), Level 569 Fire Bond

With warriors like these, it's going to be hard to compete against them; we only measure up to their average warriors. Also, these people have a far more bloody history... I assume. With several kingdoms, wars are going to happen, and I have already discovered several old battlefields, some of them dating back thousands of years. With items gaining the Historic and Archaic age tiers, it can be used to ballpark how old something is.

Organic material, like spear shafts, easily degrades, but what steel hasn't corroded away has become magical and stopped weathering. I wonder what would happen if someone gathered a bunch of the old rusted weapons and armor and smelted them down, and remade them into a restored weapon? Will it retain the age tier?

Also, there are tons of antique stuff in the cities, especially the richer parts of town. Buildings, furniture, anything that has become old enough have become magical in nature while only gaining the age tier. Damage does happen, some are destroyed either on purpose or by accident, but it only takes one hundred years to gain the Historic tier. Family heirlooms, easily known by their Heirloom tier, are also fairly abundant in the upper class of people. All of this leads me to question… why don't the Runalymo have more magical items?

Part of the answer is that there is obviously more to the requirements, the amount of people also has something to do with it. They have more people, so there's a higher chance of stuff becoming magic by virtue of there being more items. Essentially, they have an advantage in the numbers game. Then there's the fact that lots of our things are recycled or buried with the owner, like favored personal items and dedications to Myrou.

Runalymo are craftsmen, so we often make our own stuff and see value in things made by our own hands, but even considering everything, there's a surprising lack of magic items. My only guess is that people wish for those things to be buried with them. I'll have to take another look at the Runalymo burial grounds.

After checking in on these people, I return to my [Sense Magic] studies. There's nothing more I can do for them, and throwing my perceptive pressure around too much may end up backfiring one day.

Back in the dungeon, I've not managed to really tackle bosses that much; a few here and there, but with three fights going on at the same time, I have to adjust my fighting style a lot. Previously I've been the type to use all my mana for a few really powerful attacks to kill the enemies as fast as I can, but, watching Esofy and the others fight without me, they take things methodically and they get into a rhythm. After hundreds of fights, they know what to expect from each other and, unfortunately, the enemies.

This is a downside to constantly fighting the same few types of enemies: you get used to them. It may benefit us all to find another monster den, new enemies, and for that I need to explore beyond this forest.

I start in the mountains to the south, stretching high into the dungeon sky. The entire mountain range has ridges made of humongous crystals, jutting out of the rock like a spine. Searching inside, I find a labyrinthine crystal cave with crystal golems roaming around inside.

Amethyst Golem (Major), level 532 Rock Breaker (Major), Level 493 Amethyst Bond

Quite a bit stronger, even if the tier is lower than bosses. Looking deeper, it seems as if there aren't distinct floors here, like the dens and the ruins. This place seems almost as if it has formed naturally. Considering that the mouth of the caverns is in treacherous terrain, one can assume this isn't part of the dungeon's idea for a training ground. There are no traps, just monsters and a single huge amethyst crystal inside the heart of the mountain. Judging by the vitality inside it, it is a very powerful monster.

Amethyst Hymn of Life (Exalted) Level 1329 Golem Shaper (Heroic), Level 1009 Earthen Mother (Heroic), Level 858 Life Singer (Heroic), Level 2278 Amethyst Bond.

Well, I think I found the source of the golems. Over three thousand total Class levels, yeah, this thing is impossible for us to even think of fighting. Those scary-looking Golems at the bottom look to be guards, and I have no doubt they will be appropriately strong.

Let's look for something closer to our level to fight.

Chapter 131: Explorations and Apprentices

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 589!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained level 246! 15 status points awarded.

I quickly check my growth from my efforts in the dungeon for the last two months. My level has been getting harder to increase; monsters are getting predictable, and the challenges and handicaps I need to impose on myself to get more experience are becoming unreasonable. A change of scenery is a must at this point.

Part of fighting monsters, when we first entered the dungeon, was the unknown. Unknown monsters inherently had danger to them and were thus worth more experience. I have it worse, though: there is no danger for me, so I earn less experience, although I won't change. Why would I? Why risk death for faster level gain? I'd prefer to level slower, knowing that I am safe, rather than risk it all.

I look around the mountains for more suitable monster dens, but I instead find a colossal mountain goat seemingly made of stone. It has huge metal antlers branching high into the sky and seven eyes, all of different gems, from peridot to diamond, amethyst to ruby. A giant worm bursts out of the ground under the goat, who jumps out of the way, and with a glance from its peridot eye, which flashes with light, the worm turns to stone.

Seven-Eyed Rock Gazer (Exalted), Level 1556 Lord of Sights (Exalted), Level 1222 Eyes of the World (Exalted), Level 989 Endless Watcher (Heroic), Level 797 Earth Bond.

Its Bond level is pathetically low for a level three and a half thousand monster. Alright, I get it; the mountains are extremely dangerous, with monsters ranging in the thousands that can instantly kill someone.

I look to the west, toward the desert. The first thing I notice is the presence of aquatic-looking monsters dwelling in the sand dunes; sand sharks, sand squids, and even a sand whale! The sharks have hardened bone covering the front half of their body and more fins than should be normal. The squids have between sixteen and twenty arms, hooks instead of suckers, and harpoons on the tips of their tentacles. The whale has many rows of backward-facing barbs instead of teeth, likely to swallow their prey whole and make it hard to climb back out.

Stalker Sand Shark (Major), Level 345 Gnawler (Adept), Level 214 Earth Bond

Tracker Sand Squid (Major), Level 312 Many-Armed Catcher (Adept), Level 199 Dark Bond

Size-Shifting Sand Swallower (Grand), Level 554 Acidic Gourmet (Major), Level 367 Acid Bond

These monsters seem to be around our level, so it's a good place for getting out of our comfort zone. Exploring the desert, I find a large gold pyramid with symbols and pictographs etched into its sides; a squiggle, kind of like picturing a snake, is prominent in the symbols. Inside the Pyramid, the reasoning becomes apparent, as it is filled with large snakes. The serpents have large frills on the sides of their head that occasionally crackle with lightning, and a double stinger on the end of their tails.

Electric Temple Serpent (Major), Level 369 Venom Master (Adept), Level 284 Venom Bond.

I notice a dungeon waystone in the Pyramid, in the entrance room, making getting here a top priority for the ability to teleport right to the desert.

Moving on, I discover a city half buried by sand, another dungeon den or ruin with a waystone near its entrance. The city is swarming with Sandstone Golems. They are similar to Runalymo in shape; they even have a tail, but they're just walking around aimlessly.

Despite being made of sandstone and not flesh, they still have souls and vitality. They don't have brains that I can see, or anything else. Are they alive? Surely, somehow, but do they think? Do they have emotions? Are they animalistic or something more akin to basic AI?

Guardian Sandstone Golem (Major) Level 412 Crusher (Adept) Level 102 Earth Bond.

Exploring deeper into the ruins, I see Enforcer Golems, which have higher levels and a better Class. As for bosses, I notice an Aegis Sandstone Golem and Chief Enforcer Sandstone Golem.

I don't stay around the city too long; this is just a simple scouting mission for basic information. The next thing I see is a huge antlion-like monster buried in the sand. Only the gaping maw, with a mouth full of backward-facing teeth similar to those of the sand whales, can be seen, but the large hidden body is like a cosmic horror, hundreds of long tentacles roam under the sands as if it were water, snatching anything, including one of the whales, before tossing it into its mouth. An illusion lies over the mouth, likely a simple camouflage to increase the chances that anything will fall in.

Ancient Desert Consumer (Heroic), Level 804 Hidden Trap (Grand), Level 414 Sand Caller (Grand), Level 702 Light Bond.

It may be old, but its exp gain must be absolutely terrible. It just grabs things and eats them; there's barely any challenge to help it level up.

I make note of the area to avoid and move on. More dunes with the occasional monster, either walking on the sands or swimming below. This place is dangerous because it's not just the monsters on land that you have to worry about.

I see a large canyon, as if the land has been ripped apart. Webs stretch from wall to wall, covering the canyon in sheets of silk. Enormous spiders crawl around, often huddling against each other like penguins. These spiders have too many legs; twelve, with six on the bottom and six sticking up in the air. Some spiders weave parachutes and hold onto them to drift down further into the nest; others use their upper legs to walk on the ceiling.

Double-Legged Hive Drone (Major), Level 322 Hive Worker (Adept), Level 180 Earth Bond.

Double-Legged Hive Drone (Major), Level 377 Hive Soldier (Major), Level 278 Wind Bond.

So they are a hive species; that must mean they have a queen, right?

After looking around for a while, I spot the queen, a grotesque monster the size of a mansion laying dozens of beachball-sized eggs every minute. Workers stick the eggs next to others and web them in place. Eggs are everywhere, even on the walls and ceiling. Next to the massive queen is a smaller spider – small compared to the queen, but still massive compared to the others. It doesn't move, but I can feel a curious mental presence brush up against mine.

Double-Legged Hive Queen (Grand), Level 656 Broodmother (Major), Level 513 Mind Bond.

Double-Legged Hive Mind (Heroic), Level 699 Hive Consciousness (Grand), Level 444 Mind Collective (Grand), level 734 Mind Bond.

The Queen is strong, but the Hive Mind is a greater threat. It is the first monster I've seen with a Bond level higher than its Class level, and it seems to be the brain of the Hive.

I'm not ready for a mental confrontation from the Hive Mind, so I pull back before it gets aggressive.

Deciding to take a break from scouting, I send a clone to meet up with Esofy and the others and tell them what I know about the desert. Meanwhile, back in the village, I am teaching Lotis about how Bond skills work now that she has incorporated her Bond into her lifestyle. She complained a lot about the posture she needed to adopt, but once she became accustomed to it, it became second nature for her.

"Bond Classes are good, but they have some problems," Alysara explains.

Lotis' tenth year is next week, so she'll be unlocking her Class, and has asked Alysara what the best Class is. Lotis isn't all that surprised when the older girl goes into a long lecture about the pros and cons of each one.

"What about warrior or crafting Classes?" Lotis asks. The whole lecture have been about mage Classes.

"I don't have them for my Class, so I am not too familiar with them. I know warriors can have Bond Classes, but I don't know if they have a caster equivalent. As for crafting classes, just take an apprenticeship and go from there. My advice for that is to have some sort of sensing skill, if possible, that applies to your craft. For example, a smith will benefit from [Sense Metal] and [Sense Mana]; being able to know what goes on inside the material you are working with will benefit you greatly."

Lotis can't help but be distracted by Alysara's tails elegantly swaying behind her as she paces, pointing to an imaginary visual aid.

How does she do that with her tails?! No matter how hard she tries, she can't match the elegance of those movements. She can't match the serene posture, or the passionate dances during the Lojyo.

"Just listen to your Bond," was what Alysara had said before.

I do! I do everything it tells me, yet I still can't match you! Lotis complains in her mind.

Alysara lightly coughs to get Lotis's attention. Somehow even that exudes beauty, like the gentle humming of a musical note.

"You'll get there eventually," Alysara says, seeming to read her mind. "Your Bond level is almost at one hundred; it'll get easier. Most people aren't pushing their Bond to the extreme like you, so most don't notice the change. Even I didn't at the time, but I also didn't know how to push my Bond as much as I do now."

So it's just a matter of Bond level?

"How do I level up my Bond fast?" Lotis asks.

"By doing what you have been doing. Getting one hundred levels in just a few months is amazing, Lotis." Alysara says encouragingly.

"But you know a faster way, don't you? How else did you get your Bond to over five hundred in four years?"

Everyone starts at around ten years old... well, almost everyone, some of the younger kids here already know their Bonds.

"I've been using my Bond since I was one year old, so your growth rate is higher than mine was," Alysara says matter-of-factly.

One?! Who would teach their one-year-old how to use their Bond?!

"Bonds can be dangerous; that's why it's taught at around ten years old." Alysara smiles at Lotis' expression.

"I learned how to use my Bond by myself," Alysara explains. "Anyway, another good way to level up your Bond is to kill monsters, but it's more than just the act of killing the monsters; it's more about trusting in your Bond, especially in a situation where you might be harmed. At first, you will level up a lot from the new experiences and from learning more about your Bond, but that will slow down, and you will need to seek greater challenges."

"So why don't we go kill some monsters? I'm soooo close to level one hundred!" Lotis says.

"Fine," Alysara sighs. "But only because you will be unlocking your Class soon anyway."

Alysara leads Lotis out to the island where three of her clones are waiting, holding struggling Domrs. She cannot wait until she can make her own copies! She will be able to do so much!

"Alright, you should still have some open Bond skill slots, but even if you don't, that's fine. Here's a lesson in combat skills..."

Alysara talks a lot about conceptual damage, about lasers and concentration of light, and about something she called 'Light-Energy-Strong-Building-Body-Damage', or strong light that damages the body's building materials, or something like that. Anyway, the simplest and easiest to use is conceptual damage, then laser damage, then UV radiation-like damage… whatever that means. Some of the words and concepts Alysara uses make Lotis' head hurt just trying to understand them.

"...For now, you should just try to learn a conceptual damage skill to kill these Domrs."

Lotis nods and starts to conjure her Bond. From what Alysara says, a laser is sustained and steady, and can do good damage if kept on target. This makes it useful for situations where the target is slow, staying still, or being held like the Domrs. Against fast-moving targets, pellets of mana are usually better for damage… but if she misses, she'll lose all of the mana. It's a trade-off, and each method of attack has its uses.

What if she uses both at the same time? Conjures orbs of mana that then can shoot lasers?

She forms a ball of beauty mana in front of her, then pinches a little bit off in the form of a laser, hitting the Domr. She doesn't get a skill despite doing it successfully; is she doing something wrong? She looks at Alysara for answers.

"That is an advanced skill; it's going to take a lot more practice to get at your level. Just keep trying, and you'll get it eventually." Alysara gives her a warm, beautiful smile, like the beauty of a sunset.

It is taking Lotis less and less time to recognize the types of beauty Alysara uses; it always seems to fit the situation.

Ting! You have developed a new Bond skill! Beauty Orbs!

It takes about an hour and several dead Domrs before she manages to obtain the skill.

"Congratulations, Lotis, on your first attack skill. Do not use it without permission from either me or your parents, got it?"

"Yes, Alysara!" Lotis smiles warmly, relishing her accomplishment.

Chapter 132: Diamond Felin

"Keep the pressure up," Esofy calls as she jumps backward to dodge a swipe from the Felin Boss. Tana rushes forward with a blazing sword and cuts along the beast's arm. It roars and tries to bite down on Tana, but she jams the shield in the large monster's mouth; the sharp point on the bottom of the shield pierces the Boss's tongue, making it reel back and expose itself to Jowaru and Irela's combination attack that slices off its hind leg, dropping it to the ground.

"Now!" Kadona shouts.

Both Uloru and Kadona run forward just as Esofy impales the Boss's paw to the ground so it can't counterattack. Chyzu's ice spears slam into the creature's head to expose its neck, and, with the two warriors' oversized weapons, they cut off the monster's head in a combo attack.

"Good work, everybody," Esofy says, wiping the blood off the flat of her void scythe. "That is our fastest kill yet. No one made any mistakes either; I think we are ready for another Heroic kill, the Diamond Felin."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now." Kadona jumps in. "That one has two Classes."

"So do we," Jowaru says with a shrug.

"We are close to its levels now, plus it will really help our upcoming evolutions and prepare us for the Treant kill," Chyzu says.

"Yeah! I can't wait to test myself against the strongest Heroic monster in this dungeon!" Uloru boastfully says.

"Do you really think we are ready for that fight?" Tana asks, looking at Esofy, to which she nods.

"It's a Diamond Felin, that pelt will be capable of making incredible armor; we need it, and with a monster that size, we can all have armor made from its pelt." Irela twirls her brown hair, looking at the recent kill; her green eyes dart to the horn on the Boss's head. "I bet we can make something useful from that, too."

"What are you thinking?" Jowaru asks, tilting her helmeted head.

"Just wondering how we can use the lightning attacks it had," Irela casually replies.

"Let's get what materials we can and take a moment to rest; then we test our strength against the Diamond Felin."

The group makes their way to the Diamond Felin, [Analyzing] it.

Diamond Felin Patriarch (Heroic), Level 435 Diamond Resonator (Heroic), Level 376 Diamond Regenerator (Heroic).

"All other Heroic monsters had Grand-tier Classes, and only one of them," Kadona warns. "I don't think we can defeat this one."

"Maybe we should get Alysara's help for this one?" Tana suggests.

Irela lightly scoffs.

"Just like with the Ruby-Backed Arachnid, her spells won't be able to do much..." Irela hesitates a little. "Although, she can help with preparations."

"Alysara is not used to fighting with us," Esofy says. "In such a high-risk battle, we need as few chaotic factors as possible. This is not a fight to kill it as fast as we can; it's an endurance battle."

"It's a regenerator?" Jowaru points out the flaw in Esofy's statement. "We kinda have to do a lot of damage."

"What I meant is that we only need to out-damage its healing," Esofy corrects. "We get in a rhythm like we always do, and we'll be able to take it down."

"I'm on board with having Alysara help us," Kadona says. "She just needs to follow orders and not act out."

"Haa," Uloru breathes out. "We can take it down! It's just like Esofy says; we set up our strong attacks, just like always!" Uloru punches the air a few times.

"Hmm." Chyzu hums, her blue-furred tails swishing around in thought. "On one hand, I want us to be able to defeat this by ourselves, but on the other, we should focus on safety first; every Heroic monster has really powerful attacks; this one will be even stronger, and may have more of those attacks in its arsenal."

"But what does she really bring?" Irela says, "She's weak against gem, regenerator, and tank-type monsters, of which this one is all three; how will she help us, other than to make custom armor for us, which will take days."

"Irela is right," Esofy says after some thought. "We don't need her help for this; we'll play it defensively, and retreat if there's trouble."

"Yes!" Uloru pumps her fist, eager to try to test her mettle.

"This is a bad idea," Kadona mutters.

Tana doesn't say anything, but judging from her expression she is steeling her determination.

Esofy looks to Chyzu.

"I know" Chyzu conjures a water clone; it looks exactly like her except that it appears to be made of water. Not as good as Alysara's clones, but it does the job. The clone charges into the boss room to test its abilities.

"Every time I hit it, the diamonds on its back produce a sound that is affecting my clone," Chyzu reports.

The sounds of battle can be heard clearly.

"It's conjuring diamond spears... which explode upon contact with the ground." Chyzu further reports. "It's staying at range and using its spears, but doesn't move farther away when I get closer."

"Engage in melee and see what it does," Esofy orders.

An ear-piercing 'scheen' sound echoes around the Glade; everyone covers their ears as they start bleeding. Tana quickly heals everyone from the wide-range attack.

"The diamonds on its back are producing the sounds. It's using short-ranged cone-type attacks with sound at the same time it's attacking in melee... And it can launch out its diamond fur, which regrows quickly."

"Likely an attack from its regenerator Class," Tana suggests.

"It's causing diamond to grow from the ground and envelope my Clone."

Suddenly, a loud bang comes from the Boss room, and then a laser sweeps through the side of the room, narrowly missing the group waiting a room away. The laser cuts cleanly through the entire Glade and many trees outside.

"That was close!" Jowaru exclaims, looking through the smoking Glade.

"That is its super attack, right? Any thoughts on how to beat it?" Irela says, looking askance at the devastation.

"Same as always!" Uloru says confidently, walking forward and planting a foot on the smoking wall of the room they are in." Just use the waystone key to teleport out, then run back in!"

Esofy nods. "Chyzu's clone will keep the attack away from us."

"What are we going to do against the sound-based attacks?" Kadona asks.

Esofy withdraws several amber-colored hoods made of earth silk from her storage ring.

"Enchanted to resist sound. It's the first time we are up against a monster with sound spells that warrant their use, but I have come prepared. They nullify all sounds. To help our coordination, I brought these."

Esofy takes out several pairs of long, needle-like headwear made of metallic sound essence. She pokes the end through the ear sleeves of the hoods; a ball at the other end sits on the head of the wearer. From the ball, a long flexible piece wraps around the head to sit near the mouth.

"This will allow us to communicate while wearing these hoods."

"You had Alysara make these; I recognize her handiwork." Chyzu states.

"I did; she made them pretty quickly."

With that, they are ready. The group marches into the boss room after one last prep meeting to make sure everybody has what they need and are fully prepared for anything the Boss might throw at them.

Esofy is more concerned about doing enough damage than taking damage; the group has proven themselves to be good enough to not take a single hit from the last few boss fights.

The group spreads out in their primary formation, surrounding the Diamond Felin in such a way that each person can create openings for another. Tana and Esofy make the first pair, Jowaru and Irela the second, Kadona and Uloru for the third, while Chyzu stands at the back with Irela, making a weird group between the mages and Jowaru.

Jowaru takes the Boss's attention first, taking the hits on her shield. Irela commands her metal to help defend her teammate. With the Boss's flank open, Kadona takes the initiative, aiming for the achilles tendon while Uloru enlarges her hammer to sweep the legs.

Kadona's sword bites into fur, skin, and flesh, but not nearly enough to cut through the tendon. Meanwhile, Uloru's hammer slams into the leg, but not hard enough to trip the colossal Felin. Its tail falls on them, but Ulro deflects it with a shrinking hammer.

Chyzu stands far behind Jowaru, gathering mana into a powerful attack while Esofy and Tana dash forward, side by side. Tana suddenly sprints ahead then stops, turning around and raising her shield to provide a footstep for Esofy, who jumps with her boost onto the back of Felin. Esofy raises her void scythe and runs up the spine to the neck, swinging her scythe and cutting off the resonating diamond growths to hinder its sound-based attacks. Once at the neck, she swings down to decapitate the beast, but is thrown off by violent shaking.

The Felin screeches and kicks Kadona as she comes in for another attack, launching her backward against the wall. The Felin then slams its paw onto the prone Esofy, who is recovering after being thrown off.

The white light is slowly consuming the Felin as Tana's flame spreads, the odd-looking girl running and zigzagging as diamond spears manifest in the air.

"Dodge!" Esofy manages to wheeze out as she finishes skidding across the ground from being batted away. Everyone moves into action as spears fly through the air, exploding where they stood a moment before. Jowaru jumps in front of Esofy to block the spear heading toward her.

"Let's get into our rhythm!" Esofy orders, standing back up and returning to the fray. "Don't try to do damage; try to create openings for someone else to land a crippling blow!"

With that, the group aims for the vulnerable legs. Irela and Jowaru lands a good combo move, dazing the beast and allowing Kadona and Uloru to cut deeply into a hind leg.

"Don't let it recover!" Esofy says as she charges in." Try to get the leg cut off!"

Everyone springs into action, tackling different limbs to distract and hinder the monster's movement. The diamonds on its back have finally regrown, however, and a burst of sound rattles everyone's insides, the sound like a scream in their ears despite the enchanted hoods.

Esofy feels pain erupt in her side, almost like something has ruptured inside her, but resists the urge to double over as she grits her teeth and jumps onto the right front leg. Fighting the pain, she climbs up, grabbing handfuls of diamond fur and hoisting herself up onto the Felin's back, then swings her scythe and cuts off the diamond growths again. The Boss stumbles as Uloru finally hammers Kadona's sword through the leg.

The Felin opens its mouth wide and lets out a bone-rattling screech, but its pained noise is cut short by Chyzu's spell ramming a huge ice spear down its throat. Esofy runs down the spine again, cutting a long trail into its back with her scythe before successfully swinging her scythe across the neck; however, before she can make another cut to finish cutting off the head, she finds herself flying through the air, her entire body feeling like mush, like her bones have been turned into powder.

Pain erupts throughout her body, agony as though her blood has turned to fire. Twirling limply in the air, Esofy sees the others being thrown across the room as well. Esofy hits the floor and absolute, blinding pain consumes every other sensation for a few moments. Screaming, Esofy just barely sees Tana rushing toward her, her healing flames already blazing in her hand.

Tana slaps Esofy with the flames that spread, providing a soothing sensation, before she runs off to heal someone else. Esofy's flesh knits itself back together, bones twisting back to form and returning structure to her body, while she helplessly watches Jowaru struggling to fend off the injured Boss.

Esofy spends an eternity simply watching the slow fight between their juggernaut and the diamond-clad beast. She watches the Boss regenerate, and all their hard work is undone. Esofy watches as diamond essence mana builds and builds, charging some powerful attack; she tries to warn everyone, but pain assaults her, and she is unable to make sounds even as her mouth moves. Finally, Esofy can feel strength enter her limbs, and she stands back up, wobbling as she reorients herself.

"TO ME!" Esofy shouts, finally finding her voice. As if acting on pure reflex, everyone instantly sprints to her; Esofy pulls out the waystone key, and, once everyone is touching her, she activates it, just in time to avoid the powerful laser sweeping toward them. The group reappears at the dungeon entrance.

Esofy slumps to the ground, breathing heavily. It had not gone well; mistakes were made, something they can't afford against such a monster.

They simply sit there for a while, recovering from the ordeal.

"What are you guys doing standing around here?" Someone breaks the silence.

Looking over, Esofy sees a girl standing elegantly near the entrance. Her royal blue hair stands still even against the wind blowing through the clearing. Three very long tails dance gracefully behind her. It is Alysara's illusory clone.

"Stewing in our defeat," Esofy replies.

Alysara walks over to them and sits down next to Esofy.

"I wasn't watching." Alysara says, "But I found something that might interest you. I notice you guys are getting too used to the monsters in this forest and its dens, and I thought a change of scenery might help you; after all, fighting the same monsters all this time, you won't be able to properly adapt; to unknown monsters."

"Are you sure you weren't watching?" Esofy accuses Alysara with a hint of a smile. They had just learned that lesson, after all.

"I was scouting around a desert far to the west; my perception is not that big yet," Alysars retorts, somehow imbuing her voice with elegant beauty.

"How far away is the desert?" Esofy asks.

"About a two- or three-day walk, can easily be done in one or less with my wings," Alysara replies.

"Let's get the waystone to the Pyramid, then take a rest from the dungeon; after the Diamond Felin, I just want to take a good long rest.., Plus I feel so gross; all of this grime from a few weeks is bad." Chyzu complains.

"I'm so glad I can't smell through my clones right now. Why don't you just give me the waystone key? I can attune it to the desert waystone, and probably more, while you guys take a break." Alysara suggests.

"That's a good idea," Uloru says, nodding her head in enthusiastic approval, her black hair swaying from the motion.

The rest of the group agrees to end their expedition here for now, and they step through the dungeon entrance, back into the comfortable Nexus air, the heat and humidity soothing their bodies from the stress of the dungeon expedition.

Chapter 133: Wooden Tyrant

I wake up on the eve of my treant fight and put on my clothes, sighing as my chest feels a little constricted; I'll have to adjust it again. Going through growth spurts is annoying, and so is needing to adjust all of my clothes every few months.

I have gone through the desert with Esofy and others, but it wasn't very eventful. The group is very well organized, and they quickly adapted to the new enemies. We haven't fought any of the stronger ones yet, but we will soon.

I have gotten four Class levels in the last month and six Bond levels, bringing my Class to level two hundred fifty and my Bond to five hundred ninety-five.

I go out to greet my apprentice. Lotis is already on her way, and it'd be rude to make her wait. Walking through my parents' shop door, she runs towards me and hugs me; she's becoming more affectionate in the past few weeks, I wonder if it's all of the flying lessons?

Today she's come with a friend, Kyhana. She is around Lotis's age, maybe a tad bit younger; it's hard to tell. She has long hair, wearing the village's two-piece clothing style, and is holding herself reserved, perhaps a little shy to meet me. She's new to this village, that much I can see, probably one of the few people who have moved in lately.

It is times like these that I wish I can see mundane color, and I wonder what her hair and eyes are really like? Her mana signature has its own color, but it's indescribable; it'd be like trying to explain colors to a blind person. Ironic, coming from me, but it's the truth.

It seems that we get more and more people coming into the village, it's like the Runalymo want to build their own grand city, and Guklaro is all the happier for it. I wonder if it's the right thing to do, and if I should not help. The grander I help make this village, the more people will want to move here, straying further from what made the Runalymo of today who they are.

Yet if I don't make the city equally grand for everybody, it will create a clear hierarchy, those who live in the 'good parts' and those who don't. Guklaro will try to copy what I've done, but that costs resources, so not everybody will get it, splitting the city into an upper class, middle class, and lower class.

This isn't what I wanted, this is what Safyr warned against, and she took efforts to prevent this very thing from happening. Yet, introducing airships and sewers helps the quality of life so much, and I can do more. The spell crystals have yet to make widespread impact, and the inscriptions will undoubtedly do the same in time.

That's what it boils down to, isn't it? Time. We need more time to let people naturally adapt to these new things; one can't go from what is equivalent to the copper age to the modern age in a single decade. Chaos will ensue, and in chaos, people will be crushed under the weight of selective pressure; those that can't adapt will suffer, even if it means that those who can will succeed more than all others… and in all of that chaos, the Runalymo I have come to cherish will be forgotten.

In order to right the wrongs I have done, I need more power, to help introduce these new things to all villages, not just my own, for the good of my people, not just my village. Help spread out the population density and return things to the way they were, if that's even possible anymore.

"Instead of training my Bond today, I want to learn how to sense mana!" Lotis exclaims, drawing me out of my thoughts.

I can see it in her eyes and it's pretty much written on her face; Lotis is very easy to read. She wants to become like me; she wants to follow in the exact same footsteps I've walked. It's very flattering, but it's a path plagued with self-esteem issues. Should she be unable to match my stride, she will fumble, which will cause her to doubt herself, which becomes a self-fulfilling spiral of self-doubt and a sense of unworthiness.

That said, there is no other reason to deny her, and Kyhana likely wants to learn too.

"You want to become like me, don't you?" I accuse Lotis.

"Well, yes!" Lotis happily admits, "Why not? Carpenters become like their teachers. Smiths become like their masters; why can't I become like you?"

Lotis is not wrong, but she has yet to realize that the quality of things is different. I have cursed skills to help me, I have consulted ancient beings on their wisdom, and I have years of self-study under my belt. But, admittedly, the latter things can be easily taught; only the cursed skills is something I won't teach her, at least not until I have confirmed a cure for them.

"Also," Lotis continues, "how do you always know what I am thinking?!"

I give the young girl a warm smile. "You're an open book, Lotis," I reply.

Lotis is just too easy to read; I can't do the same for anyone else... perhaps our shared Bond may have something to do with it, I don't know, but if it does, maybe she can succeed in the path I have set for her? Regardless, it's not something I should encourage, even if I have no good reason to deny her the lessons.

"U-umm, I-I'd like to know how to s-see mana too," Kyhana stammers, nervously and quietly.

Too cute! I have even fewer reasons to deny Kyhana: she has a rare knowledge Bond, and being able to sense mana may help her with that.

"Very well," I sigh.

"Yay!" Lotis exclaims as Kyhana's eyes brighten.

I begin their lesson, starting with the basics. I don't know how much they'll understand: the later breakthroughs can be quite a hefty subject, and they are not even ten years old yet.

The next day I make sure I have everything I need to properly fight the Treant.

I have spent the last month making mana batteries to draw mana from during the fight. Several huge mana batteries are completely full, giving me a total of almost five hundred thousand mana to work with; if I can't kill the Treant with this much mana, then I have no hope of doing so. Since I will be operating from the village, I won't be able to use my [Mana Manipulation], but I hope I won't have to.

I have all of my clones in the dungeon. I quickly scan the area for the Treant and make my way to it once I have spotted it.

The Treant reaches to the top of the canopy, blending in just like any other tree. If it weren't for its much higher mana production and vitality, I could have easily not noticed it.

Razor Leaf Treant (Grand), Level 562 Iron Bark (Grand), Level 734 Nature Bond

It is a tank-type monster, something I am not very good against. Plus, its Bond level is way higher than its Class level, and this Treant is over twice my level. Then there's the fact that I don't really know what to expect from it.

My primary goal is to learn as much as I can from it. I will, of course, try my best to slay it; after all, if Esofy wants to exclude me from Heroic-tier fights, then turnabout is fair play.

With my clones turned invisible, I sneak up on the wooden creature and start charging up a [Fairy Soldier] with [Channel Beauty]. By using my Bond skills, this attack should hold more mana and be more powerful than the beauty spears I'd been using.

Minutes go by as I charge up my spell; tens of thousands of mana drain from me as five clones each make a super fairy. I fully drain four batteries before the spell is ready to cast. I hold off for only a few moments, observing the Treant. Most monsters have some type of danger sense, alerting them to my impending attack, but the Treant remains completely still.

Since this is a Bond skill, how much mana I can channel is not just governed by my wisdom stat but also by my Bond level, making the total mana each fairy holds a little over fifty thousand. I further empower them with my support skills. [Fairy Heart], [Intensify Beauty] – a Bond skill I switched to for just this battle – [Fairy Arms], [Fairy Explosion], [Fairy Rush] and [Summoner's State].

Power thrums and echoes throughout the forest, yet still, the Treant remains motionless. Could I have been tricked, and it's not actually here? I shake my head; of course it's here, I can see its magic frameworks, its mana signature, I even [Analyzed] it, so it has to be.

I cast my spells, and five Runalymo-sized fairies wielding weapons materialize and instantly charge at the Treant. Taken by surprise, the Treant is slow to react, that or it is just slow to move in general. Hit after hit, strike after strike, the Treant's bark splinters and is thrown everywhere as if a cannon had blasted through the tough wooden skin.

Each of my fairies' weapons digs into the Treant before an explosion rips the area apart. In seconds the fairies have landed an average of five blows on the foe, delivering half their mana so far.

If it weren't a tank-type monster, it would have died two times over by now, but it stands tall and defiant against me, with deep holes blown into its tough wood. Sap drips from its wounds, the viscous liquid slow to drain the life from the powerful foe.

I can immediately tell that it has substantial defenses to survive the initial onslaught of attacks, even if it's not a Heroic-tier monster. Its resistance skills are at high enough levels to challenge the most powerful monsters near its level, regardless of tier.

I don't just stand there; I pour my mana through my clones and conjure as many fairies as possible to aid my charged-up fairies.

The Treant lets out a loud roar, like groaning, cracking wood. A burst of nature mana flows out from it, and the forest comes alive! Everything green bursts into movement, grabbing onto anything fleshy it can, trying to rip them apart. Squeals of animals echo around, only to be cut off by the crunch and cracking of bone.

I don't stop attacking, completely unhindered by the flailing plants. But a long arm swings down, much faster than I thought reasonable, and, as a blur, it catches two of my super fairies. Its hand is blown apart by the fairies' counter-attack, and the fairies fly straight at the Treant's head. Nature mana pulses through the Treant, and its wounds rapidly close; it's healing itself!

But this is not a bad thing; it's not replenishing its vitality nearly as much. It will be a big deal against warriors, as they will have to cut through all of that wood, but for me, I just need to deplete its vitality.

Suddenly all of the Treant's leaves fall off and start whirling around it like a leaf-filled tornado; everything in its path, plant or animal, is cut to pieces, shredded as effortlessly as a hot knife cutting through warm butter. The nearby trees fall, being turned into woodchips which in turn become gnarled wooden spears and start flying in all directions! They are slamming through everything, leaving nothing but devastation behind.

The sound of trees falling echoes throughout the forest, and I realized this foe is not one Esofy and the others can fight. As well-coordinated as they are, they cannot withstand attacks this ferocious. This thing must die before they attack it!

All of my fairies, including my super faires, are intercepted and blown up, all of that mana wasted! I don't let up, it's regenerating its vitality at a fast pace, but its mana is dropping quickly too. I reveal four of my clones that run off in separate directions. I need the Treant to waste its mana. I start channeling more super fairies as streams of wooden spears follow my clones.

It's not leading its attacks; it's just aiming at where my clones currently are, not where they will be.

I make an important note and set those clones on autopilot. I create four more clones, invisible again, and have them start channeling more super fairies. This will eat up the last of the mana in my batteries, so I can't afford to lose these.

The Treant does not care for the plant life in the forest; instead, it adds everything to its arsenal. Leaves join its whirlwind, now turning the nearby trees into dust that then grows into wooden spears to fly at my clones. Vines sprout forth from the ground to catch my clones, to try and trip them, to wrap them up and strangle them. The Treant does not seem to know my clones are not real.

That's when I notice the source of the Treant's vitality; it's taking mana and vitality from the forest to heal itself. The trees that have survived the devastation are losing their vitality and mana. I have one chance to defeat this Treant before I am out of mana. I can keep trying to defeat it, I can keep coming back and challenging it over and over again, but it will learn.

The more I fight it, the more it will know my fighting style, and, once it figures out my clones can't be hurt, it won't bother attacking and just heal-tank through my attacks until I am out of mana. I need to kill it in this fight, or I'll never be able to kill it by the time Esofy challenges it. She, Tana, Chyzu, Uloru, Kadona, Jowaru, and Irela will all die. I don't think I can convince them to not attack it, so it must die today!

How do I get past its razor leaf whirlwind, though? The twisting defensive skill makes it impossible to even get close to it; it tears up everything, even my spells; there's no way past it as long as it is taking mana from the forest to fuel it. The longer this fight takes, the higher the chance it will learn how to deal with my clones. I need to get past its defenses soon!

[Inquisitive Perfection] pokes me, pushing my attention to the solution as if saying, "Are you dumb?! It's a whirlwind, just up and over the damned thing!"

The Treant has never fought a flying threat, has it? It has left its top completely unguarded. I smile and thank [Inquisitive Perfection] for pointing this out. I blanket the area my clones are in under invisibility using my [Figment of Reality] and conjure my super fairies with an entourage of normal empowered fairies, then have them fly over the whirlwind under a cloak of invisibility.

One by one, the fairies stream down, gathering around the core of the Treant. I order them to blast a hole into the wooden monster and swarm in, to destroy it from the inside out. With a distant 'boom,' a huge hole is blasted into the chest of the Treant; another 'boom' signals that the blast digging is working. Attack after attack, all in rapid succession, aided by [Fairy Rush] and staggered by the numerous fairies: a deep hole is already dug into the dangerous lord of the forest.

The Treant thrashes about, clawing at its body, stripping bark away to tray and get the fairies out. It tries to heal its body, but that only seals the fairies in and makes it impossible for them to be taken out. In its panic, it hasn't thought to use vines to grab the fairies and take them out, but it has now sealed its fate. The forest seems to tremble as its tyrant lets out a death cry.

Ting! You have killed a Razor Leaf Treant (Grand), Level 562 Iron Bark (Grand) extra experience has been rewarded for being under-leveled and being solo, and for being in an enemy-empowering environment.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 596-600!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained levels 251-254! 60 status points awarded.

Chapter 134: Dryad's Grace

I breathe a sigh of relief. The Treant couldn't absorb vitality from the forest faster than it was being lost, and now the forest is free from it. A path of destruction is clearly visible; large swaths of the forest have been shredded into mulch. Even the ground has been churned up, which will at least make regrowth easier. The wooden spears knocked down many trees, in pretty much all directions, in the attempts to kill my clones.

Now, what did Kayafe say about Treants being useful in making elixirs?

Of course, she also warned about side effects, but it might make for an interesting experiment one day. Regardless, there should be good materials available; I need to harvest its wood, what's left anyway, and possibly sap as well… maybe the leaves are special? I examine the Treant's corpse, studying the magic and mana within it.

Forest Emerald Eye: The eyes of a treant are the eyes of a forest; by holding onto them, one can gain its sight or use it to see in one's stead. This material can allow the holder to sense anything around plants within a hundred meters or act as a proxy for a sensing skill.

Proxy, Eyes of the Forest.

I finally have a proxy! Two of them, even! I take out my Pack Fang Dagger and pry the gems out of the Treant's head. Next, I look deeper into it, seeing an orb buried in its head like a brain.

Nature's Wisdom: The nature orb of a Treant is the source of its power; with it, command of the forest is yours. Produces nature essence and empowers nature essence manipulation.

Nature essence production 1500, Empowers nature manipulation by 500%

With this, I can help regenerate the destroyed parts of the forest, but first I want to make a nature manipulation staff. Something like the space manipulation one I have, but maybe I can make this one a little stronger with my high level [Mana Manipulation].

Living Steel: The wood of an Iron Bark Treant is as tough as steel and can be healed should it be damaged.

Living.

This seems like it will be very good for a healing warrior like Tana.

I take the materials back with me, chopping the Treant into smaller parts. I can simply reconnect it back together if needed, since it has the 'Living' quality. I also scour the forest for the numerous splinters from the battle. I create several clones and order them to gather the splinters, the basic AI capable of such menial tasks, but I will have to leave a mind behind to act as foreman; they can't know where the splinters are if I am not actively seeing them.

With five clones arriving back from the Dungeon, wearing backpacks with large storage gems in them for the materials, I have them bring the materials directly to my house. I will need Dad's help to cut the emeralds, and maybe the orb, to make them into a good staff.

It's currently the workday, and Mom is dealing with a customer – someone who wants to buy one of my dresses and a necklace Mom made – when my five clones walk in. It's not every day this happens, so Mom raises an eyebrow, but she remains professional and doesn't get distracted; the customer, however, does.

"What's going on? Five?" she wonders out loud. She must be one of the newcomers and isn't used to my clones. Mom explains that the clones aren't quite real and that she should expect to see them around.

I unpack some of the materials, but I can't fit a whole Treant in my room; maybe I should ask Mom and Dad to expand the house for my own workshop? Or maybe I should just buy my own workshop? I have the money for it. I don't spend much money, so I have a lot saved up, about seven hundred light and dark coins. The coins are cut from pearls, so many people use 'coins' and 'pearls' interchangeably, but they are shaped like coins. Anyway, one light or dark coin is worth three hundred fifty of the smallest denomination of coin, fire and water.

Efula's ice cream costs three fires – people don't say 'fire and water'; they just use one or the other – a domr will cost about ten fires or two ice/earth coins. My dresses cost around one light/dark coin, give or take. The reason why they are so expensive is that they are usually enchanted with long-lasting enchantments and made of mana silk, which doesn't wear down. In other words, my dresses are luxury items fit for high society... if we had a high society.

I've sold about five hundred dresses over the years; the rest of my money came from my work for the village, and other things like the Dungeon expeditions and commissioned work.

I am going to Dad to ask about getting the Treant's Emerald Eyes cut into a workable shape when I stop halfway down the stairs, gears turning in my head with the aid of [Inquisitive Perfection].

Why cut it into the shape I need when I can mold it into a more beautiful shape with my Bond?

My Bond can restore objects, right? It can bring pieces back together; why can't it reshape things? [Beauty Blessing], one of the Bond skills I gained before, can reshape people to be more beautiful; why can't it work on objects too? I've never sold the skill as a service, and the Runalymo never need cosmetic surgery anyway, so I never gave the skill much thought.

I go back upstairs and begin the process to swap out a Bond skill; ever since I hit level five hundred in my Bond, the time it takes has been reduced from around ten minutes to eight, still unusable in combat but much more convenient for everyday usage.

With the skill acquired, I use it on the Emerald Eyes and watch in amazement as their rough shape molds like clay to the shape I desire— no, not what I desire; I need to listen to my Bond and shape it to what it desires.

With the Eyes done, I start creating a thin staff of metallic nature essence. I then take the Treant's orb, Nature's Wisdom, and shape it too, but only on the inside. I make it denser and make a magic circle in the center that I saw the Treant use. I really hope it was the Treant's [Nature Manipulation] skill; otherwise, this might not work. I fit the orb at the head of the staff and, with [Beauty Blessing], shape the living wood around the staff to protect it. The staff now looks like a gnarled branch with twists and splits that allow slivers of the inner staff to be seen.

I take a step back and let [Inquisitive Perfection] take a look at it. The orb at its head is too basic, so I shape the staff's core and the wood around it to form a crescent moon and then fit the emerald eye on the inner part of the moon, so it's looking at the orb, which represents the sun.

I then start enchanting the staff: a levitation enchantment so the orb will float in its spot, another enchantment to reinforce the manipulation abilities of the staff, then one to connect with plants around it. I use a telepathy spell for this, hoping the connection the Eye already has will be reinforced.

Inspiration strikes me, and I etch another magic circle into the surface of the orb, in the direction of the Eye, so the Eye is looking directly at the center of it. This magic circle I took from the Treant when it controlled the plants. I make a third inscription, this time it's from my own Class skill, [Fairy Heart], onto the orb opposite the second inscription.

I make two Bond crystals, one of [Create Familiar] and the other of [Sanctuary of Wholeness], enchanting them to float, so they look like stars among the moon and sun. Considering the celestial symbolism, I form and sprinkle dust of beauty mana, the type of beauty that instills awareness of cosmic scale when looking at the vast expanse of the night sky, onto the staff.

I finalize the staff with one last inscription, [Summoner's Beacon], and an enchantment to empower Nature spells. With that, I take a step back and look over the staff for one last time, seeing if [Inquisitive Perfection] approves of it.

With the celestial symbolism combined with the woody nature of the staff, it's almost like its a staff of a world tree-

Before I can finish the thought, the staff starts soaking up mana, and the magic in the staff fuses as experience grows around it. The experience and magic blend together as mana is sucked in. A torrent of mana flows through my room as the staff transforms; leafy growths sprout from it, but not so much to hinder its use. Flowers bud and bloom, and a sweet smell fills the air. Yet more mana is drawn in as a single seed grows at the head of the staff, like a glowing ball of nature essence.

Then the transformation is complete, and it stops drawing in mana. The staff has changed; the orb now blazes with nature essence. It lost its physicality and the inscriptions etched into it, but it is a ball of liquified nature mana. The two Bond crystals have broken apart into thousands of tiny sparkling stars made of beauty mana. Leaves and flower petals fall from the staff only to dissipate on the floor and be replaced with new growths.

Suddenly dizziness strikes me as a soul-chilling coldness washes over me. I stumble a little, and then it is over as quickly as it came.

What was that?

I look myself over, examining my mana and magic to see if there is anything strange, then I look at the magic item; it happened just as it transformed, so maybe it's an effect of it.

Dryad's Grace (Heroic):

Made from a lesser Treant by a master craftsman, the true potential has been drawn out of the materials. Connected to the celestial cosmos above and the beauty of the realm, this staff can produce a star-like seed to plant a Star Tree to which this staff is connected. All plants within the domain of the Star Tree can feed it the power needed to destroy its foes, but, should the tree die, this staff will cease to function until a new seed is grown and planted. All plants within the domain of the Star Tree grow faster and are healed if damaged. In addition, the wielder and all who the wielder acknowledges as allies are healed when within the Star Tree's sanctuary. The wielder of this staff becomes the lord of the Star Tree's forest and can see everything that happens in their forest; furthermore, they can use the power of the forest to act as a proxy for their sensing abilities.

Dryad Connection, Forest Sanctuary, Empowers Nature Manipulation by 1500%, Forest Lord, Forest Proxy, Nature essence production 3000, Empowers nature and beauty spells by 1200%.

The magic framework of this item is complex, with more layers than I have ever seen before. Unlike all other magic items I've seen— heck, even when comparing against my Class's magic framework, this item seems to be using every last drop of its magic; I don't think it can get any stronger than it currently is without its tier being increased.

It is clear to me now that the tier of an item isn't always equal to its potential. The First Inscription, although being Exalted-tier, cannot compare to this. I wonder if it's because of the inscriptions and enchantments reinforcing the natural abilities of the materials and the use of symbolism. Then there's the fact that it can plant a familiar tree which is completely unheard of; I'll have to ask Kayafe if she knows anything similar.

As for the episode of dizziness, I have no idea. It has to have come from this staff, but I don't know what it means. Looking at the seed, it appears to be just made of mana, but it also has a lot of ectoplasm and raw soul. It must have been that, although I don't see any of my own ectoplasm missing.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 658-667!

I gained a lot of levels by directly observing this transformation into a magic item. Observing the interactions with experience helped me really understand the initial formation of magic frameworks.

Well, I was planning on using the staff to prove to Guklaro that the Treant is dead… but maybe I shouldn't show this off? It's kind of... I don't know, condescending? Arrogant? Like, 'Hey, I defeated the Treant and also made this made, aren't I amazing?'

I'll just show her the other Treant Eye I have.

I walk over to the Village Hall and wait outside of Guklaro's office; she is currently in a meeting with someone else. They are just finishing up, which is why I came over; otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered.

However, as I wait longer and longer; the two are now just talking about random things, like adults tend to do. Sometimes, they'll just keep on talking until something comes up. I step into the office, hoping that my presence will speed things along. I don't say anything, though, on the off chance they were actually talking about something important.

"Oh! I'll talk to you later, Veralo," Guklaro says, then addresses me. "What brings you here, Alysara?" she says politely.

I wait for the other woman to leave before showing Guklaro the Treant's Eye. "It's dead" is all I say.

It takes Guklaro a few moments for it to click.

"You defeated it? I thought it was supposed to be dangerous; you shouldn't take such risks, Alysara!"

"I never left the village," I say with a smile. "I found a way to operate my clones inside the Dungeon from the safety of my home. Besides, Esofy and the others wouldn't have lived against the Treant; it was far more dangerous than we thought."

Guklaro sighs. "Alysara, you underestimate how important you are. You've helped us so much; you've introduced technology that we never thought possible. We need to grow independent of your abilities… and for that, we need you to let us do that. It's not that we don't want you; it's that we shouldn't have to rely on you for things like this, and you need to learn to trust in our abilities. If the Treant was really so strong, do you think that Esofy wouldn't have had a method to find that out? They were in little danger of actually dying."

Instead of getting a 'thank you,' I get chastised instead?! Even if the others wouldn't have died, they still had no way of defeating it. Not only that, but I defeated it earlier, so Guklaro can move ahead with her plans!

I don't say anything else; I just turn around and walk out.

"Aly— Wait!" Guklaro calls after me, but I don't stop, conjuring wings on myself and flying home once outside.

Chapter 135: First Contact

A couple of days later, Guklaro announces that the Dungeon is now safe to re-enter and that efforts will be made to create a safe enclave within. A lot of trees had been felled during my fight, so there is a lot of building materials ready to be processed.

Guklaro still hasn't thanked me, but Esofy, Tana, Uloru, and the others did. Well, Irela didn't say anything, but that's enough coming from her. I haven't planted Dryad's Grace's seed yet; I'm not sure where to put it. I have considered the island's orchard, but that would help Guklaro, and right now, I'm not feeling generous towards her.

I take my new staff on my flight to Kayafe; perhaps she has heard of something similar, it should make for an interesting topic… and I haven't talked to her recently, so she's probably lonely.

I initiate contact, and we greet each other, then I explain.

"It's the first I've heard of something exactly like it, but some items have been known to be bonded to a place, or have a domain centered around them. I bet that it is an influence from the skills you chose to use with the Bond crystals," Kayafe explains. "Still, it is really impressive to have made something of that caliber. Although, I suspect that it was held back by the materials you used; if you had materials from Heroic or Exalted monsters, you could have ended up with a high-grade Exalted-tier item."

"Yeah, but the only way for me to get something of that quality would be to ask Safyr for some scales or something. I am not nearly strong enough to take down an experienced Heroic monster, not to mention they are typically much higher level," I am thinking of the Seven-Eyed Mountain Gazer I saw in the mountains of the Dungeon.

What would I be able to make with its materials? Especially considering I'll know more about inscriptions by that point…

"Hmm," Kayafe hums. "How many magic items do you have now? Five? How did you get that many?"

I tell her. My hair ornament and Kyhosa came from my Kyholo; technically, I didn't make them.

"Hmm," Kayafe hums again, thoughtfully. "The only ones that don't make sense are your Diadem and this staff now. From what I know, there simply shouldn't have been enough meaning there to trigger the transformation into a magic item."

"What do you mean?" I ask curiously. "The staff had plenty of symbolism."

"Symbolism is not enough, Alysara. Take your Kyhosa, for example. There were no enchantments, nothing to reinforce its abilities, yet there was no way it wasn't going to become a magic item. The reason is that the circumstances were so meaningful. It's a one-time thing, made with all the love and care your parents had at the time; that was what made it into a magic item."

I don't see the issue, but I wait for Kayafe to finish.

"Your eye wraps became a magic item because it shared in your growth over years. Your Dedication to Myrou and the Kyhosa you made for your sisters also became a magic item for much the same reasons your own Kyhosa did. The raw, heartfelt meaning is what fueled the magic. But what of your Diadem and staff? How were they so meaningful to you? It's an enigma that I don't understand." Kayafe says.

"Well, for one, the magic is fueled by experience." I explain what I saw during the transformation. "It makes sense; the magic framework is created when the conditions are met."

"Yes, that part makes sense in isolation, but if that is the case then magic items should be commonplace… but they're not. What I mean is that there has to be a trigger for the process to happen; think of experience as fuel that is burned, but not the spark that starts it." Kayafe explains her position.

"Then it's a mystery that needs to be explored!" I say optimistically, "If we can figure this out, then making magic items might be a lot easier. With my [Sense Magic], I should be able to get to the bottom of this!"

"I hope you're right..." Kayafe says, clearly not sharing my own enthusiasm.

We continue talking about the workings of magic, and theory crafting based on my observations, until my mana runs out. I fly back home and continue my mana studies to finish my book on [Sense Mana]; by completing that, I should be able to raise my [Sense Magic] level up to almost seven hundred.

It's going to take a couple of months, but now we have time; there is nothing pressing anymore.

Ruluna paces back and forth; that damned spy has not shown up in months! She has everything prepared. She has consulted her fellow archmages and paladins. Some of them disagree with the idea that they should alert the spy that they are onto them; others agree that, if anything, it will stop the spying.

Despite all of the spying, no one contested the Leviathan, which is most bewildering. Someone knows of it. Someone should have tried to muscle their way into taking it, even it meant the lives of that hamlet, but no one did, not even to get the last of the scraps. This leads to the question, who is the spy? Are they friend or foe? What is their agenda? Who do they work for?

It is because of these circumstances that the headmasters have agreed to Ruluna's plan, to initiate communications. So now the question is, how can they talk to the spy? It has to be one way, right? They are looking, not touching anything; they can't interact with anything. So how do they communicate with the spy?

The answer is simple. Retaliations. Or rather, clever use of notifying retaliations so that the spy can trigger a retaliation which will light up a letter. With that, they can talk, but on the very slim chance the spy is illiterate, an independent spy commoner who just so happens to be so gifted, then there are some symbols to help with communications.

A knock alerts Ruluna to a guest, Flame Paladin Julaly.

"You can't just stay cooped up here all year; perhaps the spy just gave up."

"We don't know when they will spy again; if that happens when I'm away, then we may miss our chance." Ruluna counters.

"There's no use in secluding yourself; besides, there's trouble brewing," Julaly says darkly.

"What do you mean?" Ruluna asks.

"Apparently, there were two more Leviathans that washed ashore, and Forren Kingdom got one; they are already drafting soldiers," Julaly explains.

"So? There's a reason why they haven't expanded any further than they have… and what nations do has no standing for our orders; we're an inter-national mercenary order, it's none of our business," Ruluna says.

It doesn't matter who rules; the Order will still be there.

"You may say that, but the Headmasters disagree, especially since the Order of Lightning was hired by the rebellion that happened last month."

"And?" Ruluna retorts. They aren't the Order of Lightning; they didn't participate in some rebellion in a foreign country.

"For Venaro's Scroll, Ruluna!" Julaly swears. "Forren Kingdom is abolishing the Orders! Five dukes died when the palace was stormed headed by an Order! They are angry and now consider the Orders a threat to their rule!"

In other words, it is their problem; if the Kingdom takes over, then their Order will at best be dissolved and at worst executed.

"What is the Republic doing? Surely they are responding to the actions of the Kingdom." Ruluna asks, now more serious.

"Yes, they are. Troops are being sent to Kineto City and Lova Fort."

"So they are sending troops to our border?"

"Where else? They can't get past Bastion City, and those healers won't back down; they will destroy any army that attacks Port Liera no matter what the army is equipped with; our border is the weakest of the three." Julaly sits down next to Ruluna. "Their plan is probably to get our Leviathan materials to hopefully raise a strong enough army to maybe attack one of the other two nations; that, or they will conquer the Frostwoods."

Ruluna sits down at the table opposite Julaly.

"So, we'll be going to war soon? I don't see a future where the Republic doesn't hire us."

"It will take some time to make something of the Leviathan materials; luckily, we got ours first. Lady Lysha is certainly going to be elevated in the eyes of the people for securing the Leviathan, and she will rely on us again." Julaly leans back in his chair.

"So, not just yet. Who's going to lead the war efforts? Since the Kineto family is near the border, I assume it's going to be them." Ruluna asks, leaning forward and resting her head on her hands.

"The Kinetos will be managing the defenses for sure, but it is Lady Lysha herself who will be leading the attack."

"Lysha? She isn't all that experienced; what are they thinking?!" Ruluna respects Lady Lysha, but she is too inexperienced to lead an army, no matter what her Bond level suggests.

"It's politics. Julaly almost spits the word. "If she fails, then her brothers will have a chance at being elected as the Heir to the Runa family."

The internal politics of the Republic is weird: only a member of House Vanu Runa can govern Vanu City, and each generation one of the siblings will be elected, by the citizens, as the family heir who will lead the city. The other family members will marry off to some other House or one of the five lesser families: House Vanu Roda, Vanu Sera, Vanu Doka, Vanu Dao, and Vanu Kasha.

Each major House governs its own city: Vanu, Kineto, Sep, Yora, Hova, and Ora. Each of the Major Houses and their five Lesser Houses makes up the senate, making laws and decisions that will determine the future of the Republic.

Lysha is vying for heirship; while the Leviathan will help her with that, her rash decision to lead war efforts will be her undoing, and it seems that her brothers are willing to let her take the fall, playing with peoples' lives.

Just then, Ruluna feels a familiar feeling of being watched. She cracks a smug grin at Julaly... who doesn't seem to have noticed their little spy.

"It looks like staying here paid off," Ruluna says and stands up; she then looks up and points two fingers to her eyes and taps her temple, saying: "I know you're watching me."

I got caught? I ponder as I watch the fire mage.

She then moves a small perceptive field to several items arranged on a table. One of the items produces a shape in the air; a spell that conjures an illusion, but uses the shape of the mana so it can be read by someone with [Sense Mana]?

Interesting. They turned retaliation items into something that I can use to talk to them with.

I raise my perceptive pressure, just around the items. I am holding onto my unused Treant's Eye and using it as a proxy for protection. All of the items activate, and I memorize what each of them is. It seems like most of them are lettering, but I don't know what their language is; luckily, they have accounted for that and given a few options for basic communication. I activate the item I assume means 'peace'; one was a scroll and the other a sword. I then activate the one I think means that I don't know how to read their language.

The two people look at each other and start talking; they really thought I could read their language, didn't they? They only have a few basic ways to say something. Basically, 'can you read?' and 'are you friendly?' However, what she does next surprises me. She lifts up a necklace and points to her temple, then looks up... which I assume means me.

A telepathy retaliation item or a trap? I will have to stop using my proxy and scapegoats for it to work; it's very risky, she is more than three times my level, and her Bond is just as high as mine, she is a strong foe… however, I have survived against the Mind Eater, and she doesn't have a mind Class. All things considered, it's as safe as it can get; the one thing that causes me to pause is how she knew I was watching her.

What to do? Take the risk or no?

Ruluna waits; a minute passes, then two. This is her last gambit to really know who the spy is; they could be lying that they are friendly and have mind mages at the ready to attack her through the telepathic link, but she is ready to take the risk. In order for communications to happen, someone must take the first step and be put at risk; in the card game Battles, the first to play is always disadvantaged.

Ruluna waits, her heart pounding in anticipation, and then she feels her mana being drained as the communication retaliation activates, and she gasps as her [Track Senses] finally locks onto the spy. They are far, far, FAR, to the northwest, impossibly far, surely her skill has to have it wrong, no one can scry that far! It's so far; all she knows is just a direction, not even a triangulated position.

Ting! Track Senses has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 140!

14th Breakthrough: You have tracked someone's senses over a thousand kilometers; this will help you track true masters of scrying.

"Who are you?" Ruluna says out loud as well through the telepathic link.

Julaly looks concerned as she speaks, but doesn't say anything.

"La Srsuu."

What? That isn't a language she knows. Ruluna looks at Julaly then points to herself.

"Ruluna."

"Alysara."

Ruluna's heart skips a beat. Did she hear right? Alysara, from the world notification? Then that must mean...

"Julaly," Ruluna says, addressing her companion. "It's Alysara, and... I think she is from our ancestor's homeland."

Chapter 136: Long Distance relationship

"That's just a myth, right? Just a tale as to why our people are here?" Julaly asks, shocked.

"She's not from these lands, that's for sure. She is an entire ocean away; who else could she be, to reach over such a distance?" Ruluna retorts.

"If that's the case, then aren't they our enemy? Our ancestors were driven from their land," Julaly points out the main potential issue.

"Maybe, but one thing is for sure: she is not hostile right now. Maybe they've changed, or the tale is wrong or exaggerated?"

"We should tread carefully; we don't know what they want," Julaly warns.

"I know… either way, we'll need a better way to communicate," Ruluna says.

She will have to prepare ways to explain her language to Alysara. If she really is from the homeland, then she should speak a similar language. The sounds may have drifted over the years, but the meanings should be somewhat recognizable at least.

After miming 'goodbye' and 'three days', Ruluna ends the communication, her poor mana reserves abused by the surprising tax of the telepathic link.

If it took that much mana just to send words, then how effective will spells be? Never mind the use of scapegoats and proxies; she is safe from anything we might do just by the distance alone.

Over the next three days, Ruluna prepares for the next meeting, noticing that Alysara does not spy on her during that time.

During the next meeting, Ruluna begins teaching Alysara basic words using picture cards, and occasionally charades. Alysara learns fast, not needing to be reminded; either she is taking notes or her memory is enhanced by a skill; not exactly a rare thing among librarians, scholars, scouts, and other professions of the information-related variety.

They have to take a three-day break between sessions for Ruluna to prepare more materials, but, after the fifth session, simple communications are possible and Ruluna has the chance to ask the question she's been dying to have answered ever since this whole thing started.

"Why do you scry me, why not someone else?"

There is a short pause, presumably while Alysara formulates her reply.

"Not you, everybody. Learn... your people, Hostile? Friendly? Trade? Need to know. You high rank, good to see... structure?"

In other words, Alysara is studying her society and learning the ranking structure of her Order. It is technically espionage, even if understandable in her position, the fact remains that they know nothing of Alysara's society. Although, if she is not just spying on Ruluna's Order, then she might know secrets of other Orders; if Ruluna can get her to spill those secrets, this interaction will look very good in the eyes of the Headmasters… which would be nice, because Vulpun is already teetering on the idea of cutting off communications.

"What did you learn?" Ruluna asks in as 'teacherly' a tone as she can. Part of the lessons' purpose is to simply talk, to improve mastery of the language, and Alysara sounds young, so maybe she is a little naive; hopefully, Alysara will say something that she doesn't know is a secret.

"Many... Many... people structures, and many high people." Ruluna digests that, then offers a correction; "I think you mean Orders and Nobility."

Although 'Nobility' is an out-of-date name for the governors, it's not exactly a wrong description of them.

"So tell me about these Orders, like, what do they specialize in?" Ruluna asks kindly.

Alysara is silent for a few moments before giving a somewhat vague answer.

"Fighting, Commerce, and Industry."

Well, those are the three main archetypes of Orders: mercenaries, merchants, and craftsmen and laborers.

This goes on, along similar lines, until Ruluna is out of mana.

She's a smart one, but that's to be expected from someone who mastered [Sense Mana]

Alysara has avoided spilling any obvious secrets, which is smart since they can be traded for other things. She is not a naive little girl after all, but it was a long shot anyway. Regardless, that is information itself: Alysara is smart enough to recognize secrets even if she knows nothing about a society, a mark of a good scout and spy, and she saw through Ruluna's attempts at trying to get such information.

It's possible Alysara was trained since childhood; however, Ruluna is at a disadvantage. Again, Alysara knows about her society, but she doesn't know anything about Alysara's.

The next day Ruluna is determined to level the playing field somewhat.

"Tell me about your people," Ruluna asks innocently.

Alysara is silent for a few moments, clearly thinking of what to divulge.

"We are craftsmen; we like making things... we can trade in time?" Alysara eventually offers.

Trade? Over such distances? It's impossible to sail a boat over the Leviathan-infested water; no ship is brave enough to venture out of sight of the coast, any further and one is at risk of being attacked by a powerful monster. However, the fact that Alysara suggested the idea of trade means they either have a way, or she doesn't understand the hurdles of trading across the ocean.

Alysara is smart, but this might be an oversight in her judgment; Ruluna bets that Alysara's people have a way to trade, and, if that's the case, she should be worried because if they can do that, then they can invade.

"Perhaps. How are your people governed? Do you have a King?" Ruluna asks, choosing her words carefully.

"No king. Our Elders manage our... settlements."

Ruluna did teach Alysara the words for city, village, town, and hamlet, so the fact she is being vague on the size means that it is a point that she wants to conceal; even the lack of information can be a form of information itself.

They have 'Elders', which can mean several things: it can mean that the oldest people are made governors, or it could indicate a more tribal thing, perhaps Alysara just doesn't know the correct word to properly say what she means, or maybe she is being vague on purpose.

Ruluna asks many questions, trying to learn as much as she can; sometimes Alysara is vague, but more often, she is transparent on things. Anything related to the defense of their land Alysara is understandably vague on, simply saying that they don't have to worry.

Their religion is centered around the Goddess of Beauty and Creativity, of which the few surviving records that Ruluna is aware of only say that the followers of Serlia, the evil, were zealot believers. This is worrying news; however, the way Alysara speaks indicates that she isn't a zealous believer, so Ruluna presses for more detail.

"You seem rather distant in your... faith; do you have doubts?"

Alysara gives an amused chuckle. "No," she says, "But we recently exiled a mad priestess who wanted to bring back some old times, the whole thing has left a sour taste in everybody's mouth."

"Old times? What's so bad about that?" Ruluna asks, hoping for some good news.

"It was thousands of years ago, I don't know the full details, but apparently some priestess took over and got rid of faith in the other two gods," Alysara answers. "She did a lot of bad things and made a lot of bad choices."

That sounds just like the origin tale. A lot can happen in the thousands of years since, so it's a good thing religious oppression didn't stick.

"Who are the other two gods?" Ruluna asks.

"Varath and Venaro."

"Do you still worship them?" Ruluna hopes that they share belief in Venaro at least. She has never heard of Varath, though.

"We... recently rediscovered knowledge of them... not widespread."

Oh, well, can't have everything. The conversation ends soon after, Ruluna's mana running out, at which point Ruluna notices her apprentice standing by the door. The boy has been on vacation for the last week; it was actually his idea to use retaliation items to communicate.

"Yurian, when did you get back?" Ruluna asks.

"Today, Archmage Ruluna, I was being briefed on the recent events by Flame Paladin Julaly," Yurian answers, before asking a question of his own. " Were you talking to the spy?"

"Yes, turns out they are not our enemies… not our friends either, but that can change if we play our cards right. Your idea with the retaliations worked perfectly – well, almost, we didn't account for the fact that the spy does not hail from these lands and does not speak the same language."

"It seems like you have it figured out; maybe we should work on a way to involve more people in the telepathic link..." Yurian puts a hand on his chin in thought.

"We shouldn't surprise her; she might think it's a trap or something. Plus, the mana costs will be increased. Follow me, I have to make a report to Headmaster Vulpun now that I have learned some things about Alysara."

A few minutes later, Ruluna gives her report and waits for Vulpun to digest everything.

"Assuming everything she says is true," Vulpun finally says. "I feel like we should have one of the Black Flames in on this; they know espionage, and, now that we know the Alysara we've been so hard pressed to find is not here, we can redirect our spies to their old posts."

"I don't think we should change who is communicating with Alysara; I've done everything I can to build trust, and changing who talks to her might put her on guard," Ruluna warns. Truthfully she just wants to see this to its end.

"I agree, which is why I said we should 'involve' a Black Flame, not have him take over." Vulpun replies. "We need to find a way to have the both of you on the same telepathic link."

Ruluna glances over to Yurian, who said pretty much the same thing. He doesn't meet her gaze.

Loyalty to the Order above all, including Archmages of the Order. The boy will go far, and Ruluna can't blame him for his ambitious actions.

"Yes, sir." Ruluna salutes. It will take time, so Ruluna will have at least three days to talk to Alysara and prepare her for what's to come. However, the next day Alysara has a surprise for her.

"Go to the cliffs overlooking the ocean just outside of the city tomorrow at dawn."

"Why?" Ruluna asks.

"It's a surprise." Alysara doesn't say anything else about the matter, and so they continue their regular talks. Alysara has improved a lot; it's kind of scary how fast she learns the language.

Naturally, Ruluna informs Headmaster Vulpun of Alysara's request.

"We'll look into it," Vulpun says.

"Do you think it's a trap?" Yurian asks Ruluna.

"... I don't think so; how can she get here? It would take months of sailing, it's not been anywhere near long enough for that to happen," Ruluna replies after a moment of thought.

"I'll have some Black Flames hidden there just in case," Vulpun says.

The next day Ruluna hikes up the cliffs with Yurian and Julaly in tow. Ruluna scans the area with [Sense Mana], only picking up the Black Flames hiding nearby. There is a large tree balancing on top of the cliff, leaning over the side, and a boulder large enough to make a good seat. The sun is just peeking over the open ocean, casting pink and red onto the clouds. Being so far up, she cannot hear the ocean battering the shore, no birds are squawking, and even the wind is still, making this place feel peaceful.

Is this what she wanted to show me?

Ruluna looks over to the city below; boats are just now setting sail to trade with other cities or fish within the safe shallows. Ruluna can see the Order of Flame's headquarters standing above the many houses around it, their banner flying proudly over them.

Ruluna closes her eyes and basks in the rising sun.

It's—

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice rings out like an accented melody.

All heads snap up to a beautiful young girl in a skimpy two-piece dress with a long skirt obscuring her legs. Large mosaic-patterned wings adorn her back, flapping delicately, and three very long tails are dancing gracefully behind her. Long royal blue hair with golden tips makes the perfect backdrop against the light blue sky. She wears several accessories, the most immediately noticeable being the black eyewraps covering her eyes.

"Alysara?!" Ruluna gasps.

Chapter 137: Arrival

"I've managed to establish communication with the large island," I report to the Elders.

Tusile is here too, one of the rare occasions she takes a break from training the new priestesses. I tell them about the whole interaction; it was a short one since we didn't know each others' language.

"This is very good; once we can properly communicate with them, hopefully, we can trade, but for that to happen we must first complete the Airship. Now that the Treant is slain and a defensible settlement is being set up there, we can focus all of our efforts on that project." Tusile says, "I hate to involve you any more than we already have, but only you can complete the Airship."

Guklaro is having more airships made – now that the Dungeon is open, we are using the trees as building materials – but Tusile is referring to our flagship. We've been accumulating a lot of liquid dark mana and now have a sizeable amount to work with. We aren't in a rush this time, so the whole village won't pitch in to help me with my mana problems.

I still have three more days before Ruluna is ready; I wonder how she will try to communicate with me more effectively? I can't do anything on my end, so it's all up to her, and if she tries anything shady, I can just not fall for the trap; I'll make sure to look around first just in case there are mind mages waiting nearby.

Since I'll be using my mana to finish the second stage of the Airship construction phase, I won't be able to do much in the Dungeon. Speaking of which, Tusile had one of the pair of portals I made moved to the Temple Island, allowing for quick travel between here and there. The mana consumption is still a big problem, and it's mostly fueled by the user, so not everyone can use it, but it has allowed the Dungeon village to be built faster.

I spend the next few weeks learning the other language – I don't know what to call it yet – and building the flagship. I'd love to add inscriptions to it, but it's made entirely out of mana, so that's a very good idea… if I wanted to destroy it.

I add all of the floors and rooms that I can with the mana available and make some finishing touches. With this, the Airship's form is complete, and so is the second construction phase. The third and final phase will be to add in the Mana Furnace, Enchantments, Mana Batteries, Mana Wiring, and so much more. In other words, I still need to do almost everything that will make this Airship actually fly and be the state-of-the-art technological wonder Tusile always envisioned it to be.

With the completion of the second phase, I report to Tusile.

"Wonderful! Maybe it can finally take flight next year!" Tusile's lets her joy show through her age. "I have a special mission for you."

Special Mission? I can't help but wonder what could possibly make it so special. It has to be something only I can do, which means it's either something to do with my [Mana Manipulation] capabilities or...

"You want me to send a clone over to that place?" I ask, making sure I understand her correctly.

"Yes. Obviously, if there's any danger, withdraw immediately. We'll need to meet with their leaders eventually, and showing up unannounced is poor etiquette. You have already established friendly contact with someone, so the danger is minimal, even less since you can continue using anti-retaliation items this way."

Tusile does make sense; it's actually safer for me to send a clone to talk since the telepathic link requires me to not use safety measures. Plus, showing up in 'person' helps them relate to me, so I'm not just a disembodied voice.

It will take three and a half days of non-stop travel for my clone to arrive. On the next 'chatting' appointment, I scout out a good place to meet Ruluna and tell her to meet me there. With the aid of [Inquisitive Perfection] – and listening to my Bond – the area should be a place of beauty and peace.

There is one slight issue I have to work out, and that is making my clones capable of hearing and speech on their own. At that distance, I won't be able to use non-summon spells with the aid of [Summoner's Beacon], but I have three days to work that out.

It takes until dusk of the second day to finally upgrade my clone: getting the hearing right and inventing a method to send information back to me was the hard part.

Ting! You have developed a new Bond skill! Create Duplicate!

I conjure my duplicate at a steep cost, due to both its natural requirement and the distance. I will likely not be able to use spells efficiently at such distances.

Once my duplicate arrives, I wait for her, just outside of her and her guards' [Sense Mana] range. They sent roguish people ahead of time, likely in the case of an ambush; it seems that they don't fully trust me, but that is understandable considering the situation.

I hide my duplicate in a cloak of invisibility and wait for the grand reveal. My clone is wearing a longer skirt than usual, so I'm not flashing the people below, but I purposefully keep my dress otherwise unchanged. This is a diplomatic mission, so they should know what we Runalymo are like.

Once Ruluna is all settled in, I reveal myself and announce my presence.

She's here? How? It's so far away! Baffled, Ruluna can't get a word out. Alysara obviously flew here, but how did she eat and sleep? The answer is clear as day when she descends from the sky and enters the range of [Sense Mana]. She is entirely made of mana!

Flame Paladin Julaly gives Ruluna a hard look. It's possible this is just a ruse, a fake, or it could be that the real Alysara is nearby and is meeting in this way for self-defense.

One thing is for sure: she does not look Lunaleyan, which gives credit to her actually being here and it not being a ruse. The Black Flames step out of hiding, but Alysara shows no surprise.

"H-how did you get here?" Ruluna manages to ask.

"I flew," Alysara says, landing. Her wings disappear, clearly some sort of skill. It's not unheard of for someone to discover a flying skill, but it is rather rare, and they usually take a lot of mana to cast and use.

"All the way here?" Ruluna asks.

"Yup!" Alysara says with a confident smile, her movements practically oozing grace and elegance.

She's very skilled in her Bond. Ruluna recognizes the tell-tale signs of someone who has dedicated a long time to leveling up their Bond. Alysara likely has a Bond Class, and potentially a rare Beauty Bond at that: House Ora Ora and House Ora Ara will be very interested in her.

"I'm here on a diplomatic mission to establish relations between our people," Alysara states.

There is little reason to doubt her words; she's already been spying on them, even if it was to learn about them. Lady Lysha will be very interested in who this spy is, and it's not all good. Spying is a very serious allegation, and throwing the name 'Alysara' around is basically admitting to the crime, considering that the Order of Flame has been working with House Vanu Runa to look for her as the prime suspect.

She is smart to show up as an illusion, can't arrest her if she's not actually here. Still, why send the spy herself here? That's a very risky play, downright idiotic; they know that she knows that they've been spying. However, there is really no other way around it, is there? No matter who they send, the Order of Flame knows they've been spying; Alysara herself didn't deny it, so what do they have to gain by sending someone so skilled here?

Sending a known spy is the same as saying that they will continue spying.

Noticing her hesitation, Alysara summons a beautiful mana silk dress from a storage ring on her finger. The dress is made in the latest fashion but... just so much better! It's so pretty; it's absolutely perfect! The dress doesn't have some of the gimmicky features the recent fashion statements have, that are circulating among the Houses and wealthy; instead, it is replaced by decoration that just seems to fit so... perfectly.

It takes Ruluna a moment to get over the distraction and for it to click in her mind; if the dress has a physical presence… The illusion is not just an illusion.

"Gifts, to show that we do not intend any harm," Alysara says, before storing the dress again.

That's why she's here in... well, not quite in person, not yet at least. Her knowledge is far deeper than Ruluna gave her credit for. If lady Lysha receives the dress, then she will have to forgive Alysara, or at least not arrest her, since the dress will help boost Lady Lysha's popularity. A very clever play, to send the spy herself as the bearer of a gift; it is a direct way of saying that the matter should be buried. Send anyone else, and the message may be overlooked.

"I suppose you want an audience with the Governor?" Ruluna suggests.

Alysara will need more gifts, for the Governor himself, if she wants to curry favor with him.

"That would be most helpful," Alysara nods regally.

It's subtle, but Alysara is not speaking exactly the same way as she has been before this; it's like she's adopted a persona, a skill not dissimilar to some of the higher-ranked Black Flames; it helps them blend in.

"It may take a few hours to get everything in order; for now, you can rest at our headquarters to recover from your long journey," Ruluna says, inviting the elegant young girl to follow her.

Alysara follows them down the hill, walking like a noble lady, but... just so much more gracefully.

"How do you do that?" Ruluna asks at last, more than a little out of genuine curiosity.

"Do what?" Alysara replies.

"Everything. Everything about you is just so... beautiful, so... elegant. Is it training? Are you part of your society's highborn?"

Alysara chuckles, a hint of musicality in her voice. "I just listen to my Bond."

"What do you mean by that?" Julaly jumps in.

"You... don't know?" Alysara seems a little confused. "Your Bond levels are so high, though."

"You can [Analyze] our Bond levels? That's impressive." Julaly compliments. The goal is to keep Alysara talking; the more she reveals about herself, the more they can gauge her.

"Hmm, kind of, but not exactly," Alysara says, her three tails distracting two of the Black Flames.

How did she get them so pristine after flying all of the way here? Or is it just because it's an illusion? Ruluna wonders.

"Anyway," Ruluna says, recognizing that Alysara won't divulge much about her own skills. "What do you mean by 'listen to your Bond'?"

"Just listen. The Bond is much more than an affinity to cast spells." Alysara says. However, she doesn't say anymore.

It's possible that her people are expert Bond users, but why anyone would want to pick Bond Classes is a mystery to Ruluna – there are so many problems with them.

"If you don't mind me asking, "Julaly says, "why do you wear clothes like that?"

It's certainly a question on Ruluna's mind as well: it makes her look like an escort, but Ruluna knows that the desert dwellers in the Forren Kingdom dress similarly. Regardless, Ruluna did not want to be rude, and so is quietly glad that Julaly asked.

"My homeland is a very hot and humid place," Alysara answers. "If one wore any more than this, they'd cook in their own clothes."

"Aren't you cold now?" Julaly follows up.

"Nope, this is just an illusion," Alysara says, matter-of-factly.

Alysara's words catch Ruluna's attention; the way she said them seems off somewhat, but Ruluna can't seem to place why that is.

"What do you mean by that?" Ruluna asks, hoping to draw the answer out, but Alysara just gives a vague answer.

I almost slipped up there.

Even when using [Acting], I need to be careful with my words; any careless statements may give them too much information. Same with Bond information, I am so used to being open about all of this stuff that I slipped up there a little too. I should hold back on telling these people about such things; the more powerful they are, the more it might bite us later on.

Perhaps I should change into more local clothing? The stares of the men are making me uncomfortable.

With an application of [Figment of Reality], I layer over more modest clothing, surprising my escorts.

They continue to ask questions, but I start giving vague answers to all but the most harmless questions. Soon enough, we come upon the gate. Two guards are stationed there, checking everyone who enters; naturally, I catch their attention.

"Archmage Ruluna, who's this?" one of the guards asks.

"A visitor," Ruluna replies. "From distant lands."

"Very well, as long as she causes no trouble." The guard waves us through. At least Ruluna is respected enough to get me through easily.

The city is fairly well maintained – there is an incentive to keep people content – but in my earlier scouting, I have noticed a slum, a rather large part of the city that is neglected; my guess is that the poor and non-citizens live there. It's a sad truth of democratic governments; no one cares about forty-nine percent of the people who can't vote.

Why would politicians spend money appeasing people who don't vote? So they just don't. What I see is people who pay into the system, but receive nothing in return. "No taxation without representation", memories flash through my mind. It's one thing to hear about that phrase; it's a whole different issue when seeing the results first-hand. It means that one should only pay into the system when it is serving them. This is just straight-up tyranny for the non-citizens… "Tyranny is the rule, not the exception." Safyr's words echo in my mind.

It's an issue of population density. In small communities, communal bonds are strong, and that leads to fewer needs for government. For large population densities or border disputes, governments are needed to prevent crime and invaders. Wealth disparity grows, the rich become richer and the poor become poorer, the rich bribe lawmakers to cement their wealth. Regulations are introduced to keep others out of the market.

It's frustrating to see this, yet it's not a problem that can be solved so easily. Safyr is right, but nothing can be done here. People will inevitably form cities, cities form powerful governments, and with governments, tyranny grows like a hideous tumor that eventually kills the host in a violent revolt, and then the cycle continues.

My musing is interrupted as we arrive at the Order of Flames headquarters and enter the grand hall.

Chapter 138: Let the Politicking Begin!

The Grand Hall of the Order of Flame's Headquarters is lavishly decorated, with lit braziers and tapestries with the Order's emblem embroidered into them. Tall pillars sculpted into the shapes of wizards and knights hold up the ceiling and red fire crystals decorate the statue-pillars.

A red and gold carpet plays out to the reception, where trophies of slain powerful monsters are displayed above for all to see. The Drake from the Ashland, that Ruluna's party slew, has its head mounted as the most recent trophy; it was a hard-won battle, and its eggs were retrieved in hopes of gaining battle beasts.

Alysara does not seem impressed, but she may be blind if the eyewraps are any indication; the illusion may look like someone else for all Ruluna knows. Regardless, it looks real enough that Ruluna has to use her [Sense Mana] to remind herself that the person standing next to her is, in fact, not real. She doesn't know how Alysara is speaking through it, but it's not the first time she's witnessed some strange skill; more powerful monsters – like the Drake – often have bizarre and esoteric abilities.

Ruluna walks up to the receptionist, a new girl who recently joined the Order. Upon seeing Ruluna and her entourage, she turns a little pale, which makes her red hair stand out even more. She is clearly nervous and not ready to deal with high-ranking members.

"Inform Headmaster Vulpun that we have a VIP that he'd be very much interested in," Ruluna says, leaning on the counter.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" The young girl says stiffly and almost runs into the back. After two minutes, the girl runs back. "H-He's ready for you!"

"Relax," Ruluna tells the newbie, trying to calm her down. "No one here is going to bite your tail off. Thank you for your work."

The young girl bows and almost hits her head on the counter. Ruluna just sighs at the nervous wreck and leads Alysara into the back, Flame Paladin Julaly taking the rear. The Black Flames have gone back to their regular positions since they aren't needed anymore. Ruluna leads Alysara through more equally lavish parts of the building, to the guest meeting room, then knocks on the door and waits for a reply.

"Enter." At Vulpun's command, Ruluna opens the door and, to her surprise, reveals all three Headmasters; Vulpun, Kolona, and Shalar. Ruluna hates not being able to use her [Sense Mana] in the Headquarters, but there are strict retaliations – something that Alysara is still bypassing somehow, considering that Ruluna still feels being watched.

On the left is Kolona, his black hair is pulled back into a tail, wearing the same instantly-identifiable uniform of his position as the other two. Kolona is the Headmaster of the mages and oversees all the mage training, rank tests, and discipline.

In the middle is Vulpun, who keeps his reddish-brown hair short, his yellow eyes keeping a stern stare. He manages the Order overall, managing missions, meeting representatives of the Houses, and much more: he's the face of the Order.

On the right is Shalar, with her long blond hair kept in a bun; she manages the warriors, as is evident by her well-toned arms. Her expression shows her 'no-nonsense' personality, keeping a slight frown with attentive blue eyes.

Ruluna, Alysara and, lastly, Julaly trail in. There are chairs sitting across from the Headmasters, who look surprised by Alysara's appearance and her perfectly matching clothes. She changed her illusion's appearance to something high society would wear, somehow making it so immaculate and beautiful as to put any House lady to shame. An impressive showing of both her fashion sense and her espionage abilities.

Her navy blue dress flutters as she takes a step forward and curtsies in the traditional way, not taking a seat.

"Greetings, I am Alysara." She seems to have adopted a new persona, a more diplomatic one, yet her voice retains its beautiful musicality. "I apologize for causing alarm in your Order; we only recently learned of your existence and needed to study your society before making contact so as to not accidentally offend you. Allow me to show my goodwill by bringing you two gifts."

Alysara holds out a hand and two items materialize: an orb that hovers in place, and a sword with an icy sheath, which Alysara half pulls out to show it off. It glows with the fury of an inferno, threatening to ignite the air. The orb has unknown runes and shapes in a gold along its surface, matching well with its deep red color. The sword is equally beautiful, with golden runes running down its length and a watery blue handle with a fiery guard stylized in the shape of flames. Ruluna [Analyzes] the items.

Fire Focusing Orb (Enchanted):

This orb, made by a master of mana crafting, enhances all fire spells by 200% and can hover according to the will of its linked master.

Blade of Flame (Enchanted):

This sword, made by a master of mana crafting, retains its edge even against the toughest of materials and enhances all its sharpness by 200%. This sword will burn and inject fire into all wounds it causes. Stores up to 10'000 fire mana and passively draw in mana from its surroundings to power itself.

Ruluna can't help but gape at the powerfully enchanted items in front of her, and Alysara is just giving them away! They are more powerful than many magic items! They are equal to at least Major-tier items, and they are only enchanted!

Since they are enchanted, they will draw mana from their users to power the enchantments, but even then, it's worth the increased mana costs. The sword is even drawing in mana from the air, so the user doesn't have to rely entirely on their own stored mana!

The room is locked in stunned silence as everyone tries to recover from this surprise. Thinking about it, Ruluna never [Analyzed] the dress she was shown earlier, but she wouldn't put it past Alysara for that to have been enchanted as well.

This is another clever move; it's saying that items like this are commonplace for them, and that war is not advisable. Ruluna wonders if Alysara is merely the diplomatic mouthpiece; whoever is leading their diplomacy is a political genius.

I stand there, trying not to look awkward. Did I perhaps not make them good enough? Tusile wants to establish trade relations, so I thought showing off my enchanted work will entice them. I did put the effort into making these items, since this is also a way of saying 'sorry' for spying on them and smoothing over everything, but maybe I didn't try hard enough?

"Err, thank you for these gifts; I am Vulpun," the man in the middle introduces himself. He tries to school his face and quickly gets under control, as do the others.

"I am Kolona," the man on the left says.

"I am Shalar." The woman on the right nods.

Shalar picks up the sword and inspects it. "It's well made, but I don't know what metal it's made from."

"Same with the Orb," Kolona says, poking at it as it hovers in the air.

"It's made entirely from mana," I inform them, the instincts from [Acting] telling me that it's good to explain these sorts of details.

Ruluna makes a noise of surprise, although I can tell she's trying to suppress it. I ignore it, as do the Headmasters.

"It's enchanted in such a way that the enchantments won't ever degrade, unless someone capable attacks them deliberately," I add.

"Not ever? I know enchantments typically last a few hundred years, but how can you guarantee that?" Vulpun asks.

[Acting] warns me not to give too much away: the political persona is giving the right instincts to recognize attempts to get me to reveal information that I should keep secret.

"We have a method of enchanting that prevents decay; besides, metallic mana is inherently resistant to decay anyway," I answer.

The Headmasters look at each other.

"You know a lot about mana," Kolona compliments me.

[Acting] prevents me from disclosing any information.

"I do," is all I say. One thing I have quickly learned is that diplomacy and politics aren't exactly the same. The diplomacy role had me reveal more information, as making friends and establishing relations was best for its role, but right now I need a political role, which works well for only disclosing what is needed.

Considering how these people are always trying to lead me into disclosing information, I figured before we got here that the political role is best for this situation. They don't pursue any specific attempts, but instead shift focus to other things or broaden their questions. It's possible that their society is heavily focused on trade secrets that rivals want to get.

I would love to just say, 'Hey, wanna open up trade between our peoples?' but my role instincts say it's best to let them suggest it first. Blech, politics is leaving a sour taste in my mouth; thankfully, another mind is teaching Lotis and her friend to add some balancing sweetness.

"You came at a very opportune time," Vulpun says, his watchful gaze studying my reaction. "But I suppose you know all about that."

I actually don't, but I guess something must have happened.

"Perhaps, to what might you be referring to? There are many things in which I might find an opportunity." I reply with a poker face. It's so much easier to keep one through an illusion!

Vulpun glances at the others before answering.

"War is likely on the horizon with the kingdom over the eastern mountains."

She's good. Vulpun mentally praises the strange girl.

This young girl, if that's even her real appearance, has a good political mind but clearly lacks years of experience. The delivery of the gifts was a stroke of genius, but now he can confidently say this girl isn't the source of that: she was rather coached. Politicians often make good spies, which seems to fit this girl.

She is not proposing any agreements; a good move, as that says her people don't need or even want it, but she wouldn't be here if that was the case. Instead, she wants him, or one of the others, to propose trade, which would give her an upper hand.

What Vulpun needs is not just trade, but their craftsmen, who can make such good enchanted items, to work on their Leviathan materials. It's the key factor; if they can turn their materials into top-grade items, maybe even Heroic and Legendary items, then they might win the war.

There are enough Leviathan materials for an entire legion, and they need them before the enemy can equip their army. It pains Vulpun, but he has to be the one to propose a trade… but not now. He needs to speak with Lady Vanu Runa Lysha and Governor Vanu Runa Orlan. Lysha, being the head of the offensive army, needs this, and the more she pays for the trade, the less the Order of Flames needs to.

By getting the Governor to propose a trade, Vulpun can hitch onto it and maybe secure a better deal for the both of them.

"But that is a discussion for another day. For now, enjoy our hospitality; we'll try to arrange a meeting with the Governor." Vulpun says, standing up and gesturing farewell. "Thank you again for your gifts."

Alysara curtsies with perfect grace and elegance before walking out, Ruluna and Julaly saluting and following her Her long tails catch Vulpun's eyes with their graceful dancing as she leaves.

"Thoughts?" Vulpun asks.

Shalar stands up and gives the sword a twirl. The edge makes the air around it waver from its heat.

"Pure fire mana. I don't know how they did it, but with a society that can do this, it's no wonder she mastered [Sense Mana]."

"Agreed." Kolona nods. "In Ruluna's report, she says that Alysara admitted they are craftsmen; I can see why now. Such perfect work likely shows the best they have to offer… and does not disappoint."

"However, it's the items she herself is wearing that interest me the most: I could not [Analyze] them, as if they weren't even there," Shalar says, testing different poses with the sword. "How the hell did they get opposing mana to merge like this?" she mutters thoughtfully, looking at the handle.

"On to the political side of things," Kolona says. "She's careful. Inexperienced, but careful, and very intelligent. You're more of the expert in the field, Vulpun; what do you think?"

"We are at her mercy. She can pretty much name her price, and we'd have to agree. It's no coincidence she chose now of all times to come… Well, mostly. If we never contacted her first, she wouldn't even be here. But showing herself so soon shows that she has been paying attention and chose our side first."

"Meaning if we don't agree to her terms and secure an exclusive deal, she can just go to the other side." Shalar chimes in. "Moving onto the girl herself, she's obviously well-trained in her Bond. I know House Ora Ara, she unmistakably has a beauty Bond, and the most frightful thing is that she is far more proficient in it than her apparent age would suggest. Considering the meeting, I conclude she met us with an illusion, but I didn't risk retaliation to confirm."

"An illusion?" Kolona asks. "But the storage ring is real; these items are real!"

"Yes, she managed to make solid illusions, but does that surprise you when she introduced these items?" Shalar retorts. "I am sure her Bond is in the five hundreds at least; we don't feel her presence simply because she was not actually here, and that means she has some strange skills to pilot the illusion, particularly if the distance Ruluna reported is accurate."

Vulpun sighs. Shalar's intuition is almost never wrong, but that just makes Alysara even more dangerous and mysterious.

"And then there's her knowledge in [Sense Mana], and likely the nature of mana in general; any chance we can trade for that?" Kolona asks, an eager light in his eyes.

"We have to try," Vulpun answers.

Chapter 139: Currency Concerns

Lady Vanu Runa Lysha sets down a book of military strategems and tactics as a knock comes from her door.

"Enter," she says and turns to face the door as her butler walks in with one of the guards.

"Lady Lysha, your father requests your presence," the butler says. "He received an urgent message from Headmaster Vulpun of the Order of Flames."

"Thank you, Hanthe," Lysha replies, before standing up from her desk and following the butler out to the meeting room. She enters the room, and her father motions to take a seat next to him at a table. Paper and ink sit neatly before him, along with a letter.

"Sit, Lysha," he says, smiling at her. "Fortune favors us today."

Lysha sits next to her father and glances at the letter.

"Vulpun found the spy," he says after a few moments.

Lysha looks up at him, surprised.

"Who is it? Who do they work for?" she almost blurted the words out, but her etiquette training caught her just in time to speak at a more sedate pace.

"That's the difficult thing; she isn't from these lands." Lysha scrunches her eyebrows in confusion, but before she can ask what he means, he continues. "Archmage Ruluna thinks she's from our ancestors' homeland. In any case, Vulpun says we need to secure their goodwill—"

"Goodwill? They spied on us!" Lysha interrupts.

He raises a hand to stop her.

"Vulpun will be here shortly to give us more details, but his letter says that with the Forren Kingdom amassing their armies, we cannot afford to pass this opportunity up. If what he is saying is true, then there's a lot more to this story than we know; let him speak before objecting."

Lysha waits, but she passes the time by reading the letter.

To Governor Vanu Runa Orlan:

You'll have to forgive me for skipping the usual greeting, but something major has happened today, and this is very urgent. I dare not risk sensitive information with this letter, but we have found the person we've been looking for; however, they are not hostile that we know of. Ruluna thinks they are from the ancestors' homeland, but that has yet to be confirmed.

They look Lunlaleyan but are clearly different; you'll have to see for yourself. They are clearly politically-minded, they tread carefully and they may be taking advantage of our unfortunate situation, but now what they have to offer is too enticing, and we need to secure their goodwill.

I will be over as soon as my preparations are done to discuss this in further detail and with more security.

From Headmaster Valana Vulpun

"Do you see now?" her father asks. "This is as much a surprise for him as it is us; it is a very recent event and the fact that he can confirm that the spy looks different means that she is in their... hospitality."

So the spy is here, showed up in person, which means she is confident they won't arrest her.

"What do they want?" Lysha asks.

"We'll see soon," her father replies.

Just then, Headmaster Vulpun arrives and sits down at the table opposite them. Her father dismisses the guards. The guards close the door as they leave, and her father activates the sound barrier device sitting next to the stack of papers.

"No one will hear us now," her father declares. "So, what is so urgent?"

"Good," Vulpun says and slides his storage ring across the table. "There's only two items; take a look."

The fact that Vulpun didn't take the items out himself means that there are weapons in it; meeting with high-ranking people and suddenly conjuring weapons is a good way to get oneself killed.

Her father takes the ring and summons out an orb and a sword sheathed in some unknown metal. Lysha [Analyzes] them and gasps at the power of the enchantments.

"I see," her father says quietly as he examines the blade of the sword, half drawing it out from its scabbard. The blade almost seems to ignite the air from the sheer heat it puts off, but the icy scabbard keeps the heat in.

The message is clear now. Whoever these people are, they can make some powerful weapons, which means they can make even more powerful weapons and armor from the Leviathan materials.

"So this is what you mean when you say we need to secure their goodwill," her father says. "We need to make sure they don't deal with the Forren Kingdom." He sighs and looks at Vulpun. "I'd like to meet her as soon as I can."

"I knew you would, so I brought her along with me. She's currently waiting in the guest room, but first, there's something I need to discuss with you about her."

"Speak." Her father nods.

"First, she is operating through an illusion."

"So, that's what you mean by 'they tread carefully'."

"Yes. Second, she didn't know our language and was... studying our culture before, to learn our customs and social hierarchy," Vulpun says, not directly saying that she was spying, which indicates that he is paraphrasing the spy.

"How'd she learn our language?" Lysha asks.

"Ruluna's efforts," Vulpun says. "We've actually been communicating with her for a while now, but she showed up in person today."

"And you never told us?!" Lysha raises her voice, anger boiling up at being left out of important events.

"Calm yourself, Lysha," her father says, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This is a part of gathering intel; often, they have to weed out lies, misdirection, and motives before giving us accurate information."

Vulpun nods. "Indeed, which makes her presence more pressing, as we can't take measures to verify her supposed good intentions. Even now, we can't be sure if she is not already in talks with the Forren Kingdom, and who knows what else."

Lysha sits back down, her anger quickly dying.

"We still aren't sure of her motives," Vulpun says. "But we can be sure she is trying to secure good deals for her people."

"What about invasion? What are the risks of that?" Lysha asks.

"I... don't think they will do that. They already have intel on us, but to what extent we still need to make sure. If they were planning that, I don't think she would have responded to our attempt to contact her. I think they are more interested in trade deals, but I don't know what they want."

"Let us meet her; we shouldn't speculate too much," Lysha's father finally speaks after almost a minute of silent contemplation.

He disables the sound barrier device and orders the butler to bring in the guest. Vulpun joins their side since it will be the three of them making a deal with the spy.

Lysha doesn't know what to expect. Apparently, the spy looks different, but she doesn't know how different. Really, she knows almost nothing, which is not the ideal way to meet someone. Usually she'd want to know what the other person is like, what their personality is like, and what may anger them; every bit of knowledge can have strategic applications.

It unsettles her that they have to meet on such unfavorable terms; at least, she'd like to wait a few days and study her opponent, but that isn't an option.

The butler walks in with the most beautiful girl Lysha has ever seen. She's far younger than Lysha expected, but she remembers that this is supposed to be a mere illusion; perhaps the real spy is far older. Her dress is in the same style as what Lysha herself is wearing, but is matched to her appearance and decorated perfectly, such that it makes her look wealthy and powerful without being even the least bit gaudy.

Her blue hair is rare in Vocana, the Republic's territory. Oddly the tips of her hair are golden in color, which suggests a racial evolution at some point in her life. It's uncommon, but widespread enough, for hair color to change during evolutions; even extreme changes can happen like how Ruluna's hair burns with literal fire that she can control.

The things that catch her attention most, however, are her accessories: simple eyewraps covering her eyes, a diadem and necklace, bracelets and a hair ornament, as well as rings on her fingers. They look too purposeful to be mere jewelry, and she guesses that at least half of them are magic items. But why fake that? If anything, she should have an illusion without any of those, unless...

Lysha smiles, realizing that the illusion in front of her has some limits, although the extent of those limits is something she still needs to figure out. She can definitely say that it is some sort of skill, but that may suggest the girl really is as old as she looks… or maybe she found a way to either deny time or reverse it?

The letter is right in that this girl looks generally Lunaleyan, but her three tails as long as she is tall and her large ears show she is not from these lands. The size of her bust is… impressive for her age, which has Lysha whispering thanks to Venaro for her father's wisdom in involving her with the meeting. His weakness to beautiful women is a known trait of his, and she can tell that he is somewhat distracted, although his trained expression hides it well.

"Greetings." The girl curtsies, the gesture perfectly elegant, as if she's been doing it her whole life. "I am Alysara."

Lysha stands and returns the gesture, trying her best to not feel gangly and awkward by comparison.

How the hell does she make it look so easy?!

Every movement oozes grace, elegance, and serenity, the epitome of the perfect highborn lady. Lysha can't help but feel inadequate in her presence, which pisses her off!

"Allow me to give you gifts, to compensate for any past aggressions I may have committed inadvertently and to celebrate the hopeful beginning of relations between our two peoples," Alysara says.

The mention in the letter of Alysara being 'politically-minded' makes sense now: the phrasing of that statement means that if the gifts are accepted, then she is pardoned of any crime she may have committed.

The first thing Alysara lays on the table – and how exactly she is carrying a clearly very real storage ring with what is ostensibly an illusory body is a question Lysha decides not to think about just yet – is a beautiful dress made of mana silk. Magma-esque marbled red and ashen grey make up the majority of the colors, and gold lines the trims, standing out against the darker majority.

The second gift is a metallic belt that looks to be made from the night sky itself, being nearly pure black with decorative gems like multicolored stars.

Dress of Volcanic Gold (Enchanted):

This dress was made by a master mana craftsman. It enhances gold spells and gold manipulation by 150%, repels water, and keeps its wearer warm in cold climates. Further, this dress will reshape itself to fit the wearer.

Belt of the Golden Knight (Enchanted):

This belt was made by a master mana craftsman. It stores the Armor of the Golden Knight.

While the dress is beautiful and damn near perfect, a piece that should increase her popularity, the belt intrigues her even more, on a technical level. It's a storage item, but it can only store the armor?

Lysha's father stands up and puts on the belt; suddenly, a golden full-plate armor set with a fully sealed helmet appears around him. Its craftsmanship leaves no gaps in the armor, covering them with smaller plates in a way Lysha can only assume is possible with a form of [Gold Manipulation]. The helmet is shaped like a Forron's head and has green and white accents, while the armor is engraved with decorative ice-and-fire patterns and has their House emblem engraved into the chest-piece.

Armor of the Golden Knight (Enchanted):

This armor was made by a master mana craftsman. Enhances gold spells by 200%, draws in and purifies air, regulates temperature and filters light through the helmet.

In another moment, the armor vanishes, leaving only the belt behind.

"We accept your gifts," Lysha's father says, putting the belt back on the table and sitting back down, while Lysha considers the fact that both of those items were clearly made for her and her father personally, evident in their perfect fit.

It was a happy little accident that I put the belt in the storage ring; I simply wasn't thinking about the incompatibility of putting a storage item inside another, which; normally results in the destruction of both. However, the belt isn't really a storage item: it functions like a mana battery, storing the mana that the armor is made of. It does, maybe, have a little bit of space enchantment to actually fit all of the mana, but expanding space and creating a little pocket space are technically two different things, and apparently that's a technicality I can exploit.

Vanu Runa Orlan's eyes are constantly drifting to my chest, making me feel rather self-conscious, but to be fair, he seems to be trying to control himself. I am trying to help as best as I can by keeping a calming, serene pose and tone of voice rather than my usual graceful and elegant one.

"We would like to establish a trade deal," Orlan says, once they've finished poking at the dress and the belt.

Normally I would ask to wait; after all, I've been here for less than a day and would need to experience the city. However, I've already studied this city and what these people have to offer. But that's not the biggest hurdle; what is, is the Runalymo culture. We just make what we want, so pottery, furniture, and other arts and craftsmanship are off the table as far as our import options go.

What we will want, however, is livestock, spices, and other foodstuffs as well as monster materials; things we can't obtain on our own for whatever reasons. However, I'll leave that to Guklaro and Tusile to work out: my primary mission is not to trade for stuff, but rather to open favorable trade routes and let the market decide what it wants later.

There are other issues, however, that can and should be addressed more immediately, the first of which is the difference in currencies – we use cut Domr pearls, while they use traditional gold, silver, and copper – and the second of which is tariffs. These things must be ironed out before trade can happen.

First things first, I need to figure out the value of Runalymo money. Just saying that it's worth a lot does not make it so; the value is the fact that it's a monster material and can be used in the making of jewelry. It is for this reason that I had Dad, with Tusile's permission, make the best coins she could to show to these people.

In order to get the best deal, we need our money to be more valuable than theirs; fortunately, we normally don't want for gold as much as other places. Its primary use for us is in jewelry, although the one thing that throws a wrench in this idea is that true gold – gold saturated with gold essence – is very rare, and, due to the Vanu family being Bonded to gold essence they can mass-produce the stuff. I can, too, so that helps, but my time and abilities are better spent elsewhere.

"First," I say, conjuring a single coin of each type and arranging them from least valuable to most valuable. "Let's talk about these."

Being monster materials, they have effects that make each coin somewhat unique; unfortunately, the materials are from Minor-tier monsters, so they aren't worth much, but I've hunted down the strongest Domrs I can find to get the best-value ones for Dad to make into coins.

"This is our form of currency; these on the left are the lowest and on the right are the highest value." I explain the value of each relative to the others, but I don't give any examples as to what goods they can buy.

According to my research, the fire and water coins should be worth around two copper, going by what kind of goods they can buy. This means the ice and earth coins are worth ten copper. The benefit of using metals, which is unavailable in our system, is that one can control the value of the coins by changing the purity of the metal they're made from, so these people have a hundred-to-one ratio at each step of their currency: one hundred copper is one silver, one hundred silver is one gold. So our lightning and wind coins will be worth seventy copper, and light and dark coins are worth seven silver. Beauty and creativity coins are worth seventy gold.

However, extrapolating value from the lowest valued coin is not accurate; if I were to extrapolate value from a wind by basing it on what it can buy from my village, then it'd be worth two silver instead of seventy copper, which will make ice coins worth twenty-eight copper instead of ten and fire coins will be worth five copper instead of two.

Trading across different value coins is a very messy affair, just like politics.

My goal is to make this deal better for us; if the value of our coins in their people's eyes is worth more than the established base, then our currency will be able to buy more.

The three sitting across from me glance at each other, understanding the situation. They will try to get the best deal they can by claiming our coins are less valuable.

Orlan and Vulpun each take a coin to examine.

"Monster materials," Vulpun says. "Low tier, but the craftsmanship is some of the best I've seen. It's been properly minted with the correct skills too."

The skill [Mint Currency] has the ability to mark a coin – or whatever is used for currency – as legit and legal money of the place it was made. There's way more to it, but the details are kept secret for obvious reasons.

"If I were in your nation, what could I expect to buy with this?" Orlan asks, holding a wind coin.

This marks the beginning of a very long discussion about the value of coins, and I find myself juggling roles between a merchant, diplomat, and politician, giving [Acting] quite the workout and making it very hard mentally; this is a task made for multiple minds. Usually, a diplomatic delegation would be made of multiple people who specialize or are trained in these facets. I have to improvise and dedicate three minds to this task, each taking their respective role and acting as advisors to a speaking mind which takes the information from the three other minds and compiles them into what I hope is a good argument.

"Let's move on to trade routes." Orlan changes the subject. "I can only speak for my city, I do not have power over the others, so you will need to make a deal with them individually. I can, however, introduce you to them as a favor." Orlan's eyes continually drift down to my chest for a second until he catches himself each time. [Acting] keeps my face straight and my nerves in check.

"I'm sure they'd be more than interested once word gets around," I say, [Acting's] instinct telling me that it's best for others to come to me as it means I have an upper hand in trade discussions.

"Right." Orlan says, his eyes wandering to my tails this time. "Anyway, I propose tariffs should be half of what's normal, considering the vast distance there is to travel, which would make it fifteen percent."

"Tar...iffs?" I tilt my head in confusion, switching [Acting] roles. I am purposely playing dumb, but the only reason I know of them is because of my past life. Runalymo society does not have any taxes of any kind: rather, the village runs a business for its funding, selling goods to either its own people or to other villages depending on how available or exclusive their goods are.

A moment of silence falls over the meeting room as Orlan, Lysha, and Vulpun glance at each other.

"Yes, tariffs," Vulpun clarifies. "You know, the tax on the importation of goods."

"I am unfamiliar with that concept," I say, keeping my act up.

This leads to a small discussion on what taxes are, and me nodding like it's a brand new thing to me.

"We don't have such systems," I say, reverting to a political persona. "Our government funds themselves through business ventures. I don't think many of our people will be interested in trade if their goods are... taken to fund your government." I repress my urge to call it theft, that would not be diplomatic.

"Besides," I continue, quickly letting a mind with a merchant role take over "Tariffs sounds like a bad economic idea anyway. Merchants will just pass the tax on to the people in the form of increased prices, so it just makes things harder for people in the end."

Anyone selling goods doesn't really pay taxes if they can avoid it, they just push it onto their customers, which effectively means it's a tax on the people. The government wins, in the short term at least, but the people lose. This is just a case where it's good for politics, but bad for the economy.

"What would you suggest then?" Orlan asks, rather dubiously.

"No tariff, of course; it only dissuades our people from trading with yours, and it makes your people poorer."

"With recent events, we need funding; this is just how our government operates, I'm sure you understand," Orlan says, giving Lysha a small nod.

"Our borders are under threat," she picks up the thread of conversation. "For our safety, we need the funds this trade will bring us. The lowest we can afford is a twelve percent tariff."

I am a little over my head: they are adamant about this tariff, but one I don't want the elders getting ideas, and two, our people just won't accept it.

"I think we should take a break to consider our options, and resume discussions tomorrow." I curtsy and walk out, not making any particular effort to hide my displeasure with the topic. Meanwhile, back home, I am heading over to Temple Island to consult Tusile on how to proceed.

Chapter 140: The Eyeblight Assassin

"How should you proceed to get the best deal for us?" Tusile repeats my question. "That is a very difficult question to answer. It all depends on the situation; usually, trade deals take days to ponder over and work out, even on the relatively small scale that we normally work with, but the most important rule is 'always to be the one in power', or 'always be the one who has something other people want'. That way, they must always take a worse deal than they might like, or risk simply not getting what they want or need." Tusile gives me a wide smile.

"The best thing you can do is threaten to take your wares elsewhere for a better deal. You have done well to recognize that us having more valuable money is a good thing: if we want to trade with them, we spend less. These are not our people, and by the sounds of it, they have wealthy leaders, so take them for everything they are willing to give."

It sounds… selfish, greedy, and unsympathetic, to try and wring people out of everything they've got; I don't like it. It's just another form of tyranny, creating an even larger divide between the rich and poor. Why can't we just have a fair deal?

"I don't like it: it's greedy, and people will suffer because of it," I mutter, letting my emotions show, drooping my ears slightly.

"A leader's only responsibility is to their people," Tusile says. "It is best for us to do this… and they understand that, for they would do the same to us. Both sides know what must be done; it's how the game is played."

"It's a stupid game!" I cross my arms. I hate politics for this exact reason; the only reason why I didn't offer a simple and fair deal was that my role instincts from [Acting] told me that it was a very bad idea. "I am not cut out for this stuff, this... game that is played with people's lives and fortunes."

"Opetu and Yukika also disliked things like this," Tusile mentions the former elders. Opetu died during the fire storm, and Yukika was murdered by Papuyo's faction. "But that's why they were also popular Elders; they cared for the people. We need leaders who care, but they must be strong enough to make hard choices, and now that falls on you, Alysara. You need to make the hard choice. Just remember, they won't show you any mercy. Their job is not to care for us, and our job is not to care for them; let them lead their people in the way they see fit. Every leader must know how to prepare for bad times and know how to take advantage of the good times."

In other words, they'll figure it out even if they are presented with a shit deal. What's more, we aren't even talking about the actual trade deal yet, just what the currency exchange rate should be and how it should be calculated. We haven't even gotten to the idea of tariffs yet!

"You should know that I talked with Guklaro; she mentioned that you walked out on her and haven't spoken to her since," Tusile says, switching from one topic I don't enjoy discussing to another that I like even less. "She's been stressed lately, being the only Elder right now."

"What happened to the other one?" I ask. There was another Elder in training, but she just disappeared one day.

"She was a spy for Papuyo; I don't know where she went after the cursed being." Tusile answers, before continuing like the question never happened.

"We care for you, Alysara, everyone does, but we worry about you. We want to see you safe and healthy, but it is your mental state that worries us most. You have a negative view about yourself; the entire reason why crafts are so important to living a fulfilling life is that it gives us a healthy sense of self. By making and accomplishing things, we can begin to acknowledge our abilities; everyone wants to have something they can say they are good at, that they can be proud of. What are you proud of?"

"There are lots of things I can be proud of; my Diadem and Dryad's Grace staff, my research into magic and mana, and my ongoing mastery of my Bond," I reply. "I can admit that there are some things I am good at; it's just that people have an over-inflated perception of me. My view of myself is perfectly fine; it's not the problem."

"What about airships, the village plumbing, the spell crystals, the armor ideas for fighting monsters, your win during the Kheshamo tournament? Are you proud of those accomplishments?"

"Not really," I say and lazily rest my head on my right hand, playing with a strand of hair. It's not very elegant, but that's the challenge; if I can make it graceful and elegant, it should help me level up my Bond. "The only airship I am personally making is not yet complete; anyone can figure out the plumbing if they tried, same with the spell crystals and armor; as for the tournament, I don't really care for it, I fight because I need to, not because I want to."

"If anyone can figure it out, then why haven't they?" Tusile says, letting out a long sigh of frustration.

"For the sewers they did, the risen city has one; sure it's not the same design and certainly not the same construction, but the function is the same. For armor, it just wasn't needed, so no one had a reason to invent it. The spell crystals… I was just trying something on a whim and it worked, anyone could have stumbled into it if they could do what I did. Besides, it's a technology that other parts of the world have, if what Kayafe says is true." Also I never made a 'First Spell Crystal' like I did for inscriptions, so it has been made before.

"That's what I mean, Alysara; most people would be proud of those things anyway: even if others could have done them, it's a great accomplishment that you did regardless. Let's put it this way: say that someone made a tower so high it goes beyond the clouds; would that not be an impressive feat?"

"Well, it certainly would; building something that tall requires a lot of time and dedication, not to mention bravery unless they can fly," I say, sitting up straight. "But the real feat is the hard work put into it. Anyone can stack bricks, but not everyone has the dedication to stack that much, nor the bravery to stack it that high. You seem to be under the misconception that many of my feats required a lot of me, when it was merely tedious work and endless experimentation at best. Don't get me wrong, many things that require a relatively small amount of work can still represent years of mastery, which in turn makes the fact that it is so easily done an impressive feat."

Tusile lets out a sigh of resignation and slumps her shoulders. "There's no winning with you," she mutters. "Look, just know that Guklaro didn't mean to offend you; she's overworked and didn't think her actions through."

"I'll forgive her," I say after a moment.

I check my mana as I leave the Temple; it's still dropping. I am getting quite a hefty tax on my mana usage, operating a clone that far away: it's canceling out my mana regen. I won't be able to have a clone there for more than a day or two, so anything physical I send over there I will have to bring back, or just leave it behind, like my storage ring. I can always make another, so it's not that big of a loss.

I should use this time to check out what that Empire is doing and get a clear picture of what's going on. Also, my range should have expanded enough for me to fully see the extent of this island and explore that last nation.

Boring! This new Emperor is boring! The last interesting thing that happened was the last war, and that was so long ago now. Sentaron Klaman, The Eyeblight Assassin, flicks his tail in annoyance, watching the young Emperor be entertained by court jesters. A hedonistic fool! What has this Empire become?

Klaman flicks his black hair out of his eyes as he reminisces on the last four hundred years. The time he slew a great Island Eater and saved the Empire, the time he slew a Leviathan, the time he slaughtered an entire invading army on the land bridge near Bastion City. It's a shame the first Emperor never achieved Legendary-tier like him: his friend, whose legacy and bloodline he swore to protect forever, would be ashamed by the recent series of Emperors.

Blood stagnates, that's for sure; all that bullshit about 'keeping the bloodline pure' is utter nonsense. The true Lunaleyan heritage is nearly gone by now, replaced by this giggling, fat, imbecile! He has often wondered if, somewhere down the line, an Empress sired someone else's child instead of the Emperor's but the presence of his royal blue hair marks the current Emperor as a descendan of the first Emperor, and as a descendant of the true Lunaleyan bloodline.

Death is a mercy sometimes. Klaman would rather not have seen his friend's bloodline fail so miserably, but he is no ruler: he is an assassin, the best in the world. Even the system has seen fit to grant him a title, The Eyeblight Assassin. He needs no retaliation items, for he is the ultimate counterintelligence. Anyone who spies on him, he can instantly teleport to and swiftly end them. No need to mess around with mind mages, no need to break past scapegoats or track through proxies: he appears, cuts the head off the spy and teleports back before anyone even knows what happened.

The young Emperor claps as the court jester ends his performance, then the cretin sips from his wine glass sloppily and belches. "Another one! Give me another show!" he demands.

How far has this rotten bloodline gone? His father may have been dumb, but he didn't drown himself in wine and pleasure all day, letting the Empire fall into disarray. It is a tragedy that the previous Emperor died before a grandson was born, someone who could have hopefully been a better ruler. Thankfully, there should be a number of bastards by now, and Klaman just has to find the nearest whorehouse to find them.

"That's enough, Your Majesty," Klaman says, waving a hand. The jester disappears as if reality willed it so. "He's been at this for—"

"BRING HIM BACK!" the young Emperor roars. "I AM THE EMPEROR. YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME!" The young Emperor's fat cheeks flop around disgustingly.

Klaman is so absolutely sick of this man-child, but what can he do? He swore to his friend to keep his bloodline safe and his Empire thriving. The only issue now is that his bloodline is killing his Empire. Klaman can only hope this overgrown toddler will just drown in wine before the Empire falls.

"...Four hours now, he's tir—"

"YOU WILL BRING HIM BACK, OR I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD ON A PIKE!"

Klaman sighs as he tries to wrestle the beast inside him down. This fat 'man', a lesser Adept-tier... creature, cannot hope to go against a legendary being like Klaman. All he has to do is raise his mana output enough, and everyone in the palace will die of mana toxicity without any great effort on his part.

"...tired, let him rest—"

"GUARDS! TAKE THIS TRAITOR TO THE DUNGEONS, ARREST HIM!"

The guards look at the Emperor, then at Klaman, then back to the Emperor before one of them speaks.

"Your Majesty, he's Legendar—"

"YOU WILL ARREST HIM, OR YOU WILL JOIN HIM IN EXECUTION!"

Klaman's ears are starting to hurt by the young Emperor's screaming tantrum. He's so sick of this utter waste of space and resources.

"But Your Majesty,"... the guards say, shaking under Klaman's glare.

"TRAITORS! TRAITORS IN THE COURT! HELP!"

Something in Klaman cracks, anger bursts forth as his body grows hot with rage. He just needs to make sure the bloodline survives? He needs to keep the Empire thriving? Alright, then he will make sure this fat man lives… but he won't be in any position to rule!

The young Emperor's tantrum turns into a momentary scream of agony as his arms and legs vanish, as if reality devoured his limbs. A moment later the scream is silenced, as if the realm simply decided that sound should not exist. Although, judging by the moving mouth of the Emperor, he's still screaming.

"The Emperor is unwell," Klaman says blandly, extending his Bond presence, pressuring all as a warning to not resist. Every man and woman in sight collapse to their knees, shaking in terror. "His condition has rendered him unable to lead, and another must act in his stead."

Klaman looks at the court attendees one by one, letting the uncomfortable and eerie silence settle in. No one meets his eyes; after all, who would dare to go against a Legendary-tier being?

"Right... The royal bloodline must continue, so our priority will be to find a suitable... partner, someone who is as close as possible to the true Lunaleyan lineage. We will also need to reign in the governors, make sure they toe the line. We will make this crumbling Empire thrive again!"

Chapter 141: The Ugly Empire

It's been a year since Klaman took over. The Governors weren't happy, and many used his takeover to revolt; they weren't loyal anyway, but it was a convenient excuse. The young Emperor had let them do whatever they wanted – as long as they paid taxes – and they loved it, garnering a lot of power for themselves. However, following his takeover they quickly learned what true power really is.

As an assassin, Klaman is not widely known, so Advisor Kron Yuron is acting as steward, being the face of the changes. Klaman killed the rebellious Governors and had them replaced with loyal and uncorrupted people.

"I'm sorry it has come to this," Klaman says to the statue of his old friend, the first Emperor. "I'm a patient man, but there's only so much I can take."

Klaman stands in the memorial hall where statues of all the previous Emperors are placed, their golden forms forever preserved, watching with eyes crafted of gems. The first Emperor stands as the greatest of them all but, looking back, his sons and grandson were not all that bad either, not compared to the rot that sits on the throne today.

Klaman glances at the statues of the failures, burned black in a mark of shame, a recent addition. For several generations, the line of Emperors has stagnated, and his friend's descendants have lost their ambition.

"We wanted to unite all the lands, and we damn near did so."

The Empire fell one district at a time. Some due to war, but mostly land was sold off to fund failing policies. The Empire is bankrupt, even now; they can barely afford a standing army and, if it weren't for Bastion City providing an impenetrable defense, they would have lost even more land. The people have lost faith in the Empire, and crime runs rampant.

"What would you have done, old friend?" Klaman mutters and sits down in front of the statue, looking at the nameplate. "The Empire is on the verge of collapse, your bloodline has rotted, and the only one who remembers the good times of your rule is not suited to bring those times back."

Klaman is no politician, no leader; he is an assassin. He can only work in the dark, not the light.

"I am looking for a suitable woman who can maybe revitalize your bloodline, but I fear I may have made the criteria too harsh. Not many can say they are directly descended from the true Lunaleyan heritage, and those few we do find are ill-suited to be Empress."

Those with blue hair can call themselves a descendent of the true Lunaleyan heritage, but few know that the specific shade of blue is the real determination of that; unfortunately, in the attempt to keep the bloodline 'pure' they inbred to the point that they became infertile, dooming the true Lunaleyan heritage. Only the young Emperor has that trait now.

Klaman will settle with those with blue hair other than the most 'correct' shade if he must, but even they are rare, and finding the few women who are of marriageable age, with the right personality to counter the rotted personality of the Emperor, and powerful enough to prove the strength and freshness of their blood, is almost impossible.

"Perhaps my error is in trying to find the perfect candidate immediately, when I should be focusing on the multigenerational option. Instead of trying to fix your bloodline in one generation, I should mold it over a few generations," Klaman muses.

Unless he can find another who is like his old friend, then the only way to fix his bloodline is to reverse the rot in it, a slow process.

Klaman sighs in resignation. It took many generations to get this bad, and it will take just as many to fix it; if only he had acted sooner, he could have prevented all of this… if only he knew then what he knows now.

Klaman stands up and turns to leave, walking past the good Emperors and then the failed ones. Klaman glances back at his friend's statue one last time, then stops short when suddenly he feels the faintest presence of a sensing skill and hears several 'Tings' ring off as his [Investigate Senses] levels up.

Klaman has only encountered low perceptive pressure once, when fighting a scrying specialist Leviathan, but this is far lower than he thought possible; if he hadn't gotten the breakthrough before, he would have never known he is being watched.

Klaman focuses closer on the perception, trying to grasp it and trace it back to its origin. Each thread he finds snaps easily, too fragile for his forceful handling; he will need to be more delicate. He starts over, only barely feeling the perceptive pressure, and slowly starts tracing its direction.

Northeast. Klaman realizes. Normally he would be able to find the exact location, but this is a delicate situation; it won't be that easy to locate this master scryer.

However, Klaman doesn't get a chance, as the perception passes quickly.

"And I just learned how to properly investigate you," Klaman mutters to himself. "At least I can thank you for the levels; that breakthrough has been neglected for too long."

I look around the previously unsearched areas of the Lunaley Island, while my primary mind continues recording my mana research in my book.

Chapter twenty-three: The process of spells starts in the mana core in the soul, where the reserves are kept... The reserves are transformed into mana that makes up a spell, which then moves outward, passing through the magic frameworks of, Race, Class and any applicable skills – which intensifies them should they receive a bonus from any of those sources – then it moves beyond, where it is then intensified even more by relevant items, and finally it surfaces in the body where it is then expelled... Mana can instead be sent through a link before manifestation to be cast at the other end of the link.

As I write the next chapter, I examine one of the cities with one of my minds. The city is at the end of a land bridge that connects the mainland and smaller islands. It is a proper fortress, with huge walls facing out to the land bridge and the waters and shorter walls facing friendly lands.

Siege weapons stand atop the walls, massive constructs that resemble gunpowder cannons. A quick inspection reveals that they use a combination of fire and wind spell crystals. Spell crystals are volatile if broken, which seems to be a substitute for gunpowder. The cannons are clad in steel that is easily as thick as my pinky is long and fire cannonballs fifty centimeters in diameter, making these cannons true behemoths –their long barrels indicate that they are likely reasonably accurate, as well.

I don't see any actual guns among soldiers, probably because spells and skills are as good, if not better; plus, if you shoot somebody, their endurance and vitality in addition to armor may just make bullets useless. There's a reason why their cannons are so huge. Still, it's rather impressive that they have the ingenuity to make guns, even if they don't use them outside of ridiculously-sized cannons.

I witness several crimes in the small amount of time I observe this city, from simple theft to extortion from the guards and deals made between shady people; it is clear that crime is rampant here.

Other than crime, it is clear that there is a large divide between the rich and the poor, with seemingly few middle-class people. Slaves are sold at auctions, and gangs are fighting for territory. The more I look at the city, the more I am sickened by it; from the unkempt infrastructure to the man being mugged… I don't want to see it anymore; there is nothing I can do for them as I am now.

Tyranny is the rule, not the exception. Safyr's words echo in my mind. It's not just in the form of governments oppressing their people. I am very lucky – or perhaps literally blessed – to have been born among the Runalymo, a peaceful place where community ties are strong.

I move on, with the hope that this city is just an outlier in this kingdom.

Chapter twenty-four: Hyper-dense mana is liquid mana – despite the conventional truth of gas turning to liquid and then solid, mana operates differently; the densest being liquid instead of solid and the gaseous state being effectively immaterial... in essence, liquid mana is a mass of particles, and therefore it actually has incredibly strong MM forces even if it seemingly defies those forces in some fundamental ways...

The next city I look at is also settled on a land bridge that leads to another island; it is much like the other city, with its walls taller facing the bridge and sea, but the similarities end there. There is still slavery, but crime is nowhere near as prevalent, and the reason why is immediately apparent; gallows are set up everywhere with the still-hanging bodies of the executed to serve as an example of what happens to lawbreakers. I don't know just how strict they are but seeing the people avert their eyes and hide away from the guard patrols is very telling.

There's no way the two cities share the same ruler; perhaps they are part of the independent city-states? But the city-states don't treat their citizens this badly. I move on to see what the next city is like.

Chapter twenty-five: Vitality is a type of non-elemental mana, like reserved mana in some ways. Studies of vitality show that it is not aligned in the same 'direction' as the elements; rather, its 'direction' is exactly ninety degrees from the elemental 'circle'... Vitality keeps us animated and alive; it is what keeps our soul in our body. Without it, we die...

The next city is north of the second, a port city with many merchant boats that look to be from other kingdoms. The city has not been well-maintained, its roads are cracked and broken with missing bricks, houses are in disrepair and some are nearly falling apart, and its southern gatehouse is collapsed, as half of it has sunk into the ground from poor soil foundation.

The city shares the same strict law enforcement, with gallows set up; however, what I see here are several groups of people talking, meeting together in basements and warehouses, in sewers and alleys. If I had to make a guess, I'd say these people are ready to fight against their oppressors.

Chapter twenty-six: Magic items and people often leave a trace of their mana signature, which can be tracked. One does not need to blindly look for someone if they know what to look for; at the same time, it can also be used to track people who are using means to hide themselves, if they do not hide their mana trail... magic and enchanted items will transform a trace amount of mana and leave it behind, this can be used to track them... This can also be used to investigate the usage of spells, which can linger for a couple of hours, even days outside of the Nexus. Spell mana still retains its intensity and other qualities, letting a skilled tracker know what kind of, and how powerful of, a spell was used, which can lead to important information.

Chapter twenty-nine: The mana particle is made of smaller components which determine its MM force and element... Mana itself is nothing but a collection of its parts kept within a shell of the MM force; its particles are self-imprisoning. In other words, mana is what we call the collection of elemental particles and MM particles, but there is more to it; the essences have no physical representation that I know of, instead being simply an 'identity' given to mana. This identity might be in the form of divinity, or it could be something else entirely that I simply cannot yet perceive. How mana keeps its identity is a mystery as well...

The next city I look at is south of the third and the second, a massive city with a large palace in the middle. It is the only place – so far – that is kept in decent condition, but signs of recent neglect are evident. At least the guards don't immediately look corrupt, citizens aren't cowering away from them, and there seems to be an active effort to fix the neglected areas. Slavery, however, seems to be a massive business here, with the many slave auctions and wagons full of men and women in cages and chains.

Sickened, I move my sights to the palace, where I hope to see less of the unpleasantness. The huge complex is lavished in wealth; life-sized paintings hang on the walls, mosaic windows let light in. Expensive-looking pottery and statues decorate the halls, with fluffy rugs lining the floor. It is... ugly, all of it: nothing fits. It's as if they just bought whatever was most expensive, with no mind as to how it all fits together.

Something catches my attention; a man sitting in a room of golden statues, muttering to himself. He is well-dressed in mana silke clothes, which compliment a well-trained body that clearly shows his battle experience. He has short hair, but I can't see what color it really is. The most alarming thing about him is the amount of void mana he produces. His Bond is obviously void essence, and judging by his mana reserves, he is the strongest being I've seen on the island so far, including the Heroic-tier Topaz Tree in the Vocana Republic.

Suddenly, my vision is disrupted around him, like something broke my perception for a split second, then I feel a tugging sensation and a tickling feeling like a spider crawling up my perception.

Panic sets in as I realize this guy has some weird retaliation ability, and I quickly move my perception away from him.

I let out a breath of relief once I no longer feel his strange skill.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 800!

40th Breakthrough: You've noticed that you were being traced; this will help you avoid being found by those who feel your gaze upon them.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 668-694!

That guy is dangerous! I do not dare to [Analyze] him as that effectively shouts "I'm here!" since it requires normal levels of perceptive pressure to use. If he has such a skill, and is good enough to track even me, then he must have the skill at a very high level, probably with a high Class bonus as well. I have no doubt this guy is at least Heroic-tier, which makes him the first person – other than Kayafe – I've seen who is above Grand-tier.

I shudder as the memory of something crawling up my perceptive field is still fresh in my mind. My hair is standing on end, which makes my tails look extra poofy.

I am safe now; he can't track me if I am not using my active perception. However, even if I know I am safe, I won't be poking around that palace any time soon; I do not want to meet that guy in any way!

Chapter 142: Failed Negotiation.

Lysha is called to the meeting room. Yesterday the talks weren't favorable to them, but that's to be expected given how the Runalymo has trade advantage. However, she didn't expect the Runalymo to not understand the concept of taxes. Lysha takes her seat, and Vulpun joins them soon after.

"What do you two think?" Lysha's father asks.

Lysha holds her opinion, letting the Order of Flame's Headmaster speak first.

"I think we give her the tariff exemption and try to argue for exclusive trade with Vocana. It's best for us to secure that so they don't trade with others, especially our enemies."

"Lysha?" Her father asks.

"I agree," she replies. "It's best for our war efforts to deny our enemy resources, even if it costs us."

"Then we all are in agreement," her father says. "Now onto the next thing on the agenda, the Leviathan materials. Opinions?"

"It is a risk to let them craft weapons and armor: they can just steal them easily, and we won't be able to do anything about it," Vulpun says, frowning.

"Indeed, this could all be a ruse, since they know about it," Lysha chimes in. "However, I don't think they will do that; that plan would hinge on us communicating with them like we did, which is something nobody expected. Also, they wouldn't fight so hard with trade if they were never going to uphold the deal."

"You think they have honor?" her father asks, genuinely curious.

"Yes," Lysha answers firmly. "Alysara probably can't be used to judge all of them, but she seemed to genuinely care about the people. And you saw how her personas changed, but she sometimes let her real persona leak through?"

"I noticed that too," Vulpun says. "Spies should be well-trained in persona skills, so they never slip like that; they craft a narrative, a whole new person. But it seems as if she was simply using the skill for its persona instincts; it's still her, not another person, a sign that she is not as well-trained as we thought."

"I see…" Lysha's father murmurs thoughtfully, then continues; "What kind of arguments can we expect from her about this deal?"

"They'll likely want to keep some of the materials as payment," Vulpun suggests. "They don't need to steal it if they get some anyway."

"I agree with that assessment," Lysha's father says. "It's the most likely case, although we really don't know what else they may want. So what should be our limit?"

"We need to equip thousands of soldiers with armor and weapons made from those materials…" Lysha says, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms in thought. "...one in ten? Maybe one in fifteen? Even then, that's a lot that will be going to them, and these are very rare materials even if we have a lot right now."

"How many soldiers can we expect to outfit with these materials?" Lysha's father asks, although she's reasonably certain he already knows the answer.

"About ten thousand," Lysha answers. The Leviathan was the size of an island, after all, and its hide alone gives them a lot to work with. Then there's the bones and core, the teeth and eyes. All good materials to work with, all Exalted-tier.

"So they'd be getting seven hundred to a thousand completed sets worth of that just for their work, assuming they have enough craftsmen good enough to work them in time," Vulpun says. The Order of Flame has some, too, and they can loan their armor and weapons to the army if they don't need to use all of them.

"We could give them a set to make an example, and figure the price out from there?" Lysha suggests, still in her thinking pose.

"That either works well or backfires horrendously," her father says. "We can end up paying a lot more or less. Do you want to take that risk?"

Lysha thinks about it for a minute. Her father is right; it's a big gamble. They are only considering this deal because of the items Alysara has already given them; they know the skill of their best craftsman, and they will use him to get the best price.

"No, it's not a good idea," Lysha answers. "We'll try for one in twenty, but one in fifteen will be more realistic."

"Then let's call her in to discuss this."

Lysha's father calls for the butler to get Alysara; she enters a minute later and curtsies with unparalleled grace. It still annoys Lysha that this girl can do better what took her months of rigorous training with her etiquette teacher and years more of experience.

Lysha calms herself and tries to clear her mind.

"We have thought about your proposal since last we met, and we have agreed to your terms of no tariffs. However, we only agree to it if you exclusively trade with our Republic," Lysha's father says.

Alysara thinks about it for several moments, adopting a thinking pose while somehow maintaining her elegance.

"It would be in our best interests if we trade with other nations," Alysara finally says. "Is your Republic so wealthy we cannot afford to go elsewhere? Perhaps the Forron Kingdom may give us a better deal." Alysara pauses to let her words sink in.

Lysha glances at her father and notices his gaze isn't drifting: he's more worried about losing this trade deal – or rather, chasing her off to the Forron Kingdom.

"Here's a counteroffer," Alysara continues. "We'll be free to establish general trade with anybody, but we'll make the trade of weapons and armor exclusive to all of the Republic of Vocana, not just your city, in exchange for no tariffs with the entire Republic as well."

The atmosphere grows a little heavy, her father's gaze entirely focused.

"We cannot speak for the other cities," he says.

"But you expect us to only trade with your Republic even if we haven't established trade with the other cities? That isn't fair. They can impose high tariffs and unfavorable deals on us, knowing we can only go to them."

She's right; it's unreasonable to expect exclusivity for only those ruled by Vocana's council when not everybody is in on the deal.

Father may have tried to trap her, but she saw right through it; this does not look good and loses her goodwill.

Her father cannot accept that counteroffer, not without the agreement of the entire council. His leg bounces as he tries to think of a way out. Lysha wracks her brain for any way to bail her father out of this mess, when Vulpun speaks up.

"You're entirely right; it wouldn't be fair of us, so let's make a short-term deal until we can properly speak with the council and make a decision."

"What do you propose?" Alysara asks.

"For one month, no tariffs and no other restrictions as long as you do not trade weapons and armor with anyone," Vulpun says.

Just an agreement to not deal in weapons and armor; that is the main point anyway, they cannot afford the Forren Kingdom getting those.

Alysara thinks about it for a minute, then two minutes, then three, letting the uncomfortable silence press down on them.

"I... do not agree to these terms."

Alysara's announcement shocks everyone. Why won't she agree?! It's just a one-month deal!

"If that's all you have to offer, then I think we are done here for today." Alysara curtsies with infuriating grace and turns to walk out.

Lysha's mind races to grasp at anything she can to at least keep Alysara in the room and listening.

"Six months! And protection guarantee of your people!" Vulpun stands up and calls after her, but she doesn't even hesitate before leaving the room.

"Fuuuuuck," her father mutters beside her, face buried in his hands. They were so close to securing a deal, but there's no possible way he can accept a deal on behalf of the other cities.

"Won't even agree to a temporary deal..." Vulpun slumps back in his chair. "Is there any way we can salvage this?"

"Not without knowing more about them and what they want," Lysha's father says, head still in his hands.

"Why did you try to trap her like that?" Vulpun asks. "That was incredibly risky, and it didn't pay off."

Lysha's father sighs.

"I didn't intend to. I didn't consider her point of view when I proposed that… In hindsight, I should have given it more thought."

"That was a very costly blunder; if we can salvage this at all, it's going to cost us."

Tusile was right; they will try to take as much as they can from us no matter how much it hurts us! Thankfully I had three minds in this negotiation to help figure out the trap, but the true MVP is [Inquisitive Perfection] for putting it all together.

As for the temporary trade offers, the airship is at least a year away from completion; it doesn't matter how good the deal was if we can't ever take advantage of it.

I should focus my efforts on trade deals with other places; the snow kingdom in the south, as well as the independent city-states. But, while I am here, I may as well introduce the Runalymo to the other cities. I have a year to build relations with all of the factions, so I should start doing that and not get hasty and rush into deals.

"May I get some blank paper and an envelope?" I ask the butler once I enter the waiting room.

"Of course," he bows and leaves the room, returning quickly with writing supplies.

Normally I'd weave a mana silk letter, but I can't operate my [Mana Manipulation] this far from my real location. Ruluna taught me their letters when teaching me their language, but I can't say I am fluent in their writing.

From Ambassador Alysara of the Runalymo:

I call myself Ambassador even though the Runalymo technically don't have such a job, but it's the most fitting title I can give myself in this case.

While our cultural differences may make finding common ground in establishing a trade deal difficult, we still seek to improve our relations. I feel that we may have been in too much of a rush to make a deal, when we should have instead spent this time learning about each other. I propose we take a step back and do this properly at a time and place where all of Vocana can meet with me.

I have to return to my home, but I will be back on the first of the next month; I hope I can meet all interested parties in the days following my next arrival.

I fold up the letter and put it in the envelope, handing it to the butler.

"Give this to your governor, Vanu Runa Orlan," I tell him.

"At once." He bows and walks out the room.

My mana is running very low, and I won't be able to maintain my clone for more than a few more hours. So what should I do in that time? I still have this storage ring, and I won't be able to bring it back with me, so I might as well do some good and sell it for charity; I'm sure the local orphanage can make good use of the money.

I walk out of the luxurious hall and into the street. Being in the high society part of the city, I should be able to get my money's worth for the ring.

Leala walks through the orphanage garden, colorful plants healthily sprouting high due to her tender care. The flowers greet her. No one else can hear them, but Leala can; the [Plant Whisperer] skill that she recently obtained with her Class lets her communicate perfectly with the plants around her.

"Leala! The morning rain was wonderful today; you should have been there to enjoy it with us!" An orange flower says... or rather it sent that impression to her, the plants don't actually speak words.

"Leala, a beetle is nibbling on my lowermost leaf and my toxins are not driving it away. Can you please help me?" A bright blue flower calls.

Naturally, she plucks the beetle and flicks it away. These plants are nice, unlike the wild ones who, at best, treat her with indifference. It proves her point that plants raised in good care become caring and kind creatures.

Leala continues to tend to her garden until she sees someone approach: an older girl with beautiful blue hair with golden tips, her three incredibly long tails swaying gracefully behind her as she walks with serenity and nobility.

She turns her head to Leala and smiles warmly. Her eyewraps hide her eyes, making Leala wonder how she doesn't walk into things, but she remembers that the older girl probably has a skill for that.

Curious, Leala walks closer as the older girl knocks on the front door.

"Coming!" Mother Fale shouts from inside. A moment later, she opens the door to this older girl, then blinks and perks up her ears in surprise. "Umm, w-what bring you here, miss..." Mother Fale stammers.

"Alysara." The older girl introduces herself. "I'm here to make a donation." She opens her hand and reveals several silver and copper coins.

"This is quite a lot!" Mother Fale expresses; she looks at the older girl and her expensive-looking and well-decorated dress, and takes the money. "Thank you for your generosity, Miss Alysara!" She says with a respectful curtsy.

"My pleasure," Alysara says and curtseys gracefully, before two beautiful mosaic-patterned wings sprout from her back, and she flies away, fading into nothing.

The whole thing leaves both Leala and mother Fale speechless. One day, Leala wants to be like her!

Chapter 143: Tanafyam's Speedrun.

Tanafyam sits atop the tower overlooking the Dungeon Village, a walled settlement defended by thick tree trunks standing side-by-side, partially driven into the ground for stability. Each truck has been shaped on the sides – with one side having a V-shaped groove and the other jutting out in a V to make a connecting joint – and then glued to its neighbors.

There are many buildings to facilitate the village's own industry, most notably the material processing shops where wood is treated, monster leather cured, and many other things, so most monster materials don't have to be taken out of the Dungeon to be processed.

The village has grown very rapidly, and even now there's a new section being walled off to make room for more housing. Monster slayers mingle in the bars and restaurants… and especially the bathhouses. 'Monster Slayer' is now an official job, but it is strictly regulated, and all new slayers need to be trained by Esofy and Chyzus' Combat Academy.

Tana checks his recent level gain, bringing him close to level four hundred; he wants to slay a couple more Heroic monsters to make sure he gets a Grand-tier Class, but if he can slay a boss monster by himself, that may work as well. If he can slay a Grand-tier monster alone, that should be worth Grand-tier for himself.

Alysara's face flashes through his mind, and he takes out a Dungeon Waystone Key. They've found two more, officially, but Tana never reported this one, instead keeping it hidden. They are very rare, and heavily regulated so no one goes off on their own, but Tana needs to do this to become as powerful as he can be.

It's not just about 'catching up' anymore. Alysara has been protecting everybody and carrying all that weight herself; Tana intends to take that burden off her. He will be the one to save everyone from disaster next time so she won't have to.

Tana stands up, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves as he focuses on the lessons he has learned with his Bond. Fire is a delicate thing to wield; if it rages too much, it consumes everything, but when controlled it can make life thrive. Learning how to control it and incorporate it into his life, just as Aly incorporates beauty into hers, has led to vast growth for his Bond, which now stands at level four hundred sixty-eight.

Having a Bond Class, Tana needs to hold back on his Class levels, but that's alright; he makes it up with extra training, going out by himself and slaying monsters. Esofy would have a fit if she knew he is doing this, but this is the best way to train.

Tana appears in the desert pyramid next to the Dungeon Waystone and walks deeper into it. Long creatures, like those Eels, lunge at him with fangs bared and dripping with venom. Tana lets himself take the bite, the venom pumping into his veins.

The flame inside him flares up in a rage; it is time for it to destroy.

Tana cleanses himself of the poison and stabs the beast, then cuts it lengthwise. Flames quickly spread over the hissing monster as its vitality is consumed.

The fire inside him grows, turning into an inferno. Tana rushes into the room, life-giving flames covering his body, the monsters hissing and cringing back from the heat radiating off of him. With a burst of speed, Tana cuts several snakes in front of him before another quick dash sends him past the last few snakes in the room. Fire crawls over the monsters, and they hiss and writhe in pain. Tana pays them no heed, moving on to the next room at record speed, letting the vitality-draining flames kill the lesser monsters.

This is his challenge, to clear the entire floor of monsters in a short amount of time. To do that, he needs to rely on damage over time spells and skills, like his now-upgraded [Vicious Flames]. Tana runs through the next room, sending out a wave of fire at the monsters, the [Life Sense] Uloru taught him letting him know where they are in advance.

I need to go faster!

Fire isn't necessarily fast, which is why he is putting a lot of effort into training his [Agile Movements] to let him become faster. For that reason, he also took up dancing as an art. He is still bad at it, particularly since he's learning it without the skill, but his dedication to fighting won't let him give it up.

Tana rushes through room after room, lighting everything alive aflame. Dodging attacks that would seriously injure him if his attention slips for even a moment, Tana feels alive! In every battle, with every group, everything feels methodical and muted. When fighting with others there's a set plan, a coordinated effort in slaying monsters that makes it easier and safer… but this, this is what it means to fight! The unknown, the danger, it calls to him: the flames inside him feed off of this glorious feeling!

Tana runs into a boss room and, without any attempt to see what it can do, he lunges forward, sending out two waves of flame ahead of him. Before the boss can comprehend what's happening, three long and deep gashes open up in its flesh, as Tana runs past, cutting its flesh open and spreading flames across its surface.

Before Tana can cut its head off, it thrashes around and sends out a burst of lightning, throwing the flaming teen against the wall. He stands up and grins, the flame inside him raging more and more fiercely. They demand destruction, the flames that purify the world and prepare it for a new life: Tana will slay this monster so he can grow, just as a flame consumes to grow and rage on.

Tana continues trading blows with the slowly-regenerating boss, managing to cut off one of its fangs, then he grasps the fang and rams it into the creature's eye before cutting off its head.

Trusting his flames to finish the boss off rather than waiting for the kill notification, Tana moves on immediately, blazing his way through room after room until he comes upon another boss. Just like last time, he gets the first strike in, but this time he seeks to train his [Agile Movements] with whirling strikes and dodges. One might say he is dancing with his opponent, each twirl sending out a blade-shaped wave of fire that cuts deeply into the hide of the snake. His footwork is precise, each step accompanied by a slash of his sword and each dodge or parry resulting in a strike against the larger creature.

Tana dashes out of the room even before the snake slumps to the ground, the last of its life burning away. Tana finally stops at the final boss, the floor boss, panting heavily. He has been running almost nonstop for at least half an hour – maybe even a whole hour, he can't tell – and his lungs burn with the need for air… But if he takes a break now, he won't be able to make a new record, so with a burst of speed Tana blitzes into the boss room, where a three-headed snake rears back to strike.

However, instead of lunging for bites, it instead breathes out frost and shards of ice with its left head, fires a laser from the middle one and sprays lightning from the open mouth of the right. All three attacks hit Tana, sending him flying into the wall, ice melting in his wounds and a destroyed leg rapidly regrowing.

The inferno inside Tana rages more fiercely than ever before. He stands back up on one leg, waits a moment for his other to reform, and dashes back into the fight, jumping over another laser beam and using his flames to counter the frost breath. Lightning cracks down onto him, but he raises his sword up in front of him like a lightning rod and tanks the attack, healing the damage afterward.

Tana runs forward and slides under a tail swipe, cutting the tail deeply as it passes over him, and grabs onto it with his free hand, using the momentum to flip onto the boss's neck and stab his sword into the brain of the middle head.

The boss thrashes around, but Tana holds on, spreading his flames over it. He reaches over with his free hand, making sure his sword won't fall out from the snake's efforts to throw him off, and grabs one of the eyes, ripping it out of its socket.

The boss hisses in agony as Tana uses the eye socket as a handhold and, with three hacking sword-swings, removes the middle head. Falling to the ground, he takes advantage of the boss's stunned shock and cuts into its belly, spilling its guts onto the floor.

Snapping out of its shock, the boss bites down on Tana, who raises an arm to block the attack. When the limb gets caught in the snake's mouth, he simply cuts it off before the snake can toss him around and then hacks again into the midsection of the boss, only managing to cut halfway into it before he is knocked away by its tail.

Tana stands once again, already with a new arm, and charges back into the fray, trading blows and sacrificing limbs if he has to. He jumps, sidesteps, and ducks under attacks, tanking the lightning and countering the frost until eventually manages to decapitate the lightning head. After that it becomes much easier, and he finally cuts the boss in half.

The boss flops around, unable to use the rest of its body as counter mass to keep its head up, but it still fights with every fiber of its being, snapping at Tana who easily jumps onto its head and chops off the third head.

Tana slumps to the ground, his flames dying as the last of the boss's vitality is drained away. He gasps for air, his chest heaving, lungs begging him to just end it all already. Notifications ring in his mind from the kills and the level gains, but he is too exhausted to even look. He has cleared an entire floor in record time.

A fight like this is thrilling. Esofy puts too much emphasis on not getting hit – which, he admits, has done wonders for his ability to dodge attacks when he needs to – but this primal deathmatch is more to his liking.

After a long rest, and replacing his clothes and armor with spares in his storage ring, Tana teleports back and takes a relaxing bath; any blood and gore has been burned off in the fight, so he doesn't need to worry about people seeing it.

With my clone no longer draining my mana, I can train in the Dungeon for a few days… I wonder how it has changed since last time I looked? I also need to study the other Lunaleyan kingdoms; if I am going to be making more trade deals, then I need more 'gifts', too… although really those are just a way to demonstrate what we can offer and draw them in for trade.

However, I have a couple of weeks to get all of the gifts made, and I am curious to see the Dungeon now, so that's what I'm going to do. I send a clone over to the Dungeon as I take my after-work bath – I am a little early, but that's not too unusual.

Even before entering the Dungeon, I see people going in and out of the entrance, most of whom are wearing coats that they take off after exiting or put on before entering. It's not something I have put much thought into lately – my clones don't let me feel temperature – but the hotter climate here means that everywhere else, including the inside of the Dungeon, will feel much colder.

I am surprised to see that the device to let me see into the Dungeon has not been disturbed. I guess most people think that it is supposed to be there… which it is.

Entering the Dungeon, I am greeted with a bustling village, smaller than my home but impressively large considering its age. People walk from vendor to vendor, looking at monster materials for their crafts, but things are rather pricey. The lumber market is thriving since many villages still need to be rebuilt, and it looks like that is the business of the village, selling wood – actual tree-wood rather than not-bamboo – to other places.

The Dungeon Village is built around the Dungeon entrance, and is well-fortified. There is a bathhouse, but I think most people are leaving to use the baths on Temple Island since it's not that far away.

I wander the market, looking at the various monster materials. Many I am familiar with, monster materials from the dens and ruins in this forest being a large amount of what I see, but I also see some unknown ones, probably from the desert.

I'll need to examine the other directions before someone wanders into a place like the mountains, with monsters far stronger than we can ever hope to fight against. First, however, I'll need to talk to Esofy and get the Dungeon Waystone Key so I can attune it to any Waystones I find.

"...In summary: prioritize your own safety, then the safety of your team, then positioning and coordination, then attacking, and lastly killing the monster." As I approach, I catch the last of Esofy's lesson.

The monster slayer trainees file out of the room, and I enter after letting them pass.

"Alysara!" Esofy smiles brightly as she sees me. "It's been a while. Thank you for slaying that Treant; I saw the damage it did, and I'm reasonably certain that people would have died if we'd tried to slay it ourselves."

I feel my cheeks get a little warm at her compliment.

"N-no problem," I say, a little flustered. "I had originally planned to just scout it for you, but I realized it was too dangerous."

Esofy chuckles. "I heard Guklaro was a little ungrateful, but just remember that she isn't a fighter. She doesn't know what it's like to have her life in danger like this. As long as everyone comes out alive, even if the monster isn't slain, then it's a win."

"So, you are continuing to teach others?" It looks like she is dedicated to educating others in combat… although it's anti-monster combat now, rather than the relatively harmless Kheshamo styles of before.

"Yes, it hasn't been a long time since we started getting into real fights, and somebody needs to teach others how to survive. One of the major flaws during the first expedition was that we had no idea how to really fight to the death. We haven't had a single death so far since reopening the Dungeon, due to properly-taught fighting methods. People were thinking that killing the monster and doing damage is the same thing; they mixed up priorities, and that lead to mistakes and people dying. Now it's safety first and actually killing the monster last, even after doing damage; it's better to hurt the monster and remain safe than to go for a killing blow and risk dying." Esofy gathers her lesson notes and puts them in her storage ring while I giggle internally at how easily she slipped into lecture mode.

"It wasn't just that we had to get stronger and be prepared; we had to learn how to fight monsters, right?" I say, summarizing what Esofy said.

"Exactly," Esofy nods.

"I see that people are getting materials from the desert too; it's only a matter of time before they want to explore the known areas." Esofy makes agreeing noises, so I continue. "I want to map the area out more completely before someone gets into trouble; who knows if there's another place like the mountains in the south. Where can I get the Waystone Key, so I can attune it to any Waystone I find?"

"We've been training scouts to explore those areas; don't worry about them, we've not had any deaths yet and we don't plan to have them take unnecessary risks. The Waystone Keys are held in a secure chest in my office. I'll get one for you." Esofy leads me to her office room.

Esofy unlocks the small and rather unassuming chest and takes out one of two Waystone Keys. She, or someone else, must have found another one.

"While you are mapping out the surrounding areas, can you do something for me?" Esofy asks.

"Sure, what do you need?" I tilt my head quizzically.

"I suspect Tana is sneaking out on her own to fight monsters. It's very dangerous, and, while I understand her desire to get stronger, she shouldn't be taking risks like these. I talked with her about it, but she denies it, she's just not as good at lying as she thinks she is."

Although Esofy refers to Tana as 'she', he is looking increasingly boyish. He'd normally be developing breasts by now, so either he's a late bloomer or he just won't; at least he's got the 'pretty boy' look, although he'll always be a bit odd-looking by Runalymo standards if that's the case.

A quick check confirms that Tana is in the bathhouse right now, but I guess I can keep an eye on him and see if he sneaks out.

"I can do that." I agree to Esofy's request.

Chapter 144: Snow Queen

In the dungeon to the north of the forest is a vast frozen landscape with dunes of snow and spires of… living ice?. It looks exactly like ice, but it's actually a huge... something, it's almost like a fungus.

Living Ice (Grand), Level 3 Heat Eater (Minor), Level 23 Ice Bond.

It doesn't say that it is a fungus, but it is certainly similar to one, maybe very distantly related… or maybe it was never related to fungi at all, magic plants can be incredibly weird sometimes. Like most plants, it's very weak and low level, probably getting its kills through passive heat consumption; the danger here will likely be environmental, as much as active.

Thinking about it, these Living Ice are probably the reason for the cold climate in the area: while each individually isn't producing a lot of ice mana, there are of them, all actively reducing the temperature, so the combined effect is far greater than their levels would indicate.

I have my clone walk up to one of the spires and cut a chunk out with my Pack Fang Dagger. The flesh is meaty, like a mushroom, and I store it for testing. If it's not poisonous – like almost everything else in the Dungeon is – then we may have another potential source of food.

I move on, noting a distinct lack of life other than the Living Ice. For almost an hour, I fly across this white desert, an eerily silent and still place, until I come across a tall stone tower reaching high into the sky. Living Ice crawls up its sides like vines climbing a building. Atop it is a large floating diamond, perfectly cut and saturated with what I think – although I've never seen it before – is winter essence. Snow falls constantly around it and a serene humming can be heard from the diamond, calling out into the otherwise silent landscape.

Inside are winter fairies, flitting around with tiny snowflakes falling off their buzzing wings.

Snow Fairy (Grand), Level 524 Snowgrace Dancer (Major), level 566 Snow Bond.

Checking quickly, their bonds are mostly winter, ice, snow and beauty, with a rare few having other things.

I enter the bottom of the tower where a Dungeon Waystone is and attune the key to it, then proceed to the next room, where many fairies are dancing and giggling and a large group is occupied with a game of tag. They all stop and look at me curiously as I enter, showing no signs of hostility and instead slowly wandering closer, like they've never seen a Runalymo before.

Curious as to what they'll do, I summon one of my fairy imitations and then, observing these real examples, I add glittering dust that falls from its wings in addition to a few other minor changes.

Ting! Your Bond skill, Fairy Soldier, has evolved into Fairy Avatar!

The fairies all jump back before realizing what I have done. They all get close to my fairy, making small chittering sounds, before twirling and making excited noises. One of them touches my fairy before running away.

{Play with them} I order my fairy, who runs off to play tag.

These monsters don't seem hostile, so I continue onto the next room. This group seems to recognize me, and they gesture for their own new friend to play with.

How do they know what happened in the other room? I ask myself. I didn't see any spell being used, so it must be some sort of skill that allows them to communicate with each other. I summon a friend for these ones too and continue up the tower, giving out 'friends' like Santa Claus.

At the top of the tower, under the giant diamond, is a large fairy, almost two meters tall, with beautiful butterfly-like wings on her back. She has long pointed ears and hair as long as she is tall, flowing down behind her. A crown of ice adorns her head, and a dress of snowflakes covers her body.

Snowfairy Mother (Exalted), Level 1223 Snow Queen (Heroic), Level 1098 Everwinter Blizzard (Heroic), Level 857 Royal Gracedancer (Heroic), Level 1685 Snow Bond.

Behind the Snowfairy Mother is a statue much like one I've seen before, but for a different entity.

Likeness of Varath (Legendary) (Ancient):

Made by Kayafe in dedication to the god of war, Varath, as a symbol of one of the three aspects of society.

"Welcome, friend," the Snowfairy Mother says. "I am Queen Sylanna, the ruler of the snowlands."

I curtsy respectfully. "Pleased to meet you; I am Alysara."

"I have met your kind before, but they hunted us down. That was thousands of years ago, though, and I wonder if your people have changed. You look different: larger ears, longer tail…more tails… and more beautiful, certainly. You also seem to be well in tune with beauty, but to what degree I cannot say, your clone does not give me such insight."

Well, she knows I have a clone.

"I am sorry for what my ancestors have done," I say with a lowered head. How anyone could hunt these friendly, beautiful things is beyond me, although I really shouldn't be shocked, I suppose.

"There's no need for that: I will not judge you for the actions of your ancestors, only for what you do in the future." Queen Sylanna's voice carries the serene beauty of winter, but with a freezing undertone making it perfectly clear what form her judgment may take if we repeat the mistakes of the past.

"I will inform my people that you are friendly and perhaps, in time, our peoples can become friends, and the ugliness of the past can be overshadowed by the beauty of the future," I channel a little of my diplomatic role.

"Be yourself, friend, there is no need for pretense here," Queen Sylanna giggles, her serene presence flipping on a dime to a sudden, almost childish, whimsy, "unless you want to play!"

"I can play a game or two," When in Rome… "what do you want to do?"

"Let's race! I saw you coming with those gorgeous wings of yours; let's see who can fly the fastest!" Queen Sylanna grins excitedly, a rather strange expression on a being as tall and graceful as her. All of a sudden, the fairies in the tower start moving upward, emerging from the top of the tower and flying around us like a whirlwind, laughing and giggling.

"We fly around the tower. On three! One. Two... Three!" Sylanna yells, and we take off.

I push my wings as hard as I can, but Sylanna easily keeps up, giggling musically before zooming ahead.

"I win!" she declares when I return to the tower.

I give her a smile. Somehow I have made a new friend.

"I can tell you're not like most who enter this world," Queen Sylanna says. "You seek beauty and peace; it will be sad to see you go, even if you aren't actually here." There is a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I can always come back," I say. "I need to study that statue anyway."

"That old thing? But it's full of war and strength essence. Kind of ugly if you ask me."

I can't help but chuckle at that.

"If you don't want it, then can I take it?" I ask.

Queen Sylanna pauses for a few moments before answering, a mischievous smile on her face.

"No. If you take it, then you have no reason to come back."

I give her a warm but amused smile and continue playing games with her. Meanwhile, I have another clone scouting the west: a vast grassland with grass standing over three and sometimes four meters tall.

I see many burrows, and rodent-like monsters scurrying about, cat-like creatures with exceedingly tall bunny-like ears that appear to be wrapped in light mana: probably some sort of invisibility. Preying on the local wildlife are antlered snakes that flash bolts of lightning at the small rodents. Scurrying ferret-like beasts with long sickle-like claws run back to their dens, where large families of around thirty hide.

Cloaked Loopradin (Adept), Level 232, Grassland Jumper (Minor), Level 98 Grass Bond.

Lightning Grass Snake (Adept), Level 264 Flash Striker (Adept), Level 133 Nature Bond.

Meracin Scout (Adept), Level 199 Grass Reaper (Adept), Level 126 Earth bond.

The grasslands seem to be rather low-tier, and I wonder if the Dens here are the same or if they are stronger. Environmentally, this place may prove a challenge, with the tall grass and small monsters that can utilize their home environment to harass people, although it is less immediately dangerous than the freezing cold of the snowlands.

I continue to look around the endless grasslands, eventually finding a cave with light crystals growing in it. A Dungeon Waystone stands to the side of the cave mouth, indicating that this is an intended Den. The ground is uneven and the ceiling is low, making fighting in it difficult; some parts are even so low that it will force people to crawl to the other side.

Large centipede-like monsters skitter around with their numerous legs, long antennae waving around with balls of light mana shining from the ends, likely a lure with which to attract prey. Three sets of mandibles, stacked vertically, tear the meat off a recent kill.

Dark Hunter Skitterer (Major), Level 343 Nocturnal Lure (Adept), Level 159 Light Bond.

I look around the skitterer den, taking notes of what I find and writing them down on the map I am drawing.

In the middle of the grasslands, I find an overgrown, abandoned city made from stone Grass sprouts from between the stones of what looks like a road, growing tall and obscuring the Runalymo-sized praying mantis. These praying mantis have an additional set of arms tipped with four long talons, spiked carapace, and some are flying between rooftops with their beetle-like wings.

Grasscythe Predator Mantis (Major), Level 612 Urban stalker (Major), Level 455 Grass Bond.

The 'Grass City', as I label it on my map, has many treasure chests within the houses. In the city center is a massive nest with dozens of large fleshy eggs, near which a building-sized mantis leisurely takes a sip from a grand fountain.

Grasscythe Mantis Matriarch (Heroic), Level 789 Broodqueen (Grand), Level 636 Grass Archmage (Grand), Level 602 Grass Bond.

After looking around the Grass City, I continue on through the grasslands, finding an enormous nest like that of a colony of weaver birds... if the birds were the size of people, and built their nest on and slightly into the ground rather than in a tree. The grass nearby looks to be shorter, but, considering that the nest is built from the grass, that is to be expected. The overall size of the nest is almost equivalent to the Grass City. Next to the nest, hidden in the grass, is the Dungeon Waystone.

Inside the oversized nest I find many large rooms where the birds can easily fly. Taking a look at the birds themselves reveals that their Bonds heavily favor the eight elements, although without an apparent bias towards any over the others, and their feathers are conveniently color-coded to match their Bonds. Essence Bonds are much rarer; not entirely absent, but it seems only the bosses – and only a few of them – have essence Bonds.

The monsters have long, sleek feathers and parade in courtship rituals: I could hear them – which I can't, because only my perception entered the nest, not my clone – I would probably hear their singing chirps. They are quite beautiful, although that's undermined somewhat by their long whiplike tails with a barbed stinger on the end, and sharp talons like knives on their feet.

Siren Jewel Bird (Major), Level 534 Charm Caller (Major), Level 351 Dark Bond.

Windstorm Jewel Bird (Grand), Level 703 Windblade Singer (Grand), Level 587 Wind Bond.

I send my clone to fetch the Waystone Key to attune it to the Dens of the grasslands. There's probably more to find in the snowlands, but for now I've done enough exploring. Maybe one day, when they're old enough for their parents to not murder me for it, I'll walk Lotis and Kyhana through some of the easier Dens and help them level up.

Lotis and Kyhana sit at a table with a beautiful golden book in front of them. Sounds of cooking and sizzling Domr emanate from the kitchen as her Momara cooks dinner, the air filled with sweet caramelized butter as it is seared into the butter-marinated Domr meat.

The book has some weird split circle on it, with black lettering standing out from the golden cover: Sense Mana: Skill Guide. Alysara says it's still incomplete, but has said that it should be enough for now.

Lotis opens the book to the first page; it lists the table of contents, showing what page each chapter starts on. She flips the page to the introduction, which outlines how to obtain [Sense Mana] as well as gives an overview of how sensing skills work in general. She has already obtained the skill but, reading through it again; she realizes that some things were skipped over, like how other sensing skills work on the same fundamental 'feeling out' method.

By reading the introduction, Lotis gains one knowledge level in her base skill, but she has already gained three from one of Alysara's lessons. She turns to the first chapter after finishing the introduction and starts reading on the first breakthrough. Kyhana sits close so she can read it too. The chapter talks about mana pressure and how it 'acts like air' to form currents, like how air has wind. The more Lotis reads, the more she is fascinated by the amount of information written and frustrated by the parts she doesn't understand.

She doesn't understand several things and will have to ask about them tomorrow morning, but she has already gained two knowledge levels by reading half the chapter! Her reading session is interrupted when her Momara sets dinner down at the table.

"You can continue reading once you are done eating," Momara Yla says. "You don't want to get your teacher's book dirty."

"Yes, Momara," Lotis says, obediently closing the book and setting it aside.

Her plate is served with a butter-marinated and seared Domr claw, one of the more delicious parts of the Domr. The shell has been removed, already letting her cut into the soft meat. A bowl of melted cheese sits next to her plate for her to dip the meat into while sliced Fuchy fruit and roasted nuts decorate the plate as a side dish.

After dinner, Lotis and Kyhana go back to reading the skill guide, learning as much as they can until it is time to go to the Lojyo, at which point Kyhana meets up with her parents so they know that she is well while Lotis waits for her so they can play some games together.

Chapter 145: Rejection

Tanafyam teleports back to the Snake Pyramid and runs straight to the second floor, lighting the monsters ablaze as he passes them. The bosses won't respawn until next week, so there's nothing on the first floor capable of slowing him down. Descending the stairs, Tana takes a small break, so he is fully ready for the next speedrun.

Since this is the second floor, the monsters will be stronger, and he is definitely going to need a break or two to get through it. However, he won't let that deter him. The more he levels his Bond, the more powerful he will become, and the best way to do that is to embrace both the life-sustaining and destructive properties of fire.

"What do you think fire is?" Tana flashes back to a conversation he had with Alysara when he was younger. At the time, he didn't understand her words, but now he does.

"It's a chemical reaction." Alysara turns her head toward him and smiles softly. "Fire needs air to live, right? It uses the air just like we do. The air combines with what's burning, and that produces heat which then makes the fire hotter. In a way, we use similar processes; we eat food which nourishes us, although it's not the exact same thing."

In other words, fire isn't just about the flame itself; it is... something else... a process that happens, it consumes, but the result can either nourish or destroy.

After resting, Tana stands back up, bracing himself on the sandstone walls, the flickering of torches lighting the way forward.

The 'flame' inside me gives me energy, and with this energy, I should be able to run faster and for longer.

It's not just about healing, it should also give him the energy needed to run through this without a break. He'll need to replace a Bond skill, so he'll need to think of which one is least helpful, but being able to rejuvenate his stamina will be a better ability to have.

Tana charges forward, lighting ablaze as he activates his skills. His vitality is consumed to ignite the flames, but his generation far exceeds his consumption. Barreling through room after room, he sends blade-like waves of flame slashing through the surprised and confused monsters, the flames spreading and burning, feeding off their vitality.

Tana runs into the first boss room and, without stopping, immediately attacks, launching several fire waves at it that cut deeply into its hide. Tana dodges, ducks, and flips over attacks, trying his best to avoid getting hit with as close a margin as possible. He successfully manages to counterattack, cutting the tail and side of the head as it lunges.

The fight lasts longer than the ones on the previous floor, and he gets hit more, not timing his dodges as well against the slightly faster foe. Venom burns his veins… like his flames burn the monster's vitality.

My flames are behaving kind of like a poison, lingering and causing damage… Can I do something with that idea?

Instead of just burning the outside of the monster, what if his flames can seep into the wounds and burn the insides? But fire needs air; how can it do that without air?

There's air in the body; we breathe it in, right? So there has to be air in the body too. Tana realizes.

Gathering his willpower and focusing on his Bond, Tana sweeps his hand over the flat of his sword, infusing the flames with more potency, the potency of venom.

Ting! Your Bond skill, Vitality Burn, has evolved into Vitality Venom Flames!

The blood colored flames coating his sword turn purple, and he launches another wave of fire with a swing of his sword. Purple fire cuts into the snake as it tries to dodge and only barely fails, the small contact with the edge of the wave enough for the flames to spread out and infest the open wounds. Now it's only a matter of time before it dies.

Tana stands before the slain floor boss, his arm regrowing; his clothes are tattered, but he brought a spare set. He obtained a stamina regenerating skill a couple months ago, which let him keep up despite his marathon: he had not realized how much exhaustion lowered his fighting capabilities, but now that won't be an issue.

Tana gathers the monster materials, going back to the previously slain bosses and harvesting them as well before replacing his clothes. He usually sells the materials from these solo trips along with the other materials he gains during the Den dives with Esofy and the others, to not give hints that he is gaining materials on his own.

It's not prohibited, exactly, to fight by oneself but it is frowned upon, and Esofy will definitely not be happy. Tana teleports back to his secret Waystone that came with the key; however, when he appears in his hidden location out in the forest, there is a beautiful girl standing in front of him, arms crossed with a disapproving frown.

"Where were you?" Alysara asks. She isn't accusatory, but says it more as a question.

"I, uh..." He doesn't know what to say; she must have seen him teleport out of the village and found this Waystone.

"You were out fighting monsters by yourself; I know that much," Alysara says, her tails swaying side to side.

"Y-you do too..." Tana tries to defend himself.

"You know as well as I do that is a poor excuse; I fight the monsters, they don't fight me, there's a difference."

An awkward silence falls between them, only broken by the chirping of birds and insects.

"...I can handle myself," Tana says defiantly, staring at Alysara. She remains silent for a minute.

"...I know, otherwise you wouldn't be here," Alysara finally says. "But, you have not seen some of the monsters in this Dungeon. Not all are weak, some have very strange abilities that can really endanger you, or even me if I'm not cautious despite my safeguards, and some are vastly more powerful than any other monsters in their area. You need to be careful; being in a group with a proper scout is best for your safety, and only going into places that are confirmed to not have extra-dangerous monsters inside!"

Being next to her, in front of this beautiful girl, makes his heart race and pang. He doesn't want her to worry about him, he needs to show her that he can protect her, that she doesn't need to take the weight of the world onto herself anymore.

"L-let me show you!" Tana forces himself to say. "Let me show you w-what I can do!"

"Tana..." Alysara pauses for a moment before continuing. "What will you do if you encounter an Exalted-tier monster, one that is over level one thousand and has three Classes? They are in this Dungeon, Tana, there's nothing I nor anyone else can do about them and they are in some places you won't expect to find them."

Level one thousand, Exalted-tier? Alysara is clearly worried about that. If that's the case, then...

"I'll get stronger! If they are Exalted-tier, then I'll become Legendary! If they are level one thousand then I'll get to level two thousand!" Tana boasts.

Alysara sighs and shakes her head incredulously.

"That isn't something you can just do, Tana..." Alysara says.

"But it has happened before, right?" Tana says with a reassuring smile. "T-the world messages prove it! I-I'l become Legendary-tier, Alysara. But in o-order to do that I need to be able to fight on my own! I need to prove to the world that I can take on anything!"

I'm conflicted. On one hand, I don't want to see my friend be hurt, but on the other, how can I deny him his desire to be stronger? I am doing the exact same thing, even at my own peril. I take equally dangerous risks, if not even more so, every day when scouting the Lunaley islands and, to a mostly lesser extent, this Dungeon. He has a third more Class levels on me and his Bond level has even jumped up significantly since last time I looked at him.

I'm in quite a difficult position. Again, on the one hand I can't exactly tell Tana not to do this without being at least a little bit of a hypocrite, but on the other, I promised Esofy I'd look into this, and I shouldn't lie to her about what's really happening.

"I'm… going to have to tell Esofy" I say at last, gauging Tana's expression.

"Please don't, I need this to get stronger" Tana pleads, with an edge in his voice that I dislike.

"What do you want me to do? I'm not going to lie to Esofy, and she asked me to investigate what you are doing." I say.

"Let me prove to you that I can do this!" Tana takes a step closer, desperation in his eyes.

"You don't need to prove anything to me," I retort. "You do, however, need to prove something to Esofy."

"She won't listen—"

"—That's... not my problem." Tana takes a step back, looking hurt. "Tana, you are my friend and I don't want to see you get hurt. I don't care if that makes me a hypocrite or whatever, but Esofy knows best; if she agrees that you are fine acting on your own, then I'll trust her judgment, but if she disagrees, then that is the best for you. You are not even thirteen years old, you have plenty of time to get strong."

"I-I'm doing this for you! So you don't have to worry about me or anyone else." Tana sounds desperate, almost begging now, and this level of desperation makes me very nervous.

"Tana, you need to live your life for yourself, not for me. Ever since we were kids you've been learning how to fight, but why? I was good at my Bond, and suddenly you wanted to learn how to fight. You… always compare yourself to me, right?" I say, looking at his expressions to try and see what he is thinking even as the implications of what I'm working out hit me.

"Even now, after all of this time, it's still always about me." I continue, "You are so singularly focused on me that you are ignoring everything else. Tana, you need to find something you want to do for yourself."

"I want to help you! This is what I want to do!" Tana raises his voice.

"Tana," I shake my head. "You can't just live for other people, eventually that will break you."

"Isn't that exactly what you are doing?! How can you tell me that, when you are doing exactly the same thing?!"

"But I do other things that only interest me!" I almost shout back "Yes, I help the village. Yes, I sacrificed a lot for our people, but in those cases it was either fight the glass eels, the Aydomr, and the super storm, or we all die! But what else do I do? I study mana for myself, I learned tailoring for myself, I learned music for myself! What have you done for yourself?!"

"I..." Tana looks defeated, lowering his gaze and drooping his ears.

My stomach turns in knots, I don't like arguing with my friend but this is what he needs, not what he wants. Perhaps it's best we part ways until he can find himself.

"Tana," I say with a tone of finality. "I think we need to reconsider our friendship." Saying those words is like biting into the bitterest and sourest thing in the world, but I need to do this for him, as hypocritical as it is.

Tana looks up, tears welling in his eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, Tana." I harden my heart for my next words. "Were we really friends at all? The way you think about me is not how a friend thinks… it's how a follower thinks."

"Why are you saying this to me?" Tana says, on the verge of tears.

"So you can live your own life, rather than always chasing after mine," I say and fly away, leaving Tana there.

I tell Esofy what happened and air out my feelings.

"You did the right thing," Esofy says, sitting next to me and patting my head. "Tana needs to move on, just as you said. Don't worry about her, I'll take care of her."

With Esofy's task and my scouting done, I can focus on grinding some levels. It'll be tedious, but at least now there are enough Dens to visit that the change in scenery will help.

Chapter 146: Ora Ara

The weeks pass in a flash, and now I have a clone arriving at the Lunaleyan Islands. I have kept an eye on Tana, since he looked rather depressed, but if I were to comfort him it'd just make things messy. I may have lost one friend, hopefully only temporarily, but I gained another with the fairy queen and, I guess, the other snow fairies too. I have visited them almost daily, but I eventually had to break the news to them that I'll have to be gone for a few days while I attend these diplomatic meetings.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 601-646!

Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained levels 255-268! 210 status points awarded.

My training paid off with several levels and a lot of money from monster materials. My Class level progression is slower as I've focused more on using just my Bond to fight monsters, really only using my Class against the bosses.

With five hundred forty stat points to spend, I put three hundred into charisma – bringing it to one thousand twenty – to increase my mana flow and how fast I can channel spells, because having ten-minute-long casting times is not acceptable anymore. I put the remaining two hundred points into my mana generation to reduce the cost of operating my clone so far away. I am still in the negative and still need to rely on batteries, but I gained about forty percent more time.

Maybe I can get a cost reduction skill for operating this far away; that will be something I really need.

I land at the same spot as last time, Ruluna already waiting.

"Greetings," she curtsies.

She is wearing a formal dress with flame designs on it. Standing next to her is Headmaster Vulpun – accompanied by several guards, both from the Order of Flame and the city – and Lady Vanu Runa Lysha, wearing the gift I gave her, her long hair blowing in the breeze.

"Welcome back, Alysara," Lysha greets me with a curtsy.

I respond in kind and follow them down the hill to a carriage that we ride into the city. The carriage is large and gilded in gold; jewels and other precious metals break the monotony, but it is entirely too much, it's practically shouting, "I'm super rich!". The inside is even gaudier, as if they held back on the outside, with every inch decorated in gems and gold to the point of impracticality.

Runalymo culture loves their decoration, but at least we show restraint, and value whether or not something matches. Pick a theme and color palette and stick with it.

Inside, the seat's backrest does not meet the seat; instead, there's a cubby for our tails… which is entirely too small for mine, of course. While the seat is cushioned, it seems to have been done with reluctance, and with expensive materials rather than comfortable ones.

"You come to us as an illusion again," Lysha says, sitting on the uncomfortable-looking seat. "I understand the first time, but you have diplomatic immunity now. There shouldn't be anything you fear; we will protect you."

It's going to come out eventually that I am not on this island, but I will keep this secret for now.

"I have my reasons," I say, hopefully sounding mysterious, as Ruluna climbs in, not looking too happy to be back in this. She shoots Lysha a pleading look that goes entirely unnoticed.

"We have a right to know who we are dealing with," Vulpun says, sitting next to Ruluna, his face matching Ruluna's unpleasantness.

They say no more, seemingly letting the issue go for now. The carriage starts rolling, and Vulpun and Ruluna both scrunch their faces in quiet pain.

Just how bad are these seats? It's a good thing my clones can't feel them.

Lysha seems to be fine with it, or at least she is not letting discomfort show. It is worth noting that this carriage is one of a kind, and I recall it being stationed at Vanu Runa's estate last time I was here.

"You have proven yourselves too difficult to trust last time," I reply politely.

"I apologize for that," Lysha says. "My father suggested a deal without thinking it through. We have taken great care to draft a deal that we both can be happy with, with the cooperation of the other cities."

"What's with the rush?" I ask, "You are looking to defend yourselves from potential war, I understand that, but Runalymo weapons won't be as good as what you can make with those Leviathan materials."

"Your people can make really powerful weapons already, so if you use the Leviathan materials, it will be as good as it can be; who knows, maybe your people might earn a legendary point or two with these materials," Vulpun says.

I'm going to have to reveal something, and it's not good to lie.

"Your gifts were a product of one person; most Runalymo can't make weapons of that strength, at least not until recent... findings are more widespread."

Vulpun and Lysha glance at each other.

I might have said too much. I should get my other minds in on this; I am not so naive as to think that diplomacy only starts when the meeting does. As long as I am talking to these people, I need to have my roles active.

They know better than to ask, but they can probably deduce that my 'findings' are about mana.

The carriage finally stops at the Vanu Runa's estate, a place equally as gaudy as the carriage but more comfortable-looking. Still, it is like looking at the Empire's palace again.

Vulpun and Ruluna are the first to leave the carriage, almost jumping out for freedom.

"Your family really likes to show off wealth," I comment, keeping my personal thoughts to myself; after all, if you have nothing nice to say, then it's best to keep quiet.

Lysha smiles widely, clearly proud. "Gold is all about value, right?" She refers to her Bond.

It makes sense; gold is more about value here, not beauty, so looking at it from that point of view probably helps her Bond level up. Surrounding herself in the most valuable things may help her 'connect' with her Bond; trading and business probably also help her a lot.

"There will be a ball in the evening for us to get acquainted with everyone," Vulpun says after clearing his throat. "All the major Houses will be there, as well as the heads of the lesser Houses. We'll be going back to the Order now; enjoy your rest."

"Come, let me show you to your room," Lysha says as the other two leave. "I'd invite you to dinner later, but you'll have to be here in person to be able to participate."

What am I gaining by keeping this secret? All it is doing is sowing distrust and paranoia, and in the end, it's going to have to be revealed that my real body is not here.

"It's not that I don't want to join you for dinner, it's that I can't," I say. "My real body is still at my homeland."

Lysha stops in her tracks, the gears in her head refusing to function as she tries to process my revelation.

"You mean..." Lysha tries to say.

"I'm not actually here, I never was, and operating this illusion at this distance is taxing. I only have enough mana to sustain it for a day and a half for now." I try my best to 'stare' at Lysha's eyes, which doesn't work with my eyewraps covering my clone's eyes. "I've now put enough trust in you to reveal this, so I expect at least the same amount of trust in return."

If I am going to need to reveal something, then I might as well use it to try and gain favor.

Governor Ora Ara Van steps out of his beautifully decorated carriage, drapes of the finest silk hanging from it, fluttering in the wind like a graceful dance. His sister, Ora Ara Ryn, steps out looking like a beautiful jewel, her mana silk dress producing illusory effects to make her stand out; beauty needs to be seen and admired, after all. Together the golden-haired twins walk down the violet carpet that has been laid out. Governor Vanu Runa Orlan greets them at the door.

"Beautiful evening to you, Orlan!" Van says, greeting him with a striking pose, flexing his admirable muscles. Ryn greets him similarly, standing like she is posing for a painting, pushing out her voluptuous form. Her long hair makes for a great backdrop for her beauty to stand out even more.

Van and Ryn make sure to extend their Bond presence as far as they can to let all know they are coming.

"Please don't do that," Orlan says. "Control yourself for one party at least! We have a guest of honor."

"Hahaha!" Van laughs heartily. "I heard she is gifted in Beauty as well! We will surely get along!"

"Will you at least quiet down?" Orlan says.

"Alright, alright." Vana concedes, lowering his voice to 'normal' levels and retracting his Bond presence to an acceptable maximum.

"I don't feel her presence. Mayhap she has yet to earn it?" Ryn asks.

"I don't know," Orlan shrugs. "She is using an illusory body to interact with us, apparently; though, she is still in her homeland, which speaks volumes about her abilities."

Van and Ryn share a glance, making sure they are on the same page. House Ora Ara's secret technique is one that makes a body double, intelligent enough to be convincing if the skill is properly evolved. But to be able to operate it at such an extreme distance must mean she has Class skills allowing her to do so, perhaps some sort of stabilizing skill.

"Thank you for sharing this information, Orlan," Van says, flexing again and increasing his Bond's pressure. "We will make sure this ball is suitably beautiful for this guest of honor!" Van raises his voice to the proper volume, making Orlan wince.

"Keep it down, Van!"

Van and Ryn pay the Governor no mind, instead mingling with the other guests.

The main event has yet to start, so smaller discussions are taking place. Van spots Ora Rula Tolan dueling with Kineto Lova's prodigy child, Kyrran. House Ora Rula began as a union with House Ora, obviously, and House Vanu Runa; they changed Runa to Rula, so they don't share the same family name from another House.

House Ora Rula is a lesser House, but they still share the Ora House name, and thus, they are family to Van, no matter how distant. Not that they are very distant, since lesser Houses often marry into main Houses.

"Borala!" Van's voice booms as he sees Kyrran's mother giving her son tips. Governor Kineto Lova Borala's ears twitch as she turns toward Van.

"You're here already, Van? Still loud as ever, I see." The yellow-eyed, black-haired woman in a military-style dress scowls at him.

"Of course! Hahaha!" Van laughs merrily and flexes in greeting. Ryn went off somewhere else already, so no one else is there to match his beautiful pose. "Overseeing the duels again, you battle Bonds always love your duels," Van gives another hearty laugh.

"And you beauty Bonds always likes to be the center of attention. At least we set up events for others to enjoy." Borala's ears are folded back as if someone were yelling at her, which is strange because no one's yelling… but people often do strange things like that, so Van ignores it.

"So, where is our esteemed guest?" Van asks, looking around.

"Orlan has her hidden away until everyone arrives," Borala answers nonchalantly.

Orlan has been messaging all the main Houses about a great trade deal with some other place. However, what intrigues Van most is how this 'guest' can have a body double negotiating in her stead. Body doubles are great for giving speeches and being in other places where one might expect assassination, but they aren't so good as to be trusted with sensitive tasks.

"Speak, and it shall arrive..." Borala says, looking past Van. He turns around to see Orlan taking the stage.

"Now that everyone has arrived, allow me to introduce you all to our guest, Ambassador Alysara!" Orlan says with an enhanced voice so all can hear.

Stepping out backstage is a beautiful young girl, not even at her third evolution yet, with three very long tails gracefully dancing behind her. Her blue and gold clothes match well with her hair, and her posture is as if she is holding elegance at all times, not the brief times Van poses. It is clear to him that she is no slouch in her Bond. She demands all the attention around her without needing to flex, pose, or do anything.

She is absolutely beautiful, to Van more than most because he understands what it means. If only she were older... But perhaps Van's younger brother, who seems to be a year older than her...

Van shakes his head, this isn't even the real deal and she has him enthralled; she is a true master of beauty. So stunned is he that it takes Van a while to fully realize what he is seeing; she is wearing eyewraps. Perhaps she is wearing them voluntarily, but every beauty Bonded needs to see to truly appreciate the beauty in the world; her being blind is more likely.

Yet her blindness only makes her mastery of beauty all the more impressive and, to be honest, music is beauty for the ears; Van would be willing to bet his Governorship that she knows how to play.

Well, let's meet this pretty little Ambassador.

Chapter 147: The Ball

There are six governors and thirty heads of lesser Houses who govern smaller towns, villages, and forts. One by one, they introduce themselves, where they govern, and some other stuff should it be relevant information.

"I am pleased to meet your acquaintance, Ambassador Alysara!" A large man says, flexing his large muscles with an air of what is probably intended to be suave handsomeness. He is possibly the youngest of the governors, and he speaks with a hearty booming voice; his orange eyes study me carefully, but his smile shows no hostility. His golden hair is kept short, and his mustache is immaculately groomed.

He exudes beauty essence, evident by his Bond seeming to become very active; judging by how the others around him dart their eyes toward him, I can guess he's utilizing some sort of presence.

"I am Governor Ora Ara Van and owner of Ara's Gallery of Art in Ora City. I hope to one day show you through our finest pieces of culture and beauty when you visit our beautiful city!"

Once Van has introduced himself, another steps forward. This middle-aged woman is dressed in something more reminiscent of a military dress, looking strict. Her yellow eyes are cautious, looking like a nocturnal predator with her black hair. She has a battle Bond just like Esofy, but seems to be a lot more versed in it.

"I am Governor Kineto Lova Borala, Grand Marshal of Vocana. My family owns and runs the best military academy in the Republic. We will be pleased to welcome you to our city, and look forward to a lasting friendship." Borala curtsies respectfully.

I thought Lysha was the marshal, but I guess there's more to the situation; it does make sense for a member of a battle Bonded family with generations of knowledge to be marshal.

"I am Governor Yora Yoru Kara," a voluptuous woman approaching middle age says, stepping forward seductively. She is dressed in fine velvet with lots of ruby jewelry complementing her red hair and eyes. She has a ruby Bond and seems to be applying it in a way I haven't seen from any ruby monster. "Yora City will be grateful if you visit our fine establishments. We offer all manner of luxuries, from the finest silk to the prettiest of gems."

Governor Van rolls his eyes.

"We have the best gems, Kara; our mines have found some you never thought possible. Our city is far more beautiful, and our buildings are made with the finest marble and granite you'll see in all of Vocana."

"Please keep the disagreements for later," Governor Orlan interjects. "Just keep with the introductions for now."

With Governor Kara and Van behaving, another steps forward and bows, and I return a curtsy.

"I am Governor Hova Sera Polivan." An old man dressed in an ashen grey suit introduces himself. His hair matches his suit, but his eyes are a verdant green; he carries himself with the finality of ash, but also the vibrant step of the fertilizing volcanic product.

He has an ash Bond which seems far more attuned to volcanic ash than normal, but I can't tell if that's because of the environment or a choice, like how I prefer to use elegance- and grace-type beauty over the allure- and seduction-type.

"Hova City invites you to our domain of farmers and fishermen. We specialize in the utilization of the fertile fields near the Ashland and the abundant ashen sea." Polivan speaks the least boastfully and with the most formality, his eye non-judging and reserved.

The last of the six governors finally steps forward. He is an elderly man who walks with conviction and bows. "I am Sep Mora Torn, Grand Judge of Vocana; I would welcome you to Sep City to partake in the spring festival next month." With a law Bond, it is no surprise he is Grand Judge.

After that comes the introduction of the Headmasters of the Orders, of which there are ten major Orders and over twenty minor ones.

Once the dizzying amount of people had their chance to introduce themselves, the ball starts, the musician starting with a slow waltz.

"Would you like to grace the opening of this ball with your beauty, Lady Ambassador?" Van says as he offers his hand, his voice still hearty but now somewhat reserved so as not to outdo the music.

Seeing no reason to deny, I take his hand, wondering how to dance with the giant. I don't think I'm short, but I still have room to grow, and Van is already the tallest one here. However, to my surprise, Van treats me gently, walking at my pace to the dance floor.

We start the dance, slowly moving together to the rhythm of the song. Just then, I notice something odd within my perception suddenly appear. The faintest shimmer in the mana in a corner flickered for a split second. I study that location with a spare mind as my dance partner speaks.

"I am impressed, Ambassador Alysara," Van says quietly. "Using a body double is already a rare skill, even among us beauty Bonded, but to be able to directly take control of it is even more impressive. Would you be kind enough to share your knowledge with a fellow beauty Bonded?"

Naturally, the answer is no, but he seems to have some alluring air about him. I don't know if he is doing it on purpose, but I don't appreciate having such skills used on me; I didn't see anything in his Classes activate, so I assume it's something to do with his Bond. I activate my [Acting] as a countermeasure to help my [Clear Mind] and [Mental Fortitude].

The oddity in the corner appears to be nothing: no spell, no magic, and no signs of a skill or item hiding from my sight like the ring the assassin had during the whole Papuyo rebellion thing. I might be able to catch something if I raise my perceptive pressure.

"I must decline, Governor Van," I reply, reminding myself that any and all interactions with these people need to be overseen with my roles, so I don't make any avoidable mistakes. "I hardly know you, and our people have yet to sign any peace agreements."

"I understand," Van says softly, his voice filled with a gentle, serene beauty. "But I see that changing very soon. Your people desire peace and trade, right? War is an ugly, messy matter after all, so peace is all but certain. I would like to formally invite you to tour our art gallery and get to know our family better."

[Inquisitive Perfection] perks up, sensing a hidden motive, a puzzle for it to solve; just what does he want? The answer is simple and fairly common: marriage, possibly to him but maybe to a younger family member.

"Tell me about your family; you came with a woman, a sister, correct?" I ask, trying to see exactly what he is up to.

"Ryn, yes, she's quite lovely. I also have a handsome younger brother, Jet, still attending Ora School where all of the wealthiest families of Ora City go; he's actually around your age."

Ah! I see now. That's what he's after, too bad for him; I'm not interested.

I raise the perceptive pressure in the corner, trying to get a clear look at what's going on, but I find nothing; even at my maximum localized pressure, I can't reveal anything. Whatever it was, it's no longer there.

"Maybe one day I'll visit the gallery; my parents and sisters will probably enjoy it," I say, trying to hint that I'm not interested.

"Oh? Your family? Tell me about them." Van doesn't let go, and I was the one who brought up my family so I can't not talk about them, but hopefully surface-level small talk will be enough.

Ryn sighs exasperatedly. Her idiot brother will chase away the Ambassador with his thick skull! It doesn't help that he can't control his Bond as well as the rest of her family; she knew that coming was a good idea, if only to clean up after her brother. Now she will have to work extra hard to make things right.

The song ends, and the Ambassador eagerly leaves the floor, returning to the side only to be caught by the Headmaster of the Order of Merchants asking for a dance. Naturally, it'd be rude to decline, so she accepts. Most people are probably lining up to get in her favor, invite her to parties, and many other things to take advantage of the situation. Very few seem to be noticing the subtle changes in her stance, changes likely induced by some skill she has.

"I think that went rather well," Van says, joining Ryn.

Ryn scowls at her dumb brother.

"It went well?!" she hisses. "You almost chased her away, you idiot! She's not interested in a marriage proposal, and she caught on quickly!" Ryn wants to continue, but she takes a deep breath to calm herself; now is not the time. How her brother got elected, she doesn't understand, but they agreed at the time that no matter who won they would work as one, just as they always did as twins.

"Look at her movements; see how they incorporate less beauty, less grace and elegance. She's obviously uncomfortable with the Merchant Headmaster," Ryn says, trying to instill some sense into her brother. "He's asking leading questions, and she's having none of that. She was doing the same with you."

"So... what do we do then?" Van asks. "She's obviously well trained in her Bond, and having access to her secrets will help our family for generations to come; we can't just let her go."

"First," Ryn says, "we let those Flanurs circle around her, let her know that what you did was not out of the norm, then you stay out of it and let me handle this. You focus on drafting up trade deals while I try to bring Ambassador Alysara into our fold." Flanurs are a type of boney and hairless monster that scavenges already-dead bodies; they roam in packs and are widely known for their circling behavior.

"Fine!" Van sighs in resignation. "I'll let you handle her, but you can't keep me away forever; she'll have to talk with me if we are going to make trade deals."

"I can handle that. You secure the future of our city; I'll handle the future of our family."

I slump in a chair, tired of all the dances. Someone approaches, but I wave them away with my hand. These people are way too... manipulative? That's not quite the right word. They are too eager to jump on opportunities, and they have a way with words that try to pry open my secrets. Honestly, it's very tiresome, and once this trade deal is done I want to wash my hands of this place.

A good long vacation would be nice… play with the fairy queen, talk with Kayafe... now that I think about it, I should ask her for some advice, see what she thinks.

I am quite thankful that only my clone is here; I don't want to be here in person... ever; not if I can help it anyway. I hated politics before, when it was only on a village scale, and this just fuels my hatred of it.

Never again. I promise myself. Tusile and Guklaro can do the rest, but I don't want to get involved in any more politics.

Ryn approaches and, despite my attempt to wave her off, she sits down next to me.

"I'm not here for any interests," she says. "But I noticed those Flanurs nearby and thought my presence may help drive them away."

I don't know what a Flanur is, but I don't believe her one bit.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ora Ara Ryn, Van's twin sister." she says. "Vocana politics can be quite tiresome; it's the reason why my father never ran for governorship despite being an only child, and why Van decided to take the position once grandfather retired."

"Luckily, once this deal is done, I will be relieved of this work," I say, hinting that her efforts won't have any meaning.

"I see." Without missing a beat, Ryn shifts focus. "You plan on taking a break, right? What do you wish to do?"

"Probably play with an Exalted-tier Queen monster, talk with a ten-thousand-year-old Legendary ancestor and maybe fly to Fydrao on the back of a dragon." I don't want to get into any discussion, so I mix in some unbelievable truths with an outlandish comment.

Ryn chuckles, taking my words as a joke. "If only it were that easy."

Ryn continues small talk, and, while at first I don't want to engage, I realize that with her around, others are glancing over, wondering when it's their turn to talk to me. I still don't believe Ryn doesn't have ulterior motives, but at least she's right that keeping her around keeps the others away, so I warm up to her a bit.

The ball ends in relative peace, with Ryn helping to keep others away.

"In the morning, we'll have talks with the senate about the trade deal; hopefully, we will find common ground," Orlan says to me as we ride their ridiculous carriage back to their estate.

"Hopefully," I agree, then I turn toward Lysha. "I've been wondering something. You're the marshal for the potential war coming up, right?"

She nods.

"But Kineto Lova Borala is the Grand Marshal; how does that work?" I ask.

"Borala oversees the entire military," Orlan answers.

"Yes. I am marshal for the offensive force specifically; I answer to Borala as her subordinate so long as I am acting as Offense Marshal" Lysha gives a more in-depth reply. "We always have a Grand Marshal and a Defense Marshal, but we only have an Offense Marshal when in war or preparing for war. Usually, the Grand Marshal will also be the Defense Marshal in peacetime since there's no use in having two marshals, but by separating the job into three distinct entities, we have redundancy in case of assassination. If we are facing a war on multiple fronts, we'll have more marshals for each front."

If they are telling me this, then it must not be sensitive information, or they assume I will be able to find out easily enough anyway.

The rest of the day is spent in preparation for the next morning's meeting, and then just resting to recover from the ball.

Chapter 148: The Trade Deal

The morning after the ball, I am escorted to a room where the six governors are seated. The room is arranged in four circles; the inner circle is for the governors, the second is for the heads of the lesser Houses, the third is reserved for the major Orders, and the fourth is for the minor Orders. At this time, only the inner circle is filled, since the trade deal is purely a government issue.

I start out with adverti— gifts, handing out something I made tailored to their Bonds' essence. The governors are rather impressed by my gifts, which only fuels their thirst for this trade deal. Orlan already got his gift last month, so I don't have anything for him this time.

"We propose a trade deal with no tariffs," Orlan finally says once everyone is done examining their gifts. "With exclusive trade in weapons and armor."

They must have already agreed on this, which is what I proposed last time; unfortunately for them, I'm not that easy.

"I'll make a counteroffer." Orlan frowns at my words, probably expecting me to accept. I keep my expression neutral, with the help of [Acting], so it'll be harder to read me. "The exclusivity on weapons and armor is to be extended to your official allies, and the enemies of anyone you are at war with or who is supporting you in war."

Silence befalls the room for a few moments before Orlan speaks. "Let me discuss this with the other governors."

They whisper to each other for several minutes, longer than I thought. Maybe I should have asked for more? I wanted to ask for a little too much but not outrageously so, the goal is to get them to agree to a more favorable deal for me.

They begin nodding to each other before Governor Borala speaks. "We can agree to that, so long as you do not trade at all with our enemies."

So they want an embargo on their enemies, which is reasonable… However, wordplay is going on here, and I don't like that.

"Your enemies? Or those you are at war with?" I ask for clarification.

"...those we are at war with," Borala reluctantly clarifies.

Them being able to declare someone an 'enemy of Vocana' is not the same as declaring war, and they know they won't have much ground to stand on if they push the 'enemy' part, as that gives them a lot of power. I won't give them any power to dictate who we can trade with without something serious – such as war – as a potential consequence for them.

"I can agree to those terms, provided you are responsible for the defense of our trading vessels within your and your allies' territory; if you do not have spare vessels capable of traveling with ours, then we can rent some of ours to you, with the rental price to be determined separately." Obviously if they are going to be at war we'll need defense and the more they offer, the better it is for us. Also, they most certainly do not have airships, which means we'll need to rent them some, but I'll pass on the job of determining rental prices to Guklaro and Tusile.

Orlan narrows his eyes, probably sniffing out the minor trap I laid.

"Can you clarify 'trading vessel'?" he says.

Oh, well, can't win every battle.

"Any vessel or vehicle that is transporting Runalymo merchants, or those employed by Runalymo merchants. Examples would be wagons and ships." I take this opportunity to cover more bases and to protect my people, not just our vessels.

The governors talk amongst themselves before settling on a decision.

"We can agree to that, provided the Orders also share in that duty, but we'll have to discuss that at another time when the heads of the Orders are present," Governor Yoru Yora Kara says.

In other words, they will want to pass that responsibility off to the Orders, so they won't have to pay for it. It works for me, as long as someone is paying for it.

A messenger is sent out to call in the heads of the Orders, including the lesser ones. Now that this trade deal involves them, they have to be present. Recess is called, and we are to reconvene in two hours while we wait for everyone to arrive. I feel like the trade deal will get a lot messier, since the Orders will want their pieces of the pie.

The next few hours after the trade discussion is restarted are filled with dozens of back and forth offers, enough to make me dedicate all five of my minds to this task, their own roles with [Acting] helping to consider every angle.

No one wants to be left with the duty of protecting trade vessels for free, even though it should be the government's duty to defend their own territory and citizens and interests that are inside it. Normally tariffs are there to help fund the protection and maintenance of trade vessels, but we already agreed not to have any.

The Orders want discounts, but I am unable to offer that, and at some point I realize I am in over my head. Just like how the governors can't speak for the Orders, I can't speak for the villages, so I have to go to Tusile and Guklaro to get them involved in the discussions; we take another recess while I get the Elders up to speed.

We eventually agree to a long-winded contract that guarantees the defense of our vessels, but we have to provide any defensive vessels. In other words, we provide transportation; they provide the muscle. They also argued that should they wish to rent or buy any trading vessels, they receive a fifteen percent discount.

The contract is set to renew in six years, and with the signing of it, my job here is finally done. Tusile and Guklaro will probably want to enter trade agreements with the other countries, but I'll leave that to them.

With the trade deal done, everyone leaves, except for the Order of Flames headmaster, Governor Orlan, and Governor Borala, letting me know that they want to speak with me further.

"Now that the trade deal is signed, we want to talk about having armor and weapons made from the Leviathan materials we have," Vulpun says.

"With war on the horizon, we need to equip our soldiers with the best gear available," Borala adds.

Hmmm… on one hand, I kind of don't want to make stuff for them, but on the other, it will probably be really good for my potential evolutions. My Race is already partially crafting-focused, and this may help with that.

Also, the better the gear they have, the better they can defend our caravans, but we'll also be potentially arming a political rival, which is not always the best idea. However, they can always make the stuff themselves, so they'd be armed anyway. We have Safyr to defend us from invasion, plus I can argue that I get some of the materials as payment, so I'd be arming us too.

Since the materials aren't entirely made of mana, I can use inscriptions, which don't have to be included in theirs... or I can leverage inscriptions for more materials for us. Hmm, so many options.

"I can agree to that; payment can be in the materials themselves," I say after a minute of thought.

"We propose that you keep one of every twenty you make," Orlan says, nodding as if he expected that answer.

"You're asking for a lot of work for little payment; besides, our best crafters will be working these. I can do one in ten." I make my counteroffer.

"That's way too much; these materials are exceedingly rare and very powerful. One in eighteen is more than fair," Orlan says.

We go back and forth for a while.

"Very well, I can do one in fifteen for enchanted weapons and armors," I say, to pleased looks from Orlan and Vulpun. "But more advanced technologies, such as inscriptions and mana batteries, I can do for one in twelve."

"What are inscriptions?" Borala asks with a quirked eyebrow.

"Simply put, they are a means of imbuing an item with a skill; it's new technology and still in development, but it can make an item vastly more powerful if it were to turn into a magic item. I have seen a Heroic-tier item, bordering Exalted-tier, made out of Grand-tier materials, for example. Only one knows the secret to it, and she is also the only one who can make advanced mana batteries."

Orlan and Vulpun glance at each other before nodding as if they understood each other.

"We would like to see an example," Orlan says.

"I can have a set made if you like." I offer. "Just tell me what item you want, enchantments, and any skills that you can show."

I'm probably going to have to let them know that I am the one who can do inscriptions; there's little I can do to hide that fact, since I need to be the one to study the magic frameworks and I need to know what the skill can do, so they will need to display the skill to me for the best results.

"Can she inscribe resistance skills into armor?" Borala asks.

I nod. Easy enough; I just need to know the magic framework.

"What about skills that empower spells and abilities, such as [Fire Intensity]?" Vulpun asks.

"I'll have to experiment; some skills don't seem to be the best fit on certain items, and the inscription applies to the item, not to the wearer," I say. "So the resistance may apply to the armor, and so would the empowering inscription, but unless the weapon itself can shoot spells it might not do much other than drain mana."

Borala nods, understanding the limitation, but Orlan frowns. "You'll have to experiment? Not the craftsman?" he asks.

"I am the craftsman, Governor Orlan. I made the gifts to you all." The matching looks of disbelief on Orlan and Vulpuns' faces are priceless, but [Acting] keeps me from smiling in amusement. "Also, you should understand that I need to observe a skill in action to know its inscription, so any skill you would like on the armor or weapons, you will need to show to me."

As I say that, I notice a curiosity enter my vision: the same odd shimmering that I saw during the ball. Again I investigate the area, but again I can't find anything. I keep watch on the area, wary of the oddity, and continue the discussion.

We begin talking about specifications and abilities, and, after a long time, I have the specifications to make the suit of armor. They give me the materials to work with, and I start flying my clone back home.

Sentaro Klaman listens to the reports of the cities' affairs being given. Unrest is at an all-time high due to the extreme measures taken to curb the crime rate, and Bastion City has descended into riots. With the Forren Kingdom rallying their army, it's only a matter of time before they attack while the Empire is in its weakened state.

If Bastion City falls, then the western island will fall to the Forren Kingdom; they will then siege Twin Peak Fort and use that to assault Aegis City. If Aegis City falls, then the last defense of the Empire goes with it. There's only one way to prevent this: provoke the Vocana Republic into attacking the Forren Kingdom. The time for action is now. He must frame Forren for the assassination of a key political figure within the Vocana Republic.

Once the meeting finally ends, after several hours, Klaman dons his void cloak. He'd rather wear something that is affiliated with the Forren Kingdom, but no one would believe that. An assassin conveniently wearing a recognisable uniform? Surely not an attempt to frame a kingdom.

Sarcasm aside, he's probably going to have to rely on Vocana making the assumption that it is the Forren Kingdom trying to assassinate someone important. Perhaps their Grand Marshal? Seems to be the best choice.

With a target in mind, Klaman removes his presence from the palace, and the world shifts, as if the only place he is allowed to exist is in Aegis City. With another application of his unique teleportation, he appears in Bastion City; within a few minutes and several consecutive teleports, Klaman arrives in the Republic, in Kineto City, and quickly finds the Grand Marshal's office.

She isn't there, but a quick check around the room reveals an invitation letter. He teleports it to his hand and reads it. The Grand Marshal was invited to a ball in Vanu City; apparently, a VIP will be there to establish a trade deal, but there are no further details. It's odd how his spies haven't reported this yet. Were they caught? Something to investigate later; for now, he has a mission.

Klaman teleports to Vanu City and quickly locates the ball in the governor's event room. Instantly he feels watched, and instinct takes over, his Bond removing his presence, the very idea of him vanishing from the local area. He's not so strong as to be able to act while his presence is removed; his Bond refuses to do that much, but so long as he stays still, nothing can detect him.

This is a double-bladed weapon sometimes: he can hide from scryers, but he can't track them since they aren't seeing him.

Klaman takes this chance to look around, spotting his mark carefully studying the two dancing in the middle of the room. He lets his gaze drift toward them, his eyes widening in surprise as he sees a girl with royal blue hair, her three very long tails swaying in tune with the pair's graceful dance. She wears eyewraps, which instantly lets Klaman know who the scryer he's hiding from is, but why couldn't he track her?

Realization dawns on him: this is the person, the scryer in the palace he couldn't track! It's in the same direction he traced before; it's too much of a coincidence. He tries to [Analyze] her, but he can't; the skill doesn't have anything to grasp… as if she's not there.

An illusion? If that's the case, then where is she? Body double skills are rare but not unheard of, and usually only paranoid politicians and nobles use them; of course, many do so with good reason.

She may be a few years too young, but she's the perfect candidate to continue the Emperor's bloodline, his old friend's bloodline. She's young, but her abilities are strong; only someone like her is capable of obtaining Legendary-tier, and if that's the case, she won't be some lazy imbecile. It takes dedication and hard work, as well as natural talent, to get to where she is now.

There's just one small issue: she's not Lunaleyan, that much is certain. She's similar yet different, but her hair color is a clear indicator that she is descended from the true Lunaleyan heritage. Where did she come from? He's going to have to keep an eye on her, but first comes the mission. The safety of the current Empire must be secured before he can focus on its future.

Klaman waits for the ball to end before stalking Governor Borala, the Grand Marshal, back to her guest room, no longer being watched by the exotic girl.

"Tomorrow's the trade deal, Kyrran. Make sure you continue your studies while I'm busy," Borala says, her child nodding attentively.

A better idea surfaces in Klaman's mind, a much better idea than simply killing the Grand Marshal. People will do anything when their children are in danger, and they tend to forget things like reason; if he kidnaps the boy and leaves a letter behind for ransom, then it'd be a perfect crime. There will be a reason to suspect the Forren Kingdom and a piece of evidence to back that up; he just needs his men keeping watch over the boy in one of their secret hideouts in the Forren Kingdom.

Now they just need to pretend to represent a Forren noble, and act as one. It'll be a difficult job, but one with the best payoff. They not only have to intercept letters, but make sure none of the Forrens know about the conspiracy.

It's also very important to keep the boy alive in case everything goes wrong. A live hostage is better, and if the Empire is found out there won't be vengeance for the death of the boy; still a cause for war, but one with a possible peaceful outcome, however unlikely.

Chapter 149: Power armor

I inspect the suit of armor in front of me, letting [Inquisitive Perfection] look over it one last time. The adamantine bone of the Leviathan has been shaped by my [Beauty Blessing] to make the perfect fit for Borala. Inside the suit are inscriptions, to hide them so the Lunaleyans can't copy them; not that they would be able to make it work anyway, since they'd still need to figure out how to make the ink.

The armor is accentuated with adamantine essence steel and fitted with a mana battery to fuel the inscriptions. A belt made of space mana is used to store the armor so one can quickly summon and dismiss the whole thing, or even just pieces of it. The helmet is, as usual, fully covered, utilizing a light enchantment to provide visibility and an air enchantment to bring in and clean the air to breathe.

The whole thing is also made to regulate the wearer's temperature, allowing them to go into many different environments without issues. Enchantments are placed to increase its physical defenses, with a layer of water mana steel to disperse forces acting upon it. There are a few other enchantments as well, to either make the armor better at defending or to enhance the wearer.

The inscriptions I use are meant to make the armor more resistant; overall, it lacks the tradeoff of enchantments, but at the cost of using a lot more mana. I had to limit the inscriptions to no more than three; otherwise, the mana consumption will drain the battery too fast.

The battery itself is a solid piece of mana that will be drained to fuel the inscriptions. Being incredibly dense, it holds far more mana than a normal mana battery of its size, but it works more like a consumable cartridge and is gone once used.

Runalymo Leviathan Power Armor:

(Enchanted)

A suit of armor made to both defend and empower its wearer. Utilizing several enchantments and inscriptions and being made of the finest materials available, this armor is among the best for its duty. The replaceable battery of this armor allows for the fueling of both enchantments and inscriptions, allowing anyone capable of utilizing its basic function to also utilize its more esoteric abilities, regardless of their personal mana capacity.

Conjured, Speed 250%, Force dispersion, Enhance strength 300%, Resist fire inscription, Resist ice inscription, Regeneration inscription, Unstoppable Momentum.

The last ability came from the monster material and I'm not entirely sure what it does, but it's not like I can change it.

The armor itself looks like power armor; it is large and intimidating and made with just about as much mana steel as with Leviathan materials. Protecting the tail are segmented plates also made out of mana steel, although they are the weakest part of the suit simply because they need to be relatively light and thin.

They will want me to make more than one of these, so I make a backpack from space mana silk and enchant it so it's as large as it can be on the inside, then make a storage crystal from more space mana and enchant it to hold as much as it can. This way, I can have the largest storage space in the smallest possible actual space.

Since the belt is a storage item too, I can't put it in the backpack without destroying both, so I have a clone wear them and start flying off to the Lunaleyan lands to deliver the product.

Three days later, I arrive at what appears to be a state of emergency. Soldiers are everywhere roaming the streets, the slums are being turned upside-down, and unrest is clear by how everyone is behaving. People give the soldiers looks of distrust but try not to attract attention to themselves.

I arrive at the government building and tell the receptionist to inform Governor Orlan that I am here. I thought that maybe I'd wait for some time, but he almost immediately calls for me.

What happened to cause the panic? I wonder as I walk up the stairs to Orlan's office.

"Alysara, it's good to see you," Orlan says, glancing at my storage backpack.

"What's going on?" I ask.

Orlan's face darkens before speaking.

"Borala's son, Kyrran, was kidnapped nine days ago while we were discussing the trade deal. A Forren noble wants a ransom: Leviathan materials for her son."

"How much?" I ask. They have a lot, so merely taking one or two sets won't change anything; they must want more to hurt them.

"Twenty percent of our materials, which is worth vastly more than the life of a child, even if it is a Governor's son," Orlan answers with a heavy sigh. "But we think that's the point; they don't want us to pay, or rather, they know we won't. They want us to instigate the war so they can claim they are being attacked, while simultaneously making a rift between House Kineto and House Vanu."

It's too much of a coincidence that her son was kidnapped in this city – a city that is far inside the territory of Vocana – during a time where all eyes would be on me; it's possible that they intended to frame me, or indicate that I was intentionally acting as a distraction.

[Inquisitive Perfection] is having a field day with this mystery, suggesting all kinds of possibilities, but without more information it can't reach a conclusive deduction. However, one thing bugs me: the strange shimmering that appeared during the ball and in the trade room. It completely avoided my perception, even with my perceptive pressure at full blast, which suggests it's neither mana nor magic, which can only leave one option… a Bond's divine authority.

There's only one Bond that should be able to remove all traces of something, a void Bond, and a very powerful user at that. The only person I know of that might be that strong is that scary tracker in the eastern Empire, the Luna Empire if Ruluna's lessons were right.

This doesn't mean that he is the culprit for sure, and I won't be looking for someone so dangerous, but maybe I should be more careful in case he or someone equally dangerous just happens to be around me.

"Have you thought they might be framed?" I tell Orlan about my encounter with the tracker void Bond, and the strange shimmering.

Orlan adopts a thinking pose with a hand on his chin and thinks about it for several minutes, bobbing his head occasionally as if arguing with himself.

"Wait here," he finally says. "I need to get something." Orlan gets up and leaves the room, walking to the library and looking for a book. He peruses the selves for almost fifteen minutes before finding what he is looking for and returning.

"I never liked learning about world history, but now I am thankful my mother drilled it into me," Orlan remarks, sitting back down and flipping through the book. "Ah! Here it is. The Luna Empire was founded by the first Emperor, Luna Rora Loryn, who won countless wars and nearly conquered all the lands before dying of old age. However, the source of his incredible success was not his military genius – in fact, he lost many battles – but was recorded to begin after a world message: 'Sentaro Klaman, the Eyeblight Assassin, has achieved the legendary action: Saving the Lunaleyan islands from an Island Eater.' After this world message, there were reports of a single man slaying armies and taking cities for the Luna Empire." Orlan finishes summarizing the contents of the chapter in the book and looks up at me.

"That was four hundred years ago; he should be dead by now... unless you suspect he somehow found immortality?"

"A Legendary being is immortal, Orlan. Unless you have records of a world message saying he is dead, then it has to be assumed he is alive." [Inquisitive Perfection] is fairly sure that the man who tried to track me is this 'Eyeblight Assassin'.

His title fits; if he can track and possibly teleport to scryers, I can't think of any better title, and someone who has reached Legendary tier should be powerful enough to hide even from me. That still leaves the question of why he would kidnap Borala's son. To frame the Forren Kingdom? Why? Vocana is already preparing for war. To weaken the countries? They are going to war anyway, right?

"It still doesn't make sense," I say, shaking my head. "There's no motive for the Luna Empire to do this."

"I agree," Orlan says. "This revelation shows that there might possibly be a Legendary being loyal to the Luna Empire, but that still doesn't explain his lack of presence; why let the Empire grow weak as it has done? Are you one hundred percent positive that Legendary beings are immortal?"

I nod. "As long as your Race tier is Legendary, then you are immortal. I won't say who my source of that information is, but I have no reason to doubt them."

Orlan looks back at the book.

"It would explain why our spies quickly go quiet in the Empire. It still doesn't explain his lack of proactivity, but enough of that. We want to ask you to find Kyrran in the Forren Kingdom; that's all we want, to simply know where he is, we can do the rest."

It's not my problem... but I probably should help for several reasons. One, it will help relieve any suspicions that I was involved in this. Two, they'd be indebted to me, and that will help with future diplomacy, and three, there's a child in danger, that should be enough of an excuse to help.

However, this isn't entirely without risks. Someone like that tracker might be there, which can put me in direct danger, and more importantly, it can put my home and family in danger too. I still have scapegoats, though, and now a proxy if I plant the Dryad's Grace seed.

"You are asking me to take a lot of risks," I say, crossing my arms. "I may be able to avoid normal retaliation, but I have encountered abilities that I can't just avoid. There's no way to know if they have a perceptive trap; I already know of one person that can track my perception, and there can be more."

"I know, we will be in your debt if you can do this for us." Orlan bows his head.

"I will need some time," I say, to the thankful expression of Orlan. "I need to prepare scapegoats and proxies."

Just then, Borala enters the building and dashes past the receptionist, ignoring her. Borala runs up the stairs and down the hall with thunderous footsteps. She bursts through the door with heavy breathing.

"P-Please, Alysara, you have to find him!" Borala pants.

"She's already agreed to help, Borala," Orlan says, motioning her to sit next to him. "Relax, she just needs some more time to prepare."

"More time?! It's already been nine days!" Borala says, "What if he's hurt, or worse?!"

"Borala!" Orlan's tone shifts to a stern one. "She is risking herself to get us information; we are already asking too much! She needs to make sure she is safe too."

"But..." Borala trails off, looking down in resignation and falling silent.

"We need to make preparations too; everything will be alright," Orlan reassures Borala.

"I'll be preparing as we talk," I say, and with my real body I fly over to Temple island to plant the Star Tree.

I take off the belt and hand it over to Borala. "Perhaps with this, you might be able to get your son back."

We've already discussed how the armor will be stored in the belt the last time I was here. Borala takes the belt and puts it on before summoning the power armor.

"If you use all the inscriptions and enchantments at the same time, it will quickly drain the battery; it will only be able to last as long as thirty minutes under such heavy use," I inform her and take out a spare battery from my storage backpack. "You can change it out with this if you need to, but be warned; these batteries are quite volatile if damaged excessively. The armor should protect you, and the batteries themselves are durable, but it's best to not take any risks."

"I didn't know what to expect," Orlan remarks, inspecting the armor. "But this exceeds what I imagined."

Borala doesn't say anything, probably too overwhelmed with emotions to know what to say.

"You might consider this a prototype; I haven't really made anything like it before, so you should try it out and see what can be improved. There are a few issues that I haven't been able to fix yet; once you start fueling an inscription, it will continually drain mana from the battery and won't stop until there is no more mana left."

There are other issues with inscriptions, like they can only be placed on the chest plate because the inscribed 'power lines' – lines etched and filled with inscription ink to act as a road for mana to travel through – can't jump from one piece to the next. I'm still working things out, like how to make armored joints without segmented pieces while still allowing an arm to fit through and not be too bulky.

As I continue explaining my product to the Governors through my clone, I finally reach Temple Island with my staff, Dryad's Grace. Now I just need to think of a place to plant it. Hmm, when making this staff, I did incorporate plenty of beauty essence and judging by the name, beauty has influenced it. So maybe I should listen to my Bond for the best place to put it.

I look around the island, listening to the whispers of my Bond, finding a suitable place next to a hill where a spring feeds a small waterfall basin. I wander the area, following beauty's whispers in search for the exact spot to plant the seed.

I circle the basin until finally my Bond is happy, and, with a thrust of my staff, I bury the shining star-like seed into the ground and wait. I wait and wait until I realize that things like this take time; the seed still needs to germinate, which is going to take a few days.

Can I speed this process up? Maybe Safyr can help? I don't know if it's healthy for it, but I do know nature essence can make plants grow faster… but if I use too much, I won't be able to maintain my clone at the Lunaleyan Islands.

I settle on using half of my mana to grow the seed and cast a growth spell... only for nothing to happen. Maybe it did, and the seed needs a lot more mana? How do plants grow from nature essence anyway? Maybe it's a Racial skill they all have? Does the star seed have the same skill? Can plants grow from other elements?

There are lots of things to consider. In the Lunaleyan lands, there is a forest wherein the trees grow large and tall but produce a lot of winter essence. Do they grow from winter essence instead? Then there's the Living Ice in the dungeon, with almost nothing in the snowlands. They have to live on something, and I don't know how fertile the ground is, so maybe they are living off a type of mana, like how we Runalymo can sustain ourselves with mana? They do seem to consume heat, but I didn't think that was all they needed.

Perhaps the Star Tree needs beauty mana instead? I trickle beauty essence to the seed until I am at one quarter mana. There's still no change, so maybe it just needs a lot of mana? I notice that the star seed ate both the nature essence and beauty essence, so maybe both work…

I sigh, giving up on the seed for now. I still have the other Treant Eye for a proxy, but I feel the Star Tree would be a safer alternative. Still, there's no time right now, so I fly back home and fill my mana up from one of my batteries, then take the Eye and channel my perception through it.

How does this work? I can make scapegoats because they draw the retaliatory spells to them rather than me, but I can't figure out the mechanism of proxies; maybe I need a breakthrough to properly study it. For that matter, how does one track my perception anyway? I know it's based on a 'touch', but how does someone trace it back to me?

I think back on how it felt when the tracker was tracing me, like something was crawling up my perception. There's definitely something more to it, I just need to work it out, but for now I have a quest to do.

A few hours later, I find Borala's son held up in a fort near Vocana's border, but it has Forren Kingdom troops garrisoned in it. The boy is in a room guarded by two soldiers, and there is a man inside talking to the boy. He is well-dressed and holds himself as if he is above everyone around him.

I can't hear what he says, but he kicks the boy before leaving, not even acknowledging the existence of the guards as he passes them. The whole thing leaves a sour taste in my mouth, but hopefully, the kid will soon be reunited with his mother.

I relay the boy's location to Borala and Orlan through my clone. Relief overtakes Borala as she learns that her son is still alive.

"Thank you! Thank you for finding my son!" she says sincerely.

"We'll organize an extraction team to retrieve him," Orlan says, comforting her.

I can't help but think it's a little odd. Yes, the boy needs to be near the border if they want to exchange him for Leviathan resources, but they never expected the materials in the first place, right? It's almost as if they want the fort to be attacked, but the fort is not nearly ready, and there's no hidden army nearby.

It doesn't make sense, but who else would have the motive to ransom a Governor's son? Perhaps Forren has another enemy, or maybe someone wants Vocana and Forren to attack and weaken each other?

But it shouldn't matter to me; maybe there's a good reason. From what I understand, Leviathan materials will embolden a country to expand through conquest, and with two countries, maybe both weakening each other will prevent other, smaller countries from being conquered for now.

It's not the Runalymo's problem, and I should let things play out naturally. We'll trade, and that's the most we'll do.

Chapter 150: Apotheosis Seed

I wake up one day with a sore chest and an accompanying wetness that I've been dreading the arrival of for months. I sigh heavily; I knew this day would come and I have mostly managed to accept it. Most would probably see this as something to celebrate, but influences from my past life are hard to kill off, even as much as firmly as I've rejected it.

It's about a week after I gave the power armor to Borala and helped find her son. I'll be fifteen in half a year, which is when I'll be considered an adult. It's a strange thing to think about; I've been considered a child all my life... all this life.

While I do have memories from my past life, those are... more like a dream. I don't know if it's because I try so hard to reject that life or if they're just naturally like that, but I am thankful their influence over me is fading.

There's going to be an adulthood ceremony for me at the Lojyo of my fifteenth birthday. I've participated in it many times for other people, but for some reason it never felt like I would be the one to have a ceremony performed for me.

The ceremony is a bathing ritual with a special oil, usually performed by a priestess. Everyone chants around the new adult as she baths beneath Myrou's statue. A pair of earrings will be made by the parents and given to the new adult. Though these aren't nearly as significant as a Kyhosa, they still have importance as they signify one's adulthood, and both are worn until marriage.

When proposing marriage, one of the earrings is exchanged with one of the other person's earrings, so the earrings are often made unique and made to represent the new adult.

I get up and, somewhat grudgingly, go and find Mom, who is predictably excited at my development.

"You're becoming an adult, Alysara," Mom says happily, "but this means that you'll probably have to learn how to deal with mating season."

I groan; I'm going to be getting 'the talk'. Runalymo aren't like the humans of my past life; we have a mating season twice a year that lasts a few weeks, instead of a fertile period each month. The exact timing of mating season is different for everyone, as is its severity: some people aren't too bothered by it, others have it really bad. I'm hoping mine is relatively mild.

I just bear through the lesson, which is thankfully not too long. In short, there's a fairly simple contraceptive spell I can cast, or I could hypothetically have someone else cast on me if it were necessary for whatever reason. I wonder if I can just skip mating season entirely through a hormone regulation spell?

Runalymo society doesn't have knowledge of hormones, but I do; maybe I can revolutionize the whole mating season thing and prevent it from happening... or induce it if people want.

With my bodily needs taken care of, I send four clones over to the Dungeon. I should try to get my Bond as high as I can before my next Race evolution, but there's also something I've severely neglected, related to my mana and magic studies: maybe I should include divinity in that general category as well?

Anyway, I should now start studying magic frameworks in more detail – divinity aside, it's my first and highest-leveled enhanced breakthrough, and I'd like to cap it. First, let's start with a summary and see if there's anything I missed.

Magic frameworks are the union between divinity and magic; order and chaos, creation and destruction. Magic frameworks are responsible for Classes and skills and use 'experience' to grow. Why does magic need experience? I'm not entirely sure, but it seems to be a catalyst for true magic to work. Magic eats experience, and it influences the direction of magic framework evolutions; it also seems to influence the creation of magic items, but that's a separate issue… I think.

That seems to be the extent of my overall knowledge of magic frameworks. My inability to see the other half of it – the divinity side – is a problem, but I can still infer some things: for example, the amount of divinity available to the magic framework seems to be the reason why 'levels' are limited.

By looking at the amount of magic within a skill or Class magic framework, I can determine its level... but can I do that with Race skills as well, to find out how strong they are without a level?

I sit in my chair in my room to get comfortable, then I focus on my Race magic framework and study the magic quantity of the skills. Something rather odd quickly becomes apparent: the magic in it should far exceed the divinity, which shouldn't be allowed under normal circumstances.

Obviously, I am comparing the limits of other Major-tier Races and Classes I can see, since I can't see divinity. There seems to be another source of divinity for my Race, which I can only attribute to two things: the Heirloom tier or the [Sense Magic] and [Nexus Immunity] skills that came into the framework from the outside.

Normally Classes seem to derive their divinity from the skills or tier, but that has to be different for Races, right? Maybe I am missing something, a key piece of the puzzle. First, what are tiers? Are they a source of divinity or a measurement of it? Why does it only increase with evolutions? Then there's the tier bonus, which seems to be magical?

I absentmindedly play with my hair, twirling it with a finger while pondering the mysteries I am staring at.

Then there's the question of what miasma and experience truly are, which may be vital in answering the previous questions, since they are responsible for the growth of magic frameworks. So, what are they? Miasma and experience are negative and positive versions of each other, respectively; if experience grows magic frameworks, then miasma destroys them. Both are generated by 'achievements'.

I peer into the Dungeon and watch the teams of monster slayers fight in the dens, paying close attention to the generation of miasma and experience.

Miasma is created from the hardships and failure that are inevitable components of worthy achievements. In a fight, every time one takes damage, the fear of losing, getting hurt, or even death is enough to generate miasma, but on the flip side, triumphing over monsters, escaping alive, saving others from being hurt and other such positive accomplishments all produce experience.

The generation of miasma and experience is not always equal – and they cancel each other out to a degree – but, in general, the harder the task, the more miasma is produced before it is finished, and the more experience is produced when one finally succeeds.

This is everything I've observed so far, so let's get into the more theoretical stuff. What are miasma and experience; not what do they do, or where do they come from, but what are they?

I have one hypothesis, and that is that they are some sort of energy, like divinity. If miasma can be turned into more magic, as cursed beings do, then obviously the magic/divinity balance of a magic framework would be broken if too much miasma is… for lack of better words, ingested. If that's the case, then experience should make divinity grow, which will help stabilize the magic framework.

Hang on... How does the magic in a magic framework grow, if not like that? And if experience increases divinity and miasma increases magic, then isn't miasma necessary?

I get up and start pacing back and forth to help my mind focus on this revelation.

If, instead, the miasma wasn't just being neutralized by experience but instead being consumed to help grow magic frameworks, then it isn't just something to be avoided. What does that mean for my cursed skills?

That explains why the skill itself being cursed doesn't destroy the soul; the skills have a built-in mechanism to deal with miasma, and Classes have a mechanism to draw out that miasma for their own use, but that mechanism doesn't have a limiter, so the Class framework ends up taking too much at once from skills that come pre-packaged with miasma, making magic greater than divinity in the Class framework… which ends up tearing it apart.

This suggests that it is possible to curse a skill just by using it normally, if miasma is accumulated without experience to match... which is why the magic framework for general skills exists; it draws out excess miasma from the skills attached to it and discharges it, or uses it for some other means. Classes are an altered form of the general skill framework, which use the miasma for other purposes… But some skills clearly don't fit into the general framework, only the proper Class one, so gaining them manually makes them cursed because they're not designed to dispel their own excess miasma… Which means that if I can somehow build a magic framework for cursed skills, designed to draw out their miasma, then it should be possible to cure them.

I need to observe how a second Class is grown; but then again, the opportunity to gain more Classes seems to be something obtained by reaching certain milestones, but why is that? Why do certain milestones need to be passed?

I already qualify for a second Class, so maybe I should take a closer look into the framework of my general skills, but there is one important question I first need to ask. If there is a milestone for cursed skills, what do I need to do to get it? It's a huge risk to even get to the milestone, it'll be even more of a risk to actually form a magic framework without knowing for sure that it will safely drain miasma from my skills… and that is all assuming that this is even possible in the first place.

The risk is simply too great; I cannot risk forming a magic framework around cursed skills, nor do I know how. I already have a method that should work and is safe... but there is an issue with it: if I use the skill without a magic framework, it will just become cursed again, so maybe I need to purify them first and then somehow make a magic framework around them? Or perhaps I just need to transfer a purified skill over to a Class or Race immediately after getting rid of the miasma?

I sigh heavily, stop pacing, and put a hand on my chin in thought.

No wonder no one has managed to cure cursed skills; it's complicated, requires a lot of risk, and requires an enhanced skill to even start studying. That one elf Safyr heard rumors of might just have been an exaggerated tale, or maybe the elf just stumbled into the cure, or maybe they were just a con-man seeking to make a buck off of bearers of cursed skills.

Well, let's get to studying how the whole milestone thing works.

I peer deeply into my general skills magic framework; there has to be a buildup of magic and divinity to form the seed for another Class framework... but I don't see anything. Perhaps I need a breakthrough for it, so let's look for what I can't see...

I am looking for something, not a magic framework yet but something less... like a bundle of magic? Of divinity? No, a seed that is a mix of both; what would that look like, though, and where is it? If I had to guess, it will be at the core of the general skills framework, since that's where the milestone comes from.

I focus intently at the core of my general skill framework, looking... feeling for a mix of divinity and magic; it has to be there.

A faint fuzziness, so dim I'm momentarily uncertain I really saw it, attracts my attention, and I concentrate on it. Suddenly a bright, magical star comes into focus with a chorus of 'tings' to announce its arrival. A powerful source of magic shines in the core of the magic framework.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 820!

41st Breakthrough: You have observed the magic within an apotheosis seed; this will help you unlock the mysteries of the system.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 695-728!

In addition to the new breakthrough, several other breakthroughs also gained levels in both action and knowledge. I can only see the magic of it, not the divinity – unfortunately, I still am blind to the other side of the system, and I'm not sure how to fix that – but now I have a new goal: to study this apotheosis seed while I still have the chance.

This suggests that an apotheosis seed needs a magic framework to form, but if that's the case, how does the Ultimate Class form? Maybe it's applied to a skill or Bond skill that is already in a magic framework? But this is all speculation; I'll get to it if I have the opportunity for more practical observations.

I continue studying the apotheosis seed, watching how the raw magic behaves. It shimmers and swirls against something else, something invisible but distinctly separate, but looking at actual magic frameworks indicates that magic and divinity are fused together, forming one new thing, like an alloy of magic and divinity.

It seems like the magic and divinity have yet to actually fuse together in the apotheosis seed, which suggests that the two must fuse once they form a new framework. This leads to more questions, like what even is this raw form of magic? Is it a particle, like mana?

I crank my perceptive pressure up to the max on the apotheosis seed and focus intensely on it, ignoring a few 'tings' of my skill leveling further. Under the intense gaze of my skill, I observe the very fabric of existence warping under the chaotic magic, a dizzying churning, and twisting which bends the space into complex and impossible forms.

Magic is not matter, energy, or any other form of 'thing' that makes any sense by normal logic. It is… chaos, the metaphorical dice of randomness and impossibility; it is change. Magic seems to be an intrinsic property of reality, the fabric of existence. Or maybe I'm just being overly poetic and have no idea what I'm looking at, that's also possible.

For each question answered there, several more need to be answered. Why and how does mana fuel magic? Why and how does miasma feed it? And more importantly, if magic is the very embodiment of chaos, then what does that mean for cursed beings? Why are they called cursed? I received a breakthrough for seeing 'a magic being' when seeing a cursed being, but that implies that not all magic beings are cursed beings.

I will have to investigate this later… but for now, let's see how much my skill has grown while I was thinking.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 729-747!

Ting! You have gained the Sense Space general skill!

Ting! You have too many general skills; would you like to remove one or keep what you have?

[Sense Space] is one that I've been thinking about getting, not just to potentially help slay monsters but also to help me make better portals and storage items, and maybe work out where the ectoplasm comes from when the Dungeon creates monsters. It's definitely going to be a contender for the next skill I get, once I free up some slots.

Having such a source of magic to study has proven invaluable: I have gained over fifty levels in a day and, more importantly, I now have a clearer insight into magic and, in turn, its opposite, divinity.

This is a huge breakthrough in my study of magic; I should at least record it into my book. Since my book is made of mana, I can just add more to it. I need to make a new one anyway: Lotis is a little confused on parts, probably because it teaches each breakthrough of [Sense Mana] in sequence; it's a skill book, really, rather than being a proper guide to mana as a whole.

I divert a clone to the task of making a book to explain not just mana, but all my sensing skills. This one won't just be how to learn the skill, but will teach the fundamental concepts and everything to help others understand mana, magic, and souls as best as they can.

Chapter 151: Another Trade

It's now been six months since I started studying the apotheosis seed, and today is the eve of my fifteenth birthday. I'll be attending my adulthood ceremony at today's Lojyo, which still doesn't feel real. I've been on this world for six thousand days which, when translated to Earth years from my past life, would make me sixteen and a half.

I have made a lot of progress over the last half a year, both on my [Sense Magic] and my Bond and Class. With a minimum of three clones in the Dungeon, grinding levels and challenging myself in fighting only with my Bond, I managed to earn about forty levels a month, or about one level a day.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 886!

Ting! Your Class, Distant Summoner, has obtained level 297! 15 status points awarded.

The fights have taught me much about my Bond… or rather, strengthened my bond with my Bond, I suppose. I can now fully hide my Bond presence, and my Bond is much more willing to do what I ask of it.

With a sword of dancing aurora in the hand of my clone, I am currently staring at a Grass Mantis boss.

It is one of my new Bond skills: [Aurora Blade], evolved from [Beauty Weapon], which was evolved from [Beauty Spear]. I am not that proficient with martial weapons, but learning new Bond skills helps my Bond grow, so here I am.

I block a swing from the Mantis, my sword burning into its scythe arm, making it reel back with pained clicks of its mandibles. [Aurora Blade] is pretty much a lightsaber, just way prettier.

I slow the boss down with [Serene Moment], a skill that slows down time in an area, and I shoot a beam of [Aurora Prism], an upgrade to my Bond laser skills. I blast a hole through the Mantis and launch a [Star Cannon] bullet into the hole, which then detonates and blows the Mantis in two, the explosion slowed down a little due to [Serene Moment's] effect.

My Bond demands that I fight beautifully, it's no longer enough to just use lasers or spears of concentrated mana. That is one part of why I am also trying to use martial weapons: I can also add in graceful movements – not the skill – and dance-like movements aided by [Graceful Movements]. I've only just started doing this, so I am still learning a lot, but so far it feels like I am doing the right thing to increase my connection with my Bond.

Moving onto the other thing I've been doing for the last half a year, I've studied more about magic. Magic is an intrinsic part of the fabric of existence but needs some sort of catalyst to properly act; as to why it needs a catalyst, I can only guess that it's to prevent completely random fluctuations, but that is just speculation. I need to observe miasma in more detail.

If magic needs a catalyst, then does that mean that divinity does too? If that's the case, then how do cursed beings use magic? There shouldn't be anything to spark it. Magic seems to react to the mind in some way, but I have no way to study minds right now, other than the vague functions of my own. I need something to detect minds for that.

In any case, my leveling for [Sense Magic] has slowed down a lot. I can study the random fluctuations of magic, but it's random: there is seemingly no pattern to it, so nothing can be learned. I seem to have learned most of what there is back when I first discovered the apotheosis seed, so I have to see it in action to learn more… and I probably need to see other types of apotheosis seeds, like one for legendary Classes or something like that.

With my study of magic limited until I can get better insight into the growth of a new Class, I have diverted my efforts to other breakthroughs that don't directly relate to magic, like passive sensing, sensing others' perception, and manipulation of perceptive pressure.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 748-766!

I have less than eighty levels to go to max out my Skill, but it seems that any further levels are dependent on new breakthroughs, and I have no idea what I am missing. Is this what it feels like for everyone else trying to learn [Sense Mana]?

I'll figure it out eventually. I still need to figure out how my perception gets tracked, and that may reveal new things, but I also need to practice it, which means finding someone who's more friendly to help me train.

Archmage Holuna Ruluna stares intently at the Fire Focusing Orb and the Blade of Flame, both gifts from Alysara. Whether or not she knew, Alysara also gifted her with an opportunity to study mana in even more depth, earning a new breakthrough in [Sense Mana] after so long!

The headmasters are very pleased with her new growth in the Skill and are hoping to make a deal with Alysara once she gets back. However, what's starting to worry the governors and Order headmasters is that no trade ships have arrived yet.

"They must have a long journey; how far away did you say they were, Ruluna?" Headmaster Vulpun says, pacing impatiently around her like a buzzing fly.

"I don't know just how far away they are, just that they are super far away," Ruluna replies, trying to figure out how Alysara made the enchantments so perfectly melded into the rest of the mana.

"Then their ships must just be slow; maybe that's how they navigate around the Leviathans," Vulpun says. "Alysara does have that flying skill which makes her fast; that must be the case."

"Don't you have a meeting to go to?" Ruluna asks, annoyed by the bothering Headmaster.

"Nope, the whole week is clear," Vulpun says, still pacing.

Great, that means he'll be buzzing around her all week. With the other Archmages and Paladins allocated to Kineto City and the nearby fort, Ruluna is the only high-ranking member of the Order of Flame available to keep Vulpun company. Governor Borala's son was successfully rescued; however, that has sparked tensions with the Forren Kingdom... Well, more than there already were, anyway.

Forren is conscripting a worrying amount of soldiers and training them rapidly, while their knights will be outfitted with Leviathan armor.

On Vacana's side, the army is building fortifications and new soldiers are being recruited and trained, while the Ash Guard is being outfitted with Alysara's Power-Armor. The mana crystallizers has been working overtime to make batteries for the armors; Alysara confirmed that any form of mana will suffice as a battery, but the denser, the better, which of course makes her batteries much more valuable.

"Well," Vulpun says. "Tomorrow, Alysara will be delivering a new shipment of armor; I guess I can ask her what's taking so long. We'll also want you in the meeting; we want to establish a trade of knowledge."

Of course they do. Ruluna drew the short straw with being relegated to studying mana, and now she has to deal with trades and other boring stuff.

The next day Ruluna dresses in her formal attire and waits in the meeting room with the other headmasters, Vulpun, Shalar, and Kolona.

Both Shalar, the Headmaster of the Order's warriors, and Kolona, the Headmaster of the Order's mages, had to come from Kineto City to attend this important meeting, and, with Ruluna's direct superior here, she has to be on her best behavior.

"How go the studies, Ruluna?" Kolona asks.

"Both fruitful and not, Headmaster. I am training the new breakthrough, but I have no idea how she made the items," Ruluna refrains from sighing frustratedly.

"So you are lacking the knowledge levels; chances are it's a more advanced breakthrough or, more likely, requires another to understand fully. In times like these, we have to think outside the box and into theoretical territory," Kolona says in his best 'teacher' tone.

"If all goes well, she can just tell us," Shalar says. "That's the whole reason why we were dragged here, is it not?" Shalar gives Vulpun a raised eyebrow.

"That is the case," Vulpun replies.

The banter continues, but Ruluna doesn't have to wait long before Alysara arrives.

"Alysara, we welcome you once again!" Vulpun says, greeting Alysara like an old friend.

Ruluna can't help but notice the difference in Alysara, her movements are somehow even more refined, more beautiful. She must have gained a lot of levels in her Bond since the last time she saw her… or rather, saw her clone.

How has she gained so many levels? Ruluna wonders for a few moments, but realization suddenly dawns on her. They have a Dungeon!

Very little is actually known about Dungeons, and the only known one is in the healer country, Helikan, where it is strictly guarded and only permitted for use by the healers, to train and quickly gain power and reach level four hundred.

Ruluna keeps quiet for now, as the materials and armor are exchanged.

"I streamlined the design and added more inscriptions with their own batteries," Alysara says. "This means that each inscription needs its own battery, but it gives you more choices in which inscription you have active."

Each armor comes with its own storage belt to conjure it around the wearer.

"Does it have to be a belt?" Shalar asks. "Can't you make a storage ring for it?"

"Not unless it's a magic item, and I am not so good as to make magic items whenever I want," Alysara replies. "A shirt, boots, arm guards, or anything that can support enough enchantments will suffice, but a belt is the most beneficial form as one can sleep in it without discomfort, among other things."

"I see… you seem to have put a lot of thought into the practical uses, so I'll leave it to your judgment," Shalar says, content in the answer.

"Now, before you go, we'd like to discuss something else," Vulpun says. "Two things, actually. First, we'd like to know how long until your trade vessels arrive, some of us are getting anxious."

Ruluna gives Vulpun a dirty look but doesn't say anything.

"Oh, yeah, I probably should have mentioned that earlier; forgive me, I am not experienced in this," Alysara says. "They are still being built; we expect it to be done in... maybe five more months?"

The room falls silent.

"You... don't have trading ships yet?" Vulpun says, dumbfounded.

"Well, we had three until someone burnt them down, then some stuff happened, and now we are focusing on making our flagship again, but getting... material for it is taking a long time."

"Then let's get to the next thing." Vulpun doesn't ask for more details. If Alysara wanted to share it she would have, and it's not that important anyway; the fact is that they won't be trading for another half year. "We want to trade for some knowledge of [Sense Mana]. What's your price?"

Alysara thinks about it for several long seconds with a hand to her chin.

"First, I'll need to know what you already know about it." Before anyone can speak, she hurriedly continues. "Don't worry, I probably know any breakthrough you already have. As for the price… I can teach you one breakthrough if you have anyone that can track my perception; I need it to train a breakthrough, or possibly get another."

"Another? For [Sense Mana]? Haven't you already completed it?" Kolona asks.

"Yes and no," Alysara says after a few moments of contemplation. "Even if you do reach 'unparalleled knowledge' in it, there's still more to gain. It just gets just vastly harder, and it's technically not for [Sense Mana], but I won't go into any further detail."

She must have upgraded it. Skills are often upgraded when evolving a Race or Class, but [Sense Mana] is one of those that just doesn't seem to do so. What would it upgrade into, anyway? It's already the culmination of all 'mana sense' type skills.

However, in Ruluna's musings, she doesn't notice all the Headmasters looking at her until Shalar clears her throat.

"Ruluna, don't you have a skill like that?" she says sweetly… too sweetly.

"Hmm, that does make sense," Alysara mutters. "I can't see you tracking me right now?"

"How can I track you when you are hiding your scrying?" Ruluna asks, confused, only to realize immediately that that might have been a mistake.

"You don't know? Then you'll be getting a lot more from this deal." Alysara turns toward Vulpun. "You'll be learning two breakthroughs then, so it will cost you more: a favor that I can call upon later."

"You'll have it," Vulpun says, before listing the breakthrough the Order has learned so far, without going into detail about how they work. Alysara shows no hint of surprise at any of the breakthroughs… as if she already knows them, which isn't much of a surprise.

"Alright, what do you want to know?" Alysara asks.

"Is there a breakthrough related to how solid mana is formed?" Kolona asks.

"Yes, but it's one of the most advanced ones. Even if I do tell you, you may not have the levels required to actually see it."

"But we can see the solid mana," Shalar says. "It can't be that advanced, right?"

Alysara sighs lightly. "It can, and it is. In fact, you probably already have some sort of theory around it, but the actual difficulty of seeing it is just that great. It's my twenty-eighth breakthrough, if that gives you an idea of how much else I had to learn first."

"I see…" Kolona mutters. "Then perhaps something simpler for now, maybe something related to enchantments?"

"Surprisingly, there's actually no breakthrough directly related to enchantments themselves, just about enchanted items. The closest one would be how spells are formed, but to get that one, you are missing another key breakthrough."

"Alright..." Vulpun says. "Let's take off the ones we are unable to get and ones that require other breakthroughs. How many breakthroughs can we learn?"

"Three," Alysara says. "One is required for learning about spells, the second is related to enchanted and magic items and the last is [Analyzing] with [Sense Mana]."

"We already have that breakthrough, though?" Shalar questions. "A breakthrough of [Analyze] is that it can be used through scrying."

"She's not talking about that," Kolona shakes her head. "She's saying being able to replace [Analyze] with [Sense Mana], basically freeing up a general skill slot."

Ruluna nods to reinforce Kolona's argument.

"Wait, that's actually really good then!" Shalar says.

"I guess that's the one then?" Alysara asks Vulpun, to which he nods. "Very well, I will send a written piece on that breakthrough the next time I deliver armor."

With the deal now agreed upon, Alysara curtsies and leaves.

"That went better than expected," Vulpun says.

"We at least know she's willing to trade knowledge, but what concerns me is that favor: she can pretty much ask for anything, so long as it's as valuable as what we learn. Why did you agree to it, Vulpun?" Kolona asks.

"Because she didn't yet know what to trade for it, and if she has nothing to trade for it then we wouldn't have been able to make a deal. We need to secure deals, as that builds rapport and trust, making her more willing to trade in the future."

"I see," Kolona says and stands up to leave. "We'll be counting on you, Ruluna, to make it worth Alysara's effort and time."

Ruluna can't help but despair at that, feeling like the weight of the world is on her shoulders.

I am not ready for tracking training just yet, I first need to find some way to use the proxy through my clones so Ruluna will track the proxy and not my location. However, that's the hard part. I wonder if I can somehow send my perceptive 'touch' through my clone's link?

"Alysara!" Mom calls for me as my clone flies back home with more materials. "Come, it's time to prepare for your adulthood ceremony!"

It's still a few hours before the Lojyo, but Mom has been happily spending all day making sure everything will be perfect.

Chapter 152: Adulthood Ceremony

Feyan hums joyfully. Little Aly is finally all grown up! Yafe and Yafel will be getting their Classes in a few months too.

Aly fidgets as Feyan paints markings on her body, making her smudge the design.

"Lay still!" Feyan chastises. She wants Aly looking perfect.

"That tickles," Aly complains, but holds still. Once the paint dries, it will stick for several days, and any little blemish will be stuck for the entire duration. Feyan wipes off the faintly glowing smudge and continues the full-body design.

Once the body paint is done, she styles Aly's hair: a complex but beautiful style with locks of hair running down in front of her and looping back up. Her bangs are swept to the right and pulled as the rest of her long hair is folded up and tied into a bun. The golden tips make it look like a sun is behind her head, and the effect is only enhanced by the two gold-and-sapphire pins holding the whole thing up.

"Can you give me a little more to work with, dear?" Feyan says. Aly has a Bond skill that can make her hair grow or shorten: Feyan isn't sure what her daughter normally uses it for, but for this design, she needs it longer, so it's useful right now.

Aly obeys, her hair grows until Feyan says 'stop'. After styling Aly's hair, Feyan moves on by dusting her cheeks with sapphire powder that sparkles under the faint blue glow of the paint, then doing the same with her hair, ears, tails, and shoulders. Then she stands back to get a full look at her daughter, nodding with satisfaction. The sapphires go really well with the royal blue of her hair and the glow of the paint is just enough that it can really only be seen in the shade.

There's still about half an hour before the Lojyo and Feyan isn't done; being a jeweler, she has made tons of jewelry for this occasion. She has Aly try on many jewelry options, all types of necklaces, armlets, bangles, anklets, headdresses, clip-on earrings, rings, all with a consistent style to match the ceremony.

Feyan struggles with the many choices she made available. She wants Aly to wear them all, but it'd be too much! Perfection is not when there's nothing more to add, but when there's nothing left to take away. Hardening her heart, Feyan decides to remove a few pieces to make her [Perfectionist's Eye] happy.

"Okay, you can put this on now." Feyan hands Aly a black robe, to hide her body until the time is right. The robe touches the ground and is even longer in the back, custom-made to cover Aly's three extra-long tails and decorated with tiny gems to look like stars in a night sky.

With everything now ready, Feyan and Aly walk to the Lojyo and partake in the festivities. Everything goes normally, first with the dancing and socializing, then the displays of crafts and skills and a story or two, then finally everyone makes their way to the bath, but they don't go in yet.

Tusile and an apprentice priestess first wade into the bath waters and then call for Aly to join them. Alysara slides the robes off, showing her painted body, and enters the waters as a child for the last time.

I've never liked being the center of attention, and so I can't help but feel self-conscious with all eyes on me. Nakedness is not something the Runalymo have a stigma against, and after a lifetime of communal baths and seeing this same ceremony performed for others, that's not what I am really embarrassed about… I just don't like having lots of people looking at me.

"Young Alysara." Tusile waits for me to approach, holding a pair of earrings.

The earring rings have three-centimeter-long sapphires, as wide as my thumb, accentuated with gold. According to the mana saturation in the gems, they should be faintly luminous, at glow-in-the-dark levels.

"You have grown into a fine adult and master craftsman who cares for your community. I am proud to bestow upon you your earrings, to make clear to all that you are ready to lead your life without dependency on anyone else."

Tusile clips the earrings on my ears, the small needles barely a discomfort with my [Pain Tolerance]. I heal my ears as the apprentice priestess hands Tusile a gold and silver jug, finely decorated with religious symbols. It contains special bathing oil that is heavily saturated with beauty essence, and smells strongly of mint. Tusile then rubs me down in the oil, making sure the oil reaches the roots of my hair and seeps into my tails.

Myrou's projection smiles at me throughout the ceremony, watching as I am washed. Once the ceremony is finished, everyone joins me in the bath to congratulate me before washing up… and then the Lojyo is over, and everyone goes. I go to sleep, knowing that tomorrow, when I wake up, I'll officially be fifteen years old.

In the morning, I mentally prepare myself to find out how many of my Race evolution options are corrupted. I take a deep breath and then, somewhat hesitantly, bring them up.

Four Tailed Runalymo Nurturer:

(Grand) (Unique)

You are selfless and have risked yourself for the sake of others many times, even if they don't consider themselves Runalymo. You have sought to protect children, no matter who they are, and have done your best to bring prosperity to your people. Now you'll nurture your people to good health and restore their bodies, to see that they prosper even further.

Does this mean my milk will be able to heal people? I am now accustomed to taking care of my bodily needs, as embarrassing as it was at first, but I'm still not interested in this evolution. I just don't see a whole lot of practical use for it.

Four Tailed Runalymo Actor:

(Grand) (Unique)

You have taken roles to support you in the toughest of times, from the deadly chaos of battle to the intense conflict of minds and ideas that is politics and diplomacy. Now, this experience in making yourself other than what you are will serve you with even greater potential.

Hmm, I hadn't expected this one… but it does feel a little weak, and, while [Acting] is a very useful tool, that's all it is, not something I want to spend the next five years intertwined with so closely.

Four Tailed Runalymo Farseer:

(Grand) (Artifact)

You have seen far beyond your lands and seen beings far more powerful than any of your race has ever become. You bring knowledge of the outside world, and new opportunities to prosper; you have spread your knowledge and invented both entire new technologies and single powerful items. You have learned all the secrets of mana and some of magic and divinity and that which feeds them. Now you'll be able to see great lands, the void beyond the sky, the depths beneath the oceans, and all the secrets that lie in the deepest crevices of the world.

Surprisingly uncorrupted and a good contender for a potential evolution. The Heirloom tier upgrades too, which is interesting. Although, when considering that for my last evolution [Sense Mana] was at two hundred fifty, and it's now [Sense Magic] at over level seven hundred fifty, I'm surprised this isn't heroic… the Artifact tier must be taking up a lot of the available divinity.

Four Tailed Runalymo Magic Scholar:

(Grand) (Artifact)

You have researched and studied many things and even invented a whole new craft with great potential. You have taught others and recorded your findings to preserve your knowledge for the future. Now you will be able to see your inventions and discoveries to their full success; you will revolutionize the world with fantastic technologies and spread knowledge of your newfound craft.

Hmm, this seems to help me better understand my inscriptions? It's also Artifact-tier, so it's helped by my [Sense Magic]… or maybe it's hindered by it? In any case, this is also a great contender. Do I want to see further? Or do I want to understand inscriptions better?

Five Tailed Runalymo Soul Savior:

(Heroic) (Unique) (Corrupted)

You have saved your people from extinction, have given pieces of your soul to see that they thrive; you are their savior, their champion. However, what was once given can be taken back; you are the arbiter of life and death, for you now wield ectoplasmic powers. Infuse others with strength and grant them the blessing of your soul, or punish those who wish to take advantage of others.

Five tails and Heroic? Hmm, as usual, corrupted options seem a little ominous. This seems to give me the ability to use soul spells, or something of that sort. In any case, I'm not going to take this evolution even if it's Heroic-tier, and I am not interested nor fit to be 'the Arbiter of life and death' although that part may just be influenced by corruption.

Five Tailed Ectoplasmic Nurturer:

(Heroic) (Unique) (Corrupted)

You have saved and healed the souls of many thousands of people; you have given of, and risked, yourself, now you can do so without pain and with little effort. Let the ill and wounded drink from you and be healed in body, mind, and soul. All will desire your nourishment and none can resist: they will do anything for it… anything you wish.

Not only healing the body but the soul and mind too? If I had the option of an uncorrupted version, I would have picked this during that time, creepy-sounding reference to addiction and possible mind control aside, just so that I wouldn't have had to go through that pain. However, this is corrupted, and those two years are only history now. As such, this Class can be discarded instantly.

Five Tailed Runalymo Phantom:

(Heroic) (Unique) (Corrupted)

You have spent a long time in the soul layer, become familiar with it, and infiltrated souls with your mind. Take the plunge and truly become a denizen of the soul layer. Manifest projections of your image onto the material layers to scare or speak with others. Possess the souls or bodies of others, and consume ectoplasm to sustain your ever-dwindling anima.

What is 'anima'? And the 'soul layer'? I assume that's referring to the 'space' that the soul occupies, and which my mind component had to traverse to get from one soul to another. Well, now I have another breakthrough to aim for with [Sense Soul]; maybe I'll learn something new.

Five Tailed Mana Savant Runalymo.

(Heroic) (Artifact) (Corrupted)

You have seen farther than most, seen secrets only a few have ever peered into, and made powerful items from the secrets you discovered. You will continue to seek out knowledge in all forms, to reveal every last secret this realm has to offer. You will continue to make ever more powerful artifacts from the greatest of materials and rarest of rituals. All things of mana are under your control; you are the acknowledged master of all things mana- and magic-related.

This one seems to be based more on making things, on crafting items. A powerful choice, but what does that actually mean? Will it improve my [Inquisitive Perfection]? Anyway, it's corrupted, so I won't waste too much time on it.

So it's between Scholar and Farseer: of the two, which do I want? One helps me study and understand; the other helps me explore.

The answer is obvious: neither. Instead, I will purify [Mana Manipulation] and see what my choices are then. This is my opportunity to purify a cursed skill or two and that's my number one goal, not getting the best evolution right now.

I need this evolution opportunity: the moment I purify my cursed skills, I can use the evolution process to transfer them to a safe magic framework. This means that I need to get a legendary point within almost five years… I should also consider trying to get my [Mana Manipulation] to its enhancement threshold. That will give me a legendary point, but unless I absolutely have to I don't want to use it for something other than enhancing the skill.

I should talk to Safyr, and maybe Kayafe as well, about trying to get a legendary point.

Making up my mind, I fly over to the Guardian and ask her for advice… after telling her everything new I have learned about [Sense Magic], of course.

"Hmm, the role miasma plays with magic... That does make sense," Safyr says, digesting my lesson. "It explains why cursed skills are the way they are. This does reinforce the idea that the purification of cursed skills is indeed the expulsion of the miasma."

"Yes," I confirm, "but the skill also needs to then immediately be put into a magic framework to prevent the buildup of more miasma."

"So that brings us to why you are here: you now have the opportunity to do that by hijacking your Race evolution, but you don't have the means to purify your cursed skills."

"Yes, I need a legendary point to expel the miasma," I nod, confirming Sayr's deduction.

"That is not something easy to do, Alysara. Legendary points are always granted by slaying another legendary being or crafting a legendary item, but that's where the easy options stop. The reason is simple, in theory anyway: I assume the legendary status is transferred to the slayer or the maker, granting them a point. However, in general, legendary feats are ones that defy great odds, or actions that may involve an entire continent or something of equal absurdity, such as a single person giving mind components to an entire race without any help." Safyr pauses to let that sink in.

If I did not have Safyr's help, then I would have had no choice but to awaken people to keep them alive, not to mention that without the ectoplasm crystals it would have taken a lot longer. I doubt I could have done it without Safyr's help, as nice as the potential reward sounds in hindsight.

"Of course, simply defying great odds is not good enough; there has to be some great consequence to failing, usually death," Safyr continues. "Many make trials to cultivate Legendary-tier beings, but even then, the vast majority of people who attempt them fail and die."

"So you're saying that my surest way of getting a legendary point is to do a trial?" I ask.

"Yes," Safyr confirms. "But if there is one that you can do, it will be Kayafe's Trial; to make the Likenesses of Venaro, Myrou, and Varath."

To study Venaro's Likeness, I'll need to kill the Mind Eater, which means I need very high-level mental resistance skills – and just a safe way to gain practical experience in mental combat – and that means I need Safyr's help. I need to get my Bond at least to level one thousand, get a second Class, and level both my first and second Classes to a high enough point that I can challenge an Exalted-tier monster with three Heroic-tier Classes.

Maybe I can get the Fairy Queen's help? But maybe she doesn't have mind resistance skills, which might be bad for her. Maybe I can keep the Mind Eater's minds occupied? But I don't have enough minds...

"I can't do that trial without enhancing [Mana Manipulation], and I'm not sure if enhancing it will be dangerous or not," I say.

"Hmm," Safyr ponders the issue for a minute before speaking. "Assuming you are right, then it should not be an issue. The danger is the Class framework's miasma integration mechanism, right? Then enhancing the skill's magic circle alone may even make it safer to use and to add to a Class later, since it is vastly strengthened, or maybe it will use up the miasma: if you're right, then it needs the miasma to be strengthened."

"But what if I'm wrong? I could be turned into a cursed being."

"It's a risk you will have to take," Safyr chides, the slightly cold edge to her voice enough of a reminder that that was a silly question. "Unless there is a magic item that can at least temporarily do what you need it to do."

"Like an item that can do what I need [Manipulate Magic] to do? Only a magic item can do that and even I can't just create a magic item whenever I want!" I cross my arms and sigh in frustration. Every solution to the main problem has another problem that I can't solve!

"You'll need to make a sacrifice then. That is the only proven way to ensure the creation of a magic item, even if it's not what you want."

Sacrifice? What can I sacrifice? If I copy Kayafe's [Manipulate Magic] skill as an inscription, I am confident that whatever I make will be capable of doing what I need it to do.

"If you can't part with anything, then I suppose you can also try and improve an existing magic item," Safyr says, watching me with what passes for an amused grin on a dragon's face.

An existing magic item…?

"My Kyhosa!" I half-yelp aloud when the realization hits.

My Kyhosa has [Mana Manipulation] as a usable skill, but I never used it because it's always inferior to my own skill... but that means I have to find a way to not only catch it up to my own skill, but surpass it...

I'll figure something out. Five years is plenty of time to… surpass myself, I suppose, although it's weird to think about it like that.

Chapter 153: Rituals

"I'm going to get Kayafe's advice on her skill!" I say, bowing to Safyr respectfully and dashing off towards the Temple.

I fly up to the top of the pyramid and initiate contact with Kayafe. We go through our usual greetings, then I explain the situation, after explaining what more I have discovered about magic.

"So you need to upgrade it to do what [Manipulate Magic] can do? There's nothing I can do to help you with that, unfortunately. Getting your skill to its enhancement threshold should improve it, but that method never raises the item's skill above your own." Kayafe sounds a little regretful at her lack of usefulness.

"That's where inscriptions come into play: by inscribing your skill onto it, I hope that it will be at least at the same level as mine. But I don't know how else to make it better, and I was hoping you'd have some ideas."

"Hmm," Kayafe thinks for several long minutes before answering. "You can try a ritual, although you'd need to find or create a ritual site and take advantage of a significant time or even. A specific time of year or a rare celestial event would be good options; I had a ritual site set up for a specific event of the moons and sun all lining up. It's really rare, and happens near here once every three hundred sixty-five years."

A ritual site? Why does that idea seem familiar…?

"What was the ritual site like?" I ask.

"It's a bunch of mana-infused stones arranged in a circle, meant to draw in mana to the center. It's probably gone by now, and even if it's still standing you'd have to wait until the moons line up."

That stonehenge I saw... Maybe I can repurpose it… unless the moons actually do line up sometime soon, I recall there being some legend about it. Maybe I should ask Tusile if records have been kept about when it last happened... or I could just ask Safyr if she remembers the last time it happened, that's probably easier.

"I saw the ritual site when I looked around the Nexus before; it's just buried under the sea a bit. If that's the place, then maybe I can rebuild it?" I suggest, thinking of a way to either dredge it up or make a new one.

If its purpose is only to gather mana, then maybe I can make something better. A large mana-gathering inscription or something. I still need to work out the fundamental rules of inscriptions, and make improvements overall, but there's time for that.

I continue to talk with Kayafe, telling her my idea for improving the ritual site. She likes it, and we discuss ways to reverse-engineer inscriptions. After that, I go back to Safyr to ask about the moons lining up.

"It's different for every place," Safyr says. "Here, it happens every three and a half centuries, but for others it might take thousands of years."

In other words, if the moons line up here, with the ritual sitting directly beneath them, then on the Lunaleyan Islands they won't see the moons eclipsing each other and the sun; instead, they'll see the moons and the sun partially covering each other. So some parts of the world may never have all three moons and the sun lined up neatly.

"However," Safyr continues. "The next eclipse would be in about one month."

"One month?!"

That's almost no time! I have to level my [Mana Manipulation] to five hundred to get the best improvements on my Kyhosa. I need the ritual site, and that may not even be done in one month! Plus, the distance from the island and the fact that it is underwater will slow things down. For such a large-scale inscription, I need a ton of inscription ink, and I need to research a streamlined version of the mana collection inscription! I know I have five minds, but even that is not enough to make up for how little time I have!

"Time doesn't always wait for us," Safyr says. "Something that an immortal needs to remember every now and then."

I thank Safyr for answering my question and then fly back home. If I am going to do this in time, I have to work fast!

I need to ask the Elders for help to build the ritual site. I don't have the luxury to pick good materials, so making it out of wood will have to do. What's most important is that the inscription is made, so carving it into the floor will have to do.

Considering how fast people can make things, the actual construction likely won't take long; what will is the research needed to make it work. I'll need to talk with Kayafe more to understand rituals better, but I'll do that tomorrow. For the rest of today, I need to focus on either [Mana Manipulation] or researching inscriptions.

Perhaps with my new insights in [Sense Magic] I'll be able to see what's going on; if anything, this may help me level up my [Sense Magic] further, so I'll start with inscriptions for now; that way, if I do learn anything I can tell Kayafe tomorrow.

I start with my current magic circles, that simply draw in mana. They have their cores removed, and without that no actual magic will occur… which I suppose at least proves that one of the fundamental rules is that 'the magic happens in the core'..

Hmm? If that's the case, then a better ritual might include a core, but that is likely going to take too long to study.

I sigh frustratedly at the time limit. I need this to work, I can't let this make an inferior item, but there are other things I need to consider. The amount of miasma and experience, to help grow the magic framework on my Kyhosa, needs to be at least somewhat balanced. The miasma is easy to produce – all this work to make this happen, the worry and trial and failure, should make enough – the problem is the experience.

Experience should be gained simply by being under the eclipse and in a ritual site: the issue is that I don't know how much that matters. Maybe I need to add something else to make the whole thing more special?

I still have some Dragon mana silk.

I used some for my sisters' Kyhosa and planned on using more to make armor for people, but I never had the chance; or rather, a situation never called for it. Maybe I can use some to improve my Kyhosa? Or maybe I can use it to make the altar that will be in the middle?

Something to consider for later, I need to focus on inscriptions.

Going back to the magic circle, I focus on it, studying how the mana moves. The current circle has some sharp turns that affect the flow of mana, slowing it down. That isn't good, I need to get rid of those.

I make a new magic circle on a wooden board, without sharp turns, and all that's left are straight lines that lead to the center where mana is gathered. Interesting that despite how much I removed, it's still working.

That's when I notice fluctuations within the circle, fluctuations within the space... the very fabric of reality, magic. Whatever the circle is doing, it's trying to do magic.

I reshape the board with [Beauty Blessing] and make just a circle out of inscription ink and observe what happens inside. Magic fluctuates, like drawing a bow over some sand. Whatever the mana is doing, it is exciting... magic? Maybe it's causing it? I add some random lines to see what's happening and the fluctuations change. I add more lines and the fluctuations change again.

I don't know what this means – it's probably useful in understanding how inscriptions work – but for now, I need to understand how the mana collection inscription works... which isn't a true inscription...I think?

Anyway, I play around with the designs for the rest of the day, earning six levels in my [Sense Magic]. As long as the core isn't made, I shouldn't be able to accidentally blow myself up. Probably. Hopefully.

The next day I consult with Kayafe about rituals.

"The more culturally significant a ritual is, the more powerful it becomes," Kayafe half-lectures, with her best teacher impression. "But also the rarer the condition and the harder it is to achieve, the more powerful it is, which often leads to a conflict. The rarer it is, the less culturally significant it generally is, but the more common, the less powerful. Many things can be considered a ritual: the Kyholo where you get your Kyhosa that you told me about can be considered a weak ritual. It is once in a lifetime for a person and is very culturally significant."

So rituals are actually somewhat common, in a purely technical sense… By this logic, our three baths a day are a form of ritual: since it's so common, it's not that powerful, but it may have a tiny effect on the population. It is a beautifying ritual; that may help explain why every Runalymo is beautiful, appearance-wise, and why we age so gracefully.

"So right now, the ritual is very rare, because it's probably only happened once and the conditions are really specific," I say. "But not very culturally significant, because again, it's only happened once and probably nobody remembers."

"Yes."

This means that I need to make it culturally significant. But how?

"How do I make it a significant event?" I ask slowly, not having a good feeling about the most probable answer.

"It's actually a simple thing," Kayafe says with a small chuckle. "You lie."

"Lie?!"

"Yes." Kayafe says, amused, "You say you've found a way to improve Kyhosa. People will trust you, since you are so well-known as someone who's an expert in these things, and from the lie, the truth will be born."

Kayafe's voice turns serious. "Alysara, the Kyholo is probably the most culturally significant thing your people have; your Kyhosa are the physical metaphor of your life. By piggybacking off of this, you tie this rare event to the cultural significance of the Kyhosa and make a powerful ritual. The lie will become truth because people believe it. Also, this will have a good chance of making magic items, which will help strengthen your people."

Kyholo means 'life celebration gathering', and the Kyhosa means 'life celebration gift'; to a Runalymo the most valuable possession we have is our Kyhosa. If I were to somehow lose my Kyhosa, I'd be devastated: my parents went through a lot to make it, and they poured their hearts into it, It's literally irreplaceable. It has followed me through the best of times as well as the toughest, and that is more than likely the case for every Runalymo.

Thinking about it, if there were some way to improve my Kyhosa, make it magical, I would be overjoyed. The existence of the ritual site as a relic of Kayafe's time will only make the lie more believable... but this also has one problem. Every Runalymo will want in on it, which means making the place even bigger. But that also means that the construction will be even faster, if everyone contributes.

"Our people," I say, picking up Kayafe's phrasing and correcting her. "You're one of us too."

"Of course," Kayafe replies with a hint of joy.

We continue to talk about the specifics of the ritual, and how to make it as best as we can. In short, on the day of the ritual we will spend the entire day bathing, which will go well considering that Runalymo love our gatherings. It will be a time of interpersonal connection. All Kyhosa will be placed upon an altar, to be infused with the ritual's power when the eclipse happens, and then the ritual will be over.

Of course, there's more to that, smaller details. The bathing oil will be mixed with liquid beauty mana, and the waters will be saturated with the essence as well. Everyone must make a dedication to Myrou and present it to her Likeness, which will hopefully be moved to the ritual site for this occasion; if not, then a few of her normal statues should do just fine. Considering that Myrou is culturally important – and she likes me, I'm pretty sure, which can't be a bad thing – throwing her into the mix will only strengthen the ritual.

I freely admit this would not have been possible without Kayafe: I'd just be stumbling around in the dark and would have made a failed ritual. Actually, a ritual was her idea to begin with, so I'd likely never have considered the option at all. As it is, even without the inscription there's enough to maybe make it work, which is a huge relief.

After discussing the plans for the ritual – at least the rough draft, I'm sure there are going to be more than a few revisions – we move on to what I have learned about inscriptions so far.

"Interesting," Kayafe muters. "So the base form is just a circle. If that's the case, then the core must concentrate the magic to the point that it can be actualized."

We continue to talk and make theories until the subject of [Mana Manipulation] comes up.

"The enhancement threshold for [Mana Manipulation] is fifty breakthroughs, right?" I ask Kayafe.

"Yes," she confirms.

"I am at forty-five right now; I know that I still need to get MM force manipulation and 'turn mana into reserved mana' and maybe make liquid spells? What are the other two?"

"The first is turning mana into matter, as you suspected, and the other is by making solid and liquid vitality… which is actually three breakthroughs." Kayafe informs me. "But these breakthroughs are all very hard to do, even making solid vitality will be hard since vitality doesn't have the MM force to give itself structure. I am sure you can get them all in time, but getting all the breakthrough levels might not be possible in a month, not without doing something drastic."

Limited by time again, with just a month before the ritual, I need to accomplish too many things. Let's see… the most difficult levels are the mastery levels; however, my high [Sense Magic] should be high enough to make it at least a little easier.

There are two ways to get that mastery level: either accomplish a test to show that I really understand and have mastered the breakthrough, or accomplish something only a master should be able to do, which is the shortcut that my other unusual skills might allow me to take advantage of.

Good thing I have five minds, I can effectively multiply the time I have to practice by five or focus on all five breakthroughs at once. Then I have Kayafe's help: with her telling me what I need to do for the level tests, it might just be possible.

I talk with Kayafe about what I need to do to level up my breakthrough as fast as possible, until I run out of mana, and then I go back home to start practicing [Mana Manipulation].

Chapter 154: Super-Solid

Ting! Manipulate Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 470!

46th Breakthrough: You've managed to turn mana into neutral reserved mana; this will allow you to replenish your reserves at higher rates.

47th Breakthrough: You've managed to liquify spell mana; this will allow you to cast spells of unparalleled power.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained levels 464-475!

These are the easy ones; I just need to practice them and get their levels as high as I can to make the last three easier.

I stand on the beach of the island, where my practice can't hurt anyone. The fiery, pebble-sized orb of liquid spell mana that I just conjured hums with destructive power. I aim at a boulder and launch the orb, which flies easily through the air and hits the target, sinking partially into it before spreading out and melting the boulder into lava.

Within seconds the entire boulder is a puddle, the sands below it liquifying as the mana continues to melt everything it touches. That was only a small amount of liquid mana: what would have happened if I had used a lot more, hundreds of thousands of mana? I think I've found a way to defeat tank-type monsters, something I've been historically weak against.

So, naturally, the next question is: can I do this with Bond spells and skills? I have to try.

I channel a fairy but, instead of making the fairy bigger, I use [Mana Manipulation] to shrink its size even as more and more mana is being added. Soon I have a solid fairy – and this should be enough for a Bond evolution if I activate the skill now – but I want to go one step further, so I continue pouring in mana until the particles start blending into each other, forming one tiny liquid fairy.

Each flap of its wings causes tiny drops of mana to fly through the air, an instability I'll need to fix eventually, but this does show that it is possible.

I order the fairy to attack a beached, wondering Domr before it runs out of mana from its flapping wings, and watch as the liquid mana sinks into the Domr. The Domr shudders for a second before slumping to the ground, dead.

I didn't use any other skills to augment that one, but I have no doubt they will work. With this, my [Fairy Explosion] should be damn near a mini-nuke in destructive power… I can't afford to test it out yet; I shouldn't get too distracted from my current goal.

I spend the next few hours grinding levels for those breakthroughs and learning more about them. Liquid spells are just a highly concentrated form of spell; they function normally in almost every way. However, they are stronger simply because there's more mana in the same area.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained levels 476-478!

While I am working with liquid mana, I should also try to get mana to become matter. I compress a small amount of mana into liquid, watching intently how the mana behaves; so far, it's normal. I continue to compress the mana, watching the MM and elementary particles randomly move around.

I keep compressing, pressuring the mana more and more until I am straining to keep the pressure up, but even after it has shrunk by almost eighty percent I still see no visible change to its behavior.

Beads of sweat are starting to form as I struggle to compress the mana any more than I already have. Should I try to get the other breakthrough first, try to get more levels to make it easier? Or maybe I should use an item that boosts my manipulative abilities to help me… If it's this difficult, then I definitely will need as much help as I can get to achieve the mastery level.

I press on, and eventually I see a behavior change in the liquid mana; it is starting to form crystalline structures. The MM and elementary particles that are aligned in the same way are being drawn into shared patterns, separating the elements again. It is at this point that the liquid mana is starting to change back into a solid, but clearly a different type of solid mana.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 480!

48th Breakthrough: You've managed to make super-solid mana; this will allow you to make one of the densest forms of mana possible.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained levels 479-482!

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 840!

42nd Breakthrough: You have observed super-solid mana; this will allow you to see mana in one of its most extreme conditions.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 774-775!

Hang on, isn't this a part of [Sense Mana]? This is a surprise... there's no way Kayafe didn't get the breakthrough for this for her [Manipulate Mana]… that means she didn't tell me about it!

I smile: Kayafe probably knew I'd rather discover this myself, but I also don't think she has this breakthrough for her [Sense Mana], because it's a little hard to get normally. She might have known of this breakthrough, but she probably knew very little about it.

I take a break, feeling a little dizzy from my exertion just now. This means that there are fifty-two possible breakthroughs I can get, although turning mana into matter is a little out of my grasp right now… assuming it's done by just increasing the density, and there's not some other trick to it that I'm missing. Kayafe had her Class bonus to help her, which I do not, but I can also just skip that breakthrough for now since I only need fifty.

After my break, I move on to trying to manipulate MM forces, deciding that I need more levels before I try and do more with super-solid mana.

Instead of manipulating the mana, I instead focus on the MM force itself; or rather, I focus on the particles that generate it, and I start trying to bend those to my will individually. It is like trying to force two positive-side magnets together. Each time I think I have a grasp over the MM force, it slips out of my control. It's just as difficult as trying to get the super-solid breakthrough, but in a different way, it's just too slippery!

With a headache beginning to pound and the dizziness returning, I finally manage to get a hold of the MM force and increase it, strengthening it.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 490!

49th Breakthrough: You have managed to manipulate the MM force; this will allow you to shield yourself from spells.

I don't bother checking my level gains just yet, since I plan on getting my last breakthrough so that the extra levels can make leveling the previous two breakthroughs less headache-inducing. I sit back down, trying to soothe my throbbing head. [Inquisitive Perfection] pokes me, telling me that this hasn't happened before. I haven't used this much effort in a long time… but I have done so before, notably when trying to make solid and liquid mana way back then.

Why am I having difficulty now? Does it have something to do with the enhancement threshold? I don't know what the cause is, but if I want to cleanse my skill, I have to do this.

I don't know how to make solid vitality, since it doesn't have an MM force, but I suspect it has something to do with the super-solid state of mana. As for liquid vitality, that may be possible, but I have never considered it.

After another break, I focus on my own vitality and draw some out to compress to the liquid state, which turns out to be much harder than I thought. First off, vitality just doesn't want to enter the fused state – particles squashed togeather tightly enough to overwhelm the MM force – vitality particles just want to pass through each other without interacting at all. I never realized just how much the MM force still applies in keeping liquid mana liquid.

I sigh, pick up a small rock and skip it across the water, pondering how it might be possible to liquify vitality.

The problem is that nothing is keeping vitality in a liquid state. Vitality lacks the particles that are responsible for the MM force… but it does have what would for mana be the 'elemental' particles, that for vitality are all aligned in the same non-elemental 'direction'. Flipping vitality in the opposite direction does not change its properties... that I know of.

What if I flip the 'direction' on just half the vitality particles? Would the opposites attract, like in magnetism?

I do that just to see what happens, and, to my partial surprise, the 'positive' and 'negative' vitality particles attract each other... which is odd, since mana normally doesn't behave that way. Vitality also doesn't repel the same charge like in magnetism, so the actual cause of this phenomenon is different from charge.

I grab a washed-up stick and sit down on an unmelted rock, drawing in the sand while trying to think of a hypothesis to explain the observed behavior of vitality.

Instead of charge, which repels the same and attracts the opposite, what if it's like entropy? For now, I'll think of it as wind. Wind is created when hot air wants to go to cold air. If everywhere is hot, there is no wind; if half the air is hot, there is wind. Same concept with positive and negative vitality: if all is positive there is no reaction, if half is negative then they want to equalize.

However, I have a new problem now: the vitality pairs up, but they neutralize the imbalance of positive and negative, and now I just have pairs of vitality particles doing nothing, instead of just individual vitality particles doing nothing.

What if one vitality particle is a little 'stronger' than the other? Not so much that it will attract two, but rather one and a half, so two positive vitalities are attracted to one negative, but the imbalance is there to attract another negative vitality which in turn attracts another positive and so on?

I reset the vitality to all positive, then flip half to negative, but I give them a little more energy, and that's when it all comes together! With barely any effort, the vitality forms a chain, basically a string of vitality!

Ting! Manipulate Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 500!

50th Breakthrough: You have managed to weave vitality; this will allow you to make cloth out of pure vitality!

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained levels 483-488!

Yet another breakthrough Kayafe didn't tell me about. She must have known I had to get this in order to get solid and liquid vitality, but again, she knows that I like discovering this stuff on my own.

To be honest, I should have had this breakthrough a long time ago, and if I were in a place where I wasn't so preoccupied with so many other things, I may have eventually discovered this on my own.

I look at [Manipulate Mana] in my mana signature; it burns brightly, indicating it's almost at the enhancement threshold. I just need to cap the breakthroughs now… however, that will have to wait until tomorrow, since it's getting late.

I have my other minds occupied with studying inscriptions during the Lojyo and the night, drawing hundreds of different forms of inscriptions to see which draws in mana best, and, while I have made good progress on that front, it is still far from done.

In the morning, I meet with Tusile and Guklaro and the new probational elder, Venly.

Venly is in the late end of middle-aged and keeps her long hair in a bun. Her ears are pierced with many earrings, more than average but in a stylistic fashion. Her presence here – most likely because the other two are still training her – is very convenient for me.

"Alysara! Good to see you," Tusile says, welcoming me into the office with a warm smile.

The desk is filled with blueprints of airship designs, as well as orders for materials. More airships are being built with wood from the Dungeon, now that the material is available. Many villages are still being restored in the aftermath of the cursed being, so normal building materials are still hard to come by, which was the cause for the delay in more airships being built.

But now, with access to the Dungeon again, a large influx of materials is helping with the restoration of the villages… and that thought reminds me that I should check on my Star Tree, so I send a portion of my perception over to take a look at it.

The Star Tree shows almost no growth, except for tiny roots slowly growing from the seed. It's going to be a slow-growing tree, and will require me feeding it a ton of mana to speed up its growth.

"Are you done with training the priestesses now, Tusile?" I ask.

"For now," she replies. "I really should have let the others take over a while ago, since we were short on elders already, and I placed too many burdens on Guklaro."

Guklaro looks a lot less stressed lately, now that she no longer has to hold up the responsibilities of the village by herself.

"I am sorry for how I acted before, Alysara," Guklaro apologizes. "I chastised and patronized you for your mental health without realizing how badly my own was overburdened."

"I accept your apology, Guklaro," I answer with a nod and a smile. I can't imagine what it's like to run this growing village all by myself... actually, I can, probably something similar to dealing with Lunaleyan politics, and I was done after just a few days of that while Guklaro was at it for months.

"So, what brings you here today?" Tusile asks.

"I found a way to improve our Kyhosa, with a high chance of turning them into magic items... maybe? Either way, there's a powerful ritual that we can do in a month's time..."

I explain everything I learned from Kayafe and Safyr; thankfully, the elders keep their questions until I am finished.

"So, this hinges on everyone believing that this will work, and we have about a month to prepare..." Guklaro says, thinking.

"What prompted you to ask the Guardian about rituals?" Tusile asks. "It's not something we have a history for, or not surviving history, anyway."

"It's to cure my cursed skills," I say, watching the elders' jaws drop.

"Cure? But from what you said about rituals, I can't think of how the two are correlated," Venly says.

"The ritual itself is not what will cure my cursed skills," I correct Elder Venly. "It is needed to empower my Kyhosa, which will hopefully become powerful enough to complete Kayafe's trial, the Analysha, which will give me a legendary point that I can then use to cure a cursed skill. I have many more things to prepare for this ritual, relating to making my Kyhosa as powerful as it can get."

I continue to discuss the specifics with the elders, and we eventually get to the design of the ritual site. There are still many things to change, but the foundation and the bathing area can be built.

The elders like the idea of the ritual. Another social gathering where all the villages get together will be useful in encouraging inter-village relations, and they even seem to want to make the bathing part of the ritual a yearly event, even though it's mostly superficial and not actually a ritual. The presence of the special bathing oil will still preserve the strength of the ritual, so long as that isn't made yearly.

I make sure to stress the importance of rarity to the elders, since that is a part of why the ritual will be powerful, and they agree to consider a once-in-a-decade meeting, if only to keep knowledge of the ritual for future generations.

Easter Bonus: A Meeting between Protagonists Part 1

Alysara appeared in a stone room, completely bewildered. One moment space itself warped around her, then the tear in the very fabric of reality opened, and the next, she was here. A magic circle is below her feet, but unlike any she had seen before, it's clearly not an inscription or any form of magic framework.

The residual mana flowing through the magic circle is a clear indicator that this was a spell, not true magic or an inscription. Speaking of, the mana here is… weird… exotic. Unlike the elements and essences she was used to.

However, that was a mystery for later, she had just been teleported to an unknown place, and now panic started to set in at suddenly being taken from her home, forcing her to use [Acting] to calm herself by utilizing a stoic role.

Alysara observed the room with her [Sense Magic] perceptive field. It's a mostly empty room except for two people.

The first was a horned girl with claws, wings, and a tail. Red scales partially cover her legs and arms while fully covering her tai and the back of her wings. Her hair is kept around the length of her shoulders while her red eyes glimmer like ruby gemstones, looking intimidating due to her slit irises, but her youthful and pretty face balanced it out.

She wore an open white robe with red embroideries of different designs ranging from flowers, triangles, and scales; it was elegant and gave her a pure aura. Underneath it was an outfit composed of a red jacket, a white vest, and a thigh-high, frilly skirt. No gemstones or special materials were added onto them, but even then, it was conspicuous and attracted eyes.

The second person was a middle-aged man, with a five-a-clock shadow, sporting an irate look with crossed arms. He wears a strange blue and green military academy uniform.

Being blind, Alysara can't see the true colors of these people like the colors of their clothes, but the color of the strange mana was unlike anything she was used to.

Alysara looked at the two with [Sense Soul], which reveals that both of them have strange otherworldly souls. The winged scaly girl seems to have several holes in her soul, likely damaged, but it also seems to be healing slowly. The man's soul is more cloudy-like. Both of their soul lacked the soul barrier, and any organoids that she can see; perhaps they have them, perhaps not.

"YOU'RE LATE!" The uniformed man shouted, which made her flinch.

What was strange was that Alysara could understand this man even though he was not speaking her language. The mouth movements do not match up with what she was hearing

With her sensitive ears ringing from the sudden shouting, Alysara fearfully overlays an illusion on herself and sneaks to one of the corners, leaving a clone piloted by one of her minds in her place.

"JUST LOOK AT YOU! ALREADY REINCARNATED! YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE THAT!" The man continued to shout.

Alysara conjured her first set of fairies poised to attack should the man make any wrong movements.

She focused beyond the room and onto the entire building; she seemed to be in some sort of victorian style school with a bunch of boys, most of which surprisingly have the same generic hairstyle, but there are a few exceptions here and there. All around the school grounds was an expansive forest and a large mountain to the north.

"I swear this happens every time!" the man muttered quietly. "Dumb gods think they can just nab a soul, or the soul gets lost in the void or whatever…"

"Umm, what's going on? Is this a dream?" The scaly girl asked, looking around, just as bewildered as Alysara.

"Oh, right…" the man said and facepalmed a little. "Of course you don't know what's going on. Welcome to Isekai Academy! Where we rate you based on several aptitude tests to see which worlds you are best fit for!" The man then sighs, looking a tad defeated. "Well, since there's been a mishap with you two, you will just be sent back to your new worlds."

Relief fills Alysara. She was, at least, not in direct danger and the look of this place corroborates the man's words; however, she did not dismiss her fairies but instead kept them around under the cloak of her invisibility spell.

"That still does not explain why I am here," Alysara said. "I was doing just fine, and after fifteen years, I think I have a good grasp on things."

However, after having just said that, her memory flashes back to the mana storms and the cursed being, two parts where she could have easily died. Could these people have taught her things specific to those situations? She doubted it; it even took three god-like dragons to slay the cursed being; literally nothing could have prepared her for that.

"Look, I don't make the rules," The man defended himself. "You get reincarnated, summoned, or transmigrated in any other way, then you have to go through the tests. We need to see who is capable of handling S tier difficultly worlds, and we don't want to send hordes of people to another death just because they weren't prepared; you'd be surprised at how many NEETs are reincarnated, and it's not like they know what they are good at"

"Seeing as how I survived fifteen years, I think I am fit for my world. I don't need training—" Alysara stopped herself. Her [Acting] role was forcing her to act a little argumentative; she doesn't need it right this moment anymore now that the panic has subsided.

"Yeah, what she said applies to me, too. And, you know, shouldn't you talk with the Gods about this? They reincarnated me into their world for a job, and I don't see them wanting me to suddenly leave like this," the other girl asked with a reluctant frown, causing the man to scowl at her. She then looked at Alysara with a wry smile. "Yeaaah… I don't think we can talk our way out of this, Miss, uhm, foxian? Fox?"

"My people are called Runalymo, which means 'people of great beauty mana', or in short, 'Myrou's children – Myrou is our goddess, the Goddess of beauty and creativity," Alysara replied with her clone. "My name is Alysara. Who are you… and if you don't mind me asking, what are you?"

The horned girl grinned brightly, elegantly twirling her body around before stopping and posing with over-exaggerated flashiness. "Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor! First and currently the only idol of Peolynca, and technically also a dragon, but that's whatever really."

"And I am John," The man said. "Now that we have been introduced, you'll be at ease knowing that this place exists outside of time so that no time will have passed in your worlds. Now, if you'll follow me, let me show you around" John lead the two girls out of the room to the outside.

Walking across the damp cold room, Alysara adjusted her gait and the movement of her tails as she listened to the desires of her Bond. She incorporates elegance and grace in her movements, with which the beauty of the world seems pleased.

As she stepped outside, Alysara felt the sun's warmth, but this place was entirely too cold and dry for her. Her home is literally built on a steaming hot sea where the lowest temperature would likely give normal people heatstroke. She shivers and weaves her mana into a thick and well-decorated dress made of fire mana. As if being printed out of the air, a seamless, elegant dress with embroidery depicting flames and hearths is conjured around her.

Watching this spectacle, Hestia clapped her hands in admiration while John's jaw dropped.

"What?" Alysara asked. "It's cold here. By the way, what did you mean by 'idol of Peolynca?' and are you really a dragon? Are you perhaps in a humanoid form or something?" Alysara asked Hestia.

"Yup!" Hestia said with a confident grin. "Gimme some space."

Hestia backed up and ran towards an empty field before closing her eyes and trying to do… something, but nothing happened.

"Huh? Why can't I transform?" Hestia looked confused for a second, trying to look at something. "Hold on. I don't have access to the Divine System here?!"

Hestia's words prompted Aly to examine Hestia for any magic frameworks that indicate the existence of the system but don't see anything; either she lost it or it's a different system. Hestia also lacks any indications of a Bond, and a quick examination of John revealed much of the same.

"I take it you cannot transform without your system?" Alysara asked.

"Well, that's to be expected," John commented. "This isn't your world, and they are usually exclusive to their worlds… usually," John said the last part looking at Alysara.

"What?! Does that then mean… Well, fuck, there goes half of my stats just like that. Oh great, I don't even have access to aerokinesis here! No wonder it felt so lonely in my mind…" The girl complains, letting her long tail lie limply on the ground.

"…So what are these tests that we have to take?" Alysara asked, ignoring John's gaze and Hestia's exasperation.

"The first is combat" John started leading again to a large open area where training dummies are. "We first test you with martial prowess, then magical aptitude."

The training grounds were full of generic-looking boys, all with similar hairstyles, sparring with golems, each other, and dummies. Weak spells are flung against targets, and some miss, flying endlessly into the sky.

"About that," Alysara said, "what do you mean by 'magical aptitude?' In my world, true magic and spells are two different things. Also, does each world have different forms of magic? The mana here is weird and unlike my own world's mana."

"That is a good point," Hestia added. "How does learning magic here help us in any way?"

"Those are good questions," John said. "We test mostly for understanding and comprehensive knowledge as well as affinity towards it. The magic here should adapt to what you are familiar with or best suited towards. We then will find a world that best matches your affinity of magic."

"… So, let me get this straight. This place adapts to our specific magic casting method, meaning I can cast whatever spell I want if I can reproduce its magic circle and chant. The only thing missing is the easy path of letting the system handle it for me?" Hestia asked thoughtfully, before gathering this world's mana around her hand.

"Yes… but it won't be strengthened by that world's system. So, while you can use your spells, anything directly tied to your system won't be available to you, and anything empowering your spells will also be missing." John clarified.

"I produce my own mana, so it's not that big of a deal for me," Alysara said as she observed how this world's mana was shifting to Hestia's will.

"We also test what weapons you are good at, and finally, we complete it with a spar against a golem," John said, giving a brief overview of the combat aptitude test.

Just then, three tall and especially generic looking guys walked up, each carrying swords and wearing edgy black trench coats.

"Whew~ Who're these beautiful ladies, John?" The… leader said? It is impossible to tell them apart.

"Newbies," John answered, "Due to a mishap, they were reincarnated before coming here." John then turned toward Hestia and Alysara. "Anyway, these are the top three combat specialists, destined for SS and even SSS tier worlds."

The generic trio grinned arrogantly. "Well, perhaps I can bring you two along in my party" The one on the left stepped forward and bowed as gentlemanly as he could.

"That's enough, you three," John said. "They'll be going back to their worlds after this… unless you two want to go — Ahem! Well, whatever, let's go." Noticing Alysara and Hestia's displeasure at the generic trio, John wisely dropped the subject and led the way to the iron gate.

"The next test is one of wilderness survival; you must trek all the way through the forest and to the mountain and find the golden dagger hidden somewhere in or on the mountain. The fastest record was seventeen hours." John opened the gate, which almost immediately opened up to a thick forest with tightly packed trees and thorny underbrush

"Also here, is the scout's test," John continued. "Where you will be tasked with scouting a goblin encampment. Don't worry; they aren't real goblins, just dummies that will make noise if they detect you."

"Questions!" Hestia raised her arm like a diligent student. "Can I fly for the survival part? Can I use magic during it? Can I destroy the goblin dummies, or is this a total stealth mission like in spy games? Also, can I destroy a portion of the forest accidentally or deliberately? Lastly, can we team up with other people for the tests, or are you testing us purely on our ability to adapt to this new situation?"

"Flying and magic are permitted," John said with a nod. "The goblin is a stealth recon test, so no destroying them needlessly, but a few "assassinations" are acceptable. The forest will regenerate quickly, but large destruction on the recon test will count against you. However, for the search test, it's fine. As for teams, it's your choice."

"Cool! Alysara?"

However, instead of turning toward the clone, Alysara placed as her double; Hestia stared in the direction where the real Alysara was hiding behind her illusion. Alysara flinched as Hestia's eyes flicked to her eyewraps, agitated that she could see her even when John couldn't.

"Most of my skills are gone, which is a bummer, but things I could do with my body naturally I can do here. My eyes can see mana, although, it's a bit too overloading for my brain without my system-created parallel minds." Hestia grinned playfully while flapping her wings. "Anyways, you heard the man, right? Would you like to join me on Hestia Airlines?"

"Sure! We can team up; however, I can conjure wings for myself, so you don't have to carry me" With a use of [Adorn Wings], mosaic-like butterfly wings sprouts from her back as if the world decided that she'd look more beautiful that way and made it happen.

"Oooh, you're full of surprises, huh? One of my friends can do the same, albeit, with ice wings. Well, I guess the challenge is who gets there sooner, in this case." Hestia gave Alysara a challenging wink, looking too focused on the event to notice John's tired expression.

John cleared his throat. "Let's move on." John led the girls into a building with a full dance room where several students were talking with each other and taking part in other activities.

"If combat, stealth, and survival are not your strengths, then perhaps trade, diplomacy, and leadership may be what you are good at. Here you'll be tested in making trade deals, political maneuvering, and team-leading."

Alysara groaned and her large fox-like ears and tails droop in disappointment, but by listening to her Bond, she manages to somehow maintain elegance even with her shoulders slumping.

"What's wrong?" Hestia asked.

"I hate politics, and I had just been through a stressful trade deal" It had taken Alysara all five of her minds, each with a different [Acting] role, to get through it.

[Acting] is a very useful and versatile Skill, and it can make her not incompetent, but that doesn't mean it makes her good at her roles.

"For trade deals, you are free to choose any partner you wish," John informed them. "For the political stuff, it will take place at a ball. You will be given a made-up backstory, and your goal will be to improve your faction or family you represent."

Alysara looked like a dark cloud had manifested over her the more John went into detail.

"Finally," John continued, "Team leading will be based on what your party is good at, or if you don't have a team, one will be chosen for you. Any more questions?"

"I don't have any," Alysara said depressedly.

"Sounds easy enough, although the trade deal part will be a bit annoying." Hestia readjusted her pose, breathing in for a moment, before opening her eyes. For whatever reason, the aura she exuded changed dramatically, drawing in everybody's attention and leaving them speechless.

"That's an interesting ability," Alysara raises an inquisitive eyebrow. "It's like my Bond presence, but you don't have a Bond."

Alysara is actively suppressing her Bond's presence since it draws attention to her real body even if her Bond itself desires the attention.

"…Why are you two here?" John mumbled under his breath. "If you have no more questions, then let's move on to the final part." While shaking his head, John led the girls over to a new building where loud banging and music could be heard.

The building is split into several rooms, each covering an art or trade.

"This is where we test your crafting abilities and any other hobbies that may help you in your otherworldly quests."

Alysara's mood brightens as she confidently smiles. Her people are skilled craftsmen, and her mana manipulating abilities allow her to make all sorts of mana-based items. Outside of that, her [Musician] and [Tailoring] skills are well trained.

"Yes, yes, we've already seen a demonstration of your abilities," John said in exhaustion, dampening Alysara's mood. "In this place we test for all kinds of crafts from sculpting to carpentry and many, many, more. But if you only want to take a select few, we can do that too."

"I guess I could make some battle items, but I'd rather just stick to what I'm good with." Hestia eyed in the direction where the music was coming from.

"Well, that's all the aptitude tests," John said. "To summarize, there's the magic tests, martial tests, and a final spar for the combat section. Survival, tracking, and stealth recon in the forest. There's politics, trading, and leadership for the social tests, and finally, there's crafting and other skills and hobbies not already covered. You can do them in any order you want."

"And the moment we're done with them, we can go back to our world, right? No tricks like sending us to another world, right?" Hestia urged for confirmation.

"Of course," John said. "Honestly, I don't know why we enforce these rules on people who are already reincarnated, but those crusty old men up top refuse to change it."

Easter Bonus: A Meeting between Protagonists Part 3

"I don't know why he's so worried about explosions in a forest; I mean, if no one is around to hear it, does it really matter?" Alysara asked as they reached the gate leading to the forest. "What does the direction say anyway?"

"We can do this in any order, but our objective for the first test is to survive in the forest with little supplies," Hestia reads the paper John gave us.

"So they expect us to get lost and have to forage and camp," Alysara commented. "Runalymo can subsist on mana for about a month, but for me, it's longer since I am stronger than the average Runalymo. How can you fare, Hestia?"

"I can survive entirely on the sun during the mornings and bank solar energy in my body to transform into nutrients for the night." Hestia snapped her fingers, causing a small spark as if to tell Alysara they had this in the bag. She then continued reading.

"This can be done solo or in a party, and we must locate a golden dagger somewhere on the mountain" Hestia looked in the direction of the mountain. "Looks like it will take a few days just to get to the mountain on foot, but with our flying, that shouldn't be an issue; we have to bring the dagger back as proof of our completion of the te—"

"I'm sorry! Please don't kick me out of your group; I'll never be able to complete these tests on my own!"

Alysara's ears pivot to the source of the sound. She had long since seen them walking through the forest, but only now they came into earshot. A group of tired-looking boys and two girls are trekking out of the forest and toward the gate.

"We spent hours looking for you!" One of the boys yelled at a smaller girl. She has shoulder-length hair in a ponytail and is wearing a school uniform like the others in her group. "You can't take five steps without getting lost, Aki!"

"Hmm? There are actually other girls other than us in this place? And here I thought we were surrounded by a bunch of boys trying to hit on us," Hestia comments on the situation, looking curiously at the high schoolers.

"There are a few outliers here," Alysara says before listing them. "Twelve girls, seven elderly people, and even a cat. But what I don't understand is why are most people here so bland-looking?

"I'm sorry! I can't help it!" Aki pleaded.

The group finally comes in line of sight, and the other girl puts the final nail in the coffin.

"You're useless!" She coldly said. "A klutz, a failure, you have no hope!"

"Oi, hold on—" Hestia starts but suddenly the boys and the girl who were belittling Aki jumps in fright looking around as if a world-devouring monster is glaring down on them.

The pressure only lasts for a few seconds but it leaves the group shaking in fear.

"That's no reason to treat her like that" Alysara stepped forward as if nothing had happened. Aki just looked at Alysara then at her group utterly confused as to what happened.

"W-well, if you like her so much then you take her into your group!" The other girl said, looking around with paranoia.

"Fine!" Alysara said, and with a wave of her hand, the dirt and grime from days of wandering through the forest fell off of Aki as if the world decided that there should be no dirt on the girl.

The other group quickly retreated, not daring to stay anywhere near where a monster might be.

"… Uhm, Alysara, I know you did the right thing there, but did you have to scare them off like that?" Hestia looked at Alysara with a raised brow.

"All I did was look at them," Alysara said, crossing her arms. "That said, I usually only use that when fighting enemies, and it's my most powerful skill, so I miiight not know my strength… Sorry"

"What do you mean by 'look at them?'" Hestia tilts her head inquisitively.

"I sense mana through a metaphorical 'touch'. What I did was 'touch' with more force; this results in the sensation of being watched, but since it's my strongest skill…" Alysara leaves it at that to check on Aki. "I know you just left the forest, but we need to go in; it won't take us long."

Aki nodded, thanking Alysara for her help.

"Hold on; we're actually going to take her with us. Just like that?" Hestia asked with a confused face at Alysara, stopping their discussion part way, but Alysara mentioned how she intervened, so she had to take responsibility now.

"Thank you very much." Aki said with a bow, "I'll be fine. As long as I can pass this test, I'll do anything. I can't do it on my own anyway. Last time I got lost and needed to be rescued by the instructors."

Just then, the generic trio from the combat area arrived.

"I heard you ladies did really well on the combat tests. Doing the survival test now?" one of them asked. "I do not believe we had a chance to properly introduce ourselves! Allow us to remedy that!"

With a gentlemanly bow, each of them gave the girls their names, but they were so generic that Alysara immediately forgot them, while Hestia just sighed and walked away from them, ignoring them entirely.

"... Right. I am Alysara. We'll be going now. We don't want to take up too much of your time."

"Nonsense, Miss Alysara; in fact, we would like to formally invite you to our group! I hold the current record for the fastest time in bringing back the dagger. With me, you can complete this test easily!"

"Thank you for your offer, but we'll be fine on our own," Alysara said, leading Aki to the gate.

"C'mon," The leader of the generic trio said. "Can't you at least give us a chance?"

"No," Alysara coldly brushed him off.

"Alright, then I challenge you," he said with a grin. "If you win, we won't bother you anymore, but if we win, then you join our team. First to bring back the dagger wins."

Alysara sighs in annoyance; their insistence is grating on her nerves. Under normal circumstances, she'd refuse, but she is certain her group can win. However, there are a few things she can do to make this challenge even more in her favor.

"Alright! However, can we let Aki take a break before we start?" Alysara asked sweetly.

"Sure! Take as long as you want." The challenger confidently grinned.

Immediately Alysara separates half of her perceptive field and moves it toward the mountain to remotely scan it for the dagger. It doesn't take long before she finds a cave with the dagger hidden under some rubble.

There are many caves in the mountain and hollowed-out trees, which makes her think they are all possible places for the dagger to be hidden. Normally it would take days or even weeks to find the dagger, but Alysara's perception is far from average.

"What are you planning?" Hestia asked once the generic trio was out of earshot.

"I am remotely viewing the mountain, looking for the dagger, so we know exactly where to go," Alysara responded in a soft whisper.

"So, you're like a sonar or drone or something?"

"Kind of?" Alysara responded, "My [Sense Magic's] perceptive field is quite large now, thirty-two kilometers in radius, and I can move it up to twelve thousand kilometers away, which makes me best at scouting and information gathering; however, in my realm, there are ways to retaliate against scrying skills, so it's quite risky."

"Is that so? Well, once you have the location, give it to me. We can shorten this whole trip into a few minutes or so and get rid of the three casanovas forever." Hestia smirked, once again impressed by Alysara's kit of abilities.

"That's pretty fast." Hestia's confidence reminds Alysara of her dragoon dive attack and how fast that was.

Hestia nodded, flaunting her large wings around like a proud bird. "I don't know how fast you can be if you go all-out — I'm reserving my curiosity, hehe — but after warming up at the previous tests, I think I can get it in record time. No worries."

"Uhm, excuse me?" Aki came over, looking worried at what was happening between the two beast-like girls. "I'm sorry if I interrupted you, but… is there anything I could help with?"

Alysara shrugged at Hestia as if to say she had no idea.

"Hmm" Alysara put a finger on her lips in thought. "What can you do? I don't think you have any access to system abilities, Classes, or Skills. How are you with magic or martial combat?"

"Uhh, not good at fighting, but I am good at magic, wind magic specifically!" Aki replies.

"That's actually useful; it will help us fly faster," Alysara comments. She then turns toward the generic trio and tells them that they are ready.

"On three!" the generic leader says. "One! Two! Three!" They dashed off as fast as Olympic sprinters into the forest. Aki, too, started to run but quickly noticed Alysara and Hestia weren't chasing after; instead, two large grins grew on their faces.

"Well, see you in a minute or two. Thanks for the information; I'll get it done." Hestia jumps high into the sky, far higher than any trained jumper or kangaroo could ever hope to achieve.

There in the sky, she stood before a green magic circle around her size appeared from behind her, and in the next second, her wings burst into flames. With a large gust like a rocket blast, Hestia was there a moment ago, only to fly forward like a jet plane.

Aki and Alysara were flustered by the large gale shaking the area around them, even blowing one or two young trees to fall onto the ground, only for this place's magic to reset it back to its position.

"I thought my wind magic was supposed to help…" Aki said dejectedly.

Alysara's grin disappears a moment at how fast Hestia could fly, only for it to regrow as she notices the three young men from before fall right on their faces from the wind. Trails of fire can be seen in the sky, but the girl in question was nowhere to be seen.

A few seconds later, Alysara felt Hestia's presence again and could even hear her humming in the sky. As she landed back on the ground with the grace of an acrobat, she twirled the still dirty golden dagger in her hand.

"Well, that's that," Alysara remarked. "Now those guys will have to stop bothering us. Now, what's the next test all about?"

"W-What about those guys? Aren't you going to tell them?" Aki said after recovering from her shock.

"They are already deep in the forest; they'll figure it out once they notice the dagger is missing. Plus, they can't argue about 'cheating' and re-challenge us if they aren't here." Alysara replied.

"Right! The next test is the scouting test with three objectives. One, give an accurate count of the camp's fighting force; bonus points for reporting on armory, food stores, etc. Two, free a dummy hostage, bonus points for not alerting any guards and sabotaging their supplies, and three, assassinate the camp's leader." Hestia reads from the instructions that John gave her.

"Well, I guess that's my cue," Alysara said and walked over to a bench; at the same time, three clones appeared with wings and flew off to the camp.

"Umm, aren't we going to go to the camp?" Aki says, tilting her head as Alysara is seemly slacking off.

"I already am," Alysara replied. "Objective one: fifty-three goblins, eight hob-goblins, four orcs, and what looks like a leader or champion orc," Alysara started, a piece of paper made entirely from mana appearing in her hands. As she details the camp's description, words start forming on the paper, complete with a top-down map highlighting key points of interest.

Hestia sits next to Alysara and peers over her shoulder as the map and report was quickly filled in. It's clear that Alysara is experienced with making maps, but this goes beyond a simple map; this is a full-blown blueprint detailed down to each individual weapon in the armory, exactly how much food and water, and more.

Every several minutes the map is updated; first, the leader was crossed out, indicating a successful assassination. Next, the prisoner read 'retrieved' and at the same time several places on the map were crossed out as the places were sabotaged.

A little while later, Alysara's clones returned with a dummy – the prisoner – and set it down next to the bench.

"Do you think we should bring the boss's head with us? Just to make sure they won't say we cheated or something?" Alysara nodded to Hestia's suggestion but offers a counter solution.

"The dummies are anatomically correct – probably to desensitize killing – I don't want to carry a bloody head around, but his weapon should suffice." Alysara sent out a clone to retrieve the weapon.

Meanwhile, Aki could only stare in bafflement at what had just happened. Not only did they undoubtedly break the speed in the infamous survival test, but they also managed to clear the scouting test while just sitting at the entrance. Aki couldn't help but think of these two girls as the very definition of a cheat.

After all, if they aren't, then how could you explain Aki, the least impressive person from her group, managing to clear two tests without even lifting her own fingers? This was like taking a cheat sheet into the graduation exam without getting into trouble!

"Okay, the last trial. Let's get it done and go before the boys come back," Hestia said before reading the information on the pamphlet. "Last test: tracking. We are to find the legendary white stag inside this giant forest and then hunt it down. To succeed, we only need to bring back the antlers. Clues will be spread around the forest, and each group has to compete with each other for the stag. Once the stag is dead, you must wait a day before it respawns."

"... Well, there certainly are a lot of stags in the forest; it would be awesome if I could know which one is white," Alysara said bitterly. "Any other identifiers? It's mana signature? Size? Special mark?"

Hestia shook her head.

"I'd just go and kill all stags in the forest, but that'd probably count against us for environmental annihilation." Alysara sighed and slumped her shoulder and foxy ears, somehow still maintaining an elegant air about her. After a second, her ears perk up and Alysara looks like she got an epiphany.

"We don't have to kill anything; we can just catch all the stags in the forest and release any that aren't white!"

"How do you plan on doing that?" Aki asked, tilting her head.

"Clones!" Alysara replies and conjures a couple dozen of them, "And sleep spells! Hestia, can you fly around the forest and try to scare all the stags to shepherd them into one location? It will make it easier."

"Sure!" Hestia blasts off again, quickly vanishing into the sky.

"Anything I can do?" Aki asked, trying to be useful in some way.

"Can you drag an eight hundred pound deer?" Alysara asks.

"No…"

"Can you sneak up on a deer?"

"No…"

"Can you track down a specific deer in this large forest?"

"... No" Aki slouched her body in depression.

Alysara placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to be good at everything; it's fine to ask for help when you need it. I may be good when it comes to scrying, mana, and magic but with physical labor and social things I am not. It's alright to have weaknesses."

"Thank you," Aki said with a soft sniffle.

An hour later, a herd of deer has been rounded up, and with several uses of a spell channeled through the clones; the herd falls asleep. Hestia flies down to one and breaks off the antlers before returning with a triumphant grin.

"That's all of the tests here done! Let's go find John~!" Hestia cheered.

"He'll be happy to hear that there has been no more explosions," Alysara remarked and led the way to where John is, an administrative building where he seems to be going over some papers.

John looked up as the three girls marched through the door, the dagger, scouting report, Orc leader's sword, and the antlers in hand.

"... How?" John asked, flabbergasted. "It's only been what, two hours?"

"You underestimate the perceptive ability of the blind," Alysara said, handing him the report.

"It's so detailed! Right, triple S mark for all of you. Why am I still surprised after everything today?" He mumbled the rest before putting everything away. "Only two more sections for you to do, which one do you plan on doing next?"

"Let's go down the list. Time for the social event!" Hestia announced before Alysara could say anything.

"H-Hold on!" Alysara tried to protest, but Hestia wagged her finger in rejection.

"We have to do it eventually, Alysara. Don't worry, similar to how you took care of me during two of the tests, let me carry you for the leadership and politics part. No idea about the merchant thing, but I think I can figure something out." Hestia grinned, trying to motivate the saddened Alysara before looking over at Aki. "What about you? Want to join?"

"Oh, no, I've already gotten past those two. I only have the combat section left before I can reincarnate, so thank you two sooooo much for your help today! Without you, I probably would have had to wait forever to find a group who would want to help me! Thank you! I don't know if we will meet again, but if we do, I'll make sure to treat you two to something!"

Alysara and Hestia thanked Aki before they parted ways. One girl had a new life waiting for her, while our two girls had to return to theirs. Two more sections remained, and John was hoping both would pass through them like anybody else.

However, something was telling his stomach that wouldn't be the case.

Easter Bonus: A Meeting between Protagonists Part 5

"This test is really just a place where you can show off your various skills and have fun," John said as he showed us the various rooms, currently the carpentry room. The first thing Alysara noticed was the lack of power tools.

"Most worlds don't have the technology for power tools, so this also serves to adapt you to low technology worlds… but I'm sure you already know that.." John added. "If you don't have a skill in music art or crafting, then usually we have you at least try and see what you may like. Talent in an art or craft can often help in your second lives."

Alysara nodded gracefully. "My people are craftsmen, much like how dwarves are portrayed on earth. Every child is encouraged to take up a craft or art, usually, both a craft and an art, crafting and arts are more important than most think." Alysara formed a flute out of mana and skillfully played a few notes, her royal blue fluffy tails dancing to the tune

"Exactly." John said, "With technology, most reincartees are used to service-based economies and factory-made goods, but it's the crafts like carpentry and smithing that will separate you from low-skill jobs if you don't want to do dangerous adventuring. I've seen enough of your abilities that I have no doubt you'll ace this test, Alysara, but what of you, Hestia?" John asked, turning toward the dragon girl.

Hestia forms a microphone with the air around her, using aerokinesis to control it. She then began playing around a bit, adjusting the volume of her volume before singing.

"Let the music play, let it enter your soul

Rest your weary body here

To a tune or melody

Listen now, to a soothing remedy

Listen now, let your stress disappear

Let my song reach you, fill your heart with wonder and more

Gaze up to the blue sky

To smile to the light

Listen now, you know what is right

Listen now, don't need to look so wry "

A jazz song. An angelic voice filled Alysara's and John's ears, tickling them so gently that all traces of stress disappeared as they were entranced by Hestia's voice. Accompanying her was a set of instruments, playing out so perfectly one would think a band is around.

Once the song was over, John felt a sense of loss, wanting to listen more to it, whilst Alysara was flabbergasted at how similar to a concert it just felt, or at the very least, playing a song on your phone or your computer. A heavenly voice like that belonged to none other than a dragon.

"My dream is to become an idol. An entertainer who can capture people's hearts and give them a reason to smile every day. I was born into a musical family back on Earth, so I can also play the violin or piano, aside from singing and dancing. I am versed in the classical and baroque period, from Vivaldi to Beethoven, but I can play more 'classics' and also modern songs. Anime songs, especially!"

Hestia then grabbed a rock and sliced it in half. "But, if my music education isn't enough, I can also make this."

She emptied out the interior of the rock before filling it up with her scale-dust and some of her mana. She closed the shell together and threw it to John, who frantically caught it as his gut was telling him nothing good would happen if he let it fall.

"I can do some crafting. Grenades, toxin mixing, and also use my magic to create traps and such. I can also cook, but baking is my passion. And… I think that's about it. I thought of picking up potion-making once but found it too boring. So, yeah."

"I don't know why I am surprised by this, but I shouldn't have been," John said, looking at the grenade in his hands before slowly setting it down and quickly backing away. "Well, you've already displayed your abilities enough for me to give you two a passing grade, so… I guess we can just send you back now."

"Wait!" Hestia said, then looked at Alysara. "Why don't we perform an idol concert?"

"What?" Alysara looked like a deer in headlights; although she was now used to showing her abilities to her village, this place wasn't her village.

"Yeah! I've seen your dances at the ball, you're extremely graceful and talented, and you can sing too, right?"

"Well, yeah. But I don't think I can perform in front of hundreds of people just like that…" Alysara held her hands up defensively.

"Well, a concert would be good enough for an official test," John said with a shrug. "If you want, I can probably organize a stage for you. You need to make the preparations yourself, though, since it counts towards 'crafting your future.' In a way."

"See?" Hestia tapped Alysara's shoulders. "That is an option. You have two choices, Alysara. We can either perform together, sparkle and shine in the spotlight as we touch people's souls with music. Amaze them with a performance that will fill their hearts with happiness… or just entertain them."

"… And what is the other option?" Alysara asked, hoping she didn't have to take the first one.

"Or, you can help me prepare the show with all the special effects and so on. I can perform on the stage alone, while you can make sure everybody is having the time of their lives!" Hestia then leaned forward, looking at Alysara with puppy eyes. "But I want to perform with you, really!"

Alysara remembers the time when she was dragged in front of the village by Chofel. At the time, she felt just as apprehensive as she is now, but ultimately it helped her connect with the village and helped her open up more. Perhaps it isn't so bad, and worse case, she can shrink her perception so she doesn't see the crowd and pretend they aren't there; that always helped.

She isn't going to continue traveling with Hestia, so making one more memory won't be a bad thing; who knows, maybe some cosmic dragon can teach her how to jump between realms? If that's the case, she might even be able to visit Hestia again!

"A-Alright…" Alysara said, clearly a little flustered.

"I'll show you to your rooms; it's getting late, so tomorrow you can do your concert," John said, leading the way to the dorms. "The dorms increase or decrease in size based on how many people are here."

The dorms resemble old Victorian buildings with hardwood flooring and brick walls. Vases and exotic plants that Alysara suspects came from different worlds decorate the halls. Small rugs are set in front of each room, and crystal lights hang from the ceiling, bringing forth the beauty of the hallway.

"This will be your room," John said, stopping at room two hundred-twenty-four. He showed us in, revealing a cozy rustic room with a lit hearth.

"Is there a tall mirror?" Hestia asked, "So we can practice our dance choreography."

"If there is anything you need, just place your hand on that door and think about what you want, then open it, and it will be a room you need," John answers, pointing to another door.

Trying it, Hestia walked to the door and opened it, revealing a mostly empty room with a large wall mirror.

While Hestia walked into the room excitedly, Alysara burned the strange magical phenomenon into her memory, with how the world just seemed to expand to allow new space. However, Alysara was jerked from her musings as Hestia pulled her into the room.

"We don't have long, so we need to make use of the time we have now" Hestia started a few moves while singing an upbeat song.

Alysara just kinda stood there, not knowing what to do.

"Like this!" Hestia shows a few beginner moves to the energizing music; however, Alysara's Bond wavers, dissatisfied. Her [Inquisitive Perfection] has its own criticisms too; Hestia has clearly played and performed this song, so she is well-practiced, but her movements don't seem to speak with the song she is playing.

"Correct me if I am wrong, Hestia, but did you have difficulty mastering dancing?" Alysara asks.

"Err, well, you know… dances need proper choreography and…" Hestia said but stopped, looking bashfully. "Mhmmm… Is it your Bond speaking again?"

"Yes, your dancing lacks restraint," Alysara criticized. "It's like a fire burning out of control as if you're trying to impress every single person in the world. Sometimes, less is better. " Alysara then showed an example, a simple dance that incorporates the passionate flame flickering from side to side. Her royal blue tails gracefully dance behind her before she twirls elegantly, but with equal youthful passion, she even flickers her ears at appropriate times, using her entire body in the same flowing dance.

"You demand attention," Alysara continued. "But music and dancing are arts; they are a form of beauty and thus should not grab people's attention but rather enrapture them, entrance them; they should lose themselves in the flow of your art" This was what her Bond was trying to tell her for a long time, but it wasn't until recently that her Bond's whisperings have been clearer.

"Hmm? Is that so? You sound a bit like my father. But—" Hestia then grabbed Alysara's hands so deftly she couldn't resist in time. She then positioned them around, one around her hips and the other holding hands. "Music and dancing are art; I understand and agree with you. But, the thing is, idols aren't only seeking to make art. Idols are there to invoke emotions within people, bring forth their will to cheer for them! It has to be fun!"

Classical music began to play as Hestia led Alysara around. With her Bond, Alysara was perfectly able to follow along, making no mistakes. Hestia saw this, smiling as they continued their waltz.

Once Hestia saw Alysara was starting to question what they were doing right now, the music switched to something more suitable for a tango. With the energy from the song, the fire in Hestia's eyes blazed again as she twisted her body around in perfect motions. Alysara was intrigued by what was happening.

"Dancing is always hard for me. I want to give it my all, but that means breaking the rhythm a bit. That's why I need a choreography before going on stage," Hestia admitted, looking conflicted. "Art is in the eyes of the beholder. 'Music is the art of touching the souls of thousands to empower and heal them' is my motto. And I apply this to my dancing too, as the performance is the most important point of a concert."

The music then stopped. Hestia let go of Alysara and began giggling nervously. "But, I get you. If I dance this way on stage, it will steal away your moment. Sorry, I got a bit excited there. Your Bond probably is a better judge than whatever I think is right. I have to get better, so please teach me, Alysara-sensei!"

Alysara smiled softly. "My Bond only speaks for beauty, and sometimes I don't consider other points of view. Hmm…" Alysara adopted a thinking pose for several minutes before speaking again. "Basically, you want your performances to instill meaningful emotions in people without using mind-affecting spells…"

Alysara started trying out several dances, each one seeming to grow more and more fitting to the song Hestia plays. Alysara humed along and played a flute but mostly focused on perfecting the dance choreography.

Hestia, on the other hand, creates a piano made from air and begins playing on it, helping Alysara learn the song she wants them to perform. Having done this once with her friends, Hestia had experience in dividing the lyrics equally to everybody participating. To be exact, which parts of the song fitted the vocal range of the two girls.

Strangely they don't feel tired even through the entire night of practice, although Alysara could have used her clones and spare minds to keep going as her real body slept anyway.

"It's probably due to the magic of this place," Alysara explained when Hestia brought the topic up.

Some golem maids came in the morning with freshly made breakfast. Hestia's stomach growled as she realized it'd been all night since she ate, and there was no sunlight to help sustain her. Alysara, on the other hand, doesn't feel that hungry, her mana production helping to sustain her, but the peckish hunger is slightly uncomfortable.

"Breakfast time. No idea if you're hungry, but I'm ravenous!" After thanking the maids, Hestia took out the utensils and began devouring the food, although keeping up some sort of etiquette at the minimum not to look like a brute. She was happy this was a casual event.

As Hestia digs in, Alysara picks up a piece of buttered toast and examines it. Her past life had a large variety of food, but her current life is the opposite; she has lived fifteen years with only the crab-like Domrs, fruit, and dairy products. Alysara takes a bite of the toast, which was competently made, but by no means was it professionally done.

Once they had their fill, John arrived and showed them a new building that didn't exist yesterday. It is a modern stage with tracking lights and large speakers to the side. A mic stands in the center, as do a large variety of musical instruments.

"I assume you made good use of your time last night?" John asked.

"Yup!" Hestia gave a thumbs up.

However, Alysara didn't feel very eager to stand up in front of everybody; although she didn't mind the outfits she made for this, her fellow villagers usually showed way more skin.

"Great!" John smiles, probably glad this will have no explosions; unfortunately for him, Alysara and Hestia already planned some fireworks, but those are the good kind of explosions. "Your concert will start in two hours."

Hestia immediately went into action, analyzing everything around her with the scrutiny of an expert. Once she identifies what she needs, she waves Alysara over to her, explaining what she needs help with.

As she left Alysara to do that, Hestia took the instruments off the stage, knowing her aerokinesis was more accurate in producing the proper song than letting Alysara's clones play them. She then went over to the loudspeakers and began modifying them, feeling giddy since she hadn't used any Earth-like technology for nearly two years now.

Two hours passed by so quickly for the girls as they prepared the stage to their liking, to the point they had to frantically change their clothes to their idol outfits in the last minutes… well, Alysara just materialized a new outfit for herself around her making a new mana silk dress.

Hestia hid behind the curtains, looking through the gaps to see a nearly full room of people waiting for the two girls to perform. Usually, the idol or their company had to promote themselves, but in this case, due to a shortage of time, John had graciously done it to help the two girls as a send-off present.

Hestia smiled at the noise in the audience. Sure, most of the attendees were young men with relatively generic appearances, but that doesn't bother Hestia. She didn't care if they were an adonis or chubby person or old men or young girls. To her, if they came here to be entertained, then she would be here to perform. For the stage was her life.

"You ready?" Hestia asked Alysara with a mesmerizing wide grin, looking as if she had sucked up all the energy of the world, including from Alysara. The latter felt the presence around Hestia had suddenly changed as if the person she saw yesterday was just the preview of how Hestia truly was.

"Mhmm." Alysara managed to nod after a few seconds to recompose herself.

They step out to the curious cheers of the oddly generic and similar-looking crowd. Alysara wondered if the generic trio were out of the forest yet or were still looking for the dagger; she couldn't tell them apart from the crowd of forgettable faces, nor would she care to.

"Welcome, everybody!"

The spotlights activate, shining white light upon an excited Hestia and slightly nervous Alysara. In the dark of the concert hall, nobody but the two girls could be seen clearly. Hestia produce veils of fire, fluttering them around in the air like a bird's wings, successfully wowing and pulling people's attention to them before they dissipated.

"My name is Hestia, and this is my friend Alysara. This is our last day with all of you, but we aren't planning on leaving just yet. At least, not without a seriously needed musical performance to brighten up this place."

As Hestia introduced them, Alysara weaved an illusion with [Figments of Reality], pushing it as far as she could; the whole area around them transformed to show a starry night sky and an aurora borealis dancing in the sky, stretching from one horizon to the next.

"Hope you're ready! Let the show begin!" Hestia announced with her voice transmitted through every single person using the loudspeaker, prompting Alysara to remotely kill off the light, returning the hall to pitch-black darkness.

As the crowd wondered what just happened, music started playing from nowhere. First the sound of an electric bass playing, pulling its strings up and releasing it. The light reappeared, showing only Alysara before she clapped her hands.

"Ooh, the moment our eyes met, ooh, my heart couldn't stop beating

Badump, dump, dump, it's like you used a skill on me "

Finger snapping. It echoed in the hall as Alysara let silence permeate before another light went on, shining down on Hestia. With a single clap, she raised her microphone.

"Ahh, but don't you even think I'm so easily swayed

Can you prove to me that you can set my heart on fire, pal "

The two girls then began moving, shaking their hips like supermodels as they approached the front of the stage, exciting the numerous young men with their frilly skirts and colorful dresses. Now posing together, they sang in unison.

""Until you show me the flames in you

I will smile and keep these three words for myself! ""

And the brilliance of the stage erupted, dazzling people as the two girls began their synchronized dancing.

""I can't wait! ""

A perfect harmony. Hestia's powerful vocals complemented Alysara's elegant voice, letting everybody know this was the time for them to be impressed once again. Dividing the lyrics once again, Alysara took over, enchanting people with her intonations and mystifying leg and tail movements.

"Just watching you makes me feel so anxious

I dream of the day that you will hold me

You are it, my Fireheart! "

""Say those words! ""

"Don't just stand there and keep your mouth wide, dummy

Can't you feel the rhythm of our heartbeats

Say those words, my Fireheart! "

On the other hand, Hestia's remarkable voice overwhelmed the crowd, exploding in their ears and capturing their hearts with the first verse. Some of those with a masochistic fetish was even entranced by the "dummy" part. Regardless, to bring it to a fulfilling climax, Hestia fully displayed her mastery over her singing.

""Oh oh Oh oh Oh oh Oh oh Oh oh Oh oh Oh ""

And to finish their already captured hearts off, the girls shook their hips while waggling their fingers at them. With the combined powers of their synchronized "Oh"s, none of the boys could endure it any longer. Most of these young men already had experienced in idol concerts like these, and even those who didn't followed suit.

Using the magic they've learned from their stay here, all of them molded their mana into light sticks and began swinging them. The audience was fully ready to continue this concert.

"Alysara, you're the best ever!"

"Hestia, look at me, please! We love you!"

The crowd shouted their support as the song ended. Alysara cast the entire place in darkness and weaved new dresses for her and Hestia, then the illusion around them shifts to a dark forest with yellow eyes staring from the shadows.

A light shone on Hestia and Alysara, who now looked like adventurers with sheathed swords on their hips and bows in their hands. They stood back to back with confident grins on their faces.

"No matter who our adversary is, we will prevail!" Hestia declares and starts the next song with a foreboding undertone.

They sing about a hunt against a terrifying monster, showing a shadow stalking the perimeter, causing the people nearest to it to shiver in fear. But suddenly, the song shifts and two arrows of light are shot toward the 'monster,' banishing it.

Hestia winks at the boys, her bow still poised, while Alysara blows them a kiss. The crowd goes crazy as the song now inspires courage.

"YEAH!"

"Can't believe they had something like this in store! Why haven't they done this earlier?! This whole place would be so much better if we had this more often! Wooooooo!"

The concert was a riot. The crowd exploded as the girls performed two more songs. Even Alysara, usually reserved, was fully immersed in the atmosphere, smiling so brightly she looked radiant. Hestia's endless energy infected everybody as her heavenly voice egged people on to cheer and dance with their light sticks.

However, the sweat and heat inside the concert room was taking its toll on everybody. They were still cheering and celebrating this rare event, but Hestia and Alysara both noticed how some of them were starting to tire. Even Alysara had to admit her voice was slightly sore after performing their fifth song.

Still, the girls finished their goal. Five songs are more than enough. The crowd called for an encore, but the two girls hadn't prepared a sixth song. It was Hestia's fault for not accounting for it, but the concerts she had in her world didn't know the concept of encores. She forgot all about it. Even then, the girls only had a single night to learn five songs and create choreographies for them.

It is already a huge achievement. If they are to be rated for this performance, it would most likely be an SSS grading.

As the girls retired to the backstage, the song of the cheering crowd still reached them. As Hestia worried about getting out of the building, John knocked on their door. When he was let in, he congratulated the two girls for an amazing performance.

"Hahaha, I think everybody who attended it won't forget about it until they leave this place. Hopefully, this will motivate them even further." John smiled proudly at the two girls. "It will probably be hard to leave now. However, since this will be our last hour together, let me do you two a favor. Teleport us to Reincarnation Exit five."

As if responding to John's command, the three disappeared from their backstage room in a blinding light, reappearing in a room with a complex magic circle.

"Well, I guess this is where we part," Alysara said, turning toward Hestia. "It's been fun."

"Yeah! I wish there was a way for us to visit each other… but I doubt that's possible."

"Perhaps… maybe there is a way?" Alysara suggested optimistically. "If I can study and learn how to cross into other realms, then perhaps it's possible."

"Only gods can do something like that," John said, earning a glare from Hestia and Alysara. "Well, I mean, at least it's true for us; these magic circles don't work without the help of a few supporting gods."

"According to my study and witnessing some things, I think I have that part down," Alysara said, her tails flicked in irritation. "If I am right, then my Bond is a source of divinity, and I can already teleport, so it's not too much of a stretch to think that I might someday learn how to cross into other realms."

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds before the implication sank in.

"You mean to say you are a goddess?!" John's eyes widened.

"Well, I'm still mortal." Alysara said with a shrug. "I, nor anyone else in my world would call me a god but in a world where everything that has a soul has a Bond I don't think the presence of divinity itself means much."

Alysara stepped onto the magic circle, her three beautiful tails moving in tune with her gait. She gracefully turned around and gave Hestia a confident smile.

"This isn't a farewell, but rather a 'see you later' I look forward to when we next meet" With a flash and a crackling of black lightning, she disappears.

"Huh," John huffs. "She somehow activated the transportation herself… I'm gonna have to talk with the higher-ups about potentially bringing godlings here by accident. Well, it's your turn, Hestia; as promised, I'll send you back."

Hestia nodded and stepped into the same spot Alysara was just at, and with a wave of John's hand over the control panel, the world shifted, and she woke up in her bed, unsure if all of that was a dream or reality.

Chapter 155: Super-solid study

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained levels 489-497!

After a week, I've made a lot of progress, and the beginning of the ritual site is set up. Piles have been driven into the seafloor to provide a sturdy foundation, and a temporary material storage was built to house the building materials.

All the elders had a meeting about the spread of the news of the ritual. Specifics weren't told to the general populace, only that Myrou will bless their Kyhosa on the day when the moons and the sun become one, but only if they are in the ritual site.

I've been set the task of making the blend of liquid beauty mana and bathing oil for everybody. Of course, if it was only me doing it, it would take too long to make that much liquid beauty mana, so several dozen people are donating their mana to me to help expedite the process.

Everybody has to make a Dedication to Myrou, and I am no exception. I only took a day to get that out of the way, but it's not like I just made something without any thought, care or feelings. I am still grateful to Myrou for reincarnating me among these peaceful people, even if it hasn't always been easy.

My Dedication is a hairbrush made of beauty essence that came from my [Beauty Blessing] Bond skill. It is decorated with a form of beauty essence oriented towards cleanliness and self-care.

Unfortunately, with everything that is happening, I've had little time to make significant progress in the study of inscriptions and mana for my breakthroughs. I did find some time to practice my [Manipulate Mana], but not enough to sit down and work on the hard breakthroughs, like the super-solid mana state.

However, that's about to change. With the completion of my Dedication and now the bathing oil, I finally have time to do some of the more important things for myself. I have to master six breakthroughs and finish the mana collecting inscription.

I have to obtain the mastery level of two breakthroughs a week, when just one might take me a month or two; this is starting to look impossible to do in time.

I need to take this one step at a time; even if I don't cap [Mana Manipulation], it's not the end of the world, and the ritual should be powerful enough to improve my Kyhosa. I already have a backup plan to reinforce the mana manipulative ability of my Kyhosa: etching the inscriptions of my and Kayafes' [Manipulate Mana] and [Manipulate Magic] onto it.

But that's for later; right now, I'll do my best to accomplish my goals.

I sit at my desk and make another sample of super-solid mana while two clones groom me with their base A.I. I watch as the mana particles separate into crystalline patterns, and start making notes on the shapes they form.

Each element seems to form different shapes, but these mana crystals aren't stable. They'll turn back into liquid if I release the pressure, but what happens if I increase the pressure even more? I am already straining, but my recent levels and state of focus are making it less difficult.

As I continue to compress my sample, the crystalline structure seems to 'lock' in place, and a quick examination reveals that the MM particles are stuck in the 'valleys' in the MM fields they project.

With the super-solid mana now stabilized, I release the pressure and relax, feeling a little woozy. I still need to figure out why that is happening, but I don't have time right now.

I continue to study the behavior of the stabilized super-solid mana while I rest. It no longer separates the elements, so the degree to which it is crystalized is determined by how fast I 'lock' the mana in place. Seeing the MM forces, there should still be four more sets of positions I can 'lock' the mana into, each one more compressed than the next.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained levels 498-500!

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 776-778!

Checking the time, I realize it's almost time for the Lojyo, and quickly make myself presentable with the help of my clones. Once at the Lojyo, I move to join Chofel on the music stage, but I am interrupted by someone.

She appears to be about sixteen years old, with long hair and a well-groomed tail. She towers over me, just like most herms. Admittedly she's not bad-looking by Runalymo standards, but…

"Umm," she says, awkwardly, not knowing how to proceed. "W-Would you like to spend this Lojyo with me?"

Her attempts at courting me will end the same way they always do for everyone else.

"I am not interested at this time," I politely turn her down, and move onto the stage.

Ever since my adulthood ceremony, the floodgates of suitors looking to court me have opened wide, and I get at least three courtship invitations every Lojyo; one person even tries every night… and that's her right there.

"Alysara—"

"No," I quickly shut her down, but she continues as if I hadn't said anything.

"Would you like to spend this Lojyo with me tonight?" She hasn't stopped her efforts, buying more jewelry to try to look more valuable to me.

She wears her hair in a single long braid and even styles her tail. She wears lots of emeralds and amethysts, which leads me to think that her hair and eyes are of that color, but what color her hair is I can't see.

Unlike the Humans from my past life, the Runalymo don't court with gifts, but rather adorn themselves to try and woo potential partners; kind of like how birds choose based on how colorful a potential mate is, but more complicated.

"No matter how many times you ask, the answer will always be the same, Hanao," I answer, with a hint of annoyance in my tone.

"Alysara, I am serious about this. Give me a chance; what do I need to do to earn your approval?"

"Give me space; when I'm ready to court, I will do so."

I leave her and finally make my way to the music stage, where there are several new faces. The amount of people learning a musical instrument has increased a lot due to people wanting to court me. It was sort of an ego boost at the start, but it has quickly lost its novelty, and now it's kind of annoying.

The rest of the Lojyo is fairly uneventful this time, thankfully.

Feyan watches Yafel and Yafe, a smile on her face as they brag about their recent accomplishment with their tailoring lessons. They hold up a decently made blanket that is well decorated with an image of the sea, with islands in the distance and little boats with nets full of Domr.

The twins look expectantly at Feyan with their bright blue eyes, practically begging to be praised.

"Those are amazing!" Feyan encourages them and pats their heads. "To celebrate, why don't we go get some ice cream?" The twins bob their blue-haired heads up and down in excitement for the sweet treat.

"Ice cream!" they cheer happily.

"This is really good!" Alysara says, examining the blankets. "I may have to teach you [Mana Weaving] soon."

"Finally!" The twins parade around their older sister, who smiles elegantly and lovingly at her younger sisters.

Feyan knows that while the twins have learned much in their trade and are quite talented, their work is far from perfect, but they are going to be turning ten years old in a couple of years and will be unlocking their Class. Aly probably wants them to have a good Class when the time comes. She's such a caring daughter and sister, a small part of Feyan wishes that Aly would never grow up.

Feyan calls for her spouse and closes the shop an hour early for a family outing. They visit Efula's ice cream shop, and the twins bury their faces in their treat.

"I'm thinking of getting my own shop," Aly says eventually, her long graceful tails gently swaying behind her.

Feyan's heart sinks a little. Get her own shop? Does she want to move out already?

Feyan has to remind herself that Aly is fifteen now, she's no longer a child, but for some reason she never thought that Aly would leave the house. Aly is her child, her precious little genius; she can't leave yet!

"You don't have to move out yet, Aly," Feyan tries to convince her to stay, if only for a little while longer. "I didn't move out until I met Kanato. At least wait until you find someone special to you."

Aly looks a little surprised at Feyan's protest.

"Momara... I'm not moving to another village; I'll probably just be a few minutes away. We can always visit each other," Alysara says, to which Kanato chuckles lightly.

"If Aly gets a new home, then we get two homes!" Yafe grins, her bowl half empty already.

"What kind of house are you going to get?" Yafel asks.

"Well, I don't need a big house, but if anything happens, having a bigger house won't hurt," Alysara says thoughtfully.

"'If anything happens?'" Feyan repeats. "Are you planning on children of your own?"

The idea of grandkids makes Feyan feel warm inside, watching her child grow up and start their own family. Is this how her momara felt when she had Aly?

However, Aly shoots that fantasy down. "I was talking about if the house burns down, or if Yafel and Yafe destroy it."

"Hey!" The twins protest at Aly's teasing.

Aly gives them a mischievous smile and pats them on the head.

Kanato side-hugs Feyan with a proud smile, her white hair blowing in the wind.

"Our little Aly is all grown up; it's only natural that she wants to strike out on her own."

Vanu Runa Lysha examines the map set on the table, which has several figures on it to represent armies, both on their side and the enemy's.

"Ten thousand soldiers are marching to Guraya Fort," Borala says, moving a red piece. "I do not think they are planning to attack yet, but rather responding to our movements."

"We can take the fort now and save ourselves the trouble of dealing with it when it has reinforcements," Lysha suggests.

"No time," Kolona shakes her head. "Sieges take a long time, and we'd be attacked on two fronts by the reinforcing army."

"It's better to disrupt supply lines," Borala nods. "They have many kilometers of forest to travel through, which will make it easy to ambush the caravans and make it more expensive for them. After their rebellion, they should already be hurting financially."

"The Fort has a well," Scrying Master Jio says. "It leads to a small underground cavern that we may be able to dig into and poison."

"Won't work," Shalar mutters, "Most well water is filtered through a purifying enchantment. We're better off sabotaging their food supplies if we want to poison them."

"If poisoning won't work, then maybe we drain the well?" Lysha suggests. "Since they have a source of water, they likely aren't being supplied with it; if we drain it, then they will have to bring water in from outside, which will make it more expensive for them."

"That's a good idea!" Jio exclaims.

The meeting continues long into the night, and, when Lysha finally leaves, she is exhausted. Simply reading books is not equivalent to real experience, and she is completely out of her element. But, if she can help win this war, then she may have a strong chance at being elected governor over her brothers.

There's also the issue that the next shipment of power-armor is late; she hopes nothing bad has happened to Alysara.

Chapter 156: Storm Conjuration

I sit in my room with several large mana batteries, manipulating a large amount of mana in a great swirling pattern just outside of the village: experimenting with an artificial mana storm. By manipulating the MM fields of most of the mana, and especially the storm's core, I can increase the velocity of the mana and make weak spells manifest spontaneously.

I've been at this for four days now, trying to master two breakthroughs at once, MM force manipulation and storm conjuration. I need to double down on these breakthroughs in order to cap my breakthroughs in time for the ritual.

I don't know if I can do it in time; I need to master six breakthroughs in two and a half weeks. If I can get these two, then I can make something to get the mastery level for vitality weaving and super-solid mana, and then that will leave 'liquify spell mana' and 'make reserved mana' which will have to be done separately. By combining the mastery tests, I only need to do four tests instead of six, which is the only lifeline I have for this deadline.

The storm increases in strength as I drain mana from the batteries to fuel my efforts. The spell manifestations intensify, and I use my other minds to direct the spells into a certain spot. Waves of cold freeze a layer of the water below the storm, followed by waves of heat. Wind howls and blades of air shoot out. The air is charged with electricity while rolling lightning sweeps over the area.

My body aches and my head pounds in pain, but now a smaller, more powerful version of the superstorm is raging just outside of the village. I already informed everyone of what's happening a few days ago, when I caused a panic, but now people are used to it.

I continue manipulating the storm, waiting for the 'Tings!' to let me know when to stop, until I suddenly fall over, losing control of my body.

What happened? I immediately stop controlling the storm and examine myself, and my heart feels like it has just stopped in a moment of terror. My vitality is dangerously low!

I hadn't noticed since, one, the mana I normally work with was too little, two, I wasn't looking for it, and three, I hadn't expected this outcome, but it makes sense: vitality is mana and the curse will transform my mana into other mana. This will also explain the pain I've been feeling. If my vitality, which is stored in my body, is turned into fire, ice, or lightning mana, it will damage me.

With this sudden realization, I just want to kick myself for not predicting this outcome in the first place! It is obvious now, and with my manipulating several hundreds of thousands of mana the damage, which is normally not immediately noticeable, adds up. However, [Inquisitive Perfection] has another question to ask: if, when I manipulate lightning mana, my mana – vitality included – is transformed into lightning mana, then what happens when I manipulate the MM force?

I'll have to find out before I continue, but first, I need to restore my vitality. I draw mana out from my batteries and transform it into vitality to heal myself, and then I start testing the effects of my curse, quickly finding that manipulating the MM force does very little. It does make the MM force around me slightly stronger, and I notice that the mana seems to be gaining more MM particles at the loss of elemental particles.

Now I know that I also have to keep restoring my vitality when manipulating large amounts of mana, which just makes it cost even more to do; however, this blunder cost me another valuable day. I spend the rest of the day refilling my mana batteries, to retry this tomorrow.

In the morning, I give it another try. I have one mind focused on controlling the storm overall, a second to keep me healthy by restoring my vitality and occasionally casting a healing spell on myself, my third mind is directing storm spells in the same direction, my fourth is manipulating the MM force, and my fifth mind is focused on the smaller details of the storm.

I start by compressing a large amount of mana into an orb of liquid mana and cranking up its already strong MM force. Mana immediately starts swirling around the core and being flung around. I amplify this behavior, and soon storm spells manifest, directed at a poor Domr that wandered too close.

I then start playing with the MM fields on clumps of mana, trying to find out the best way to make even stronger storm spells. I amplify the intensity of the mana and storm spells, all while making the storm stronger overall.

This attempt is a lot smoother and there is less discomfort with my body being healed, but that doesn't mean it's not just as hard to get. It still uses all of my minds, but now the storm is raging more than ever before, and I still can't get any mastery levels!

Desperate to get at least one level, I quickly shift all minds to one task, focusing on the storm's core and amping up its MM field as much as I possibly can. I push [Manipulate Mana] as hard as I can with all five minds, which pulls in all the mana from its surroundings, rapidly growing the storm and increasing mana pressures. The storm suddenly surges in strength, and fields of storm spells manifest in swirling flames, freezing blizzards, lightning waves, tornadoes, and more. Beams of light shoot out, vaporizing the water below, and rolling clouds of darkness whip around the storm core.

Ting! Manipulate mana has obtained levels 501-502!

Well, I guess I just needed to give it a kick in the rear. As I carefully release my control, unwinding the storm core manually so that it doesn't lash out and damage something, I consider my next steps. I need to finish studying super-solid mana and get that mastery level, but first, I should check on the construction of the ritual site.

The ritual site is already half-built, but there are a few key details that will need my personal touch. The bathing area is mostly done, but the rest will need me to finish the inscriptions, so to make sure everything continues smoothly, I should get that done before anything else.

I sit down at my desk and summon a clone aide with the basic clone A.I. The clone hands me a journal I made with mana, filled with hundreds of recorded inscriptions and details on how much mana per minute each design draws in. I unbind the journal and lay everything out in front of me, and start looking for a relation between mana draw and structure.

It takes me an hour, going through all the inscriptions with [Inquisitive Perfection], to find what I am looking for: the optimal inscription to gather mana. Now I just need to refine it, which will probably require a hundred more versions.

I set four clones, plus my real body, to this task. With each iteration of the inscription, I test if it's better. If it is, I use that as a new base design, and repeat the process until I cannot find any more iterations that are more efficient than what I currently have.

The inscription starts with the outer circle, with five smaller offset circles that connect to five ellipses that feed mana to the inner ring, which leads to five more smaller offset circles that finally leads to a core circle. It feeds mana to the center at an incredible rate.

I lean back in my chair, happy with my success, but before I can celebrate [Inquisitive Perfection] nudges my attention to the core of the inscription. Something about it feels... incomplete somehow, but having a proper core will start to consume mana...

"It's a fractal!" I exclaim after a few minutes of staring at the inscription core.

If I continue repeating the inscription design when it reaches the core, will it collect more mana? It's worth a try.

Sure enough, the inscription starts drawing even more mana; for some reason, the MM force has increased dramatically, resulting in an exponential increase in mana collecting capabilities as if it had multiplied by itself! I'm curious about why it works that way, but that's not really the point at the moment.

I add another full design inside the inscription core to see how far this can go, but only get a twenty percent increase in its capabilities, indicating diminishing returns.

However, isn't this kind of what the Mana Arc wants to do? Collect mana and funnel it elsewhere? Perhaps this is what Kayafe was missing.

I should speak with her about this, and now I need to talk to the elders again about an updated design for the ritual site, but they can wait. I have finally done it! I made my own perfected inscription!

I did not simply copy this design from someone's magic framework; I did not read about it from a book; I wasn't even taught anything about inscriptions. This is all entirely my own accomplishment! No memories guided me; no one helped me; it's my very own creation!

I stand up, feeling too giddy to stay still; even my tails are wagging back and forth. I want nothing more than to brag about this well-earned accomplishment!

"Momara!" I call out, jogging downstairs to show my mom the inscription.

"What is this?" Mom asks, examining my work.

She doesn't know the significance of this – to her, it will look like a bunch of circles, because visually it is just that – so I start explaining to her what it is and the difficulties of finding out the best iteration of this inscription.

"That's amazing!" Mom says, although I can tell she still doesn't quite get it. But she's happy that I'm happy, and that's enough for me; she doesn't need to understand.

After enjoying a moment with my mom and dad, I fly over to the temple to initiate contact with Kayafe and tell her about the inscription.

"With this, we may be able to build a new and maybe an even better Mana Arc!" I gush excitedly.

"But it will still need to be a magic item," Kayafe says cynically. "To have the power it needs to cover the entire Nexus, it needs the bonus of the tiers."

"I'm just trying to help you," I say, somewhat defensively. "Even if this can't work, it might be able to lead us to something that can."

"I appreciate it, Alysara, but the only sure way to make a magic item is through sacrifice, and I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did."

That warms my heart.

"So, you're one step closer to completing the ritual; what else needs to be done?" Kayafe asks, changing the subject.

"I need to update the ritual site blueprints, make a lot of inscription ink, and a few other details, then I need to cap my [Manipulate Mana] to hopefully improve my Kyhosa before it is improved again by the ritual."

"And you only have two weeks to do all that?"

"Unfortunately," I say, "But I'm not going to give up! Even if it seems impossible, I'm going to try as hard as I can!"

I continue to talk with Kayafe until I am out of mana, then I fly back home and talk to the elders. We go over the blueprints and make adjustments for a two-step inscription, with the entirety of the inner inscription being the bathing area and the outer being out in the sea, but there are a few other things I may want to add.

The First Inscription had Runascript – what I call the written language of the Runalymo since they just call it 'writing' – around it, detailing how it works; what if I do that for this inscription? Can I change what mana it gathers? Can I make it more effective?

I'll have to explore all of this tomorrow, and it will likely result in hundreds more trial and error iterations to figure things out.

Chapter 157: Continued study

The next day is filled with making more experimental inscriptions, testing how Runascript interacts with their structure. I can influence it a little by making it more effective at drawing in certain mana types, but all mana is still drawn in, which makes me question how useful Runascript is.

I try other languages, such as Lunascript and even English, and that's when the trick became evident. English is a weird language with filler words that mean very little, whereas in the Runalymo and Lunaley language – let's shorten it to Runalyse or maybe Runaspeak – each letter has its own meaning. This difference let me figure out that it's not the lettering or the words, but rather the meaning of the language that influences the inscriptions.

Having filler words is not efficient, so English is generally not great; while Runaspeak is by no means perfect, it's definitely better. The issues with it are simply that some common things are hard to describe, like flower petals, which take a lot more words than English's two. The problem with both languages is that they are spoken, so they are limited to only the possible sounds we can make. To make a very good language for inscriptions, a new language will have to be made without these limitations.

Unfortunately, I don't have months or years to invent an inscription language from scratch, but maybe in the future, I will; for now, I will settle with Runascript and drawings to convey meanings.

Bored of my inscription experiments, I eventually move on to super-solid mana study. I make several samples, some that are highly crystallized and some not, keeping detailed notes on my observations of their properties. After spending hours working with my samples, I continue to compress them.

Super-solid mana has five stable stages, corresponding to the 'layers' of the MM forces keeping the structure organized, and so far I've only experimented with the first, so when something odd happens, I am not surprised.

The element-defining particles aren't resisting compression as much as the MM particles, since they don't have the same repulsion forces keeping them apart. Instead, the elementary particles form a ball, surrounded by a shell of MM particles.

The elementary particles bounce around in these balls, and the balls are forming their own structures with each other. It's an odd behavior… but matter and energy tend to act weirdly under such extreme conditions.

There is a lot of potential research to do in this second stage; for instance, the elementary particles work with the charges I discovered when weaving vitality. I wonder what will happen if I turn them into vitality, or any other form of element? Can Iform structures inside the shell of MM particles and if yes, what will it do?

Pure academic curiosity has me making several samples already, and playing with dozens of structures within the MM shells and with the mana balls themselves; however, I stay away from weaving super-solid mana, I don't need another breakthrough to master right now.

I'd love to take my time and study this second stage of super-solid mana further, but I don't have the time; I need to press on, pun intended.

The more pressure I put on my samples, the more the MM particle shells contract and thicken as the ball gets smaller. Whatever structure the elementary particles had is destroyed and squeezed together, with no room between them. The balls of mana also get closer to each other.

It occurs to me that this is like a second stage of mana particles, except different: there are collections of MM and elementary particles, and these collections are also forming their own structures. I wonder what I can do with mana like this? How would a spell compressed to this degree act? Is there any use to it other than making super-hard materials? So many things to explore with no time to experiment.

However, I have reached the new limit of my capabilities, even with the levels I have been gaining.

Ting! Manipulate mana has obtained levels 503-504!

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 779-780!

I need to somehow cast a liquified spell at a mastery level… how the hell am I going to do that? I need this level to be able to reach the fourth stage of super-solid mana and learn more; I have a feeling that reaching the fifth stage will count as mastery, but if not, I can always make something while also getting the mastery level for vitality weaving.

Hmm, if I go by the knowledge levels, then I should know everything I need to know to get the mastery level, so what am I doing wrong? The answer is pretty simple, according to [Inquisitive Perfection], anyway: I know a lot, but I have only cast liquid spells a few times. I am utterly lacking in practice.

I spend the next few days practicing my spells and learning how to best control my liquid fairies. The biggest challenge is that every time the fairies flap their wings, droplets of mana are thrown off; I need to stabilize them, but how? I would like to figure it out myself, but I don't have time.

I need to ask Kayafe, I fly over to the Temple and ask her for advice.

"That was one of the harder ones." she says. "I didn't use summons, but any spell launched will leave behind droplets, and you end up wasting mana that doesn't go toward killing your foe. You need something that will pull it together and keep its form, but you can't rely on making a film of super-solid mana. That does work, but doesn't count toward the breakthrough mastery level."

"So you increased the MM force so much that the liquid mana can't escape?" I ask after a few moments of thought, to which Kayafe hums her affirmation.

"Liquid mana is pretty good at overwhelming the MM force, but a body of liquid mana acts as a single particle," Kayafe explains. "There's a type of surface tension, albeit weak, and this comes from the MM force that tries to keep it together, even if it's not very good at it."

"So massively increasing the force increases the surface tension of the liquid mana," I conclude.

It should have been obvious to me, and no doubt I would have been able to come to this conclusion myself if given the time, but there's another thing I want to ask.

"I may not be able to make the MM force strong enough. What about using the elementary particle charge to help keep it together?" I ask.

"Elementary particle charge?" Kayafe asks in turn.

Whoops, I never explained how I managed to weave vitality. Kayafe may know it through other means, but not the modern term I use.

"I see," Kayafe hums after I explain my concepts. "It took me years to figure that out: one day, I was observing a natural phenomenon, and the idea suddenly appeared in my head 'What will happen if I make anti-vitality?' I tried it out, and after several experiments, I got vitality weaving."

"I guess my past life knowledge helped me there," I admit. Granted, I did not know if vitality had a charge, and even then it's not quite the same thing I know, so calling it a 'charge' may not be accurate.

I go back home after chatting and get to work on my mastery level; I conjure another liquifairy and crank up its MM force as much as I can. The amount of wasted mana dramatically decreases, but there's still some. With selective use of [Manipulate Mana], I begin to increase the charge on roughly half of the elemental particles to further increase the spell's stability… until eventually the leakage is completely stopped.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 505!

Just five more levels, I tell myself.

With less than two weeks left and three more breakthroughs to accomplish, as well as making all of the inscription ink and maybe some more study into inscription lettering, I may not have time to do all that I set out to do. Something has got to be cut, or left as the last thing to focus on. First off, the ink needs to be done: without it, the inscription won't work, and that will greatly weaken the ritual.

The biggest problem is the sheer amount of ink I need; the outer part of the inscription needs to be three kilometers in diameter, the inner part nine hundred meters, and that's not counting the center.

There's no way that making a three-kilometer-diameter circle of wood flooring is going to happen, so we'll be making a small pipe system, held up by supports and filled with the ink. The pipe is only as wide as my pinky, and I, thankfully, don't have to be the one to make it; there are numerous people who can shape metal.

Still, I need to make a swimming pool of inscription ink, and I am running out of time. I also need to focus on my breakthroughs, but that means I can't have all my minds dedicated to this task, and I'll be rationing mana between training and making ink.

Maybe I can strike two birds with one stone… I need to master turning mana back into reserved mana, so maybe I should make the ink out of reserved mana; that way, I can just focus on vitality weaving and super-solid mana.

I still need more levels to reach the fourth super-solid stage, so I have to master vitality weaving first.

I start with transforming the mana in the air into vitality and weaving that into a short skirt dress made for ease of movement when in battle. I add depictions of battle, warriors sparring and fighting monsters. Next, I add steel essence super-solid plates for armoring, and greaves lined with soft vitality silk on the inside. Long vitality gloves protected with armor cover the arms, and an open-face helmet with decorative vitality strings protects the head. The skirt is plated with armor, and lastly, all the armoring is decorated with battle essence engravings.

The armor fits the 'light to medium' range. Good for mobility, travel, and skirmishes, but for more dedicated combat, wars, and tough monsters, heavier armor would be more desirable.

I weave a large bowtie, loop it around the waist and make a few other adornments. Next are enchantments: I've never used vitality spells or enchantments, so this will be a first, but now that I know how to make mana structures with vitality, it should be possible.

My first enchantment fails to stick, and it is fortunate that it did; if normal enchanting is a breakthrough, then vitality enchanting probably is too, and I don't want any more. I instead opt for speed enhancements in the armoring, taking care to perfectly incorporate the enchantments without destroying them. I add several more enchantments and details and finish my work.

Sacrificial Lifethread Battledress

(Enchanted)

Made by one of the greatest weavers in the world, this dress will sacrifice itself to keep the wearer alive. The threads of this battledress will fray and disappear as it replenishes its wearer's vitality and enhances their speed and agility by 350% so long as it is worn.

Ting! Manipulate mana has obtained level 506!

First try? I am surprised that I actually got the mastery level on the first try, but this is my specialty, so maybe I should give myself more credit?

In any case, I still have two more breakthroughs to master and a ton of ink to make; this is starting to look doable.

Chapter 158: Mastering mana

I carefully watch my super-solid samples, straining as I try to reach the fourth stage of super-solid mana, but the sample just doesn't want to compress any more than it already has. With a sigh, I lean back in my chair, giving up when my headache becomes too much for me. [Pain Tolerance] is preventing it from actually being painful, but it's very uncomfortable, annoyingly so.

I've been at this for four days now; progress has been slow, but I am making progress at least. In order to progress any further, I'll need help, but that won't count towards my mastery level… which is fine for now, I still have knowledge levels to get.

I take Dryad's Grace from its place in a corner of my room. It will only work with nature essence, but I'll get a fifteen hundred percent bonus to my manipulation.

I make a new sample of mana and compress it down easily. It seems that breakthroughs like this one almost require a Class bonus to get. I watch in fascination as the elemental particles are crushed and begin to fuse, all becoming one. The balls of mana have now gotten so close to each other they are almost touching, which makes me question what the fifth stage will look like.

Interesting… I wonder what kind of properties the elemental particle will have, now that it's fused?

As far as I can tell, it seems to be the same as before, only super-charged. If that's the case, then what will happen if I invert its charge?

I do so and watch another mana ball suddenly overcome the MM force and slam into it, fusing even more and neutralizing their charge.

So it behaves the same, but its charge is added together from the many smaller parts it was made from.

I also make a note of how some of the MM particles fused from the collision, resulting in a single particle with much greater MM force. I take some time to do some light observations before finally making the fifth stage of super solid mana.

The fifth and final stage of super-solid mana is by far the hardest one to create; even with my staff, I struggle to compress the MM particles together. Each time a set of MM particles fuse, their forces increase vastly, making further compression exponentially harder. In the end, I am only able to get halfway there.

How the hell am I going to do this?! I vent internally in frustration. If I can't even get this breakthrough with my staff, then how the hell did Kayafe do it?!

Well, Kayafe had a Class bonus and probably a strong item to help her like my staff… However, after clearing my mind for a few minutes, the solution jumps out at me. If I use the polarity of the elemental particles, then it should fuse all on its own!

Reinvigorated with a new possible solution, I enact my new plan, but help it along by compressing the sample with my [Manipulate Mana]. However, even that isn't enough to get all of the MM particles to fuse. The smashing of the mana balls isn't very elegant; it's a brute force approach and doesn't get all the particles. I am left with a sample that is mostly made of fused elemental particles marbled with fused MM particles, but there are impurities of unfused MM particles that create weak points in the sample.

I suppose this qualifies as reaching the fifth super-solid stage, but it is in no way close to being mastered. I am left with two choices: one, keep trying and refining my methods; two, get more breakthroughs and master them in hopes of getting strong enough to master this one, all within a week and a half.

I have to make my choice now, keep trying or try to master another breakthrough. I ponder any possible – and hopefully easy – breakthroughs that I can master relatively easily. Anything related to crafting I should be able to get within a few days of practice.

After several minutes of thinking, I've come up with four potential breakthroughs; solid vitality, making vitality crystals, vitality enchanting, and super-solid weaving. All four I should be able to master at the same time, that will be forty extra levels, but the issue is whether or not I can master them within a week.

If I choose this path, that raises another choice: take all the breakthroughs I think I can handle at once, or take them one at a time? Taking them all at once will probably allow me to complete them faster than one at a time, but if I take too many then that might not balance out the way I need it to: I must master all the ones I take in time, and I can't feel it out as I go. I need to decide now, but over- and undershooting the number of breakthroughs I think I can handle in the time I have are both equally catastrophic outcomes.

Given how hard it is proving to get the super-solid mastery level, I am leaning toward three or four breakthroughs. That will be challenging, certainly, but I am already familiar with all of the potential breakthroughs: all are crafting-focused, which is something I've been doing for almost a decade and which comes really easily to me. Then there's my Race bonus helping me learn, and the breakthroughs are similar to other breakthroughs I already have, so I have experience with them already.

For these reasons, I will try to complete all four breakthroughs, but will have my staff to help me with the super-solid weaving breakthrough.

I start with solidifying vitality, which is rather easy conceptually. It's still hard in practice, since not only do I need to make sure the structure is right, but the attraction needs to be stronger than for vitality weaving.

Each positive vitality has to attract at least six negative ones, which makes it hard to balance because the negative ones can't be completely canceled out, since they need to attract more positive ones. After doing some math, I figure out what I need to do in order to make a dagger out of vitality. The dagger is a simple proof of concept, but it's enough to earn me the breakthrough.

Crystallizing vitality is a much more complex and deliberate matter. For solid vitality, I simply had to make everything mostly uniform – for example, I had to have all negative vitality at a charge value of one point one and all positive vitality at a charge value of five – but crystallization requires many differing charge values in specific places to form the crystalline structures.

Where solid vitality is relatively easy, it's going to be the crystallization and enchanting of vitality that will take up the majority of my practice time for the next week… but for now, I just need to get the breakthrough for quick levels, which will make it easier later.

Enchanting vitality is like crystallizing vitality, but much more complex. It still takes normal mana to flow through the enchantments, but instead of using the MM force to direct the mana I need to use the elemental particle charges to take that role. This adds a huge level of complexity that will require me to constantly work on it throughout the week.

Maybe I have bitten off more than I can chew with the vitality enchanting… but, after most of the day of practicing, setting my goal on understanding vitality enchanting, I manage to get this breakthrough.

After that, super-solid weaving feels easy in comparison. It's very similar to normal weaving, just that the mana has been highly compressed. The difference is that super-solid weaving has a much higher mana density, resulting in a much more powerful thread, and I feel that super-solid enchanting may be a thing.

There is so much potential in super-solid mana that I feel it might be what can lift my crafting to the next level. But if that's something that can be accomplished by the unenhanced version, then what is possible with the enhanced version of this skill?

Ting! Manipulate Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 540!

51st Breakthrough: You have managed to forge solid vitality; this will help you create metallic vitality.

52nd Breakthrough: You have managed to make crystallized vitality; this will help you make crystalline structures out of vitality.

53rd Breakthrough: You have managed to enchant with vitality; this will help make advanced and powerful enchantments.

54th Breakthrough: You have managed to weave super-solid mana; this will help you make more advanced and powerful mana silk.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 860!

43rd Breakthrough: You have observed solid vitality; this will allow you to study vitality under unusual conditions.

After a full day's effort, I manage to get all the breakthroughs I set out to get; now, I just need to train them and then master them and hopefully, by then, I'll be strong enough to master super-solid mana.

Ting! Manipulate mana has obtained levels 506-545!

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 781-796!

After a week of practice and study, I have most of the levels I need now. I just need to prove my mastery over my new breakthroughs within the next three days, before the ritual starts.

I form a teardrop-shaped clump of crystallized vitality, lace it with a Bond Crystal based on my healing skill and wrap it with solid vitality. Next, I weave a ribbon of super-solid beauty essence – specifically a type of beauty much like a passionate and vigorous dance – to form a necklace. Finally, I form depictions of life and vitality; a newborn babe, a person fighting for their life against a monster, two lovers in a passionate dance, with super-solid beauty mana. Once the decoration is done, I move on to the enchanting process.

It is a long process. The skill will automatically shape the vitality, but I need to carefully observe the enchanting structure and carve out that shape in the necklace. Once that's done, I enchant it and carefully fill in any gaps that shouldn't be there. Once enchanted, I look over it for anything to perfect before nodding with satisfaction.

Lifedrop Necklace:

(Enchanted)

Made by one of the best, this necklace will vanish when its wearer takes lethal damage, fully heal their body and restore their vitality, preventing death and giving the wearer a second chance.

Ting! Manipulate mana has obtained levels 546-549!

When I noticed how the lifethread dress would sacrifice itself, I thought something like this may be possible, but it seems that vitality-made items are one-time use. I wonder what Safyr and Kayafe will think of this? Safyr may find it interesting, but it's not like she needs it and Kayafe... I don't know if she made something like this before, but there is a good chance she has.

With only one more level before I max my [Manipulate Mana] and with my ink production almost done, I am almost ready for the ritual, and, after a day of working on my super-solid samples, I finally max out all the breakthroughs in my [Manipulate Mana] skill.

Ting! Manipulate mana has obtained level 550!

Ting! Alysara, the Runalymo, has reached unparalleled knowledge and mastery in the Manipulate Mana skill!

Mana starts to rush into my Kyhosa, an enormous torrent of it being consumed at an unbelievable rate. More and more mana, without any hint of stopping, vanishes as it nears my Kyhosa for several minutes… until it suddenly stops, leaving my Kyhosa's mana signature changed.

Alysara's Storm-Blessed Kyhosa:

(Heroic) (Artifact) (Set)

This Artifact set (amulet, left bracelet, right bracelet), made from Nexus gems and Myrou gold, blessed by Myrou herself and filled to the brim with beauty and creativity essence, was given as a Kyhosa to Alysara during her Kyholo. This set has absorbed three nexus mana cores and helped its wearer defend her people from a devastating storm through the usage of her Manipulate Mana skill. Alysara has proven herself a master of mana, able to conjure the storms that once threatened her village. She has learned from an ancient ancestor and even survived storms conjured by a dragon to train her resistance to them. Her knowledge and mastery of mana have grown so great no secrets are beyond her reach.

When worn, it enhances Beauty, Creativity, and Elemental spells by 1100% and boosts Intelligence and Wisdom by 50%. Grants Skill: Manipulate Mana 450/450. Tethered, Battery (250,000).

Chapter 159: Ritual

Before I have much time to fully take in the changes to my Kyhosa, I hear Mom and Dad thundering up to my room. They burst through the door and Mum sweeps me up in a bone-crushing hug.

"You are such a genius!" Mom says while Dad tries to save me.

"Momara, need air!" I gasp as the air in my lungs is being squeezed out. Technically I can live without air for a long time, but it's unpleasant.

If, after the last world message, anyone didn't know about me, they do now; a high-grade skill like [Manipulate Mana] being mastered in addition to [Sense Mana] should get plenty of people interested. Hell, the Lunaleyans were able to pretty much figure out who I am just from the little bit of information given from the first world message.

That assassin, too, I am fairly certain who he is just because of a record of his world message from hundreds of years ago. Perhaps I should adopt an alias if I ever go beyond the Lunaleyan lands. How am I going to keep myself secret and safe when the whole world now knows about two things I can do? Will people look for me in this giant world? Am I putting my people in danger?

Things to consider, but first… I have to survive being crushed by my mom!

"We have to celebrate!" Mom says.

"Perhaps we can make Aly a celebratory gift?" Dad suggests.

"Oooh! That's a good idea!" Mom says enthusiastically. "Unfortunately, that will have to wait until after the Kyhosa Ritual tomorrow."

We end up going to a restaurant for today, and enjoying some family time after picking up the twins from their tailoring instructor. Mom, and Dad even more so, keep asking me all kinds of questions about the skill and mana, which I am happy to answer.

The Lojyo, however, is much more unpleasant: I get many more courting attempts than usual. I am, of course, asked once more to show off my abilities, which I oblige by weaving a simple super-solid dress with a flare of vitality as decoration. It's an instant hit; I even get three children asking to apprentice under me, who I tell to learn tailoring first, since [Manipulate Mana] is dangerous to go for without a Class.

On the day of the ritual, I engrave a special Inscription on my Kyhosa amulet, a copy of Kayafe's [Manipulate Magic] to ensure that the ritual upgrade will be guided in that direction. After making the small adjustment, I follow my family to the airships, where many of our villagers are already boarding.

Everybody travels to the newly-made ritual site; all of the villages have been advertising this event, so the sheer number of people makes quite a scene for Yafe and Yafel, who are looking over the rails, their hair whipping in the wind.

"There are so many boats!"

Below us are thousands of boats drawn from every village, all rowing their way to the ritual site. Soon enough, we arrive at the ritual site docks and walk off the airship.

A massive bathing area stands just under the water level, with a raised perimeter above the water to keep clothes and other things dry. Beyond the bathing area lay the inscription pipes that draw in vast amounts of mana. This outer part of the inscription is three kilometers in diameter, the middle of the inscription being the bathing area, and the inner inscription is where everyone's Kyhosa will be placed.

Dozens of Myrou's statues have been placed, each a fountain that cycles water and spouts it through a jug. Above are decorations, vaguely Asian wind chimes and ornaments strung on ropes that are tied to ornate pillars. There are many covered areas in case of rain, all strategically placed to not interrupt the inscription.

Since we are one of the first families to arrive, we have to wait for everyone else to start, so we relax in the hot waters and talk amongst ourselves.

"Alysar—"

"No, Hanao."

Even now, Hanao is trying to court me?

"I'm not going to give up, Alysara; I am serious about this. You are like—"

"Please don't try to woo me; it hasn't worked all the other times," I say as firmly as I can, stopping Hanao before she starts the flowery compliments.

Seeing that I am adamant, she sulks off.

"Courting isn't a commitment," Dad says quietly. "Why not at least give her a chance? Who knows, you might find that you like her, and if not you can always break up with her"

"I'm too busy," I reply. "Maybe if I had more time, but right now, I have too much to do and not enough minds and clones to do them all. Besides, her refusal to take no for an answer irritates me."

Between the Lunaley stuff, my own hobbies, current non-romantic relationships, my studies and experiments, the Dungeon, leveling my Bond, leveling my skills, Lotis and Kyhana, starting to show the twins some mana weaving, and more, I really don't have time to fit courting into all of that. And what happened with Tana is still hanging over my head somewhat.

As more and more people arrive, the place becomes more lively, until the elders decide enough people are present and the ritual can begin. To start, the special bathing oil I made is passed around. I receive an extra-large jug, since I need more because of my extra tails.

Once everyone has washed themselves, every group congregates around the Likeness of Myrou. One by one, people step forward and present their Dedications to Myrou. Nothing happens, of course; they don't vanish, glow, or anything. When it is my turn, I step forward and kneel in front of the Likeness, holding up the hairbrush I made.

"I present this to you, Myrou, for all that you have done for me," I say, then move aside and let the next person step forward. This takes a few hours, even with multiple people presenting their Dedications at the same time.

By the time everyone has offered their Dedications to Myrou, I can feel the sun's light beginning to dim, and we head over to the inner section of the ritual site. There are hundreds of altars there, and the mana is stiflingly thick, enough to cause a moderate amount of mana toxicity for the average Runalymo if they stay for too long. I walk to the centermost altar, the most ornate one and the place where the mana is thickest, and carefully place my Kyhosa on the stone.

While some are apprehensive about leaving their Kyhosa unattended, crime is generally really low among the Runalymo, and the vast majority of people can be trusted to, at least, not steal a precious possession.

Everybody knows how important a Kyhosa is to someone… and, in a more general sense, I suspect that almost everyone being at least a hobby-level craftsman and artist means that most respect the time and effort that goes into making something, and the resulting empathy greatly discourages theft.

Plenty of people place their Kyhosa on the outer altars, where they can keep watch over their Kyhosa, but many venture deeper, to find an altar closer to the center. Perhaps they think that this will allow the ritual to have a greater effect, or perhaps they aren't worried about theft.

Once everyone has placed their Kyhosa upon the altars, we wait. Many make light conversation, commenting on the celestial event taking place as the light of the sun dims, being covered by the moons; others watch silently.

A slight pang of jealousy simmers in me, watching everyone else look to the heavens in awe and wonder yet unable to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event myself. I am curious; how does the sky look, with the moon, stars, and mana leylines?

However, while others enjoy something I cannot see, I witness a majestic show of my own that only I can see. Magic dances around the inner section of the ritual site, swirling in waves and pulses energetically, almost as if to a beat… and that's when I hear it. An unworldly song slowly grows louder as the entire site is bathed in an unknown unique mana. All the mana gathered is rapidly transforming into this new unique mana, which I can now hear with my mana hearing.

It is a pleasant, yet entirely alien song, unlike anything I have heard before, and it is the source to which the magic of the ritual seems to dance. I sway to the sound of the music, but I don't let this opportunity go to waste either. This unique mana will only come once every three and a half centuries, so I should gather as much as I can. So as not to distract anyone, I make sure to only weave the mana under the ritual site, which stands on piles, so it has the room to spare.

I push my [Manipulate Mana] as much as I can, weaving huge amounts of mana silk, taking care to not take too much for the transformations of our Kyhosas. I'll gather the silk and compress it into a more compact and transportable form later, for now I just need to get as much as I can, and weaving is low effort enough that I can weave massive amounts of mana at my high skill level.

Once the song reaches its crescendo, the mana vanishes, torrents of it being sucked into the Kyhosas to fuel their magical transformation; in just a split second, all of the mana in the center of the ritual site is depleted. I help feed mana to my Kyhosa with [Manipulate Mana], bringing in as much as I can. Minutes go by, then a quarter-hour… everyone waits, not knowing when the ritual is over. The moons are still covering the sun; will it be over once the sun shines again? Not even I know, but maybe Safyr and Kayafe might have an idea.

Half an hour, and the Kyhosa transformations are complete. The magic quickly dies down, and soon the first light of the sun reaches us.

"It is done," I say, walking to my Kyhosa through the now mana-sparse ritual center.

Alysara's Celestial Storm Kyhosa:

(Exalted) (Relic) (Set)

This Relic set (amulet, left bracelet, right bracelet), made from Nexus gems and Myrou gold, blessed by Myrou herself and filled to the brim with beauty and creativity essence, was given as a Kyhosa to Alysara during her Kyholo. She has since learned from an ancient ancestor and even survived storms conjured by a dragon to train her resistance to them. Alysara has proven herself a master of mana, able to conjure the storms that once threatened her village. Her knowledge and mastery of mana have grown so great, no secrets are beyond her reach. This set has followed Alysara through a multitude of trials and tribulations, always helping her when she needs it most. Now blessed under the union of the moons and sun, this Relic can channel all of its stored mana to unleash a single devastating attack, form a protective barrier, or conjure a whirling storm of the heavens.

When worn, it enhances Beauty, Creativity, and Elemental spells by 2000% and boosts Intelligence and Wisdom by 75%. Grants the Skill: Manipulate Mana 550/550. Celestial Spear, Celestial Shield, Celestial Storm, Linked, Battery (300,000).

Exalted. The only other item of mine to have reached that height is the First Inscription, yet I can't help but feel... disappointed? For some reason, I thought that for sure it'd get [Manipulate Magic]; I even took the risk of etching the inscription on it, yet it didn't even gain the enhanced Skill. I needed it to have that, or even an ability that will give my manipulation something to help me simulate [Manipulate Magic].

What's more is that this is on the lower end of the Exalted and Relic tiers. Exalted bonuses should be, on average, two thousand five hundred, which makes the bonus below average for Exalted items. I don't know if it's because Exalted is just so hard to get, or because the upgrade had to be applied to two tiers and the new abilities, that it got spread too thin.

I wonder where I went wrong, what I could have done to reinforce [Manipulate Magic] more. I am happy with the improvements, don't get me wrong, it's just... I really needed something that would give me enough of a boost to make the Likeness of the gods, even if for a limited time.

Without this being what I wanted, I have to resort to something else to try and cure my Skill… maybe I should consult Safyr. The only saving grace is that I still have a few years to try and cure my Skill.

Chapter 160: False Promise

Cries of surprise and joy come from people as they retrieve their Kyhosa and discover that they've become magic items. I hide my disappointment and wear a smile as everyone celebrates the success of the ritual. Spirits are high as everyone goes back to their boats and returns to their homes, but it doesn't take long for Dad to notice that something's wrong.

"What's wrong, Aly?" she asks quietly, giving me a concerned look.

"Nothing," I answer flatly.

"It's not nothing, clearly; did the ritual not work for you?"

"It… did," I say after a few seconds. "It did exactly what I told everyone else it would do, it's just that I didn't get what I needed. I worked really hard the whole month specifically so my Kyhosa could gain an ability to help me purify my cursed Skills, but that didn't happen." I let out a sigh and continue. "I am happy with what I got, but I've put too much effort and risk into this for something to go wrong at the very end of it."

Dad shifts closer and embraces me in a tight, warm hug.

"You'll get it, Aly. It's natural to feel sad and frustrated at setbacks; just let it out and move on to what you can do. You still have your whole life to work this problem out and purify your cursed Skills."

As if getting permission, tears sting my eyes even as I try to hold them back, until the dam breaks and I let everything out.

"If anyone can learn to purify cursed skills, it's you," Dad comforts me.

"Thank you, Momara," I say once I've calmed down. I relax for the rest of the day, taking a rare break from training and working.

The next day I fly to Kayafe; perhaps she will know another way to achieve what I need, since she is the one to have enhanced [Manipulate Mana].

"The ritual was a success, but I didn't get what I needed," I tell her, a hint of disappointment in my tone.

"I know," Kayafe says. "You… were never going to get what you needed."

"Then why not did you not tell me?" I ask, slightly taken aback. "We worked so much on this. If it was going to be futile, I could have put my effort into making the ritual better instead of trying to master [Manipulate Mana]!"

"Because you needed this lesson, Alysara," Kayafe replies guiltily

"What?!" Anger starts to boil inside of me. Just for something dumb like 'needed a lesson', I had to put all of my efforts into something that wasn't going to work anyway?! I could have done so many other things!

"Aly, you have to understand that you can't 'control' magic. You know, even more than I, that magic is the will of chaos: it rebels, and can only be truly shackled by its counterpart. You needed this lesson because you are beginning to tread into truly dangerous territory. Safyr knew that too, and that's why she suggested this, knowing you would fail. Magic is dangerous, Alysara; you can't control it, only give it guidance and hope for its cooperation."

I can't help but feel betrayed, the pain made worse by the fact that I regard Kayafe as a friend.

"There are certain things that cause magic in relatively predictable ways, and that can be controlled," Kayafe continues, "but the actual magic doesn't play by any rules. The ritual forces magic to happen, and gives it a shape, but the details of anything resulting from it is always uncertain."

"What about inscriptions then?" I counter.

"I don't know," Kayafe replies. "And neither do you. You have barely touched the surface of them as a field of study: there could be an explanation, or maybe further study will reveal a dangerous nature to it. This is why you needed to experience the uncontrolled nature of magic, Aly; you need to know the danger of working with magic before you find yourself in a situation where your life depends on a certain result."

Deep down, I know Kayafe is right, and that she was just looking out for me… and it's not like any more damage could have been done to my evolutions, anyway.

"You're right," I say with a sigh. "But I still don't like that you lied to me."

"I'm sorry." Kayafe apologizes. "I just… didn't want you to end up like me."

There's not really much that I can say to that, and I'd be a hypocrite to hold a grudge since I did something similar to Tana.

"I understand, what's done is done, and I forgive you." I can't argue against the new knowledge and power I gained, that I would have probably waited on had I known my efforts wouldn't work. The new possibilities of vitality and super-solid mana, especially in crafting, that are now open to me are a welcome boon.

Not to mention my Kyhosa did get vastly stronger, and that will help me level up my Bond. I've gained so much, even if my goal was never going to be achieved in the first place, that I can't deny the benefits of this.

"So, what can I do to achieve my goal?" I ask. "I need a legendary point to purify my cursed Skills, so if I can't do the trial of making the likeness of the gods, then what other options do I have?"

"You can enhance your Skill," Kayafe replies. "I know it's risky, but you will get the power you need. From what you say, it shouldn't turn you into a cursed being; if anything, it may help cleanse your skill by using the miasma constructively."

"But what if it does turn me into a cursed being? The risk is too high to make that gamble." I adamantly refuse that idea.

"All legendary trials are that risky, Alysara, that's why they are trials, but if you really want a different and more obtainable legendary point, you can always ask Safyr for a trial and take the chance on whatever she offers being even more dangerous. If you still don't like her offer, try making a trial for yourself, or try to find as weak a legendary being as you can to slay… or make a Legendary-tier item. There are many options for you, but, if I had to say which has the least risk and the highest possibility of success for you personally, I would recommend focusing your efforts on making a legendary item."

That is tricky because, as the ritual gave me firsthand proof of, magic won't make a legendary item legendary if I try to make it legendary. I suppose that's why it's so hard to do, but Kayafe is right; it is the most risk-free option I have.

However, there is one thing that I think will grant me a legendary point even if I don't make a legendary item, and that is to make a perfected Mana Arc, something that requires complete mastery and knowledge of mana – and maybe even magic – to create. This means that I need to study a lot more.

Archmage Holuna Ruluna sits at a desk, wishing she could be out in the field instead of doing this boring paperwork. But nooo, she needs to be ready for when Alysara gives them the information on the [Sense Mana] breakthrough… except Alysara has disappeared!

They would have thought that she simply ran out on a deal, but she also didn't get her payment since she insisted on waiting for it. Alysara has never seemed the sort to just vanish for no reason; rather, something must have happened that required her undivided attention. However, that doesn't mean they can't use this situation to seek recompense for the late delivery of their goods.

Headmaster Vulpun has mentioned once or twice about asking for another breakthrough, but that's not likely to work since the governors will also want a part of the compensation.

After finishing up her desk work, Ruluna quickly gets up and leaves, so Vulpun can't put more work on her. She goes out into the street, enjoying a break of fresh air. The streets are crowded at this time, with many carriages and wagons being pulled by Forrons and Azelins.

Seeking out a restaurant, Ruluna enters a homely eatery. Being one of the elites in the Order of Flames means she is well paid, but she grew up rather poor, and the few times she did go to a restaurant as a child, it wasn't a luxurious one.

This restaurant fills her with those fond memories of when her family had scraped together enough money to celebrate her or her brothers' birthdays. Ruluna makes an order and waits; eventually, the food is brought out, but, before she can enjoy it, a world notification rings in her head.

Ting! Alysara, the Runalymo, has reached unparalleled knowledge and mastery in the Manipulate Mana Skill!

She got another one?!

Ruluna groans, looking longingly at her food, before paying and leaving; Vulpun will want an immediate meeting. Still, at least Alysara's not dead.

"There you are!" Headmaster Vulpun calls, spotting Ruluna as she enters the entrance hall. "We need to have a meeting about the world notification."

"I came as quick as I can," Ruluna says, a little grumpy that her meal got interrupted. "Still, everyone is at the frontlines; what is there even for me to discuss?"

"We have communication stones, Ruluna; the others should be connecting soon," Vulpun answers, leading her to a room where there are several stones on the table that softly glow, showing that they are active.

As a mage, Ruluna knows the importance of having a Skill like [Manipulate Mana]; it is one of the highest-grade caster Skills one can get. She isn't a caster herself, since they require a lot of dedicated support Skills, and it generally takes a lot of time and practice to match a non-caster like herself, but she can't deny the versatility of skilled high-level casters.

In her opinion, if one were to pick a caster Class, they should pick a general caster and make use of their full versatility, making them a good support in any squad. However most of the time someone gets a specialized caster Class, like a fire caster or poison caster Class.

"We should try and trade for information on how to obtain that Skill," Kolona, the headmaster of mages, suggests.

"Do we even have anything valuable enough for that trade? Assuming Alysara is even willing to trade for something so powerful?" Flame Paladin Julaly asks.

"We know too little about her situation," Headmaster Shalar says quietly. "If we knew what she wanted or needed, we may be able to target that, give her an offer she can't refuse. Unfortunately, we do not have that information, and what's even more concerning is that she offered an exchange of favor last time, meaning she likely does not currently desire anything that we can offer on short notice."

"I agree with Shalar," Kolona says. "We need to focus more on learning about the Runalymo, and Alysara herself."

The meeting shifts focus to how they could best learn about Alysara's wants and needs. Several hours later, the meeting ends, and Ruluna makes her way out of the room, exhausted and famished.

A week later, Ruluna is called for an emergency meeting. Glad to leave her deskwork, she goes up to the meeting room where Governor Orlan and Vulpun are waiting. However, they are not alone: a beautiful girl wearing an elaborate and exotic icy-blue dress with blood-red designs is sitting across from them, her three tails and royal-blue hair immediately identifying her as Alysara.

"I am pleased to see you well," Vulpun says to Alysara once Ruluna joins them. "We were worried something might have happened to you."

"I am deeply sorry for the delay," Alysara says with an apologetic bow. "But something extremely time-sensitive came up. Please accept this as an apology." Alysara summons an amulet with a blood-red crystal wrapped with protective metallic-looking mana, decorated with small designs, and hands it to Vulpun.

Lifedrop Necklace:

(Enchanted)

Made by one of the best, this necklace will vanish when its wearer takes lethal damage, fully heal their body and restore their vitality, preventing death and giving the wearer a second chance.

Ruluna's jaw drops upon seeing such a powerful item be Enchanted-tier.

Noticing their speechless surprise, Alysara chuckles softly.

"Due to my recent… improvements, I can now make things like that. The quality of my work will be vastly increased, and the scope of what I can do has been broadened. I am still experimenting with new possibilities, but that will take time. For now, I have the armor you requested."

Alysara takes out a suit of armor and some weapons. These ones seem slightly different, however. There are a few obvious improvements, but the biggest difference seems to be in the metallic mana that makes up half of it.

Ruluna examines it with her [Sense Mana], only to receive confusing feedback. It's solid, yet not solid, and whatever it is, it's so advanced she isn't getting a breakthrough for it. [Analyze] shows that the normal three hundred percent enchantment bonuses have increased to over four hundred! It's equivalent to a Grand-tier magic item!

Chapter 161: Perceptive Vectors

After the impressive reaction to the evidence of my improved skills, the meeting returns to relatively normal conversation topics and eventually – predictably – gets to Skill trades.

"What would it cost for you to teach us [Manipulate Mana]?" Orlan asks.

My first instinct is to say that it's not for sale; I don't want to empower a political rival, after all. However, after some consideration, it's not too far-fetched for someone in Vocana to already have it, or previously have had it. They have a long history and lots of people; if I stumbled onto it so easily, it's inevitable that others will have. They may even have records of the skill buried in some library, forgotten… or perhaps discarded because they could only get it as a cursed Skill. With all that in mind, teaching them the Skill, and the obvious breakthroughs like casting, enchanting, mana weaving, and basic manipulation, won't hurt too much.

"I'll think about it," I answer eventually, to slightly surprised looks from Vulpun and Orlan. "Here is the information on [Sense Mana] that you bought last time," I say, handing them a copy of a chapter.

I'm still working on revisions to the Skills knowledge book, in which I decided to include [Manipulate Mana] as well as my sensing Skills. I am about eighty percent done with it... well, less than that now, with my new breakthroughs. I still have tons to learn about super-solid mana, too, and I still need to figure out how to use proxies with my clones, which should really be my priority now.

"If that's all, then I'll be going; I have a lot to do." We say our farewells, I get more materials to work with, and I fly my clone back home.

I set my clone to autopilot, very thankful for its base A.I. and get to theory crafting potential breakthroughs.

How can I use proxies remotely, or through a clone? I ponder.

Unlike spells, I can't just send my perceptive field through clone links; it originates from me. But why not? I can move my perceptive fields; why can't I alter the route? As long as it doesn't go beyond my range, why does it matter?

I spend the next half hour trying, but I am unable to even get close to squeezing my perception through my clone's links, no matter what I do.

Maybe I am going about this all wrong… the brute force approach is very rarely the solution to my problems, so I first need to find out how proxies work. I take the treant eye from my desk drawer and hold it in my lap. Somehow, this will lead trackers and spells to it rather than me. How? Also, how do people and spells trace my perception back to me to begin with? I know that I 'feel' for the mana, but that explains the 'why' not the 'how'.

I have several theories, the first of which is a 'magical' type of protection, but I don't think that's worth experimenting with since I have no way of proving it right now. Plus, it's a hand-wavy explanation. How does it work? Magic! That tells me nothing. The others are all about the workings of perceptive fields themselves, which seems like a much more scientific approach.

This leads me to another question: how did that Rachnoid trap my perception? Again, the 'it's magic' theory is there… but doesn't it seem like a reverse proxy? What if they are based on the same mechanism?

The final conundrum is: how does information get to me from my perceptive field? The information has to somehow travel the distance – no matter what, information can't get from point A to point B without either teleporting through the use of magic or traveling the distance – and this is what may explain why the Skill has an operating range.

So, my theory is 'perceptive vectors'. I emit perceptive vectors that travel away from me and locate mana, traveling to the maximum distance before returning to me… but that maximum distance must be a total maximum that all my vectors combined may cover simultaneously, otherwise my ability to extend the reach of my perception at the cost of coverage angle wouldn't work. This would explain how one can track perceptive skills, by following the vectors back… and passive perception can get around this because it doesn't emit anything, it only reads incoming disturbances, and trying to track something in the hopes it randomly leads you to a passive scryer is a fool's endeavor.

A proxy might work by first attracting nearby vectors to it, which leads trackers and spells to it, before relaying that information to the controller. If perceptive vectors, or something with the same effect, do exist, then I should be able to control them, like how I can control the size and shape of my perceptive field.

I focus on my perceptive 'touch', forcing it to gather at a point away from me, and suddenly my vision goes blank, as if I turned off my Skill. I don't panic, half-expecting this to happen, but it does highlight another problem; I still need to send the information back to me. So, with another effort of will, pull a single channel from the new gathering point towards me, so it now gathers all at one location before I receive it.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 880!

44th breakthrough: You have manipulated your perceptive vectors; this will help you defend yourself against tracking and retaliation.

That was surprisingly easy, but it's hard to notice whether it's an expert- or intermediate-level breakthrough with the skill being enhanced. Now I just need to play with it and figure out how to best use it.

Over the next week, I continue studying and experimenting with my new breakthrough against the retaliatory items I can make. Eventually, I get a good 'feel' for how my perceptive vectors work, and, in turn, I manage to feel out how the treant proxy works. It essentially relays information between me and it; anyone who tracks or sends spells through the perceptive vectors I channel through the eye will end up at the first relay, the proxy, rather than me.

However, the biggest issue is that it still needs to eventually send the information to me, which means that a good enough tracker can figure out how to bypass a proxy. In other words, even with the best protections, I am never completely safe.

With that realization, I begin to try and form a proper 'proxy' with just my perceptive vectors, no item needed. Even a good tracker, who can track through proxies, might only suspect one proxy, so setting up several only adds more defense for me.

Still, that may not be enough. It will only slow down a tracker, and I may not always be in a position to simply stop scrying, so, after a few more days, I start trying ways to make my proxy designation more advanced, making the proxy split the information in a dozen ways and loop back onto itself several times before leading to more proxies of different yet equal complexity.

I'm not paranoid, really… now that I've got two world announcements it's reasonable to assume someone out there may be looking for me, for good or for ill. I haven't seen mastery world announcements so they must be rare and for someone to get two within a few years will bring attention and opportunists to me.

Studying perceptive vectors has also helped me understand perceptive pressure and sensing others' perceptive fields. This doesn't mean I can track any scryer, just the ones using [Sense Mana] or lesser derivatives thereof, and even then, I can only track them as far as my perceptive range.

Ting! Sense Magic has obtained levels 797-816!

My studies aren't the only things I do during the week: I also work on my armor and weapon commissions from Vocana, tutor Lotis and Kyhana, and work on the book revisions.

The book itself is much like its predecessor. On the front cover are three inscriptions – split so they can't activate – for [Sense Mana], [Sense Magic], and [Sense Soul] and on the back are the split inscriptions for [Manipulate Mana] and [Manipulate Magic]. In the spine of the book is liquid mana, stored safely by the super-solid mana, as well as a near-mana vacuum in a separate container.

The outside is mostly made of beauty mana with space essence lettering, all in various states: cover and its lettering is made of super-solid mana of varying stages, with solid vitality trims, and decorated around the edges with crystalized vitality, spells, and Bond Skills. The pages are made of normal solid mana, and shift through the varying stages of that state the further out from the spine it is. In addition, the edges of the pages are lined with the ritual mana I collected, which is now stored as a block of super-solid mana. For the final touch, I weave a beauty silk bookmark embroidered with vitality silk.

I now have all the information related to those Skills that I currently know, with a few blank pages that I can write more in when I learn more. Right now, I have nothing more to add to the book, but it feels like I should add more to it later. I can always make specialized books for individual things, or for others to see, but I feel that I should include everything I know in this book, from inscriptions to Bonds and even what I learned or will learn from rituals and trials.

Since I gained an effective proxy by manipulating perceptive vectors, I don't need the treant eye anymore, so I attach it to the front cover, in between the two halves of the [Sense Magic] inscription, and enchant the book to reinforce the proxy ability. It takes a few days to add everything, but, when the last word is formed, mana starts to flow into the book… and my eyewraps, which is unexpected. Soon all the mana in the vicinity is gobbled up, and it shows no sign of slowing down. Minutes go by, then half an hour, and still they are eating mana.

I watch as the magic framework for the book is built, starting from the core and slowly building outward. The sheer amount of magic making up the book is staggering! But, when comparing it to my Kyhosa, it seems to be almost the same quantity; the only difference is that my Kyhosa was improved magically in several steps while this one seems to be doing it all at once. As for my eyewraps, the magic framework is changing greatly, becoming eerily similar to the book's yet slightly different.

When the magical process finally completes an hour later, a wave of dizziness hits me, and a sharp cold pain assaults my very essence, like a large piece of me was just cut away! I fall to the ground, breathing heavily; this is clearly not normal!

I examine the magic items, both new and altered, looking for anything that can explain what just happened.

Alysara's Library:

(Exalted) (Relic) (Set)

This Relic documents all that Alysara has discovered; it grows with her discoveries and automatically records her ever-growing knowledge of mana, magic, and souls. This Relic's writing is encrypted, and only reveals the truth before Alysara's Eye. Furthermore, this Relic will divert all lesser retaliation away from its holder, absorb any damage Alysara's Eye takes, and safely discharge it.

Encryption, Hidden from Sight, Retaliatory Discharge, Linked, Mind Link

Alysara's Eye:

(Heroic) (Relic) (Set)

To see the truth, you must be blind to the lies. This Relic has seen what Alysara has seen, it knows what Alysara knows, and it can grant its wearer a fraction of Alysara's sight. This Relic will act as the source of any sensing skills, preventing all forms of retaliation from reaching its wearer. Only with this Relic can anyone but Alysara herself see the truth of Alysara's Library.

When worn grants Sense Magic: 765/800, and Sense Soul: 110/110, Truth of the Library, Sensing Proxy, Linked

Mind Link? Is that what happened?

I am too shaken up to celebrate creating yet another Relic set, or even feel excited at the improvements of my eyewraps; whatever happened felt wrong on an instinctual level. I am fairly certain that it is related to this book and whatever Mind Link did… maybe I should ask Kayafe?

I don't know who else to consult about this, so I fly over to Kayafe and tell her about what happened.

"Aly, this is really worrying," Kayafe says after a minute of thought. "I have never heard of magic items like your staff, Dryad's Grace – specifically how it makes a seed – and now this 'Mind Link ability of your book' – specifically how it automatically writes more knowledge if you learn more about its subjects. I don't know if it's normal or if inscriptions had anything to do with it… you've moved far beyond things I'm qualified to offer advice in."

Now that Kayafe mentions it, this stuff didn't start happening until I started using inscriptions… perhaps I should stop making items of great personal and cultural and scientific significance until I know more about them.

Chapter 162: A New Trial

After visiting Kayafe, I fly back home, thoughts whirling through my mind. I need to get back into my normal routine – continue working on my Bond, studying mana and inscriptions, and teaching – and figure out how to make a true Mana Arc.

For that, I first need to set some objectives: it needs to gather most of the mana that flows through the Nexus and continue feeding that mana into the Dungeon, it probably should have the same monster inhibitor that the Nexus does, and lastly, but optionally, it should be able to produce liquid mana like the current one does.

The biggest problem with the mana gathering effect is the sheer scale that it needs to deal with. Unless I make an inscription the size of the Nexus – which will be a monumental task, and if it's broken, the mana gathering will weaken or stop entirely, which is very deadly – I currently don't have any way to make it happen.

The monster inhibitor is straight-up magical, so that's another major problem. Only the liquid mana production really seems feasible right now, but it's a start. The only way to make this work is through inscriptions; I don't have [Manipulate Magic] to make permanent effects stick to mana, so inscriptions are my only hope for large-scale effects. If I can't get them to work, then I won't be able to make a Mana Arc.

That said, there are reasons to be wary of inscriptions. The scare when my book became a magical item is reason enough to stay away from that field of study, at least without much greater caution; however, this is my only hope at potentially curing a cursed Skill.

Perhaps I should have a backup plan. My main plan is to make a Mana Arc and free Kayafe, but if that doesn't work, I need to have a second already set in motion. So, what should I focus on to get a legendary point? Crafting, trial, or slaying a legendary being; perhaps I should ask Safyr for advice.

With a sigh at myself for not thinking of this before I got halfway back home, I turn to fly back to Temple Island and to Safyr's resting spot.

"Greetings, Guardian," I say with a respectful bow. "I need your advice on getting a legendary point. The ritual worked, but not in the way I needed it to, and now I need another way to get one."

"There is no easy way to get a legendary point," Safyr says after a minute of contemplation. "But the most likely one available to you is a trial. If you cannot do Kayafe's trial, then you'll have to do another, but keep in mind that in order for the trial to be a trial, the consequences must be deadly, or at least similarly dire."

"What do you suggest?" I ask. I need to at least hear the trial before deciding if I can do it.

"Make me a suit of armor capable enough to serve me even in the direst of situations, and if you are unable, I will fly you to the deadliest place I can think of and leave you to die."

I have to make Safyr a suit of armor that not only will defend her, but also be more invincible than her… basically the impossible. I may be good, but I am not so good as to be able to defend against something like the Fallen Legacy.

"I'm not sure that's possible," I say.

"That's the point," Safyr replies. "Legendary points are legendary for a reason, and especially the first non-Skill-mastery point is the hardest."

So, I am back to square one; no matter what I look at, it seems that I must have my [Manipulate Mana] enhanced before I can even do it, but if I do enhance it, there is no telling what might happen. It could be perfectly fine, or it could make the curse permanent or worse; I don't want to be the first one to throw that dice.

I can't rely on making a legendary item, I can't do trials without [Manipulate Mana], and I am not strong enough to tackle a legendary foe. Is there nothing I can do? Perhaps I'm thinking about this all wrong; I need to play to my strengths; make a trial about my [Sense Magic] or discovery.

"Can I make a trial for myself?" I ask Safyr.

"There still need to be dire consequences," Safyr answers; however, she doesn't deny the fact that I can take on a trial for myself. "What are you thinking of?"

"To discover and see the successful spread of a new craft, technology, or art."

"How do you define 'successful spread' and what are the consequences?"

"Once eighty percent of Runalymo settlements are affected by the presence of the new craft, art, or technology… and failure will result in exile."

"That... may work," Safyr says, showing a slight smile, "But it needs to be a little more significant; it has to be something that significantly impacts Runalymo society. Fortunately, you are already halfway there with the airships, and inscriptions are another choice, but there should either be a timeframe for completion for something like this, or have other failure conditions."

Right, it wouldn't really be risky, no matter the punishment, if one has unlimited time to complete the trial. There should be enough time to properly develop the technology and spread it. Assuming five years to develop, five to train others, and five for spreading, a minimum of fifteen years is reasonable for a legendary point; however, there may be other factors in play. This trial would have been greatly simplified in my old life by the internet, where the spread of ideas was so easy.

"Fifteen to twenty years," I reply. "But depending on how easy it is to spread and teach others, it should be sooner. Many factors can play into this, from other emergent technology to the size of the society or nation."

"Very well," Safyr says, with a hint of foreboding in her tone. "If you take this trial, then I will hold you to it. Decide how you wish to revolutionize your people's society: airships, or inscription. If it fails to do so, then you will have failed your trial, and I will see you exiled."

Inscriptions have amazing potential, but there are a few reasons why it's bad for this trial. One, it's a wild card – I have just discovered it, and already established that I don't properly understand how it works – and two, I don't know if it's actually safe or not. But on the other hand, some of the most revolutionary technologies in my past life's history were transportation-related. Trains, cars, planes, boats, no matter what, they change everything. With trade in the Lunaleyan lands now secured, the need for airships will grow a lot more; there literally is no other way right now. I have no doubt airship technology will let me succeed in this trial.

My one and only obstacle are the elders, Tusile and Guklaro, who want a monopoly on airships for our village, but I need the technology adopted in most villages. I can just go village to village and distribute blueprints, but that will put me on Tusile's bad side… well, I am the inventor of airships, so she can't complain. In any case, no one has the means to produce the spell crystals efficiently, which is where I come in.

I can make an inscription box that draws in ambient mana and passes it through a mana converter, taking advantage of mana physics to convert one type of mana into spell mana; wind mana to a wind spell. Put in a filter to let only wind mana through and boom, a spell crystal maker. The trial is for airship technology, not spell crystal technology, so the knowledge of the spell crystals doesn't have to spread, and we can maintain a monopoly on those at least.

"Airships," I give Safyr my answer. "Thank you for your help; I have much to do now. Hopefully, this trial won't take too long."

"Good luck."

On my flight back, I begin to make my plan. I don't need to tell everyone how to make an airship; it just needs a significant presence in at least eighty percent of the settlements in the Nexus. I have a few things working for me. One, most settlements are being restored, so there are fewer and they're communicating and trading more than they normally would be; and two, wood from the Dungeon is making things cheaper.

If I make a company, I can make sure I meet the presence requirement. I can employ craftsmen, I have enough money for a start-up, and Tusile really can't complain if I start making airships. Speaking of money, I can probably ask the elders in other villages for a small loan to set up shop in their village if I ever need more.

The cost of construction materials – namely wood, I can easily provide the enchanting, spell crystals, and mana silk – is a potential problem, but that can easily be recouped with the price of the finished airships.

So what should I specialize in for now? Small transport airships like the Valymo, or larger trade ships like the Winamr? The trade flagship still isn't done, but that shouldn't be a reason to not trade with the Lunaleyans, and the first on the scene has the advantage… but they are also more expensive, and I don't have unlimited money.

On the other hand, smaller transport ships will be more helpful to the goal of my trial; smaller airships mean they are more affordable for the average person or the smaller villages, and I can rent them out since most people don't need to own one, but I'll also have to train pilots. Basically, do I want to transport a large amount of goods to and from the Lunaleyan lands, or do I want to start a taxi service?

Ultimately, that question isn't really the issue; I'm not doing this to get rich, I am doing this to complete my trial. Smaller and more prevalent airships serve me best in my trial. This means I should advertise the ease and speed of the airships; visit friends and family no matter how far away they are! Not that any of our villages are really that far apart anyway, but that's not the point.

Arriving back home, I start making blueprints for a fast and small airship; however, I quickly scrap that plan. Scheduled public transportation will require fewer pilots… airships that fly on a route, so each hour an airship will be there to pick people up… but maybe every hour is too much for starting; the idea has to spread and set in, that traveling will be a lot more available as an option.

Maybe I should look for tourism spots to help kickstart the business? Thoughts for later. First, I need to get things rolling, so I'm going to have to talk to several builder groups, basically pseudo-guilds, have them build a dry dock for me and employ them to make my airships. I can crank out the mana-based material myself; as for wood, I'll need to talk to the elders in the Dungeon village since that village itself owns the logging and lumber business there.

I make my way into the Dungeon and locate the Elders in the town hall, and to my surprise, I see Esofy among them; maybe she is there for business? It does not look like it, well, let's find out what's going on!

I quickly fly over to the building, which is decorated with the heads of what seem to be bosses mounted on the walls. Words are engraved under them detailing what they were, which Classes they had, and what level it was. It doesn't seem like a very Runalymo thing to do, but then again, our society went a long time without any strong monsters to contend with, so there was no point. It may also just be that this village is developing its own culture.

I knock on the door, and one of the Elders tells me to enter. The room is neat and orderly, a quality of Esofy, so that's one point for her being an Elder, despite not meeting the usual age requirements.

"Alysara! It's been a while!" Esofy greets me enthusiastically.

"Are you also here for business?" I ask, gesturing to the Elders.

"Well, yes, but not in the way you are thinking." Esofy replies. "I'm the third unofficial Elder now! We needed somebody who knows monster-slaying well to represent the monster slayers, but no one fits the age requirements. But I'm only doing this part-time since I still need to teach the trainees. Anyway, enough about that! What are you here for?"

"I am on the verge of purifying one of my cursed Skills, and in order to do that, I must complete a trial" I explain the situation as best I can.

"We can give a discount, right?" Esofy asks one of the other Elders. "She's the one who invented the scouting system, killed the treant, and so much more; without her, this village wouldn't exist. Plus, airships will be very good for getting squads of slayers to and from the dens faster."

An old, yet well-built, woman hmm's thoughtfully. Despite her age, she has kept her body in good condition. She keeps her hair above the shoulders and has a hair clip to keep her bangs swept to one side. "Only if this village gets a discount on airship fees."

"I can make it free if you give me a higher discount," I argue. The lower the start-up cost, the faster I can complete my trial.

"Deal, but we'll want the airships here first," the third Elder says; she is younger than the other, with long braided hair. It's a good deal for them in the long run, even if they operate at a loss now. So, while I am here, I need to talk to the builders here and make a specialized land-based airship.

Chapter 163: A look from the Core

A few weeks later, I have most of my negotiations done. It will take a few more weeks to get the drydocks and first line of airships done and probably a few months to get pilots trained.

It's likely going to take years for this technology to become widespread enough for the trial to be considered complete, it took planes decades to be fully integrated into society, cars, and trains, too; usually, something like this will take three or four decades, but this is a trial, so fifteen to twenty years is my deadline.

Also, I am considering the previous five years in that as well, so really I have a least ten years. It's not just the spread of the technology I have to consider but everything else that will make people want to use it. Safety features, infrastructure, a reason to use it. Most revolutionary methods of travel also came with monumental infrastructure, roads for cars, tracks for trains, enormous runways, and airports for planes.

All of this will take a lot of time, and even with my knowledge from my previous life, it will still be difficult to accomplish. The time this project needs to mature is going to take a while, possibly more than five years, which is why I made it my backup plan. Get it started now, but I should still seek another avenue to which I can purify my cursed skill.

This all leads to a new problem that has been around for years now. I have too much to do and not enough bodies and minds to do them with; I need to upgrade my minds and clones' capabilities to do everything in time, and this means getting my Bond to level one thousand to get Safyrs help in training my mental skills.

It's time for another dive into the dungeon, which my new tank buster capabilities I should be able to defeat enemies I previously could not; I wonder if I can take on that diamond Felin now? It's worth a try.

The Dungeon Core has had a burning question in the back of its mind all this time: Why now? Why, after all of this time, the Runalymo have come back? Why did they stop in the first place?

The Dungeon core watches the illusion girl with interest. She reminds it of Kayafe, the things she does with mana is simply staggering, even more so than what Kayafe has done, and now it seems that she has done something new again, although it's hard to tell with her using remote bodies.

Kayafe is certainly stronger and has remarkable fitness with mana, more so than this girl, but the illusionist fairy summoner seems to have mastered the complex nature of mana; she knows more and thus knows how to do more with mana.

It watches as the girl flies off to the Felin Glade slaying monsters as she works her way to the Diamond Felin. So far, he has successfully fought everyone off; it wonders how she will be able to defeat it. Will she use something new?

The girl slowly approaches the Felin, who instantly recognizes something's wrong and looks around carefully. The girl starts charging up a few spells, five fairies, which become denser and denser. The Felin growls warningly, sensing the mounting danger, and starts prowling around with its diamond hackles raised.

However, the girl continued channeling her spell, safe in the fact that her body is not real. Her fairy summon hardens, becoming solid mana, a strange thing since solid spell mana is not always a good thing, but she still continues to compress it.

She's learned how to cast liquid spells? The Core guesses. It already knows this since Kayafe often used it when she made her way to it to negotiate a deal. However, it also knows that the girl is casting her spell too slowly for it to matter. The Felin will regenerate even if it's badly damaged.

Once the spells are complete, they fly at the Felin, thrusting deeply into it with a spear, and like an injection needle, the fairy's mana is pumped into the Felin before exploding. Blasting the Felin apart in half as a shower of diamond growths and gore rains down. The explosion rocks through the glade, frightening the surviving inhabitants and even damaging the walls of the boss room; but just as the Core predicted, it doesn't immediately kill the Felin; however, it did do a significant amount of damage.

The Felin starts regrowing, but the girl doesn't let up, engaging it with a flurry of weaker spells. Void blades mostly to whittle it down; however, it is clear that, while powerful, she doesn't have either a Class bonus or item bonus to those spells. The power difference is like night and day, but the Diamond Felin is resistant to the girl's beauty magic, so it really doesn't matter what she uses.

With most of its body missing, the Felin is helpless to the girl's attacks, but it tries to shield itself as best it can, but the girl doesn't seem to run out of mana

five spells at a time manifest, slicing deeply into the Felin as it bleeds out, a pool of blood soaking the grass under it.

So that's what she's after. The Core realizes that the girl is only attacking the regrowing parts, keeping the Felin injured and bleeding to death.

Realizing the girl's strategy as well, the Felin crawls toward the girl, snarling. She doesn't flinch; she doesn't even move as the Felin bites down on the fake body only to receive a mouthful of spells, fairies that attack its vulnerable throat.

The Felin thrashes around and screeches in pain, then starts charging up his own spell and blasts it at the fake body, tearing through the trees and blasting through the walls. However, unlike the last group, the girl doesn't teleport out; her illusion simply reforms as if nothing had happened.

They go back and forth like that until the Felin is dead. The girl doesn't celebrate her victory; however, rather she just gathers the materials and moves further into the glade. She continues fighting the Felins, going as far as she can, defeating several guardian-type monsters, gathering their materials, and once she reaches the end of the glad, she flies out toward another den.

After clearing another den, she moves on clearing through the forest zone, then the desert zone, then the grass zone. Day after day, she fights; she doesn't even through the night, only resting to recharge her mana, a relentless slaughterer.

The Core can't help but be inspired by this girl and adds new plans to making its ultimate creation. This time it won't just let magic create whatever it wants; it will be the master of this creation and use its authority to make the most powerful being, but not yet. Now's not the time for that, it still has a lot to learn, and this girl still has more to show.

Over the last three months, I've continued my inscription study, trying new patterns, and I feel like I have made significant progress in understanding what doesn't work. The mana gathering inscription was easy compared to trying how to burn the mana to fuel a magical effect. I'm not even trying to do magic; I'm just seeing what happens when I poke around, so I don't think that's the problem.

It's like Kayafe said, we can control the circumstances in which magic happens but not the result. The problem is I can't even get to that without straight-up copying skills from people. Eventually, I am going to crack the code after all the skill inscriptions produce a consistent result despite the nature of magic. I feel like there is something like divinity involved to rein magic in, but I don't think it's a true magic framework; even if there is divinity, I think the balance is off, or they aren't mixed into apotheosis or something.

Other than that, I've also made several deals to set up airship port stations in several villages to start with, and with the construction of the first airship, I am already training pilots... they've crashed three times now, each time the airship needed repairs.

I've continued to study solid vitality and super-solid mana stages, earning me six more levels in [Sense Magic]. I still have more breakthroughs to achieve in [Manipulate Mana], but I'm focused on doing other things right now, and after a marathon training session for it, I feel like doing something else for now.

As for my Bond Level, I have been training really hard, going as deep into the dens as I can, except the Gargoyle ruins; I haven't even stepped foot in there.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 887-999!

I listen to the whispers of my Bond as I gracefully duck under the blade of the Grass Mantis Boss, and with a flick of my [Aurora Blade], I sever the Grass Mantis' scythe and follow up with a slash at the leg, but it barely dodges. I don't think I am particularly skilled at martial combat, and in fact, the Bond wants me to do some flashy moves that under normal circumstanced would only tire me out faster, but this isn't a normal circumstance; my clones don't tire out.

The boss screeches out and Five more Mantis join the fray from beyond the nearby grass, each attacking me from different directions while the boss retreats as its scythe regrows. I dodge the attacks as best as I can but being attacked by so many my clone is hit several times, which would have been deadly, but my clone can't die.

I try my best to act as if my clone is real just in case my real body is ever threatened; however, against these five, I should have just retreated at the first sign of trouble, and I am punished by having to take hits before dispatching them. By the time I have killed the five reinforcements, The Boss is back in action, charging at me with a new arm.

I try to parry the incoming attack but fail, too slow to match the boss's speed. [Inquisitive Perfection], aided by hindsight, chastises me and offers several things I could have done to avoid taking a hit; I absorb the criticisms and attack back, lashing out with a thrust. I hit the boss Mantis who retreats to heal. I press the attack to keep it on the defensive but realize too late that I was trying to lure me into a trap as two more Mantis jump out from the nearby grass and slice into my clone.

"That was obvious! If it wasn't your clone, you'd be dead several times over!" [Inquisitive Perfection] yells at me, once again aided by hindsight; it said nothing before I attacked.

Martial combat has always been a weakness of mine, a weakness I am trying to fix, my goal is to not take any hits, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

Each time I land a major blow on the boss, it retreats and summons allies to distract me while it regenerates, a very annoying boss to fight, but one I could have easily defeated if I used my spells. However, I am glad I am fighting it; if I always use my spells, I won't gain the combat experience needed to know how to deal with enemies like this one.

The Mantis jumps at me again, but with a lucky strike, I cut off one of its legs and follow up with a slash at its right arm, cutting that off too. I still took a 'fatal' hit to my head, but after an hour and a half of this fight, I just wanted it to end. While the boss writhes on the ground, trying to crawl away to safety, I catch up to it and cut its head off and finish it up by blowing the head up with a spell.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 1000!

Chapter 164: Next Gen Bond

I feel a subtle shift in my Bond presence, and the clarity of my connection to my Bond becomes clearer, like something has clicked into place that was subtly out of alignment before. As if I had just opened my eyes, I can feel the beauty around me, not the same way my [Sense Magic] works but just... a feeling for it. It's almost like the whispers I get are now a tactile sensation too. Beauty, with a capital B, caresses me like a mother would a child; it wants the best for me, wants to see me succeed.

Little details that I was blind to before I can now 'see'; the whispering of Beauty making more sense. With a large effort, a small application of my Bond and a small spell, the dust in my vicinity simply... goes away. As if its ugly presence is no longer allowed, it just vanishes as far away as it can… but it didn't actually move, so…

I now know how I can expand the application of my Bond in a direction I've been wanting for a long time. Drawing upon my mana with the use of my Bond, I picture myself next to the Star Tree seed, and Beauty wraps around me tightly, hugging my body. It rapidly becomes incredibly suffocating, but right as I am about to stop the spell, I just... appear there. There are no spatial distortions that I can detect – which doesn't say much, seeing as how I don't yet have [Sense Space] – but I feel the very identity of reality that can be called Beauty ripple outward from where I teleported to.

Ting! You have developed a new Bond Skill! Immaculate Appearance!

Immaculate Appearance: Teleport yourself, others, or things.

(Beauty) (Summoning)

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 1001-1005!

I finally get a teleportation Skill!

A rush of joy and excitement pumps throughout my body, and I replace a Bond Skill and start teleporting around, mostly just for the fun of it. First to the top of the temple, then back home, then to Safyr. Being able to teleport is just so damn convenient!

"So you have reached the next stage of your Bond," Safyr states, once I stop jumping around everywhere. "More possibilities are now open for you, but your next goal should be to aim for three thousand levels in your Bond. However, it's at this point that you will start slowing down. The expectations of your Bond are higher now, which is a little deceiving initially since the new possibilities now available for experimentation will make the next one or two hundred levels easy to get. Just remember, that opening rush is limited."

"Thank you, Guardian" I bow, trying to keep my joy out of my voice.

"As promised, I will help you train your mental Skills; specifically, I will have someone else teach you, a specialist in the mind and mental magic."

A specialist? Who could that be? Another race? An Elf? Human?

"I can summon them now," Safyr offers. "Or in a few days, once you have grown accustomed to your new abilities."

"In a few days," I decide quickly, "That will help me prepare for what I want from my Class evolutions."

I can see this new Skill having huge potential when mixed with my Distant Summoner Class; it even counts as summoning, so I may want to try and evolve it as many times as I can so I can hopefully get a Class skill that can let me teleport farther.

Speaking of... just how far can I teleport? A few tests reveal that I can travel about forty kilometers in one go… and it takes roughly seven thousand mana. Not something I can just spam, so if I need to go far and speed isn't absolutely critical, wings are still the best option.

What else can my Bond do now? At five hundred, basic Skills such as [Shape Beauty] became innate, and no doubt that has expanded. A few more tests reveal that the next step of my attack Skills, such as [Fairy Strike] and [Beauty Laser], has become innate. My beauty-empowering Skills have also become innate, as well as basic illusory clones and [Create Familiar].

After even more tests, I find out that half of the Bond Skills that I normally use are no longer needed, and their Skill slots can now be allocated to other Skills. After spending about an hour switching out my Skills, my new selections seem to be a lot more combat-oriented.

Skill: Aurora Blade

Skill: Fairy Avatar

Skill: Immaculate Appearance

Skill: Aurora Prism

Skill: Star Cannon

Skill: Serene Moment

Skill: Adorn Wings

Skill: Sanctuary of Wholeness

Skill: Figment of Reality

Skill: Duplicate Self

I now have summoning as well as lasers and cannon attacks, but I have little reason to actually use the latter two, outside of leveling up my Bond. They don't classify as summoning, which is empowered by my Class, so if I need damage I'd just use [Fairy Avatar] instead. My [Aurora Blade] is useful if I need to cut things, so it at least has some utility function. My sanctuary Skills are defensive; one weakens attacks, another heals, and lastly, Serene Moment slows time down in an area.

Clearly, I need more utility to replace some Skills that I don't need. The sanctuary Skills are useful for helping others if my real self is nearby, but I don't need them, since I don't plan on personally being in combat with my real body, so I am looking at replacing a minimum of four Skills. What should I focus on? Day-to-day utility skills are my most used ones. [Fairy Avatar] I almost always have, just in case I need to defend myself, so that's covered. My clones are never not used, and while my illusion skill doesn't see much use, it has come in handy several times when I needed to make myself invisible or distract someone trying to court me.

[Immaculate Appearance] can now help me clean things, aside from its main use of teleportation, but maybe something more specialized? I don't think [Immaculate Appearance] can remove stains yet. I wonder If my Bond can control the weather now? That might be useful for when I don't want to be rained on.

I start applying my Bond in trying to clean objects, making the dirt and grime just fall off of things in my room and teleporting the piles of dirt away. Soon enough, I get a new Skill; the only thing is, it's already innate to my Bond, the only benefit for having it as a Skill is for Class Skills to empower it, or to try and evolve it into something beyond just cleaning.

Ting! You have developed a new Bond Skill! Purity of Beauty!

Purity of Beauty: Removes dirt on an object.

(Beauty)

Ting! Your Bond has obtained level 1006!

Naturally, I want something worth taking a Skill slot, so I spend the next several hours trying to evolve it, and I come up with two variants.

Ting! You have developed a new Bond Skill! Sanctuary of Purity!

Sanctuary of Purity: Removes dirt in a large area.

(Beauty)

Ting! You have developed a new Bond Skill! Blessing of Purity!

Blessing of Purity: Removes dirt on an object and makes it unable to become dirty for a month.

(Beauty)

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 1007-1010!

My parents get quite a surprise when the house suddenly became immaculately clean, but they quickly realize that I am doing something. When they arrive at my room to thank me, they notice something new.

"Aly, did you improve your Bond again?" Mom asks, "I can feel your Bond's presence; it is more refined and... it's difficult to say, but purer than last time?"

"It feels more cohesive and tactile," Dad adds. "Almost like I can touch it." She waves her arms in the air as if to catch something.

"Looks like I'm going to have to find out how to suppress it, again," I remark, dissatisfied. It took me a long time to finally be able to suppress my Bond's presence, and now I have to relearn it all over again. But, I am curious how strong my presence will be if I stop holding back as much as I am. However, I don't want to bother anyone by doing so, and there's not much of a need to anyway, so I just spend an hour showing off my new abilities to my parents.

"It's time for the after-work bath," I say and stand up. "I'll get the twins."

I teleport to Topobe's tailoring shop, right behind Yafe and Yafel, who suddenly shiver under my presence and turn around.

"Aly! How long have you been there?" they exclaim, setting their work down and giving me a hug. I pat their heads with a smile and examine their work. They've gotten noticeably better since last time; they are improving quickly.

I inform Topobe that I am just picking up my sisters for the after-work bath, and then teleport us back home.

"Wha!" "Illusion?" Exclamations of surprise and confusion comes from Yafel and Yafe as we suddenly appear back home.

"I can teleport now!" I declare to them with a big grin.

"That's so cool!" "I want to teleport too!"

They demand that I show them how to teleport, but since it's with my Bond, it's obviously impossible for them to learn the same way as I do it; still, after taking a bath, I teleport them all over the Nexus to the various villages, the risen city, even the top of the mountainous ring surrounding the Nexus.

Archmage Holuna Ruluna tries to grasp Alysara's perception, tracing it back to a spot just outside of the city. However, it's weird, like the trace just loops back on itself in a confusing way which makes it near-impossible to decipher. It's a clever way to stop her from tracking Alysara, but it's also immediately noticeable that it's not actually her.

"You're hiding your true location?" Ruluna asks.

"How'd you know?" Alysara asks in turn.

"I'm not sure," Ruluna replies. "Normally, I'd track someone's perception back to them, but whatever you did is like tying a really fancy knot in a rope. I can tell it's not the end, but I am unable to figure out how to get past it."

"I see..." Alysara says, folding her arms in thought. "So you can tell the difference between a source and an attempt to block you."

It's been several hours since Ruluna started training with Alysara, but Ruluna has already learned two breakthroughs and has gotten dozens of levels in [Track Senses], so in her opinion it's time well spent.

"If you don't mind me asking..." Ruluna ventures, continuing when she gets a nod. "How many breakthroughs do you have in [Sense Mana?]." Being able to manipulate her perceptive pressure, and now whatever this is, she must have a lot.

"Forty-four," Alysara says matter-of-factly.

Ruluna almost chokes and coughs, "Forty-four?! That's more than double what we have! We can barely think of anything else to get breakthroughs in, and you have over forty?!"

"And that's not all," Alysara says with a shrug. "I am sure I can get at least fifty.

"What level is your Skill at? Are you capped with your breakthroughs?" Ruluna fishes for information.

"Vastly more than you think," Alysara says cryptically.

What does that even mean? Her max level should be four-hundred fifty; it's impossible to have more than that with forty-four breakthroughs… right?

"Anyway, what do you think of this?" Alysara says, and the knot of her perception suddenly mimics a source; however, Ruluna knows it's not her true location, so there must be some way to trace her perception through this, and it's not even close to as complex as the knot was.

The false source sends and receives the perceptive field, but she must have some way to truly receive the information, so a part of what the false source – the proxy – sends must be sent to her, so Ruluna just needs to figure out which thread to follow.

The only way she can try to figure this out is through trial and error. It takes a painstakingly long time, but eventually, she finds the right path… and promptly hits another impossible knot.

"So I can try to fool a tracker or block them, but I can't do both in the same place," Alysara remarks.

It was already agreed that Ruluna will try her best to track Alysara while she tries to block her; it's a mutual training session.

"Yes," Ruluna agrees, "but I wouldn't have known that wasn't your real location if I didn't know you, so having both is probably safest."

"We should stop here; I'm almost out of mana. We can continue this next week," Alysara says, and, after saying farewells, her clone disappears.

Chapter 165: Yrania

Yrania watches as the Sorroth bow before the Great Garenne, their smaller forward antlers touching the ground, each decorated with jewels and colorful stones. They raise their short tails high in reverence of their godlike figure.

The Sorroth are an all-female mammalian race with short forward-facing antlers and long back-facing antlers that turn downward. Their antlers keep growing and eventually have to be trimmed, otherwise it'd get too cumbersome. They wear jewelry on their antlers, looping gold and silver chains and dangling gems, crystals, and colorful stones.

Yrania is reasonably sure that having very similar antler-like features to the Garenne is the source of their faith, but just in case, she asks the legendary being.

"Why do you think they worship you, Lavaerd?"

The Garrene turns his head and looks upon Yrania's pink scales with his six radiant eyes. The halo between his massive antlers of pure light flashes once, showering the area with luminescent white orbs. He taps a talon, larger than one of the Sorroth, in thought. His white and gold fur shines lustrously from the light of his antlers and halo, casting light in the dark forest like the sun that is hidden by the canopy.

"I do not claim to know what motivates these people," Lavaerd says. "Nor will I expend effort to find out. You may ask them yourself."

She already has. Perhaps a different question will help illuminate forgotten history.

"How long have they been worshiping you?"

"Why does a dragon like you care?" Lavaerd replies. He doesn't sound annoyed, just disinterested.

"To know how the Sorroth think, of course." Yrania says as if that was obvious, "They are the first all-female race I've come across, so I want to know how their minds work when compared to bi-gender races."

Also, she wants to know how being the subject of worship affects Lavaerd. She has already studied how many races react when put in a position of power over others, with results unique to each race, but there is little opportunity to see how worship affects a singular being.

Lavaerd's halo flashes again, and the whole area is bathed in soothing, warm light; the floating light orbs drift into each of the Sorroth, who mutter praises upon the legendary Garrene.

"Longer than you have been alive," Lavaerd answers dismissively. "Twelve thousand years if you are so curious."

"What did you do?" Yrania asks.

"A simple boon to guide them through the forest and see through its lies."

The Sorroth stand up, moving into one of the trees that they shape to be hollow for them to live in. They gather baskets and other tools before walking out into the forest, where many illusory lights can be seen to try and lead them astray.

The Sorroth do not eat meat; they are completely herbivorous, which is not rare in the world. One might expect that a herbivore would not be an aggressive species, and they might also be forgiven for thinking them empathetic, but in Yrania's study she found that is not often the case. In fact, herbivorous races are often more bigoted and aggressive, which makes her think that being preyed upon is what fuels such behavior.

As for empathy, it's most commonly found in social species, which explains why many monsters, herself included, rarely feel it. The Sorroth are a herd species, so she expects them to have some level of empathy. Dragons, like Yrania, can hardly be called a social species, but they do have a sort of honor: a dragon always answers the call of another, which makes her think they aren't exactly not a social species either.

Perhaps it's the fact that birthed dragons are so rare, and most are spawned, that makes them distant to each other. Her father and mother are quite close in terms of relationship and have often doted on her, but her grandmother... she's very distant, much like Lavaerd.

In fact, their minds are very similar to many spawned, whereas her own resembles many birthed. This has always been something she noticed ever since she learned how to see the minds of others which makes her think that the answer lies in childhood. The mind grows with the body and the experiences of life, something that the spawned miss out on.

Yrania has studied many cases of a race being adopted and raised by another. It's complicated, but some behaviors are completely adapted to the parent race while some are only suppressed. For example, in one of the cases, a member of an aggressive race was raised by a peaceful one, which led to the adopted being less aggressive than normal for his race but more aggressive than the peaceful race.

Yrania's musing is interrupted by a tight magical constricting, something she has only felt once before; her grandmother is calling for her. Yrania has not heard her call, nor has she requested aid, so she is deeply curious as to why Safyr is calling her through her title.

She answers her grandmother's summons, the world shifts, and suddenly the stifling pressure of high mana density, accompanied by hot, humid air, hits her. The leylines above dance beautifully, something she has rarely seen since they only appear in places of extreme mana density.

Looking around, Yrania sees her grandmother sitting royally in front of her, her sapphire scales glinting in the sunlight. Standing off to the side is a young Runalymo wearing eyewraps. She also wears a two-piece dress, and her royal blue hair with golden tips frames her body while three long tails wave behind her. She has a partially suppressed Bond presence around her, struggling to break free and make itself known to all around.

"Grandmother," Yrania says, lowering her head. "What do you need of me?"

"Young Alysara here needs training in the ways of the mind, Yrania. I know you are interested in the workings of the mind, and hers may very well interest you."

Alysara? Yrania questions silently. For her grandmother to address a lesser being by name, she must have done something to earn Safyr's respect, and if Safyr respects this little one, then she must too.

Yrania turns her gaze to the Runalymo girl and examines her mind critically. Peering into the outer layers, she finds a maelstrom of turmoil, of two egos battling against each other. This is something she has only seen in old and Legacy souls… but Alysara's is more unique, more primeval, more vast than anything she has ever seen before.

Under her surface mind are her surface memories. Yrania can't read the memories, but can see if they are good or bad, joyous or traumatic. Of the two egos, both have had good and bad times, and there is evidence of recent trauma, although that seems to have mostly healed by now.

By now, Yrania can see what's going on. The girl is a Legacy soul, but her two lives are fighting each other. She is rejecting who she was before, which is, of the three Legacy souls she has met already, normal; only one embraced who they were before.

There is a third layer to her mind, the place where deeper memories are sealed away. This usually happens due to trauma, but it can be intentional too, and in the case of Legacy souls their dormant memories are kept here. Yrania peers into this third layer and is immediately swallowed in a vast and impossibly large sea of memories, all kept within a small section of her mind. She blinks to focus her sight out of the third layer, wondering just how long this soul has been around to accrue that many memories.

Every Legacy soul has memories from the time they were adrift in the void; it is common for them to have trillions of years, or even longer, of memories locked away, their minds unable to comprehend the sheer length of time, but when compared to this girl that is like a single grain of sand compared to the world.

"What Skills do you need help with, Alysara?" Yrania asks.

"[Twin Minds], [Clear Mind], and [Mental Fortitude]" Alysara replies. Most would be unnerved by one dragon at best, but Alysara shows no fear.

No Class skills, which means she may be trying to get a mind Class.

"I see; you have two resistance Skills, yet there is no one you can trust to help train them. You'd do well to try to merge those Skills, especially your two resistance Skills, but I assume that's your goal anyway." Yrania says, appraising Alysara.

Three Tailed Mana Immune Runalymo Sage (Major) (Unique), Level 296 Distant Summoner (Major), Level 1000 Beauty Bond.

Unique?! That alone gave her Skill a few level-ups! She is also very Bond-focused; no doubt her grandmother has been advising this girl, Safyr always stresses Bond skills.

Her beauty Bond explains why her Bond's presence is so eager to be let loose. It's not a dark or shadow Bond; it wants to be known and felt. Instead of trying to cage it, she should try to influence it to be more subtle.

"That's correct; I need several general Skills to be moved to a Class."

Yrania is sure the mental Skills won't transfer over to a summoner Class, so this must mean it's for her second Class, but with a Bond level that high – compared to other peoples' usual Class/Bond ratio – she may be trying to obtain another Bond Class.

It's not like she can't, but Beauty isn't the first thing that comes to mind when considering a mind mage, although alluring and entrancing others is very doable.

"If you don't mind me asking, what kind of Class are you trying to get? A Bond Class?" Yrania asks.

"Yes," Alysara replies with an elegant nod. "Specifically centered around multiple minds, and summoning clone bodies for those minds."

Interesting... If that's the case, then she must be trying to get the ultimate Skill [Unlimited Minds]. Yrania has to admit that centering it around clone bodies is a good way to try and get that, plus it should merge other useful Skills, like [Multitask].

[Unlimited Minds] is certainly great to get for any mage, to be able to cast hundreds of spells at once if they need to, but controlling multiple bodies – one's own or others' – is the best way to realize the full potential of that Skill.

"You should start with the resistance Skills," Safyr advises. "Do not worry about Alysara; you won't scare her away."

Her grandmother never changes, always quick to rush into combative situations. However, to her surprise, Alysara nods in agreement.

"While I do need more breakthroughs in [Twin Minds], my resistance Skills need the growth most. Please train me," Alysara says with a graceful bow, her Bond's presence fluctuating uncontrollably.

"Grandmother, why did you not tell Alysara how to handle her Bond?" Switching to another language, Yrania almost chastises, which earns her a light tail whip.

"Watch your tone, young pup! Alysara is a smart girl; she'll figure it out eventually. Besides, there are situations where she will need to suppress her Bond, and the stronger she becomes, the more important it will be to prevent Bond resonance."

Yrania can't fault her in that; Safyr is right about Bond resonance. It's one thing she has always absolutely hated about her grandmother; she will tell you to do something, but not why. She expects one to figure it out, making it infuriating when they finally learn the 'why', all the time spent doing the wrong things or picking up bad habits and having to correct them, when it can just be properly explained. Just because she was spawned with the knowledge already there doesn't mean that birthed beings already know it too!

Well, if Yrania is going to train Alysara, then she will do it her own way! A proper education, so no effort will be wasted developing bad habits and the like.

"Follow me, Alysara; I am sure Grandmother won't want your training to disturb her further."

Safyr huffs and curls up to sleep. "Just as annoying as your father," she remarks before closing her eyes.

Chapter 166: Lessons of the Mind

I never knew Safyr had children, let alone grandchildren. I follow Yrania to a hill overlooking the temple as she begins her lesson.

"First, you should know that Bonds, with a few exceptions, do not like being suppressed." Yrania lectures. "But you should also know the risks of not doing so. First, do you know about Bond resonance?"

"No," I shake my head.

"She could have at least told you that much!" Yrania grumbles. "Well, anyone can feel another's Bond presence, but identical or even similar Bonds can feel each others' presence at much greater range; this is Bond resonance. It is benign on its own, other than letting others know where you are… but that's the problem: others know where you are, and this resonance can be felt from thousands of kilometers away if you are strong. This is particularly problematic with some Bonds, as monsters and other powerful beings may want to seek you out, usually to kill you."

So, it's dangerous because it can act as a lure, which may also suggest that it can be used to lure in prey.

"Monsters seeking out territory of their own may move in close to you and feel threatened by you," Yrania continues, "or they may be seeking out an easy legendary kill for a point… There are many possibilities, and that's just from monsters; people can be more manipulative." Yrania pauses as she sits next to a small creek.

"However, you are far too weak to worry about that; even if there's Bond resonance, most will dismiss your presence, and beauty Bond users are generally peaceful and open to communication. It's in the essence of your Bond, that will make others want to share their visions of beauty, if only to learn and gain different perspectives with which to view beauty. Which leads us to another thing Safyr neglected to tell you." Yrania half-mutters the last bit, shaking her head a little.

"Yes, it is important to know how to suppress your Bond in the event you need to," Yrania continues. "But you need to also learn how to properly control your presence rather than just sitting on it. Don't think of it as a beast to let loose, instead think of it as your own body, another limb like your arm and hand. You can outstretch your arm and grab things, but only grab things you want to rather than slapping at everything nearby. For example, you don't feel my presence because I am simply excluding you."

I suddenly feel a pleasant warmth brush against my... Mind? That's not quite it; it's as if I've wandered into the thought space of some grand being.

"By including or excluding you, I can achieve the same local effect as suppressing and releasing my Bond, without actually suppressing my Bond."

The presence of Yrania's Bond fades as she excludes me from it again.

"So I should practice doing the same too," I say, and release my Bond presence. I start trying to create a null zone around Yrania, but she stops me.

"It's not about suppressing an area, Alysara. It's about not grasping others with the Bond. Imagine it as an extension of yourself, an arm; right now, it's as if you are grabbing me, focus on letting go."

I'm not sure if I understand right, but I know I am doing it wrong, so I instead focus on trying to make the Bond simply ignore her. However, my Bond is running rampant like a child in a candy store. It wants to get her attention, to show off and be noticed.

"Keep practicing." Yrania says, "It will take time. Allocate one of your minds to this practice so we can continue with the main reason why I am here. First, tell me what breakthrough you need."

I tell her, and she nods thoughtfully. "Let's start with the easy stuff; this is for your knowledge levels, so pay attention. There are several states that mind mages can afflict upon you; the most benign of which is allure. Alluring someone is much like seduction; it afflicts your target with emotions and desires. This is mostly used by ambush predators, like mimics, that instill a desire to approach."

I nod, having experienced exactly that before.

"It can be resisted if you can recognize what is happening, it is one of the least invasive mind magics, but in skilled hands its potency is precisely because of its subtleties. Greedy people are more likely to fall prey to a treasure mimic since they are already predisposed to seek potential treasures, while cautious people are more resistant to alluring attempts of that specific type. The same argument can be made with lustful people and succubi."

I nod again, telegraphing that I understand clearly without interrupting. Basically, allure can capitalize on the instincts and behaviors of people without direct mind meddling.

"Beauty Bond users can use allure; it's a part of beauty to admire, seduce, and put others at ease. This can be used for good or bad, like all things. It can be used to calm an angry crowd, to incite a sense of wonder, or cloud one's mind with lust so you can take advantage of them."

In other words, I can use alluring Bond Skills. I should probably try that; after all, it can have utility uses and can even be used for good. I am already getting ideas on how I can get and use the Skill, or Skills.

"That's enough for an introduction, I will explain in greater detail in a future lesson." Yrania moves on to the next subject. "A potent mind magic category is 'entrancing'. This alters one's perception of reality, sense of self, and more. It's basically a catch-all phrase for several behavioral mind alterations. Exactly how it's used is based on the skill and Skill of the mind mage, but this can range from inflicting a simple daze or intoxicated behavior to complete personality changes, and even changing if one sees another as a foe or friend."

I think back on the encounter with the Mind Slime; this fits almost exactly what it did.

"This level of mind spells is not something that beauty alone is capable of," Yrania says, but I expected as much. "Entrancing requires mental effort, a lot of it, but not more than some of the more effective and advanced spells and abilities. It is the deliberate mental act of altering someone's mind without directly controlling them. In some ways, entrancing is more insidious than dominating minds, since the target believes they are acting normally, and when applied in subtle ways it can be hard to detect if you are being entranced or if others are."

In other words, the Mind Slime was using its abilities like a club rather than a knife, which makes sense, since it was a Dungeon monster that didn't train its Skills much.

"Mind domination is the last of the mind meddling categories; it is the complete control of one's metaphysical mind. Mind domination does not grant knowledge of the target's memories or behavior to the controller, they'll have to use other means for that; rather, you become a puppet under complete control, your actions won't be your own and you'll be trapped in your own body."

"Are there other categories of this?" I ask. "Can the mind be controlled via the mind component in the soul?"

"It is good that you know of that; it will speed things up." Yrania says, pleased. "No, the mind component just houses the metaphysical mind, which in turn houses you, your personality and consciousness. Allure affects the outermost layer of one's mind, it targets the base desires, while entrancement targets the consciousness and domination targets the metaphysical mind, bypassing the consciousness altogether but not doing anything to the mind component itself."

In other words, allure attacks the Id, entrancement attacks the Ego, and domination goes straight for the operating system that those run on. The hardware, the mind component, does not need to be controlled since it's only providing the means, not the actual thinking power.

This explains how I can use my minds to fight off mental attacks: I am basically running five Aly Operating Systems simultaneously. Domination can be thought of as a computer virus that I can try to expunge or use a firewall to defend myself against.

"One of my breakthroughs allows me to break off a false mind while in a battle of minds; how does that work?" I ask.

"That's a rare ability," Yrania compliments. "Pretty much what it says, it creates a false mind that you use as a decoy, which can be devastating for a would-be attacker since most won't expect it and will waste time and effort, which can give you time to attack their mind and put them on the defensive."

Basically, it's a virtual OS that looks and acts like a metaphysical mind, but in a way it's also like a lizard breaking off its tail to get away.

"So what do I do when something wants to destroy my metaphysical minds?" I ask, thinking back on the Mind Eater; it only wanted the mind component, not the metaphysical mind.

"Hmm," Yrania ponders the question. "I can't think of many cases where someone would want to do that; without the metaphysical mind, the rest can't be controlled, so it's mostly useless after that. However, in the case that it does happen, it's going to take a lot of effort to do so, especially with a resistance Skill, so your best bet would be to resist their efforts, use a decoy, and attack their mind in retaliation."

The Mind Eater had no trouble tearing my mind apart, but my resistance Skill was also not high level.

"Are there any other breakthroughs I should get for my [Twin Minds]?" I ask after a moment of thought, and then tell her which ones I already have.

"At your level, there's not much," Yrania says after thinking for a few moments, dampening my hopes. "But the ones you can work on are giving your other mind a consciousness and instincts."

Hmm, does giving my other minds an Id and Ego count as separate breakthroughs? The way Yrania phrased her reply suggests so.

"I am hesitant on that; there's a lot of morally questionable things that stem from creating what can be considered another 'me', and considering I'll have to do it multiple times for levels that will mean destroying the current one."

How would I react if I knew someone was going to destroy what makes me 'me'? That's not something I want to even try.

"It will only be a copy of your consciousness," Yrania tries to reassure me. "It won't have its own soul, stats, Classes, etc. It is not alive, nor will it be. It shares the essence of you, and without that it can't be considered a true separate being, so there is nothing to worry about. Besides, if you are worried about your mind being destroyed, your consciousness is a much more likely target; it is a staple of mind mages to make another consciousness in the event of one being destroyed."

Now, that might be a reason to gain the breakthrough.

"But the longer it's around, the more it can develop in its own way, eventually becoming its own version of me, right?"

"No," Yrania shakes her head. "Everything it experiences, you experience. It's not a different 'you' – that's a different breakthrough – think of it as your consciousness existing in two places at the same time. Plus, it will help you process information faster, and reduce strain on your consciousness."

"I'm not sure I follow," I say with a frown. "How is it any better than just using multiple minds?"

"Your minds gather information and act out responses, but there's a limit on your consciousness; your personality bottlenecks your responses. You don't have any issue now since you have a relatively low number of minds, but progress much further and you'll notice the issue."

"So what is the breakthrough that will make different 'versions' of me?" I ask.

I think I know what Yrania is trying to get at. The extra Ids and Egos are still part of what makes 'me'. Think of it like neurons; just because they are individual cells doesn't mean adding more will make another personality in my mind.

Still, this leads to the question: what does she mean by 'essence of me'?

"It's a different and poorly understood part of the mind," Yrania says. "Think of it like mana elements and essences. The mind component, metaphysical mind, and consciousness are all elements; they are objective things and ideas we can point to and study rigorously. They are deterministic, and all operate the same way no matter who's looking at them or where they come from. Your essence, however, is subjective to only you; make another essence of 'you' and you make another 'you'."

Well, Yrania is an expert in the mind, so maybe I should listen to her.

"I think I understand now, thank you."

"We'll start with the action level next, and we will work on your current breakthroughs before working on new ones."

Chapter 167: Drums of War

Ting! Mental Fortitude has obtained levels 87-120!

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained levels 111-130!

It never ceases to amaze me how much control dragons – or, rather, anybody as strong as them – have over their abilities. To be able to confidently and precisely almost kill someone to get near-death breakthrough levels is a terrifying yet impressive feat, one that always leaves me shaking in terror regardless of my trust in the perpetrator's talents.

"To walk so close to death is never an easy thing," Yrania says softly. "It goes against our instincts and very nature as living beings, so it is both natural and encouraged to be afraid."

Yrania is a lot more considerate in her resistance training than Safyr was, regularly asking me if I'm ready to continue, which is a stark contrast to her grandmother's ruthless methods. Honestly, I'm not sure which is better. Yrania is more caring, and that helps put my mind at ease, but Safyr's way is like ripping the bandaid off quickly and getting it over with.

It's not easy to receive resistance training; having it done quickly is preferable, but that left me in shock when Safyr did it. Yrania, on the other hand, lets me prepare and helps comfort me, but her method also drags the experience out.

"You now have your resistance Skill above level one hundred, which means that you should be immune to most mental effects, but keep in mind that there are some Skills and breakthroughs that penetrate resistances," Yrania warns. "In addition, there may be rare and strange abilities that you may not have a resistance breakthrough for, so always keep vigilant. The safest resistance skill is the ability to dodge, after all."

I nod, still sitting down after the rough training session; I don't think my shaking legs will let me stand yet.

"We will work on your [Twin Minds] breakthroughs tomorrow, and once that's done I can help you with your past life." Yrania's Bond presence caresses my mind, soothing and dulling the recent trauma.

"How do you know about that? Did Safyr tell you?" I ask.

"No," Yrania shakes her head. "I can't read your memories without a Skill, but I can sense them easily, and I can sense two lives' worth of memories within you. I've met enough Legacy souls, so I know what to look for."

As much as I wish to get rid of those memories, I can't. One, because of my deal with Myrou, two, they are occasionally useful, and three, they are interconnected with several important memories and bits of knowledge, especially pertaining to mana physics. Getting rid of them may rip holes in my knowledge at best, or at worst take everything about mana physics with them.

"I don't need help." I reject Yrania's offer. "I have what I need, and I don't want any more baggage from my past life."

"You're going to remember eventually, Alysara. You can run from it for a while, but eventually it will catch up to you. It still has influence over you; you need to learn how to accept your past life and let go of it, if you want control over the form that influence takes."

"I am: that life is gone, and I'm not that person anymore," I reply, folding my arms.

"There are risks in shutting those memories away completely, Alysara. Eventually, your subconscious will stop rejecting them regardless of your wishes, and they'll all come at once; think of it as a dam breaking. A large part of what makes us who we are is our memories; a few memories here and there will not erode who you are now in any major way, but when all of those memories resurface all at once, it's going to have a major impact on you."

That terrifies me. I like who I am right now; I don't want to be who I was before. I reject that for a reason, although I do not know why.

"What are the risks?" I ask, then think for a few moments before I continue. "And how does releasing the memories help me now?" I'm still not on board, but Yrania is an expert in the mind...

"I can help dull the memories so they will feel… faded; as for the risk, there is little so long as I am here."

"So, this is my best chance of remaining who I am? Why do that for me?"

"Why not?" Yrania replies curtly, "I like to study minds and psychology, and there are very few Legacy souls and old souls. Some, like you, reject their past life, others embrace them; you are far from an exception."

"Alright, what do I need to do?" I finally relent

"We should focus on the current task for now, so we don't split our attention, even if we have multiple minds."

"You mentioned an old soul; what are they, and how are they different?" I can't help but ask, noticing how she differentiates them.

"A Legacy soul comes from a now-extinct realm; they are the ones that carry the memories of what was, and have become a legacy of that realm. Old souls are similar, except that they come from a still-living realm. Old souls are uncommon but much less so than Legacy souls; it seems that the passage to the soul sea lies close to the void between realms, and sometimes souls get lost in the void, then turn up somewhere else."

It's getting late in the day, so we say our farewells and I return home, thinking about many things.

The drums of war beat, reverberating through Kalin's body from the tops of his ears to the tip of his tail. The Forren Kingdom has begun their attack, headed by a knight in immaculate bone armor that radiates power, sparks of electricity coursing through and over it. Adorned with short shoulder spikes and a billowing cape, the knight looks majestic and frightening.

The enemy general rides a massive war Forron and in his hand, made from the same electric bone, is a massive halberd, appearing too large for any normal man to wield. Behind him is a platoon of one hundred soldiers in the same armor, with matching weapons of war. Accompanying the elite group stands rows and rows of spearmen, flanked by Forron-riding cavalry, and up on the hill stand a large group of archers and mages.

The army Kalin stands with are normally-armored knights at best; how can they fight against such opponents? Kalin hopes the stand-off will last until both sides give up, but there's little chance of that happening.

Both armies stay in rank and file in strategic positions, both atop hills; a small river runs through a valley between them. So far, neither army is willing to move, which Kalin is grateful for; as long as he doesn't need to get anywhere near those knights, he's willing to do almost anything!

Minutes go by with only the drums beating until the winds shift in the enemy's favor. As if on cue, a hail of arrows is launched. Kalin reflexively raises his shield and lowers his profile to be completely covered by it. The heavy metal arrows slam against his shield as if they are sledgehammers, bruising his arm.

Kalin grits his teeth and sends a prayer to Venaro. Once the volley is done and the deafening clang of metal against metal stops ringing in his ears, Kalin peeks out from around his shield, only to quickly hide behind it again as another volley is already in the air.

A second later, the familiar rain of arrows echoes around him, but joining it are sounds of explosions rattling the air, reverberating through his chest. Fear wells up in Kalin; he's not prepared for something like this! Fortunately, no spells hit him, so he just hides behind his shield as the world goes to hell around him. Screams of friend and foe alike join the choir of war, screams of fear and screams of pain. Without realizing, his scream joins the rest as the earth erupts beside him. It's all he can do to stay put.

Waves of heat and cold wash over him, static electricity makes his hair stand on end, and the world seems to dim or brighten as spells are slung around amidst the volleys of arrows.

"One." Kalin counts. It's the only way he's going to stay sane. "Two. Three..." He doesn't know how long it has been, but it feels like an eternity. "...One thousand forty..." it only came out as a whisper, as his throat feels as dry as the Ashlands.

Once the explosions, screams, and hail of arrows stop, Kalin finally looks out from under his shield to see the devastation around. Surprisingly, there isn't as much as he thought. He expected the land to be turned upside down, for the hills to be leveled… that was what it sounded like, but instead, most of the damage seems to suddenly cut off, like a spell barrier had been cast in front of them.

Some spells made it through, and the wounded are being treated and taken to the back, only to be replaced by reserve soldiers.

A horn blows as the drums start up again, and they start marching forward. Kalin has no choice but to either move with his army or be trampled. They don't run, but rather briskly march towards the river. The other army is marching too; whoever reaches the river first will have an advantage, even Kalin knows that.

The march seems to take forever, as if each step he takes toward the river is another added to the distance rather than subtracted. "...One thousand seven hundred fifty-eight..." There is only one thing to do; just keep counting, keep his mind occupied and away from what he had just gone through and what he's heading towards.

Suddenly, as if the eternity of the march meant nothing, Kalin finds himself before the river, and he is reminded of how thirsty he is. But he doesn't let his guard down for even a moment, the enemy has reached the river at the same time and for the second time, the two armies are in a standoff, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

However, the standoff doesn't last, as the enemy cavalry charges, splitting up as they sprint down the hill for a two-pronged attack at their flanks! A series of horns blow from both sides, and Kalin finds himself waist-high in the cold river.

The enemy wades into the river as well to meet him in a watery battlefield. With his shield raised and spear poised, Kalin's first taste of melee combat starts with a blocked attack, his enemy's spear being deflected by his shield.

Screams echo around him, but they sound distant. Kalin wonders if his hearing is damaged by all that happened, but the only thing that matters is the foe in front of him. They trade strikes, their shields taking the blows; eventually, Kalin notices his foe stumble, and the briefest window of opportunity is open to him.

Kalin lunges forward, piercing his foe in his exposed neck. The enemy clutches at his throat in shock, but Kalin presses his advantage to stab at other weak spots, past his foe's shield and armor. His first kill notification rings in his mind as the weight of the deed presses upon him, but before he can ruminate on it, another foe wades toward him.

Kalin falls into a rhythm: block attack, wait for the enemy to make a mistake, and then strike. There's no use in striking and wasting energy if the attack will only hit a shield or be deflected by armor. He manages to kill one more and injures three, making them retreat, but when a new arrival steps forward, Kalin's heart plummets. One of the Forren elite soldiers, swinging a long blade sparking with lightning, charges at him. Kalin raises his shield hopelessly, but suddenly he is shoved to the side as a giant suit of armor, perfectly made and well-decorated, stomps past him.

The giant swings a blade of pure ice, freezing the water around the Forron elite in a swift motion that leaves after-images. Another giant armor suit stomps through the water, cleaving enemy soldiers in two with an axe of fire, melting right through all their shields and armor. Together the two giants quickly kill the immobilized Forren elite, making sure to do as little damage to his armor as they can.

Seeing this, the enemy breaks line and tries to flee, which only emboldens his army to give chase. With the enemy routing, several horns blow from both sides, and Kalin finds himself carried along by the current of people shouting warcries.

"With me!" One of the giants shouts, waving a banner.

Now out of the river, Kalin follows the giant suit of armor toward another part of the battlefield, where the enemy is still fighting. They cut through the back of the enemy army, trapping them in between two platoons.

Another series of horns blow from the enemy hill, and the enemy starts retreating wholesale. Shouts of victory erupt from Kalin's comrades, and the rush of battle slowly leaves him as he realizes that the battle is won!

Chapter 168: Battle in the River

Vanu Runa Lysha carefully studies the enemy army. They have a small army, about four thousand soldiers. They have been busy crafting their leviathan materials into weapons and armor, and if they can win this battle, chances are Lysha can get her hands on some of them.

The Forron Kingdom probably wants to push for an early victory which is why they are attacking now rather than waiting until they have a legion outfitted with Leviathan armor.

Vocana hasn't been idle. With slightly over five thousand soldiers, they outnumber the enemy but not by much; they'd have more, but three armies are being made, and it's still early in recruitment. They know Alysara can't supply weapons and armor fast enough, which is why their own best craftsmen have been making armor and weapons too. From the start, Alysara's armor and weapons have been made a secret; the fact they can be summoned from their belts makes it easy, which may have led the Forren Kingdom into thinking that they have more armor made and gave them the courage to attack now.

To prevent the secret armor from being leaked, they even kept them a secret from their own soldiers and instead used Vocana made armor to boost morale.

"They're set up for a classic Kulon Pincher attack," Kineto Lova Borala says, pointing out the signs, so Lysha knows what to look for. "They have their Forron Knights on the side."

The Forrons are the namesake of the Forren Kingdom, so it's expected their elite warriors will be mounted on them. Lysha spots several white Forrons, something only their Nobles can legally have; they will be a primary target for capture and ransom.

"They will expect us to counter with either our own leviathan warriors to protect the flank of our footmen or use redirect pikemen; what do you think is the best choice to make?"

Naturally, Borala is testing her, Lysha needs to answer correctly, or she will be replaced with a new War Marshal.

Lysha studies the battlefield; two hills, a valley between with a river flowing between. They can use the river defensively, slow down the charge, but chances are they will have a caster that will allow them to simply run on the surface of the water.

"We wait for them to attack and use the river and hill to exhaust their soldiers while we attack from range," Lysha answers.

"A textbook answer," Borala says, "But not a bad one. However, we'll meet them in the river that will force them to enter the water rather than go over it; we'll then use the river to conceal stakes using the Order of Earth's mages to protect the foot soldiers' flanks."

"But what about scryers? They'll see the traps," Lysha asks

"Not soon enough," Borala answers before explaining, "The mages shouldn't conjure the stakes until the Forron Knights are close enough; by then, it'll be too late to warn them. We'll place our Power Knights on our flanks so once the Forron Knights are trapped, they can meet them and take advantage of surprise."

"That's a good plan; it utilizes the environment to our advantage!" Lysha exclaims

"There are some things you need to be wary of." Borala says, "Fighting in a river is usually a bad idea several spells can take advantage of it, so we'll have to counterspell. It'll work in this case but do not think it will go well every time; there are reasons why it is almost always avoided."

Borala gives orders to several mind mages who relay telepathically down the chain.

"Normally, the best choice would be to wait and let them come to us while we attack them with arrows and spells, which is why I am confident your plan might work; it goes completely against expectations and any contingencies they have planned for. Do not rely on surprise tactics all the time; they generally do not work, but this time I feel that the enemy is overconfident and will see us entering the river as a poor move to capitalize on, not realizing that is what we want."

They return to the command tent to continue making plans and discuss details with other high-ranking members of the military.

"I don't like this plan," Teyala, the general of the fourth battalion, voices her opinion. "It's better to let them come to us and keep attacking with arrow and spell."

"Forren won't attack unless they are sure they have a chance at winning," Beniord points to the map. "The river will slow them down, but they can shield arrows and spells; they won't be trying the Kulon pincher attack without some plan to ensure it works. Plus, look at the positioning."

Beniord moves the figures in position, so they meet in the river.

"In order to carry out the pincer attack, they must enter the river and run along it; this will delay them more than them simply crossing it. That will give our mages time to react and set up stakes."

"The Forron Knights can circle around and attack our backs; that's a very bad plan!" Teyala crosses her arms and remains adamant in her position.

"You afraid to get a little wet?" Beniord taunts her.

"Enough!" Borala cuts the argument off before it can start. "The Knights won't circle around us since that will open them up to fire from our reserves; it's suicide for them. This is a crucial battle we need to win, but more than that, we need to get their Leviathan Armor. A normal battle will have a greater chance of them retreating should they start losing; we need to trap them to get as many as we can as they will help arm our army even more for future battles."

Lysha feels her scrying retaliation warm-up and looks to the mind mages nearby. They look like they are deep in concentration, battling against the enemy scryer and their mind mages. This goes on for several minutes before one of the mind mages announces their success.

"We fought them off; our information is safe."

The war council continues for several more minutes after that before everyone agrees to the plan, although some, like Teyala, are reluctant to do so. Lysha walks outside with borala to take another look at the enemy army to see if there is any movement. The two armies stand on opposite hills, outside the normal range of arrows.

"They are waiting for the winds to shift," Borala says. "Most battles start with the arrows and spells; it is the only time to use them without hitting your own soldiers."

"Didn't the weather seer say the winds will shift in their favor?" Lysha asks, "Shouldn't we fall back a little to get out of their range?"

"Do you ever play cards?" Borala asks.

"No, father says it's a common man's game," Lysha replies.

"There's a card called the 'The Missive' It's a very important card since it forces your opponent to act. The game doesn't force anyone to play a card, so often times people will wait and keep drawing cards until they have a good hand; the Missive forces them to act before they are ready. What we are doing is something similar. This battle won't go anywhere unless someone acts. We have our soldiers protected with strong shields, and our casters have barrier spells ready; our casualties will be very low."

The enemy soldiers start moving, a battalion of archers and mages ready their weapons waiting for the right time.

"The battle will start momentarily," Borala says before turning toward her telepathic relayer. "Keep me informed on the scryer's updates."

"Yes, Grand Mashal Borala!" the Man salutes.

A few minutes later, Lysha feels the winds start blowing against her, and a moment later, hundreds of arrows fly through the air, arching high before slamming down on the shields of their men. Spells of all kinds, from beams of light and massive boulders to bolts of lightning and huge balls of fire, zip through the air before smashing against spell barriers.

"Whichever mage battalion has more mana usually wins this exchange," Borala says over the deafening sounds of metal against metal and explosions. "Which is why we invest a lot into mana batteries."

The barrage lasts for almost a quarter-hour before it dies down.

"Fifty-one casualties and wounded," The telepath reports.

"Better than I thought," Borala remarks, "How do our mana reserves look?"

"They are low, my Lady, but there's enough for a little retaliation."

"Don't bother; I'd be surprised if the enemy is dumb enough to completely deplete their mana" Borala turns toward Lysha. "Remember, never use more than eighty percent of your army's mana reserves unless it's for defense. If you attack with all of the mana and the enemy still has some, they can launch spells at you, and you'll have no way to defend against them."

Lysha nods; that was in the books she read.

"Signal for the forward march; stop at the river," Borala tells the Telepath.

He nods and concentrates.

"Now we wait for them to initiate their pincer attack, right?" Lysha asks.

"Yes," Borala nods; her yellow eyes are kept trained on the enemy army.

"What if they don't do that?"

"They will," Borala says, her black hair fluttering in the wind.

"How do you know that?"

"Because it's the best choice to make in this situation. Look there," Borala points to their army. "Notice how we have three distinct battalions?"

Each battalion, about one thousand soldiers, are arranged in rows, but they have a gap between other battalions. There are several reasons why each battalion is kept distinct, namely for command and so soldiers don't get lost in another battalion, but also if the enemy tries to aim for the gaps, they'll be caught between two battalions. The fourth battalion, Teyala's battalion, is in reserve to reinforce or give a break to any which needs it.

"They can attack our flanks and try to route our forces; if one company breaks ranks and routes, they can then turn their attention to another company and take apart the battalion; if that happens, the battle is won or lost, rarely does a battle last until the last man, it usually ends in a route which is why when that happens you must call for a retreat immediately if they don't their forces will ignore the routing enemy and focus on other forces that are still fighting."

"So you bait them into taking the most logical course of action and use that as a trap!" Lysha is surprised by Borala's strategy.

"Yes, and you'll notice I put Teyala in reserve; this is something those books of yours won't teach you about. When you have a general that disagrees with you, don't force them into your plans unless you have to. Put them in reserve, and if you win, that will show them not to doubt you. Remember, they worked their way up from recruits, and they are loyal to their soldiers; they will look out for them, and if you lose, then at least you put their soldiers in a safer place. They might have the right to say 'I told you so' but at least you don't have their resentment."

Once the two armies meet at the river, there is another stand-off; neither side is willing to take the first step into the waters.

"They are being cautious; they are confused about our actions," Borala remarks and turns toward her Telepath. "Signal the advance, don't let the enemy get the chance to think."

A few moments later, the hornblower makes the signal, and their forces advance into the waters; soon after, the enemy does the same.

"By taking action while they are confused, you make them panic and make mistakes," Borala says with a satisfied grin. "This battle might as well be already won."

The enemy makes another signal, and the Forron Knights charge down the hill on their four-eared, blind mounts.

"And now we wait," Borala says, crossing her arms.

Lysha watches as the calvary closes in on the flanks of their soldiers, splashing into the river. They get to just a few meters of their army before their Forrons howl in pain. That's when the hidden Power knights materialize their armor around them and leap into the fray, dozens tackling the Leviathan armored Forron knights in a surprise attack.

The battle on the flanks descends into chaos with two Forron knights against one Power Knight, but the power armor's thick protection holds strong, with no visible weakness. The rest of the is emboldened by the sudden appearance of the Power Knights and rally, surrounding the Forron knights and overwhelming them. Eventually, one of the enemy's lines breaks formation and starts fleeing; as more soldiers start running, others begin to too, leading into a full route.

"The battle is won" Borala smiles.

Lysha watches as their soldiers rally behind the Power Knights, charge, and surround the next enemy battalion before the enemy calls for a retreat.

Chapter 169: Memories

I return to Yrania the next day with a mess of emotions churning in my stomach. Fear, anxiety, apprehension, as well as a desire to finally get all of this over with run through my mind. If what Yrania said is correct, I'll eventually remember my past life, but it's safest with Yrania's help. I can't help but be apprehensive, I'm subconsciously locking those memories away for a reason, and I don't think I'll like who I was, but if there's a chance it won't affect who I am now, then I'll take it.

"How does this work?" I ask tentatively

"We need to draw out your memories. Normally they would come to you as you experience similar things in your current life, but that isn't the problem. First, meditate, clear your mind of everything, then focus on the childhood of your previous life," Yrania Explains.

I do so, finding a comfortable spot on the ground. Once my mind is clear and my emotions calm, I think back on my childhood, not of my previous life, but rather I start with my current life. It was mostly peaceful with caring friends and family. I never did remember my previous life's childhood; perhaps it was different?

"You're on the right track; I can see some resolution," Yrania encourages me.

I don't think I had a good past life, but that doesn't matter anymore. If my childhood wasn't good, then why? Were my parents not good parents? Were we poor?

"You're almost there, Alysara, just a little more."

Everything about this life is the opposite of my past life; just how bad was it?

As if answering my question, memories flood through my mind, and I feel Yrania's Bond flowing through my mind, taming the torrent of memories. Memories of abusive, drugged-up parents beating me when I was seven, my father being sent to prison, and a school friend being shot during a shooting.

It all made me even more grateful for my current life, and of all the places Myrou could have reincarnated me, this place is certainly the best place. I am glad I don't live in a run-down crack house in this life.

I shudder at the memories, glad that they feel distant, like a bad dream.

"Grandmother Safyr often says that tyranny is the rule, which implies that it is a fact that we should just accept, but I disagree," Yrania says. "It is the opposition to oppressive forces and circumstances that drives change. Tyranny is not something to tolerate; it is an obstacle to overcome. You lived an oppressive past life; did you simply accept being tried on, or did you fight back?"

"I... Don't know, I was only a child during those memories," I know the answer, but I don't like it. It's why I focused so much on developing myself early in this life when the memories most had an influence on me before I rejected them.

"I'm not reading your memories," Yrania reassures me. "But I can tell your past life does not get better."

I nod. I already expect that; however, there is something deep within my subconscious that is telling me to stop, to not remember.

"Are you sure that these memories will return on their own no matter what?" I ask, making sure that what we are doing is necessary.

"Yes. These come from your soul, not your vessel's memory; you can only delay it for so long. Think of it as melting ice atop a lake; eventually, it will weaken enough, and you'll fall through. It's already weak, and you'll remember them within the next few years."

That fits the timeline that Myrou said my memories would have all returned. But this makes a new question, If I remember everything now, will Myrou want me to show these memories sooner? I might as well get it over with, but am I ready for that?

Something to consider later, for now, I should try to remember the next part of my past life. My subconscious is telling me to stop, to not go any further, but I continue I focus on my past life's teenage years. What was it like? If it gets worse, then how does it? Did I get into drugs? Gangs? No, I hid away from the world, something I wished I hadn't.

With that realization, more memories wash over me. Memories of reclusion, when I'd play video games all day to avoid the realities of life. Something I'd yet to fully understand but had an awareness of. With the advancement of technology and the government taking over, those in power were arresting and executing anyone who disagreed and spoke out against the government.

I didn't fight; how could I? I was just a powerless teenager then, and I needed a job to support myself. I couldn't even speak out since that'd ruin my social credit that the government had implemented.

Work, school, and playing video games; that's all I did. Playing games itself wasn't a problem; the problem was that I was doing it as a way to run from reality, just like an alcoholic would drink their problems away or how a drug addict would use drugs to escape from responsibilities.

I would often wish to learn a skill, play the piano, or learn to draw, but I never did any of those. Hedonism never made my life fulfilling, yet in my chase of happiness, that was exactly what I pursued; I would never do what was necessary to learn skills and improve myself.

This progressed well into my adult life, but that's when the full realities of life sunk in. The government became more controlling, the police became more corrupt, people were sent to gulags, and my situation became more hopeless. A ruined economy, wars, and fear of the totalitarian government didn't make life prosperous.

Yet, even through all of that, I simply lived. I worked on the weekdays just so I could enjoy my weekends. I wasn't alive; I was just going through the motions.

Once again, the memories feel distant with no influence over me.

"You had strong regret," Yrania says. "That much is obvious, and although I've done what I can, its influence has already been ingrained in you, although that may have been for the better."

I nod in agreement. As much as I'd hate to admit, the lingering regret over not improving myself has led to my current life being better.

"Age does not make one wise; failure does." Yrania continues, "It is important to remember our failures, and fortunately for you, you have another life of them. You should not lock these memories away, for they are an excellent resource to you."

I've already recovered most of the technical memories; the only thing I can learn are the ones intrinsic to the lifestyle I had lived, which isn't very comparable to the one I live now.

"How many more do I have to remember?" I ask curiously.

"Two, although the last one is impossibly large... I'm not sure if I am strong enough to protect you from it."

"The time my soul spent in the void?" I ask to confirm.

"Yes," Yrania nods. "I've never seen anything that comes close to how much you've remembered. However, despite the risk, I think there is something important in it."

"Something important?" I ask.

"I do not know what it is; I will not read your memories unless you give me permission to but even then, it would be hard for me because the memories are sealed away. Even if I can, the sheer vastness of the memories of the time you spent in the void will make it hard for me to find what is important."

"So I need to remember it," I say. I do not know how she knows that something is important, but it's probably something to do with an evolved skill of hers.

I focus back on my memories; it's not hard to guess what happened next. The government was too aggressive in war, and it finally caught up to them.

Another flood of memories fills my mind to confirm my suspicions, but it was worse than I'd imagined. It started with skirmishes with another world superpower which, over the course of two years, devolved into a bloody war with people being drafted. Fortunately, I was never among those drafted, but the war was unpopular, and there were many protests that were quickly suppressed by the police.

That was when a group of insurrectionists armed with the military equipment of the enemy superpower attacked a military base. With the vast majority of soldiers fighting on the front lines, those in the base could do little against the rebelling force. The rebels gained more equipment and public support. Like a spark that ignited a forest fire, more people took this chance to rebel, and a full civil war broke out. However, I did not join them. Like a coward, I just kept my head down and tried my best to stay out of the fighting. Instead of fighting against a tyrannical government, I hid; if I did fight, maybe I would have lived longer.

With most of the government's forces overseas, the rebels quickly swept through the states; the police weren't capable of stopping so many people, especially when some of them had military-grade weapons. The government started doing all it could and bombed cities with the few forces still in the states.

The last memory I have of that life was the sound of bombs dropping and crashing in my apartment. At least it was painless. Don't know why they bombed the city I lived in; the rebellion wasn't even there, that I knew of, but it doesn't matter anymore.

Looking back, I never accomplished anything meaningful. I worked low-paying skilless jobs, being taken advantage of by corporations until everything fell apart around me. I don't want to live like that again, where my life is purposeless and meaningless, where I live solely to be taken advantage of by everyone around me. I will be the master of my own fate.

"The rest of your memories will be hard on you," Yrania warns me. "We can do this another day if you want."

I shake my head.

"Let's get it over with now."

Let's see what is so important about my time in the void.

"I'll do what I can to suppress them, but this time, you may end up reliving the memories; they'll be more vivid and feel more real."

I nod and steel myself, focusing on my time in the void. It helps having first woken up there by Myrou with recent memory pertaining to the void.

I fell deeper and deeper into my meditation, the process taking longer. Yrania must have been helping recover the memories. Slowly everything around me seems to change, and I begin to hear 'Tings' in my mind chiming like an alarm clock reawakening my memories.

Memories flood my mind, an endless torrent sweeping me up and carrying me along with them. Memories of a time spent in the void, drifting as my soul falls dormant. A 'Ting' rings in my mind, dozens, hundreds of trillions of them, an endless torrent of notifications as time seems to pass in an instant but at the same time, every second feels stretched out beyond imagination.

Dim red stars that represent entire realms blanket me. All around me, everywhere I look, I see the stars. I am slowly drifting away from one of them, tinted with grey, with life. There are others that are tinted with a different color, possible signs of life within them.

Slowly they spread, the colors infesting other dim red stars, the life in the realms discovering inter-realm travel. I wonder how long has passed since I died; I am quite far from my realm now. When did that happen? Is time the same here, where 'here' is?

I continue to watch the spread of life throughout the multiverse, and I notice that some stars fade out and vanish, but new stars flares into existence, brighter and more vibrant than the realms before them.

Are they changing?

It seems that each new generation of realm evolves, or perhaps they have slightly different laws.

One thing is clear, the realms with life seem to live longer than those that don't. It's possible that life is somehow extending the lifespan of their universe, delaying the end of time for that realm. However, they can't stop the end forever. I watch as the realm I am drifting away from slowly fades and finally disappears.

I can't help but feel a sense of loss. That was my home where I once lived, and yet it doesn't even matter anymore. The grey that originated from it, Humanity, has lived on, in other younger realms, the legacy of that universe.

I watch as the grey conquers the multiverse; sometimes, it lives in harmony with other life that started from the other realms. Sometimes peace wasn't possible, and the other life was extinguished. Eventually, all the realms sported the empire of humanity.

By now, I watch the Multiverse from the edge of this place. No longer are stars all around me, but now I watch from the edge of the sphere of stars. Will I continue to drift away forever until no more realms can be seen? Will I find another multiverse? Will I just be lost forever? How long has it been? Humanity had finally conquered the entire multiverse, but it feels as if only a few hours have passed by, yet it also feels like an eternity.

Suddenly a star near the center of the multiverse flashes brightly, blinding, even; shifting to a blue hue and something rings in my mind, like a wind chime. A wave seems to ripple outward, encompassing all realms and washing over me.

Ting! Humanity has discovered Mana! The Age of Mana has begun!

Chapter 170: The Archive of Eternity

Ting! Humanity has discovered Mana! The Age of Mana has begun!

What's this? I can't help but wonder how and why I got this message.

Nothing answers my question, so I keep watching. The realms change rapidly, and soon a new chime rings in my mind quickly, followed by several more.

Ting! Behemoth, The King Kaiju has been spawned!

Ting! Leviathan, the Water Kaiju, has been spawned!

Ting! Gryphon, The Wind Kaiju, has been spawned!

Ting! Phoenix, The Fire Kaiju, has been spawned!

Ting! Treant, The Earth Kaiju, has been spawned!

Ting! Titania, The Beauty Fairy, has been spawned!

Ting! Una, The Charm Fairy, has been spawned!

Ting! Gloriana, The Grace Fairy, has been spawned!

Ting! Mab, The Elegant Fairy, has been spawned!

Ting! Tanaquill, The Allure Fairy, has been spawned!

Ting! Crius, The Asgard Titan, has been spawned!

Ting! Thea, The Olympic Titan, has been spawned!

Ting! Helios, The Ayodhyan Titan, has been spawned!

Ting! Hyperion, The Heavenly Titan, has been spawned

Ting! Eos, The Takamagaharan Titan, has been spawned

Ting! Fafnir, The Cosmic Dragon, has been spawned!

Ting! Bahamut, The Celestial Dragon, has been spawned!

Ting! Kuzuyru, The Nine-Headed Dragon, has been spawned!

Ting! Tiamat, The Chaos Dragon, has been spawned!

Ting! Nidhogg, The Ruin Dragon, has been spawned!

Ting! Mark, the Human, has become the first mage!

Ting! You have become an Archive of Eternity!

An Archive of Eternity? There is a lot to unpack here. So a bunch of monsters or whatever has spawned, and now I am an archive of some sort?

Nothing answers my questions, but more and more notifications flood into my mind. Notifications of great deeds and terrible destruction. This continues for what seems like ages, with a few notable messages standing out to me.

Ting! Nidhogg, the Ruin Dragon, has destroyed a world!

Ting! Destroyer of Worlds, Nidhogg, the Ruin Dragon, has destroyed a world!

Ting! The First Mage, Mark, has reached the rank of World Mage!

Ting! Destroyer of Worlds, Nidhogg, the Ruin Dragon, has slain The First Monster, Behemoth, the King Kaiju!

Ting! Dragon Slayer, Crius, The Asgard Titan has slain the Destroyer of Worlds, Nidhogg, the Ruin Dragon!

Each message has its own story to tell, each representing decades of time. More and more messages flood my mind, each being burned into my soul.

It seems I have my answer of what Archives of Eternity are, a record of these messages. However, that begs the question: Am I doomed to be adrift here forever? There's no point in worrying about it; I can't change anything.

The messages keep chiming in my mind for what seems like forever.

Ting! Fafnir, The Cosmic Dragon, has mastered inter-realm travel!

Ting! Sona, the Human, has slain a Dragon!

Ting! Sona, the Human, has reached the rank of World Mage!

Ting! Leviathan, The Water Kaiju, has slain Helios, The Ayodhyan Titan!

Ting! Ca'thal, the L'mnun, has reached the rank of World Mage!

Realms fade into nothingness as more appear; I continue to drift further and further away, looking at the multiverse from afar, yet now I don't seem to be going any further. Just what is this place, anyway?

It's almost as if the multiverse is infinite in size, yet somehow I managed to cross the entire thing and pass into an infinite edge of nothingness.

Ting! Charlie, the Human, has become the First Cultivator!

Ting! The First Cultivator, Charlie, the Human, has Reached the 7th stage of Cultivation!

Ting! The First Cultivator, Charlie, the Human, has slain a Kaiju!

Ting! The First Cultivator, Charlie, the Human, has saved a city from a Kaiju!

Ting! Lilly, the Elf, has Reached the 7th stage of Cultivation!

Ting! The First Cultivator, Charlie, the Human, has Reached the 8th stage of Cultivation!

Ting! The First Cultivator, Charlie, the Human, has saved a world from Tiamat!

Ting! Champion of Magic, Tiamat, the Chaos Dragon, has slain The First Cultivator, Charlie, the Human!

Time is weird here; it's as if all time is passing in an instant, yet no time is passing at all. I can't tell how long it has been, but it's been around six hundred thousand generations of realms since I died and around four hundred thousand generations since the messages started.

Ting! Iris, the Elf, has reached the 7th stage of cultivation!

Ting! Forest Queen, Lilly, the Elf, has slain a Titan!

Ting! Forest Queen, Lilly, the Elf, has Reached the 8th stage of Cultivation!

Ting! Tyrant, Kuzuyru, The Nine-Headed Dragon, has slain Forest Queen, Lilly, the Elf!

As time goes on, the number of notifications of world mages dwindles, and the notifications of cultivators raise until finally, a series of announcements put the Age of Mana to an end.

Ting! Forest keeper, Iris, the Elf, has reached the 8th stage of Cultivation!

Ting! Forest keeper, Iris, the Elf, has defended a world from Tyrant, Kuzuyru, The Nine-Headed Dragon.

Ting! Forest keeper, Iris, the Elf, has reached the 9th stage of Cultivation!

Ting! Forest keeper, Iris, the Elf, has slain Tyrant, Kuzuyru, the Nine-Headed Dragon.

Ting! The Age of Mana has come to an end, and the Age of Cultivation has begun!

The message of an elf slaying a monster so great is creation justified a message must have come as a shock to the rest. A feat only achieved by other great monsters now held by another race stirs p a torrent of activity from the great monsters.

Ting! The World Traveler, Fafnir, the Cosmic Dragon, has torn a hole in reality!

Ting! Yggdrasil, Treant, the Earth Kaiju has created Migard!

Ting! The Fairies of have created Faewild!

Ting! The Titans have created Pantheon!

Ting! Champion of Magic, Tiamat, the Chaos Dragon has slain Forest keeper, Iris, the Elf!

It seems that most have decided to leave, sensing that they are no longer the kings of the realms. Where they went, I don't know; no star was born along with those messages. However, not all of the great monsters left peacefully. A torrent of messages of worlds being destroyed and champions that resisted them being slain flood my mind until they realized that it was futile to simply rampage.

Enough time must have passed that they probably thought Iris was just a fluke and no others will challenge their place as the strongest in all the realms. They were right; no one else was able to reach the same power as Iris and the great monsters until the end of the age, many hundreds of thousands of generations of realms later.

Ting! The Enlightened One, Runor, the Dwarf, has Reached the 9th Stage of Cultivation!

Ting! The Enlightened One, Runor, the Dwarf, has formed a mana core!

With Runor's deed of forming a mana core, a wave of change ripples outward from one of the stars, a slow change that envelops all of reality before sweeping past me far in the outer reaches of the void.

Ting! The Age of Cultivation has come to an end, and the Second Age of Mana has begun!

The Second Age of Mana is by far the longest one, lasting well past a million generations of realms; it is also by far the most peaceful one. The great monsters either hid away in sub realities of their own or probably fell asleep, endless destruction no longer able to motivate or entertain them. However, this age ended with the herald of new great monsters to challenge the old.

Ting! Terra, the Earth Elemental, has been Spawned!

Ting! Aqua, the Water Elemental, has been Spawned!

Ting! Pyro, the Fire Elemental, has been Spawned!

Ting! Zephyr, the Wind Elemental, has been Spawned!

Ting! Glacier, the Ice Elemental, has been Spawned!

Ting! Electra, the Lightning Elemental, has been Spawned!

Ting! Lux, the Light Elemental, has been Spawned!

Ting! Umbra, the Dark Elemental, has been Spawned!

Ting! The Second Age of Mana has come to an end, and the Age of the Elements has begun!

Almost like wandering natural disasters, messages of endless destruction followed the spawning of the elementals. Words froze solid, civilizations buried under mountains, shredded by wind, and the old great ones finally awoke to battle against the new threat.

Ting! Champion of Magic, Tiamat, the Chaos Dragon, has slain Glacier, the Ice Elemental!

Ting! Champion of Magic, Tiamat, the Chaos Dragon, has slain Aqua, the Water Elemental!

Ting! Pyro, the Fire Elemental, has slain Champion of Magic, Tiamat, the Chaos Dragon!

Ting! The Eternal Serpent, Leviathan, the Water Kaiju, has slain Terra, the Earth Elemental.

Ting! Lux, the Light Elemental, has slain Lifeflame, Phoenix, the Fire Kaiju!

Ting! Thea, the Olympic Titan, has slain Electra, the Lightning Elemental!

No further great monsters died after that, and their activity died down a lot, but I still get messages of the destruction or other actions they do. Time passes on, and even the Elementals settle down, slumbering until the ends of their realms before moving to a new and younger realm.

It seems as if this age lasts forever. The stars change color each generation, changing from blue to a rainbow of colors that I can only guess are influenced by the different elemental mana in them. No new magic like cultivation or a change like the mana has been achieved or discovered, and it seems like it never will again until a foreboding message appears.

Ting! The Orcs have discovered Misama and Aether!

Just like with the discovery of mana and mana cores, this brings a wave of change to the void that announces the end of the age.

Ting! The Age of Elements has come to an end, and the Age of Magic has begun!

Ting! Fate has formed!

Ting! Destiny has formed!

Ting! Luck has formed!

Ting! Prophecy has formed!

Ting! Life has formed!

Ting! Death has formed!

Ting! Creation has formed!

Ting! Destruction has formed!

Something is odd about these messages; unlike the great monsters, these aren't spawned? Are they even monsters, or are they concepts?

It doesn't take long for the answer to become clear with messages of powerful monsters and people being slain by them; even two of the great monsters died at the hands of these new... things.

Ting! Death has slain Lux, the Light Elemental!

Ting! Destruction has slain Stormwing, Gryphon, the Wind Kaiju!

Now that I think about it, all messages had acknowledged the race or species of monsters and people, but not for these new things, as if they aren't actually alive, just what are they?

I got no answers to my question, but new things appear; mentions of cursed beings and the destruction they wrought. Vampires, mummies, lycanthropes, wraiths, and many more.

I suspect these new 'things' are somehow related to magic, but I don't know how or why; all I can do is wait for the next message, the next piece of the puzzle. However, one thing I did not expect is the next stream of messages that sent a shiver down my soul.

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has devoured a realm!

In an instant, a star vanishes before a second is swallowed.

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has devoured a realm!

One by one, the stars disappear. Whatever those 'things' are, they are unbelievably powerful, even going so far as to destroy entire realms, and I can do nothing but watch.

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has devoured a realm!

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has devoured a realm!

Where once there was a thick cloud of stars, millions or even billions in number, now stands an ever-thinning cluster of realms, each chime of the messages signaling the doom of an entire universe.

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has slain Avatar of the Sun, Bahamut, the Celestial Dragon!

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has slain The Endless Serpent, Leviathan, The Water Kaiju!

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has slain Pyro, the Fire Elemental!

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has slain Zephyr, the Wind Elemental

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has slain Life!

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has slain Creation!

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has slain Destruction!

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has slain Seraphim, Hyperion, the Heavenly Titan!

Soon the number of stars in the void numbers less than a hundred, then less than ten, then finally, the last realm stands out like a tiny grain of sand in the sea of darkness, for it too vanishes with the last two chimes.

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has devoured a realm!

Ting! The Age of Magic has come to an end!

I wait for the Reality Eater to come for me; perhaps this was how it all had to end, with everything winking out quietly in the eternal night of the void. I wait and wait, forever. An eternity passes, then another, and another...

Without the generation of realms fading away and new ones appearing, it is impossible to tell the passage of time; I just wait for my turn to finally vanish. Yet that never came; I just stay here, floating in the void until I see a single bright light!

It shines like a tiny candle illuminating the void, and with its appearance, a welcome chime rings in my mind.

Ting! The Age of Rebirth has begun!

One by one, stars appear until shining jewels fill the void once again! Messages begin to flow in as new and old races accomplish great acts, Goblins, Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, Humans, and more. No great monsters spawn, no more of those weird 'things', nothing so powerful, so unreachable, that only one person in all the ages can match. Perhaps the Reality Eater was necessary to cleanse the realms.

Time marches on. Ages pass. The Third age of Mana, the Age of Souls, the Age of Vitality, each age lasting well into the millions of generations of realms. However, one thing that always worries me is the mentions of cursed beings that started during the Age of Magic, but the Second Age of Magic never came; instead, a dreaded message reappears.

Ting! The cursed being, Reality Eater, has devoured a realm!

One by one, like a countdown, the stars once again begin to vanish until the silence and darkness fill the void once again, leaving me with two questions: Is it the same Reality Eater or a new one? And, will this happen again?

There's nothing I can do but wait for either the Reality Eater to come for me or for realms to reappear. However, when a new star emerges, I can't feel any joy this time, for I know that the Reality Eater will end everything again, and I am helpless to do anything about it.

Time and time again, the cycle continues, an endless cycle of destruction and rebirth after many ages. Eventually, I stopped dreading the times when the Reality Eater reawakens. Just like the cycle of realms dying and forming, this too is just another cycle, and in a way, it became another way to measure the vastness of time here, in the void. I start calling them End of Ages since no ages begin for a long time after them. Still, it might be more appropriate to call them Great Calamities since it doesn't seem to be a natural process like the creation and death of the realms.

I learn that changes such as the ones before the first End of Ages are actually really rare, only done by extraordinary individuals such as the dwarf that made the mana core. It was just a fluke that so many happened before the first End of Ages. However, they include changes such as Essences, Anima, Arcana Core, Skills, Classes, and finally, Bond, which had brought the Age of Gods.

No great monsters have spawned since the First Age of Magic, and they are all gone; perhaps that's a good thing, but it makes me think: What would have happened if the Age of Magic never happened? There's something about Miasma and Aether that must prevent such powerful monsters from forming, but that is a question I'll probably never get an answer to.

It has been fifty-two million Ends of Ages, each an eternity long in darkness, forever drifting on the edge of the void, looking upon the shining jewels of the realms from afar. There's a type of beauty in all of this, in the cycle of destruction and creation, in the lives that chimes with ambition and vibrant life. Even at the end of everything, their legacy is sealed within me, their memory cataloged in my soul, an Archive of Eternity.

Other Legacies are out there, it took me a long time to figure out, but I guess sometimes souls are knocked out of the realms only to eventually drift into another realm and be reincarnated. When my soul was knocked out from my realm, there were relatively few realms, so it was easy for my soul to become lost, and it's possible my soul is, or was, not the only one. Did that change? And am I the only Archive of Eternity left, or are there others, kindred souls stuck on the edge of the void, spending the passing eternities in solitude?

I notice a large woman far off in the distance; she is dressed in a beautiful dress sitting on the edge of the void, admiring the shining gems far off in the distance. This is the first this has happened. Is she a kindred soul? Her long hair flutter in a non-existent wind, and as my soul slowly drifts closer. I can't help but silently wish she'll notice me, but I drift ever closer until I'm just an arm's length away from her!

"So... Beautiful!"

She finally notices me and wraps her hands around me to inspect me closer.

Ting! The Goddess of Beauty and Creativity, Myrou, the Spirit, has discovered a Primordial Legacy soul.

Ting! The Goddess of Beauty and Creativity, Myrou, the Spirit, has discovered the Archive of Eternity.

Chapter 171: Gods

Myrou wonders around the edge of the void. A curious thing; the void is infinite yet defined, a seeming contradiction yet it exists.

"You still haven't figured it out, Myrou?" Venaro is always teasing her about it, yet he is the only one to know it.

The void is a strange place; the realms are infinite in size yet finite in the void. The void itself is infinite in size, yet it has an infinite edge that stretches onwards to eternity. Time and space has... well, it exists in the void, yet it doesn't.

Regardless Myrou wonders into the infinite nothingness, finding a strange beauty here, the beauty of solace. The shining realms glimmer like little gemstones far in the distance.

Myrou sighs in contentment. Beauty has to be admired from many perspectives, and this is just one way to do that.

Myrou must have spent years just admiring the realms, sitting on the infinite edge of the void, contemplating. Perhaps it's purely conceptual? Is the void a mere representation of the concept of individual realms? Or perhaps it's just the fabric of existence itself, and since nothing exists, it too must have a place which is where she is sitting right now. Maybe it's both? Or maybe...

Something catches Myrous attention. A lost soul slowly drifting in the vastness of the void's edge. It's... so beautiful. A soul so pure and unmarred by the process of reincarnation – by the harshness of the soul sea – just how old is this soul?

Ting! The Goddess of Beauty and Creativity, Myrou, the Spirit has discovered a Primordial Legacy soul.

Ting! The Goddess of Beauty and Creativity, Myrou, the Spirit has discovered the Archive of Eternity.

Myrou sits there, stunned; in an instant, she gained both a Fabled and a Mythic point. She didn't even know the mythic point existed! Although, Venaro had said that there should be a tier above fabled.

Should she use the points now? Venaro will be very jealous. Never mind that this soul is the Archive of Eternity?! What does that even mean? There's only one way to find out, [Analyze]!

The Archive of Eternity:

(Mythic) (Primordial) (Legacy)

This soul has existed since the first realm, since before mana existed. It has witnessed the Great Calamitys and all of time since its creation, keeping a record within its memory.

Myrou grabs the soul as gently as she can; she does not dare hurt this beautiful soul. The others will no doubt want to examine this soul, Venaro especially. But worse, some may want to use this soul as a resource for powerful items. It's best that Myrou spends her points now and evolve; the only question is, should she evolve her Race or a Class?

Legendary makes one immortal if placed on the Race, so maybe Fabled and Mythic might have something special; if anything, she will find out if there is anything special or not. Then again, there is a risk of introducing unwelcome skills to her race that she has spent thousands of years developing to be as perfect as can be, but she supposes that's the cost of power; here comes another thousand years re-perfecting her race...

Myrou arrives at the place where all the other gods congregate and receive a lot of envious stares. She flashes them a charming smile. Venaro, however, simply looks intrigued, the prospect of knowledge too attractive to let petty things get to him.

"So that's the Archive of Eternity?" He says, floating closer to get a better look. "I see... its memories are as vast as this void..." He mutters.

Unfortunately, there are no known ways to read dormant or sealed memories, not without destructive means, anyway.

"We can use it to make very powerful items, and it can regenerate if cut in half," The God of the Forge and Craftmanship, Urolon says. "It can help us all get to Fabled tier if we have powerful items; I can probably get to Mythic tier myself."

Some sounds of approval echo throughout the void.

"No!" Myrou shouts, holding the beautiful soul close to herself. "We can't just start tearing it apart!"

"I agree; there's too much that we can learn from it," Venaro sides with Myrou. "Especially the Great Calamity, which has been referenced several times before, plus you are too greedy Urolon, you know magic rebels, it is an embodiment of chaos after all."

"I'll have to agree with Myrou and Venaro," The God of Law and Justice, Fathlyr says. "A soul is still the identity of a person, and to mar that is not right!"

"It will regenerate, Fathlyr. Even if the soul is entirely destroyed, it will come back; it's primordial" Another Goddess chimes in and as if a dam broke arguments rise all around them. Shouting and insults are thrown around, and they almost come to fighting several times. Myrou suspects they are all holding back now that she is Mythic tier and at least four times as strong as she was before.

"SILENCE!" Finally, having enough, the God of War and Battle, Varath, shouts. "We can all argue later, but we all should agree that the Archive of Eternity contains information that we can't get anywhere else; we can't waste this opportunity we have to record what it knows. We don't know if its memories will regenerate or not, so it's not worth risking."

To Myrou's surprise, Varath is joining her side; she thought for sure he'd be all in on getting powerful items. However, now she thinks about it, information is a large part of war, and this opportunity is probably causing large conflicts within himself

"What concerns me most," Varath continues, "Is that this soul has witnessed the Great Calamity, something we know next to nothing about. We need to know what happened, so it's best that we find out and not risk anything!"

"We need to take our time to properly study this soul," Venaro adds. "I can understand the desire to become stronger, but even you, Urolon, should know that properly studying the soul before working to make items should take prescience."

Reluctantly, Urolon agrees.

"We should also let its memories resurface," Venaro says. "The value in them is immeasurable, and who knows how we can apply that knowledge."

"We'll let Myrou keep the Archive for safety," Varath says, "We'll reincarnate it for the memories to become recoverable; after that, then, we can discuss this further."

The meeting disperses, and once everyone has returned to their corners of the void, Myrou looks down at the beautiful soul.

"I won't let them hurt you, don't worry. I'll make a nice place for you where the other gods can't reach you."

Awareness returns to me. I am laying on the ground in front of Yrania. I owe her a huge debt, even now, she is working to lessen the impact of my memories, but I don't think she is aware of just how important these memories were.

It isn't just knowledge of the Reality Eater but the fact I can't trust the gods. Well, Myrou seems nice enough, and maybe Venaro can be convinced to be an ally, but most of the other gods we chomping at the bit to use me as a resource.

There is a lot I need to think about, from everything in my time in the void to what it means being the Archive of Eternity to the situation with the gods.

I need allies, powerful allies that can resist the gods. I have five years before the other gods will start looking for me, and in that time, I need to be able to resist them. Can I trust Safyr with this knowledge? Probably. She is not a crafter herself, has shown no interest in making use of me and has had ample time and opportunity if she wanted.

Can I trust Yrania? Probably, she has been nothing but helpful, and I doubt she'd go against Safyrs wishes.

So, about the Reality Eater. In the void, I came to just accept it, and in a way, I know the cycle will continue, so it's not like it's the end of everything. However, I can't help but feel terrified now. Unless I find a way to hide from it, everything and everyone I know will be devoured. There is still a long time before the Reality Eater re-awakens, so I have the time, and there is precedent; I have never gotten the death messages for ten of the great beings and one of the great elementals. It's possible they are still alive. Finding them may reveal a way to hide from the Reality Eater; if anything, they may allow me and my family to hide with them.

First, talk with Safyr, and get her opinion on things. Then ask my fairy queen friend, Sylanna, if she knows about the Faewild.

"Did you learn what was important?" Yrania asks, still working on lessening the effect my memories have on me.

"Yes," I nod. "Several things, in fact, but I'll need to consult Safyr about them."

Yrania nods her head in acknowledgment before leading the way back to the Guardian.

"You seem to be enjoying my presence a lot recently," Safyr says with annoyed sarcasm.

"I'm Sorry, Guardian, but this time I think you'll want to know. With Yrania's help, I've recovered my memories, but it's about the time I spent in the void that I most important and concerning."

"I suppose it has something to do with the Great Calamity?" Safyr asks with feigned indifference in her tone.

"It's a cursed being capable of devouring entire realms" That got Safyr's full attention.

She waits for me to tell the full story, so I begin at the start, explaining the ages, the great monsters, and the conceptual things created during the Age of Magic.

"Fafnir..." Safyr says as if she knew the name. "A myth passed from Dragon to Dragon, a being made of the starry sky above, so vast he can eclipse the world itself. I had not thought him real; merely a story told to hatchlings to instill the drive to become strong, as strong has Fafnir himself. To think there were four others who were at least equivalent to the Fable tier, possible even Mythical..." Safyr paused to get her thoughts in order.

"I don't think he left for good, rather, he must come back every so often; otherwise, we'd have no myths about him like the others. Then there's the others, Treant, the Titans, and the fairies. If Fafnir survived, then it's possible they have too, but their seclusion may make it hard to find them. If anyone can find them, it would be Fafnir, the one capable of traveling to their realities."

"Grandmother, doesn't it sound like the beings made during the Age of Magic are magic beings?"

"Yes," Safyr nods.

"Like cursed beings?" I ask. I did get a breakthrough for seeing a magic being when looking at the cursed being, but it implied that not all magic beings are cursed beings. "What's the difference?"

"I'm not sure," Safyrs says, "All I know is that magic beings are like cursed beings but without the destructive nature most of the time. They are far rarer but are capable of thought and communication. Most of the ones known are usually named after the place they are born in, such as Mist Lands, the name for both the place and the magic being."

"You have yet to mention anything about the Reality Eater; I thought for sure you'd have something to say about it," Yrania says.

"There's no point," Safyr replies. "I can't do anything about it. I can't kill it, nor do I know how to hide from it, so I will focus my attention on other matters. As for the great spirits, I believe you can trust Myrou and Fathlyr. Spirits have a nature that they strictly adhere to; going against that is nearly unthinkable to them."

Surprisingly Safyr doesn't have much to say, but she seems a little put off by the prospect that there may be an enemy she can't defeat. With little to gain, I should visit my fairy friend and see if I can get leads on the faewild.

Chapter 172: Mental Training

"Do you know where to find fairies or titans?" I ask Safyr. "It's probably a long shot, but it's the only lead we have for finding the other great monsters."

It's a long-term goal to find one of the three places the great monsters are hiding, but if I can ally with them, I might be able to protect myself from the gods, so my goals overlap.

I still need to cure my cursed skills, but I think I have it mostly figured out; all I need is a legendary point. I also have some training to do with Yrania before I gain my second class.

"I've heard of Titans but never seen one myself; I assume they don't spawn in this realm. The same can be said of Kaiju and fairies."

"They don't spawn in this realm? But there's a fairy in the dungeon" Obviously, the answer is that dungeons are like their own mini realm.

"Dungeons are the one exception." Safyr answers. "They can spawn any monster provided they have the mana to fuel their magic; however, they normally don't, or they spawn lesser versions, like lindwurms and wyverns for draconids."

So Sylanna is a lesser fairy? By the sound of it, Dragons, Titans, Kaiju, and Fairies are all normally spawned at legendary tier; are they perhaps incompatible with each other? A realm can only spawn one type of them?

"It is getting dark; you should return home. Otherwise, you'll worry your parents," Safyr says, dismissing me.

I bow and fly home, sending a clone into the dungeon to speak with Sylanna.

"Have you come to play?" Sylanna asks as the other Faries swarm around her, playfully chasing each other around.

"Of course," I smile.

"You are always busy with something" She looks at me skeptically. "You should take time to enjoy life!" Sylanna flutters around me, her large wings fanning cold air in my face.

"Unfortunately, there are some out there who may not let me be," I say with a grimace.

"Then just hide from them!" Sylanna says as if that's the most obvious thing in the world.

"I would, but I don't think there is a place where I can hide. Unless you know a place?" I ask, leading the conversation to see if she'll volunteer any information about the Faewild. I don't think she knows, but it's worth asking anyway.

"Here is a good place, I've lived here all my life, and most things leave us alone."

Well, that's a bust, but just to make sure, I should ask directly.

"Do you know anything about the Faewild?"

"Faewild? What's that?" Sylanna asks curiously.

"Apparently, it's a place made by some incredibly powerful Fairies," I answer.

"Hmmm? How strong are they? Are they stronger than me?"

"I've never met them, but I assume they are much stronger. I want to find the Faewild, but the only lead I have is that it was made by fairies."

"So you want to find some secrets, it sounds fun! Let me know if you find this Faewild!"

With the lead of the dungeon fairies going nowhere, I play with Sylanna for a few hours before sending that clone off to some other task.

The next morning I return to Yrania for more mental resistance training.

"While Allures, entrances, and mind dominations are the most common forms of mental attacks, there are other forms of mental attacks such as invasive mind reading and forceful memory intrusion. These, like all mind spells, can be good depending on how you use them. Mostly they are used to interrogate others; however, they can be resisted. You can use your second mind as a decoy and think your real thoughts with your other mind, or you can try to resist normally with your [Mental Fortitude]."

I nod and brace myself for the practical lessons.

"I'll start softly and gradually up the force of my attacks," Yrania warns me before pressuring my mind with hers.

It felt as if something is trying to drill into my mind. I resist, trying to harden my mind, which slows Yrania's attack.

"Try deflecting my attack than simply putting up a wall," Yrania coaches me. "A wall only delays an attacker; you want to stop their attack entirely."

I try pulling my mind back to make Yrania's attack slip past me, which did almost nothing.

"Keep trying; it takes practice."

I try over and over and over again for a few hours before I finally got the skill.

Ting! Mental Fortitude has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 120!

12th Breakthrough: You've resisted attempts to read your mind; this will help you resist interrogations.

Ting! Mental Fortitude has obtained levels 120-122!

"Now, instead of deflecting, try defending with one mind and attacking with your other. This is where having multiple minds is key in battles of the mind and where mind mages are strongest since it allows you to both attacks and defends. Against other mind mages, the one with more minds is at an advantage since they can attack all the minds of their opponent while still defending themselves"

Yrania pressures my mind again; however, instead of the usual pressure, she attacks with much more strength. Reflexively I wall up instead of deflecting her attack.

"Don't do that! You need to train yourself to defend properly!" Yrania chastises me.

I nod and attack Yrania's mind with my others, trying to drill into hers only for my attack to effortlessly glide past her mind even as her mind is attacking one of mine.

And to think she probably has dozens more minds. It quickly becomes apparent just how outmatched I am against a proper, mind mage master.

We spend the next few hours training, earning me several more levels in [Mental Fortitude].

"You probably already know this, but it's worth stating anyway, skill levels do necessarily mean you are good at something. Many forget that and are surprised when someone of a lower skill level but more practiced is better than them."

"The magic of a skill is not indicative of skill mastery" I nod in agreement.

It would be easy for Yrania to level my skills up but learning how to fight a mind battle is an entirely different thing. Normally those with high skill level have had the practice to be good at something, but Yrania is Powerleveling me, which means I do not have the practice to become good; that is why we are spending all day doing just that, practice.

I return home late, arriving just in time for the Lojyo, and for the next week, I continue practicing with Yrania, who seems to enjoy my presence; she even initiates small talk. She's not like Safyr, who does her best to limit socialization; she instead likes engaging with others.

"The islands in the sky are home to a race of winged feathery people," Yrania says, telling me about the time she spent on an archipelago of sky islands, which is apparently a magic zone.

"There are two primary cultures found there; the first are nocturnal and worship the moons. They hate the sun, which they call the 'Great Flame', believing it to be unnatural and that it will burn off their wings and they'll be those on the 'lands below'. They hunt everything related to fire and usually kill those with fire bonds, believing them to be tainted. The other worships the sun and fire, serving as a polar opposite."

It seemed obvious to me that everyone who is religious would worship the gods, the great spirits who are literally titled by the system as a god, but it seems this world is a lot more diverse than I thought.

"Is that uncommon?" I ask. "How many people worship things or beings that aren't titled, gods?"

"Hmm." Yrania thinks about it for several seconds. "I'd say only about half the cultures out there do. It is surprisingly common for local legendary beings to become a god-like figures, like the Gareen, Lavaerd, and his Sorroth believers. Plus, the Great Spirits rarely do anything for their believers, which often results in their faith dying when a more active being is present. To be honest, I am surprised you Runalymo don't worship my grandmother."

"Do you honestly think Safyr would tolerate worship?" I ask rhetorically.

"...That's fair," Yrania says after a brief pause.

"Dragons seem... honorable?" I say, not sure how to word it. "Safyr has mentioned before about paying favors or debts; she even tolerates us for something Kayafe did. Why is that?"

"It's more about pride," Yrania answers. "We hate arrogance and hubris, especially when such arrogance can't be backed up by strength. It is not uncommon for dragons to destroy entire kingdoms because they think the kingdom is too full of themselves; however, I don't believe this to be a nature of dragons, but rather a trait common to spawned monsters. They believe that power should speak for itself and acting like you are strong when you are not annoys spawned monsters."

Yrania continues speaking passionately, going into detail now that her subject of study is brought up.

"I believe Dragons answer each other's call not because of honor, although that is the justification, but rather a primal instinct that facilitates reproduction. Most species' instincts and cultures are strongly defined by their mating rituals and sexual roles. This does lead to a strong sense of honor among dragons, but that feeling of honor is designed for dragons to meet one another, this leads to other behaviors not related to reproduction, but that is just a side effect."

"Why do you think spawned monsters hate arrogance and hubris?" I ask, ignoring Yrania's tangent about dragon reproductive instinct.

"I believe it's a drive to get stronger," Yrania answers, happy someone else is showing interest in her field of study. "Spawned are born with power, but relative to others of their level, they are weak, so they must get as stronger as fast as they can to survive; this nature they are spawned with serves a good purpose, even if it does lead to most monsters dying young."

I continue to talk with Yrania we train my mental fighting skills. Unfortunately, I have to use all my minds for this practice since it slows down my work with everything else. I have to set up my airship industry, buy a house for myself, study mana, complete the Lunaley leviathan armor orders, study inscriptions, train my other skills, and so much more. I need to be everywhere at once; I need my second Class soon.

The pieces of the puzzle are coming together, the involvement of Myrou a thousand years ago, the identity of the Archive of Eternity, Fafnir being real, and the existence of the Faewild. The rumors Safyr once thought were exaggerations, or misunderstood phenomenon turns out to be true.

Safyr raises her up to the red moon. The clouds of ash are particularly thick tonight, blanketing it in black. The black moon makes sense now, the coming of it every one thousand years, the fact it brings darkness to the whole world. It is related to Umbra in some way, the only surviving Great Elemental, according to Alysara. What tier is it? Fabled? Mythical? It will be arriving again in a few years, a chance for her to see what it truly is.

Safyr thought herself to be at the pinnacle of power, being one of the strongest dragons, but now she understands that she is only among the weakest of the strongest.

The flame of desire stirs in her chest, growing stronger and hotter. It has been so long since she had gained any real strength since she has seemingly hit a wall concerning her ability to level and grow her Bond. She is missing something; she is perfectly bonded to her Bond, yet there is more, somehow.

The Bond is divinity; it is order, her suspicions are confirmed thanks to Alysara. If she can learn more about it, maybe she might be able to break past the wall and grow her Bond to heights previously unknown, but she can't do it on her own; she needs Alysara to teach her the few pieces of the puzzle still missing.

"It seems like the Great Spirits will need to learn why I was called the 'Saphire Tyrant,'" Safyr mutters.

They will not get their greedy hands on Alysara so long as she calls the east Nexus home; she is under the protection of the Guardian of the East Nexus.

Chapter 173: Scholar of Many Minds

It's been a month since Yrania arrived, and at first, no one noticed her presence. For the first few days, she stayed on Temple Island, but rumors started to spread, and soon people became interested in the new dragon. It didn't take long for people to put two and two together and realize that my spending so much time on Temple Island is because of Yrania, so now I am being bombarded by questions, forcing me to use an invisibility spell to get away from people.

Over the last week, I feel like I finally got a grasp on battling against mind mages, and Yrania finally helped me get my thirteenth breakthrough for [Mental Fortitude], which is about defending my memories from attacks, but yesterday Yrania crushed the notion of me being any good of mental conflicts by stepping up the difficulty and using two minds against my five.

"A dedicated mind mage will probably have more minds than you," Yrania lectures me. "You aren't the only one with items that increase the number of minds you have, so you must assume a mind mage will have at least two extra minds given to them by their items in addition to the ones given by their skill."

In other words, I am nothing special, and I should assume to be out-classed and out-numbered; hopefully, the playing field will be leveled with my second class.

"But you have improved immensely, and you will catch most mind mages off guard. Your goals for your second Class should be met now, and further training may interfere with that."

I can't wait! I've been falling behind on so many things; the faster I have a Class centered for my clones and minds, the sooner I can catch up on my ever-increasing workload.

First, however, this is an opportunity to see and study the apotheosis seed and see how it grows into a Class.

"You certainly don't waste time," Yrania comments with amusement.

"I've been waiting for this opportunity, and I have a lot to do and not enough minds to do them with."

"Curious," Yrania mutter and looks at me with academic interest. "Why force yourself to do so much work? Most, if not all, won't blame you for prioritizing your time and work; you are only one person."

"Most of what I do is for myself," I reply, mentally grabbing hold of the apotheosis seed.

I focus on applying the seed to my [Duplicate Self] Bond skill and watch with amazement as the seed begins to grow lines and curves, quickly turning into a Class magic framework. However, the transformation is not quite done, there is still something missing, but I'm not sure what.

Ting! You have unlocked a second Class; choose your Class's Path!

Doll General

(Adept)

You have controlled your duplicates in battle; you are their lord, their general. Your Duplicates are smarter and more reliable; you have better control over your duplicates and can empower them so long as you are linked to them. With your army of Duplicates, you can take down foes stronger than you, deadlier than you, and tougher than you. March forth and manifest your destiny as the hand of the Nexus.

Sounds like this is focused entirely on my clones, likely with skills that support [Duplicate Self], such as making them stronger and improving their base AI. It also sounds to be mostly focused on fighting, which hasn't been a major focus of my efforts. I'd rather have a Class that will help me in my everyday life.

Self Serving Princess

(Adept)

You need no handmaidens, for you are your own. Pamper yourself with the servitude of your duplicates, increase their utility and working speed, and be treated like royalty.

This is a little too domestic. I'd like some combat capabilities; also, what's with the 'princess' thing? It has to be metaphorical.

Ambassador of Many Places

(Major)

You have been in many places at the same time and bargained with a kingdom across an ocean despite never leaving home. You assume roles for every situation and achieve things outside your normal capabilities. You will be able to operate your duplicates from afar with ease and go to places far away.

This one is promising and seems to make use of [Acting], but I see no mention of increased minds, which is my primary goal, but this sounds like it will reduce the distance cost for my clones which means I will be able to operate them much farther. I won't say no to this, but if I can't get what I want, then I will consider it.

Army of Self

(Major)

You have done many things simultaneously, and you have been in many places simultaneously; the reach of your Mind and Duplicates are as far and wide as your ability to see. You do many different things from study, to training, to fighting and more. You utilize your duplicates for domestic tasks not worthy of your valuable minds. You will increase your minds, your duplicates, and your ability to accomplish all your goals.

This is exactly what I want; it's not too hyperfocused, improved my [Twin Minds] and clones, and generally seems to be an improvement to the capabilities of my clones, even if it's not by much. This is the jack-of-all-trades class I want, but there is one more Class available to me

Scholar of Many Minds

(Grand)

You love to learn and study the mysteries of the world, but you only have so much time. You have found kindred in others who research the world, you have consulted and have been trained by ancient and powerful beings, and you have been to places far from home yet never left the safety of it. You have trained your mind all for the sake of being to learn more; you will be able to be in all the places you wish to be and have the mental fortification to do so. Go out and explore, research, and learn.

This Class seems to be much more focused on the Mind and less about the clones plus its Grand tier. However, it's a bit more focused than the catch-all that is Army of Self; however, it focuses more on study and research, something that may help me in my future goals.

This is tough. Do I take Army of Self or Scholar of Many Minds? Army will improve my clone more while Scholar improves my minds more. Ultimately I am taking this Class for my minds and my clones with the end goal of [Unlimited Minds] being in this Class. Taking into account my end goal, the choice is easily apparent.

I watch as the apotheosis seed finalizes its formation with my choice. Four general skills hop over from my general skills to my new Class; however, two of them occupy the same skill slot, blending together into a new skill!

Ting! Pain Tolerance and Mental Fortitude have merged and became Iron Will!

That wasn't all; another skill's magic framework shifts as the magic in it intensifies. I can't help but smile as eight new minds appear alongside my current ones.

Ting! Twin Minds has upgraded to Many Minds!

Ting! New active skill is available, Duplicate Swap! Would you like to accept this skill?

Duplicate Swap: You and a duplicate swap place. Costs more mana the farther away the duplicate is.

Wait, isn't this a long-range teleportation skill?! I will have to test it and see how far I can teleport with it, but I can definitely see some uses for it.

Ting! You have gained the Duplicate Swap Class skill!

Ting! New active skill is available, Mind Boost! Would you like to accept this skill?

Mind Boost: Temporarily boosts the capabilities and strength of your minds

Not exactly sure what exactly this does, but it probably helps me in mental conflicts, it might also have some utility uses, but it will require extensive testing.

Ting! You have gained the Mind Boost Class skill!

Ting! New active skill is available, Mind Gain! Would you like to accept this skill?

Mind Gain: Temporarily gain more minds.

I don't even need to think about this one; even if it's for a short amount of time, more minds are always welcome.

Ting! You have gained the Mind Gain Class skill!

Ting! New active skill is available, Alter Duplicate! Would you like to accept this skill?

Alter Duplicate: Make small changes to the appearance of your duplicates upon creation.

Not sure if this will see a lot of use, but I'll take it anyway, just in case it does turn out to be useful.

Ting! You have gained the Alter Duplicate Class skill!

Ting! New passive skill is available, Identical Duplicates! Would you like to accept this skill?

Identical Duplicates: Makes your duplicates have your exact same Mana signature, making it hard to tell you apart from your duplicates

Not impossible, but hard; I think it scales with its level. Anyway, this has been a major weakness of my clones for a long time, and to finally cover that is very welcome. I open up my new Class and general skills in my mind to see exactly what changed.

Class- Scholar of Many Minds (Grand), Level: 0/393

Active skill 1: Duplicate Swap 0/10

Active skill 2: Mind Boost 0/10

Active skill 3: Mind Gain 0/10

Active skill 4: Alter Duplicate 0/10

Active skill 5:

Passive skill 1: Iron Will 183/210

Passive skill 2: Clear Mind 120/120

Passive skill 3: Many Minds 90/90

Passive skill 4: Identical Duplicates 0/10

Passive skill 5:

General skill 1: Tailoring. 110/110

General skill 2:

General skill 3: Persistent state 80/80

General skill 4:

General skill 5: Acting 99/100

General skill 6: Musician 130/130

General skill 7: Graceful Movements 120/120

General skill 8:

General skill 9:

General skill 10: Sense Soul 125/130

With four new skill slots open and my class skills, I have a lot of training to do now. The only problem is that for my Class, I may want to hold back; it will have an opportunity to evolve at level four hundred, but its level cap is already three hundred ninety. I had not expected [Pain Tolerance to move over as well, and I should aim to get my Bond to level two or three thousand before evolving to Heroic, especially since my Heirloom tier is making everything require greater achievements.

Iron Will: You've built up an iron will against a powerful foe; this will increase your mental fortitude against attacks.

1st Breakthrough: You've resisted the multiple minds of a mind mage; this will help you fight off groups of mental attacks.

2nd Breakthrough: You've resisted being entranced; this will help you resist such influence for longer.

3rd Breakthrough: You've resisted mental domination; this will help you remain yourself for longer.

4th Breakthrough: You've somehow shed off a second mind to take the mental attack instead of you; this will help it fight off attacks for longer.

5th Breakthrough: You've resisted allures or seduction; this will help you resist such attempts.

6th Breakthrough: You've resisted mind destruction; this will help you resist total mind destruction again.

7th Breakthrough: You've fought against overwhelming power; this will help you resist attacks from beings beyond your imagination

8th Breakthrough: You felt incredible pain; this will help you ignore your suffering.

9th Breakthrough: You've entered a state of focus; this will increase all your breakthrough's effectiveness.

10th Breakthrough: You've begun to recover from mental trauma; this will help you recover faster.

11th Breakthrough: You've resisted overwhelming fear; this will help you conquer that which terrifies you.

12th Breakthrough: You've resisted attempts to read your mind; this will help you resist interrogations.

13th Breakthrough: You've resisted attempts to read your memory; this will help you keep your past private.

14th Breakthrough: You felt true pain; this will help let you tolerate true pain

15th Breakthrough: You suffered magical pain; this will help let you tolerate pain from magical sources.

16th Breakthrough: You've suffered pain from third-degree burns; this will help you tolerate such pain again.

17th Breakthrough: You've suffered pain from breaking your bones; this will help you tolerate such pain.

18th Breakthrough: You've had your soul damaged; this will help you tolerate pain of the soul.

19th Breakthrough: You've felt overwhelming amounts of pain; this will help you tolerate such extreme amounts of suffering.

20th Breakthrough: You've managed to ignore pain; this will help you ignore your suffering.

If this skill now covers pain as well, I wonder what else its scope of potential now covers, too; I also have my first class near an evolution as well. So much to do, so little time!

Chapter 174: Pondering Skills

I spend the rest of the day testing out my new abilities and making more mind components in my soul to make efficient use of my minds without bottlenecking my mind component processing power. First, I test [Duplicate Swap] seeing if it will allow me to teleport into the dungeon; however, even with my device that allows me to see and control clones through the entrance, I still cannot teleport into it.

Next, I test the mana efficiency, teleporting all around the Nexus with the help of my now thirteen Minds and clones. It takes several tries and calculations, but I see that the mana cost is linear, with one meter costing one point of mana. This means that if I have roughly nine million mana, I can teleport to Lunaley Island.

Considering all of that mana will be used at once, or quick enough to not tell the difference, it means that I can't just use batteries to subsidize the cost of the mana, but maybe I can make an inscription to do something similar? I haven't touched portal technology in a while, not since the start of the flagship construction, but this may be something to study further.

Next, I test [Mind Boost]. I quickly find out it boosts my clarity of thought, focus, speed of thought, and processing speed, allowing for bullet time. This has good breakthrough potential. If it can give me epiphanies, inspiration, and more, it can come in clutch for a lot of things. I rate its potential use as good as [Inquisitive Perfection], which is already a great skill. The only downside is the temporary nature of this skill which starts at thirty seconds and gains ten seconds per level.

[Mind Gain] is just as good as I think it is. It gives me one extra mind for one minute per level, and my guess is that every ten levels, it will give me more. It's not so useful to be used constantly, especially with its high mana cost, but its purpose seems to be in high-stress situations like combat. Overall a decent skill but not possible to keep it active yet.

[Alter Duplicate] only makes minor, surface-level chances to my clones. Color, clothes, hair length, but it won't change things that are unique to me, like my extra long tails. Basically, the clone still has to be 'me' even if it has a makeover. It's a... 'meh' skill; it's possible it can become really good with breakthroughs, but ultimately I don't use my clones to pretend to be other people and likely won't plus I can't level all my skills without increasing my level cap too high, so this skill is perfect to neglect for now, although it does have potential to merge with [Acting] which is something to think about.

This brings me to my only new passive skill, [Identical Duplicate]. This skill is possibly one of the best defensive skills I have. Right now, it only makes my clones match my mana signature, but with more breakthroughs, it can possibly make them match my Vitality, mana reserves, and maybe even make them look like they have my soul! It is only an Illusion skill, so they won't actually have a soul, but if it can fool others, then it does its job!

Of course, I can't level my other Class skills too much; otherwise, I'll miss an evolution opportunity, and considering my Heirloom tier, I'll need more and greater achievements to get good evolutions which takes time and opportunity. Plus, I need to level up my Bond more to get good evolutions, so, unfortunately, I can't do much with this Class yet, but considering the current boosts I already got, the most important one being my [Many Minds] upgrade, this is good enough for now.

With my Class skills explored, I now have the task of figuring out what to fill my four new General skill slots with. First to consider is retaliation protection. Having a skill dedicated to hiding from trackers like stealth ring should be one of my priorities, but I'm not sure how to get a skill like that.

The next skill I will absolutely get is [Multitask]. I've been wanting this skill for a long time, and it can help with just about everything I do. It will allow me to do with one mind what I may take with two or three previously; this should allow me to make more efficient use of my minds.

Casting skills will be another boon for me, but it mostly has use in combat which isn't a focus for me, and it's not a life or death skill for me with my build, so unless I have room for them, I won't get them.

Thought Acceleration and other Mind enhancing skills. I already got a class version, although it's an active, a temporary one, not a permanent passive skill, so maybe I can double up? On the plus side, it will have a greater chance to merge with the active skill.

Sense Space is one that I am interested in, and since I already have projects that can make use of space study, I might as well take it.

Lastly are gaze skills. I only got offered one, [Fear Gaze], which may help getting out of dangerous situations but what I am most interested in is the potential of weaponizing my best skill, my perception. Imagine me being able to turn enemies to stone over ten thousand kilometers away; it's a whole realm of fighting that may allow me to not even be there with my clones. The only issue is the lack of killing power for now but getting my third Class centered around this possibility is an idea I will definitely entertain.

[Multitask], [Fear Gaze], and [Sense Space] for sure; this means I have one slot left. Casting skills are going to be cut out from the selection for now, and mind-enhancing skills will also be cut since my Class is filling that role; for now, this means retaliation protection is left for my last slot.

Hopefully, [Multitask] will be merged into [Many Minds] or at least move over to the Class, maybe even just be gained as its fifth passive skill; if that happens, then maybe I'll have room for mind enhancement skills.

I have already been offered [Fear Gaze] and [Sense Space], and the offer doesn't go away unless I say 'no' to it, so I'll take those now.

Ting! You have gained the Fear Gaze general skill!

Ting! You have gained the Sense Space general skill!

Instantly a new perception comes into view in a small radius around me. I can see the slight warping of space from the world's gravity. I'll need to dedicate a month or two to getting breakthroughs for this skill and visit that space-shifting rodent in the dungeon again. There are a few shared breakthroughs that I can try to get too, like perceptive pressure and perceptive vectors.

I'll have to test Fear Gaze against dungeon monsters, but for now, I will try to get [Multitask]. In order to get the skill, I have to try my best to really do multiple things with one mind, like rubbing my belly and patting my head, or maybe I can ask Chyzu how she got it.

I opt to at least try to get the skill myself by doing some silly but difficult task designed to challenge my ability to multitask, and after an hour of doing the silly motions, I finally got the skill.

Ting! New passive skill available, Multitask! Would you like to accept this skill?

Multitask: Perfectly split your focus to accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously!

Ting! You have gained the Multitask Class skill!

It's kind of a shame that it's a Class skill since I won't be able to level it up too much, but at least it didn't take up a general skill slot.

Now for the hard one, hiding from perception trackers like Ruluna. I'm not sure how exactly to do this, and I'll need to practice with Ruluna. This means that if I want to hide the location of the Nexus from her, then I need to go to the Lunaleyan Island. Unless there's another way? In any case, I don't think I can get it right now.

Mind enhancement is another difficult one to get; I'm not sure where to start with it. I can't use a spell, Bond, or another skill; I have to find some way to enhance my mental capabilities by using mundane things. It's possible that the brain may operate faster when in a dangerous situation, but if that's the case, then shouldn't many fighters have the skill? Maybe I should ask Esofy.

I send a clone into the dungeon to ask Esofy for advice. The first thing I see is that the forest has a large clearing made around the growing village. An airport is currently half made with dozens of people working on building the warehouses near it. The airship dock, or rather an airport, is a large open field where airships can land and warehouses nearby to store goods that will be transported from the monster dens.

The first airship is still being built, but its hull is completed, and the sails are being attached right now. Unlike airships for the Nexus, which has plenty of water to land on, the dungeon doesn't have much water, so the airships are built like a boat with helicopter legs for amphibious landing capabilities.

I walk through the bustling village and several lumber yards. Monster slayers party at taverns, drinking wine while others clean gore off them and their equipment at one of the many bathhouses. The combat academy or, rather, the monster-slayer brach of the academy has moved to this village.

I go to the academy where Esofy is teaching students and wait for her lesson to be over before asking if she has any mental boosting skills.

"Yes, they are quite common." Esofy answers. "Skills that enhance reaction time are the most common, but skills that increase your focus are more of a mage thing. A skill that covers all mental capabilities, however, is rare. You usually only get a skill that enhances only one asset, and even then, it's not something that is always active. Your best option is to focus on improving what you already have and try to make it a permanent passive skill."

I guess she's right, plus what I really want from a mind-enhancing skill might be considered a class skill anyway and may not be eligible as a general skill.

"That makes sense," I say, a little dejected. "How's Tana doing?"

"She's doing… well enough," Esofy says hesitantly but stops putting up a front under my scrutinizing expression. "She's been depressed and feels like no one accepts her. You don't need to worry, though; I'll make sure she will get over this tough part of her life."

"I still feel guilty over rejecting Tana the way I did," I admit.

"Don't. You did what you thought was best, and you were right; Tana needs to find a healthier alternative, something for herself and not someone else. You are busy enough as it is; let me handle Tana."

I nod and turn to leave, but Esofy stops me.

"Before you leave, Chyzu and I are getting married in a couple of weeks. We'd like to invite you to our joining."

Esofy and Chyzu are getting married? They've been close for several years now, but I guess I thought this was going to happen. In hindsight, I should have expected it. What kind of gift should I get them for their joining?

As I ponder that, Tusile enter's my family shop and asks for me.

"Alysara, I've come to let you know that there is enough liquid dark mana produced by the Mana to finish the Flagship."

Finally, after years since I first started working on it, it will finally be done.

Chapter 175: A study of Space

The Runalymo Flagship, still unnamed, is the largest and most ambitious airship being made. The hull was finished during the first stage of my work; the interior was finished during stage two, and now is stage three, the internal workings of the airship to power all of its enchantments. Stage three will consist of making the mana wiring all throughout the airship, making lighting fixtures, and most importantly, enchanting the entire airship to be large on the inside than the outside.

The Flagship is made entirely out of mana, which means I can't use inscriptions on it, although the only one I do know is the mana gathering one which technically does not eat mana. How exactly solid mana will react to the mana gathering inscription, I don't know, but I probably should investigate that; I imagine it will slowly erode the solid mana.

I quickly make a sample to test my hypothesis, and it becomes very evident that, yes, the mana gathering inscription will erode solid mana. However, even if that is a dead end, I should still test this on super solid mana just to make sure I cover all my bases. I don't expect any different outcome, but it doesn't hurt to make sure there is no way to have this inscription on anything made of mana.

I make a new sample of super-solid mana and carefully observe as the mana seems to resist the pull of the inscription! Being thorough pays off… almost. The longer I observe this sample; the more I see the ever so slightly erosion of the mana. It's slow, it'll probably take weeks or maybe even months to erode the sample, but it will if given the time; if only the inscription was weak enough that it couldn't… If the problem is that this inscription is too strong, then perhaps a less effective inscription will be weak enough that it doesn't erode super-solid mana? I'm going to have to investigate this.

I set a clone to make samples. I have thousands of mana adhering inscription designs to pick from. I just need to pick the most effective one, and while I am at it, I may as well find one that works for normal solid mana too.

With that being worked on, it looks like the Flagship will need to be upgraded with super-solid hull; this is something that will probably take a month. While I am at it, I need to enchant the hull as well, so the upgrade time will take around a month and a half.

There's one more thing I should do before dabbling in space-altering enchantments, and that is studying space. I have a lot to learn, experiment and study, so I better get on that.

First, I need to power level my [Sense Space]. I start making samples of various space enchantments and studying the effects of spatial spells; however, it becomes troubling when I still can't see any pocket spaces even with [Sense Space].

What is really going on? I ponder to myself, hand on chin and flicking my tails in thought.

Spatial pockets are formed by expanding a bubble of space and closing it off. It still has to be attached to this space in order to retrieve items from it. So the question is, how do I peer into spatial bubbles like storage items? One step at a time. First, I should see if I can find any evidence of spatial bubbles in the first place, any stretching or contraction of space.

I scan the space around my storage sample and focus intently on it, studying every little bit of space in and around the item. Minutes pass by, then half an hour. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack, and I am beginning to doubt my hypothesises on how spatial bubbles work when I finally see it! I tiny pin prick-sized ripple in the fabric of space like something is holding the space together.

Ting! Sense Space has met requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 10!

1st Breakthrough: You have seen slight spatial warping; this will help you study spatial distortions.

Suddenly, hundreds of tiny spatial warpings come into focus, resembling something like heat vision but for spatial warpings. Each warping ranges from gravity waves passing by to unknown phenomena, the most notable of which is the slight warping of space around each person, myself included. Is it the gravitational pull of the matter we are made of? Yes, there is there as well, but accounting for that, there is something else that I do not know the explanation of.

If there's a slight version, then there should be an extreme version of the skill, like how [Sense Mana] has a breakthrough for seeing extreme and very little amounts of mana. If this is slight warping, then what does extreme warping look like? The actual bubble might be an example like how a balloon doesn't stretch at the top and bottom.

I spend the next few hours studying the spatial warpings, the gravity waves from celestial bodies far away, the subtle gravitation pull from objects, and the unknown signatures of minor gravitational forces. Overall I gain eight levels from my studies between my breakthrough and the base skill.

I wonder if I can squeeze my perception through the closed spatial opening, but I may need another breakthrough or two first. I give it a try anyway, but when I can't do it, I switch to something else.

I create a box with an expanded inside to study. The space expands and expands, making me wonder if there's a limit. I still don't get any breakthrough for extreme space warping, so I will have to make something even larger inside. However, the problem is that the box doesn't have enough enchanting capabilities to do that, but if I make another box inside of this one, I can have an even larger box of the same size. As long as the outer box's enchantments don't fail, it will be safe; the only issue is that this doesn't solve the weight of everything that could be inside the box, but that is a problem for another solution.

After making and enchanting the second box, I still don't get another breakthrough! Well, if two won't work, perhaps three? Inst this sort of a matryoshka box? Like those nesting dolls with each one larger than the previous one?

It's getting a little dangerous; however, the enchantments need continuous mana flow to be maintained, and I don't have an unlimited supply of mana. If I can't sustain the enchantments, they will fail, and the inner box will burst out of the outer and may injure me. I should stop before I get hurt.

I flick my tails in irritation as I have to stop my experiment, but there's nothing I can do about it.

Thankfully I made the boxes out of mana so I can easily and safely take them apart. If I can make the Inscriptions work on mana constructed objects, then there might be a solution to this, but for now, I need to hold off on this breakthrough.

Still, the prospect for matryoshka boxes is an intriguing one, only limited by the mana needed to sustain it. While it can get – Hypothetically – to a ridiculous size, the mana requirements will be enormous, impractically so. At best, a three or four-layer matryoshka box is feasible since each layer is exponentially larger.

In order to make this work, I will need to make the outer box a mana collection array to fuel the enchantments, or at least subsidize it long enough for me to get the breakthrough.

I wonder what other things I can study? Make wormholes? Fold space? In any case, I start getting the shared sensing breakthroughs like expanding my perception and moving it. I have a lot of experience with them so it should be easy.

Ting! Sense Space has met requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 40!

2nd Breakthrough: you've entered a state of perception; this will improve all of your space sensing breakthroughs.

3rd Breakthrough: You've learned how to expand your aura of sense space, letting you see farther.

4th Breakthrough: You've learned to move your area of space sensing, Allowing you to scout ahead and eventually view remotely.

With a couple dozen levels now under my belt, I give trying to peer into the spatial bubble another try. I push and push against the tiny pinprick straining myself as I try to worm my perception through it until I finally get a view into it.

5th Breakthrough: You've peered into spatial bubbles; this will help you see and study them.

It's cool that I can now see into spatial bubbles and can see what's in other people's storage items.

I wonder how spatial bubbles are any different from normal space. From what I can perceive, it's just a heavily warped normal space. Perhaps what is different is how things inside it behave? I test this by putting random things into the storage sample, and sure enough, it becomes apparent that it does behave differently. Spatial bubbles appear to have an anti-gravity effect from the center; this is due to the expansion of space inside the bubble, making everything 'fall' away from the center.

I consider this to be a poor way to make a spatial bubble. If everything was expanded by the same amount, there won't be any gravitational effect, but since I didn't know how it exactly worked, my enchantments are doing to the bare minimum to get the effect I want. However, now that I know more, I may be able to make more effective and efficient enchantments.

The same can be applied to expanded space too. I need to expand space uniformly; otherwise, there may be pockets of distorted gravity. Also, I need to consider an expanded living space like the Flagship will be; expanding everything uniformly may cancel out the world's gravitation pull inside the airship which won't be a good thing, so I need to take that into account.

By now, I've been studying space for the entire day, but I still have so much to learn. As I attend the Lojyo, rejecting the nightly suitors, I keep a clone on study duty.

The next day I meet with the Elders to buy a housing lot on the edge of the commercial district. All of the empty lots sprinkled through the rebuilt village have already been claimed by people moving to the village, but I don't mind. I choose a spot near the industry district to be closer to the port. Technically I buy two lots to have a house with a side attached mana weaving and tailoring shop.

Next, I go to the construction company and hire them to build my house. The shop part will have three floors, the bottom being my tailoring shop, the second floor will be my mana crafts shop where I will sell enchanting services and other mana-related items, with the third floor being for storage.

My living space will consist of two floors, the second floor being for my many studies and experiments. My small room can no longer hold all my samples and gadgets.

Chapter 176: Layers

In the morning, I get up out of bed and sleepily navigate through my room. Hundreds of experimental samples, in the shape of little square plates, are piled into neat towers, making my room look like the den of a highly organized collection hoarder.

It's been a couple of weeks now, and I've found the best mana gathering inscriptions I have for both Solid and super-solid mana. The reason it took so long is that I had to make sure the erosion of the mana isn't so slow as to be imperceptible to me.

Unfortunately, I have put off the flagship upgrade until I have sufficient knowledge of space, as that is the best course of action right now; I don't want to upgrade it in the middle of finishing its construction.

I step over and weave through the towers of samples and walk to the kitchen where Mom is starting breakfast. I haven't done a lot of cooking, but I'll soon be living by myself, so I am doing this to better my cooking skills and knowledge.

"Please get me the butter," Mom asks, pouring the liquid over cooked Domr meat after I hand it to her.

The Nexus is too hot for butter to stay solid, so it's always liquid. I help Mom with breakfast and then go to the beach with a few samples for my experiments since my room is no longer suitable for experimentation.

As I approach the beach, a baby Domr skitters away from me, running into the sea. I bring with me a foldable stool that I made and sit down, feeling the warm sand beneath my toes and the soft wind blowing through my hair.

In order to make a practical a matryoshka box that can fuel itself, I need an inscription that can turn elemental mana into reserved mana, but I have yet to find one. I instead have to resort to using a large mana battery that I can draw upon to make the matryoshka box so that I can try to get another breakthrough for [Sense Space].

While I now have the mana gathering inscriptions that work for solid and super-solid mana objects, that is only half of the problem. Enchantments need to turn the mana into a type of spell mana to power the enchantment effect, but it can't transform elemental or essence mana; the enchantment isn't strong enough to do that besides the random chance, so I need an inscription that can do that which only adds to why my room is so full of samples.

However, I can't wait for months until I figure it out, so I am resorting to this method. I make the first two layers of the matryoshka box and start working on the third. By now, the third box is around three cubic meters in size inside the thirty-centimeter box in my hands. Space inside the box expands so much now there's almost a vacuum inside it, despite the fact it had atmospheric pressure for the first, outermost layer of the box.

Making the fourth layer proves difficult because now the space inside it is so large it's taking so much mana to make the fourth layer, but I had planned for this. Making and Enchanting the fourth layer takes almost fifteen minutes, in which the space inside continues to expand, stretching thinner and thinner until I finally hear the chime of several notifications.

Ting! Sense Space has met requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 60!

6th Breakthrough: You have seen strong spatial warping; this will help you study spatial distortions

I breathe a sigh of relief that I made my goal, but a significant part of me still wants to go down this rabbit hole. What will happen If I keep expanding the space inside the matryoshka box? Will I tear a hole in the fabric of space? I want to know, but, unfortunately, I can't. Each layer further will take more time and mana to make, and without it being able to sustain itself, it will be dangerous to continue further.

I spend the next few hours studying the expanded space and how objects interact with it, and over the course of the next few days, I study how different geometries of expanded space work. I study how the uniform expansion works to gradual and sudden expansion works as well as the space contraction counterparts of those studies works.

Once I have sufficiently studied space distortions and spatial bubbles, I go into the dungeon for the first time in years. Not just with a clone but with my real body. My [Sense Space] can't see far enough for what I need. I fly to the Rovlat den to rechallenge the Phase Rovlat and study what it's really doing.

I stay at the entrance of the den and send my clones further in, following them with my perceptions, and quickly make my way to my target. I provoke the Rovlat, who shifts from my view, becoming transparent. It snarls and growls and attacks my clones, but I don't retaliate; instead, I curiously study the phenomenon protecting it from harm.

I assume it has something to do with spatial layers, but what are spatial layers, and why can I see the Rovlat but not touch it? Hold on, I can see it with my perception skills, but I don't think I ever confirmed whether or not it can be seen by normal mundane sight. It might be worth exploring in the future, but for now, I need to figure this guy out.

As I continue to ponder the mystery in front of my clone, it continues to viciously attack; my clone reforms from each bite and rake of its claws.

It's not traversing along a fourth dimension; if that was the case, I would not be able to see it. The only thing I can think of is different spatial layers, not spatial dimensions. Each layer is superimposed onto each other, kind of like how souls are superimposed onto our bodies.

If that's the case, then isn't there a soul layer? I'll have to investigate that with another mind. I wonder what else there is but what throws a wrench in this line of thinking is that no one can normally see souls. It can be that the soul layer is not considered a spatial layer? Are there other soul layers, or is it something else completely?

For now, I'll assume that soul layers and spatial layers work differently; after all, what I assume is the soul layer – whenever I use [Astral Projection] – visible light and even distances and time seems to work differently there.

One thing that works against this theory is that there has so far been no other evidence for different spatial layers. If that was the case, shouldn't there be entire civilizations that live on other layers? What about geological formations?

Maybe I am overthinking things; maybe it's just using a strange skill to make matter phase through it? But if that's the case, then certain spells should still be able to hit it. Whatever the case, I should investigate all possibilities.

I focus on the rabid monster doing its best to hurt me and try to peer into its true location. The more I look at it, the more I notice that its presence is… gone. Its gravitational pull that all bodies have is not present; it's almost as if it's just a shadow.

I try to push my perception through this layer of space, working under the assumption that there are more spatial layers as a way to test that hypothesis. I keep the pressure up, pushing as hard as I can against the fabric of space, straining my focus so much that my head throbs, and then… I break through it, welcoming the chime of a new breakthrough.

7th Breakthrough: You have seen into different spatial layers; this will help you understand the possibilities of space.

I understand now, I can still see the 'shadow' of the Rovlat, but that doesn't explain why there is nothing on this layer of space. Not to mention the layer I am seeing isn't the one the Rovlat is on, but I can still see its 'shadow' as well as the 'shadow' of everything on the normal layer.

So what can cause the disparity of matter on the normal layer versus all the other layers? Why do they not have any matter in them? There are several explanations, but they all ultimately boil down to those layers not being suitable for matter in the long term. Perhaps they had matter, but all the matter degraded or migrated to the normal layer long ago, or maybe it's a case that matter can only form on this layer and can only migrate to others through a skill or spell.

In any case, I should try to find the layer the Rovlat is on; maybe I can try to follow its shadow? I can't see any indicator of where exactly it is, though; however, it has to be shifting to the normal layer to attack; I wonder If I can follow it back to the Layer it's on?

It isn't as easy as that; however, the Rovlat is only shifting its teeth and claws to the normal layer, but after several minutes I finally notice something odd. A slight ripple through the layers as it passes through them, and I floor its trail, eventually ending up at the layer it's hiding on.

Got you!

I smile with satisfaction as I can now study the effect matter has on a different layer. But why is the Rovlat on this specific layer? It is just a random coincidence, or maybe this layer is safer for matter to be in? Unfortunately, I can't easily study that yet, but if I can poke the monster and make it move, I might gain some insight.

How do I cast a spell in another layer, though? The mana first has to travel to the layer to manifest the spell. Can I use my Bond to teleport into other layers? If I can, then I don't need to bother the Rovlat as I can get better test results.

I decide to leave the monster alone, It has already taught me much, and maybe it has other secrets up its sleeve. I dismiss my clones and return to the Nexus, thinking of ways to explore spatial layers safely.

I go back to my spot on the beach and start testing out different spells, but no matter what I do, I can't just 'teleport' the mana to other layers no matter what I try.

I must first open a bridge to that layer. I realize.

But how do I do that? First of all, I don't really understand how most of this stuff works, and it might be dangerous; I should give my Bond skills a try since it works differently on a fundamental level. If spells can't work, then perhaps Bonds can.

I concentrate on [Immaculate Appearance], but instead of teleporting a beach rock, I want it to shift the rock to another layer. I feel the skill takes hold, but nothing seems to happen; the skill is 'locked on' but unable to fire.

Does it need more power? I ask myself.

I give the skill a mental push feeling it wavers as if it almost went through. I take a deep breath in and muster up all the power I can muster with my Bond and shove the skill to give the boost it needs. Beauty mana bursts out from me in a wave, and the rock disappears. A large ripple runs across the fabric of this layer, but it has worked!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Immaculate Appearance, has evolved into Immaculate Translocation!

Chapter 177: Logic of Layers

The rock I sent to a different layer slowly starts disappearing, or, at least, from what [Sense Space] is telling me so is its already tiny gravitational pull. I observe the rock for an hour, and in that time, the rock lost a quarter of its mass; however, according to the shadow the mana casts on the normal layer, it has not decreased but increased.

I teleport the rock and its mana back to closely examine the damage, and that is when, for a split second, I noticed some of the mana had taken forms I had never seen before.

Ting! Sense Magic has met requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 900!

45th Breakthrough: You have seen unstable mana; this will help you understand this elusive and alien mana.

My tails tich in excitement, and I can't help but grin as I welcome this new turn of events.

Is this the case for all the layers? Or is it just for that particular layer? There's only one way to find out!

I teleport several rocks to different layers, but because I can only observe one layer at a time with [Sense Space], and [Sense Magic] can only see the shadow of the mana, I have to observe them one at a time.

Every layer behaves differently and every one in unexpected ways. Sometimes matter will collapse into a singularity, others will slowly fade into nothing, and some slowly shift back to the normal layer – still deadly since it tears the rock apart. The laws which govern each layer is different, but the common thing is that matter can't exist long term in them.

There are a few relatively safe layers I found, some where the degradation of matter is so slow that prolonged exposure is safe. Some strange ones, like the first I tested, allows for different stable mana that is unstable in the normal layer.

So far, I have found seventeen normally unstable mana, and I am starting to think there are theoretically an infinite number of them; but this is very early in this research, but I think I am starting to understand the true nature of mana.

So far, from what I have observed, mana seems to be something like the manifestation of logic and information of this realm or reality. The layers all run on a different logic which explains why the breakthrough for seeing into other layers stated that it will 'help me understand the possibilities of space'. Some have gravitational forces so strong matter can't reasonably exist, other have it so weak nothing larger than atoms can exist. Of course, this is all just one hypothesis to explain what I am seeing; I don't know for sure if that is really the case.

No matter what I try, I can't keep the mana stable in the normal layer to properly study them, and I am not entirely sure if it is safe to do so. What will happen if I try to bring a paradoxical logic into this layer? At least it's only paradoxical to this layer.

That doesn't mean I can't study what happens if I bring that mana to other layers; at least then the normal layer won't, or shouldn't, be affected by anything disastrous.

The layers are a minefield, a dangerous place to go without already extensive knowledge on which ones are safe. The Phase Rovlat must have some sort of intuitive knowledge skill on which os is safe, a skill to protect it, or some other skill or skills which makes navigating and surviving the layers safely.

After spending a few days exploring the layers with probes… I mean rocks; I find that only one percent of the layers are moderately safe, ones that I can probably survive a few hours in. The very safe ones are one in one thousand, the ones that the rocks are still surviving in, and by the estimation of their decay, they range from days to months to yet to be determined.

Of the ones that have an effect on mana, void and essence seem to be the most stable; in fact, they are the most stable mana in most layers. It just makes sense; they all need that 'logic' in order to exist. The problem arises wherein not even those mana can exist for long; how those layers even exist, I don't know, but they must run on some sort of logic so extreme or alien I can't even comprehend them right now.

If I were to describe what spatial layers are, I would use the analogy of a blueprint. You have several papers; one might show where the frame of the house is supposed to be. The others are the plumbing and electricity. The normal layer shows the house, to rooms, where the doors are, and what everything is made of; but it doesn't show things like the plumbing and wiring. A house doesn't need those to be a house, whereas those layers need the house to mean anything, but they don't have that. Line all those layers up, and you get the full picture, all of this realm.

So for the 'blueprint' that shows the 'plumbing', the lumber used for the framing of the house has no use; therefore, it has no reason to exist. This is why some things can or can't exist in different layers. It's not a perfect analogy, but it should suffice.

I finally decide that my skill is high enough level to get another shared breakthrough; in fact, I am a little over-leveled for it but, whatever, at least it will be much easier to get and level.

Ting! Sense Space has met requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 80!

8th Breakthrough: You've learned how to sense space in two different locations; this will help you see more.

With my study into spatial layers extensive enough for eight levels, I move on to another subject of research, the dungeon entrance. The reason why I didn't study it before spatial layers is because it seems like something much harder to study, and I need the levels to make it easier. However, now that [Sense Space] is level seventy-six, I hope it's at least possible to study

I go to Temple Island and pass by several groups of priestesses in training, each of them working on a dedication to Myrou. It seems to be something the priestess elders are encouraging a lot since I never noticed the priestess' doing that before Papuyo attempted takeover.

I arrive at the dungeon entrance and closely observe it. It seems like the space ends, like a hole in the fabric of space. I cross the entrance and look at it from the other end, which shows the same end of space phenomenon.

This should be another breakthrough, but since I'm not getting it, that means I am not seeing something fundamental what is it I am missing? No matter how long I look, I can't figure it out; I don't even know where to start! It's just a hole in space!

I take a deep breath to release my frustrations and still my aggravated tail movements. Clearly, I need another breakthrough to get this one. Instead of bashing my head against something, hoping to learn something, I set this subject aside and move on to my next task.

Uloru sits cross-legged, meditating.

"Focus on your life, Uloru," Kadona says, teaching her student. "There's more to one's life essence than vitality. Vitality is the glue that keeps our soul to our body, but it is not what defines life."

Uloru breaths in deeply, then out slowly, focusing on her life essence; not the mana, but the fundamental… energy, for lack of better words, called life.

Her master has recently made a new breakthrough in [Sense Life], an important breakthrough that reveals a new aspect of life.

"There are four parts to what we call 'life'" Kadona continues. "The body, the life in the material. Vitality, Life in mana. Soul, Life in identity. And Anima, life in concept. Without these four, we can't live, at least as far as I am aware."

"Isn't identity and concept the same thing?" Uloru asks.

"No," Kadona shakes her head, her long brown hair swaying. "The soul is the identity of you anima is the concept of life itself. Anima is needed to bring the concept of life to the soul, to your mana, and to your body."

Uloru nods and goes back to meditation, armed with more knowledge to get the breakthrough.

This has been part of her training for a few days, and she feels like she is close to getting it. She needs to feel her own life, her own Anima.

First, she focuses on her own bodily life, the first breakthrough. Her pumping heart, the blood running through her veins. Material life does so much. It allows her to see and hear and generally interact with the world; without it, how would she know she was alive? How would she know others were? How would she do things? It brings meaning and purpose to life.

Once she has fully grasped her own material life, she focuses on her vitality. This is what animates her, it keeps her alive when her body is broken; it ties her identity to her body so she can experience life.

Her soul, or, rather, the life in her soul, is a lot harder to pin down, as it's another recent breakthrough, but from what she can feel, it's unique to everyone. The longer one has lived, the more they have experienced in life, the more it grows. It's almost like the breadth of experience one has but somehow, more than that; it's hard for her to explain.

After grasping her soul life, Uloru concentrates on the very concept of life itself, feeling for it. A faint pressure pushes back against her perception, barely noticeable. Seizing this chance, Uloru focuses her full attention on the pressure, mentally grasping at it, feeling what it is.

Several chimes ring her mind as a new color of life fills her perception, glowing brightly and vibrantly.

"I got it!" Uloru shouts, celebrating her successful breakthrough.

"I knew you would," Kadona says with a proud smile that only a master could have for their protege.

Uloru examines her surroundings seeing all the life around her in new ways. Everything is brimming with anima; it fills the soul and body, bearly contained.

"Let's go back home and celebrate; it's been so long since we've been back in the Nexus," Kadona says, leading the way out of their home in the dungeon and toward the dungeon entrance.

However, Kadona stops Uloru as they go around a corner of a building. It quickly becomes obvious why. Alysara is standing near the dungeon entrance, observing it. Her long beautiful and lustrous hair blowing in the breeze, her tails dancing around gracefully but… somehow irritated?

It is the real Alysara, not a clone, the presence of her Bond caressing her like a gentle blanket but tugging on her attention like it wants her to admire the perfect specimen of beauty that is Alysara.

Uloru quickly snaps out of it, however, when she finally comprehends what she is seeing with her [Sense Life]. Her vitality and body is normal and perfectly healthy; however, the life in her soul is so vast she feels completely lost in the infinite expanse of her soul's life.

Where's her anima?

Uloru can't see it, is it so overshadowed by her soul? No, that can't be the case; she can still see her vitality and body life. Why can't she see her anima? Does she not have anima? She has to have it, right?

That is when she notices it, a faint trail of color that represents anima swirling inside her, so faint she almost didn't notice it.

Why is her anima so low?

Chapter 178: Soul Life

"Alysara!"

Before I can leave the Dungeon, I hear Kadona call my name. I had seen them approaching but was too focused to go over to them and say hi.

"It's been a while; how have you two been doing?" I say politely, welcoming the distraction.

Kadona and Uloru glance at each other before Kadona responds. "We've been well, leveling has slowed down a lot after level four hundred, but we've improved in other ways. In fact, we were just about to go back to the nexus to celebrate Uloru getting a new breakthrough."

We walk through the Dungeon entrance, Kadona and Uloru taking off their thick winter-like Dungeon clothes.

"I thought the Dungeon was dry until we went to that desert," Kadona says, complaining about the Dungeon climate. "I can't believe how any place can be so dry."

Uloru stays silent but keeps glancing at me, love essence emanating from her mana core.

The mana core only makes emotion essence if one feels it strongly, but when that does happen, it tends to have a feedback loop, the essence making the emotions more intense.

I cast wings on them, and we go to my village while Kadona tells me about the time they spent in the dungeon. However, they are acting a little strangely; if it was just Uloru, I'd think it a product of her emotions, but Kadona is also acting a little weird, like there's something on their mind.

I don't question it. If it pertains to me, they'll mention it; otherwise, it's a problem they will have to sort out. However, when we land, Kadona catches me off guard.

"I… don't quite know how to say this, Alysara, but… you might be dying."

I'm not sure how to react to that, but fortunately, I don't have to.

"What I mean is your Anima is frighteningly low, but I'm not sure if that's normal for you" Kadona then goes on to explain her new breakthroughs in [Sense Life] about what Anima and 'soul life' is.

Apparently, I have a "terrifying amount of soul-life" that she can't explain.

"But you know, don't you? Why your soul life is so abundant?" Kadona asks, more in an accusatory way.

"From how you explained it, yes, I think I know why I have so much soul life, but I'm not quite sure why my Anima is low though I do have my suspicions."

The only way to intentionally make a magic item is through sacrifice.

The curses are side effects, some may be benign, and you'll never know what they truly are. Some may result in a slow and gradual death. It is impossible to tell until the effects are felt.

Kayafe and Safyr's words echo in my mind. Nothing tells me what my curse side effects are, so it's impossible to tell how my Anima got so low. Is it from [Astral Projection]? I never found out what its curse was. Is it from making magic items? That will explain why some items became magical when they didn't seemingly meet the requirements for it. Is it from Inscriptions? Do they somehow draw in life as well? There are too many possibilities and too many variables to figure out what the cause is.

"I will need your help figuring out what the cause is, but I suspect it's one of my cursed skills. Also, if soul life is part of the soul, then it's probably a breakthrough [Sense Soul] can get, if you're willing to me," I explain.

Just like how both [Sense Mana] and [Sense Life] can see vitality [Sense Soul] should be able to see soul life too.

"After we eat, we can practice; this is to celebrate Uloru's breakthrough," Kadona says, patting Uloru's head with a proud smile. Uloru looks bashful and embarrassed, which is unusual for her normal behavior.

Kadona whispers something in Uloru's ear, to which I see her Mana core start producing nervousness essence.

I can see what's coming a mile away, so I quickly nip it in the bud.

"You been talking A lot about what you've been doing, but I've yet you tell you about what I've been doing," I tell them about my daily life and common troubles, weaving in the part about being annoyed with potential suitors always asking to court me. "It's not that I'm against it; I'm just too focused on my studies and trying to cure my cursed skills that I don't have any time for anything like that."

To be honest, I've never really given it much thought. What I said is entirely true; I've been so focused on study, training, and curing my skills that I don't have time to think about starting a family.

Do I even want children? Maybe? I don't know. No matter what, I need to solve my problems first. The cursed skills, the greedy gods, maybe finding the Faewild, Midgard, or Pantheon, and so much more. No doubt my goals will take me out of the Nexus; eventually, I can't always operate clones from here, right?

Thankfully Kadona and Uloru take the hint, and we finish the food without incident before we go to the beach to practice.

13th Breakthrough: You have sensed soul life; this will help you study this aspect of souls.

Along with the notifications, new color comes into focus, revealing the soul life of all the souls around me, from tiny Domrs in the water to the plant life and people.

No wonder Kadona and Uloru knew something was off; my soul life is impossibly vast! If soul life – I'm not sure if that's a good name for it – is the identity of me, then that may explain why I have so much. Everything someone experiences help shapes who they are, so the older someone is, the more soul-life they have. Unfortunately, this should be destroyed during the reincarnation process, but my soul never went through that and has had all this time to accrue soul life.

This leads to a new question. Does my soul being primordial apply to my soul Life? Kayafe said it grants perpetuity; it regenerates the identity of my soul. Does that mean it affects my soul-life but not my memories?

"I got it!" I announce after several minutes of effort.

"That was fast!" Kadona remarks, looking shocked.

"Well, I have lived with sensing skills all my life; of course, it's going to be easy for me, plus my [Sense Soul] is of a decent enough level."

"I suppose you'll be teaching us about this breakthrough soon enough then!" Kadona jokes lightly before realizing that may very well come true. She then shifts the conversation to a more serious subject. "How do you plan to figure out the source of your diminishing Anima?"

"I'm not sure…" I reply, "For starters, any drain on it might be too small to notice at our levels, but I suspect it has something to do with making magic items; however, it may be something else instead. It may not even be something related to my cursed skills and may have been a natural consequence of healing everyone's soul."

I have to know, one, for peace of mind, and two, I don't think I can craft and never make another magic item again. I need to rule that possibility out since it will greatly limit my capabilities; I can't just not craft for fear of it possibly being the problem.

And if it is because of making magic items, is it a curse doing that? My inscriptions? Something else? I can't remain ignorant; there may be ways to work around this problem.

"We can start figuring it out tomorrow," Kadona says.

They part ways from Alysara to take a bath. It's a little early for the after-work bath, but no one will complain.

Uloruu stays mostly silent, lost in her disappointment.

"Cheer up, Uloru. Alysara didn't say that she isn't interested in you, just that she is too focused on other things right now" Kadona tries to encourage her.

"What's the point of it all?" Uloru asks, almost venting her frustrations as she soaks in the bath waters. "Why fight monsters, why get stronger if I can't share it with someone I love?"

"One, because you like fighting," Kadona answers. "Two, it is a good source of income. And three, mastering yourself is a goal in and of itself. Life doesn't revolve around other people, Uloru. Do what makes you happy and keep a balance of what you want to do for yourself and what you want to do for others" Kadona pats Uloru on the head reassuringly.

"Control your emotions, Uloru. Do you like Alysara because she's very beautiful? Or because she is who she is? I don't think you know her enough to consider the latter. You're at that stage in life where love is easy to find, but a true connection is hard to make. Don't get me wrong, One can and often does lead to the other but don't mistake the two."

"She's smart, powerful, dedicated, kind, generous, creative, and loyal. What's not to love about that?" Uloru retorts in an effort to prove to her master that she knows Alysara more than she thinks.

"She's also selfless to a fault, more introverted than the green moon, Kygloo, and doesn't know how to stop overworking herself." Kadona rebuts Uloru's argument "Everyone can see that, Uloru, but what does she like? What's her favorite style of music and dancing? What does she do in her leisure time?"

Uloru sinks a little further into the water, unable to answer; she instead throws her master's words back at her. "I can find that out by spending more time with her. As you said, one can lead to the other."

"That's my point; you don't have that special connection, not yet, at least. Don't think she's the only one for you; only misery is at the end of that road; look at Tana if you want an example. Maybe try courting others; it sounds like Alysara won't be interested in that until she has cured her skills, at least. If that doesn't work, then there's no harm, but if it does, then why wait for Alysara?"

Uloru can't answer; she doesn't want anyone else. She wants the most beautiful girl, with her long fluffy tails tipped with gold like the sun over a royal blue sea. She loves the way her voluptuous body moves with all the elegance and grace in the world, her radiant smile framed perfectly by her hair. Her heart pangs for her every time she thinks of her.

Kadona sighs and splashes water into Uloru's face to break her out of her mind.

"You back?" Kadona asks teasingly.

"Yes…" Uloru grumbles.

"Learn the difference between love and lust; that's the last advice I can give you. Tomorrow we'll help Alysara figure out what's going on, and it will likely take longer, so the faster you control your emotions, the better it will be on you."

Chapter 179: Flagship Upgrades

A few days later, I have ruled out the possibility of the Inscriptions being related to my low anima, which is relieving but worrying at the same time. I'm glad that it isn't the problem, but that also means that the problem may be something more important.

My next test is to try and rule out [Manipulate Mana] by having Uloru and Kadona watch my anima level while I work on upgrading the flagship. However, just as I start that, one of my other minds make a breakthrough in my inscription research!

With the goal of finding an inscription that transforms elemental mana into reserved mana, I had begun working off of the [Manipulate Mana] magic circle, going through thousands of iterations to see if I can get any transformation of mana, and I finally did!

It doesn't transform mana into reserved mana, but it does change fire mana into air mana which is a start! Now that I have a foothold, I should be able to work off this design, but this will likely take weeks or even months to figure out, and then I have to refine the inscription design.

The mana transformation inscription is similar to the mana gathering inscription in the sense that it doesn't need a core, which means it won't destroy the mana. I should probably make a distinction between inscriptions that burns mana to fuel magic and ones that don't.

It's almost like false magic, but from what I know, magic doesn't need mana or miasma, just that those help it. Think of magic like a smoldering log. The fire reaction is still happening, heat is being produced, but there is no fire. Mana and miasma make it 'hot' enough to produce flame. Coreless inscriptions use that smoldering type of magic, whereas core inscriptions use the hotter, more effective magic.

Coreless inscriptions are inarguably the safer forms of inscriptions, but cored inscriptions are more powerful; however, I only plan to use coreless inscriptions on the flagship because core inscriptions will just destroy the airship. I don't think there is a possibility for them to be used on mana structures.

As I upgrade the Airship's hull, I don't make room for future Inscriptions; the reason is simple, I will be making another thinner layer of mana for decorations and incorporate the inscriptions in that.

Once I have finished the hull of the airship, compressing the solid mana into supersolid mana and enchanting it, Uloru and Kadona give me some good news.

"Unless the drain on your anima is so low that we can't detect it, we can safely say that your extensive use of [Manipulate Mana] is not draining your anima," Kadona says while Uloru does her best to not look at my tails lustfully.

I have to say it does make me self-conscious, but I can't really blame Uloru since it's a product of hormones. I am keeping my Hormones under control with a spell every morning, but Uloru can't do the same.

I am relieved to hear the good news, [Manipulate Mana] is a staple of my skillset, almost an entire Class by itself, and while it is not my strongest skill, it is my most useful skill due to its versatility. However, this doesn't quite explain how I can make magic items easier than others. While it does rule out normal usage of [Manipulate Mana], I am not entirely sure it's not the cause, but I also don't see why the curse will only drain anima when the item becomes magical.

The flagship is not a small ship. It's not the Titanic either, probably closer to a Galleon in size, but considering the normal boat size for Runalymo, it might as well be the Titanic. In any case, it's a ton of work, and all of it through [Manipulate Mana], so if the curse were to drain my anima, it should have done so in a noticeable amount.

This leads me to think that the most probable cause is my [Astral Projection] curse which I never found out what it did. I still don't know what the curse is, but I suspect it has something to do with anima considering recent events.

I need to find out how my curse works and properly understand it to know what my limits are until I can finally cure it.

"Thank you for your help; this narrows down what I am looking for. I will probably have to make a magic item to really find out what is going on."

"How do you intend on doing that? Arent magic items suppose to be hard to make? It's more luck than anything," Kadona asks.

"I just have to do my best with this airship and hope it becomes magical," I answer with a shrug.

I never intended to make the airship a magic item; I'm not even sure if something so big can become magical, but even from the start, I just wanted to make it as best I could. Relying on something becoming magical has already sort of backfired on me, and being still recent, the bitter taste hasn't left yet.

Now that I think about it, doesn't the hope of one's craft becoming magical mean that one's own abilities fall short? It's like admitting that I can't achieve something greater or even what I set out to achieve in the first place. I should hope that it doesn't become magical, not just because of my anima situation, but also because I want to make the best airship with my own abilities. It's about having pride in my own work that I hope it doesn't become magical.

A week later, I attend Esofy's and Chyzu's wedding. The previous day I made the most fabulous and stunning dresses I could for them.

"Thank you so much, Aly!" Chyzu says, crushing me in a hug. "This is perfect!"

I haven't seen Chyzu in a long time, and it was a little surprise to see another mana signature in her belly indicating that she is pregnant.

Esofy is likewise appreciative of my gift but much more controlled.

"You didn't have to do this, Aly, but thank you very much."

The marriage ceremony isn't long, and like the adulthood ceremony, it takes place during the Lojyo. The two cleanse each other with a special bathing oil under Myrou's statue then they exchange their right adult earring to symbolize their joining and show everyone that they are now married. After that, everyone joins them in the bath, continuing the normal Lojyo customs.

A few days later, my house is finally complete, and with the help of a few dozen A.I.-managed clones, I have everything moved out in one trip.

"We're going to miss you!" Mom says dramatically.

"My little Aly, all grown up and living on her own," Dad says proudly.

"Don't go, Aly!" Yafel and Yafe say, clinging onto me with their arms wrapped around me.

"Geez! I'm just moving a few streets over, not to another village! You can visit me whenever you want!"

"Wait, does that mean we get two houses?!" Yafe says, greed in her eyes.

I can't help but smile amusedly at my family's antics.

"Yes, you can come over whenever you want," I say, patting the twins on their heads.

Having a large home and plenty of space to store my experiments is like a breath of fresh air. No longer will I have to trip over my stuff when getting out of bed, no longer will I have to go to the beach to do my studies, and I finally get my own shop.

"Saving up all your money really paid off; I'm so proud of you," Dad says, seeing the double lot building.

Unless I wanted a four-story house, I needed two building lots which makes my house one of the biggest in the village, and depending on the future; I may buy the two lots behind my house for further expansion.

The twins run ahead to explore on their own while I give my parents a proper tour.

After moving into my new home, I quickly adapt to the new living situation. Being able to go to my parents' house for dinner or vice versa really helps with the adjustment. I have a clone working the shop full time, but since I now have thirteen minds, I have a few to spare.

With my living arrangements finished, I set my task back on completing the airship. With the hull upgraded, I can now focus on the interior and setting up mana wiring leading all through the airship and connected to where the airship reactor will be and where the mana collecting and transforming inscriptions will be placed.

The airship has three floors below deck, the residential floor on top, the industrial floor in the middle, and the storage floor on the lowest. Since this will be a mobile base, the industrial floor will have everything necessary for everyone's crafts. There will be lifts that go all the way to the bottom floor for easy access to the storage.

I attach landing gear, then folds up when not used so the airship can land on the ground. I add powerful shock absorbers so the landing will be smooth. Above deck at the back of the airship is the command section where the battery room and reactor will be as well as all the other necessities for the flight of the airship is.

There's one more thing that needs to be added. Defense. The airship needs to be ready to fight powerful heroic tier monsters with a thousand levels or outrun them. I make a separate battery room with its own mana wiring that leads to spell cannons that fire cannon rounds of pure solid spell mana. With such high mana density, the cannons should be able to pack a powerful punch even if it's not enhanced by Classes.

Who knows, maybe in the future, there will be a Class that specializes in making mana bullets; maybe I can teach it to someone? It's similar in concept to mana weaving, so maybe an evolution off of that… Right now, I am the only one who can make the cannon shells, and I'll need to talk to Tusile about the prospects of an ammunitionist profession.

Being able to fight on its own is good, but what if there's a legendary monster that we can't fight? The airship will have to be able to run away at a fast speed, but how do I achieve that? Rockets? I don't have the mechanical knowledge to do that, though… mana rockets then? I can use enchantments to draw in the air like a compressor, then use inscriptions to gather mana and transform the mana into fire mana which will heat up and expand the air to produce thrust. Doing it that way, I can make a mana thruster that will work similarly to how airplane engines work but without the mechanical stuff!

However, that hinges on me getting the inscriptions right. So far, I've found out how to transform mana to half of the elements with inscriptions but none into reserved mana. Without that, the cannons will have to drain the reactor, which may impact the normal operations of the airship. And the emergency thrusters won't be possible without being a massive drain on the reactor.

With the inner workings of the airship done, its hull upgrade is done, the enchantments are in place, and all that's left is the decorations, the inscriptions, and the reactor. The rector will be made with the monster parts that produce their own reserved mana, so I only have to wait for the dungeon monster slayers to get them.

The mana gathering inscriptions alone won't be enough to power the airship; it's only to supplement the emergency power source, so the reactor has to be made. The only problem is that the airship needs a minimum of half a million mana production per hour, with an ideal amount being seven hundred thousand mana per hour.

With the reduced efficiency versions for mana structures, the mana gathering inscriptions might max out at a hundred thousand per hour altogether.

Chapter 180: An important trade.

Archmage Holuna Ruluna rereads the notes given to her by Alysara, impressed by the neat had writing and comprehensive language used… well, it's not handwriting; Alysara formed the letters and page out of mana which is even more impressive.

She has detailed exactly how and why one can [Analyze] with [Sense Mana] from determining Skills, Bond, and overall mana signature. The notes of experimentation her Order has done over the last hundred years aren't even this comprehensive.

… One can easily learn the Bond level of a person or monster by observing how much waste mana is produced in their mana core. This can easily be learned by cross-referencing hundreds of people until you get an intuitive understanding of one's Bond level…

Strong warriors typically get their Bonds up to the high hundreds before retiring, but it's never a focus since Bond Classes aren't normally taken due to their difficulties in getting good evolutions – one often needs to spend more time leveling up their Bond than their Class, so they end up falling behind in class levels.

Only a few people manage to get their Bonds to and above level one thousand, where they reach the second stage of their Bond Aura.

Many in the upper society train their Bond until they get their Bond aura for status among their peers but rarely dedicate their time to it after that; even then, it often takes thirty or forty years to reach that point.

Then there's Perceptive pressure that Alysara can somehow manipulate. It's a very powerful Skill or breakthrough; the question is, is it a supportive Class Skill or just a very useful breakthrough? Ruluna has a hunch that it is a breakthrough; how else can she have over forty breakthroughs in a single skill?

Even more, is her seeming ability to manipulate her perception to make it so she can't track her; Ruluna can't imagine how that's not a supporting skill, but given that Alysara has 'mastered' the Skill, she wouldn't be surprised.

The problem is that Ruluna doesn't even know where to begin to even try getting those breakthroughs, and it's not like she hasn't tried. She only has two explanations, and that is those are either supportive Class Skills, not breakthroughs, or she lacks the strength of levels to actually get them.

"Ruluna!"

Ruluna jumps at the sudden mention of her name. She whirls around to see Headmaster Vulpun with an amused grin on his face.

"I've been trying to get your attention for a few minutes now; what has got you so enraptured?" He asks.

"I-I've been wondering about Alysara's abilities and seeing how I might get them," Ruluna answers, her heart beating like a drum in her ears.

"Well, Alysara is, here again, so you can try to get it out of her during your training. However, she has finally decided to call in her favor, we are going to have a trade meeting right now, and since you are already involved in the current affairs, we are letting you in on the meeting.

Ruluna nods and stands up, stretching her body after sitting so long and walks with Headmaster Vulpun to the meeting room.

"It's nice to see you again," Ruluna says politely to Alysara.

"It is good to see you too. How is the war going?" Alysara asks.

"We've taken Moon Willow Fort and are marching onto Port Luar. We've captured several of the enemy leaders and their leviathan weapons and armor. Your power armor has helped us immensely." Headmaster Vulpun answers. "So, what do you wish for your favor?"

"Materials that produce reserved mana," Alysara replies, getting into the reason she is having the meeting.

Vulpun sucks in some air. "That's… going to be difficult; they are already rare, and when they are found, they are usually made into items."

"That's fine; as long as they aren't already magic items, I can repurpose them," Alysara says, her abnormally long tails swaying gracefully behind her.

"How many do you need? And that are they for?" Vulpun asks.

"A few dozen at least but as many as you can get. They will used to power our vessels," Alysara replies.

"It's going to cost us a lot; I'm not sure it's worth what you paid," Vulpun says adamantly. Ruluna has been around him long enough to tell when he's trying to haggle and when he's serious.

Materials that produce reserved mana are rare, and the good ones are even rarer that only come from powerful monsters. Buying dozens of them would drain the Order's treasury, and he will need approval from the other members for such a big deal.

Alysara folds her arms in thought, her tails swaying with more vigor, dancing to the tune of her thoughts.

"Very well, I can offer you one of two things. I can offer you items that draw in mana from the surroundings and transform it into reserved mana, as mana as is equal to the output of the items, or I can teach you the [Manipulate Mana] Skill and its basic breakthroughs.

Ruluna's heart somersaults in surprise; her offer to teach her other mastered skill is a big offer! However, Vulpun doesn't share Ruluna's expression.

"If you already have items that produce mana, why do you need our items? As for the Skill offer, you are already too late; we've done some digging and found a few old texts on that Skill."

That was haggling. Ruluna looked at those texts, but it's encrypted and hard to crack; plus, by the looks of it, it won't have Alysara's detailed and masterful knowledge. Technically they did find the texts, but they can't use them right now.

Alysara frowns, her tails moving more stiffly, but she answers Vulpuns question. "Drawing in mana from the surrounding is not the same as mana being produced. With my intended use for them, drawing in mana from the air won't work."

There is a brief silence as they both calculate their next offer before Vulpun speaks up.

"You clearly know more than what we've found in the texts, but it's true that what you have to offer has lost some value; we'll get you the items, but for the skill knowledge and twice the mana production in those mana gathering items you have."

Alysara's tails pick up speed again but in a more agitated way. Ruluna can't help but be intrigued at how expressive her tails seem to be, and that's when she realizes that Vulpun is using them as a tell!

Alysara is really good at controlling her tone, facial expression, and word choice but she hasn't how her thoughts and emotions influence her tail movements.

"Asking for both my offers is already asking for a lot," Alysara counters. "Even if you already know a little bit about [Manipulate Mana], I can teach you so much more than what would qualify you for five levels in knowledge in those breakthroughs. I'll trade you the Skill knowledge and eighty percent of the total mana production."

It is Vulpuns turn to frown as he pauses to think.

"I believe you do not understand the value of what you ask. It will completely drain our treasury; you are asking for rare and useful materials. I can go no lower than one and seventy worth of mana production."

Ruluna watches as the two go back and forth in a rare case where both sides seem to have a genuine disagreement on the value of what's being traded; however, Vulpun has a secret in that the Order does not truly know what's in the encrypted [Manipulate Mana] texts, so Alysara's knowledge holds full value. Alysara has not called him out on that little detail, so Ruluna assumes she does not know about the secret.

The debate goes on as they can't reach a compromise, and that's when Ruluna calls for a recess; she may not be any good in this situation, but she can at least act like a mediator.

"We need her knowledge," Ruluna says, trying to convince the headmaster to give in. "Those texts have sat in that library for who knows how long. Do you think nobody noticed it or haven't tried to decode it? We may never decipher them, so let's make it seem like we are doing Alysara a favor and agree to her terms; we are getting way more than we are giving anyway, so what's the issue?"

Vulpun sighs and leans back in his chair. "You're right, Ruluna; it's just we can't afford the deal without selling one or two power armors, and we need every one we have for the war."

"Can't we take a loan from the governor?" Ruluna asks.

"No" Vulpun shakes his head. "Their money is going towards the war effort. We will have to sell those items Alysara is offering, but I don't know if they are enough. There's no point in learning those secrets if we go bankrupt and those secrets are seized. Why do you think those old texts we found were in some dusty old library in the first place and not some Order's vault? Because whatever organization they came from fell out of power and because they are so well encrypted, they ended up being forgotten."

"Perhaps trade for something we can sell? Forget the [Manipulate Mana] for now; information on how to make those mana gathering items will be far more valuable," Ruluna suggests.

But Vulpun shakes his head. "I can tell she won't even think of handing us that knowledge. She's so far ahead in her skills that she views some of the breakthroughs as expendable; after all, what's one or two breakthroughs when you have forty! Plus, there's more that she's hiding from us; the true secrets of her skills are so far advanced we can't even conceive of them. What she is willing to trade is of no consequence to her; she knows we can't figure it out without her help."

Vulpun pauses before speaking again

"Alysara has mentioned inscriptions before, something of her own design. I bet that those mana-gathering items are related to that somehow. If you have invented something completely new, you wouldn't sell that to a stranger."

Ruluna nods silently, pondering how she can help.

If money is the issue and borrowing money is hard to do…

"Can we not borrow something from Alysara? In wartime, those Lifedrop Necklaces will sell for a lot. We buy a shipment from Alysara on credit with a promise to pay back its value."

"Vulpun sits up straight, looking serious. That just might do! You're a genius, Ruluna! It's right back to the basics, buy from far-off lands and sell back home, except the exotic merchant has come to us!"

With that, Vulpun and Alysara are able to come to an agreement, and Ruluna walks Alysara to the training room where they can practice their skills against each other, where she tries to detect Alysara, and Alysara tries o hide or block her attempts.

Ruluna is getting better at detecting low perceptive pressure and has already max that breakthrough level. Alysara continues to try new methods to block and stall tracking attempts, but most do not work; it's almost as if Alysara is just trying random things.

"It's not random," Alysara says when asked. "It's selective evolution, generating random differences based on the most successful test of the group."

How is that not random? You literally admitted to it being random! Ruluna complains mentally.

Ruluna Mentally feels Alysara's perception trying to work out the block that she uses to protect herself. She's been slowly working it out for several months now, decoding it a little bit at a time. It's like an impossible knot, but maybe there's some trick to it?

Selective evolution… Ruluna muses. What if she tries random paths? If she's close to figuring it out, then Alysara or anyone else with this strange ability may panic; what's more, she already knows which paths lead back on itself.

Ruluna smiles to herself and starts randomly jumping to each loop, tracing it back onto itself. Instead of trying to decode it, she's now trying to figure out the end; that's all that matters, right? She'll find it eventually, and with each loop, she rules out, the closer she gets to finding the one that leads back to her.

Ruluna spends half an hour brut forcing the perceptive knot until suddenly it fades into nothing, almost as if Alysara had turned off her perception, but that strange feeling of being watched remains, only this time Ruluna has figured out why she feels it.

Notifications chime in her mind as she gains two Breakthroughs, one for figuring out the Perceptive knots and the other for knowing when she is being watched; odd thing is, the second one isn't for her [Track Senses], but rather for her [Sense Mana].

Breakthrough: You've figured out perceptive knots; this will help you track even the most skilled scryers.

Breakthrough: You've sensed another's perceptive field; this will help you detect when you are being spied upon.

Chapter 181: Eldritch Gazer

Ruluna has progressed fast in her ability to track my perception!

She's managed to get past my perceptive knot; instead of trying to follow the complex perceptive information path, she instead hoped around and followed it until she found the exit or until a new loop which greatly increased her chances of finding the knot's exit. I'm not angry about this turn of events; rather, I am pleased to know my weakness in a controllable situation rather than a dangerous one. I can improve and revisit my ability to hide my perception, but I feel like thee will never be an obstacle or way to hide that can't be defeated.

It's been four months since I started working on the flagship, and I've been keeping up with my training. Yrania doesn't go near the villages and only stays on Temple Island with Safyr. I guess that Safyr has forbidden her from visiting since she doesn't want people to be emboldened and bothering her.

In other news, I've finally discovered the mana transforming inscription I needed! It's still inefficient, and I'll need to research the most effective form, but I finally have it! I've barely started researching the most efficient coreless inscription, and it will likely take another month or two. However, even if I get it done, I will still need to wait for enough materials to make the Airship reactor.

I've been keeping up with my armor deliveries to the Lunaley, and I've taken the initiative to obtain more materials to hopefully get the airship reactor finished faster. I was right when I guessed that the Lunaley had someone who once had [Manipulate Mana], but since it's not common knowledge, there must be a reason why.

The obvious thing is that it's either suppressed, was suppressed, or encrypted in a way that most could not work out until it was forgotten. It's possible that the Lunaley now has advanced methods for decrypting hidden messages, or it was a bluff to try and get a better deal; however, from my argument with Vulpun, I get the impression that he really did value my knowledge less than he normally would.

Or maybe I'm wrong about him; I'm not a specialist in diplomacy and can't wait to pass Tusile off to him. Either Case, I want a new method to hide from trackers, but how? I can fake a perceptive source that will fool most, but the more skeptical trackers, or those that know how I do things, will look further, and that's why I have perceptive knots; however, now that those can be beaten, all they do is buy me time.

I'm not counting that I can hide from all but the best trackers with my low perceptive pressure, I already have an example of someone beating that, and it only takes one time to put me into a very bad situation.

Obviously, a combination of all of my perceptive techniques is best, but a new way is needed; but what even is that? I can try to improve my perceptive knots, but how will it overcome its weakness? Perhaps a four-dimensional perceptive knot? But I can't even look into the fourth dimension with my [Sense Space] yet… perhaps peering into other spatial layers is a shared breakthrough? What's the harm in trying?

I focus on pushing my perception through the spatial layer, and with increased perceptive pressure, I easily break through the layer. Alien mana fills my perception, strange and unknowable. Their color is unlike anything I am used to with normal mana; the concepts they represent are impossible in the normal layer.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 920!

46th Breakthrough: You have seen into different spatial layers; this will help you understand alien and normally unstable mana

It seems that seeing into other layers is shared breakthrough, which means I can probably get it for my [Sense Soul] as well, but I'll do that later. For now, I have a new method on scrying safely; I can observe the shadow of the normal mana on other layers, at least, in theory.

Is it even a 'layer'? That implies a separation, a break between each layer, but that isn't true.

[Sense Magic] should have little, if anything at all, to do with space; it can't look beyond this realm as far as I understand it. However, 'layers' aren't actually separated by boundaries since all layers make up this realm; it's more like they are simply out of focus which is why they cast a shadow.

So why haven't I noticed the shadow of the alien mana before? That is simple, at least for this layer; there is a uniform spread of mana, so it casts the same amount of shadow everywhere, making it look like there is none.

I flick through several layers, observing how each of the mana are different and how they look at their base components. They aren't anything special when looking at their composition, MM, and elementary particle, and their MM force is a little wonky but nothing impossible. Unsurprisingly, it's just another form of mana; rather, it's their elemental 'direction' that is alien in a way I can't fathom how to even begin to understand.

Eventually, I flip to the strangest layer yet; there are many types of mana congregated in a mountain-sized form that should have cast a shadow on the normal layer, yet there is none. However, that isn't even the most surprising thing; the mana resembles a being's mana signature! The closer I look, the more I can make out its form, a large mass of writhing… something.

I analyze it tentatively.

Ǝ̸̢̟̹́̂̈́͜͝l̵͕̱̟͒̄͘͜͝b̴͔̝̭̠̾̏̚̕ɿ̵̬̩̠̱͗̄̓̎i̸͉̳̦̽͌̈̓͜Ɉ̷̨̩̬̙̓̐͆͠ɔ̷̛͉͖̺͛͒̃ͅʜ̵͇̮̦̭̐̅̒̓ ̷̛̲̼͔̘̀͊̀Ɔ̴̭̱̻̯͊̈́͘͝ơ̶̦͓̺͎͛̎̕υ̵̡̫͕̹͗̀̓̾n̸̗̦̥̯̎̈̓̽Ɉ̸̘̼̋̅͊͘͜ͅǝ̵̰̜̠̞̀̈́̂̊ɿ̵̤̗̞̝̿́͛͝ƨ̴͎̩̱͚́̎͗̚ǝ̸̣̙̝̔͒̓̌͜ǝ̴̱̹͕̺͌̅͂̋ɿ̵̪͖̗̬́̓̃͝ (Grand), Level 782 Ƨ̵̧̤̲̂͋̒͜͠ʜ̷̮̹͍̠͋̾̿̔ɒ̶̬̜͙̘͗͑̆͑b̷͕͎͖͕̔̌̐͗o̵̮̳̘̥͋́̃̌w̵̧̰̥̃̋̈́̕͜l̵̝̼͎͊̑̿̿ͅǝ̴̥̻̳̪̇̃̈̄ƨ̸̮̰̣̫́̍̒̇ƨ̶̣̠̖̞͛̀͆̈́ ̸̡͕̬͓̋͛̈́͒Ƨ̴̟̲͔͆͂̊̂͜ǝ̴̢̗̺̏́͋̕ͅn̶̰̙̣̦̑̓́̕Ɉ̸̟̻͚̬̉̑͘̚i̵̡͔͖̭̒̉̐̌n̶̢̛̘͕̻̈́̈́̊ǝ̶̣̣̼̤͗̓͐̍l̷̛͚̬̰̋̑̋͜ (Grand), Level 554 Я̶̯̥͍̝̋͒̿̚ǝ̴̛̟͚̞̼̓̂̕Ɉ̴̤̩͇̱̋͐͑͂ɒ̸͎̮͉̦̍̑̊̆l̴̡̫̤̹͐̊̓̎i̴̲͖̩͍͗̇̔͠ɒ̸̯̹̮̱͛̒̄͘Ɉ̸̢̨̠̺́̍̓͊ö̸͈̦̹́͂̆̓͜ɿ̴̜̙͈͔̀̊̕̚γ̷̞̻̰̬͒͋̌͗ ̶͉̭͓̤̎̅̈͠Ӛ̷̹̩̺̪́̎͑̌ɒ̴̮͉̠̪̀͐̈̆z̵̫̻̰̣̄͛́̉ǝ̵̢̡̲̀͐͑̆ͅɿ̴̘̰̝̟̋͐̈́͝ (Major), Level 648 span lang="hi-IN"ꓘ/span̴̨͓͖̟͒̐͑͠i̶̖͕̗̹̒̌͌̽γ̶̙͎̐͌̅̉͜͜ʇ̷̤̳̜̫̐̓̍̕ɿ̴̠̞͔̜̓̑̚͝ƨ̸̪͇̻͚̀̎̇̇b̷̜͕̙̳̎̉̐͗ Bond

As soon as I recognized that this was a living being, a dreadful sense of doom and being watched assaulted me, and a split second later, my head feels like it's going to burst open! The scent of blood fills the air, and as I clutch my head, I feel my hair wet around my ears.

I immediately retreat my perception as I fall to the ground with a scream and curl up as the pain slowly subsides. And that's when I see it, dozens of shadows swarm around my house as if they are looking for something, each one a writhing and squirming.

I lay as still as possible until the shadows drift away, floating back up toward the sky. It seems they can't detect me, but I also can't see the shadow of the one that attacked me.

So that's what Gaze attacks feel like.

I heal myself and start debriefing myself on what had just happened. Whatever that was, it used gaze attacks, at least two of them as well as perceptive pressure, although it was not as strong as I can make it. It also stopped attacking when I stopped seeing it. Is that because the attack was in perceived self-defense, or was it retaliatory? But the perceptive pressure also stopped; can they only see me if I see them?

Whatever it is, I am sure it has a retaliation base class or skills utilizing gaze attacks, and it called for help. What's more concerning is that I can't see its shadow, only the ones that came to help it.

Yet another reason to be wary of the layers. I don't know what kind of alien monsters are out there, and not all cast a shadow. But why is it here? It's almost as if it was positioned here to look for enemies. It can attack anyone who sees it, regardless of which layer they are on, something spells have a hard time doing. But gaze attacks? They attack where you are looking, no matter where that is.

I should stick to the layers I know are safe from now on.

Governor Ora Ara Van looks out his window at Vanu city; they'll be at the gates soon.

"Remember, I'll handle Alysara; you do the trade," Ryn says sternly.

She keeps an ornate jewelry chest in her lap, the continents inside one of the most valuable things in the world.

"She's the one we'll be trading with!" Van complains. Sometimes his sister can be so troublesome. "How can I simultaneously do the trade but let you do it instead?!"

"It's not my fault your bone-headedness almost cost us her favor last time!" Ryn argues back. "Besides, it's your idea to trade this for her to marry into our house! How stupid can you get?!"

"She's far more valuable than some material we'll never use!" Van argues back,"In two hundred years our family has not trusted anyone to make something of it."

"That's because no one has been good enough to make something out of a legendary material!" Ryn says. "You've seen Alysara's skill, she's more than worthy to make something of it, but we can't just give it away!"

"If we give it to her for her hand in marriage, then it will stay in the family! What's the problem?"

Ryn groans, "She's going to see right through you! We need to hire her services instead to make something out of it, build a good relationship with her, not try to obtain her like she's an item!"

"Alright! We'll do it your way," Van says, throwing his hands in the air. "What should we have her make it into? A weapon? A crown?"

They promised it to rule together, which means they both should agree to something before doing it, but as the one who was elected as governor, Van holds tie-breaking power, something that he rarely uses. His sister has rarely led him astray, and he agrees that she might be a little smarter, but his father always praised him for being wise enough to know who to listen to.

"A ruler does not have to be great," his father would say. "Just wise enough to listen to great people."

It was his father's influence that helped him become governor over his sister, so he must do his best to surround himself with great people who know what the best is for his city and citizens.

"A weapon. A legendary material should always serve a function that will help its user." Ryn answers.

They pass through the gate without issue, and soon the carriage stops in front of the Order of Flame's headquarters, where Alysara will be. Headmaster Vulpun and Archmage Ruluna are at the entrance waiting for them.

"Governor Ora Ara Van, And Lady Ora Ara Ryn, we welcome you to the Order of Flame's Head Quarters. Ambassador Alysara is already inside." Vulpun says, bowing to them while Ruluna mimics his movements.

"We brought the Items you requested," Van says as the coachman carries a crate from the back of the carriage.

"Thank you, the Lifedrop Necklaces will be given to you inside," Vulpun says, escorting them inside and to the meeting room.

Alysara is already inside, but Van immediately notices the slight difference in her. The way she stands, the movements of her tails, the beauty essence in her clones, it seems like she's advanced a lot in her Bond since the last time he saw her.

"Greeting Governor Ora Ara Van, Ora Ara Ryn," Alysara bows as they enter. "I hear you have a trade proposal for me?"

She has somehow grown more beautiful and enchanting over the previous year.

"That is right," Van says, and Ryn steps forward; she opens the ornate box in her hands to reveal a blazing uncut gem. "We would like to hire your services to make something out of this Fire Elemental Heart."

Chapter 182: To Seek Relations

Fire Elemental Heart (Legendary):

This is the heart of a slain Fire Elemental; it still holds a fraction of this fallen being's authority over fire.

Grants Fire Manipulation 1000/1000

[Acting] works overtime to keep my surprise hidden as I examine the contents of the box in Ryn's arms as she steps out of the well-made and decorated carriage.

There is no way to take [Manipulate Fire] to level one thousand, and judging by its mention of authority, the strength of the granted Skill was influenced by the Fire Elemental's Bond, which suggests that there may be an exception soft cap of skills by breakthroughs, although I highly doubt that exception can be granted to living beings.

There is no doubt that it is an item Skill like the skill my Eyewraps have, but this is the first time I've seen an item Skill have a seemingly impossible level; it's way higher than even Kayafe's [Manipulate Magic], although she had an enhanced skill and [Manipulate Fire] is definitely not enhanced so, in the end, I think her skill is stronger even if it's half the level.

And to imagine that is only a small part of what Elementals can do…

If the level of power that the Mana Arc and this material are what I need to make a legendary item, then I am far from achieving such a feat.

Vulpun and Ruluna greet Van and Ryn and leads them inside while their servant carries a box of mana-producing items and materials. He takes it to a room where four more boxes are stored. It's more than I thought they'd have; they must have scoured the entire country for them.

Overall, they must have close to two hundred thousand mana per hour production between all the materials they have which will double what we currently have. Considering we need five hundred thousand mana per hour for the flagship, this will cut down on the time we need to wait for its completion.

I greet Van and Ryn as they enter. They had set up an appointment with Vulpun, asking me for my service. I don't know what it is about, but I am certain it has something to do with that Elemental Heart they have.

"I hear you have a trade proposal for me?" I ask.

"That is right," Van says. Ryn steps forward; she opens the ornate box in her hands to reveal a blazing uncut gem. "We would like to hire your services to make something out of this Fire Elemental Heart."

No doubt they want me to make a weapon, it's a good material for one, but I don't want to arm another nation with such a powerful weapon lest it is used against us. That's not the only reason either; what if it does become a magic item, a legendary magic item?

Yes, I may get a point, but they will get a very powerful weapon, and what if it ends up draining all of my anima in the process? I might die. I still don't know if making magic items are entirely safe.

Plus, if I do die, the gods will get ahold of my soul which has all the memories unlocked now, and they said it themselves; once they have what they want, I am on my own. Add that to their greed for my soul, and I'd very in a very bad place if I die, so I have to treat this life as my last.

"What do you want me to make?" I ask, already knowing what they are going to say.

"A weapon. A powerful weapon to help us win the war and save countless lives," Van says.

"Unfortunately, I must decline," I say. "For two reasons. The first is that I can't help arm another nation with such a powerful weapon. Look at what your Leviathan materials are capable of, and that's vastly weaker than what a legendary weapon is capable of. I only agreed to make the Leviathan Armor and weapons because I get a fraction of those materials too; you get armed, but we also get the means to contend with you should our relations turn sour."

"And the second reason?" Ryn asks curiously.

"It's personal, an issue I hope will be solved soon, although it's not easy," I reply.

Van gains a gleam in his eye as if a tasty Domr has presented itself. Ryn notices it too and tries to protest.

"Van, no—"

"What if we tie our two people together?" Van asks, flexing his well-trained body, perhaps in an attempt to impress me. "By joining our two people, that will alleviate your concerns" However, before Van can continue, Ryn grabs a handful of his ear and drags him out of the room and into the waiting room.

"Ryn?! What are—" Van says as he struggles.

"What did I tell you?!" Ryn shouts. "Are you trying to insult the Ambassador? We know nothing of her culture! You can't just propose a political marriage just like that!"

"I can't help but chuckle at the ridiculous situation as Ryn continues to chastise Van.

"If you don't mind me asking," Ruluna says shyly, "What is your personal reason?"

Vulpun gives Ruluna a warning glance but otherwise doesn't say anything.

"I won't go into detail, but I need to cure a cursed skill," I answer.

This much information shouldn't be something that they can use against me, and who knows, maybe they have the information I need, although I doubt it.

"As far as I know, It's impossible to cure cursed skills," Vulpun says.

"It definitely is; in fact, I am ninety percent sure I know how to cure them, but it's the curing part that is the difficult part."

"You do?!" Ruluna says, astonished.

"Yes, if you master [Sense Mana], you will have an opportunity to learn about it," I say cryptically.

I don't want to give too much away, but what if they can help me? What will they want in return for their help?

Unless they have more legendary materials just laying around that will help me get a material point or have some way to restore anima, I don't think they can help me. Hold on, do they have a way to restore anima? It might be worth asking. I should also ask Kayafe and Safyr about anima as well; it's been a while since I asked them for something serious like this that I forgot to ask them about it.

"What do you mean by that?" Ruluna asks, tilting her head slightly.

"It will become very apparent if you ever reach that point. On a side note, do you guys have any way to restore someone's anima?" I ask

"Restore someone's anima?" Vulpun asks, looking thoughtful. "No, nothing I heard of anyway, but we can look into our libraries if there is anything."

I'm sure they can put two and two together and figure out what my issue is, but I need to know if they know anything that can help me, and, at the very least, they won't do anything harmful to me in the short term. If I can restore my anima, then they won't be able to use this information against me.

"I assume that's all then." I say, "Unless there is something else? I'll be training with Ruluna in case something comes up."

Vulpun shakes his head."We got the armor and Lifedrop Necklaces; you have your materials. I'll let you know if we find anything pertaining to anima."

Archmage Holuna Ruluna is completely stumped by the new mystery Alysara has learned. Just like last time, Ruluna solved Alysara's perceptive knot, and then her perceptive trace just disappears, fading into nothing.

"How are you doing that?" Ruluna asks curiously.

The fact that in a week she managed to come up with something new is impressive, but to just make her perceptive trail simply disappear is a whole new thing. It's not just that she is lowering her perceptive pressure either; it just straight-up disappears.

"Hmm," Alysara hums, adopting a thinking pose. "I can tell you, having this method beaten may lead to new and better ways to hide, a type of arms race, but not right now; I am other things I need to dedicate my minds to."

Ruluna continues to practice, trying to puzzle out what Alysara has done to no avail. It's as if her perception simply goes to a place that's here but not here. How that's even possible, Ruluna doesn't know, but she's metaphorically looking right at it.

By the end of the day, Ruluna is no further than when she started. Alysara leaves, flying home on mosaic-like wings with the bounty she paid for.

"She has a cursed Skill, one that probably drains her anima," Vulpun says once she leaves.

Van and Ryn are still here and likely have been debriefing with the Headmaster while Ruluna trained with Alysara.

"So that's her personal reason? That doesn't explain why it would prevent her from making something out of the Elemental Heart." Governor Van says, his normally loud voice humbled by Ryn's anger.

"Her first reason is enough to deny our request," Lady Ryn says, sounding tired after yelling at Governor Van. "Think about it this: would we want one of our craftsmen making a powerful weapon for another country? No, we'd probably charge them with treason."

"That makes sense," Headmaster Vulpun says.

"We need to improve our relations with her and her people somehow," Lady Ryn says. "How do you propose we go about that?"

"Perhaps sending one of our Ambassadors to them?" Governor Van suggests.

"I don't think that's possible right now," Headmaster Vulpun says, shaking his head. "Alysara is secretive, and we must remember how we became aware of her. She spied on us, and although it was not malicious, it shows her cautious nature or profession. We need to build relations with her people's leaders, not her. She won't even tell us much about her home, culture, or people, so we are mainly operating in the dark."

"So we just wait for them to complete their vessels then," Lady Ryn says with an understanding nod. "And we can't make detailed plans about how to negotiate with them until we know more about them."

"That's right," Headmaster Vulpun nods.

"That doesn't mean we can't make any plans," Governor Van says. "We will have to show them our best hospitality when the time comes and ease our way into establishing an ambassador on their end. Any idea on what kind of gifts will be appropriate for them when they arrive?"

"None" Headmaster Vulpun shakes his head.

"I get the feeling Alysara is mostly acting independently," Ruluna speaks up. "I don't think she is an agent of her government or organization."

"What makes you say that?" Governor Van asks.

"Think about it. Everything she has offered or traded is something she can do, even if she doesn't directly mention that it's her services or knowledge that she is offering. I believe that the only time she represented her people was when we were establishing trade routes. She doesn't even mention food, spices, or monster materials… nothing; it's all related to mana-based things, her personal knowledge, and craftsmanship."

"That's a brilliant observation, Ruluna!" Headmaster Vulpun praises. "Even the Leviathan Armor and weapons are more mana than the actual Leviathan materials, almost as if those are a second thought. Considering that she has mastered [Manipulate Mana] as well, this makes sense."

"So we aren't even trading with the Runalymo right now?" Lady Ryn asks, "Just Alysara herself?"

"Yes, we have no idea how important Alysara is, although we can safely assume she has a very large influence," Headmaster Vulpun answers.

"Well, that's better than nothing!" Governor Van says, his voice becoming bolder. "We need to make her impression of us as good as possible, so she lets her leaders know!"

Lady Ryn gives her brother a dirty look. "You're not helping in that regard!"

Ruluna stifles a laugh at the duo's bickering, but they are right; it is through Alysara that the winds of change and opportunity will flow.

Chapter 183: Catching up with Kayafe

"Do I know of a way to restore anima?" Kayafe repeats my question. "So it all makes sense, then; the weird magic items you've made. You'll be pleased to know that there are ways to restore Anima. Evolving your race to Legendary will grant you a vast amount of anima, hundreds of times more than normal."

That's good to know, but my next couple legendary points need to go toward my cursed skills to prevent any further anima depletion.

"I don't see that being a possibility for me in the near future," I say, a little dejectedly.

"That's not the only way," Kayafe says. "A powerful Life Bonded user can easily restore anima, but they need at least a thousand levels in their Bond, so you'll probably need to find a rare Bond mage," Kayafe says that last bit with obvious disfavor.

"Bond mages are that bad!" I protest. "It's just that they have to be a little more careful when leveling up Classes."

"No sane person levels up a Bond Class as their first or even second Class," Kayafe counters. "Their third or fourth Class, however, I can see them branching off into it. Seriously, A non-caster Class can easily get you to level one thousand! After that, a caster Class will get you to two or even three thousand" Kayafe goes off on a rant.

"Bond Classes can be both caster and non-caster; it rewards you for the time and dedication you put into it!" I argue back.

The dragons, at least the four I saw, are all hyperfocused on Bonds, and I can see why. As far as I am aware, it is literally divine power, and if all of the strongest beings in the world focus on Bonds, then there must be a reason.

"You have it easy, Alysara! Most Bond Mages have to constantly switch from party to party because their group always out-levels them. Even casters have it rough until we get our support skills merged and at decent levels."

"I am aware that my skillset makes it easy for me, but that's also why it's viable. Anyway, we drifted off on a tangent. Is there any other way to restore anima?" I say, getting the topic back on track.

"Maybe, but I am unaware of them… Well, I suppose there is one more, anima vampirism, where you steal the Anima of others, but that's a really rare skill in the first place, and I have no idea how one gets such a skill."

Wasn't one of my cursed evolutions capable of stealing anima from others?

Regardless, it doesn't matter; I can't take that evolution anyway.

"If that's all, then I guess we can move on to another discussion," I say. "The flagship I am working on is almost done; I'm just waiting for the reactor. You wouldn't happen to know any way to gain more items and materials that produce reserved mana?"

"There are many rare skills out there that are capable of all sorts of things," Kayafe says. "My dwarf companion had one such skill. He was a genius soul mage and was able to transfer his mana core to items and rebuild his core. There's way more to it, such as stabling his mana core so it doesn't degrade and all that, but to answer your question, yes, there are a couple of ways."

Hmm, that sounds almost like what I did with my extra mind component. Can I do the same with my mana core? Can I own multiple mana cores? Can I use [Astral Projection] to move not just my mind component but my mana core as well?

"How common is having multiple mana cores?" I ask.

"It's rare for the majority of mages, but it's actually fairly common among powerful mages." Kayafe answers matter-of-factly, "Any skill that augments your mana core should be capable of duplicating your mana core to some degree, and if not, then perhaps a dedicated skill that you can later merge."

I examine Kayafe's soul but don't see any extra mana cores, I would have noticed years ago, but I just wanted to make sure. The dragons, too, only have one mana core; why is that?

I Kayafe knows about it; then the chances are she has the skill for it, the dragon too, should have a similar skill, right?

"There more to that, right? You only have a core, so do the dragons; why do you not have more?" I ask.

"Which is better?" Kayafe asks, amused. "One core that produces a million mana an hour with ninety percent of that being reserved mana or ten cores that produce a hundred thousand mana with eighty percent efficiency?"

I see, so they remerged their cores into one more efficient core, but what about mana core stealers? If the mind eater can take my extra mind component, then something may take my mana core.

"How do you deal with a being that can steal mana cores? Having more than one will at least make it so you aren't helpless if that happens."

"I've never met a being capable of that, but I suppose anything's possible; however, such beings are so rare you'll probably never encounter them," Kayafe says.

"It's a little late for that…" I say, remembering my encounter with the mind eater.

"You had your Mana core stolen? Did you get it back somehow?" Kayafe interrogates me.

"Not my mana core but my spare mind component. It was a few years ago, in the dungeon, I saw a Mind Eater, and it attacked me. It's still there, and I am not strong enough to fight it as I am right now." I explain.

"Why didn't you mention it earlier?!" Kayafe says, sounding a little worried.

"I was able to regenerate my spare mind component," I reassure Kayafe. "It happened shortly before the perception poisoning monster, and my worries about my skill being damaged were more important."

Kayafe sighs exasperatedly. "What am I going to do with you?" she mumbles. "Anyway, what's going on with the Lunaley?"

I kept Kayafe informed about the Lunaley, but she doesn't have much of an opinion about them other than the tracker that I assume is the Eyeblight Assassin.

"You haven't seen that assassin again, have you?" Kayafe asks.

"No, but even if I did, I am confident he won't be able to track my location by the time I react and move my perception."

I explain my recent improvements and insight into spatial layers.

"I still don't get it," Kayafe says after I tried explaining the concept several times. "Perhaps it's just one of those things you can to see for yourself to fully understand. In any case, it seems like those layers are incredibly useful! And there are more types of elements in there? Are there other elementals too?"

"I don't know, but the layers are incredibly dangerous in many ways." I try to curb Kayafe's enthusiasm before she gets it in her head that it's a safe.

"What do you mean? It's just another 'here', right?"

"Yes, but no." I try to explain

"See, it doesn't make sense. It's either yes or no; it can't be both," Kayafe argues.

"Yes, it can, but that's not the point. The point is the laws that govern those layers may not make them habitable. In fact, most, if not all, layers are uninhabitable in the long term. However, environmental hazards are not the only thing we need to worry about. There are… things in those layers, creatures that exist according to those different laws, and I think they may be in some sort of inter-layer conflict of some kind," I explain my encounter with one of them.

"Hmm." Kayafe hums as she digests my recount of what happened. "The one you saw wasn't strong, but they have strange skills. Gaze attacks are rare, I've only ever fought two beings with them, and one should not take them lightly, being able to attack every living thing they see, and they are all the more terrifying when combining their attacks with perception skills." Kayafe pauses as if she is remembering something.

"One of my top five difficult battles was against someone known as the Burning Seer, who would ignite entire armies from his tower. He was a ruthless conqueror who specialized in his fire gaze skill, able to light anything he saw aflame, didn't matter if it was one person or an entire mountainside. We eventually slew him and freed the people from his tranny, but we almost died trying."

If Kayafe could have shuddered, I am sure she would have, I don't know what it's like to be burned alive, but I am sure Kayafe experienced it in that fight.

"The other one was, in a way, worse," Kayafe says. "She had [Stop Gaze]; you would be completely frozen in time so long as she looked at you. She could stop someone mid-fall if she wanted. This is just a warning for you, be very wary of gaze users, especially legendary tier ones like the Burning Seer."

"Have you ever heard of a skill that can let you see others who sees you?" I ask.

"No, but you are right about that; that creature's skills are built to directly counter perception users in such a way that it bypasses any defensive measures. No scapegoats, proxies, those perceptive knots you told me about, nothing can block it; it's a perfect retaliation, and being hidden makes them all the more suspect. They aren't just targeting weak perception users; they are targeting strong, smart, and curious perception users. But who is their enemy? Us, or something else from other layers?"

"I don't know, and that's what has me worried; what's worse is that they, or some other threats, may be watching us, and we have no knowledge that they are even doing it." I voice my concerns.

"That may be, but I doubt it. If they want to harm us, they would have done so long ago, at least in many parts of the world; there would at least be some records of their attacks somewhere. We can't rule out the possibility, but there's no history of that happening." Kayafe says.

Kayafe alleviates my concerns a little; however, I am unable to continue the discussion. I am almost out of mana, so I say farewell to Kayafe and fly home. I would let Safyr know about those large monsters, but she'd probably give me the same answer as Kayafe.

Once home, I check my inscription test samples and make more based on the most successful ones.

If this works well enough, then do I need materials that only produce reserved mana? I ask myself

What about the ones that produce light mana? If I pair them with the reserved mana transformation inscription, then I might be able to get that airship reactor made sooner!

Go to the Dungeon Village to see if I can buy a mana-producing material and see one that produces six hundred wind mana per hour. I buy the expensive material and bring it back home to begin my experiment.

First, I use the mana gathering coreless inscription and have it funnel the produced mana to the mana transforming coreless inscription. It isn't perfect, but I work on efficiency. Now all I need are more of these items, and we'll have that flagship up in the air by next month!

Chapter 184: Enterprise

I teleport the crate of materials with [Immaculate Translocation] into my shop. It contains the last of the mana-producing materials I need to make the flagship reactor.

I thank the deliveror and get to work. It has been another week, but fortunately, materials that produce elemental mana are far more common than the ones that produce reserved mana, so it didn't take long for the rest of the materials I need.

Finally, after so long, the Flagship will be finished. It had saved the village when we needed to evacuate during the cursed being crisis, been buried under a landslide, and continually served to transport people in times of need, all while being unfinished, and now I will give it a heart to bring it alive… metaphorically, hopefully.

How do I do this? I ask myself. What is the best way to make this reactor?

Should I start with the elemental mana-producing materials first, inscribe the mana transforming inscription and get those out of the way? Or should I start with the best materials first?

I won't be implanting a mana core into it; first, I don't have the necessary breakthroughs to copy and transfer my mana core, and second I am worried [Astral Projection] is what's draining my anima, and using it may make it worse.

For now, I start with a general sphere shape sitting on a stand, both shaped from solid vitality. Vitality helps animated the body, so it's poetic that the reactor, which will fuel the ship giving it life, is made from vitality.

I begin to inscribe the mana transforming inscriptions on its surface, cutting out holes in the center. Since the inscriptions are coreless, they don't use that spot anyway, and since solid vitality prevents mana from passing through it, the mana needs some way to escape this part of the reactor.

I then build another sphere around that held a centimeter off and inscribe it, but that's when I noticed a flaw in my design. The vitality is slowly transforming into reserved mana which destroys the inscription.

I should have known this! I chastise myself. It is a complete oversight that I should have worked out already!

The solution is to make solid, reserved mana; the problem is that reserved mana is completely inert, it has no mechanism that allows that, and it's generally a bad idea since reserved mana easily transforms into other types of mana which can lead to degradation of the reactor if it's production is impure.

I start to pace back and forth, trying to figure out how to get passed this hurdle. Any mana structures I place this inscription on will erode as it's turned into reserved mana which means this part will have to be made out of mundane materials.

With no other way around it, I visit my parent's shop to get some steel and reshape the steel ingot with [Beauty Blessing]. The ingot slowly reshapes into the sphere as inscriptions etch into its surface. I take another ingot and do the same, forming a sphere around the first, held just a centimeter off. I finish it with a third sphere to make all the mana produced by the items transformed into reserved mana.

With the sphere done, I fuse each of the elemental mana-producing materials together and teleport it into the sphere and watch for over an hour to make sure it's working properly and efficiently.

Once satisfied, I start with the rest of the reactor. I mold the rest of the materials around the sphere, the ones that produce reserved mana, and seal the whole thing with a shell of solid vitality to prevent any leakage. I make a hole where it is going to attach to the airship's mana wiring and move on to the decorating process.

I paint over the reactor with super-solid beauty and space essence, making a design of intricate lines like that of two hemispheres coming together on a black sphere.

With the reactor now finished, I take it to the airship to finally install it, but I am not done yet. There are three more things left to do: Make the emergency thrusters, the defensive cannons and ammunition, and the final decoration and inscription.

With the reactor being a good source of mana to draw upon, I start with the cannons, making them out of super-solid mana and enchanting them to fire projectiles at high speeds. It would be bad if the airship runs out of ammo and is unable to defend itself, so I also make two laser cannons that each draws upon its own battery room, which is fueled by mana gathering inscriptions that feed mana into several inscriptions that transforms that mana into reserved mana then runs through several enchantments that turn that mana into spell mana before finally being stored in the batteries which serve as capacitors. As much as ten thick mana wiring feeds the mana into the laser cannons to draw as much mana as needed for the powerful weapons.

Each laser cannon should be able to sustain fire for three minutes which is enough to drill through all but the hardiest or most regenerative things and creatures. The only downside is that it will take at least a day to fully fill the capacitors but will likely take longer in an area of normal mana density.

With the cannons finally done, I get to work on the ammunition. The plan is to make them out of liquid mana, but the unstable mana is always hard to work with, not to mention very volatile, like nitroglycerin. However, making a shell of normal super-solid mana around it should make it safe for storage and make it fireable from the cannons.

Now that I think about it, I should add another battery room that I can draw upon strictly for making more ammo, but this leads to another issue, it can't be fed by the reactor since that is solely for the flight, spatial enchantments, and normal operations of the airship. The weapons are being powered by mana being drawn in by inscriptions which leave no room for this battery to be fueled… unless I increase the surface size of the ship. If I add huge sails not for the flight of the airship but rather as a mana scoop, then they can be deployed for faster recharge of the airship's emergency resources!

The more I mark off on my to-do list, the more gets added to it, but that's normal in pioneering technologies like this.

Over the next day, I add deployable fans with layers of mana collection inscriptions. These are made of mundane materials, so I can use the most efficient inscriptions without destroying the mana structure. When fully deployed, the fans will double the rate at which mana is collected. Te mana isn't transformed into reserved mana in the fans but in small rooms made to be capable of transforming the amount of flowing through it. Also, if the fans are broken off, I only have to worry about one inscription, not two.

Now that is out of the way and drawing in more mana for me to work with, I get back to making the ammo. This is the part that takes the longest, a whole week! Liquid mana is already incredibly dense and uses a ton of mana to make but not only that; I needed to make hundreds of them for several types of spells that can be used to target an attacker's weakness.

With the defenses made, the last addition left to do is the emergency thrusters. I have been planning their design ever since I completed the mana transforming inscription and have settled on a design that I like. It works a lot like a plane engine where, through the use of enchantments, it compresses air before feeding it into a heating chamber; the heating chamber mixes liquid fire mana with the air to superheat it, causing rapid expansion for maximum thrust.

The most difficult part of the design is conserving as much liquid mana as possible and not dumping it out with the heated air, but unfortunately, I was unable to make a perfect design. There is still a significant loss of mana, but due to the nature of the heating chamber, there is no way around it.

The thrusters have to be compact enough to be practical, and this means that the fastest way to heat up the air is to use liquid mana; running it through a mesh of solid fire mana is not enough for the intended use of the thrusters.

That doesn't mean I won't use less powerful, more efficient thrusters. I make four of them on the sides of the airship for redundancy of the normal operations; if anything happens to the thrust sails, the backup thrusters, which produce less thrust, will at least keep the airship moving, and since they are compact compared to the sails, they are perfect for the job.

This leaves the final touches, the decoration. This ship is going to be traveling all over the place; it should have a design most would appreciate, a non-offensive and neutral design. I settle on a sleek and modern style that accentuates the shape of the ship. I incorporate the inscriptions on its surface into the design of the decorations, with swirling patterns forming from the bow of the ship, which repeats along the length of the airship.

With that done, I take one last look over my work, but something nags me; however, something is missing.

"What's wrong?" Kadona asks. She and Uloru have been keeping an eye on me while I work on the airship to make sure I am not draining my anima, and so far, they haven't noticed anything.

"... It needs a name," I say after a moment of pondering the issue. "It's the most important airship we have ever made."

"I see," Kadona says, adopting a thinking pose. "What about… Fu… Fo… Ash?"

Fufoash… Fall refusing boat? Really?!

I give Kadona a dissatisfied look before glancing at Uloru

"Umm," Uloru says a little bashfully, "Ka… amash?"

Kaamash, great sky boat? You literally want to call it the great airship?! At least it's better than Kadona's suggestion.

Kadona and Uloru's naming sense needs some work, but I can't really blame them. The airship should have a name that really describes what it's all about. It's about exploration, trading, and meeting new people. It kind of reminds me of a show about exploring space.

Entylamo? I ponder. Frontier, explore, greet people. It basically means "to seek out new frontiers and meet new people," which is its mission. It's as close as I can get it to calling it the Enterprise in the Runalymo language.

I write the name on the back of the airship, and for a split second, everything is still, as if the calm before the storm, then mana starts to fall into the Airship, rushing in faster and faster. Recognizing the transformation of a magic item, I scan my magic framework, looking at my cursed skills to see if any of them are activating, and to my horror, [Astral Projection] shines brightly, a clear indication of its activation.

"To intentionally make a magic Item, you need a sacrifice" Kayafe's words echo in my mind; the sacrifice has always been my anima. The condition of the skill's curse is clear to me; anything I create receives a portion of my anima to literally project my life into my creations.

More and more mana is sucked in, so much so that a growing field of depleted mana covers the entire village! I don't know if it's because of its tier or its size, but the airship has consumed the most amount of mana of all of my magic items so far.

That's when I feel something being torn away from me as a coldness washes through my body and soul. I fall to my knees, and the world seems to fade in and out, and finally, the cold darkness takes me.

Chapter 185: Eve of Departure

I wake up with the familiar sight of my old room around me, and as I move my stiff body, I am instantly crushed in an embrace as my mom hugs me.

"Aly! You're awake! Oh, thank Myrou! I thought we lost you!"

Dad is working in the shop, but Mom calls for her, and she runs up, looking relieved at the news that I am awake.

"We were so scared you'd never wake up again!" Dad expresses her worries as she joins mom in hugging me.

"Let me breathe!" I gasp, trying to breathe from their crushing embrace.

They loosen their grip but don't let me go.

"How long have I been asleep?" I ask once I catch my breath. Fearing that It might be longer than I think

"Three days," Mom answers.

Three days isn't that bad. I don't feel any worse than normal either, but I suppose there are no anima nerves to signal how low it is. I'm going to have to talk with Kadona about the condition of my anima.

What's even more worrying is that until I can cleanse my cursed skills, I may not be able to make anything. Crafting and artistry are the lifeblood of the Runalymo people; to be unable to make things will not just hinder my ability to continue my trade with the Lunaley but also my tailoring business.

I don't think I am entirely without options, I should be able to make mana silk and other mana-based materials with [Manipulate Mana], but it will still cause me a lot of trouble. It means that I am unable to continue my research in inscriptions.

I still have the legendary point for mastering [Manipulate Mana] and my mythic point… This can all be over with if I just use one of them. No, I shouldn't. There's only one mastery point I can get for [Manipulate Mana], and it's the only one best suited for my skill. As for the Mythic point… getting even legendary points is hard enough, and who knows, I may need it for something else.

I can live without crafting, I can slay monsters in the Dungeon safely, I can make mana silk, and I can focus on building my Airship business which I have a trial tied to. I have options open for me; I have time to work this out.

That doesn't mean I should just sit on my hands about it. I need to find a way to at least restore my anima, and in order to do that, I need to explore other lands and the dungeon.

I try to get up, but Mom stops me.

"Where do you think you're going? You need to rest!"

"I need to talk to Kadona and Uloru; I also need to talk to Tusile about something," I say.

I also need to see what my sacrifice was for; I need to see what the Entylamo has become. I need to talk to Tusile about the Lunaley now that the flagship is complete, but there's one other issue. I don't want to risk making more ammo for the airship cannons, and so far, I am the only one who can make them; that has to change.

I should teach others how to improve their mana manipulation type skills; hopefully, they'll get [Manipulate Mana], but skills like [Solidify Mana] and [Liquify Mana] should work too. They should just be improvements over [Weave Mana] which is already a known skill that a few people in the village has.

Of the ones closest to solid mana is Dad; she can technically make solid mana but not through a manipulation type skill, but rather through a forging skill. I should teach her proper mana manipulation.

"Let her go, Feyan," Dad says. "She's an adult now, and she's already had plenty of rest; the body knows when it has had enough"

Mom sighs and lets me go. "I just don't want anything else to happen to her," Mom says, clearly distraught.

I hug Mom and purr, like she used to when I was younger, to calm her. I expand my perception to find the twins, curious as to where they are since they aren't here. They are at Topobe's learning tailoring. They've become very good at it, and if I am going to teach dad how to manipulate mana, I might as well teach them too.

"I'm going to let Yafe and Yafel know I'm well," I tell Mom and Dad before walking to the tailor's shop.

"Aly!" the twins instantly drop what they're doing and run over to me, tackling me in a hug. "You're awake, sleepyhead!"

Topobe looks slightly annoyed that her apprentices are slacking off, but news about what happened has probably made its rounds through the village, so she doesn't say anything.

I greet my old tailoring teacher and thank her for looking after my sisters before examining their work. [Inquisitive Perfestion] is content with their work, showing that they are just about ready for the next step.

After sharing a moment with the twins, I decide not to impose on the master tailor any further and go on with my tasks. I find Kadona and Uloru sparring on the beach and teleport over closer to them.

"You're awake!" Uloru exclaims.

"Hmm," Kadona nods her head. "Her anima has stabilized now, but it's dangerously low."

"Is it that bad?" I ask.

"No, it's worse. I don't know how you're still alive, but I don't think it's possible to go any lower." Kadona says solemnly.

"I see. Then I need a way to restore it somehow. Will you help me?" I ask.

"We can try, but I don't know if it can be restored," Kadona says.

"It can," I say confidently. "We should look in the Lunaleyan lands, though; they may have someone, an artifact, or maybe just a clue."

"Lunaley?" Kadona asks, utterly confused.

Oh, right, I only told the elders, and it seems they never told anyone else.

I fill Kadona and Uloru in on the details as we walk to the village hall. Only Guklaro is there right now, but she can fill the others in later.

"Alysara, I'm glad to see you well. It's rare to see you here; what do you need?" Guklaro asks, seeing us enter.

"As you are aware, the airship is done, but there are a few things you should know about it first," I explain all of its functions and needs, the most important of which is the ammo situation, which ties into another situation about my predicament.

"I see, so its defensive capabilities are a limited resource," Guklaro says after listening to my long explanation.

"Yes, but with my perceptive abilities, I can steer it away from any potential danger so we may not have to use it."

"Is that everything you needed to say?" Gularo asks.

"No. Now that the Entylamo is complete, we can finally trade with the Lunaleyans. With the Entylamo capable of long-term habitation, we should start selecting people to trade. I can translate their language, but it's better to teach you their language."

I completely overlooked the fact that only I know the Lunaleyan language, so I'll need to act as a translator during the negotiations.

"Also," I continue, "When you meet them, you should speak to them with caution. They should be seen as rivals, not friends, at least until proven otherwise."

"You told me about their war but are there other reasons not to trust them?" Guklaro asks.

"Their warriors are stronger," I say, "And our best defense is being hidden from them. They've been trying to get information from me through subtle manipulation the entire time, and no doubt they will try to get information during your negotiations; I think no one is better for the job than you."

Tusile may be the better leader, but Guklaro is naturally cynical, which I think is the better trait at the moment. Plus, we'll be wanting to make trade deals with the other countries.

"Thank you for your endorsement, but I'll need to call a Convocation of Elders to have a select group of representatives chosen to represent all of our villages. It won't be practical to have one elder of all villages, there'd be too many to meet with the Lunaley, but thirty should be a good number."

Thirty? I think the Lunaley might only be expecting five at most; I will have to warn them so they can prepare.

"It will likely be a week or two until we depart," Guklaro continues. "Since we need to get everything in order and make choices on who gets to go."

"Don't forget to bring some warriors and mages. It's not like the Nexus; there's much more crime there than here." I warn her.

"I'll make sure to bring that up in the meeting."

After going over a few more details, I walk to the docks to finally see what the Entylamo has become.

The Entylamo (Exalted):

Created by the most knowledgeable master of mana and magic, this airship warps space inside, so it is far larger inside than outside and can support hundreds of people for long-term habitation. It sports powerful weaponry and armoring the likes few in the world have ever seen. Powered by a strong reactor and mana-gathering capabilities, this airship can put up a fight equal to all but the most powerful beings. It can hover indefinitely and fly at near the speed of sound in times of need.

Examining the inside of the airship, I notice that it is roughly forty percent larger than I initially made it. Its battery and storage rooms are significantly larger, while there are many more residential and workshops.

Its enchantments are gone, but that's only a natural thing when an item becomes magical, but that also means that the mana upkeep needed to power those enchantments aren't there, and that is reflected by the fact that the separated systems from the reactor have become one system meaning it's defensive capabilities just became that much stronger.

The two laser cannons, for instance, can draw upon the power output of the reactor, which has also seen a massive upgrade, seeming to produce over a million mana per hour. The emergency system's batteries have gained a valve so it can be refueled, but its mana can't be drained by another system.

The cannons themselves have been upgraded to be more powerful, although the ammo I made is left unchanged, probably because they are technically a different item.

I start wondering how it will feel to ride it now with the state-of-the-art changes and the transformation into a magic item. Will it be like before? I can't wait for it to claim the skies as its own; it marks a new age for the Runalymo.

"She's a few days late!" Headmaster vulpun says, pacing in Ruluna's study room.

"Do you have to be here?" Ruluna complains. "Something probably happened; nothing we can do about it. I'm trying to learn [Manipulate Mana]!"

They traded for the skill and the first five breakthroughs, but these first five are almost worthless; anyone could figure them out! Well, at least the information Alysara gave is a little more advanced and goes into great detail; just reading her writing gave her all five knowledge levels, and she's sure if she could have gained more, she'd get ten levels in each breakthrough.

Now that she thinks about it, why is that? It's common knowledge that just because the skill has all of its levels, that doesn't mean you've truly mastered it. Perhaps that is why so few people master skills to such a degree that they get a world notification for it, but Alysara has hinted at something before, almost like there can be more.

There's always more. Ruluna ponders. There's always more knowledge, more control of the skill, more breakthroughs, but why does the skill cap out where it does? To limit its power? Or… perhaps, like getting breakthroughs, one can unlock more levels? That'd be ridiculous… right?

Something in Ruluna's gut tells her that she might be on to something, but her mind is adamant that can't be the case. Why would it?

But if there is a time when one does unlock more levels, it'd be when they get the world notification.

Ruluna can't shake that idea from the back of her mind.

Alysara has over forty breakthroughs; there's no way she will be able to reach that point, so what does it matter? Ruluna argues with herself.

"Are you listening, Ruluna?" Headmaster Vulpun says.

"Do you want me to learn this skill or not?!" Ruluna says irately, annoyed at how her superior can't entertain himself with something else.

Vulpun opens his mouth to say something, but fortunately, a messenger interrupts him, opening the door.

"Headmaster! She's here!" The messenger salutes.

"About time! Come, Ruluna, let's see what took her so long" Headmaster Vulpun leads the way out and to the meeting room where the three-tailed girl stands elegantly, her long royal blue hair looking perfect as usual.

"I am sorry for the delay," Alysara bows. "I had fallen ill for a few days."

"That is unfortunate, but I am glad to see you well now," Headmaster Vulpun says with a polite smile. "Your goods are in the usual place."

"I, unfortunately, will be unable to continue making armor and weapons for you for the foreseeable future" Alysara delivers some bad news. "However, there is some good news; we'll be arriving in a week or two."

"What do you mean?" Headmaster Vulpun asks. "You're here now, or do you mean…"

"Yes, our vessel is complete, our Elders will be sending some representatives, expect around… thirty of them."

"Thirty?!" Vulpun exclaims.

Chapter 186: To Boldly Go

"Do you really have to go?" Mom asks, trying to convince me to stay. "Can't you just go there with your clones?"

"I can, but what if I need to be there? This is to restore my anima, and that means if I do find a way, I have to be there. It's not safe for me to fly there on my own; this is the safest method to go there," I explain.

It is the day of departure, and most have now been made aware of the existence of the Lunaleyan lands. People from all over the Nexus have been chosen to go, and it will probably be months before we return. I will be acting as the ship's scout, looking for danger all around us as we travel, including what's above and below us.

"I promise to stay in the Airship," I reassure my family, "I can explore with my clones, and don't look at me like that Yafel, Yafe, I can still play with you while I am gone; I'll leave a few clones here."

The twins look on the verge of crying, not wanting me to go. I pat them on the head before bending down to give them a hug and purr.

"Doesn't operating a clone so far away drain your mana?" Dad asks.

"Yes, but slowly, especially since I got my second Class, and I can always recharge from the airship."

Considering its mana production now, it will always be producing a surplus which is also a problem that I overlooked. I was so focused on trying to make the airship produce as much mana as possible to keep up with its demand I overlooked the fact that excess mana will need a place to go; otherwise, it will ruin the mana batteries at best and at worse ruin the entire power system. Fortunately, when the ship became a magic item, it can reverse its mana drawing ability and release excess mana, but it has to be done manually.

I am sure there will be more things that can be improved, things I never thought to consider, things I don't even know will be problems, but that is just how it is with pioneering technology.

Supplies are loaded onto the airship and placed on the lifts to lower them into storage. Tools, equipment, and personal belongings are carried in as people claim rooms and workshops for themselves, writing their names on a nameplate on their door. I have already claimed my room in a convenient location and moved my stuff in.

I spend what little time I have left with my family before the final boarding call came. I give them a goodbye hug and then teleport to the deck of the airship. That's when I noticed another small oversight. The Entylamo can go mach speeds, which means that anyone on the deck will be subject to incredible winds and may be blown off.

There are ways around this, a wind resisting spell, for example. But an enchantment on the airship would be best. To be fair, I never intended it to go so fast except for emergency cases, but with its improvements, the Entylamo can spare regular use. Speaking of wind resistance, I should have enchanted the entire airship to resist air drag, but I guess it's too late for that now?

Can I modify magic items? Perhaps it's not too late. I don't think the changes will automatically change to be incorporated into the magic item functions; it will have to wait for a tier upgrade for that, but with most of the mana consumption freed up, the airship can afford some upgrades.

It will take time to implement the enchantments, at least a day's work, but if we don't want people to fly off during sudden speed changes or traveling at high speeds, then these will need to be done. I'll have to inform the captain about the risks soon.

What else does the airship need? A public announcement system? If the captain has to run away from a monster, she'll need to warn people to brace for the sudden change until I can enchant the airship to make it safe.

But will these changes risk me depleting my anima even more? I can't risk it. We can make do with spells for now. I inform the captain of the problems and tell her that I'll need to renew the spells every few hours. I can easily draw mana from one of the batteries, so it isn't going to be an issue.

Once everyone have boarded, the Entylamo undocks from the village pier floating a safe distance away before unfurling its side sails and lifting up in the air. The crowd of watchers cheer and wave as the flying ship departs for the Lunaleyan lands. I see my parents and the twins waving from the end of the docks watching as we fly farther and farther away until they can no longer see us.

After the magical item transformation, the normal cruising speed is around four hundred kilometers per hour, meaning it will take just under a day to travel the nearly nine thousand kilometer distance, and with my safety spells, we reach cruising speed without any discomfort.

Most people are crowded on the deck, taking turns to see the ground zoom by. If anyone fell, it would be the end of them if they can't fly or at least fall slowly by skill or by spell.

Traveling so fast has brought up a new oversight that I never considered, although there is nothing I can do to fix it but warn the captain. Some scouts may not be able to see far enough to warn the crew about monsters in time, so in the case where I am not performing any scouting duties, the Airship may have to travel at slower speeds.

In any case, there is nothing ahead of us; most leviathans are hundreds of kilometers apart, and I assume most monsters are too, but that won't always be the case, and I suspect once we get to land where there is a lot more monster density the chances of encountering monsters is a lot higher.

This doesn't mean we can take just any airship; the normal ones are much slower. The slower an airship goes, the more time over the ocean it is, which means there's a greater chance to run into a powerful monster. By making the trek in one day as opposed to a week or more, the chances of encountering any monsters are a lot lower.

That said, about seven hours in the flight, we did have to deviate around a massive flying monster that had lightning forking out with each beat of its wings.

People eventually went below deck once the novelty of the flight wore off, and once night fell, everyone except the pilot on duty went to the Lojyo room. The pilot will be relieved halfway through so she can attend.

Most people are unfamiliar with each other, coming from different villages, but that doesn't stop them from forming groups and expressing their curiosities about what the Lunaleyan lands will be like.

I join the musician to play, and when it came time to share, I stepped up to explain what to expect when we arrive, which will be in the middle of the night; but I and the captain, didn't tell anyone that, we want it to be a surprise.

Once the Lojyo comes to an end, everyone goes to bed; when we wake up in the morning, we will have already landed and docked at their port.

Governor, Vanu Runa Orlan is awakened by a knock at his bedroom door. He gets dressed and opens the door, where a messenger and his two guards stand.

"Governor Orlan," the messenger says. "Sorry to wake you, but the Runalymo have just arrived! Ambassador Alysara says that they will meet you in the morning."

Orlan will have to inform the other governors of their arrival. They have all been waiting for the Runalymo to arrive for three days now Alysara didn't give an exact time on when they would arrive.

It is fortunate they arrived in the night, though; it gives him time to really prepare a grand reception for them.

Orlan worked through the rest of the night, ordering servants and guards to their positions. He has soft carpets rolled out on their dock.

Orlan takes this chance to study their ship, a large ship with ornate patterns decorated on it; what's most odd, though, is that the main sail lies horizontally like a large cover. There are other sails and fans folded up to its sides and strange protrusions at the back.

He doesn't know how the ship can sail properly, but the Runalymo must be doing something right if they managed to arrive safely.

The Ship isn't without defenses. There are dozens of cannons, although they look unused, but the most impressive thing about the ship is that it is made entirely out of mana!

Orlan is fully familiar with Alysara's work by now, but making such a large thing is impressive even for her.

Do they have others that can do what she does? Orlan ponders. It's reasonable to assume so. Even if Alysara is a prodigy, it's incomprehensible that she'd managed to master her skills without generations of knowledge before her. Perhaps Alysara didn't make the entire ship and only did some of the work.

Shortly before morning, at the first hint of dawn, the other governors arrive in ones and twos, marveling at their strange ship.

"Impressive," Governor and Grand Judge Sep Mora Torn Says. The old man strokes his long brown beard while studying their ship.

"I feel a very strong Bond presence," Governor Van says, a little softly considering his normally loud demeanor. His sister nods, a little wary. "It feels like my own presence is… trembling, no… resonating with someone else."

"I don't feel anything. Are you sure?" Governor Yora Yoru Kara says, side-eyeing Van.

"We are sure," Van replies, Ryn giving him a nod.

Before anyone else can say anything more, Orlan notices movement on the deck of the ship, and soon a gangplank is lowered, one with handrails and equally decorated as the ship.

The first to appear is a familiar beautiful young woman with long royal blue hair and three very long tails.

It feels different; however, there's a slight presence of her Bond that Orlan can feel as if she hasn't mastered her Bond yet. Behind her are more people, middle-aged and older; the Runalymo Elders.

She's finally here in person!

Orlan does not let this chance go and [Analyzes] her but receives no information! It is a clone, but she is nearby, only hidden.

A total of twenty-five Elders join the Governors on the docks, all looking around almost like they've never been to a city before.

They are all dressed in thick warm clothes, almost like it's winter, despite it being a summer morning, but that's not the strangest thing; they are all voluptuous women. Alysara didn't mention anything about a matriarchy; is it just a coincidence? Is it a cultural custom that only women meet with other people? There are many explanations, and he doesn't know enough about the Runalymo.

"Welcome!" Orlan greets the Runalymo Elders. "I am Governor Vanu Runa Orlan, the leader of this city. Behind me are the Governors of other cities: Governors Sep Mora Torn, Yora Yoru Kara, Ora Ara Van, Hova Sera Polivan, and Kineto Lova Borala. We would like to show you our city and trade."

Alysara translates his words to the Runalymo language the first time he hears Alysara's native tongue. It is a similar sounding language, but since his ancestors came from their lands, that isn't surprising.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Alysara translates. "I am Guklaro; we would love to see your city and what you have to trade."

Chapter 187: International Negotiations

"Have you [Analyzed] the ship yet?" Borala whispers to Orlan.

"I have not," Orlan says but does so immediately.

The Entylamo (Exalted):

Created by the most knowledgeable master of mana and magic, this airship warps space inside, so it is far larger inside than outside and can support hundreds of people for long-term habitation. It sports powerful weaponry and armoring the likes few in the world have ever seen. Powered by a strong reactor and mana-gathering capabilities, this airship can put up a fight equal to all but the most powerful beings. It can hover indefinitely and fly at near the speed of sound in times of need.

It can fly?!

A chill creeps down Orlan's spine; an Exalted ship like this would be able to single-handedly break past any siege. What do walls mean if the enemy can just fly over them? Plus, it can hold hundreds! That can be a small army of their best warriors who can attack any place in the city, or even directly target the palace itself.

Now Orlan understands why they waited for the completion of this airship. It's a show of force, a warning that they are much stronger.

"What do you think?" Orlan asks Borala, the Grand Marshal, for her expert opinion.

"I do think they want peace. If they intended to invade, they wouldn't show their hand. I [Analyzed] their guards; they aren't all that impressive. I think they are compensating for that. Regardless of their reasoning though, the ship itself is a formidable threat that we cannot contest."

Alysara did say that they are craftsmen, but she remained mostly vague. Could it be that her secrecy is because they are not a people of warriors?

Orlan examines a few of the guards around the elders, seeing they are mostly between levels three and four hundred with a few who are over four hundred. Experienced warriors for sure, but not what he'd expect for elite warriors which should be deployed to protect their elders.

Unless they sent expendable leaders. Orlan ponders, but he just as quickly discards that idea.

It would be stupid to do that. It might work if they need some of them to survive and report back, that would explain why there are so many, but Alysara can fill that job easily. Not to mention, if she is here, that should be all the more reason to send their best warriors. Alysara is undoubtedly one of their best people; even if the elders are expendable, she should not be. She has proven she does not need to be here in person, so the fact that she may be means they don't intend to fight and risk her life.

"Let's begin the negotiations; we have a lot of people in the airship eager to see the city and sell their wares." Alysara translates for another one of their elders, who had introduced herself as Mara.

They certainly don't waste time. Normally these things take a few days, but it seems the Runalymo culture is to get these things over with as soon as they can.

Mara looks like a retired gladiator, with her well-built body and long black hair pulled back in a tail.

Speaking of tails, Orlan can't help but notice that Alysara is unique even among her people, not just that she has three tails, which is definitely a rare race evolution, but in how long they are.

Now, with others of her people that he can compare her with, Alysara somehow stands out even more. Not in appearance, but in everything else. It's like she's the equivalent of the Grand Healer of Helikan, who Orlan had only met once before.

The healer nation, Helikan, is a far away country on the other side of the land, and between them is the Forren Kingdom. It's impossible to request their aid or or even knowledge for Alysara's anima problem, due to these challenges. This is why he never mentioned it when Alysara asked; but with that ship of theirs, they can easily visit Helikan, and perhaps he can ask to ride with them. Then he can ally with the healers and make a deal to attack Forren.

If anyone can heal Alysara, it's the Grand Healer; perhaps he can negotiate a trade and gain more knowledge from Alysara, but that will be for after the negotiation with the elders.

"Of course," Orlan replies. "Follow me to the city hall where we can begin negotiations."

Alysara has previously negotiated for security, but now Guklaro and the other elders are asking to buy a 'trade hub' or a market square in the city, a place where their craftsmen can set up shop and sell their wares.

"Having a consistent place every time we come here will make trading much easier for everyone. Your people will know where to go, and your security efforts can be concentrated in one location," Alysara translated for one of the numerous Elders.

Orlan has a difficult time remembering all of their names, but it seems like they had given this a lot of thought, taking into account not only their interests but his as well.

However, he can't just give in to all of their demands; it will set a precedent that they can just ask for whatever they want. A little pushback is needed, even if he agrees with their argument.

"What do you think, Orlan?" Governor Torn asks.

"If they want to buy land, they should be considered land owners and be subjected to taxes, the normal merchant rate."

Torn and Borala nod in agreement, but Governor Kara asks Alysara a question.

"They plan to set up a market square in every city?"

"Yes," Alysara nods, her tone and demeanor indifferent; however, her tails seem a little more active now.

"And how often will the market square be occupied?" Governor Kara asks.

"The current plan is to be here for a month before going back home and changing out people."

"That leaves you about a week for each of our cities every month." Kara says before turning to her fellow Governors, "I'm not sure they can afford normal merchant taxes, at least for the first few years. A one-time purchase for the land should make it profitable for them."

"A week is all they need to sell their wares," Borala argues a counterpoint. "Once word gets around, and we can help with that if need be, people will be swarming the market square to buy their wares. Given the exotic nature of their products, they will be able to sell high. The tax rates for merchants and licensed businesses is fifty-three gold coins per year, or about three gold and eighty silver coins per month. Don't you think they will be able to make four gold in a week?"

"Borala is right," Governor Torn says, the old man nodding to Borala's argument. "I suspect they will be able to make as much as fifteen gold."

"You miss the point," Governor Van finally speaks up. His sister has been quietly whispering to him, giving him her perspective on the issue. "It's not just how much they make but that they will have to pay that for all the cities, and that will add up and cost us more than it will cost them."

"What do you mean?" Orlan asks, looking quizzically at the large muscled man.

"Goodwill," Van answers. "While our laws say that all land owners must pay taxes, didn't Alysara tell us that is a foreign concept to them? They will not like that. They gave us what they saw as a fair trade; they buy the land and even considered our needs in our duty to protect them; subjecting them to this may even offend them and cost us this valuable opportunity, and at worst, drive them to neighboring nations."

"You make a strong argument," Governor Torn says after a moment of beard-stroking thought. "Consider me convinced."

Orlan is naturally drawn to getting the most value out of something, considering he is gold Bonded, but that doesn't consider the psychological part of trade; reputation is often more valuable than money. If Torn can go against his law Bond, then he can go against his gold Bond. Bending the law and his own personal desire for the future of the country is far more important.

"Very well, we agree to this deal," Orlan says to the elders.

After that, they had to discuss where to build the market square, but the Runalymo have thought ahead and brought the building materials with them; the only thing they need is a location. The negotiations go smoothly and end after a few hours.

As The Runalymo turn to leave, Orlan gets Alysara's attention.

"Alysara, I have some information that may help you with your Anima problem" Alysara's ears perk up. She turns around, her tails still, waiting for further information.

"The healer country, Helikan, should have some information on anima. The person you should first seek is their Grand Healer, Lanya; if anyone can heal you, it should be her. I can introduce you to her, but there's one issue; the Forren Kingdom lies between them and us, which means we'll need your ship to get there."

"I take it you want to come with?" Alysara asks.

"Yes, I have business with them; unfortunately, the war is in the way of that."

"Thank you for the information; I'll ask the elders to allow you on the airship," Alysara says, bowing elegantly in gratitude.

Orlan gets the impression that Alysara is a little relieved at his information, although she hides that well.

Sentaro Klaman waits for the Vocana Governors and Runalymo to leave the room before he teleports onto the hill overlooking the city. He feels the split-second flash of Alysara's perception as he drops his stealth to vanish from his spot.

She's improved. Klaman smiles as things have just started getting interesting again. The efforts to replace the lost spies have paid off.

He would love to get a closer look at the Runalymo ship, but that would alarm the powerful scryer.

He doesn't want to simply kidnap her, that won't be a good idea. He needs to build relations with these new people. He needs Alysara to willingly secure the Emperor's bloodline, but… does it have to be her? No, there are others that have the mark of the true Lunaleyan Lineage, those with royal blue hair, but Alysara is the only one Klaman can sense that is worthy to be Empress.

That's not even considering her world notifications which makes her even more desirable for the role.

"Helikan, huh?" Klaman mutters. "Perhaps it's time to call in a few favors."

He teleports to the Helikan capitol, Yuasan, and directly to Lanya's office. He feels Layna's and her guard's perceptive fields but pays them no mind. The guards instantly rush into the room to protect the Grand Healer, but fall to the ground as their legs vanish.

"Stand down," Lanya says calmly to the two guards whose legs are rapidly regrowing.

"Lanya! It's been too long!" Klaman says as if seeing a long-lost friend. Lanya, however, does not look pleased. Her green eyes are serious as always, and her long silver hair shifts as she looks up from her desk.

Lanya looks like a young woman in her prime; however, Klaman knows that she is just as old as he is. She has yet to reach the power of a legendary being, but due to her healing prowess, she still managed to find immortality through healing her age.

"You always bring trouble; go away," Lanya says almost in a bored tone.

"I bring great news!" Klaman playfully counters.

Lanya sighs and leans back in her chair. "Well, spit it out then; I don't have all day!"

"You will soon have a very important customer! A young woman with three tails, Beauty bonded. Whatever she asks, give it to her, and I will pay for it; all I ask is that you redirect her to me and let her know that the Empire is her benefactor."

"It's rare for you to take interest in someone," Lanya remarks.

"Well, she has two world notifications now; how can I not be interested. Plus, she has the mark of the true Lunaleyan Lineage" Klaman smiles gleefully.

"That one, huh." Lanya smiles devilishly. "And what if I ask for something you cannot pay? Such as information on the skills she has mastered?"

Klaman frowns. "You owe me, Lanya. Remember the werewolf incident? That cursed being almost annihilated this city and could have converted thousands into beasts."

It is Lanya's turn to frown. "I remember all too well; we have since forbidden such research."

"Good, then consider that debt paid if you do this and help me to have her become my Empress."

With that, Klaman vanishes from the Grand Healer's room.

Chapter 188: A New Market

After the negotiations with the Lunaley, we return to the airship. The Elders take off their thick clothes after stepping into the comfortable atmosphere of the Entylamo. They go to the meeting room to have an after-action meeting, and I follow them to discuss what I heard from Orlan, and what wants in relation to that subject.

"Governor Orlan wants us to take him to another ruling faction," I explain once everyone gets situated. "I don't know if other Governors will want to come with, but we can expect him to bring a few guards."

I'm not sure what I would do in this situation. On one hand, he helped me with information; the payment is clearly that he wants us to ferry him safely to Helikan to try and gain allies in the war. On the other hand, he will be able to gain information on this airship. The batteries, being very volatile when damaged, are a major weak point; we do not want knowledge going around. The solution is simple; restrict him from entering the control sections of the airship.

"Is that wise?" One elder that I am unfamiliar with asks.

Several elders look to me for advice, seeing as I have the most experience with the Lunaley.

"It should be fine if we restrict him to certain sections," I reply. "Mostly to the residential and industrial areas."

The airship is separated into four distinct sections. The residential area, where everyone lives, bathes, and gathers for the Lojyo. The Industrial area, where workshops are, so more goods can be made during the voyage. The storage facility, to which visitors really have no reason to go, plus we don't want any potential for theft. And, the airship control sections, where many of the battery systems and other vital functions are. The airship control section is usually restricted to only the crew anyway since we don't want people wandering around and getting in the way, but it's a loose rule; friends and family can visit, but if anyone is caught in this section and they don't have a good reason to be there they will be told to leave.

With this design, it should be easy to keep visitors to certain areas.

"I doubt we will have to worry about that," Guklaro says with a hint of an amused smile. "She is used to the cold, so she won't be comfortable with the normal temperature." She referred to governor Orlan as a female, even though he was a man. The Runalymo do not have a concept of males, so even if I were to explain it to them they would have a hard time with the idea.

As for Guklaro's point. I completely overlooked that. Spending so much time in the hot climate of the Nexus, even when my clone goes out, means I don't bother thinking about the climate situation most of the time. Most, if not all, Lunaley will find the temperature and humidity in the Airship inhospitable. It's not just hot; it's hot, just a few degrees below boiling water; without innate heat resistance, one will be slow-roasted in here. I will have to keep a climate control spell active if he doesn't already have an enchanted or magical item that does the same.

"I don't think we should get involved in their affair," another Elder speaks up. "For all we know, they are the bad ones. We don't know enough about each country to make these important decisions."

"We need friends on these lands who can help spread our influence and introduce us to the other rulers. Their help may be invaluable," Another argues.

The Elders start going back and forth for several minutes until they finally settle on a helpful but neutral stance.

"Very well. We will offer all rulers a chance to meet in a neutral, non-hostile place. What they do amongst themselves is of no consequence to us; we will only provide the opportunity to meet."

With that subject out of the way, I leave, glad that I am not the one making these decisions. It will be some time before we depart for another country and establish trade with them since we will build a market in this city and stay for about a week once everything is built.

It takes the better part of the day for everything to go through the Vocana bureaucratic system, which must have been lightning fast compared to normal operations. Once we are notified that we are now allowed to build on the lots, a team of builders file out of the airship and are escorted to the site.

I keep watch over them to make sure nothing goes wrong and notice they draw a lot of attention from bystanders.

By now, rumors must have made their way throughout the city. With the Entalymo being suddenly docked in the middle of the night, and now a group of foreign-looking people in exotic clothes being escorted by a group of guards, this will surely light the rumor mill ablaze.

The market is not actually in the city proper. Rather, it is just outside in a walled section that was built as the city expanded. The city has several of these expansions, and most have plenty of room. The area is actually a nice place. One would expect it to be the slums that would grow outward, but it seems the rich and wealthy like the less crowded spaces more.

The fact that it is in a walled place separate from the hustle and bustle of the city must have been a significant part of the decision-making of the governor, and I can't help but notice that this expansion area seems to be the newest and least populated one. It's possible that Orlan wants to drive development in this area and is using our market as an opportunity, but admittedly this is the best place for many reasons, including ease of security.

Despite it being after work hours since the builders had nothing to do for most of the day, they work diligently until it's time for the Lojyo when they return to the ship. It will probably take them at least three days to have the market fully made.

Archmage Holuna Ruluna strolls through the new Runalymo market, admiring the exotic architecture. The buildings are sturdy and well built, even decorated, but that seems to be part of the Runalymo culture.

The marketplace is built in several rows of buildings which are all built two floors high, with the second floor being accessed by outside stairs and acts as a different shop from the first floor. This is to make the most of the available space since there are hundreds of Runalymo selling their products, more than anyone imagined given the size of their ship, which few are allowed to approach.

Banners hang from the shops, depicting their wares with detailed embroidery. Wares ranging in variety from furniture to potions are being sold. Although the price is high, they are making a lot of sales through the novelty of their products.

Ruluna has finally been sent to do a job that isn't study this, study that! The other archmages and paladins are lucky that they aren't burdened by paperwork, books, and futile attempts to try and research the workings of [Sense Mana].

Thankfully the Runalymo broke the monotony of all that, and now she is on guard duty for the market. Not the greatest of jobs, but at least it gets her out of the Order's headquarters and away from Vulpun buzzing around her.

This doesn't mean she can take it easy, though. She has to be vigilant. The market is buzzing with activity! Everyone wants to see the new market and the foreign Runalymo.

Most of the shops have put price tags on their products. The Runalymo don't speak the local language, which makes trading difficult. That makes having the price written on the product itself the only way to easily facilitate a transaction.

The governor's city guards and squads of greater Orders like the Order of Flame that Ruluna is part of patrol the market, keeping thieves away. It is imperative that not only the government gives a good first impression to these people, but the Orders too. And, the show of strong security is a good way to make sure the shadier side of the city doesn't give the wrong impression as well.

That is what Vulpun strongly stressed to her when giving her this job. Alysara is only here because her people wanted to trade; they cannot afford to drive the Runalymo away.

Ruluna has found the Runalymo quite open and social amongst themselves, often bathing all together at the bathhouse they built. Ruluna had to stop several people from entering and burning themselves in that near-boiling water after the first incident; one would think the sheer heat of the place was warning enough.

Wherever they live, Ruluna does not want to visit. It is evident now that the Runalymo live in a very hot place, considering they wear winter-like clothes on a hot summer day.

"Ruluna!" a familiar voice calls to her from behind.

She turns around to see a young man with a carriage behind him,drawn by Forron beasts. The man has green hair and eyes, and he wears a verdant tunic with his family crest sewn onto the chest; the crest depicts three gold coins, the symbol of the Order of Merchants.

"What brings you here, Kayan?" Ruluna asks.

Kayan is a traveling merchant, one that she has worked for once before, but due to the long journey, they became acquaintances. Ruluna wouldn't call him a friend, but it's good to know people in the other Orders.

"I'm going to take some of this stuff down to Caerym, and while I'm there, I'll pick up some of their stuff to sell to the Runalymo; I should be able to make a killing over this!" Kayan enthusiastically says.

"The frost kingdom? Kayan, don't do that, the Runalymo will be establishing their own trade routes to all countries, and by the time you'll get there, it won't be profitable!" Ruluna warns the man, but he dismisses her argument with a wave of his hand.

"If I start now, I'll beat the Runalymo to them"

"This is a bad idea, but if you insist on this, don't spend all of your money. It's a lot riskier than you think, and if it fails too hard, you may end up kicked out of the Order."

"It's not going to fail; trust me, I know what I am doing. I am a merchant, after all!" Kayan grins confidently.

Ruluna sighs and shakes her head. She can only hope he is right. Traveling merchants are often risk-takers; they go out in the wilderness, where they can be attacked by monsters and bandits, risking their lives for the sake of the chance at a better deal in foreign lands. In her time as a hired guard, Kayan made three risky decisions on the road that almost got people killed.

They often stake all their money on one big opportunity that may net them a huge profit, but the only successful traveling merchants are the few who get lucky and make that big deal and use the profits to open a store in the city. As for the rest, sooner or later the merchant will land short and lose all of their money.

This is not to say that all trade across borders is from traveling merchants; most are by caravans from businesses and companies who can afford the shipment costs upfront. Traveling merchants are just opportunist freelancers looking to make lots of money in one go.

The arrival of the Runalymo will bring great opportunity to many, but for every successful person, there are ninety-nine people who lose everything, and not all people are willing to blame their own misfortune or inability. There will be those who will turn their anger toward the Runalymo. Thieves and thugs are not the only ones Ruluna will have to look out for, but also the ones who blame the Runalymo for their own misfortune.

Chapter 189: Around the Island in eight hours

"To summarize the Elder's decision about your request," Alysara says, "They feel that giving you this opportunity may break neutrality and be seen as obvious support."

Governor Vanu Runa Orlan nods. He doesn't see it that way, and most won't, but the Runalymo have a very different culture.

"Therefore," Alysara continues, "They will simply provide a neutral meeting place for all country rulers or representatives to meet."

Orlan raises an eyebrow.

"If that's the case, you will still need someone to vouch for you; not many are going to trust an unknown faction. With me vouching for you, everything will go a lot smoother."

"You just want the opportunity to get to negotiate with the other countries first," Alysara accuses. "But the Elders have come to the same conclusion and will allow restricted access to the Entylamo."

"Excellent! When will you depart?" Orlan flashes her a smile.

Alysara's expression remains indifferent, but her tails twitch in slight annoyance.

"Tomorrow. It will be a relatively short flight to each country, about half an hour or so, don't expect any long voyage. Also, the purpose will be just to invite the rulers to meet at a neutral place, two days after the notification, where you can all negotiate if you want. Of course, we will be using this opportunity to negotiate trade routes."

"I see; well then, I'll make sure tomorrow is cleared up for me."

To be truthful, Orlan is eagerly anticipating the experience of the Runalymo ship. What is it like to be inside something that is much bigger on the inside? What is it like when it flies? Lysha and her brothers will be jealous once they hear about this, but they are busy vying for election. Lysha is fighting the war, Maley is down in Caerym for an important deal, and Hanar is visiting the independent cities for something he has yet to fully disclose, even to him, his father.

The day couldn't have passed any slower. After his short meeting with Alysara, the other governors wanted to discuss strategies for gaining more allies in the war. In the end, Borala, the grand marshal, and Torn, the grand judge, both wanted to come to the meeting as well.

"As the Grand Marshal, I am confident I can convince them that helping us is the best strategic option for them, since I have the best information on the current war affairs. Plus, by coming with you I can get a better idea of what the Runalymo's ship is capable of," Borala argues her case.

At least Torn is honest in his reasoning.

"I just want to see what kind of changes the Runalymo will bring."

"Very well" Orlan says. "Then let us move on to the happenings of the last month."

Reports of a bush fire that had destroyed several farms came in, although fortunately it was under control and had been put out now. Then, three minor Orders asked for him to mediate a dispute. After that came reports of a large pinkish drake flying near the city; although that last one is more of a rumor. If there were such a monster so close to the city, everyone would know about it.

Orlan is completely exhausted by the end of the day, and sleep takes him almost immediately. His wife even had to wake him up to get ready for the trip on the Runalymo's ship.

He takes two guards with him, and he makes his way to the port, where Alysara and two elders wait. His [Analyze] shows that the Alysara in front of him is another clone, but perhaps he will get the chance to meet the real Alysara during this trip.

"We welcome you aboard the Entylamo. You will be allowed access to the deck and the residential and industrial areas, but we will have to ask you not to go anywhere else," Alysara translates for one of the elders.

"Thank you for your hospitality" Orlan bows.

With that, he walks up the ramp and onto the ship's deck, where it is noticeably hotter.

Could the sail above them be trapping the summer's heat under it? Orlan ponders, but Alysara answers the question rolling in his mind.

"Just to warn you, we are used to much higher heat, so you will find the ship inside to be much, much, hotter."

Orlan nods tentatively before looking around and examining the deck. There's a large lift, and after seeing him look at it, Alysara explains what it is.

"That leads to storage to make it easy to store and withdraw goods. Only crafters are allowed access to store or retrieve their goods."

"Of course," Orlan says.

It makes sense; he rarely ever visits a warehouse. Most don't unless they work there or use it.

Orlan makes note that no crew is on the deck, but with such a strange setup, he doesn't know what to expect. However, he doesn't need to wait long as a gust of air rushes up under the sail, and he suddenly feels heavier. The ground falls away, as the airship raises high above the docks and city below. Once they reach a certain height, the ship begins moving forward slowly at first and then picking up greater speed.

Orlan watches in amazement as the ground rushes past from over the rails. Farmlands extend far to the horizon; he never knew what it looked like from above.

"We'll stop by the Caerym first, then we'll visit the cities east of them before stopping by Forren; after that, we'll visit Helikan and finally the Luna Empire."

"I don't think Forren will be very welcoming to me, considering our current relations." Orlan comments.

"It's quite alright, we will be able to handle that one for ourselves," Alysara replies.

She doesn't talk much during the flight but stays with Orlan, probably to keep make sure he doesn't go anywhere he is not allowed, even if he never intended it. It would be quite rude for him to go against his host's wishes but if he were in their shoes he'd probably do the same too.

Orlan savors the experience of flying on the airship, marveling at the ground far below, how the Hills rose and fell, the forest and plains sprawling out, the herds of animals grazing. It is something few ever get the chance to experience.

Flying skills are not unheard of, but they are rare. Hundreds of years ago, when the Luna empire occupied the lands of Vocana, there was a platoon of elite soldiers that all had a flying Class; at least, that's how the stories were told.

Volcana broke away from the Empire when his forefather, Prince Luna Varum Vanu, rebelled. He took on the Family name Runa after his victory, and Vanu became the House name.

He's not sure how the Luna Empire will receive him, considering the history, but that was over three hundred fifty years ago, no one from that time should be alive, and only historians should know the events.

Half an hour later, the ship lands in the port of the Caerym capital city. Snow falls from the sky as the cold air bites at his skin. The city is covered in white, and smoke billows from thousands of chimneys. People walk around in fur coats and fire silk woven clothes.

"The Elders aren't going to like the cold here," Alysara remarks. "At least it's not as cold as an ice storm."

"Ice storm? Do you have a lot of them?" Orlan asks.

Mana storms are really rare, like once a decade, if that, but Alysara talks about them like they are a relatively common occurrence. That is not even going into the fact that a specific type of mana storm is even rarer. Considering that they live in a hot place, fire storms should be more common, but for them to have regular Ice storms, they must live in a mana unstable place.

"Common enough, about once a month."

Where the hell do they live to get mana storms so often?!

Alysara won't say, so Orlan won't bother asking, but perhaps he should look into some history about his ancestor's place; maybe he can find something, but that is a matter for another time. For now, he needs to focus on the current task.

Onlookers stare in fascination at the Entylamo as a platoon of guards march through the crowds.

"I suppose this is where I come in," Orlan says as the ramp is lowered to the pier. He walks down to introduce himself.

With Orlan's expertise, the situation is quickly diffused, and a messenger is sent to the palace. Soon enough, Orlan, the Elders, and I are all granted an audience with the King.

"Normally, one would have to kneel before the King," Orlan tells me before we enter the palace, "But we are considered of equal position, so in our case, it would actually be considered inappropriate for us to bow or kneel."

The guard comes back with the King's approval and let us in. We enter the throne room, and before us sits a tall man with long braided hair, a thin scar on the left side of his face, and a magic fur cloak on his back.

Mane of the Snow King (Exalted) (Archaic): This Cloak has served the rulers of the frost lands for over a thousand years and helped the warrior Kings repel invasions from the neighboring countries and empires. With this, the wearer is protected from heat and cold and can rally the fury of the land and blanket his foes under frost and snow.

Conjure Blizzard 280/280, Climate stabilization.

"Welcome to Caerym, Governor Vanu Runa Orlan. Who are these exotic people you bring?" The king asks with power in his voice.

I would [Analyze] him, but that may set off retaliation items he is wearing, and that will offend him and hurt our chances to trade. He wears several more magic items but none above Grand tier.

"They are the Runalymo, King Farandor. They come from the homeland of our ancestors, from before they arrived in these lands. They seek trade and wish to invite you or your representative to a neutral place in two days' time where all the rulers of this land may meet. It is a great opportunity to make deals with far-off lands and other countries that may otherwise prove too expensive or impractical to manage."

"They intend to take us on their flying ship?" King Farandor asks.

"Yes, they are a peaceful people. It would be folly to trick, ransom, or harm you in this manner. If they intend an invasion, they wouldn't be parading around; they'd have been able to attack entirely without warning."

"Hmm" The King hums with a nod "And how do I know they don't intend to spy on us?"

Orlan glances at me, a hint of an amused smile on his face.

"This scryer here is Alysara, the one from the world notifications," Orlan says with a gesture toward me. "There is nothing that can stop her from spying on you; they don't need pretenses. They really do only intend to trade."

"I see," King Farandor says after several seconds of contemplative silence. "Then I accept your proposal, but if this turns out to be a trap, Vocana will take responsibility."

"Of course," Orlan replies.

After that, we return to the airship, and this time Orlan and his guards finally enter the ship, probably to warm up a bit. Unfortunately for him, it's a little too warm; the moment the door inside opens, a wave of heat assaults him, making him and his guards flinch.

"What kind of burning pit do you live in?!" Orlan exclaims

I can't help but smile amusedly, seeing their reaction.

"Let me help you out" I say and cast a spell to make them comfortable by balancing out the heat with ice mana to cool things down around them.

"Normally it's dangerous to cast spells on a dignitary, but I'll allow it this time since I know you meant no harm."

"I wasn't aware," I say truthfully.

"It's best to let them ask or deal with it themselves."

I proceed to give Orlan a tour as we approach our next destination and the next few meetings play out similarly to the first. It isn't until we get to Forren that we have to rely on Orlan's previous examples to help us with this meeting.

"This is Elder Guklaro, and Elder Mara" I introduce the elders. "We would like to invite you to a meeting where we can discuss trade with you and other rulers or their representatives."

The King, King Forren Jusantar is a pudgy man dressed in expensive mana silk clothes and wearing all kinds of garish jewelry.

"Will Vocana be there?" King Jusantar asks.

"Yes. You can also make deals with any other country there," I answer.

"Will you be trading with them?"

"We already are."

"They are our enemy; why should we agree to this? What's in it for us?"

I translate to the Elders, and they give a reply.

"We will not interfere in your war; we seek to trade goods and embolden the economy of both of our countries. We do not have to trade, but we are sure you will find it quite beneficial."

The King's advisor whispers in his ear before he answers. "I will send a representative, but we make no promises with someone who trades with our enemy; you should be grateful for my generosity."

Irritated by the King's attitude, I translate to the elders, who look equally annoyed.

"Then we will pick up your representative in two days," I say, a little eager to be leaving. With the troublesome one out of the way, we get back to the airship and make our way to Helikan, where I have personal business. If all goes well, I can finally restore my anima.

Chapter 190: Healer

Grand Healer of Helikan, Lorana Lanya, prepares for the arrival of her guest, ordering the maids to hang decorative banners and replacing the normal carpet with soft Floryn silk carpet. Lanya has always liked the texture of the rare Floryn cocoon silk ever since her mother had gotten her a dress of it for her fifteenth birthday.

She looks at the young black-haired man sitting on the second-floor railing, overlooking the entrance hall. No one would guess that he is over four hundred years old, let alone the most powerful man in the world. His grey eyes carefully examine the work being done.

"From what I can tell, the Runalymo favor decorative work," He says between bites of Kyr fruit.

"Are you really just going to spy on this meeting? Afraid that I won't honor my debt?" Lanya asks, annoyed by the presence of Klaman.

"Why do you always have to be so cold toward me, Lanya? I have known you all your life, ever since you were a little girl. Your father would be very proud that at least one of his children is as successful as you." Klaman stares off in the distance nostalgically.

"It's almost as if the 'true Lunaleyan Lineage' doesn't guarantee talent; I find it quite ironic how I was the one most successful in ruling despite my brothers' more legitimate claim," Lanya taunts the assassin.

Born as the illegitimate child of the First Emperor of Luna, Lanya had a difficult childhood. She barely knew her father, and he almost never visited between his conquests, but he did send his trusted friend to check up on her every now and then. She was lucky to have been born with a life Bond and was able to join the healers, slowly rising through the rank of this society until she reached the top.

"I see that now," Klaman says, "Blood rots if it is stagnant; it needs fresh stimulus from other families. Both you and I are proof that those with royal blue hair aren't always the most talented ones, but it is that which ties the emperor to the first Empress. With it, no one can have a greater claim to rule, and that keeps the empire stable."

"You are an old fool! This country has stood far longer; hair color is not needed for a stable rule," Lanya rebukes.

"It's about having a strong claim to rule, and there is no better claim than being descended from the First Empress."

"One would think that one's ability to rule is good enough for a claim to rule. Merit is clearly better than what you have now. And don't you dare disagree! You have effectively removed the current emperor due to incompetence! Should have done so a hundred years ago!"

"And what prevents someone from overthrowing you?" Klaman counters, "Only your ability to heal; what happens when someone more talented than you in healing runs this country into the dirt because they are a poor leader? This is why we need good claims to rule, but it is evident now that those with good claims need to be cultivated and prune the ones unfit to rule."

"Can you leave now? I'm busy," Lanya sighs with a dismissive gesture

"I'm just trying to help you," Klaman defends himself. "From what I gathered, the Runalymo have valuable resources."

"I can manage well enough on my own! I don't need your involvement!" Lanya snaps.

"But you are using my advice," Klaman says with a smug smile, pointing to the decorations.

"Leave! Now!" Lanya demands.

"As you wish," Klaman vanishes as if the space around him has rejected his existence.

She hates that old man, but there is no denying his usefulness; plus, if the Academy of Healing goes too far in their research again, he will always come to her aid.

Lanya takes a walk through the palace, visiting the Master of Elixirs' office before starting her healing duties.

"Grand Healer" A tall, lanky man bows to her as she enters. His left eye is mutated, the pupil and iris is gone, leaving only amber sclera, an effect of taking mutagenic elixirs. "I have the monthly report ready for you."

He takes out a bound stack of papers from a drawer and sets them on the desk.

"Thank you, Tsulin" Lanya grabs the papers before turning to leave.

"One more thing!" Tsulin says, stopping her. "A student in the academy has written a thesis on miasma, and its possible uses in elixirs, even explaining how to make that safe."

Lanya turns with a serious glare. "I have not changed my mind in two hundred years, Tsulin; research into miasma remains forbidden! You have no idea just how devastating even a weak cursed being can be. Reprimand the student and keep watch on them."

Lanya leaves before Tsulin can get another word in. She walks to the center of the palace where the entrance to the city spire stands. No less than six of the best palace guards are stationed here, standing vigilant; they all know the secret inside after being blessed, and they are eternally grateful. No one else can be more trusted to guard the secret inside than them; they will die a thousand times to protect it if they have to.

"Grand Healer!" The guards salute.

"It's time for the monthly healing," Lanya says. She takes out a small knife and cuts her palm, placing a bloodied hand on the door which opens. She and two of the guards step inside and climb up the long spiral flight of stairs up to the top of the grand tower overlooking the city. A large cluster of pure, clear crystals, almost invisibly transparent, sits in the center, glowing softly as if aspiring to be the tower's source of light. [Analyze] only shows one word:

Healer

She looks out over the city, the people below tiny, going about their day completely oblivious to the important events that will be taking place today. However, on the horizon, a flying ship approaches.

I suppose that's the Runalymo.

A thought passes through her mind. If one of them came to her for healing, then she might as well wait to catch her in this spell. If this spell can't heal her, then she doesn't know what will.

Lanya sits on the edge, admiring the view, watching the ship land in the water before drifting the rest of the distance to the docks. It is a large ship, well decorated with wavy and swirling patterns.

Standing up, she walks to the crystal and softly places a hand on the massive crystals, feeling mana and healing flow through her. She begins to channel the mana into a powerful spell, one that will cover the entire city and cleanse it, healing the people of their pains and aches. Limbs will regrow, diseases will be eradicated, and life will be invigorated.

At the end of each month, she casts this spell, aided by the Life Crystal. It is an odd thing; it started growing eight hundred years ago, a hundred years after the rise of the healers.

Due to its valuable nature, the tower itself has been made to hide its presence; nothing can see or even scry it from the outside.

She has Klaman to thank for that, his void Bond being the only thing keeping this crystal secret and safe. No one knows what it is, but it's neither material nor alive. Not even Klaman knows what it is or even what it is capable of; it is a panacea, it heals everything and everyone it touches, it grants life, and it can even revive the dead. The one thing it cannot heal, however, is cursed skills.

Lanya walks down the spire, now that the spell has been cast, and waits for the foreign delegation in the palace audience hall, but to her surprise, she sees Governor Orlan from the Vocana Republic among them.

Apart from him, there are six Runalymo, evident by their larger ears and longer tails. She wonders if them all being women is just a coincidence. Three of them appear to be advanced in age, yet they seem to hold onto their beauty far longer. Two are guards, and the youngest, and by far the most outstanding, is a royal blue, gold-tipped-haired girl with three very long and beautiful tails bowing with all the grace in the world.

So she's the one.

She doesn't know if the girl's eyewraps are because she's truly blind or if it's by choice. She'll have to examine her to know for sure, but it's dangerous to use [Sense Life] when she doesn't know if the delegation is defended with retaliation. However, she wonders how the girl, presumably Alysara that Klaman told her about, is seeing things without using her [Sense Mana].

She recognizes a powerful Bond user when she sees one, yet her [Analyze] reveals nothing of her; the Elders are entirely unimpressive, having low Class and Bond levels. Despite her efforts to hide, Lanya can feel a slight Bond presence near the delegation. It can be a spy, but she doubts it; it feels like a beauty Bond which strongly indicates the three-tailed girl; if it's not, then she can capture the spy once the delegation leaves.

"Greetings, Grand Healer." Orlan and the Runalymo Elders bow. "In case you forgot, I am Governor, Vanu Runa Orlan of the Vocana Republic. This is Elder Mara, Elder Guklaro, and Elder Tanyo of the Runalymo. With them is their translator, Alysara, who has personal business with you after this"

"We thank you for your hospitality," Alysara translates for Elder Tanyo, her accent making it a little hard for her to understand a couple of words. "We would like to extend an invitation to meet on neutral grounds to discuss trade where you can also negotiate with the leaders or representatives of other nations. This meeting will take place in two days' time."

An Invitation, huh?

With their ship, it will be convenient for them to go anywhere they want; it will also give her an excuse to see it up close, assuming they mean to provide means of transportation.

She isn't worried about this being a trap; one of her guards can easily take on four or five of theirs, and she can fight for herself if she needs to. What does trouble her, however, is Alysara and what she is capable of; if she is as powerful as herself or even Klaman, then there is cause for concern.

"I assume you have or will also invite the Luna Empire to this meeting?" Lanya asks.

"Yes, we will," Alysara answers.

If that's the case, then there is nothing to worry about, even at the meeting place. Klaman will surely be there hiding in the shadows, and if anything happens, the perpetrators will be dead before it becomes a problem.

"I see no reason to decline, I've been meaning to reach out to Caerym anyway, and this is a good opportunity."

"Then we will be here again in two days' time," Alysara translates. The Elders, their guards, and Orlan leave, but Alysara stays behind.

"What is it that you need healed?" Lanya asks; Klaman never specified, so she doesn't know what to expect.

"My anima," Alysara answers.

"Anima?" Lanya questions. Either she ran into an exceedingly dangerous monster, or she sacrificed it.

There are almost no cases of someone having low anima. She has had to heal anima before; it's actually rather common for the palace craftsmen to sacrifice their anima to make powerful items.

I wonder if she's the same?

The Runalymo are supposed to be craftsmen, but it would be foolish to sacrifice anima without a sure way to restore it, even if it means the sacrifice is cheapened.

"Well, if that's the case, I need to examine you," Lanya continues "I need to see how much I need to restore, over healing can be dangerous as it may feed illnesses or worse. Do you have any retaliation items?"

Alysara shakes her head and, after hesitating for a moment, reveals her true location.

Finally, Lanya is able to see what, presumably, one of the Runalymo's strongest is capable of.

Three Tailed Mana Immune Runalymo Sage (Major) (Unique), level 298 Distant Summoner (Major), Level 0 Scholar of Many Minds (Grand), Level 1040 beauty Bond

Several 'tings' ring in her mind as her [Analyze] gains a new breakthrough and several levels.

Heirloom race?!

Does Klaman know? It might help explain his actions, but given how cautious she is, he might not have had the opportunity.

She's much weaker than I thought, but her Bond is at a much higher level, even beating out most of the strongest people.

The only people she knows herself with equal or higher Bond level are herself and Klaman, but that's with hundreds of years of training. To be able to achieve this much at such a young age means she will become very powerful in the future.

Lanya focuses her [Sense Life] around Alysara, looking for anima but not seeing any, not until she focuses hard enough to see the faint traces of her anima.

How is it even possible that she is alive?!

Not even she has seen anima so low, it is beyond critical levels. She should be dead unless there's something she doesn't know. Regardless she should heal her, but it's surprising how the spell she cast earlier didn't heal anima, but it proves that the crystal isn't capable of everything.

Lanya conjures her Bond, letting it seep deep into Alysara, restoring her lost anima. Slowly her anima returns to normal, much slower than normal.

How much anima can she hold?!

This girl is like an enigma; the more answers she learns, the more questions there are. Lanya takes this chance to study Alysara's plethora of magical items.

Diadem of the Lonely Princess's Benevolence:

(Heroic)

This Diadem has been crafted to such perfection as to be a magnum opus by a master mana manipulator and one who has twin minds. In order to save her people, this Diadem's creator replaced the missing mind component of her entire civilization, even at the cost of her pain and solitude. When worn grants three additional minds and mind components to its wearer.

Grants the ability to make three semi-real clones made of the wearer's unique mana that can be controlled by one of the minds. Can temporarily pass a mind and mind component to someone else that lasts for a day before dissolving

A powerful item; there are few Heroic tier items around. This one makes sense for a scryer; actually, why get help from a mind mage when she can be one herself? That explains one Class, but she seems to lack a Class for her scrying abilities, which means it's been absorbed into her race.

What about her other mastered skill?

She doesn't have a Class for that, nor does it seem it's in her race. What was it again? [Manipulate Mana]? Isn't that a Class Skill? It should be part of one of her Classes unless…

She has a cursed skill!

Perhaps that's why her anima is so low; no one would be dumb enough to sacrifice this much anima, and a rare monster being able to drain this much would have had the chance to kill her; a cursed skill is the simplest explanation.

Alysara's Eye:

(Heroic) (Relic) (Set)

To see the truth, you must be blind to the lies. This Relic has seen what Alysara has seen, it knows what Alysara knows, and it can grant its wearer a fraction of Alysara's sight. This Relic will act as the source of any sensing skills, preventing all forms of retaliation from reaching its wearer. Only by wearing this Relic can the wearer see the truth of Alysara's Library

When worn grants Sense Magic: 765/800, and Sense Soul: 110/110, Truth of the Library, Sensing Proxy, Linked

Lanya stands there, stunned at what this item reveals. [Sense Magic]?! Level seven hundred?! That's not all; it is clear this is the type of magic item that grows with its wearer, which means Alysara's skill level is much higher! This doesn't make sense! What about her mastered skill, [Sense Mana]? Not only is this a heroic tier item it's also Relic!

There is no way she has other items of equal or greater power, right?

Alysara's Celestial Storm Kyhosa:

(Exalted) (Relic) (Set)

This Relic set: Amulet, left bracelet, right bracelet, is made from Nexus gems and Myrou gold blessed by the goddess of Beauty and Creativity, Myrou herself and filled to the brim with beauty and creativity essence, was given as a Kyhosa to Alysara during her Kyholo. She has learned from an ancient ancestor and even survived storms conjured by a dragon to train her resistance to them. Alysara has proven herself a master of mana, able to conjure the storms that once threatened her village. Her knowledge and mastery of mana have grown so great, no secrets are beyond her reach. This set has followed Alysara through a multitude of trials and tribulations, always helping her when she needs it most. Now blessed under the union of the moons and sun, this Relic can channel all of its stored mana into a single devastating attack, to form a protective barrier or to conjure a whirling storm of the heavens.

When worn, it Enhances Beauty, Creativity, and Elemental spells by 2000% and boosts intelligence and wisdom by 75%. Grants the Skill: Manipulate Mana 550/550, Celestial Spear, Celestial Shield, Celestial Storm, Linked, Battery (300,000).

Exalted tier, she can count on one hand the number that exists on these lands; what's more, is that it is a powerful one too. Any of these she could ask as payment… but she can't; Klaman has already made sure of that. Did he know of these? Perhaps, but she doubts it would have changed his action any.

There's one more item, a hair ornament; surely it can't be as powerful as these, right?

Hair Ornament of Duality:

(Minor)

Given at a Kyholo, this gift is the combination of two gifts into one, the minor illusion enchantment turning into an innate magical effect. Magical Effect: Produces heatless, coldless flaming snowflakes.

Somehow it's anti-climactic, but kind of fitting in a way, a sentimental item befitting a young girl her age.

Once Alysara's anima is finally refilled, Lanya takes a deep refreshing breath.

"You are healed now," Lanya says.

"What's your payment?" Alysara asks.

"Someone already covered it; seek out Klaman in the Luna Empire."

Chapter 191: An Offer

Someone already covered it? It has to be that spy.

With the mention of Klaman, it confirms that he is the same guy from the records of the World Notifications that Vulpun showed me. It also means that he is a legendary tier being.

I do not want to know what he is after; it might be a trap to catch me since I evaded his tracking, but if that's the case, then why not act sooner? He's obviously following me around, and he's powerful enough to kill everyone here, including Lanya, who has exalted tier Race and Classes, which means he's not hostile, but that doesn't mean he's not an enemy.

"I can pay for myself," I say.

"Something like this is very costly; you should be happy that someone else has already paid for it," Lanya says.

"I don't want to be in anyone's debt; I have valuable information that I can pay with, like how to cure cursed skills" I try to entice Lanya with a better payment.

A healer like her should be very interested in purifying cursed skills, and while I don't have direct confirmation, I do have a very good idea of how it's done.

This causes Lanya to pause with obvious inner conflict but ultimately fails to change her mind.

"I sympathize with your desire not to be in anyone's debt, but unfortunately, I have my own to pay off."

So she doesn't have much choice…

Realizing that I have no choice in this matter, I thank Lanya before returning to the Entalymo, now, I can make those upgrades, but I won't be finished by the time we reach the Luna Empire, which is not far from Helikan.

There is no way I am meeting Klaman in person, but that also means I need to be able to use passive sensing at a distance, which I'm not sure is even possible. The whole point of passive sensing is that I don't send out any perceptive vectors, and in order to perceive things at a distance, I have to send out and receive a 'data stream' which can be intercepted.

However, by sending this 'datastream' of perceptive vectors through another layer, it should be hidden. The problem is that I don't know Klaman's full capabilities and therefore don't know if he can or can't track through spatial layers; he is legendary tier, so I have to assume that he can.

In theory, I should be able to move my passive perception, but I'll have to mix it with active perception. I won't be able to get as much information as I normally would, like being able to [Analyze] someone or something.

I start training by clearing my mind before focusing on moving my passive perception, just like how I move my active perception. With my skill level being so high, it should be easy to do, so when nothing happens, I am a little surprised.

I focus harder, wondering if it's just that difficult to do, but still nothing happens. It is clear now that it is either impossible to do or I am doing it wrong. Let's go back to the basics; passive perception doesn't use perceptive vectors, so it can't 'feel' anything, so how does it actually work? It works by reading the MM force that passes through me, which implies some sort of sensory organ or aspect to it which means I should focus on that.

I change my focus onto my… perceptive spirit? Perceptive eye? Whatever it's called, I focus on that, trying to force it out of my soul, body, or wherever it resides.

How will I be able to see if my perceptive eye is not with me?

A worryingly thought passes through my mind, but I quickly dismiss it; the answer is obvious. It will be connected to me via a mental link, or maybe I have multiple eyes and one can send perceptive vectors back to me; if push comes to shove, I'll have to make another perceptive eye.

As I try to move my perceptive eye a strange empty feeling washes over me as if something is being removed from my… soul? Not quite the same; it's something slightly different.

In any case, I feel my passive perceptive move away from my body; the strange thing is, I can still see what I am doing with my other Clones back in the Nexus, but the perceptive vectors aren't leading to the eye but to me. In fact, I can see a small stream of vectors flowing to me from the projected eye.

Ting! Sense Magic has met requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 940!

47th breakthrough: You have projected a perceptive eye; this will help you perceive things further than normal.

Interesting, it seems my range is tied to my perceptive eye, not to me; in other words, I can send my eye to my current max range, and it will be able to double my effective range. There's one issue, however, and that is how tangible is my perceptive eye and how vulnerable is it?

Can my perceptive eye be damaged, and how disposable is it? To confirm how expendable they are, I try to send out another; however, this one is looking towards the Nexus, where one of my clones is.

Interesting, it seems I already have the breakthrough for multiple eyes, but at the time, I had no concept of this, so the system never mentioned it.

Can I set up my eyes to relay to each other for effectively infinite range? A quick test shows that I cannot do that, at least not without another breakthrough.

If the perceptive eyes are the source of perceptive vectors, then is that how that Arachnoid monster damaged my perception?

I will have to look into this, but if that is the case, then maybe there's a way to counter or restore my perceptive eyes. Perhaps with enough research into perceptive eyes and vectors, I can even attack someone else's perception.

I don't have much time to study further into perceptive eyes as the Entylamo docks at our final destination, a place where even I have little knowledge on due to the presence of Klaman, who can track even me.

I meet up with the rest of the delegation, who are different from the last ones. Three new elders so they get experience in dealing with foreign leaders and new guards; this time, Uloru and Kadona are chosen for guard duty.

"You have your anima healed!" Uloru exclaims after seeing me.

"Mhmm, this only highlights the importance of our mission; the things and people available here can make up for what we are deficient in, so you should act with the utmost care, Uloru," Kadona says.

"Indeed" One of the Elders nods.

"Resources and opportunity are very good, but we also have to be careful of people who may want to take advantage of us or worse," I say. I don't want to be pessimistic, but we have to be careful. "I also have personal business here, so I will leave a clone behind to deal with it."

"Very well."

Unsurprisingly, when we step onto the docks, there is a reception already there for us, just like with Helikan. Klaman must have told them to expect us.

"Welcome to Lunaris, the capital of the Luna Empire; I am Velaren Fenor, Steward of the Empire."

We go through the usual introductions before being escorted to the Palace. Fenor quickly agrees to the invitation, obviously knowing what we are going to ask but I have an impression that he is acting as if he has no choice in the matter.

It makes sense since he is just a steward and not the Emperor, but that leads to the question, where is the emperor? It's hard for me to see with a passive perceiving eye there, and I don't want to risk it with a legendary being nearby, especially one that can track me.

The meeting ends quickly, and the elders, Kadona and Uloru, return to the Entylamo.

"You're here for Klaman, right?" Fenor asks.

"Yes," I nod.

"Very well," Fenor dismisses the advisors and guards before leaving the room as well. The moment the door closes, a tall man with groomed hair and dressed in a suit appears in the corner. I instantly recognize him as the one who almost tracked me.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Alysara, I am Sentaro Klaman, and I have a proposal for you."

"Do I have a choice in the matter?" I ask. If it's something I don't like, I won't agree to it, regardless, but I need to know where Klaman stands on this issue.

"Of course you do, but I did help you, you needed healing, and I can do much, much more for you."

"Two things: one, why are you doing this? And two, I can pay for services on my own; I don't need your help." I reply, perhaps a little less diplomatically than I would normally go about this, but Klaman gives me the creeps.

"I want you to be the Empress and lead this country to greatness! You have the potential, and the power to be what this empire needs!"

"Why can't the emperor rule?" I'd assume Klaman is the emperor but thinking about it for a few seconds; it doesn't add up. There would be no need for a steward to greet us if the emperor was around. And having a legendary being as Emperor would be a great deterrent for war and be a great patriotic symbol.

I don't want to rule; I don't think I'd be a good leader, plus it's too much work. I have no intentions of being Empress.

"He's… unfit to rule". Klaman says, with slight distaste in his tone.

"Will I have to bear an heir?" I ask. No matter the answer, I will still reject his offer; I just want to know how bad this offer is. It's not that I am against having children; it's that I'd rather have children with someone I love.

"Of course, but that's just the nature of being Empress, and in return, you can have anything you want; I am a legendary being, one of the most powerful beings in the world, so there is little out of my reach. I can conquer this entire land if you wish, I can bring you the best materials there is to find, you can live in luxury and—"

I stop him with a raised hand.

"No." I give my answer. "You are vastly overselling yourself, and I have no interest in ruling in the first place. The things I need you cannot provide unless you can guarantee me a legendary point."

He actually can guarantee me a legendary point, but it'd cost him his life, and I don't think he is willing to die.

"You already have two; while I can understand having your second Class at legendary tier, it is hardly necessary."

He doesn't know…

He assumes that I spent or plan to spend my legendary points on my Race and Class.

"That still doesn't change the fact that I don't want to be Empress," I say. "I can repay you for the healing, but I won't accept this offer."

"I don't know what I was expecting," Klaman sighs. "You are the perfect candidate, so I can't simply let you go; So how about a duel, I track you, and if I find and teleport to you, I win, and you have to become the Empress. If you win, then I won't pursue this any further, and you can ask one favor from me."

"No! I have no reason to accept that ridiculous offer! You are legendary tier; you have the advantage!"

I won't mention that my sensing skill is at a ridiculous level and is pretty much a legendary tier skill, but that's besides the point.

"I have the advantage? How are you seeing me then? If anything, your perceptive abilities are beyond my tracking abilities. I can tell that you've improved since the last time." Klaman remains calm, but I can tell he is disappointed.

Now that I think about it, it's pretty much a battle of our skills. His unenhanced skill versus my enhanced and very high leveled skill, I have a very strong advantage; but it's not something I want or need to risk.

"At least think about it," Klaman continues. "You don't have to accept now; we can talk about this in two days at the meeting."

Chapter 192: Bidding War

Sentaro Klaman hides in the corner of the meeting place, a building built on a lake, standing on piles driven deep into the lake bed. The Runalymo airship is parked next to the building with a ramp lowered onto the short pier.

The building is clearly of Runalymo make, although it's odd that they'd build the house on the lake, not just on the shore. There is a large round table in the middle of the room with ornate carvings over its surface.

There is no food served, which would be insulting if the hosts weren't Runalymo. No one knows what to expect from them as they have such a different culture. That doesn't mean that each country doesn't have its own, but everybody knows what to expect from each other and how to treat them.

It is an odd choice that the Runalymo would negotiate trade with everyone at once; it's a tactic no one has ever done. Normally these deals are done individually, so the details of each trade are kept secret; it's the best way to get the most out of each deal.

It could just be a cultural thing, or it might not; the uncertainty of the situation bothers him; as an assassin and the Empires spy, it is his job to know.

"Thank you all for coming," Alysara translates for the speaker of the numerous Elders. "We have gifts for you all, examples of what we have to trade."

Servants enter the building, carrying goods of all sorts, from fine crafts to rare gems and strange foodstuffs. Each delegate receives a gift tailored to them, with Caerym receiving mana silk clothes enchanted to stay comfortable in all weather and Forren receiving fancy Forron saddles. Vocanna doesn't receive anything, but it's obvious they've already secured trade with the Runalymo.

"Our enchantments do not ever degrade," Alysara continues. "Our crafts are sturdy and will serve loyally for many decades, and our metals and gems are saturated with mana, making them quality crafting materials. We have many naturally grown mana crystals and gems."

The delegates examine their gifts and talk with their advisors, the Elders patiently waiting for everyone to finish. They've certainly piqued everyone's interest as mana saturated materials are hard to come by, and if what Alysara said is true, then they most certainly have superior enchanters if they can make permanent enchantments.

"How can you guarantee permanent enchantments?" King Caerym Farandor asks cautiously. "It might last long, perhaps even outlasting lifetimes, but it's hard to believe it won't ever degrade."

"It is a breakthrough in the [Enchanting] Skill," Alysara answers. "As the most knowledgeable expert in mana, you have my promise that even after ten thousand years, the enchantments will still hold and will continue to hold until the item itself is destroyed. Not only are our enchantments longer lasting, but they are stronger, as you can see."

Enchantments already last about a lifetime before needing to be renewed and are usually on the scale of minor tier items, with the best being upper adept tier; from what he can see, these ones are middle major tier, a clear step up proving that the Runalymo are better enchanters.

"Are these your personal enchantments, Alysara?" Lord Viksen Fikron of the independent city Kayron asks.

"No, these are the works of others," Alysara answers.

"Then I assume that your work is much better?" Lord Fikron asks.

Alysara flicks a gold-tipped tail, but her expression remains neutral.

"Yes," Is all she says.

After several more questions, interest in trade grows in the eyes of the delegations. The prospect of superior materials and craftsmen will serve to bolster their economy, but the next announcement from the Runalymo makes the whole room fall silent.

"Now that you all know what we have to offer, we have some conditions," Alysara translates. "We cannot afford to establish trade with all of you; we simply cannot make enough goods for everyone; therefore, we will only maintain five trade routes. Since Vocana has already secured one, there are only four more routes available."

They want a bidding war.

Klaman grins as the pieces of the puzzle are revealed. Now it makes sense why they want everyone here at the same time. This will also serve as a great opportunity since they can upsell the goods to countries that have not secured a trade route. This also means that each of the independent cities will try their best to secure trade; they are the home of the Order of Merchants, after all; this will vastly enrich their pockets.

As for his empire and Forren, this does not bode well. Luna is bankrupt, and Forren has a war to support, so they need to secure trade no matter what.

"We believe that trade with Luna will be most beneficial for you" Steward Velaren Fenor jumps into the negotiations making Klaman proud of his readiness and initiative. "We have coral from the Emerald Reef, which is steeped in the rare emerald essence, as well as many mana crystals of that essence. We also have means of obtaining powerful monster materials and have a stockpile of leviathan materials."

That lying little shit!

He will have to work more and slay those powerful monsters just to make good on the offer, but he can't complain; this will help bolster the empire's economy. As much as he hates having to slay leviathans for the benefit of other factions, this is the best choice. The Runalymo are too far removed to worry about receiving leviathan materials anyway, and will bring the best profit for the empire than any other alternative.

The mention of leviathan materials encourages murmurs around the table. Not many will be able to match that offer, but they don't have to. Steward Fenor's strong first offer has the others bidding over the remaining spots, and Klaman begins to notice a fortunate turn of events. The independent cities, although numerous, have little in actual resources. He thought they'd use their wealth to obtain the trade routes, but the Runalymo show little interest in what they have to offer.

This all but guarantees the Empire's place in trade. Plus, with the empire being a short ship ride from the independent cities, Luna will be the first to upsell to them. As the negotiations continue, Klaman glances out the window, admiring the mountains in the distance, when he notices the pier is soaked in water as if a large wave has washed over the building.

Looking down, he notices a pool of water seeping in from under the door. Looking back outside the window, he thinks he catches a glint of pink under the water but quickly disregards it as a trick of the light.

What had caused the wave?

Klaman can't help but feel a sense of Deja Vu but can't quite place what it is. The more he tries to think about it, the more it seems to escape his grasp. He doesn't feel any danger, so whatever it is must not be immediately dangerous, but he will still keep an eye out for anything strange.

The negotiations eventually come to a close, with the Luna Empire, Helikan, Forren, and Caerym securing a trade deal. None of the independent cities managed to convince the Elders that they have anything worth trading for. However, the meeting doesn't end there; the delegations split up to meet with the other delegations and go into their own separate rooms where they activate soundproofing enchantments for privacy.

Many of the Runalymo Elders return to their ship, but a few stay with two guards, both with overly large weapons strapped to their backs.

"I've thought about your offer and still came to the conclusion that I have no reason to accept your challenge" Klaman whirls around, a sword instantly drawn but sees another Alysara, another clone.

No one else notices this clone; only he does.

How had she seen me? Klaman's mind races; no one should be able to see through his perfect invisibility.

"How?—" But before Klaman can continue, Alysara interrupts him.

"I'm not telling you; you are a potential enemy to me."

Klaman has to at least respect her for that. Many would brag, but she is not arrogant like that; in his eyes, this makes her all the more fitting for being Empress.

"You have no leverage," Alysara continues. "And the debt for the healing I can easily pay in valuable knowledge or items."

"The payment for that is—"

"No!" Alysara sternly says as if she's channeling the defiance and authority of a true ruler. "You never gave me the chance to even decline your payment; you can't just ask for whatever you want! Here's my offer: I can make you a powerful item using the materials you give me, or I can tell you one thing about magic or mana you wish. That's my payment, take it or leave it!" Alysara stands firm, practically oozing authority, and he can't help but feel a tinge of beauty in the air. Not the mana, but her Bond.

Last time she had seemed like an unsure princess, talented but not used to giving commands. Now she is like a seasoned queen, but there's something… not quite right. It's almost like she's not herself, like she is taking the role of a decisive ruler, but she can learn, and even if she's not talented in ruling, her skill can cover that weakness.

There is no candidate better than her.

Klaman has made up his mind; he will get Alysara to willingly become his Empress no matter the cost. She still has lots to learn, but she has the potential to become the world's greatest empress. She can finally unite the land and much more.

I'm too greedy.

He wanted her to continue his friend's bloodline, but his promise was to protect the bloodline and see his empire continue, not to keep his bloodline in the seat of power. He can settle for another Runalymo with the correct trait to continue the bloodline. In the end, Alysara has royal blue hair, and that gives her claim to the throne, and perhaps hers and the Luna bloodline can become one later down the line, but she needs to be the last empress to rule; she needs to be immortal.

That will be easy; Lanya can heal her age until she reaches the legendary tier for her race if she has not yet done so. With two legendary tiered beings, no one will be able to resist the empire.

"Very well, then for payment, I'd like to know how you managed to see past my stealth," Klaman says. He needs to know this apparent weakness so he can fix it.

"That's technically not related to mana or magic, but it is equivalent," Alysara sighs before explaining. "You cast a shadow into other spatial layers; technically, everything does."

Klaman blinked. "It's that simple? So I just need to remove my shadow, then."

"You know what layers are?" Alysara asks.

"Yes, a protege of mine discovered them, but there's nothing in them, and they are quite dangerous to traverse; please stay away from them." Klaman answers but quickly realizes that Alysara must be able to see into them if she can see his shadow.

"I know full well their danger," Alysara says. "But now that my debt is paid, I will take my leave."

"Wait!" Just before Alysara dissolves her clone, Klaman stops her, even going as far as using his bond to cancel her attempts to dispose of the illusion. "I'd like to reissue my challenge but for slightly different stakes. If I win, you become Luna's empress; I won't force you to marry anyone. If you win, I will help you obtain a legendary point."

Chapter 193: Perceptive Attack

"I'll think about it," I reply to Klaman's rechallenge. "There are some people I want to consult first."

Plus, I want some time to prepare and try to cap my [Sense Magic], although I'm not entirely sure I should accept. I doubt he can guarantee me a legendary point.

"How do you intend on getting me a legendary point, by the way?" I ask.

"By uniting all the Lunaleyan lands, of course. You don't have to personally be on the front lines; you just have to be the one making all of the decisions and leading the war efforts. However, with me, winning is all but certain, and Forren and Vocana will exhaust themselves."

I'm not entirely sure that would be enough; however, doing it through peaceful means would definitely be enough. Countries like their sovereignty, so it's incredibly hard to convince them to willingly give it up. And besides, uniting the countries doesn't necessarily mean conquering them all; it could mean making some sort of union or united states.

It would be a long-term thing, though, regardless if it's done peacefully or not, and I already have one of those in the works. Besides, operating so many clones all over the place will quickly drain my mana.

"When we next arrive to trade, I'll give you my answer," I say before turning to leave.

It will be at least another month before then, so I have time to prepare. I also want to dedicate more time to training my Bond and Class levels again. I have been slowly gaining Bond levels, especially from all of these international affairs, but fighting monsters has always been the quickest way.

Once the meeting is over, we fly the delegations back to their homes before returning to another Vocanna city to build another market. I have plenty of time to talk to Kayafe and Safyr about Klaman, so I am not in a rush; plus, if I want to talk to Kayafe, I have to be there in person, and I think Safyr would want to talk to the real me if she has to talk to me.

Since we are only halfway into our trade mission, I spend this time training. I still don't know if I'll accept Klaman's offer, but it's not a bad idea to cap my skill anyway. I can try to look for other lands while I am here, but I and everyone else already have our hands full. Other lands aren't going anywhere, so we can get to them when we get to them.

The thirty-fourth and forty-first breakthroughs, sensing magic beings and apotheosis seeds, are going to be very hard to level up, so capping my skill is probably not going to happen any time soon, but I can get close.

Of course, there are some breakthroughs that I've reached max level in without focusing my training on them. Ones like passive sensing and sensing other's perceptive field, I've gotten during my time with the Lunaley, and I've trained to sense when I'm being tracked with Ruluna. Then there are ones I've capped from crafting, like sensing super-solid mana and solid vitality, so I am starting my new training session at level eight-hundred ninety-five, almost nine hundred.

I start with training my perceptive eyes, seeing how many I have, which is a staggering one per skill level, so almost nine hundred; and that's not factoring in my race bonus, so it's much higher than that! This means that an unenhanced skill would only have one per ten levels.

Needless to say, I won't ever need to use all of them, but it's nice knowing my options. Perceptive eyes aren't actual eyes but rather a source of perceptive vectors, as in they are the things that emit and receive the vectors. This means I can use them to really fool Klaman, as there is no way to trace them back to my body. Once the eyes receive the information, it sends them back to me not via vectors but through a link that can't be traced through the same methods vectors can, but they might be tracked through other means.

I don't think they can normally be damaged, but my experience with the Rachnoid proves that they can be if the enemy has a special skill. I will still have to be wary of special perceptive traps and perceptive-harming abilities.

Now that I think about it, Isn't it just impossible for Klaman to track me? Unless he also has the ability to track links, which is possible, but he literally would be unable to track my perceptive beyond my perceptive eyes.

Still, as an assassin, and a legendary one at that, I wouldn't put it past him to have a link tracking ability or magic item.

I spend the next few days fine-tuning my control over my perceptive eyes, but it isn't until I got around to seeing how perceptive pressure works with them that I gain new insight into them.

The eye feels as if the higher I raise my perceptive pressure, the more it opens, but I can funnel this pressure, so it's not omnidirectional, and I can do it with only one eye if I want to. This means that I can have one eye attract the attention of someone or have multiple eyes target different trackers to split them up.

But there's one thing I've been wondering about. What happens if I funnel my strongest perceptive pressure with all eyes into one beam? I doubt it will hurt anyone, but maybe it can be used to overwhelm someone else's perceptive eye?

The theory is that people can sense my high perceptive pressure when I use it to scare others, even when they don't have a perceptive skill. This means that they must have a perceptive eye or something else that can feel my perceptive vectors, and if that's the case, then I may be able to overwhelm that. This also explains how I can feel someone else's perceptive field, even if it's only for other people with [Sense Mana] or [Sense Magic]. Theoretically, I may be able to sense all perceptive fields in time.

I require a test subject and a tracker to see if I can't blind their tracking ability too. Fortunately, I know someone who is both a scryer and a tracker.

Archmage Holuna Ruluna sits on a bench, happily munching on her lunch. After the incident with the thief, she is exhausted. The damn teleporter has been going around robbing all the wealthy households they can, it's a good thing he stayed away from the Runalymo while they were here, but he instead used that opportunity as a distraction to rob many more people.

She managed to set up a trap and catch the guy, but he did injure one of the new recruits. Everything would have been smoother, and they would have caught the thief sooner had the best people not been sent to the frontlines.

Normally Orders don't help in wars, but Forren wants to abolish the Orders, and the Order of Flame wishes to maintain good standing with Vocanna as the nation they call home.

"How are you feeling?" Ruluna asks the recruit.

"Horrible, I'm all shaky and feel like I'll throw up" He sits with his head in his hands.

Potions can save one's life but whatever they put in them makes it a bad experience. What few healers they have are off to war, and most healers end up joining the Order of Healers, so they are currently stuck with potions.

"It won't be the last time you'll need to drink one," Ruluna says.

She had her own fair share of the muddy liquid, so she won't spare any sympathy for the recruit; it's just another part of the job.

They finish the rest of their break before separating; she has to file a report on the thief mission.

Just as she finishes the report, the receptionist knocks on her open door.

"Alysara is here to see you," she says.

"Bring her in," Ruluna says, hoping Alysara can free her from this boring task.

The familiar three-tailed girl shows up, with her usual air of elegance around her.

"I have something I need to train; it can help you, too, I think." Alysara says.

Great, more training. This girl is always thinking of ways to counter-tracking skills, but she has to admit that it has helped her vastly improve her own skill. Having someone genius enough to master a scrying ability and able to come up with crazy ways to defeat tracking means she can get a lot of breakthroughs. Not to mention someone of her skill level makes it very easy to level up her own skill.

"You think?" Ruluna asks.

"If anything, it may grant you a very rare resistance skill."

A resistance skill? Is this even related to their normal training?!

"I highly doubt this is related to tracking" Ruluna eyes the blue-haired prodigy with suspicion.

"Yes, most likely. It is a means that may, theoretically, temporarily, damage your ability to scry, maybe even track, depending on if they work through the same mechanism."

"Damage my ability to scry?! You can't damage skills; that's impossible… right?" Ruluna had to remember who she is talking to. If it was anyone else, she'd think they aren't in their right mind.

"Yes and no, I've once faced a monster who attacked my perception, so I know it can be done, and I know it's only temporary. It isn't damaging the skill itself, that should be impossible, but rather your perceptive eye, which is, to put it simply, a metaphysical eye which allows you to scry and maybe track other's perception."

"Fine, But you'll have to help me train a resistance to whatever you want to do."

A moment later, Ruluna recoils as a blinding sensation overwhelms her as if she stared at the sun. She tries to use [Sense Mana] but can't see a thing with it! She can still see physically, thankfully, but now she is left with a feeling of vulnerability.

"Can you track me?" Alysara asks.

"You have to raise your [Sense Mana] pressure first," Ruluna says, trying to get rid of the sudden feeling of vulnerability.

"Interesting," Alysara mumbles. "I've raised my pressure to the max, but you can't feel or track anything?"

"This is temporary, right?" Ruluna asks, double-checking.

"Yeah, it will take a few hours to days to recover." Alysara, before mumbling something else as she thoughtfully puts a hand on her chin, "hmm, perhaps…"

A soothing feeling washes over her, and slowly her vision recovers.

"I'm nowhere near a proper healer, but at least I know where you need to be healed. I wonder if Lanya knows about this and, if not, how much will she pay for it?"

"I didn't know you could heal," Ruluna comments.

"It's a function of my Bond. Technically, it's not healing; it's a return to a previous state, but it's not time manipulation, either. Did you get a resistance breakthrough or skill?"

"No, you can't get a resistance skill from overwhelming attacks like that; usually, it has to be something weak enough that I have hopes of resisting."

They train for the next several hours and continue after Ruluna obtains the resistance skill, earning several breakthroughs with Alysara's help. She doesn't know if she'll ever need this skill, but she can probably merge it with another skill or something on her next Class evolution; if anything, it will help her scrying and tracking Class.

Safyr flies around the Nexus admiring the view. The Runalymo have adapted well after the recent disasters that befell them, they are surprisingly hardy people, but then again, they always have been.

They will do well once she's gone; they will have Alysara. And Kayafe, once Alysara acknowledges that she already has the means to free her.

For ten thousand years, Safyr has watched over the Runalymo, dutifully keeping her promise to Kayafe, and soon, maybe in a few more years, she'll finally be freed from her promise, and she'll be able to seek a new home, a new territory.

However, that can wait. Alysara has much more to discover, and someone like her only comes once per realm. She should be nearing level one thousand in her [Sense Magic], a feat she has only heard of before.

Will Safyr finally get the ability to upgrade her racial [Mana Sight] into [Sense Mana] after hearing so much from Alysara? Her recent racial evolutions have already vastly improved her [Mana Sight]; it's honestly a little scary how one girl can be so beneficial just by teaching someone else.

It's not impossible to upgrade racial sight skills into sense skills, it's hard, but by specializing into perceptive abilities, one can do it; it's just Safyr preferred abilities that improved her combat potential.

Safyr checks her race evolution choices hoping for a better improvement, but no luck yet.

She's close to obtaining a title too.

Perhaps when she has completed her oath, she'll give Alysara a gift, well, partially to pay Alysara for her knowledge and partially so she can get stronger and be more capable of defending herself. After all, when she finally frees Kayafe, she'll need something to replace it.

Just then, Safyr notices three large shadows of writhing tentacles floating in the air. Around them are hundreds of smaller shadows buzzing around the larger ones excitedly swarming in the skies above the Nexus.

A strange chill creeps down her spine as whatever these things are slowly descend onto the villages below.

"Not on my watch!" Safyr zooms to one of the large ones and unleashes her Bond, pulling it out from the Layer it's hiding on.

Chapter 194: Eldritch Invasion

A creature of writhing tentacles shifts into this layer, granting Safyr the chance to [Analyze] it.

Ǝ̸̢͓̲͉̞̒̀́̽̿l̵̨̤̺̻̲̇̆̽́̈b̴̼̙̹̤͚̋͌̏̀̚ɿ̷̡͖̥͕̣̀͋̓͠͝ỉ̴͚̹̲͉̝̾̎̎̆Ɉ̶̲̟̪̼̙͗͂͗̀͠ɔ̴̼̫͕̳̖̄͛̿̓͠ʜ̶̡͙͇̞͎͂̀͑͌͝ ̴̹͙̰̳̘̽͑͐̿̍Ɔ̴͓̳̳͕̋͛̾̃̚ͅơ̶̤͖̟̱͐̊̍͝ͅɿ̵͈̭͈̟̥͛̿̉̒̒ɿ̵͉̼̲͕͓͛̈́̂̋̒υ̸̢͉̥͉̮̇̾͗͊̒q̸̺̘̣̽̊̈̔͛͜ͅɈ̸̝͔̠̫̣̓́͒̌͘ö̸̙̺͎̘̟́̆̓̕͠ɿ̸̢͚̹̰̤̍͆̉̆͠ (Legendary), Level 2012 X̷̨̹̪̗͔͛̒̉͋̉'̷̛̘̮̻̖̘͂̈̈͠ǝ̸̭̣̭̱̹̊͒́̾̆ɿ̸̞͉͚͉͈̄̀̾͋͂ḑ̴̘̺̻̳͆̒̓̅̓'̴̨̦͈̥͕̽̈́͛̄͘ɿ̷͍͇͖͖̀̑̅̏͘ͅɒ̴̠͉̺͕̭̒̾̈͑͌Ɉ̴̧̮̙̠̺̄͋̏̆̕ʜ̶̢̦͎̞͎͐̌̐̏͗ị̴̡͇̻̈̇̀̏̄ͅɔ̸̢̳͎̣͒̆͗͐̄ͅ'̴̛͚̖̖̮̩̔̇́̂ɒ̴̯̥̻̫͚̈́́̇̍͝ ̸̡̲̫̦̩̆͋̑͌͛Ɔ̷̫̘̼̝͙͐͂̃̈́͑ó̷̠̹̺̞͉̌̎̇͆n̸̰̘̥͙̯͊͋̃̊̓p̶̥̠̯͕̖̎̔̇͗̋υ̴̛̟̙͍̞͍̑̔̾̏ǝ̶̧̳̻̺͙̌̒̿͑͘ɿ̴̺̥͙̖̙̐̀́͑̈́ (Legendary), Level 1857 Ǝ̶̛̬͕̬̰̠̅͆͘̚l̵̢̙̪̝̬͆̅́̏̈́b̴̙̞̦̙̥̿̀̓́̚ɿ̷̛͇̟̼͕̼̅̈͌͘ì̸̪͍̺̯͌̀̍̔͜Ɉ̸̬͍̻̻͍̏̾̆̃̀ɔ̴̧̗͙̻͕͗̍͑̐͆ʜ̴̧̗̦̗̦̾͒̏̏̂ ̷̲͓̞̫̮̏̽́̽̏Ṭ̴͖̬͖̉͊̾̃̑͜ǝ̷̛͙̟̘̦͋̊͊̉͜ɿ̶̱̗̱̦̈́́͑̑̅͜ɿ̷̮̰̟̥͎̈́̑̾̂́ɒ̷̮̥̫̟̯̓̄͒͆͘ʇ̸̘̥̲̘̘͐͛͆̚͠ọ̸͈͉̫̋̏̄̀͝ͅɿ̷̟̲̬͇̋͗̔͒͘ͅm̷̧̯͓̘̣͐̿̿̿̊ǝ̴̡̛̜̘͕̭̇̽͐̿ɿ̷̛͕̬͉̜̬̊͌̋̅ (Exalted), Level 1704 Ƨ̵̡̣͕̲͚̀̓̏̑͝q̸̲͈̱̭͐̌͂̂̎ͅɒ̵͉̘̟̳̳̈͋͂̋͝Ɉ̶̧̙͎̠̦͛͋̉̔͝i̷̧̭̻̼̋̊̐̅͛͜ɒ̸̘͈̻̥̣̌̈́͌̅͘l̸̗͍̭̲͖̇͌͛̅̕ ̷͈̝̙̮̺́̔͊̊̚Į̷̛̹͔͖͓̍̍̏̿n̴̰̻̯͖̪̽͛͑͆̈́v̸̨̨̩̻͕̈́̒̏̇́ɒ̶̢̨͍̖̙̎̎̃͊̾b̷͍̲̜̩̝̆̇̾̃̽ǝ̴̳͇̠͈̙̂̏̀̋͝ɿ̴̛͎̩̟̰͖̀̏͋̃ (Exalted), level 4210 X̷̢͈̫͕̬̀̋̋̍̍ɒ̸̠̻̦̜̗̓́͂̕̕ǹ̵̢̙̘̹̹̈́͐̿̆d̵̳̘̯͔̙͆̄̄̊͠'̶̞̹͈̲͙̓̌͂͌͝ɿ̴̝̬͔͉͎̎͆̔̒͝ɒ̸̡̢̰͍̽̍̌̂̈͜Ɉ̸̯̖̭̰̭̀̋́̄́ʜ̶̯̙̱̤̼̔̓͗̾̽į̸̛̖̯͙̤̿͗̓͝ɔ̶̺͎̗̜͍͂̊̒̆̈́ Bond.

Safyr is lost in a moment of confusion; she had never heard of these things before, not even in the world notifications, which means they must not be native to this realm. Worse, Safyr can't even make sense of the [Analyze] results, but she at least learned enough to know that these… things are on the lower end of legendary tier; she can probably take all three by herself.

Just then, Yrania swoops down, tackling the mass of flesh, her unseen mental attacks freezing any possible retaliation.

"Yrania. So they are coming back?"

"Yes, Grandmother! Alysara noticed these things, and they are rushing as fast as they can!"

"Troublesome," Safyr growls, but she admits that she wants to see what that flying ship can do; at least they can help with the smaller ones.

Safyr pulls the remaining two onto this layer, commanding rain to gather and using jets of highly pressurized water to form a meat-mincing tornado that sweeps through the beings. Hundreds of the smaller ones die instantly, but the large legendary tier ones quickly regenerate, and worse, the bits of meat quickly reform into new, lesser beings.

"Annoying!"

At least the smaller ones don't regenerate, but it's still annoying that the larger ones make more. They might not compare to legendary tier, but they are still heroic tier, even if they are just born. Which seems to be the case, the newly formed beings are Classless with level zero Bonds, but the sheer number of them makes them dangerous to the Runalymo; Safyr's one attack made a few thousand of them.

With another spell, Safyr cleans up the newly born monstrosities, but more are being made as Yrania rips her foe apart. Black ooze drips from the strange being's wounds that form into more of them. They rush toward the villages below but are quickly slaughtered by the Runalymo warriors and mages.

Regenerators are especially annoying since the easiest way to defeat them is to drain their mana until they can't regenerate anymore. Attacking their soul, mind, or vitality directly would be better, but Safyr doesn't have those options, and attacking the mind doesn't destroy the body, so it only solves half the issue.

"Grandmother!" A panicked voice comes from her pink-scaled relative. "The Blood of these things… I can't get rid of it!"

Confused, Safyr glances at Yrania only to see her claws and arms have weird growths on them as well as many spots all over her body. Stranger still is the mana that has infused her flesh. It isn't anything she has seen before; in fact, it shouldn't even exist!

She charges at one of her foes, tearing deep into the flesh as black sludge sprays onto her; she needs to find out what's going on. The monstrosity retaliates, trying to pierce her scales unsuccessfully, but she feels a strange itching sensation on her scales. Making sure enough of the blood is on her arm, pain wracks her as she examines her arm closely, watching as the strange mana buried deep in her flesh.

It's slowly transforming her flesh into them! Safyr cut off her arm, letting it fall and regrowing another, but she soon realizes her mistake, as her corrupted arm morphs and twists, quickly growing into a fourth large but exalted tier being!

It's newly born, so it's weak, but it has Classes and a water Bond like her! She growls in annoyance and, with a spell, rips the thing to shreds, only for it to spawn more small ones and reform.

"Do not engage them in melee, Yrania! They will corrupt your flesh and turn into more of them!"

"You need to call my father! Fire is strong against regenerators!"

Safyr growls with stubbornness. "We can handle them! They are just low legendary tier, even you should be able to take them all on and come out on top."

"Their attacks infect flesh; not even our scales protect us! Have you looked at yourself? You're covered in corrupted flesh. If we keep cutting them off, we'll be overwhelmed!"

"It's that damned mana! We need to extract it from us; go inform Alysara and have her remove it. I'll hold them off."

Yrania flies toward the Airship, leaving Safyr to hold off the now four regenerators. By the time she returns, there will only be two left!

She summons her torrent of water again, shredding them over and over and over again; they'll eventually run out of mana and die! She summons another torrent to destroy the thousands more being born from the gore.

My clones that I left in the Nexus are currently on a business trips for my airship trial, I didn't think this would happen, so I didn't leave one behind to look after my family. I am still too far to use [Manuipulate Mana] for spells, but with the First Inscription stabilizing spells, I can still use my Bond and Class through them.

I currently have three villages defended with my fairies and created a new clone to fly back home, but by the looks of it, this will all be over by the time it arrives.

Ting! The Guardian of the East Nexus, Safyr, the dragon, has slain T̸͈̗̰̫͖̾̓̇̀̽ʜ̸̡̡̮̟̺̓̍̎́̓o̴̢̱̺̥̣͂́͛̍̚n̴̩̣̙̼̜̊͒̀́̋'̵̢̨̹̝̘̓̒̐̈̍X̸̩̱̠̭͓̐̓̉̎͘ɒ̵̨͎̳̰͚̌́̈́͝͠n̷̢̤̺̲̱̓̐́͗̿'̶̮̣̬͎̲̓̄̆͂͝span lang="hi-IN"ꓘ/span̴̛͚̭̱̦͓͌͑̃̚o̷̡̠̺͓͖͌̿͋͑͘ɿ̶̹͉̤̪̱̈̇̍͒͝, the Eldritch.

Ting! The Guardian of the East Nexus, Safyr, the dragon, has slain ꟻ̴͖̖̼̤̝̆̾̓͘͝ḷ̸̼͖̜̫̂͑͆̌͆ö̴̹̯̙̝́̋̿̃͑͜ɿ̶̳̞͚͇̐̽̒͊͝ͅ'̴̢͇̣̹̘̃̌̍͊͘Z̴̧̗̝̙͎̓̔͑͂̚i̸̬͖̖̗̿̒́́̌ͅx̷̢̮̖͖͕̿́̾̚͠Ɉ̴̧̢̺̤̙͆́̈̀͋ɔ̶̹̗̥̙͈͗͛̑͌̃'̵̧͎̹̦̜̅̔̈́̆̉Ϙ̴͎̟͔̘̦̉̐͋̈͑i̵͇͓̞͖̮͂́͌̃̈ȏ̸͍͉̳̬̈́̅̀̐͜l̶͙̮̼̱̃́̎́͜͠, the Eldritch.

Well, it seems like Safyr has it under control, but the odd thing is that she killed all of them yet only got two notifications; where could the last one have gone?

I scan the area, quickly finding the escaping eldritch being. At the same time, Safyr notices it, a small form like a small writhing tentacle diving into the sea. Safyr dives lower, and soon, a cloud of black blood is released as the tentacle is torn to shreds, yet still no kill notification…

"Alysara, we need your help" I hear Yrania's telepathic voice enter my mind. "The mana of those things is weird and corrupting. We need you to extract the mana from us; otherwise, any flesh we shed will turn into more of those things."

"I will be on the deck soon," I reply, running up to meet the dragon who is flying by the airship's side.

Just looking at her, I immediately know that the alien mana is being artificially stabilized in this layer. It seems this isn't the first time those beings have crossed into other layers; in fact, they probably have skills that stabilize themselves and their spells no matter what layer they are on.

I reach out to Yrania with [Manipulate Mana] and tug on the alien mana, but no matter how hard I try, I can't even make it budge! Worse still, the mana is twisting and warping her flesh and mana, spreading and consuming!

This sounds very similar to what Kayafe explained of what [Manipulate Magic] is capable of; this spell is being magically enhanced! Only [Manipulate Magic] can extract this mana!

I tell Yrania the bad news.

"I see; that is bad news. We'll just have to deal with the consequences then."

Yrania returns to Safyr, and they rip their infected flesh off, spawning more of the eldritch beings before Safyr shreds them apart. However, they are only afforded a brief respite as two large eldritch beings descend from the sky, shifting willingly to this layer.

This time their tentacles are tipped with eyes, and sharp hooks and suckers adorn the length of them. Being more prepared now, they shoot beams from their tentacles, a hundred hitting Safyr and infecting her scales with the corrupting mana.

Their attack is short-lived as Yrania flies in a circle around them, clearly engaging them in a mental battle to disrupt their attacks. Safyr's whole front is infected, but it's shallow; with the help of her water, she tears off the infected flesh and launches her own jets of water, cutting both in half, then half again, and half again. With each divide, a new level zero monster is born, but the mass of the legendary one is reduced, easier to tear up without spawning thousands more.

We finally arrive at the Nexus, entering battle with a barrage of cannon fire, attracting the attention of the weak inter-layer beings.

Beams hit the ship, but we receive no damage, the super-solid structure easily blocking the spell. I go back into the airship to avoid being hit by stray attacks.

A series of booms accompany another volley of shots, the mana cannon shells delivering powerful explosions as they hit the vulnerable flesh of the eldritch beings, and they begin to fall, engulfed in flames.

The two laser cannons focus fire on another offshoot, quickly killing the weak monster. Beams slam into the side of the airship as the enemy tries to attack the dragons and us, but Safyr uses her superior speed to outmaneuver the corrupting beams, taking care to draw the attacks away from the villages.

Another thundering series signals another cannon volley, and a second later, another weak foe falls as explosions blow it into pieces. However, the enemy takes the opening that their retaliation gave them to regenerate, only to be cut in half by Safyr once again and again, and again, once small enough, Safyr conjures another watery tornado to rip them apart, but unlike last time, it seems to have a harder time, the water bounces off as the eldritch flesh hardens like carapace.

They're adapting…

I realize. Their first attack was easily repelled because Safyr ambushed them by forcefully pulling them onto this layer, they didn't expect that and were left in shock, but now they've had time to prepare themselves.

However, their hyper-specialization against Safyr's attacks has left them vulnerable to other forms of attacks. The laser cannons swivel and lock onto one of the legendary beings now that the weak ones are ripped apart and fire a beam of concentrated lightning mana burning through the carapace and blasting a hole in the foe. Safyr takes this opportunity to seep her water into the wound and past the carapace tearing the foe apart from the inside.

A notification signals the death of the invader, and the fourth legendary eldritch being, the reinforcement, shifts back to another layer to run away, but Safyr pulls it back, tackling it and ripping the carapace off with her claws. The being retaliates, digging its hooks into her and using its suckers to keep its grip, but that doesn't save it from the water rushing into its wounds and destroying it over and over again until the system confirms its death.

Safyr sheds her infected flesh and quickly slays the resulting enemy before flying back to Temple Island to rest, Yrania flying by her side.

The Entalymo flies lower to land at my village, but I immediately notice something wrong. The bodies of slain Eldritch offshoots are bleeding over the wooden walkways, warping the wood and turning them into fleshy floors, but the worst are those who are infected with the corrupting mana.

It wasn't just the Legendary ones that could corrupt things but their offshoots too. Among the infected are my parents; thankfully, Yafe and Yafel are unharmed, wearing the protective dragon silk dress I incorporated into their Kyhosa.

My heart sinks at the sight of the corruption slowly spreading on my parents, and it's worse than them simply getting the infecting blood on them, it looks like my dad took a hit, and her liver is infected as well.

Most people can simply have the surface-level infection cut off, but we don't have surgeons that can remove infected organs; we never had a need for surgeons. In a world where limbs can be regenerated, diseases killed via spell, and other ailments are just as easily healed, medical knowledge is far below what it should be.

I have to try and remove the corrupting mana from my parents; how else am I going to save them?

I teleport out of the Entylamo, conjuring my wings, and drift down to the healer where all the wounded are. Usually, there are not so many people here, but now dozens are crowding the beds and chairs as the healer tries to remove the infection by a spell.

They've already tried cutting off the infected flesh, but that just made another eldritch offshoot that they had to kill.

"Aly!" The twins tackle-hug me as I enter; tears are streaming down their cheeks from fright and worry.

"It's ok," I reassure them, patting their heads and purring. "I'll heal them"

Chapter 195: Sacrifice

I carefully examine the infected before me; most have surface-level infections that can easily be cut away and healed. The problem is those that suffered injuries and have corruption deeper inside their bodies. The ones with limb injuries can have their arms or legs amputated and regrown, but that is not ideal. The healers aren't so strong that they can restore limbs in a few hours; it takes weeks to fully restore limbs.

Internal organ damage is the same way. With next to zero actual medical knowledge of the body, even with my eyewraps making them see where the corruption is, more damage can be done. Thankfully vitality can keep people "alive" even when the body is dead, but the longer the body is dead, the faster the vitality drain is, and we don't have enough healers to keep everybody alive, especially considering all the infected from all the villages.

The infection spread is slow but not slow enough that they can wait until one person is treated to a stable, non-life-threatening point. No matter how I look at it, some people are dying, and there's potential for more to be infected since any flesh cut off will spawn more eldritch offshoots.

What about Klaman? The thought rises to the surface of my mind. Klaman is powerful enough to slay the offshoots, and with his void Bond he can surgically remove the flesh in a way that no offshoots will spawn.

However, there are a few complications and unknowns. One, I can ask him for help in return to accept his duel; win or lose, I'd ask for his help anyway so he can pay it before the duel. He may even straight up ask for me to become empress, but if it's to save my family and people, that is a price I am willing to pay.

The real problem lies in the time needed to get him. Even if I can use his tracking abilities to lead him here, I doubt he can teleport so far; he is a low-tier legendary being, probably one of the weakest. Plus, he still doesn't solve the issue of people dying from not being healed in time. Lanya is out of the question, we'd have to get her with the Entylamo, and that'd take too long.

I still don't know if enhancing a cursed skill is safe or not, I don't think it will turn me into a cursed being, but that is a possibility. The most likely case is that the point, which is a large packet of experience, or, as my memories show, aether, will neutralize the miasma before enhancing my skill, resulting in a weak enhancement.

The problem lies in the fact that in order to make my skill safe, I need to incorporate it into a class or race; the race takes time to adjust my body, and the longer we wait to start treatment, the more people will die.

Then there's the problem that if I don't incorporate it into my race, more miasma will build up, and the curse will take effect in an enhanced skill; there's no telling how dangerous that will be to me.

I can still safely manipulate this alien mana because it's normally unstable in the layer, my curse doesn't copy the magical stabilizing effect, but the enhanced version may do so.

The stabilizing effect also isn't from the First Inscription since it stabilizes spells due to a lack of range control, not layer instability, but just to be safe, I'll send a clone to turn it off.

So what are my options? Surgery? We don't have the heals to save everyone. Klaman? Same problem and other issues. Enhance my [Manipulate Mana]? Takes too long or is too risky to me. Lanya? Takes too long too.

No matter what I consider, nothing works!

What about the Mana Arc? Another thought surfaces.

It's incomplete. It was made to redirect the torrent of mana entering the Nexus, not for fine control. Plus, I don't know if I can use it to heal everyone and have it do its normal job at the same time. It's a risk that can potentially kill many more people.

However, if I free Kayafe, she can heal everyone in a safe way that won't create more eldritch offshoots; only Kayafe can save everyone. However, I don't have any way to free her; I can't just break the Mana Arc, and I can't make a new one yet, nor do I have time to but don't I already have an idea to free her? By pushing her out of the nexus and replacing her with something of equal power, I should be able to free her.

However, I don't have anything equal to her power in [Manipulate Magic]; I have no way to free her… Except, do I need something of her level? There is a way to not only free Kayafe and keep the Mana Arc but also improve it; it just takes a sacrifice.

I place a hand on my necklace Kyhosa, the symbolic representation of my life. It has been with me all my life. It has grown with me, helped me overcome great tribulations, and been with me through the best and worst times of my life. It is a gift from my parents; it's only natural that I use it to help heal them.

A life for a life.

To free Kayafe.

To save my people.

To save my family.

I push the twins off me, bending down to their level, and pat them on the head.

"I'll be right back," I say. "Your big sister will make sure everyone has a happy ending to this scary day" I give them one last hug and step outside, conjure my wings and fly to Temple Island.

Once there, I see Safyr and Yrania sitting next to the temple entrance. Safyr gives me a knowing nod without saying anything. I suspect Safyr didn't enlighten her granddaughter on anything.

I fly over them to the top of the Temple, standing before the familiar gemlike Mana Arc. I study the thing once more, seeing how Kayafe had built the thing with my learned insight.

Mana Arc of Kayafe's Final Will:

(Legendary) (Ancient) (Legacy)

Created by a true master of mana, Kayafe in an attempt to save her people and give them a land free of tyranny and a place they can truly call home, sealed her body to provide a catalyst for the Mana Arc. With the capabilities of drawing in vast amounts of mana, storing it, and redirecting it. This Mana Arc has transformed a hellish wasteland into a paradise free of monsters.

Monster Inhibitor, Battery (10B), Mana Draw, Mana Redirection, Mana Liquification.

It's made with super-solid mana with veins of liquid mana flowing as if pushed around by a beating heart.

I now understand why she did it this way, magic items utilize symbolism and meanings to help direct their transformation, but there's a better way to do it, have the liquid mana form the mana gathering inscription.

One thing that I never thought to consider, the Mana Arc, never actually has the [Manipulate Magic] skill; it has always been borrowing that from Kayafe, truly incomplete.

I examine my Kyhosa one last time before I lose it forever.

Alysara's Celestial Storm Kyhosa:

(Exalted) (Relic) (Set)

This Relic set: Amulet, left bracelet, right bracelet, is made from Nexus gems and Myrou gold blessed by Myrou herself and filled to the brim with beauty and creativity essence, was given as a Kyhosa to Alysara during her Kyholo. She has learned from an ancient ancestor and even survived storms conjured by a dragon to train her resistance to them. Alysara has proven herself a master of mana, able to conjure the storms that once threatened her village. Her knowledge and mastery of mana have grown so great no secrets are beyond her reach. This set has followed Alysara through a multitude of trials and tribulations, always helping her when she needs it most. Now blessed under the union of the moons and sun, this Relic can channel all of its stored mana into a single devastating attack to form a protective barrier or to conjure a whirling storm of the heavens.

When worn, it Enhances Beauty, Creativity, and Elemental spells by 2000% and boosts intelligence and wisdom by 75%. Grants the Skill: Manipulate Mana 550/550, Celestial Spear, Celestial Shield, Celestial Storm, Linked, Battery (300,000).

Magic items that grow with someone are often far more powerful than those that don't. If anything, they have more history to them.

I never had the chance to use its celestial abilities, I suppose it's fortunate that I never needed to until recently, but even then, it wouldn't have helped against the legendary beings.

My Kyhosa has the inscription of Kayafe's [Manipulate Magic] on it. It's now decorative, but the hope was that it would give my Kyhosa the [Manipulate Magic] skill. Now I can only hope it works this time. In any case, the Mana Arc can't get any worse, and even if it can't handle the same amount of mana, an increase in ambient mana won't immediately kill everyone. Plus, Kayafe can support the Mana Arc until we make a better one if the worst is to happen.

It is finally time. I take off my bracelets and the necklace with a heavy heart. This has to be done. My people have gone through enough disasters; I won't have another end in tragedy.

I start by drawing out some of my own vitality for Kayafe's soul to latch onto, she will have to do the rest, but she won't have a normal body to live in.

I steady my emotions as I raise my Kyhosa up to the Mana Arc. I don't want to lose it; I want to be selfish just this once so I don't lose the one thing that matters to me most, aside from my family, but is that fair to the people who would die? What about their family? Who will have to grieve? What about Kayafe, who has already suffered enough, and who has made a greater sacrifice that would eventually grant me this peaceful life?

It wouldn't be fair. In the end, my Kyhosa is just a jewel.

I push my Kyhosa into the Mana Arc, the surface of it rippling as it accepts my offer.

The world stands still as if all time has frozen; all the mana stands still, even defying the Mana Arc. A strange presence washes over me like the gentle waves of the sea flow returns to the world as Kayafe's soul is ejected from the Mana Arc.

I catch her with the vitality and instantly lose control over it as more and more condenses around her soul, transforming into more vitality, becoming denser and denser, forming a solid and somehow living structure of pure vitality!

"A-Alysara?" Kayafe's feminine voice tickles my ears as her body forms a skin of light mana, and mana silk clothes forms around her.

However, before I can answer, our attention is drawn to the Mana Arc as its new transformation takes place.

It didn't take long, which isn't surprising since there's so much mana here; all of its mana needs are satisfied within ten seconds, which is honestly surprising that it needed that much. It would have taken weeks to months outside the Nexus and probably days inside it.

Outwardly the Mana Arc barely changed at all, but on the inside, it becomes so much more. Circular lines of liquid mana begin to flow, carving new paths as the old close up. More and more circles are drawn until a sphere is formed under the hard exterior. More lines form inside the thin liquid mana sphere until a three-dimensional version of the [Manipulate Magic] magic framework is formed.

Mana Arc of the Saintess':

(Legendary) (Ancient) (Legacy)

Created by the Saintess of the Runalymo, Kayafe, and perfected by the Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, through their sacrifices, they have made a true Mana Arc. With Kayafe spending 10,000 years inside it to protect her people and Alysara giving up her Kyhosa to save her people and family, this Mana Arc is born out of the altruistic and selfless nature of its creators. This Mana Arc will defend its people, the Runalymo, from all threats with its endless supply of mana.

Monster Inhibitor, Battery (100B), Total Mana Control: 1000/1000, Manipulate Magic: 800/1200. Nexus Spear, Nexus Shield, Nexus Storm.

Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has freed the Saintess of the Runalymo, Kayafe, the Runalymo, and completed the Mana Arc!

Chapter 196: Time Lagged

Kayafe wakes up with a jolt as pressure builds up around her, squeezing and crushing her as if trying to shove her through a too-small hole. Panic rises inside her as the pressure increases, but at the same time, it feels as if she has more freedom, like she's being pushed out of a well she had fallen into.

Could have given me some warning! Kayafe complains, realizing what is going on.

Suddenly the world around comes into view through her [Sense Mana]. She doesn't have a body, so right now, she doesn't have eyes, but now, after so long, her [Sense mana] is working again!

She is in a cloud of vitality, holding tight to keep her soul attached to the mortal world.

At least she thought ahead.

Kayafe usurps control of the vitality, quickly gathering more around her and shaping a body for her soul to reside in, imbuing trace magic into the vitality to serve as a body. She shaped muscle fibers and stiff bones, a heart and veins for which liquid vitality will flow, and finally wrapping her new body in a skin of light mana to appear like her old body to mundane eyes. Then she wraps her body in mana silk clothes, a long flowing dress.

With her body finally made, she examines her surroundings, missing her mundane sight to take normal light.

In front of her is a young adult with three very long tails and large fluffy ears. Her body is well endowed and seems to be growing into a very attractive motherly figure with large breasts and wide hips. But the feature that gives her identity away, aside from her fluffy tails, is her eyewraps.

Her clothes are expertly made from mana silk, with much more expertise than the ones Kayafe had just made. Alysara had not talked about the style of clothes, but they are much different than she had imagined, showing so much skin but had obvious care and consideration with the decoration. The ornate diadem Alysara had talked about rests on her head naturally like she was a queen.

"A-Alysara?" Kayafe stammers, admiring the beautiful young woman in front of her.

However, her attention is quickly drawn to the Mana Arc, which begins a magical transformation, quickly becoming the Mana Arc of the Saintess'.

Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has freed the Saintess of the Runalymo, Kayafe, the Runalymo, and completed the Mana Arc!

When did I get a title? When did Alysara get one too? Kayafe did not have a title when she made the Mana Arc, and Alysara never mentioned anything about gaining one, so hers must have been recent.

Alysara seems to be surprised by the world announcement, too, but after recovering, she asks for my help.

"Kayafe, I need your help!"

She can tell Alysara is going through some sort of emotional turmoil, that her being freed is out of necessity, not because she wanted to. It hurt a little seeing that, but she doesn't know the circumstances; perhaps it was risky or had some sort of drawback.

"What is it?" Kayafe asks.

With Safyr guarding the place, it must be something that the dragon can't solve, and only she can.

"You'll understand better If I show it to you," Alysara says, wings sprouting from her back.

She casts a flying spell and follows the young woman to a large jetty village built next to an island. Alysara had mentioned that the Nexus was flooded, so this was to be expected, but it wasn't quite what she had imagined.

Alysara leads her to an overcrowded house with people that had a strange kind of mana inflicting them, from which she suddenly got a breakthrough in [Sense Mana].

"I can explain it later, but the being that caused this has a magical effect on the mana, so I can't remove it; if it's not removed, it will spread and kill them" Alysara walks over to a pair of twins who looks very similar to her, patting them on the head. Next to the girls are two adults, one of which has a deep infection of this strange mana; they are probably Alysara's parents.

Now understanding the situation, and gaining a new breakthrough in [Sense Mana], Kayafe pulls out the alien mana from everyone, which instantly destabilizes just like her experiments when trying to discover more elements.

"Is there anyone else?" Kayafe asks.

"Yes, a lot more in the other villages," Alysara says before turning to her family. "We're going to heal everyone else; we'll be back."

Alysara group hugs her family before walking out of the house. Kayafe goes to join her, but her parents stop her.

"Thank you for healing us."

"It's the least I could do."

Kayafe leaves the building and follows Alysara to the next village, then the next, and the next one after that.

"We were attacked," Alysara explains as they travel. She retells the battle that had happened earlier this day. Safyr and her granddaughter defended the Nexus, but they aren't capable of solving all problems, no matter how powerful they are.

So Erandur fathered a child. Kayafe remembers Safyr's adoptive child, an adolescent fire dragon.

She's missed out on so much during her time in the Mana Arc. It feels almost like a dream, and in the next moment, she'll wake back up in the Mana Arc.

It's difficult to process everything; the world has left her behind; everything's different.

I hope the others are still alive. It's not likely, after ten thousand years, but she'd like the opportunity to catch up with at least one of her companions.

After going around to all the villages that had the infected, they returned to Alysara's home, a large two-story house.

"You can stay here," Alysara offers, opening the door for her.

"Thank you"

Right now, she has nothing, no wealth, no home, no family. She can't even see the world as she used to since she lacks her old body's eyes.

Well, I have something in common with Alysara now. An amusing thought enters her mind.

They share an awkward moment in front of the door, not knowing how to say what's on their mind. Everything happened so suddenly that it doesn't feel right. There was no celebration of figuring out how to complete the Mana Arc; there was no exciting news to prepare her for this.

Then there's the dour mood Alysara seems to be in. Alysara brings a hand up to her chest as if to feel for something but soon drops her hand.

"Thank you," Alysara breaks the silence. "For saving my family."

Her freedom had come at a cost to Alysara, a significant one. The information from the completed Mana Arc mentioned she had sacrificed something, and from the looks of things, whatever it was, meant a lot to Alysara.

Kayafe steps closer and pulls Alysara into an embrace, comforting the young woman.

"Thank you, Alysara. Thank you for freeing me."

There's nothing she can do to bring back what was lost, so the least she can do is show her gratitude.

Alysara sniffs, her eyes watering behind her eyewraps, as she tries to hold back her tears.

"It's alright," Kayafe soothes her with a purr. "Just let it all out."

Like a dam breaking, Alysara cries at her loss, Kayafe holding her tightly and patting her head. They stand there for several minutes until Alysara's tears dry up.

"Let's go inside," Alysara finally says, leading the way and showing her the rooms.

Her house is quite spacious, with many of the rooms having clear purposes, from a workshop to her experimentation rooms where several inscriptions lay, probably for some sort of test.

Alysara had told her about inscriptions, but now she finally has a picture to go along with Alysara's explanations.

"So, what are you testing here?" Kayafe asks. Not knowing what to talk about, she resorts to their common interests.

"I'm testing the long-term erosion that the Mana gathering inscription has of mana-based structures," Alysara explains.

She goes into the details, explaining that she needs to find the best form of inscription for each stage of solid and super-solid mana as well as for mana silk cloth. Naturally, the more solid the mana, the better the inscription that can be used.

Kayafe takes a look at Alysara's notes, a book filled with detail recording the erosion rate, if there is any, the efficiency of the inscription, and much more, even going into detail as to where erosion occurs the most.

Afterward, Alysara lets her look at her Library, the magic item that records her knowledge. Kayafe had to wear Alysara's Eyewraps but finds her book a treasure trove of knowledge of everything mana and magical. Since inscriptions are sort of both, Alysara's experimentation notes are also in her library.

"Aly… This is something that Kings would war over."

Less, even. Just knowledge of [Sense Mana] and the breakthroughs to take it all the way to [Sense Magic] is enough to spark wars and divide close allies.

"They don't need to know it's here, and even if it's stolen, they can't read it," Alysara replies.

"I'm just expressing how impressive this is, Alysara, that you accomplished all of this," Kayafe motions to the book.

She has to admit that she is envious of Alysara. To have accomplished so much at such a young age, even if she's a legacy soul, and she's not even a legendary being yet. The old belief that only legendary beings can accomplish world-changing things is shattered by this girl.

After showing her house and experiment, Alysara leads Kayafe to a ship made entirely of mana. Looking inside with her perceptive field, she sees that the inside of the ship is much larger than the outside, but the most impressive thing is what's inside the walls of the ship. What looks to be small pipes for mana to flow through that Alysara calls 'mana wiring'. They flow all through the airship powering lights and other ship functions, such as climate control systems that pump fire or ice mana in the air.

Everything about the ship is evident that it was made by someone who really studied mana. She had done several tests on mana herself, but her journey wasn't conducive to researching technology; she was much more preoccupied with learning how to cast better and stronger spells.

Would she have been able to do all of this if given the chance? What about over the course of ten thousand years?

There's no point in regretting her decisions now; she made the choices she thought were best at the time, given her situation then.

After showing her the Entylamo, they go to the Lojyo, which Alysara explains while they walk. However, Kayafe's mind wanders to other things, things that she didn't have time to ponder earlier.

Why do they speak the same language still? The language should have drifted over the thousands of years, yet it hasn't. The only explanation she can come up with is that it is a consequence of her being in the Mana Arc; perhaps there was an unknown psychic effect. After all, people in items are not common; she is the only example.

The second is the hermaphrodity of these people. She hadn't considered the possibility that her minor shapeshifting spell she used to father children would pass on such a trait.

She had kept a distant heart when it came to romantic relations, whether man or woman, since she would outlive her partners, but at the same time, she wanted a family. She had considered carrying her own children, but she couldn't afford to, what with the circumstances at the time.

Unfortunately, she never had the opportunity to see the birth of her children, but in hindsight, that may have been a blessing in disguise, less attachment to grieve for.

Her musings are interrupted when Alysara nudges her.

"We're here," the three-tailed girl says.

Music is played, and people dance around a bonfire; on the edge of this gathering place, couples court each other. Groups gather to talk and vent while children play at a nearby playground. It is as if all worries are gone, and they are only living in the moment.

"Let's introduce you to everyone," Alysara says, leading the way.

Kayafe is a little apprehensive, though, most people treat legendaries differently, with suspicion or reverence, and she's a stranger to these people. Her tail isn't as long, nor are her ears as large; many will have reason to distrust her.

However, when Alysara introduces her to a group of people, she doesn't receive any strange looks or animosity. Instead, she receives friendly introductions, although a few people did ask if she really was the Kayafe, the one from the stories. She didn't really know what to say to that but noticing her hesitation, Alysara answers for her with a simple yes.

More and more people gather around her after that, with many asking for stories of her adventure, not out of reverence but more like a child asking their grandfather about his stories.

This isn't so bad. Kayafe smiles before telling everyone about the time she had climbed a mountain so high it went beyond the air.

Chapter 197: Kayafe and Safyr

48th Breakthrough: You have used perceptive beams to attack another's perceptive eye; this will help you engage in perceptive battles.

I got this after training with Ruluna for a bit, and now that I think about it, it may help me against those retaliatory gazers I saw in the other Layer. They've already attacked us, so no further harm can be done by doing so. If we can cripple their 'eyes', then it may delay the next attack or scare them away.

I also need to investigate my title; I should consult Safyr about it since she has one; Kayafe told me she had also just gained hers, so she may not be the best person to ask.

Title: Saintess of Mana and Magic

Through selfless acts and mastery of Mana and Magic, you are recognized as the Saintess of Mana and Magic.

Empowers your manipulative control and power of mana and magic by 3% per level of each skill based on mana or magic. You can create rituals to ensure a magical spell works.

Two effects; the first is a straight power boost to my [Manipulate Mana]. As for the second, I don't know what it really means. Couldn't I have done so already?

"Not really," Kayafe answers when I ask her the question. "What it means is often referred to as a 'ritual spell', which can be very powerful but have a low success rate. What your title does is make it so it will always happen. Only the strength and sometimes the effect is in question."

We are taking our morning bath, and although Kayafe doesn't need to, since her body is made of vitality, she still joined me anyway.

"Ritual spells are cast in a similar way to the one you cast during the moon alignment." Kayafe continues. "They can be used to instantly slay powerful monsters, grant immortality, revive the recent dead, and much more, if you make the ritual powerful enough, although those may require sacrifice or extremely rare circumstances."

In other words, they can be used to grant wishes, although it's still hard to do. It sounds like ritual spells are an attempt to remove the 'cultural significance' requirement from rituals which explains why they mostly don't work, and my title does just that.

"So, it's something I have to prepare; I can't just cast them whenever I want."

"Yes," Kayafe confirms. "And it sounds like you have to be the one to cast it. Regardless, it's incredibly powerful."

I will have to explore what I can reasonably do with ritual spells, but if I find one that protects my mind, I may be able to defeat that mind eater.

"What does your title do?" I ask. I told Kayafe mine; it's only fair she tells me.

"I gain a large power boost when defending Runalymo, and I can designate a 'home' that I can teleport us to. It doesn't mention a limit, but I wonder if it only works in the same realm."

I'm not the only one who had tests to do, but that can wait for another time.

"By the way," Kayafe continues. "Do you plan on using the legendary point to cure your skill?" Kayafe asks.

The point I got for saving Kayafe and completing the Mana Arc at least partially counts as a crafting feat, so it's a good candidate for putting it into my race, but is that best for me? Can I do something better by purifying [Mana Manipulation]? Since there is a healer who can heal my anima, I can hold off on [Astral Projection]. Power-wise, being able to enhance [Manipulate Mana] will grant me a ten times bonus and vastly increase the potential of my skill, and it will gain my race bonus in addition to my new title bonus.

I am looking at an increase in power of hundreds of times greater than it currently is, and the increased level cap will only further improve the bonus I gain from my title. My title is currently drawing strength from three skills: [Sense Magic], which, although is a perceptive skill, still counts as a skill based on mana and magic, [Manipulate Mana], and [Beacon's Core]. For a current level total of one thousand five hundred and thirteen, a title bonus of four thousand five hundred thirty-nine. By Enhancing [Manipulate Mana], I can get that close to five thousand on top of the other bonuses.

The choice is a little obvious when I break down what I can gain. Putting it into my race, once I reach exalted tier, not only delays the purification of my cursed skills but may not even grant the same amount of power I stand to gain by curing my cursed skills. Looking at it that way, I stand a greater chance to get more legendary points by getting more powerful, and I can help defend the Nexus should we get invaded again.

There's little point in delaying the purification of [Manipulate Mana], so tonight, I should evolve and move a cleansed [Manipulate Mana] into my race. There is still a great risk in doing so, but as far as I am aware, it's the best chance I have; plus, if the miasma in the skill is not fully removed, I can always just not evolve.

"Don't you have a race evolution option available?" I ask Kayafe.

"Yes," Kayafe confirms.

"How does that work with your current body?"

Kayafe crosses her arms in thought and thinks about it for a moment.

"It still considers me Runalymo, but all my options now are vitality based, all referring in some way to a vitality body. But I won't evolve for now. I want to master [Sense Mana] first and catch up to you in that skill; that will give me the best options for evolutions, plus I may gain more knowledge into how to make this body more life-like."

Where I have little to gain by waiting, Kayafe is in the opposite situation. Of course, we'll be training each other in our specialized skills, her training me in [Manipulate Magic] and I teaching her [Sense Magic].

"You have no idea how lucky you are to have a title already," Kayafe says, playfully splashing some water on me. "You will be as strong as I was in your soon-to-be [Manipulate Magic] before I got my title; I'm a little jealous."

"Aren't you getting a powerful bonus too? I'll still be behind you," I ask.

"Yes, I am getting a one percent bonus for each year I spent in the Mana Arc, but you can still cast ritual spells! Under the right circumstances, you can cast a spell far more powerful than I could even dream of!" Kayafe complains.

"Ah yes, I only have to wait for the once in a thousand years event to do that, just another average day!" I retort sarcastically.

"That's fair; I suppose" Kayafe takes the loss for this argument.

"Let's go see Safyr," I say, getting out of the bath. "She seemed like she wanted to meet us yesterday."

I weave a mana silk dress around me, noticing how easy it is now, with my title bonus, and Kayafe does the same; we then fly to Temple Island to meet Safyr.

"Thank you, Safyr, for protecting my people," Kayafe bows gratefully.

"I have fulfilled my promise, and for that, you owe me," Safyr says.

"Of course. So what do you plan on doing now?"

"For now, I still have a reason to remain," Safyr says, glancing at me. "But I will find a new purpose elsewhere; I believe my son needed help with something."

"You're going to leave?!" I had never considered the possibility that Safyr would leave; if she does, the nexus will lose its most powerful defense!

"Dragons rarely stay in one place for so long, Alysara, but worry not, your people are still hardy, able to rebuild even after so many disasters. With the dungeon reopened, your airships, trade with the Lunaley, and the completed Mana Arc, you have more means of survival than before, even if you must temporarily abandon your homes."

"Do you think Kayafe could have defeated those eldritch invaders?" I ask Safyr.

It might have been a little offensive to question her abilities, but Kayafe is no dragon, and we need to know what we are capable of.

"Individually, she is more powerful, but if she were to try and fight all four, she would not have been able to slay them. Fortunately, you have your airship, and the mana arc, as it is now, will be able to defeat most invaders; it is possibly one of, if not the most powerful item I have seen."

That endorsement does put my heart at ease a little, but what if another dragon decides it wants to evict us? What about another nation with powerful items or even a hundred legendaries? If I remember correctly, the Humans had over eighty legendary beings, and that is confirmed because that many died; they could have way more.

Then there's the question of what if something does happen to the Nexus? Where will our people go? There's one more thing I need to know.

"How valuable is this Nexus?" I ask. "How likely is it that another country or monster will want to remove us from this place or take it over?"

"Nexus are very valuable to people; lots of rare materials can be found in one, but due to the mana mostly being redirected, this one has less material value, and what was here has long since been exploited. However, where material value lacks your people more than makes up for it in technology and powerful items like the Mana Arc. In other words, your best defense is the reason for invasion."

We need allies, powerful allies. There are monsters and things out there that can't be slain by the Mana Arc, and they have more than enough reason to take it. Not to mention there's my Library, which only adds fuel to the fire. Safyr has shown great interest in this knowledge, so it is certain that others will too.

Secrecy is our best defense. The fewer people know, the less we will be invaded, but that is only effective until it isn't; once the cat's out of the bag, you can't put it back in.

There are also more problems as we start exploring the world; people will start asking where we come from, and they will start looking. As long as people know that this location is secret, they will be suspicious that we have something worth taking; the best secret is one that no one even realizes that there is one. So, should we just not explore? Keep it only to the Lunaley, and remain isolated?

No, eventually, someone will want to leave and explore, and airships give them the means to, or someone will stumble upon us. Plus, we need to train people capable of at least stalling invaders, and we can't do that by staying here, the dungeon will help, but I'm not confident that it will be enough. The last thing to consider is that our culture doesn't fit well in a militaristic environment.

A mental weight presses down on me as I realize what I must do. The Lunaley are stronger, have a longer history of war, can be a refuge if we have to leave, and there are relatively powerful people, items, and opportunities for growth.

In order for us to be safe, I must unite the Runalymo and Lunaley, and the best way to do that is by becoming an Empress. I will gain a powerful ally, secure a refuge, have a place to redirect curious people that try to look for us, and secure a military that can defend or stall enemies for us.

I must take Klaman up on his offer, but I will do it on my own terms.

Chapter 198: The Cleansing Evolution

"What can you tell me about titles?" I ask Safyr.

"Titles always grant a large bonus of some kind, usually equalling the bonus you'd get from the legendary tier; however, some can be weaker. Many also grant some kind of innate ability, such as mine, that can summon allies to my aid. You can have multiple titles but can only benefit from one at a time, although getting more than one is very rare."

"Alysara has a bonus that scales with her skills' levels; I have a static but much larger bonus. I assume this is normal?" Kayafe says, inquiring about the nature of the title bonus.

"It is," Safyr confirms, "Although a scaling bonus will often be weaker when first obtained."

"What is the highest title bonus that you know of?" I ask. "You said equivalent to legendary tier is normal, so on average, around five thousand?"

"The highest static bonus I've seen was around nine thousand; the highest scaling is twelve thousand."

"That's well into the fable tier equivalent, but I suppose very few have a title that strong. How many have you met with that high of a bonus?" I ask.

"Three," Safyr answers. "And of those three, they are old and very powerful; I consider them my equals. You saw one of them when he came to help with the cursed being a few years ago."

That one, huh. Safyr likely has a title bonus somewhere around ten thousand too. 'Guardian of the East Nexus' probably scales with how many years she's been protecting this place, so maybe around what Kayafe has.

"You'll be losing one of your titles, right?" Kayafe asks.

If Safyr leaves, she won't be considered the Guardian of the East Nexus anymore. I still can't believe she'll be leaving, and once she does, we'll be left vulnerable.

"Yes, but I have another to fall back on," Safyr says.

"Safyr, what are the chances that we'll be attacked by a force that Kayafe and the Mana Arc may struggle with, and how soon would you expect it?" I ask.

Safyr is silent for several minutes, thinking.

"Depends," She finally answers. "A lot of information can be gained from the world messages about Kayafe being freed so soon after I slew those things; they may draw a conclusion that we are in the same place, a place revealed by my title. They may look back in their records and see your own accomplishments on top of the ones you two will soon make and see value in this place."

So the cat's already out of the bag. However, they don't know about the Lunaleyan island; by keeping that place secret, we can secure a safe fallback location if we are ever forced out of the Nexus.

"Won't people just assume it's a coincidence?" Kayafe asks. "What is there that shows that we are related other than the timing? Also, no one will know you plan to leave; they'd be crazy to invade when there's a dragon here."

"While it can happen, and has happened before, that world messages appear from two different locations, that is very rare; common sense will assume that they are connected or at least suspected to be connected. Furthermore, it's something innate to the 'guardian' in the title, just like how your 'saintess' title comes from altruism," Safyr answers. "A guardian needs someone or someplace to protect, but why would a dragon be protecting a Nexus unless there's something there worth protecting; the nature of the Nexus itself isn't enough for dragons. But, yes, you are right; only the most powerful beings will be brave enough to challenge a dragon."

Safyr's implication is enough to convince her that being a dragon actually makes it more dangerous since anything willing to challenge a dragon will surely be too much for Kayafe and the Mana Arc.

"If everyone knows there's 'something worth protecting here,' then why haven't many people already tried to get it?" Kayafe asks.

"Because no one knew what it was, it could mean a lot to me but nothing to them; why take the risk?" Safyr answers. "But now they know, or they think they do. The Mana Arc, Alysara's knowledge, and now you. If they have records of your time, they will know you have mastered [Manipulate Mana] and seek that knowledge. They probably don't, but Alysara will get that soon anyway and possibly cure her cursed skill, another very valuable thing to know and one that may produce a world message."

"So what you're saying is that us enhancing our skills and me curing my cursed skill just makes things worse." I feel like there's a pit in my stomach.

I really want to purify my cursed skill, but there's a risk it may alert the world. Enhancing [Mana Manipulation] is also a risk, but what can I do? I can't just not cleanse my cursed skills, and enhancing [Manipulate Mana] is too good to pass up because I need to get stronger in case the gods want to chop my soul up for resources.

"Yes," Safyr replies. "But I would encourage you to do so anyway, because peaceful trade is always an option" Safyr looks at each of us in turn. "Many legendary beings aren't stupid — they know that if they try to force you to give them what they want, you won't out of spite. Therefore, many will seek you out with the intent of trade or favors; this is a good chance for you to gain powerful materials, training, and knowledge to strengthen yourselves."

"They won't try to take the Mana Arc?" I ask.

"Why bother? They know you made it, so they can learn how to make one for themselves," Safyr replies.

Her arguments are sound; there's more to gain coming in peace than trying to enslave and conquer, but what if they don't have anything of value or are unwilling to part with anything? Kidnaping, extortion, and other non-violent but aggressive and manipulative means are still an option. Mind control, memory reading, and who knows what else to get what they want without us knowing or being unable to fight back without immediately alerting Safyr. Then we need to consider that some may not want us to divulge this information to anyone else and may try to silence us, either by killing us, putting us under a geas, or other things like that. Not everyone will come to us with good intentions, and Safyr's presence is the only deterrent.

I voice my concerns and my plans to use the Lunaleyan island as a place of refuge should the worse happen.

"Caution and the foresight needed to identify solutions to problems are valuable traits," Safyr comments, but Kayafe has a different argument.

"Do you want to be an Empress? There can be other options, such as us getting stronger. There's a dungeon, and we can train in there; we can try to craft a fleet of airships just like the Entylamo. I can make one in a few hours if I wanted; the only thing I lack is the materials to make the reactor. Once you purify your skill, you will be able to do the same. Plus, if we get legendary tier materials from legendary beings seeking our knowledge, we can craft many powerful items for us to help defend against dubious beings. You don't have to do this."

"No, I don't want to be an empress, but we've both sacrificed too much for it all to be destroyed by some greedy people and monsters," I say.

I can't let the sacrifice of my Kyhosa be for nothing! If I can't protect my people, my family, and my home, then I'd lose everything. Some may think that I've done enough, but it just means I have more to lose; that's why I have to do this.

"At least wait," Kayafe says. "It's only been a day, and this is an important decision. You may change your mind for a better option."

"Alysara is right, though," Safyr says. "The people here aren't warriors, but the Lunaleyans are. By ruling them, you will gain more power, and as long as you rule them justly, they will remain loyal to you, but you'll also need the power to convince them that they can't reverse the relationship."

"All I'm saying is to wait and think it over," Kayafe sighs. "I understand that you are worried, Alysara, but we've got time; Safyr will still be here for a few more years, and even when she leaves, no one will know she's gone, so realistically we have decades to prepare"

"That only assumes no one notices my absence," Safyr counters. "But, regardless, Kayafe's right that you have some time, and hasty action is poorly thought out. With that said, I have something to give you, Alysara, for giving me the opportunity to fulfill my promise." Safyr reaches forward, and her hand disappears as if going inside something before pulling out a gem made of pure beauty mana that almost feels alive.

"Spirits are just like elementals, but born weak; most lack intelligence, but the few that gain intelligence often grow in power and surpass common elementals. This is the heart of one such great spirit, who was once known as the Goddess of Beauty and Blood. She was a cruel and vain being who saw beauty in battle, destruction, and death, rather than creation, cleanliness, and creativity that Myrou finds beautiful."

Heart of Brimora

(Legendary) (Archaic)

The heart of the Goddess of Beauty and Blood, a once feared war goddess known throughout the realm and beyond.

Vastly improves the potency and control of beauty spells

I take the heart offered to me, almost in disbelief. This is such a powerful material, and I didn't expect Safyr to part with something like this.

Why does she even have this in the first place?! What use does she have for it? Well, that answer is simple, she can use it to trade, but this also suggests that Safyr is capable of slaying beings known as gods.

I suppose this is the kind of thing I can expect to receive as payment for my knowledge. Perhaps I might be able to make a warship, one that will help defend the Nexus in the event something bad happens. If I get more materials like this, it's certainly a possibility.

Perhaps I don't need to be an empress forever, maybe just as long as needed until we can be sure the Nexus is secure, but until that time, having a fallback location is necessary. Perhaps Kayafe is right that I need to think this through more carefully. Perhaps we don't need warriors; we need vessels strong enough to take out any threat.

With Kayafe's experience and my knowledge, we can make a warship capable of fighting off anyone or anything.

"Thank you, Safyr."

"Hmm," Safyr hums before laying down. "If you have any further questions, ask Yrania."

With Safyr no longer in the mood to answer our questions, we fly home.

"Alysara," Kayafe says as we fly over the sea, "We should spend some time in the dungeon. You are ridiculously low leveled, which only feeds your paranoia because you feel powerless in the face of legendary beings. Once you gain more confidence in your abilities and power, you won't feel the same way you do now. By limiting your class so much for the sake of your Bond, you are handicapping yourself; this is why I encouraged you to take a caster Class."

"It's too late for that now," I reply. "Besides, once I evolve my race and purify my skill, I will gain the power to punch way up; I have an enemy that I want to pay back when I have the opportunity."

I still need to find a ritual spell that will protect my mind, but once that is done, the Mind Eater is going down!

"Besides," I continue, "Once [Manipulate Mana] is in my race, I will effectively have a caster Class."

"You still need the supportive skills for caster skills, Alysara. But are you one hundred percent sure you won't turn into a cursed being?"

"I'm as sure as I can be," I reply. "Even if I'm wrong, with my soul, it will reform even if destroyed, so if I do turn, warn Safyr; it takes several hours to evolve, so you should have time."

If the skill even has one mote of miasma left after the cleansing process, I won't take the risk.

After the Lojyo, I lay down, ready for the long evolution process, and access my legendary points. I take a deep breath to prepare myself as Kayafe watches over me, and will the point to cleanse the miasma from [Manipulate Mana]. I watch as the experience making up the point moves to the skill's magic framework and begins to neutralize the miasma until it's all gone; there's even some experience left over, but that begins to fade as the magic framework repairs itself to look like a normal framework. It worked! The skill is fully cleansed!

However, I'm not taking the chance that the miasma will come back.

"The miasma is entirely gone; there was even some experience leftover," I report.

Either this is not worthy of a world notification, or I have to move the skill into a proper Class or Race framework to complete the purification process.

Kayafe nods, and I check my evolution options, the final test; if the evolution options involving [Manipulate Mana] still say (Cursed), I won't take the risk.

I ignore the options based on souls, ectoplasm, and [Astral Projection], since they are still corrupted.

Five-Tailed Mana Saintess Runalymo.

(Heroic) (Artifact)

You are the Saintess of Mana and Magic; you have seen farther than most and seen secrets only a few have ever peered into. You have made powerful items, ones that spawn life, ones that hold knowledge, and even one of the most powerful items the realm has seen yet. You have proven your mastery of mana, and with that, your control over it has been ingrained in your blood.

Note: Skills may be merged or replaced.

Note: As the progenitor of an heirloom race, the merged skill will continue to level and achieve breakthroughs normally. Take your race to ever greater heights, or burn to ashes trying.

It's cleansed! This is a slightly improved version of the previous corrupted one; the other options also have slightly improved versions too, but they aren't heroic and artifact tier. Besides, this one blatantly says it will incorporate [Manipulate Mana] and the whole point of all this is to make sure the skill stays purified.

What's not to like about this evolution? It's partially crafting-based, sense based, and should keep my skill cleansed. I select the evolution and fall unconscious as the evolution process starts.

Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has discovered how to cleanse cursed Skills!

The message is the first thing I see when I wake up. Kayafe is in the experimentation room looking over my inscription notes; she must have done her own thing when the notification appeared since that is confirmation that my skill is indeed cleansed.

It feels like a huge weight has been lifted from me. All this time, I've been worried about curing my Skill, and I've finally done it! I can cleanse [Astral Projection] now too, but I'll have to put it in a Class; Scholar of Many Minds would be a good fit for it since it's for my clones.

Five-Tailed Mana Saintess Runalymo.

(Heroic) (Artifact)

Race Trait 1: Mana Generation

Having traded the now unneeded physical boosting trait of their parent species, the Runalymo have instead gained a 1400% heightened mana generation rate and a 60% boost to their mana capacity.

Race Trait 2: Sense Magic (903/980)

This skill has been evolved by the Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the progenitor of the Five-Tailed Runalymo. This race is not limited by sensing just mana; they can sense magic too and have great control over their perceptive pressure, vectors, and eyes. Born from the best, this race is gifted with the ability to see what mana and magic really is.

Race Trait 3: Manipulate Mana (550/550)

This race is a master of controlling and manipulating mana, being far more gifted than even masters of this skill can hope to achieve. They can create super-solid mana, cast devastating spells, and make items that few can even hope to copy.

Race Trait 4: Mana Senses

An evolved trait that has been honed and kept through the eons, this race still has very acute hearing, smell, and sight. Through a decade of exposure, the moment a member of this race has their third tail manifest; they gain the ability to smell and hear mana and, as such, can hunt and track by mana. This race can now adjust their mana senses to remove background noise and smells to focus on the mana they want to.

Race Trait 5: Mana Glutton

Having adapted to constant starvation and environments lacking in food supplies, this race now passively consumes mana to sustain bodily needs. Additionally, they can draw in mana from their environment to sustain themselves and have increased mana metabolism, completely eliminating their need for food and water while greatly extending the time this race can survive without air.

Race Trait 6: Runalymo's Tails

This race is now the most beautiful, and its connection to the essence has increased the amount they can store in their bodies by 1300%. In addition, they can naturally channel it to use beauty spells. Their strength in wielding this mana is boosted by 300%, and they are born with two tails. Once their third tail manifests at the age of 5, their bonus is increased to 500% and 800% when their fourth tail manifests at the age of 10. At the age of 15, this race will gain their fifth tail, granting them an increase to their beauty spells strength to 1200%.

Race Trait 7: Inventive Perfection

This race can easily spot flaws and may never overlook them. Memories are forgotten only at will. They are masters of finding and solving mysteries, puzzles, inventions, mechanics, circuitry, and other curiosities. Additionally, the more creativity essence a member of this race has stored, the faster they'll learn and master their arts and crafts. The more wisdom essence they have stored, the better they'll solve problems, finding more efficient and effective solutions.

Race Trait 8: Nexus Immunity (140/140)

Adapting to the hostile environment of a nexus, even if the vast majority of the ambient mana is being siphoned, has made this race resistant to extreme temperatures and immune to mana toxicity. They can resist mana given off by great beings, recover faster from mana toxicity, resist mana storms, push against highly dense mana, convert mana toxicity into vitality, slightly resist spells, prevent toxicity from specific elements, store vastly more mana in their body, and resist extreme mana densities and liquid mana. Due to their adaptation to extreme environments, this race receives a 50% bonus to their endurance.

Race Trait 9: Inspirational Greatness

Dedication to the arts, crafts, study, and invention have made this Runalymo more creative and intelligent, granting them a +1300% to creativity and wisdom essences. +45% wisdom, +60% Intelligence

Race Trait 10: Alysara's Children

This Race is tied to 'Beauty', granting a 1400% boost to mana intensity and control when manipulating beauty essence.

There are some big changes and some small ones. Nutritional Milk has been replaced, so I guess I no longer qualify for a nurturer race, but it seems like I only lose the supernatural qualities; natural evolution will have to do the rest. This may also give my children the opportunity to regain that trait, but why when we no longer need to eat?

Everything with numbers has been massively improved. My mana regen is through the roof, relatively speaking, but everything else has minor upgrades.

One thing that wasn't stated is the increase in my ability to hear and smell mana, it's so… rich now, so clear, and now I can get rid of the dull background noise from a dozen different types of mana. It's nothing I can describe other than 'pleasant' or 'unpleasant'; how do I describe a smell to someone who has never smelled anything like dark mana? Dark mana smells and sounds like dark mana.

I get up to start my day, stumbling slightly since I am not used to my extra tails. Once I enhance [Manipulate Mana], I'll be ready for the dungeon.

Chapter 199: Other's Perspective 3

"The rebellion has captured and killed three governors so far..."

Sentaro Klaman listens to the report, sitting at a round table with the rest of the administrators.

"The people refuse to pay the increased taxes, and there are reports of several men in the army deserting because of the lack of pay..."

More bad news from the finance administrator. They haven't received any Runalymo goods yet, and it will be another month before they expect them to arrive.

"Reports of bandits in the empire are on the rise in almost every region..."

Perhaps he went about this all wrong. Was it his actions that finally tipped the Empire over the cliff? The fool of an emperor was making a lot of bad decisions, but at least the empire maintained some semblance of stability.

"Slaves are revolting and joining the rebellion…"

The longer this meeting goes on, the worse the situation seems. By removing the corrupt governors, Klaman somehow removed a cornerstone supporting the Empire. Criminal organizations that had deals with those governors then ran unchecked. In response, he removed those organizations, too, but that didn't solve the issue; instead, there was an increase in petty crime and murders, and the rebellion was strengthened. Every action he took just made things worse.

Klaman was no ruler, this much was obvious, but he didn't know he would make things this bad. He only saw one problem, governors dealing with criminals. He didn't consider that there were good effects to those deals. Sure the primary reason was greed, but that greed was precedented on the stability of the empire, a necessary evil since corrupt governors needed to put some effort into keeping the citizens content.

The criminal organizations would help the governor by self-regulating and keeping petty thugs under control, but he upset that delicate balance.

The people need someone to rally behind, a more competent ruler. The steward is doing his best but has to deal with the fallout of his actions.

I've been so focused on finding the right ruler that I've forgotten the most important thing, a competent ruler. He still has no doubt that Alysara would eventually make for a great empress, but she is still young. Still, her [Acting] skill will help her inexperience.

"Is there any good news?" Klaman asks, after the endless reports of bad news.

"Unfortunately, there is not," The steward says after taking measured glances at the other administrators.

Klaman sighs. "Do what you think is best for the Empire," he says before teleporting to the Hall of Memorial.

He finds the statue of his dear old friend and sits against the wall next to it.

"Everything is going wrong. The Empire is falling apart, your bloodline is rotting, and it's all my fault. I have failed you. I did what I thought was best, but I ended up making everything worse. I should have been more proactive, should have mentored your descendants better, should have prioritized talent when your bloodline failed." He lets out a long and heavy sigh.

"I fear it may be too late. I wanted it all. I wanted to preserve your true royal lineage; I wanted your line to rule forever. I suppose your daughter, Lanya, is the only one you should be proud of. You never cared she didn't share the same royal trait as you; I don't know why I did."

Perhaps it was never meant to be. The true Lunaleyan heritage was never about this land; it was about the land they came from, the land the Runalymo are from. In a twist of fate, it was never Lunaleyan in the first place; it was always a Runalymo trait, that's why there were several of them that had royal blue hair. If that's the case, then what can he call true Lunaleyan?

Regardless Alysara is powerful, talented, and has great potential to be the best empress this land has yet to see, and that's what the empire needs right now. But for his friend's descendants? He was born in this land, raised in it, fought for it, and sought to unite it. It's time his bloodline becomes what it should have always been, Lunaleyan.

Suddenly several notifications start flowing in, notification of a dragon slaying something he can't understand. Other than the oddity, he pays just as much attention to it as any other message of monsters slaying monsters until another shows up.

Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has freed the Saintess of the Runalymo, Kayafe, the Runalymo, and completed the Mana Arc!

Saintess of Mana and Magic? She has already received a title?! And who is Kayafe? What is the Mana Arc? In any case, the Runalymo has another powerful person; could she be the one Alysara wanted to talk with?

What does this mean? Now that he thinks about it, Kayafe is similar to the first empress's name, are they related? Or…

It slowly dawns on him as he thinks how the language might have drifted over the millennia.

Is Kayafe the First Empress?!

It would make sense now that Alysara might want to consult her, but she also freed her. Why was Kayafe imprisoned? Speculating won't take him anywhere; it would be best to ask Alysara herself.

Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has discovered how to cleanse cursed Skills!

"She was telling the truth…" Lorana Lanya mutters, setting down her paperwork.

This must mean that she managed to cleanse her cursed skill, something not even her, the Grand Healer of Helikan, has been able to do. Not even Healer can do something like that, and it can revive the recent dead!

"Damn you, Klaman!" If it wasn't for his meddling, she could have that knowledge already! Now it's going to cost her even more to get that knowledge. What can she trade for it? Alysara doesn't need healing anymore now that her curse is cured.

"I know that look; you want to know how she did it" A familiar voice speaks behind her.

"You know," Lanya turns to Klaman, anger in her eyes. "She actually offered it to me for payment for her healing, but I couldn't accept it because of that favor."

"Was it confirmed at that time?" Klaman asks. "She might have known, but it was just her word, right? Would you really have accepted that as payment?"

Lanya sighs, breathing out her anger. He's right, Alysara had admitted it was unconfirmed, and she would have probably asked for another form of payment, like one of her magical items.

"She may have been able to convince me," Lanya replies, unwilling to give Klaman any satisfaction. "What are you here for anyway?"

"You don't have anything worth trading for it, right? Let me help you I—"

"No!" Lanya interrupts him. "I am not going to be indebted to you again! I can pay for it myself."

"Lanya," Klaman sighs, adopting a softer tone. "I need your help."

Klaman sits on the window sill and buries his face in his hands. Lanya tries to speak but is unable to say anything. Klaman has never shown vulnerability.

"Everything I do to fix the Empire has only made it burn down faster. The steward is capable but can't keep up with my mistakes. We need aid, financial support, and good leadership. I'm betting on Alysara to make things right. She's talented but young; she'll need your wisdom if she agrees to lead the Empire. But before that happens, there needs to be an Empire. I'm not trying to gain favors; I'm asking for one."

"Klaman." Lanya finally finds her voice. "I will help you, but you must realize that the empire you swore to protect died a long time ago."

"What do you mean?" Klaman looks up to meet her eyes.

"The empire isn't the same from four hundred years ago, Klaman, it shares the same name and land, but those don't make a country. Its culture, government, laws, and even language have drifted; it doesn't even look the same as it did when my father ruled. It's time you let it go, remember it for what it was, but accept that, like a flower, it wilted. That is what countries are, flowers. They live, they prosper, then they wilt and die; they are not like gemstones that remain forever."

"This is all I have, Lanya! I can't let it go." Klaman says, almost begging.

"Then maybe it's time to start investing in something other than the Empire. Regardless I'll give you the help you need, but what do you plan on giving Alysara for the knowledge on how to cure cursed skills? You don't have much worth giving, and you've already promised some leviathan materials for trade with the Runalymo."

"And she's getting some from Vocana too," Klaman adds. "I don't think she'll be as interested in our magic items, and we can't really afford to trade them away. Besides, she'd probably be more interested in materials."

"But any materials you can offer her she is already getting or aren't as good," Layana says, voicing the problem.

"Yes, just like you, we don't have the means to get that knowledge… well, except one," Klaman pauses.

"The meteorite?" Lanya asks.

During his conquests, her father found a meteorite with the timeless tier. It will keep regenerating if broken, but the broken pieces are only ancient tier, losing their regenerative property.

"Yes. It's exalted and timeless tier, a renewable resource of exalted ore, or she can reshape it into a more powerful weapon. The empire has been using it to make armor and weapons for the Royal Knights, but with the Runalymo, they can make weapons and armor or at least provide better enchantments. They aren't exclusive in enchanting services."

"I see. The world is changing, and we must direct that change; that is what it means to be a ruler, Klaman. We cannot stop change from happening; we can only guide it. Remember the past, plan for the future, and live in the present; that is what you need to do. Stop living in the past."

Klaman remains silent for several minutes before vanishing from the room without a word. Had her words reached him? She hopes so.

"Well, I guess I have a lot more work to do now," Lanya complains before returning to her paperwork.

Side Story 8: Kayafe

Alysara hasn't talked to me for a while now. Kayafe mentally sighs.

It's hard to keep track of time in the Mana Arc, but she can tell a long time from a short time. Normally she would go dormant and wait for the young girl, but she never came. It's not the first time this has happened, as life often throws obstacles in one's way.

She's probably busy curing her cursed skills or anima.

It reminds her of the time Dwohl was so focused on curing his own cursed skill.

Did he ever manage to cure it? Kayafe wonders.

Memories flash in Kayafe's mind. Memories of a time more adventurous, more alive than now.

"This blasted curse!" Dwohl swears, hissing as wisps of ectoplasm drifts off his arms like steam. He shakes his four powerful arms as if trying to shake off the pain. "I promise that I'll get rid of it one day!"

He grinds his tough digging claws against each other as a way to distract himself from the pain.

"Your flesh is weak," Verdant remarks, almost teasingly. "We elves need no pain we ju—"

"Ah, shut it, you leafy bastard!" Dwohl kicks a fist-sized rock, sending it flying into the brush "I'd like to see your kind dig through earth and stone as easily as a dwarf!"

Dwohl raises his horn head high as if to challenge the elf.

"Enough!" Alexander barks. "We need to get to the top of this mountain today, we can't stand around all day arguing! You two, scout the perimeter. Kayafe how much longer will the butchering take?"

"Almost done," She replies, her spells extracting the best of the monster materials.

The memories stop, but she can't help but feel nostalgic. Dwohl and Verdant were always arguing over something or another but their rivalry only made them best of friends in some weird way. It was only a month after climbing that mountain that they'd see the consequences of carelessly handling cursed skills and after that Verdant started helping Dwohl research cursed skills.

Ting! Your party has slain a Displacer!

All around them, people and things are melded into the ground, trees, and walls. Houses are stuck halfway into the ground as if being swallowed by the earth. Hands, legs, and halves of people stick out of the ground, their faces contorted with pain, making the scene look like a horrifying nightmare.

The cursed being would teleport people and things into other solid objects, quickly killing them. Death spirits drift around, spreading small amounts of death essence in the air. No one was spared, not even the women, children, and infirm.

They had nearly died as well; none of them had teleportation resistance, nor do most people. It was only because of Verdant's healing that they are still living. It's such a rare ability to offensively teleport others, and there are usually safeguards built into the skill to prevent something like this from happening.

"Such, terrible power." Verdant says solemnly. "Is this what cursed beings are capable of?"

"This is only the beginning," Dwohl says. "The kid only had a level thirty skill, imagine if he had a level two hundred skill. Imagine how powerful the cursed being would have been"

"You mean to say that the stronger the cursed skill is the stronger the cursed being they become?!" Verdant looks at Dwohl, his emerald eyes wide with shock.

"Yes," Dwohl hesitates before speaking further. "We… I was part of the king's experiment, a mere test subject. We were never told the consequences, just that we'd be allowed to ascend if we followed orders" Dwohl spat out the word like it was venom.

"Thankfully, I escaped after one of my brothers transformed into a cursed being. He had a level one hundred sixty skill, and his death, or rather the death of the cursed being he became, was worthy of a world message."

"A cursed being equal to a legendary being?!" Alexander looks aghast. "Dwohl, your skill is over two hundred! That's way higher than a hundred sixty!"

"Yes, If I were to absorb my skill into a Class or Race I will become a very powerful cursed being" Dwohl looks down at the corpse of the cursed being, with anger and confusion in his eyes.

"I told him not to do it! Why did he not listen?!" Dwohl takes a deep breath to recenter himself "It took me a few weeks after my escape, but I eventually learned to never do that. However, it's more complicated than that. Levels aren't everything, breakthroughs matter too, if not more so. A level capped skill may produce a weaker cursed being than a skill of the same level but more breakthroughs. We need to find a way to remove or cleanse the curse from a skill to prevent this from ever happening again, and so maniac kings don't take advantage of this bullshit for their own gains!"

They all share a moment of silence before Verdant speaks up.

"I never knew you had such a troubling history. I will help you in your endeavors to cleanse this world of these foul abominations"

"You have my oath that once the human kingdom and its corrupt rulers are overthrown, I will support your cause with everything I have to spare, we will see to it that this will never happen again!" Alexander motions to the ruined village around them.

"I too will help you if and when I can, Dwohl; you are not alone in your efforts." She says.

Dwohl crosses his four arms and turns around to hide his emotions.

"Thank you," Dwohl says, trying to control his tears.

That was before they reached Legendary tier, and the fight had been their most difficult fight yet even though the cursed being itself was not equivalent to Legendary tier. The mere notion of fighting Legendary beings had never even crossed her mind, even if they would have to, to overthrow the human kings.

Kayafe can't help but wonder if the old dwarf ever succeeded in his quest. How would he react if he knew Alysara had pretty much figured it out? She might have been able to solve it if she had spent more time training [Sense Mana] and evolving it to [Sense Magic]. How different would the world be if things had gone just a little differently?

There's no point in thinking like that, the last few breakthroughs would have been too hard to figure out by the time she settled in the Nexus. In the end, she only managed to survive her journey because she trained [Manipulate Mana] so much.

So what about Verdant then? Was he able to go further in the heirloom tier like Alysara? He got his Heirloom race after getting his first Legendary point, so compared to her, he was far behind; or maybe she's just far ahead?

Verdant lays motionless on the inn's feathery bed, one would think he's dead if they didn't know better. Elves don't have lungs, so they are particularly still when sleeping.

Outside, a flock of feathery birdmen gathers around, hoping to see the one who slew the Great Scorcher.

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way," Holoo, one of the winged feathery men, says. "But please let Verdant take full credit, the people can accept a plant man to be the slayer, but wingless surface dwellers? Your names are not on the world notification so no one will believe it."

"What?!" Alexander furiously exclaims. "And whose false pretense is it that your people are somehow better? I didn't see any of you fighting that Scorcher!"

"Aside from Kayafe, we are born Heroic or Exalted tier; you Oowals are only born Major tier. You would do best not to argue supremacy!" Dwohl growls threateningly.

"That matters not" Holoo shakes his head. "You have no wings. It shows that you are descended from those who flew too close to the great flame and had their wings burned off. The wingless are cursed, and it shows, as it was the plant-man that got the slayer notification, not you who are undeserving."

"What utter nonsense! You try to justify your prejudice with myths!" Alexander glares at Holoo, rage burning in his eyes.

"The truth does not rely on you believing it, but don't say I didn't warn you. Our people despise glory takers, especially from the wingless."

"Hypocrite!" Alexander says to the man as he turns and leaves the room. "I know you're used to this kind of thing, Kayafe, but this is the type of thing we aim to solve; you should speak your mind more."

"There's little use arguing about it, Alex. Only through shared bloodshed can two different people learn to see past their differences. Those who think themselves superior are reluctant to admit they are wrong." Kayafe says.

"Perhaps," Alexander says after a minute of thought. "But isn't that just something they learned? If we teach them that all races can achieve the same level of power no matter where they start, before they learn this crap, then they won't be so prejudicial."

"I second that opinion." Dwohl nods in agreement to Alex's argument. "Every other dwarf I know believes any race with a tier less than Heroic is incapable of emotion and doesn't feel pain. But I never grew up in normal dwarven society, so I never learned any of that. When I escaped, I could see with my own two eyes the pain and torment other races are subjected to under dwarven slavery, unlike my brethren."

"In order to prevent prejudice and crimes on such large scales, we must tear down these barbaric cultures that perpetuate it and build one that accepts all races for who they are." Alexander declares.

"Even if that means tearing children away from their parents? War and destruction? That will only teach other races to hate humans more." She says.

She is conflicted; on one hand, Alex isn't wrong that it is through bad tradition and culture that prejudice persists, but on the other, the actions that Alex thinks need to be done, she can't agree with.

However, before they could discuss anything further, Verdant woke up, revealing a third emerald eye on his forehead.

Alexander did not heed Holoo's warning, and they were chased out of town that evening. However, as fate would have it, this was a stroke of fortune as a few days later, that town was obliterated by a phoenix, a foe they could not have hoped to contend with at their power at the time.

As the first among them to reach Legendary tier, Verdant was the most helpful in slaying more Legendary beings until she was able to get the second kill. However, Kayafe was the third to reach Legendary tier since Alex realized he was born with a point due to being a reincarnated Legacy soul.

With three Legendary tiers in the group they felt powerful and ready to take on anything, however, soon after descending from the sky islands, they learned what true power really was.

Before them sits a dragon, no larger than a domestic Forron, but one with stars and planets for scales. Space around it cracks and fragments like shattered glass only to be healed seconds later as if it is on the verge of rupturing permanently while strange spacial waves sweep through the temple, distorting everything they pass through.

A being of such unparalleled and unobtainable power that even its very presence rends space itself apart and could even kill a Legendary being without effort, if it wanted.

"So you wish to traverse the realms?" The dragon asks.

That was the start of their adventure across realms. The dragon followed them, often offering advice or commentary and transported them to other realms but otherwise never interfered. It explained that it was a traveler, not an adventurer, and that it made a promise to itself not to interfere in foreign realms.

That, she has to admit, is a good thing, for if that dragon had destructive tendencies, the world would have been destroyed already.

Kayafe sighs, growing weary of nostalgia, and drifts off to dormancy, the last thought running through her mind is if Alexander has had to use that dragon's parting gift yet…

Side Story 2: The Emperor's Purpose

It's been a year since the rebellion and the battle with the Kodoku cannibals. While the rebel Champion is still out there somewhere, the rest of the traitors have been killed or captured. These despicable people are now down in the palace's prison for punishment.

The prison is a cold and miserable place only meant for the worst of human criminals and is separated into two sections. The first is a place where the crimes are irredeemable, but their humanity is not questioned. Simple murderers, crime lords, traitors, and the like are kept here to await execution. Sometimes, when necessary, they will have to be tortured for information by the Pain Master, but they are generally spared the worst.

The second part of the prison is enchanted, so it doesn't let any sound escape it. This is the place where the worst of the worst are kept to await a fate far worse than death. It is a place ruled by the Pain Master, a place where the question of the prisoner's humanity needs to be answered. Unfortunately, this place always has at least one man in it. This is a place where slavers, and far worse criminals wait for their punishment.

However, it is not impossible to be let free from the Pain Master's horrible domain. In fact, one Oathbound was once condemned to his halls. It is extremely rare, but those who show genuine remorse and promise to dedicate their life to redemption are always given the chance, even if the only chance they are given is to find their way to a comparatively clean and simple death.

It is here that Jordan finds himself waiting for the Pain Master to finish playing his 'music', as he tends to call it. The Pain Master is an eccentric and powerful man, equal in strength to an Oathbound. While he is sworn to the Emperor in the same way an Oathbound is, he is not part of nor worthy to be the Oathbound Knights, for he is a devil wearing human skin, much like his victims.

In the Emperor's own words, "Only a devil can sink themselves to the same low of other devils and give rightful punishment, and it is only a devil who can see a spark of humanity in someone even if it's tainted in sin". It is not the Emperor that will deem the condemned worthy of a second chance, but the Pain Master.

It doesn't take long for the Empire's personal devil to finish his work and reveal himself, opening the soundproof door for him to enter.

"Ah! Oathbound Jordan!" The Pain Master kneels in an exaggerated and dramatic manner, "Oh, how kind of you to come I rarely ever get visitors. Have you come to listen to my songs? So few people are cultured enough to find joy in my performances."

The Pain Master, who answers to no other name, has black eyes which match his mid-length messy hair that frames his blood-splattered face. His face is full of metal piercings that are enchanted to heighten his sensation of pain. He wears what first appears to be a black leather jacket, but a closer inspection reveals sharp blades inside it. Every movement cuts the man, yet no wounds are visible, old or new, as his regeneration is high enough that his own personal torture device is no threat to him.

Despite all his efforts to feel pain, his resistance is so high that all his efforts are in vain. He even managed to enhance his [Pain Tolerance] skill, and his own personal experience in every possible manner of pain imaginable has led him to enhancing his own tortuous skills to inflict nightmarish suffering upon his victims.

During the times wherein he had nothing to do, he often immolates himself for days at a time or some other horrific form of self-harm.

"Your 'songs' are unpleasant, Pain Master; I am just here to check up on the traitors." Jordan says.

"Ah! You break my heart, Jordan! I thought you had finally learned to appreciate the truth of this cruel world!" The Pain Master gesticulates with yet more exaggerated movements. "But you'll be pleased to know that they are progressing well, if slow; those things are always so hard to make."

The traitors are the ones that fed human remains to the population to create the cannibals are condemned here to a fate worse than death. They are to be turned into cursed beings themselves. Not cannibals, who are much harder to tame but Pained Ones, which can easily be pacified until they are needed. In addition to being a fitting fate to these traitors, these 'Pained Ones' are needed as a final test for new Oathbound trainees, but they take years to make.

"I'd rather they resist it more, personally speaking; they need to suffer for their crimes against humanity." Jordan says without a shred of pity.

"So there is hope for you yet!" The Pain Master stands up and tries to embrace Jordan, but he puts out a hand to block him.

The Pain master huffs, looking genuinely saddened. "One day, you'll come to the truth. Anyway, the fools keep muttering how they should no longer feel pain with how high their [Pain Tolerance] Level is. Their hope being slowly snuffed out is always the most crushing pain one can suffer!" The Pain Master laughs.

Resistance piercing skills are common enough knowledge, but few can comprehend that some are so powerful that it doesn't matter how high their resistance is. With an enhanced [Pain Infliction] skill, the Pain Master can make even the most resilient person suffer.

"And how are their minds doing? Not broken, I hope; they need to be sane to be punished properly," Jordan says. He walks through the door the Pain Master had opened for him, and his ears are instantly assaulted by a cacophony of cries and wails from the pain master's most recent subjects.

"Of course, Oathbound! It is essential in their transformation."

Jordan never learned how the Pained Ones are made, just that it requires a lot of torture, and he doesn't want to know. Regardless, he walks up to the gore-covered torture table, where a man is strapped down with no evidence of his recent ordeal.

The man rambles incomprehensibly, not even aware of, or at least not reacting to, Jordan's presence.

"I thought you said he was sane?" Jordan frowns, looking back to the Pain Master.

"But he is, Oathbound! He is just trying to understand the truth; he'll recover soon enough" The Pain Master walks over and caresses the cheek of the man, who flinches.

Perhaps insanity is sanity to another insane person.

Jordan shakes his head as the Pain Master frees the man and leads him back to his cell. It's not his place to interfere in the torturer's work as long as he produces results.

Looking around, he sees the other traitors huddled in the corner of their cells, a blanket covering them, so they don't have to see the gruesome acts.

"Al'iiight, my little song birds~" The pain master says in a creepily sweet voice. "Who wants to sing next?"

"I'll be going then," Jordan announces.

"Won't you at least stay for one song, Oathbound?" The Pain Master says, leading a resigned man to the table.

"I have many other things to do, and we're very short-staffed as of late."

Jordan closes the door behind him, so he doesn't have to hear the screams and makes his way back out of the prison. He never liked the screams of pain, not even from a child skidding his knee on the ground, but these traitors deserve every last second of it.

In their attempt to assassinate the Emperor, they condemned thousands to death or worse, and for that, they'll spend the remaining moments of their lives in pain and suffering until their souls are torn apart.

Their plan was to first weaken the Oathbound knights by making a Kodoku Cannibal. These stronger cannibals are made by a special ritual where at least one hundred cannibals are made and eat each other until only one remains, which will become vastly stronger than a normal cannibal that by themselves isn't much of a threat to an Oathbound.

To make things worse, the Elves and Dwarves are taking advantage of the Oathbound's weakened state. The elves are sending raiding parties to attack border villages, requiring two full Oathbound to defend all while the Dwarves are coming out of their mountains with their soul-fueled machines and are attacking with entire armies of steel.

The Emperor and a few other Oathbound are having to beat back the Dwarves every few months. Fortunately, the situation with the Elves is at a stalemate since the Human cousin race, the Erudites, are pressuring the Elves with a clear message. If they attack the Empire with their full force, their own kingdoms will be razed to the ground.

Regardless, the Oathbound are stretched too thin, and while they are filling their ranks with Oathbound Squires, they aren't full Oathbound Knights.

The only good that came out of the cannibal incidents is that the support for the rebels vanished; meanwhile, the rebellion's 'champion' vanished as well, without any trace as to where he might be. Jordan is sure that he'll reappear to cause more trouble, but unfortunately, they can't afford to look for him.

Jordan checks up on the rest of the palace's faculties, from the servant's quarters to the Faerin garden, before arriving at the Emperor's office for a scheduled meeting.

"You're early," The Emperor says, looking up from a draft of a new law before sliding it over to him. "What do you think?"

Jordan sits on a chair across from the Emperor and reads the draft. It's a new law for food safety and details how every pot must be enchanted to detect the presence of any race registered in the Empire.

It was precisely this oversight that allowed for the cannibal massacres to occur, an oversight that honestly should have never happened since it's so easy to feed people their own kin without anyone noticing.

"There are no issues that stand out to me," Jordan replies after skimming the draft. "I'll have to take a closer look when I have time. However, many will complain that enchanting all their cookware will be too expensive."

"We'll subsidize them." The Emperor says before standing up, "But enough of that, we can iron out the details later. I have something I want to show you, and considering your interest in the lesser races; you'll find it interesting."

The Emperor leads him out of the room and through the courtyard, where some Fylox and human servants tend to the large mana tree. It is an exalted tier tree that has liquid mana for sap and solid mana wood, one of the only sources of these types of mana without a gifted mana manipulator.

"I'm glad you found them," The Emperor nods toward the Fylox "But it is sad to see they became tribal savages worshiping barbaric gods."

"You knew of them before?" Jordan asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Not the Fylox exactly, but their parent race, much like how the Erudites branched off from us. This was way back when Humanity was ruled by its own barbaric kings, back when they enslaved all other races. They were known as the Forrlon, which was partially an insult as it related them to the Forron. It basically equated them to dumb animals."

"But Forrons are rather clever beasts." Jordan replies.

"That was not the belief at the time. All humans believed animals to be stupid and that lesser races weren't much better. Regardless, the Forrlon, at least one group would take on a new name, but I'll get to that later." The Emperor falls silent for several moments.

This was during the time of the Barbarian Kings, a shameful history of humanity, but since it's ten thousand years ago, not much is known.

"I was born to a wealthy family and had a Forrlon slave. She was just a simple house slave, but she craved freedom. She was fortunate that her position made her almost invisible, as most barely paid attention to house slaves, and she took advantage of that. She trained her Bond and practiced spells, a crime punishable by death. I saw the folly of my fellow man, and when I discovered her sneaking out during the night at the age of seven, I helped her."

The Emperor leads Jordan down a flight of stairs that lead to the Palace's treasury.

"I helped her train, get a good Class, and an item to falsify her information, which would have landed me in a lot of trouble if we were caught. There were several close calls; however, we managed to escape detection for many years. She was very gifted, Jordan, her ability to sense mana was second to none even at her young age, and she used that to realize her gift to manipulate mana."

"Many can get those skills," Jordan says. "What made her so talented?"

"She just had a natural understanding of the workings of mana. Where some took decades to study and learn how mana worked, she required only years, and she had no one to teach her. Not even books from the library, as slaves were forbidden to read. This is why we can't be like the barbarians we once were. There are talented individuals in all races, and it is foolish to suppress that talent; we need to nurture the lesser races and help them grow."

Humans have [Mana Sight] as a racial ability; this, unfortunately, locks them out of getting it as a general or Class skill. This makes them able to study mana without gaining a skill, but it's harder to improve a racial skill. It is possible for a specialist to improve their sight to [Mana Sense] but gaining breakthroughs can only happen once every racial evolution and with far more effort than for a normal skill.

Since general and Class skills can gain breakthroughs and levels relatively easily, it makes it easier to improve. However, if the Emperor is calling her talented, then she must have shown quick improvement even when taking that into account.

"We left on the day she turned fifteen," The Emperor says. "It was my birthday gift for her. It was impossible for us to get stronger anyway. Without detection, that is. We traveled far and wide, conquered many Dungeons, and lived as free as we could. Well, she did anyway. She loved discovering new things and studying them, especially if they were related to mana in some way. We traversed impossibly high mountains, slayed a few cursed beings, traveled magic zones, and, with the help of the Cosmic Dragon, traveled to other realms."

"Cosmic Dragon?" Jordan asked.

The Emperor nods. "There are things far beyond our Imagination, Jordan. Beings that can obliterate this entire world with a mere thought, and the Cosmic Dragon is one of them. We are very fortunate that it had no desire to." There is a hint of fear in his voice.

The most powerful Human in the world, a man who has fought off a dragon before, being afraid? No, it's almost as if he felt completely helpless.

"Anyway. We met allies and other traveling companions, an Elf, the progenitor of the three-eyed Elves, and a Dwarf, the first Dwarven Soul Mage. Together, we rose to the ranks of Legendary beings and surpassed level one thousand, and we gathered many allies to help overthrow the Barbarian Kings. We knew we were ready to go back, but she couldn't bring herself to. She was afraid and wanted to continue traveling, meeting new peoples, and traveling more realms. We grew stronger and stronger, soon even surpassing Storm Rocs, and we even slew a wind Elemental with the help of a powerful void drake."

The Emperor opens the vault door, and they enter the treasury where mountains of gold and treasure lay. It's not that the Emperor is greedy or is hoarding all this treasure. Rather, he is keeping it out of the economy to keep it stable. It also has the benefit of being an emergency fund.

They walk to the back, where several paintings hang on the wall. The paintings mostly show the same four people. The Emperor, a three-eyed Elf, an armored dwarf with a staff made of ectoplasm, and a Fylox with royal blue hair.

The three-eyed Elf had three emeralds where its eyes are, the signature of a high-born Elf; or maybe it's high-born because of him? He has vines instead of hair and long leaves where Human ears would be. His skin is a verdant green, and he has soft green bark on his hands and forearms. He stands a hand taller than the Emperor and wears stylish brigandine.

The Dwarf has long curled horns with four arms. Two of those arms are longer, more robust, and have long and sharp digging claws capable of slicing through bedrock with ease. His other two arms are shorter and more human-like, capable of dexterous movements and fine control. His eyes are yellow, and he lacks any hair. He is the shortest at two heads shorter than the Emperor, and wears thick steel plate armor.

Finally is the Fylox, or Forrlon as they were called. She has long royal blue hair and eyes. Her ears and tail are similar to those of a Forron, just like the current Fylox. She has a voluptuous body and stands a little shorter than the Emperor. She wears a more simple outfit fit for traveling, but in one of the more formal paintings, she wears elegant mana silk dresses. Mana silk is known for its lustrous color, and some mana weavers can even make iridescent mana silk.

"Kayafe" the Emperor says, looking at her portrait. He sounded sad, almost pained. "That is her name. She was like a sister to me. We eventually went back, slew the Barbarian Kings, and I united the Humans under one banner. We freed the slaves and let them go; many didn't want to stay and left to make a new start. I wanted them to grow with us, but I had enough trouble with unruly people who hated how I upturned their lives. Many resisted me, wanting to go back to how it was. They wanted to keep slavery, and I, unfortunately, had to kill many of them during their rebellions."

The Emperor sighs heavily.

"Kayafe gathered many of her people, as many that would trust and follow her, and left into the Leviathan Sea. I begged her to stay, but she could not. Her people had been suffering all this time, and just because there was a change in leadership, it doesn't change the hearts and minds of those who had suffered. It was for the best that our people parted ways, to forget what was done so we could start over. To say that they hated Humans was an understatement; they changed their name and even built their own language just so they didn't have to speak ours. They called themselves Runalymo, the ones that followed Kayafe, anyway."

"She was legendary, did she…" Jordan trails off.

"No, I never saw a world notification that she died. She is still out there, somewhere. Perhaps keeping watch over her people. I hope she is keeping them civil and peaceful." The emperor falls silent for several minutes before speaking again.

"Do you now understand why those rebellions are such a threat?" he asks.

Jordan nods. "We aren't perfect; we can become just as savage as any race, which is why we need to remain vigilant and keep our people honest and civil."

"Yes, that is why, should I ever die, you, the Oathbound, must keep Humanity in check. We must not perpetuate slavery, war, and hatred."

"Yes, your majesty!" Jordan salutes. The Emperor is the oldest and most powerful man in the world; he finds it hard to imagine anything being able to kill him. "I have one question: Why in only the last two thousand years, did you only start trying to bring civilization to the lesser races."

"I wanted time, time for everyone to forget Humanity's crimes, but it was more than that. I needed to forge a culture ready to accept other races and tear down the old culture and traditions. After that, I did try, over and over again. I've failed many times. I'd bring in other races openly, expecting them to adopt our better culture, but they didn't. They perpetuated hate, made criminal gangs, and more. To make things worse, I was not yet strong enough to keep all of humanity in check. I needed powerful warriors and made the Immortal Legion, my first attempt at making the Oathbound."

The Emperor sighs at that and continues. "They became corrupt, and I knew I needed a stronger bond to keep my strongest warriors honorable. Every few centuries, Humanity would rebel, tired of being made equal, in law, to lesser races. Every time the Empire would nearly be destroyed as I didn't keep as close a watch on the governors as I needed to. They cast horrible rituals and made cursed beings to try and slay me, resulting in the deaths of far too many people. I couldn't do everything alone; I needed an oath to bind my warriors so they'd never fall to corruption again."

"So you made the Oathbound." Jordan says.

"Yes, and I am proud that none of you had broken your oath, even during the worst times this empire had been in. For the first time, we have resisted our savage nature, and now we can move forward. There will undoubtedly be times when our vigilance will be tested, like it just has, but I know I can count on my Oathbound" The Emperor places a hand on Jordan's shoulder. "You fought bravely and even slayed some of those cursed beings; I am proud of you. I know that together, we can complete our mission."

Jordan feels his chest swell with pride. For the first time, they beat back their savage nature and took the first steps to making their purpose a reality; there was no greater honor or glory Jordan could have accomplished.

"You have my undying loyalty!" Jordan takes a knee.

"Rise, Oathbound Commander, Jordan. We have much work to do."

Chapter 200: Movements on the Mainland

Emperor Alexander stands in the middle of a battlefield, pieces of dwarven war machines cast about everywhere as if suffering the aftermath of a series of explosions. Melted fragments of the soul furnaces are still smoldering and melting through the ground.

"Dwohl would be ashamed of this," Alexander mutters, kicking a piece of a war machine.

His descendants had continued his research in souls, but took it in a horrifying direction when they found them to be great fuel sources and began using the souls of other races. Nowadays, dwarven society is entirely run on souls; an abomination of all that is just.

Alexander would go into their cities themselves, liberate the slaves from the slave farms, and destroy their soul furnaces once and for all; but that is a task too great even for him. The dwarven cities are impenetrable bastions that have once even repelled a rampaging dragon.

With his Oathbound knights undermanned, he can't afford to wage war against the dwarven cities. He can't leave his empire for long, or the elves will take advantage of the situation.

The fact that two of his companion's descendants have created such barbaric societies entirely devoid of empathy for the lesser races, or just any race in general, gives him little hope for the Runalymo. That said, he never saw a world notification of Kayafe's death; perhaps she has managed to keep her people civil.

Alexander brings his attention back to the battlefield, and to the group of dwarves held captive by the will of his Bond. He is only interested in the Soul Commander, the leader of this army. He wears a thick, heroic tier, magical armor. An insignia of a cog with the dwarven numeral for fifty-nine is engraved on it, showing he is the commander of the dwarven fifty-ninth machine brigade. A low-ranking commander, but a commander nonetheless.

"Tell me, scum! Tell me everything you know about the dwarven war plans!" Alexander tries to hold his presence back lest he accidentally kill the lesser-tiered dwarf.

These dwarves deserve no mercy for the atrocities they have committed against other races. The systematic slavery and sacrifice of entire populations to fuel their machines is enough to earn them a very painful death, but their fate will be far worse. He will make sure their fates are the same as they inflicted on others.

The dwarf grabs his horned head with his non-digging hands, trying to resist the mental influence of his Bond; but in the face of justice, he will speak, willing or not.

"W-w-we…" The dwarf stammers, his will failing. "We were sent as a distraction to draw your attention away from the underground digging crews."

The dwarf rolls on the ground as if in pain, but continues to speak between pained breaths. Blood drips from his ears and eyes as some enchantment tries to cut his life short for revealing the plans. Unfortunately for him, Alexander's Bond can prevent his death.

"We… plan to create a Midas under your capital."

A Midas, A type of cursed being capable of instantly turning everything it touches to gold. Anything within a certain area around it also turns to gold. This includes spells, which are converted into gold essence. A powerful cursed being that is exceptionally hard to defeat.

"Hmph! Useless!" Alexander says as he releases the dwarf from his geas, who starts screaming in pain.

If that was the plan, they wouldn't have told such a low-ranking commander. The dwarves wanted him captured to feed him the wrong information. They have a different plan. They wouldn't risk a Midas going anywhere near one of their cities. They will send something more controllable to try and defeat his empire.

He needs more Seers among the Oathbound. Mind mages too, to defend his Seers. He can't take any risks right now, but he also needs to know what the dwarves are up to. Whatever they plan, they will have their most powerful retaliations protecting their information; he can't risk his life or the lives of the Oathbound anymore.

Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has freed the Saintess of the Runalymo, Kayafe, the Runalymo, and completed the Mana Arc!

About a quarter-hour after several messages of a dragon slaying some strange beings, this one makes him forget himself.

She's alive! Kayafe, who he saw as a little sister, is alive!

There's a lot to unpack. Alysara had two other messages about her before, mastering [Sense Mana] and [Manipulate Mana], and now she and Kayafe have titles! He can't help but feel proud of Kayafe for that; however, there's a concern. Kayafe was freed from something. What does that mean? How long was she imprisoned?

A part of him, a rather significant part, wants to immediately leave and look for her. He cannot do that, though. He has a duty to his Empire.

She's alive; that's all that matters. Alex reasons with himself. She'll come to me when she's ready.

But, can he wait? There's Alysara, too; she's a seer and a very accomplished one at that. Could she be able to help him with the dwarves? He can also show her to his citizens, proving that lesser races can achieve great things. She and Kayafe will inspire thousands and shorten the divide between the races.

Whatever the case, he needs to discuss this with Jordan and the others that he trusts. As for the prisoners, he'll give them over to the Pain Master to turn into Pained Ones.

Speaking of… Where are they? Alexander must have lost his control over them in his absentminded shock from the world notification.

Looking around, he sees the group of fleeing dwarves in the distance; it will only take a few moments to recapture them.

Oathbound Jordan leads Johnathan and the other Squires down into the depths of the palace, where they could hear blood-curdling screams echo, lasting eerily longer than they should. Jordan opens the door into the room where Pain Master 'plays his music' on his instrument, a Dwarven commander who looks somewhat fresh by the standards of the man's usual subjects.

The dwarf writhes, screaming until he coughs blood as his throat breaks down from the extensive expressions of his unending torment. Gurgling can be heard every time the dwarf manages to temporarily cease his cries in order to take a breath, even as his body protests the simple act of filling his lungs with air.

"Jordan!" The Pain Master happily greets him with a bow, his many piercings clinking against each other. "You should visit me more often! However, I must say you have impeccable timing; the Emperor was kind enough to bring me more subjects!"

"I'm here on business, Pain Master." Jordan motions to the Squires. "They need to know what goes on here and what they must face becoming a fully-fledged Oathbound."

"Ah! Yes! The Pained Ones. Allow me to escort you." The Pain Master leads them through the dungeon, deeper and deeper underground, walking down a long flight of stairs until they arrive at a lift made entirely of thick and heavily enchanted adamantite. They ride the large lift down as the Pain Master softly hums a soothing tune.

"Do not say a word," Jordan warns the Squires. "Don't make sudden movements, don't make loud sounds, and most of all, never scream."

"Cursed beings, although mindless, still have instinct and common behaviors; there are certain circumstances that may pacify them. It is an alternative to containing a cursed being, which can be done only through a powerful and well-trained Bond, but it is harder to achieve." Jordan explains

Down, down, and further down. The lift continues to lower them for almost an hour before stopping at a hall where soft, soothing music plays.

Many large adamantine doors line the walls, and as the Pain Master opens the first one, it swings open without a sound. In the dim light of the room sits a roughly humanoid figure. Every inch of its body is covered in scars and open wounds that endlessly drip and ooze blood.

"This is a Pained One," Jordan signs, a secret language known only to the Oathbound for the occasions where they cannot speak and don't have access to telepathy. Jordan would just use a magic ring to communicate, but the Squires need practice with the Oathbound sign language.

"You will have to fight one of these if you haven't had an opportunity to slay a cursed being on a mission," Jordan continues to sign as the Squires give him their full attention. "Even then, we may ask you to further prove yourself against one of these if we think you aren't ready."

Jordan doesn't give them the opportunity to ask questions, having already heard plenty over the years. Instead, he begins to answer the most frequent questions for expediency's sake.

"An Oathbound is expected to know how to fight cursed beings, and although this one only barely stands equivalent to a weak legendary being, it is still very dangerous. You will have to slay one alone to prove you can carry out solo missions. Once you slay one, you will be allowed to spend your legendary points."

Unless given permission, Squires aren't allowed to elevate their Race or Class to legendary tier. There are many reasons for this, but the primary one is that Oathbound are supposed to be unkillable, and Squires often die on missions or against the Pained Ones. The moment they are sworn, they earn the Oathbound title. Their death message will be broadcast with the Oathbound title attached, and their enemies will see their order as weak.

Only the Emperor is allowed to kill an Oathbound; that goes for traitors, oathbreakers, or criminals. Of course, there are circumstances that may lead to an Oathbound already being legendary before becoming an Oathbound, or they may already have a title that can be used to mask an untimely death as not one affiliated with Oathbound. Those are rare circumstances though, and regardless of these fringe cases, Squires are all treated the same even if one can safely be a legendary. Oathbound are expected to keep professional behavior and not act on jealousy, but there's no reason to provide cause for it either.

After explaining everything to the Squires, Jordan escorts the group back up to the palace proper, bidding the Pain Master goodbyes.

Suddenly, just as he's heading toward the meeting room to discuss what to do with the recent world notifications, another far more startlingly significant one appeared and stopped him in his tracks.

Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has discovered how to cleanse cursed Skills!

She found how to cleanse cursed skills?! This changes many things.

Jordan runs through the immaculate palace halls, only stopping in front of the meeting room for the time it took him to open the doors. The gold trimmed doors are enchanted with soundproofing to deny any potential eavesdropping. He enters to see the Emperor already there. He is only the second of four other Oathbound to have yet to arrive.

"Sit," The Emperor motions to a Chair. "Lin is on a mission, so he can't be here today; we are just waiting for Elizabeth now."

Jordan sits to the Emperor's right, opposite of Ryan who is wearing a formal green suit to match his eyes. He has a lax air about him despite his formal attire, but his eyes show the attentiveness needed as the Emperor's spymaster.

Not even a minute passes before Elizabeth arrives and takes a seat before brushing her long bangs out of her amber eyes. Elizabeth is the one who has taken over Jordan's previous quartermaster job, since he has been promoted to the Emperor's Right Hand. She's dressed in functional clothing, fit to don her armor over it at any time. She keeps her hair short in a similar effort to remain battle ready at all times

"We may begin now," The Emperor says. "I task you with the goal of analyzing the recent world messages to interpret the information, and to think of a plan concerning certain peoples of interest."

Peoples of interest, primarily Alysara and Kayafe. One is personal to the Emperor; the other has great value.

"Considering the timing," Elizabeth starts, "it is reasonable to investigate the East Nexus, if only to rule that possibility out."

It could just be a coincidence, but she's right; it's better to investigate the place and maybe return with a bounty of Nexus materials.

"I agree," Jordan says, getting a nod from Ryan as well.

"They are there," The Emperor says. "It is the only place I didn't check, but I should have known. Kayafe is a powerful Mana Manipulator; she could have held back that amount of mana for her people. How she managed to convince the Sapphire Tyrant herself to be the guardian of her people, I don't know."

"Sapphire Tyrant?" Ryan asks.

The Emperor nods. "That was Safyrs title when I was journeying with Kayafe. One of the most powerful dragons this world knows. She once washed away the elves' forest home, a place now known as Tyrant's Sea. Although, now that I think about it, I think I know how Kayafe might have convinced her."

The Emperor didn't elaborate further.

"If they are there, then we should make contact," Jordan says. "Alysara has mastered two skills and discovered how to cleanse cursed skills. We should bring them into the Empire if anything."

"No, we can't bring them under our wing." The Emperor shakes his head. "First, we can't afford to make more enemies. Second, I can trust Kayafe to lead her people. And third, there's a dragon that will object to our presence. The dwarves are planning something, and we can't afford to be caught off guard while attempting to incorporate another race into the empire."

"Then shouldn't we request Alysara's expertise to see what they plan?" Ryan asks.

"Yes," The emperor responds. "But I fear the dwarves may have means of significantly harming her if she helps us; that may sour our relationship."

"Then maybe test her abilities?" Elizabeth suggests. "If she resists Lin's retaliations, then she should be capable of spying on the dwarves; we can have our mind mages protecting her."

"Very well, I will send Lin to the East Nexus as a diplomat, and to request Alysara's services should she prove herself capable," The Emperor says after careful deliberation.

Side story 6: World Message

Ting! Alysara, the Runalymo, has reached unparalleled knowledge and mastery in the Sense Mana skill!

Emperor Alexander looks up from his desk; the pen in his hand stops as the Emperor takes in a deep breath. They are still alive, somewhere in the world. He was beginning to fear that their only living relatives are the Fylox, the ones descended from the Runalymo that didn't follow Kayafe to the east, into the leviathan ocean.

The Fylox can still be identified as Runalymo; it's a quirk of the system. It tailors its message to what the individual understands, so a Fylox will not see 'Alysara, the Runalymo', but rather 'Alysara, the Fylox'.

For Alexander, however, the differences will be acknowledged; he knows that Fylox are a subspecies, and they call themselves Fylox. A name changed over and over and over again, one pronunciation at a time. Still, which would be the closest to Runalymo? If the Fylox has changed, then certainly Kayafe's descendants will too, and chances are they won't call themselves Runalymo but rather some other name unless Kayafe herself uses her influence to keep their language the same, or if not her, then another being will have to.

The strangest thing is how this is the first time there has been a world notification about Runalymo in over ten thousand years; perhaps it is his own bias preventing him from seeing Runalymo subspecies as Runalymo. If he thinks of Runalymo as only Kayafe's descendants, then those who left and became their own subspecies might be referred to as what they call themselves. It's a very conflicting quirk of the system. Without actual knowledge of the people and their subspecies, it will default to what they call themselves; if one learns of one of the peoples, they will begin to see other subspecies as only what they know.

This has been the source of a thousands year debate of what makes a race a race. Some do not acknowledge the minor differences between the same race, like black-skinned humans. They call themselves by a different name, but they are fundamentally the same. Others prefer to use smaller subcategories under the umbrella of 'Human'. they use Alexan Humans, named after himself, and Obsidia Humans named for their pitch-black skin, then there's Erudites, named by themselves, but they are still fundamentally Humans.

It's a problem that he must argue with himself too. For professional reasons, Alexander must use the umbrella term; all Humans are Humans unless the system says they are so different they can't be called the same. Yet, at the same time, he can't deny the usefulness of categorizing subspecies, but that only sets a divide between the same race that they can use to discriminate.

With the goal of raising up the lesser races to the same power and civility as Humans to end war and slavery, he must enforce the usage of the umbrella term; the fewer differences there are, the fewer reasons people will use to oppress others. Race, nationality, language, culture, even at the cost of temporary and short-lived tyranny, must be the same whenever possible for a society free of oppression and war.

Some may call him a monster for destroying cultures, for putting lesser races into integration camps, but this is the path of lesser evil. Some will suffer; most will not. If he does nothing, most will suffer, so some will not.

Let them call him a monster, let them call him a tyrant; in the end, they will either see the ultimate good in his actions or not live long enough to matter.

A knock wakes the Emperor out of his thoughts.

"Enter," Alexander says, and straightens his back.

Jordan enters the room and salutes him.

"The world message?" Alexander asks.

"Yes, sir"

The world message causes problems yet again. Because Fylox and Runalymo are technically the same race and Jordan probably assumed this one is Fylox, it showed him that the person is a Fylox, who is potentially from the Empire. This would make them a high target for grooming, to show the world that lesser races can reach greatness.

Alexander sighs, wishing the system were a little less subjective in what it shows you.

It's because the system comes from us; that's why it changes based on how we see things. Alexander tells himself.

Jordan waits for him to speak, to give commands, and where to start looking, but such orders will never come.

"At ease, Oathbound," Alexander says, before explaining the situation.

"So if someone has no knowledge of a race, the message defaults to what the people call themselves. But if you meet one race, because the others are technically the same race, all other subraces will be called the same?" Jordan clarifies

"Yes"

"And if you meet or know of multiple sub-races, it will go back to referring to each sub-race to what you personally call each sub-race?"

"Yes. It's usually never an issue, which is why most don't know about it," Alexander explains.

"You talked about the Runalymo before; surely one of them had accomplished a legendary feat before. Even Kayafe, who is herself a legendary being…" Jordan says.

"That's what had me worried that her bloodline had ended, but this proves that they are still around, somewhere beyond the leviathan ocean" Alexander stands up, walks to the window, and looks out the east. "It's a large ocean, Jordan; unbelievably large, and full of powerful monsters. Island eaters will devour any habitable land created by earth elementals, so there's almost nothing there. I once flew across the entire length of it and found nothing. Well, there is an indication of a Nexus somewhere in that vast ocean, but it's entirely unreasonable to exploit for resources given its location. I searched the lands on the other end but half of it is an uninhabitable Magic Zone."

"So, you tried looking for them, but they hid themselves so well they have never been found?" Jordan asks.

"The only way we can find them is if they find us," Alexander replies.

Archmage Ruluna sits outside a chamber made of many layers of mana silk. It is a mana pressure chamber designed to study high mana densities. The chamber itself leaks mana, but with her mana generation, she can always pump more into it.

The Order of Flame knows about three scrying skills; the low grade [Fire Sense], everyone in the Order knows of this, and it's so low grade that no other Order cares about stealing it. Every Order has a low-grade scry skill, a way of hiding their more powerful ones behind throw-away ones. Most people who try to steal 'An Order's Secrets' and fall for the low-grade stuff are dumb common people who don't understand how things really are.

The next grade of scrying skills is [Sense life], a strong scrying skill that the Order of Flame hides as their secret skill. [Sense Life] is capable of sensing living things and, when well trained, sensing the strength of life, how close to death someone is, and how much vitality someone has, among others. While this Skill is certainly useful it is almost a little more common, especially among healers so the secret is the third Skill that Ruluna has been privileged with.

Last year, the Order of Flame entrusted her with their most secret scrying Skill. [Sense Mana]. It is powerful since everything usually has mana in it, so unlike [Sense Life], it can see the terrain as well as individuals. Most Orders have their secret scrying skills; the general populace isn't taught them; it's too risky. Not all kingdoms do this, but the Kingdom of Ash, Vocana, named for its proximity to the great volcano, does. It makes it easier to catch spies, and laws regulating retaliation devices don't have to be made to protect citizens, it's illegal to scry unless you are employed by the crown or by an Order, so any retaliation is seen as passing justice upon criminals. If anyone does discover a scrying skill on their own, any order is willing to accept them to add the skill to their secrets.

For the last two hundred years, the Order has been stuck at eighteen breakthroughs for sense mana. There simply doesn't seem to be any more breakthroughs. Ruluna glances at the book that lists the breakthroughs.

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.

1st Breakthrough: You have sensed high pressures of mana, now you will be able to better sense mana in such quantity and better see slight differences in mana levels.

2nd Breakthrough: You've learned to perceive different containers of mana, letting you see the general shapes of mana containing objects around you.

3rd breakthrough: You've learned to see different types of elemental mana, letting you see elemental mana.

4th Breakthrough: You've learned how to see mana Essences, letting you see the many types of essences.

5th Breakthrough: You've learned to see different amounts of mana within objects, letting you better see how much within certain parts of things and people.

6th Breakthrough: you've learned how to expand your aura of sense mana, letting you see farther.

7th Breakthrough: You've learned of and seen the relationship of essences and elemental mana. Now you can better study them.

8th Breakthrough: You've learned to differentiate the unique mana produced by people letting you detect unique individuals.

9th Breakthrough: You've learned to see the transformation of one mana into another, letting you better see the interactions of natural processes and spells.

10th Breakthrough: You've learned to move your area of mana sensing, allowing you to scout ahead, and eventually view remotely.

11th Breakthrough: You've observed and learned the mana interactions of enchanted items. This will help you better understand the process of enchanted item empowerment.

12th Breakthrough: You've observed and learned the mana interactions of magic items. This will help you better understand the process of magic item empowerment and creation.

13th Breakthrough: You've seen and learned how mana interacts with monsters and monster parts. This will help you better understand the process of monster creation and death.

14th Breakthrough: You've learned how to sense mana in multiple different locations; this will help you see more.

15th Breakthrough: You've entered a state of complete focus on your perception; this will boost all your perceptive abilities.

16th Breakthrough: You've observed and learned how mana interacts with mundane materials. This will help you better understand the interactions in materials

17th Breakthrough: You've learned to differentiate the properties of mana signatures; this will help you see the difference of skills and other similar magical signatures.

18th Breakthrough: You have sensed vitality; this will help you study lifeforce.

Every single breakthrough has been studied to completion, allowing for her to reach the max level at one hundred ninety. Yet mana is still being studied, and there are hundreds of books and journals in the secret library. Of course, Ruluna can go into the secret library; she has the clearance for it now.

Ruluna is currently studying high pressures of mana, recreating several experiments to better understand [Sense Mana], when all of a sudden a notification makes her drop her quill.

Ting! Alysara, the Lunaley, has reached unparalleled knowledge and mastery in the Sense Mana skill!

Ruluna has to read the message three times before it finally sinks in, another Order has [Sense Mana], and they have finally mastered it! Which Order? Which Kingdom are they from? Who is Alysara? It is a strange name; perhaps she is from the forest kingdom, Veldun? It isn't long before one of the higher-ups comes storming in.

"Ruluna!" Head Master Vulpun shouts. "We need to have a meeting. Now!"

Ruluna follows Headmaster Vulpun to the meeting office. Flame Paladin Julaly, another elite member of their order who has been privileged with learning [Sense Mana], is already there and waiting. Archmage Iyori too. In fact, everyone with [Sense Mana] is here save for three.

"Archmage Havan, Flame Paladin Kloro, and Flame Paladin Nuna are all on a mission; they will be listening in with specialized linked Voice stones." The voice stones lay on the table in their respective spots for each missing person.

Linked voice stones are only connected to one other stone, so intercepting the connection isn't possible.

"Someone has beaten us to mastering [Sense Mana], as I am sure you all are aware. We need to catch up, and fast. From now on your primary mission, to the exclusion of all others unless you are told otherwise, is to discover new breakthroughs."

Several members look displeased, this is a mercenary Order, not an academy. They don't want to be shut in the secret library reading books and conducting tests all day, they'd rather be out in the field slaying monsters, getting drunk in some tavern, and having fun in the red-light district.

"Sir, with all due respect, some of us are needed out in the field. The Governors needs to know they can rely on us. We can't have all of our most powerful members hidden away." Archmage Vila says.

"In fact, it'd be better to discover who this Alysara is and which Order or King she works for. It'd be a lot more effective to just steal their research notes." Black Flame Five answered. The Black Flames are the shadows of the Order, the ones who do all the dirty work and spying on other kingdoms and Orders. Due to the nature of their work, the other black flame members are not in the meeting either physically or by voice stone. They are all in positions where a sudden call from the Headmasters would expose them so they are report-in only.

Headmaster Kolona nods. "They speak the truth, Vulpun. Right now, we should send them out on more missions to increase our reputations while redirecting the Black Flames toward seeking out Alysara and those she works for."

Headmaster Vulpun sighs. "It seems I let my haste get to me; I was not able to make a good judgment."

"You are still the most inexperienced of us, give it time. We chose you for this position for a reason," Head Master Shalar says.

A sigh of relief sweeps through the Order's elite as they get out of boring work.

"However," Head Master Shalar says, "we will require at least two of you to be studying [Sense Mana] full time, you may switch out, but there must always be a minimum of two of you. Ruluna, since you are the newest, you'll benefit most from studying the skill."

Ruluna groans. A life of reading, experiments, and writing is going to make the following days long.

Jonathan's Trial 1

Jonathan walks out to the cheering crowd. The sun high above blinds him, and he raises his hand to shield his eyes until they can adjust to the light.

Why do they have to have the waiting room so dark? Jonathan complains to himself.

"Ladies and Gentleman! The first match of the Oathbound tournament trial is about to start!" the announcer calls out.

Jonathan can feel his heart racing, pounding in his chest. There's no turning back now; he has to win this! Growing up as a street urchin, this is the only way for him to move up in the world. He has dodged the guard his entire life; he has hidden from the law, criminal organizations, and gangs, he can hide and stealth his way around his next opponent.

"Now, let's greet our next contestant!"

The gates on the other end of the arena raises, and a decrepit old man walks out, barely able to stand on his cane. The old man is but a skeleton dressed in skin. The old man protects his eyes from the light, looking all too frail.

Is this a joke?!

Anger rises as Jonathan watches the old man stumble out onto the sands.

No, this isn't a joke; the man is already dead. He'd rather die trying to achieve greatness while he is in his Vitality Days, the days when one has grown so old their body has died of old age but is still animated by their vitality.

The old man is trying to grasp at life, for if he wins this tournament can gain immortality and age backwards to his prime, a final gambit.

"As this is the first match for these new contestants, I will explain the rules," the announcer says.. "All matches will be to the death. Contestants can choose to back out of the tournament at any time, or forfeit now before a match starts. However, upon doing so, they will be forever be barred from becoming an Oathbound! Do either of the contestants wish to withdraw at this time?"

"No!" Jonathan shouts and raises his daggers. The old man simply shakes his head.

"Excellent! Then on my mark!"

Jonathan [Analyze's] the old man.

Life Binder Human (Exalted), Level 452 Prism Caster, Level 346 Radiant Star

He is actually low-level for someone so old, which means he reset his class to better fit being an Oathbound.

Light Mage, likely specializing in laser attacks, but I should consider illusions.

As a fellow Human, Jonathan will be able to see the mana of illusions, so he isn't worried; he just needs to hide.

"Three!" the announcer counts down.

Once I've won this, any previous crime I had committed will be pardoned, no matter how heinous.

He dreams of winning the final fight and taking the oath before the Emperor. He will no longer have to live in the shadows, no longer will he have to fight every day to survive.

"Two!"

Jonathan looks up at the VIP booth. There he sees Oathbound Jordan, the Emperor's right hand, overseeing the tournament.

"One!"

Jonathan slows his breathing and closes his eyes, ready to react faster than ever before, and focuses on the old man's soul; he doesn't need to fear retaliation here, not against the old man. Light versus shadow, which one will be faster?

"Start!"

Jonathan dived into the soul layer right as a beam of light burns the air around him.

This will only take a moment. Neither darkness nor light reigns supreme here. Wisps of ectoplasm drift around, floating on the whims of fate.

Jonathan likes it here. It is solitary and quiet as if there's nothing else in the world, and despite how close something looks, it takes a long time to traverse, in appearance, anyway. In real-time, thanks to his class abilities, only a few seconds will have passed.

He walks toward the floating soul in front of him, which he knows belongs to the old man, and maneuvers himself to find the right position to transition back. He does not even consider attacking while he is on the soul layer. Jonathan had tried attacking the soul directly once. While it was successful, the backlash was the worst thing he had ever felt. Ever since, Jonathan only used the soul layer to effectively teleport around or to buy time for himself.

Eventually, Jonathan gets close enough to the old man and jumps back into the normal world. The one downside to this is that he can't actually see the normal world, but at the same time, it avoids all clairvoyance except [Soul Sight] and [Sense Soul], a trade-off that has saved him numerous times by hiding and even allowing him to pass through solid objects.

He has practiced striking from the soul layer to perfection. Shift back to the real world, at the exact moment his blade would strike his foe. This requires him to memorize the environment to make sure he isn't shift back in a perilous place.

With his shadow Bond, Jonathan unleashes a black fog the instant he reappears in the normal world but instantly dives back into the soul layer. On more than one occasion, he has been hit by reflex when he does that. He walks to the side of the old man and jumps back into the normal again, and this time, delivers a strike to the old man's neck, decapitating him.

Jordan quirks an eyebrow at the soul assassin, or would it be shadow assassin? He's got classes for both, but his shadow is higher level.

Unseen Human (Exalted), level 392 Shadow Thief, level 302 Soul Assassin

Clearly someone who's lived a life of crime, and it shows how good he is since he's never been caught. No matter who he was, though, he either dies in this tournament or is reborn as an Oathbound, loyal to the Emperor and the Empire.

It is very common for these types of people to try the tournaments. They've got nothing to lose, after all. They've grown up in poverty and crime and see this as their only way out. It is a sad fact but many gangs will harm and kill those that leave their circle for fear that they might inform the guards about their activities. This is just one way to become far outside of their reach.

Several Oathbound came from a criminal background and their advice have led to reform in how laws and guard activities are handled. The Emperor welcomes the experience of these people for it allows him to better govern with fairness. Unfortunently, it is impossible to have a society with zero poverty and homeless.

However, Jordan would rather have one of the lesser races win the tournament. It's rare for a lesser race to join, hoping to be the first Non-Human Oathbound, but due to them being lesser, none has ever won before.

It will do wonders for the empire if a lesser race were to rise up and join ranks in the greater races. They can help bring civilization to many other savage and primitive tribes. They can act as a symbol of hope that they too can, with hard work and dedication, become a greater race or even a legendary being.

The body of the old man is carried away. Jordan has nothing but respect for him; he lived a long life and chose his own way to die. The old man knew he was going to die in the tournament. Only one can win, after all and there are many more with stronger bodies and more experienced in combat.

However, even if someone wins this tournament, that doesn't mean that they wont die in the before becomming a full fledged Oathbound Knight. Winning the tournament only allows one to become an Oathbound Squire, it's fighting the cursed being after, A Pained One, that makes one become an Oathbound Knight. The Pained One is a weak cursed being only barely equivalent to a legendary being.

The shadow assassin won't win; not against a soulless being. But then, almost no one does. Only the one-in-a-million, like all the Oathbound before, can succeed. The Emperor only wants the best of the best.

Jordan watches the next series of matches, not finding even one talent among them. There had been two more people with interesting classes or combinations of classes, like the shadow assassin, but none have what it takes to survive. They do not have the talent or the experience needed to win.

The most heart-crushing match is a child who had just made it to level two hundred. Probably felt the power boost of a class evolution, the new Grand tier class, and thought he was strong enough. It's a common tale, but one that almost always ends tragically. Only once was a child able to become an Oathbound. Children are always encouraged to withdraw, and they are even spared the normal consequences of being forbidden to join the Oathbound later in life.

Only two lesser races joined the tournaments, a Fylox, and a Klar. Naturally, neither stood a chance, both of them being born in the Minor tier. A shame, since the Fylox had even managed to climb her way to the Grand tier as an adventurer. The Klar, on the other hand... well, they aren't the smartest people around, and this one had only managed to reach the adept tier.

Jordan sighs. Much like children, the lesser races are given many chances to withdraw. It's such a shame to lose lesser races with high potential to climb their way to the greater tiers like Heroic and Exalted.

Jordan only spots one person who managed to smuggle in a magic item; a small, thin, almost imperceptible glass ring. There's always at least one cheater. If they are up against anyone with potential, he will intervene to make sure a good Oathbound candidate won't be unfairly eliminated. However, for this battle he will not interfere, since the cheater's opponent has no potential or capability to win. The cheater will soon die to someone better anyway as anyone with the potential of an Oathbound should be able to win a disadvantaged battle. If the cheater does somehow make it all the way to the top twelve… then he will find out just how strong an Oathbound really is.

Soon the day ends, and the contestants return to their quarters. The half that are still alive, that is.

Jonathan has survived the first round, but he needs to live through the rest and reach the top of one hundred contestants. It is a bracket style tournament since the dead can't fight another round, so realistically he only needs to wins six rounds but each fight will become progressively harder.

In the cafeteria, no one talks to each other. Why bother making friends when everyone here will die? He could go into one of the other blocks where a different group fights; one of them will survive, but pretty much the same logic applies; you have an extremely low chance of making friends with the person who will ultimately survive. Instead, everyone is eyeing each other, trying to gauge how well they will go up against them. Jonathan, too, is [Analyzing] everyone he can and formulating plans for each one in case he is matched up with them.

The huge mountainous man over there looks tough; hard to reach certain vital areas like the neck. While Vitality will keep an arm moving, bleeding out is a good way to lose a lot of vitality. The hardest foes are the regenerators, like that huge man. Jonathan will have to kill them in one or two hits, pierce the brain and leave the dagger in to prevent their brain from healing, then try to chop the head off.

Jonathan retires to his cot after maintaining his weapons and armor, quickly falling asleep. In the morning, he is woken up by trumpets blaring in the room.

"Get ready! The tournaments will be starting in an hour!" a servant shouts.

Jonathan hears the man above his cot grumbling about being woken up, but pays it no mind. He keeps quiet and simply prepares for his second day in the tournament. He's going to win this. there's no doubt in his mind. He can't afford to doubt himself.

Chapter 201: Family

Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has discovered how to cleanse cursed Skills!

She did it. Relief fills Kayafe as her worries prove unfounded. Could she and Safyr have been able to fight a cursed being with a skill at the enhancement point? Alysara probably didn't think about the possibility of casualties, either confident in the fact that she wouldn't become a cursed being or because of her trust in Safyr.

The young woman is certainly very cautious. She wouldn't have proceeded if there was even a hint of risking the worst case.

She walks downstairs to open the door for Alysara's parents, who are already halfway here. They would have seen the world notification and probably want to congratulate their daughter. Unfortunately, she won't be conscious for their visit.

Kayafe waits for them at the door, but things become awkward when they see her. She can tell that there is some sort of inner conflict raging in their minds.

"Kayafe…" Alysara's mother bows respectfully, while her father simply nods her head.

It seems like the Runalymo don't distinguish between mother and father, but it's what Kayafe has always known, so it's hard to think otherwise. To her, she can't help but think of one as female and one as male. It's weird, to say the least, but even when she lay with women after her temporary shapeshifting spell, she always thought of herself as female, so maybe it's the same way?

Kayafe snaps out of her thoughts to pay attention to Alysara's parents.

"Greetings. Alysara is sleeping upstairs; in order to purify her skill, she needed to evolve" She held the door open for them.

"Thank you," Alysara's father says as he… she enters. "I am Kanato, and this is my spouse, Feyan."

"I am Kayafe."

The awkward mood only grows as they climb the stairs to see Alysara.

"Will she be able to see again?" Kanato asks. "Are all her cursed skills cleansed?"

"No, just [Manipulate Mana]; she will need to purify the others separately."

"Why did she have to lose her Kyhosa?" Feyan suddenly says, her voice growing louder. "If she can't regain her sight, then why did she not come back with it?!"

"Feyan!"

"No, Kanato! I need to know why! Why did my daughter lose her Kyhosa!? She left, freed her, and didn't come back with it!" Feyan points at Kayafe as if to blame her.

Kyhosa. That was the item that Alysara sacrificed. She knew the Kyhosa was culturally important, but she didn't understand just how important it really was.

"Feyan!" Kanato shouts, "Stop blaming her! Alysara had to free her to save us! If anyone is to blame, then it's us!"

"I…" Feyan pauses, tears welling up in her eyes. "But why! Why her Kyhosa? Why not anything else? Why not her eyewraps?"

Kanato hugs Feyan.

"Even after this, why can't she see again!" Feyan cries in her spouse's arms.

"Let's get some sleep, Feyan," Kanato says. "We can't let Alysara see us like this. I'm sorry about all of this," she turns to Kayafe and bows apologetically before leaving.

It must be hard being a parent. Kayafe thinks back to her children, whose lives she never had the chance to be a part of. Guilt fills her mind, but she shakes her head free of it. There's no use dwelling on the past.

Kayafe walks into the experimentation room and picks up Alysara's notes, something to busy her mind and distract her from her own troubles.

Kayafe notices that I am awake and sets down my notes, walking to my room as I get a feel for my added tails.

It feels like three was the maximum I could handle without suffering any detriments. Five is starting to become unwieldy, and I need to shift my weight forward a little to maintain balance.

"Good morning," Kayafe says as she walks into my room. She doesn't seem surprised at my extra tails, but then again, she probably saw me gain more during my evolution.

"Did you stay up all night?" I ask

"I don't need sleep with this body," Kayafe shrugs. "Anyway, I assume you learned about what happens when a cursed skill is cleansed?"

I nod and explain what I saw.

"Hmm, I wonder if the excess experience goes into protecting the skill from further miasma or if that will require another legendary point. Your hypothesis that Class and Race frameworks protect the skill is a good explanation, and it's safe to assume so, but I'm more curious if we can protect the skill without the need of a Class or Race."

"I'm not going to take that risk," I say. "And only those with an excess legendary point would be willing to spend some just to know if that's possible."

It should be a safe thing to test, just seeing if the skill will become cursed or not, which would require another point to cleanse again.

"Anyway, I'm going to enhance [Manipulate Mana] before we go into the dungeon."

"Don't let the power get to your head," Kayafe warns. "Don't forget it's not just the enhancement bonus but also your race and title bonus, so it's going to feel like you can defeat anything."

I haven't explored the increase to my [Manipulate Mana] since I don't want to have to get used to one power boost only to immediately have to relearn my strength again.

I mentally access my Legendary points and allocate the point for mastering [Manipulate Mana] to the skill, enhancing it. I don't hesitate. The skill is confirmed cleansed, so there is no reason to wait any further, especially since there could be legendary beings already on their way.

I watch as the mass of experience that is the legendary point gets absorbed by the framework of my [Manipulate Mana] skill, reinforcing it and drawing new frameworks for the skill. From what I can see, the affected frameworks seem to be related to the 'magic' part of the skill. If that is the case, then by observing more skill enhancements, I might be able to improve my inscriptions! But I can work on that with Kayafe later.

Ting! Manipulate Mana has evolved to Manipulate Magic!

Ting! Manipulate Magic has obtained levels 551-949!

I gained almost four hundred levels! However, now I have twenty-three breakthroughs to work on to bring them up to the max level. It's no surprise that most that are best used in combat are in the low teens, but I am surprised my fifth and eighth breakthrough isn't at the new max. The fifth is working on large quantities of mana at a time, and now that I think about it, I haven't really done anything impressive in that department. I mostly work on the extremely small scale, perfecting the mana structure even within the super-solid scale of mana. My eighth breakthrough is casting spells, but most of my really powerful spells come from my Bond. Thinking about it that way, it's no wonder that particular breakthrough is not higher.

Since I will be going into the dungeon anyway, this is a good opportunity to power-level my skill in the combat-focused breakthroughs.

I still need to train my [Sense Magic] and scout the layers for more of those eldritch things, but I can wait until I am stronger; it's safer that way.

"My skill is enhanced now, so I'm ready when you are," I say, turning to leave the house, but Kayafe stops me, placing a hand on my shoulder as I conjure my wings.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To the dungeon? We wanted to train right?"

"Are you really going to go into the dungeon without seeing your parents first? What are you scared of? You haven't really spoken to them since you freed me."

"I—" I lower my head, trying to control my emotions. How can I face my parents after losing my Kyhosa, something they worked so hard on?

"I've been waiting to see if you'll remember them, but you haven't even mentioned them. Are you ashamed of losing your Kyhosa?" Kayafe accuses me, her words piercing right through me like an arrow. "Go see your parents, Alysara; the dungeon can wait. They aren't mad at you; they just want to know that you are fine."

"How can I tell them that I threw it away?" I mumble, my voice getting quieter.

"You didn't throw it away, Alysara; it was to save them. They'll understand. Just talk to them. Besides, think of it as an upgrade. It's like the Mana Arc is your Kyhosa now!" Kayafe says to try and cheer me up. "It doesn't say that it's your Kyhosa, but it does refer to your title. Is that close enough?"

I was about to argue back, but she's not entirely wrong. The Kyhosa symbolizes my life, and I sacrificed it for Kayafe, so in a sense, it's both of our Kyhosa now. It's not the same thing, though; my Kyhosa was sacrificed to the Mana Arc, not the other way around; but at least the thought of it still existing as part of the Mana Arc is a little comforting.

"Go on, Alysara," Kayafe gives me a light push. "Go talk with your family; I'll wait here."

I walk to my old home just in time for breakfast. However, before I can walk in, the twins excitedly run to the door to let me in; having seen me with their [Sense Mana].

"Aly!" the twins tackle-hug me.

"Ooph! You two are getting too big to do that," I say, almost knocked down by them.

"You have five tails now!" Yafe says, noticing my extra tails.

"Yeah…" I respond, keeping my complaints to myself. They were really starting to become an encumbrance now.

"Hmm?" Yafel tilts her head. "Where's your Kyhosa?"

"We can talk about it later. Are you going to let me in?"

The twins let me go before leading the way to the dining room and taking a seat.

Mom already has another chair prepared and is dividing up some of her food onto another plate for me.

"You don't have to do that" I try to stop her.

"Nonsense. If you are going to join us for breakfast, then you need to eat with us." Mom argues back.

Dad then shares some of her food as well before giving me the plate.

"Thank you"

"Five tails now. Isn't that cumbersome?" Dad asks, taking a bit of Domr.

"It is…" I grimace, "But I'll get used to it, maybe a future evolution will solve it."

"Like all your tails combining to make one mega tail?" Yafel suggests, gesturing with her own.

I imagine having a tail five times larger and longer. I frown as that may be even more trouble. With five separate they at least have their weight distributed over a wider area.

"I hope not!" I say as the twins giggle.

We share a silent moment before I bring up the more serious topic.

"I'm sorry, for losing my Kyhosa" I bow my head, trying to speak loud enough.

"Don't be, Aly." Mom says, placing a hand on my head. "We just want to know what happened."

"With everything that has been going on lately, we've been very stressed; we want to know that you are okay. You didn't tell us why you needed to free Kayafe, so we are left to speculate."

Many believe that losing one's Kyhosa is bad luck, although we've never really believed that. But the thought must be in the back of their minds, eating away at them with worry. Considering the recent Eldritch invasion, everybody's stress levels must be high.

I explain everything; how and why I needed to free Kayafe. That I needed to finish the incomplete Mana Arc to keep everyone safe, and that it required a great sacrifice to fuel the magic. I explained my title, what the Mana Arc is named, and what it does.

"So it's like The mana arc is your Kyhosa now! That's so cool!" The twins have the same idea as Kayafe on the subject.

I don't know if they are saying that to cheer me up or really mean it, but it brings a smile to my face and I pat their heads before changing the topic to my plans for today.

"I got a large powerboost and I need to figure things out, so I'll be in the Dungeon for the next few days. If you need anything, talk to one of my clones."

I'll be leaving several clones in the nexus. One to continue my airship business which is just now rolling out the first series of ships. One to manage my shop. And one to train [Sense Magic] and continue my experiments. That leaves about ten minds to do dungeon stuff and power-level my Class and Bond.

Jonathan's trial 2

Jonathan falls to his knees, gasping for air; his opponent lay before him, blood still seeping into the sands.

"Victory goes to Jonathan!" The announcer declares, to the resounding cheers of the audience. "Find out tomorrow if he is worthy of being an Oathbound or if Clair will snatch that position from him!"

Just one more battle. Jonathan tells himself. He's fought and survived this long, but he can't celebrate just yet; there's one more battle to be had before he is accepted into the ranks of the Oathbound.

Jonathan staggers out of the arena, exhausted from the recent battle. He makes way for the next fight to start, as a man with a large hammer stands at the ready, waiting for his time to be called out. Another block of people are scheduled to fight, another set of one hundred to find the perfect Oathbound candidate. Will he have to fight the winners of one of the other blocks of one hundred contestants as well? After all this time, why have the ranks of the Oathbound not been filled again?

Questions he should have asked himself fill his mind. He can still back out; he can just go to a manager and say he is withdrawing. He will be able to guarantee his life at the cost of his pride and dignity, but did he really have any before? He was a thief and assassin, a criminal for hire.

It's too late to back out now, Jonathan tells himself. I've come too far just to quit. It's just one more battle.

Jonathan eats his dinner and goes to his cot, looking around the room that is now empty of its previous occupants of the days before, save for one woman. She has a well-trained body with short pixie-cut hair and a bust small enough that it cannot be seen beneath her plate-mail. If considered from the neck down, she could have even been mistaken for a man. She is currently practicing with her sword. Sparks of lightning crackle through the air as she swings the blade around against some imaginary opponent in her kata or whatever she might be doing.

Jonathan observes her, carefully studying her style and form, anything he can use to learn something about his opponent and get an upper hand.

"Scared?" She taunts. "Go ahead, look all you want. Tomorrow, you'll be dead and I'll be an Oathbound."

Jonathan passed level four hundred in both his Classes due to his recent fights, but she has over two hundred levels over him in both of her Classes, and she looks to not have neglected her Bond. A trained warrior, probably been training since birth.

He can still withdraw...

Jonathan shakes his head and stands up. "Well, since you offered." Jonathan sits on a cot closest to her and with a prime viewing position.

Clair smiles smugly and continues to train as if he doesn't exist. She even flaunts a little, with a few twirls of her blade.

Showoff. Jonathan thinks. In his world, that would get him killed in an instant, and he hopes she is a little too overconfident.

Eventually, she stops and goes about her chores, preparing her gear for the fight. Jonathan goes to sleep early to be as fit for tomorrow as he can be.

"And now the moment you've all been waiting for! Jonathan versus Clair!" The announcer says. Jonathan steps into the arena to the armored woman in front of him. The announcer says more things, but Jonathan is too focused to listen to the fluff.

The Gong is struck, and Jonathan immediately dives into the soul layer, swimming closer. She will expect him to appear behind her or somewhere close, so he will instead leave the soul layer out of striking range. He will then close some distance on foot before playing whack-a-Jonathan to confuse her before striking.

Jonathan enacts his plan. Jumping out early and, just as he expected, she is already swinging behind herself to try and catch him. The look on her face is priceless, and he quickly closes the gap before she can recover. He forms and throws shadow daggers at her, grazing her exposed armpit where there is little armor, and rolls under her punch as she tries to counter-attack.

Jonathan slashes at her leg, striking the gaps in her armor before shifting into the soul layer to strike at her from another angle. However, a foot smashes into his face as he reappears, sending him flying to the wall; a split second later, all of his muscles tense up as lightning courses through him.

He screams in pain and shifts back into the soul layer, reappearing only to be met with another lightning bolt. Lighting swirls around the arena, crawling just over the sand. She is attacking everywhere at once!

Jonathan dives back into the soul layer to give him some time to think. What does he do? Wait her out? This might be a good thing if she wastes all of her mana, but she won't fall for that; she will turn that ability off soon enough. He just has to wait for that; unfortunately, he doesn't know when that is, so he will just have to guess.

After some time, Jonathan reappears next to Clair, aiming for her throat. However, he is repelled by her sword. Again and again, Jonathan tries to land strikes but is repelled by either lightning or her sword, and the longer the fight drags out, the harder it becomes to find an opportunity to strike her.

She has learned my patterns! Jonathan realizes. He tries changing it up, yet she is having an even easier time against him!

Jonathan can feel his mana running out, and he is getting exhausted the longer this fight goes while she seems to be conserving as much mana and stamina as she can, letting him come to her.

She does have a combined four hundred levels over me. Jonathan tells himself. Not to mention her Class tiers are probably higher in at least one of her Classes. There is simply no way of defeating her; he can't win.

Well, there is a way, but he'd rather not use it. He can attack the soul directly, but it results in excruciating pain through the backlash.

Jonathan wracks his brain for any other alternative, anything at all! A few options come to him, and he tries the first two; but is thwarted by her sword, and the third attempt costs him his arm and almost a leg.

Jonathan shifts back into the safety of the soul layer, trying to stem the bleeding on his stump, his leg cut to the bone.

There's no other way to beat her, is there? Jonathan thinks. She's too good; she knew she could beat him; that was why she didn't care if he saw her training. Jonathan braces himself and floats to her soul. Instead of forming a shadow dagger, he instead makes it using his own ectoplasm. Pushing the soul-stuff out of himself and shaping it.

He raises his dagger and brings it down upon her soul barrier. Immediately, Jonathan feels overwhelming pain assault him, but he can't go back now; he has to do this! Jonathan pushes his dagger into Clair's soul as hard as he can, gritting his teeth so hard he worries his teeth might break.

Jonathan screams in pain, his vision going black, but he presses onwards. All thoughts are pushed out of his mind; all he knows is pain, true pain. Then, it stops. Awareness comes back to Jonathan as he realizes that the soul in front of him is cut in two and dissolving into the soul layer... no, it's seeping through it to someplace else.

It seems like this soul layer is merely a barrier that prevents physical things from going beyond it. Jonathan ignores the notification from his skill leveling up and shifts back into the real world, looking at the soulless, empty body of his opponent. He forms a shadow dagger and plunges it into her neck.

"Aaannnd Jonathan is the winner!" The announcer declares. The crowd cheers but not as loudly as last time. This time probably looked a lot more anti-climatic to them. But a new voice silences them all.

"Congratulations, Jonathan, for winning the Oathbound Trial" It is Oathbound Jordan's words that serve as a catalyst for the next notification.

Ting! Jonathan Wodahs, the Human, has won the Oathbound Tournament.

Relief fills Jonathan; he has done it. Immortality, pardoned of all previous crimes, and can now count himself as one of the strongest humans to ever live.

Healers rush to his aid, regenerating his arm, leg, and healing him and any other wounds.

"You may now take your oaths before the emperor himself," Jordan says, joining him on the sands of the arena. His words are devoid of emotion, but Jonathan doesn't care right now, nor does he have the will to think about it. "Do not spend your legendary point yet; taking the oaths will allow you to get Oathbound Classes."

Jonathan nods and follows Jordan to the Palace, the sounds of the arena growing more and more distant.

"From now on, you will be an Oathbound in training, an Oathbound Squire" Jordan says once they pass through the Palace's entrance. Jordan immediately feels the high mana pressure and the Bond presence of the Emperor himself as well as other Oathbound residing in the Palace. The further in the Palace they go, the more the mana pressure increases. Jonathan can already feel mana toxicity sapping at his vitality.

"That is the first thing we are going to need to fix," Jordan says. "Most Oathbound produce so much mana they'd kill themselves, so you need to train a resistance skill for it. You will also need to train how to hold back on your mana production, so you don't go around killing people as you go on missions."

He then stops right before the throne room.

"I will give you one last chance," Jordan says in a warning tone. "If you go through those doors, there's no turning back; this is your last chance to back out; we will not punish you outside of banning you from ever having a chance to become an Oathbound. The Oathbound trial was just the first; there is another and far more deadly trial, and no, you don't get to spend your legendary point for that." Jordan pauses to make sure his words have sunk in.

"However, if you do leave, you will not be pardoned for any crimes you have committed."

I've gone this far; how bad can another trial be? If worst comes to worst, he can just attack the soul directly.

"Does anyone take this opportunity to back out?" Jonathan asks.

"Rarely," Jordan replies. "Most ask for time to decide, but most choose to take the Oath. Spending your point will be seen as backing out, however."

"Why? Why not let us spend the point?"

"For several reasons, but it's mostly to prove that an Oathbound candidate is not a fluke, only the best of the best of the best are allowed to call themselves an Oathbound. You will be trained for the next trial, you will be given every chance to succeed, you will be given the best gear, and training Humanity has to offer, but even still, you are likely going to die." Jordan says. It seems that he almost expects him to turn back.

Expecting him to be a coward rouses his anger. He wants to prove he won't just run away just before the finish line! He has survived in this harsh world, and he will continue doing so!

There's no turning back now!

Jonathan turns toward the large doors and pushes them open. A rush of mana blasts him as he opens the door. There is so much of the Emperor's mana that it stifles him. The Emperor's Bond presence wraps around him with unbending power. He feels his feet moving as if the very will of justice itself has arrested him for his crimes and is bringing him to the Emperor himself.

"You bring a criminal this time, Jordan." The Emperor says, standing proudly in the hall. The Emperor is like a perfect being, looking no younger than his prime, his flowing golden hair pulled back in a braid. He wears majestic armor fit for a god, complimenting his powerful build. His cape flutters behind him with the Empire's symbol emblazoned on it. Green and Blue eyes seem to look into Jonathan's very being, and judging him as if the man standing before him is the ultimate arbiter of justice.

"I gave him every chance, your majesty," Jordan says, walking next to Jonathan as his legs carry him to certain doom, even as the ever increasing mana pressure chokes him.

Jonathan feels himself kneel and expose his neck. Sweat spills from his forehead; he is going to die here, judged by the Emperor himself. The Emperor steps forward with a gleaming, perfect blade raised high.

Jonathan closes his eyes, accepting his fate. The blade touches his shoulder, its weight oppressive like death incarnate.

"You come to me as a criminal, Jonathan, but now you will speak your oaths; this will forever bind you. You will defend me, the Emperor of mankind, the Empire, and its citizens from any threats, domestic and foreign alike. You will be fair to all and judge only the individual for their own actions and not by the actions of their ancestry. You will seek to end slavery and war, even if the cost to achieve that is war. You will promote the good treatment of all races and not let bias cloud your view of them..." The Emperor goes on, commanding him to be an exemplar of all that the Empire strives to be, to lead by example and prove to everyone that the horrors of life can be ended.

It is very idealistic, but seemingly impossible to acheive. How does one battle against one's own nature, the natural tendency to take the easy road and only do what benefits oneself? Well, by selecting only the few who can which is why the Oathbound is so selective. To achieve the impossible, one must have the strength to do it.

"... do you accept your oath Jonathan Wodahs?"

"I do, your majesty."

As he speaks these words, Jonathan feels weightless, as if all that he had done before has been washed away. But then a weight presses down on him. Not oppressive, not one to avoid, but one meant to be carried; the weight of his Oath.

"You are pardoned of all crimes previously committed. Now, rise, Oathbound Squire Jonathan. Welcome into the ranks of the Oathbound."

Side story 7: Time

Greenleaf stalks one of the hairless meatbags on the dark cloudy night. She touches the stake in her chest; the copper metal feels heavy within her body. The race warping magic has made the whole operation possible, allowing her to blend in as one of them. This magic item would kill or harm any fleshlings, but as an Elf, like Greenleaf, her body is more sturdy.

The fleshbags are weakened now, but they are quickly recruiting more Oathbound. The council of the glade had underestimated just how quickly the meatbags can replenish their elite soldiers. Every week there's a new world announcement of one of them completing a trial, but soon it will be time to deliver the final blow and rid the lands of their fleshy curse; such is her righteous mission.

Long have the elves prepared for this day, capturing cursed beings and researching ways to turn some of the fleshlings into more cursed beings. The Cannibal operation has been successful, but more powerful ones will be needed in taking out the Emperor; however, this will be a night of reckoning when that meatbag Emperor finally dies!

Greenleaf's target turns a corner and walks into an alley, completely unaware of his approaching doom. Greenleaf follows the black-haired meatbag, and then the world seems to slow down, or rather she is sped up so much that everything feels like it's stopped. She walks to the meatbag and grabs his throat before tearing it out. He doesn't drop, nor does blood spray yet; it's as if the world had decreed that the world slows for Greenleaf.

Greenleaf grabs the stake and yanks it out of her body; she wants to enjoy this as her true form. Leaves sprout from her as her skin changes into her proper green color. Dark brown bark emerges from her arms and legs, and her hair turns into a large pink petal.

She sighs as she returns to her real form; being a human is stuffy and uncomfortable. She raises the man's torn-out throat and takes a bite out of it, crushing the bone between her ironbark teeth. The sweet blood drips down her throat as she savors the flavor. Finishing her snack, she can't help but plunge her hand into the man's chest and rip his heart out before eating that too.

Greenleaf quivers in joy. How long has it been since her last proper meal? She can't help herself and plucks the eyes out and pops them into her mouth, enjoying how the juices fill her mouth. But now, she must return to her mission.

Greenleaf raises her palm up, the black storage ring almost invisible in the dark night. She summons the lich's phylactery from it and shoves the orb into the gaping wound in the man's chest, and then she stabs the transforming stake back into her body, her body returning to the sickening blond-haired woman. The fatty lumps on her chest returned, and stiff bone grows under the returning soft skin and muscle.

Greenleaf shudders with disgust and fixes her dress, and walks out as if nothing happened. The world speeds up, then begins to whirl around.

What happened?

Her head begins to transform back into an elf, and that's when she sees her body slumping to the ground with a large golden-plated man standing next to it. Three more appear out of nowhere next to the man.

"Got greedy, Elf!" One of the men says.

She can't help but grin as her body regenerates as if days had passed all at once, regrowing like a sprouting plant.

More of them appear, a large man with majestic golden armor whose very presence smothers her own. It grips Greenleaf, commanding her to kneel like an oppressive tyrant; it's as if justice itself is judging her; it's the Emperor, the first cursed with flesh. However, it's too late; she has already started the awakening process of the lich, and that's not the only one that will be awakening tonight!

"So, you're the 'Champion' that stirred up so much trouble," One of the Oathbound remarks. "You will die here!"

Greenleaf rushes at the Oathbound if only to buy time for the cursed being to start razing the city. Lighting flashes and justice wraps itself around her, but none can match her Time Bond. Each spell and each swing of a blade misses with ease. Reality seems to burn, yet none can reach her as she zigzags straight to the Emperor, but for a split second, justice manages a secure hold on her, and suddenly the world splits in two before she regenerates half her body, leaving the other half behind, and again she charges she Emperor who doesn't falter for even a second and raises his sword to strike her down.

She reaches out with a bark-covered hand, a spell rapidly charging and unleashing time. The stone around the man crumbles to dust as if thousands of years passed in an instant; his armor, however, doesn't even blemish, much to Greenleaf's displeasure. She ducks under as a hole in reality forms sucking everything into oblivion before filling back in.

Greenleaf zips around the battlefield bouncing off walls to dodge the myriad of spells thrown at her, and despite her increasing time on herself, the Emperor and the Oathbound never seem to slow!

"Justice will always catch up to your crimes, Elf! No matter how much time passes!" The Emperor declares.

Greenleafs bares her teeth in displeasure and charges forward, amping up the rate of time to a century for every minute. The Oathbound suddenly disappears and reappears around her, spells blazing and swords already slashing down at her. Her arms are severed, and she is bisected at the torso, but in an instant, she regenerates, and the battle continues with her avoiding another void spell.

"Your majesty, she's too fast!" One of the Oathbound says.

"Keep calm, Kain; everything will be fine, just keep pressuring her, and we'll win," The fleshbag Emperor reassures his knight.

"That's right, she's entirely on the defensive, and her spells are useless to immortals like us," another Oathbound meatbag says.

If Greenleaf had to guess, then that 'Kain' must be one of the less experienced ones; maybe she can take advantage of that.

However, the Emperor suddenly gives a command, "Oathbound! Leave this Elf to Squire Jonathan! Search the area; I sense a grave injustice appearing in this city!"

With the Fleshbag Emperor's command, the Oathbound split up, leaving Greenleaf bewildered. She just fought off the Emperor and four Oathbound, and they think some Squire can kill her?!

How dare they! She grinds her teeth in anger. They can't match her time, so they just insult her?!

However, a sudden chill grips Greenleaf as something seems to cut her very soul!

A soul assassin! Do they really think a simple soul assassin will be enough?! Time conquers everything!

Gathering the very essence of her Bond, she forces it into the soul, speeding up her own soul and her recovery of it; no simple Squire can slay her like that! But this gives her the chance to go back to her body and recover the last of the three cursed items. Rushing over, she takes the ring and the transformation stake. She takes out a vial of Vampire blood and a werewolf fang; that's when a chill pierces into her soul, making her gasp in fear.

How?! Her soul should be healing too fast for that damned Squire to do sufficient damage.

Another chill assaults her soul, making Greenleaf clutch at herself as primal fear courses through her, and then she feels her soul be severed in two, and the world begins to fade.

Not like this! Not to some damn Squire! She won't give them the pleasure of slaying her; she can delay the death of her soul! She can reverse the damage!

Greenleaf gathers the essence of time, but instead of speeding up time or slowing it down, she focuses on reversing the flow of time. As if bending to her will, she feels her soul come back together. She can't reverse time for more than a few seconds, nor can she do it often, but it will at least give her the time to complete her mission.

Greenleaf goes into one of the homes for a meatbag to force the vampire blood on, but the Emperor is already there, holding the lich's phylactery, which disappears into his storage ring.

"Did you really think you can bring cursed items into my city, and I won't notice?" The Emperor says, the presence of his Bond already wrapping around her with an iron grip. "Did you think we did not know how to stop the transformations?!" His voice nearly trembles in rage as his blue and green, mismatched eyes pierce through Greenleaf's very being.

Just how powerful is that fleshbag?

Suddenly ten Oathbound appear in the house, surrounding Greenleaf.

"It's over for you, Elf!" one of them proclaims.

"Over?" Greenleaf grins confidently. Nothing can stop her time, and if all else fails, she still has her escape plan "I decide when it's over!" She is the warden of the Hourglass of Entropy, the only one powerful enough to maintain the seal on it; there's no way she can let them kill her while she has her sacred role!

Greenleaf musters the last of her power and flows it through herself, reversing her position in time. She suddenly appears in a place she was three days ago in her hideout in the outskirts of the Human capital.

She will not be able to return for some time, so she decided to make the long trip back to her home forest, back to the city of flowers.

Chapter 202: Dungeon Again

After spending time with my family, I returned home to Kayafe.

"Thank you" I bow to Kayafe with gratitude for giving me the push I needed.

"It's the least I could do for freeing and helping me," Kayafe gives me a warm smile."First, before we get into anything serious, I want you to get an idea of just what you are capable of now."

I slowly nod, wondering what Kayafe wants me to do.

"First, with your skill, reach out as far as you can. Use your skill to encompass as much area as possible, then seize control of all the mana you can. Pacify it. Make it calm, as if to deny the casting of any spells."

I do as Kayafe instructed, understanding that she wants me to learn my limits in a relatively safe environment.

I reach out and out and out, further than I ever could have before, with ease. I bring in an extra Mind to help with the task. The further I reach out, the more focus it requires to keep everything in my grasp. My area of control extends out well beyond the edge of the Nexus. In a way, it's just like expanding my [Sense Magic] perceptive field to its maximum size.

Once I start to strain my mind trying to reach mere millimeters further, I command all mana to bleed it's intensity. I command it to become calm, making any kind of mana activity impossible. In a way, it's an anti-spell field. I have always been able to do things like this on a smaller scale; however, due to my fighting style, I've always been too far to use it.

"Do you fully understand what this means, Alysara? What would happen if you turn all the mana flowing through the Nexus into spell mana and you were to use it to attack or defend?"

Kayafe motions to the area around her, implicating the entire Nexus.

"Unless they are legendary beings themselves, no enemy will be able to use spells in our presence. We can refuel our mana reserves with all of this mana, effectively giving us infinite mana to use. Then there's crafting, which has far greater potential. This is what the Mana Arc is capable of and why it's so valuable. The more you learn of your new abilities, the more you realize the potential of the Mana Arc outside of being a tool to funnel mana into the dungeon."

A chill went down my spine. No wonder Kayafe said not to let this get to my head. Klaman is already overconfident in his abilities, and he's legendary tier. With me not even legendary tier – even if I am of equivalent power now, with my title – I need to understand my strength relative to other beings. I can't just go off tiers alone anymore; my title has thrown the equation off.

"But don't forget, you still lack the support skills to actually cast powerful spells quickly and efficiently. Against a competent caster, as long as they can resist your anti-spell area, they can overwhelm you with more spells." Kayafe warns me. "I will also teach you more about how to use your skill in crafting and various different applications. But first, let's give you a taste of what is possible by making a useful tool in case we get injured."

Kayafe usurps the control of mana in her immediate vicinity and quickly makes a super-solid bottle made of vitality, healing, and life essence before enchanting it. The next thing she does surprises me as magic envelops the bottle.

"Remember that [Manipulate Magic] can only apply pseudo magic effects to only mana, nothing else. This magic will fade in time, but how long that it lasts depends on how high your skill level is. As for this bottle, any water poured into it will become healing water, effectively turning it into a healing potion."

"Isn't this the same as controlling magic?" I ask, tilting my head slightly. "I thought you couldn't do that."

"In a way, it is… but I'm not sure what's going on. From how you describe magic frameworks, I would guess that the skill itself is using divinity to… coerce magic in a way, but I am unsure."

I'm not convinced that is the answer, but I can't see divinity, so I can't rule that possibility out. However, it would make sense if it's magic controlling magic. The skill is at least half magic, so that magic of the skill is under my control, and that in turn can be used to… well… manipulate other magic.

I explain that to Kayafe as I make my own bottle, watching my skill light up as I apply the magical effects.

Ting! Manipulate Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 1100!

55th Breakthrough: You have managed to manipulated magic; this will help you make and cast spells and items of unparalleled quality!

"That makes a lot more sense," Kayafe admits with a shrug as the message rings in my mind. "It's [Manipulate Magic], not [Manipulate Divinity]. Plus, it explains why it only works with mana, as the base form of the skill is [Manipulate Mana]."

"I got the breakthrough for manipulating magic!" I celebrate. "But it's either that or it requires a breakthrough to apply it to mundane matter; we'll find out eventually," I say and Kayafe congratulates me as we fly to the Temple. She promises to teach me more about the breakthrough later once I am stronger. We walk inside to begin our journey together in the Dungeon.

Appearing on the other side of the portal, the Dungeon village comes into view, having expanded since the last time I was here. Most notably, there is a parking lot for five land-based airships for transporting monster slayers to their locations.

"This place sure has changed," Kayafe comments. "But I didn't think you'd build a town inside the Dungeon."

"Why not?" I ask.

"Anything harvested from the dungeon is poisonous. I'm not sure if that's intentional, but that is the case for every Dungeon I visited. In order to support a Dungeon village, they require a lot of imported food."

"We have a racial skill that makes it so we can supplement our food needs with Mana. We can go several days without eating," I say. Plus, we produce our own food, but I don't mention that.

"Well, I suppose that will make a Dungeon town viable" Kayafe shrugs and swishes her tail.

If we are going to explore, especially in the more dangerous areas that I can now contend with, then I should probably pick up a Dungeon Waystone Key.

"I have someone I need to see before we go anywhere," I say as I locate Esofy, who is the de-facto elder for the monster-slaying business. In order to get a waystone key, one needs permission as they are very rare, although I can see that they managed to get two more.

Each key, when found, also comes with its own waystone, but I don't see any of those around, so I wonder where they put them.

We walk to Esofy's office, where she is sorting through some papers, and knock on the door.

"Alysara! Come in!" Esofy cheerfully says, seeing me with her perception skill.

I open the door and walk in with Kayafe, who introduces herself.

"I'm honored to meet you." Esofy bows and introduces herself too.

"We'll be exploring some of the more dangerous areas," I say after the two greet each other. "So we'll want a waystone key to attune to any waystones we find."

"Of course" Esofy takes out a normal key and unlocks a drawer revealing several small stones, each with a numbered ribbon around them. "To prevent people from going into areas they are not ready for, some keys are not attuned to all of the waystones. Unfortunately, we only implemented this after a group decided to go into a high-level den and all died. This has also made it hard to get enough waystones for higher leveled dens, and we had to prioritize distance more."

"In every society, rules are often only made because some people have a lapse in judgment. This won't be the first time, nor is it exclusive to Runalymo," Kayafe says, probably in an effort to reassure Esofy that she did nothing wrong. "The best advice I can give is to make it easy to do things safe and right, and hard to do things wrong and dangerous. Think of how one might use something to harm others or themselves and try to prevent those foreseeable situations."

"I hate to just assume others are dumb, but if that's what it takes to keep people safe, then it's for the best. Thank you for your advice, Kayafe" Esofy bows her head. "Oh! And before you leave, Alysara, we'd like you to overview the blueprints of a new type of airship and make the necessary components for them."

"What kind of Airship?" I ask.

"One that doesn't transport people but instead materials." Esofy takes out several blueprints and shows them to me.

The planned ship has a superstructure in the middle for the pilots and cargo holds on the front and back. I can understand the idea is to balance out the weight, but it's not actually a great design.

"You can move the superstructure to the back," I give my advice. "The weight balance is only in relation to the center of lift. Doing it this way, you will have to pay a lot more attention to what goes where, whereas with my way, you only need to counterbalance the superstructure and put the heaviest things in the middle."

With the lift sails stretched horizontally above the airship, the airships have more in common with blimps than planes, except it doesn't need a giant balloon ten times the size or more of the ship.

But does the airship even need the lift sail anymore? Can I make an airship sailless with [Manipulate Magic]? I want to try, but a ship like that can't be widespread because I'll have to reapply the magic every so often. I'll make a test model with my other clone real quick before I move too far away to reach the Nexus with my Skill.

"So what are those waystones you guys kept talking about?" Kayafe asks as we leave.

"The waystones are places that we can teleport to with a waystone key, but we must attune a key to the waystone first to form a link."

"Wait! Do you mean to say the Key and stone aren't made with a link?! How is that possible?!" Kayafe says with surprise.

"I haven't been able to figure out the exact mechanisms, but it's something about sharing its unique mana with the stone to form a link," I answer. "I had been trying to replicate the teleportation mechanisms at one point a while ago, but I haven't made much progress; the project kinda left my mind after the cursed being incident."

"I see. Those waystones sound really useful; can I see it?" Kayafe asks. I give her the key to [Analyze]. "They are also magic items, which explains a lot, so you can't just copy them. The Dungeon Core is a magical being which means they can use magic however they like without any of the difficulties we have with it, so they can make things like this very easily."

"What's the Dungeon Core like?" I ask.

"Hmm," Kayafe puts a hand on her chin. "It might be better to meet it yourself, but I don't think you are powerful enough right now."

Is it that indescribable? Or maybe it's unbelievable?

"So, where should we go?" I ask, changing the subject. "The one area I haven't really explored, aside from the really far areas, is the mountains over there since they often have really powerful monsters with levels in the thousands. I don't think I am ready to fight those, but in most cases, they can't hurt me either because of my clones. So, maybe it's worth a try?"

"As long as they can't fight back, your win is guaranteed. Let's go there," Kayafe says.

If anything, killing those will be well worth it for the evolution of my Classes. Speaking of, my first class is almost ready for one. As it stands right now, though, I think it is more worth it to hold off for a while since it pales in comparison to [Manipulate Magic]. Getting better achievements will be far better in the long run.

With Kayafe's endorsement, I teleport us to the closest waystone and conjure wings for us, flying in the direction of the Dungeon Mountains.

Chapter 203: Vitality Training

I cast my gaze over the mountainous region of the Dungeon, which, to my surprise, extends well beyond the full area of my perception. The mountain range stretches well over two thousand kilometers with no seeming end.

I feel the curious prodding of around two dozen mind-mage monsters and quickly push back as I create blind spots around them before they get more aggressive.

I should have slowly expanded my perceptive area, so I don't aggro so many at once.

That could have gone the same way as the Mind Eater if the monsters weren't so cautious. I suppose that's the benefit of such a high-level area; monsters that do spy on you are likely able to defend themselves, so everyone develops a cautious nature.

There are dozens of monster dens ranging from the amethyst golem caves with monsters in the one thousand total level range, to a volcanic magma chamber full of drakes totaling over two thousand levels in their classes. Each den has a Dungeon Waystone near the entrance. Between the Dens are many points of interest, such as particularly tall mountain peaks, special glades in small valleys, and many more, most marked with Waystones too.

Dangerous monsters such as powerful Rocs, and the many-eyed goat-like gazers I saw last time are way above those found in the dens averaging around a total level of three thousand. Beneath the ground, many worm-like creatures dig through the ground, with two thousand levels on average, making them a very dangerous hazard to anyone traveling these mountains.

So, where should we start training? I doubt I am capable of slaying the monsters with a combined level of two or more thousand, so I should start with the ones at or below level one thousand, so that is the amethyst golem caves.

I summon several clones to train in Dens of the other regions. I'm not here for only [Manipulate Magic] training; I'm going to make full use of the time here. After that, we fly to our destination. After a couple of hours of flying, we land at the Waystone near the amethyst caves, and I attune the key.

"I'll stay here. If there's danger nearby, I can just use the Key to teleport away." I quickly make a sofa, plopping it next to the waystone and summon another clone as I jump into the cushions.

Kayafe gives me a look placing a hand on her hip.

"What?" I ask with a mischievous smile. "I fight monsters, they don't fight me!" I conjure several guard fairies. I don't expect them to be anything other than a light distraction while I run away from any potential threats.

"The most frustrating part is that I can't argue against that. While everyone else fights in mortal combat, you just sit in a comfortable chair, and your perception is so good, that nothing can sneak up on you." Kayafe sighs. "Well, let's go in then"

Kayafe leads my clone into the caves and it isn't long until we hear the sounds of the golems digging new passages, the sound of rock smashing rock.

"There are two types of golems," Kayafe says, like a teacher giving a lecture to a classroom of students. "These ones are monster-golems, made of a material given life. They often have 'organs', usually a gem, which is the 'skeleton' that defines their body. The rock is just a material around their real body. They can absorb more gems in order to grow, or remove gems they have previously absorbed from their influence for a life-giving 'mother' crystal to make more monster-golems."

"You seem to know a lot about golems," I remark.

"I've spent some time among some golem shapers," Kayafe shrugs. "The second type are Golem-Constructs. These are enchanted or magical items emulating Monster-Golems. The constructed type can't get stronger, but are also made very strong, especially the rare legendary ones."

The digging golems are careful not to break any amethysts they come across and seem to have an innate sense of where the crystals are, always digging in a straight line towards them.

"The golems closest to us are worker types" Kayafe continues her lesson. "The guardian types are fewer but much stronger and are often heavily armored with stone which gives them a bulky look. If you come across one, that means you are near the Hymn of Life that made them. Monster-Golems are often used to locate sources of gems, with some kingdoms protecting the Hymn of Life to make workers that they can then slay for training and precious resources, especially since the gems or crystals they absorb will gain magical properties once slain."

"But if the golem willingly removes the gems from their body, they don't gain any magical properties?" I ask.

"Correct"

I make a storage ring for my clone, wrapping the mana around its finger before enchanting it; I don't want to leave anything useful behind. Normally the enchantments constantly draw mana from the wearer to maintain its effects, but now I am constantly feeding it mana by transforming the mana around it into reserved mana.

"So, what's the best way to defeat them without damaging the materials?" I ask.

"Non-destructive means, of course. This is a good opportunity for you to learn how to drain vitality from your enemies. This should be a first choice of attack anyway, since those who can't resist or replenish faster than you are draining will be easily defeated. Golems are very tough, but this is one of their weaknesses."

Directly attacking their vitality, huh? I doubt Golems are smarter than other hive-type monsters; they sound a lot like ants or bees.

"One thing worth mentioning, the Hymn of Life will be immune to vitality damage. Or rather, it's not just immune; it is their preferred method of attack."

"I see, thank you," I say as we come upon the first Golem.

I reach out to one of the worker golems, mentally grabbing its vitality with everything I can muster, and rip out as much as I can. Its vitality is easily stripped off from the amethysts making up its body, which falls down like a puppet whose strings have been cut. The outer rock becomes brittle and shatters as it hits the ground, revealing the now lifeless precious stone beneath. The notification of the kill chimes in my mind.

"That… was easy?" I say, flabbergasted at how quickly I defeated it.

"I did say they are weak to vitality attacks," Kayafe chuckles.

I even got a level up in my skill from that attack. Perhaps I can even defeat the guardian Golems! Unfortunately, because I didn't use my Bond or Classes, I got almost no experience in those. However, it will count for my race, so it's not a complete waste, but this enforces the point that I also have to train my Bond and not rely only on this skill.

"Now, instead of targeting just one Golem, attack multiple; keep increasing how many you drain at once until you start struggling to do so, even if it's one hundred of them," Kayafe says, her tail dancing behind her amusedly.

I do so, reaching out to the five nearest Golems, easily ripping out their vitality. I conjure another clone and pass it the storage ring to retrieve the materials. Next, I drain the vitality of the nearest eight, then fifteen, then twenty. At twenty-two, I am no longer slaying the Golems instantly, but I still continue until I am draining the vitality of thirty.

These Golems are over twice my level, and I am slaying them so easily! This is how strong I am now?

"Keep in mind you have a ridiculously low level, and your stats aren't up to par; you should be able to slay more. I can kill all the golem workers here, which is what you should be aiming towards; just another reason why Bond Classes hold you back."

"I get it! You don't like Bonds!" I flick a tail, tired of her biased opinion.

I continue to train, slaying several more golems in an effort to learn the best way to drain vitality from my foes. The Golems act erratically, alarmed by the constant damage being inflicted upon them.

"No creature is going to let you take their vitality, they can resist so long as they are not met with overwhelming force," Kayafe says, overlooking my efforts. "The trick is to find out how to crush their resistance. So, you should avoid killing them. Practice fighting their resistance instead."

I nod and expand my efforts to include more golems at once, alarming them and engaging in a vitality tug of war. The golems resist in a very straightforward way, simply pulling back. Their issue is that once the vitality leaves the confines of their body, it is no longer considered 'theirs', and so they lose all control over it. It's a poor method of resistance.

But how else does one resist vitality drain? And this is specifically vitality drain, not attacks directed to vitality like Tana's flames which uses vitality as fuel.

I start playing around, testing out other methods to reduce the vitality in my foes that aren't strictly draining, such as transforming the vitality into another form of mana.

"Now you are starting to think outside the box!" Kayafe smiles proudly while her tail swishes about in her excitement. She then replenishes the vitality so my practice dummies don't die.

I feel like there's a lot more I can do here. What if I make the vitality inaccessible? I ponder before manipulating the vitality to form solid micro-crystals.

"That's a nasty form of attack and exceedingly rare; almost no one will have trained a resistance to that type of vitality damage," Kayafe grins. "You are starting to realize the potential of vitality combat."

"If making these micro-crystals are effective then what about forming a large vitality crystal in the enemy?" I ask.

"Yes, but it will cause a lot of damage and may destroy useful materials, which defeats the purpose of vitality attacks. Plus, there are better forms of attack, so you are better off not bothering unless vitality attacks are your only option."

I spend the next several hours trying all sorts of vitality attacks and refining the methods. The one thing I can't seem to get right is something in the vein of Tana's flames. Any vitality conjured spells coming from me or are first drained from the enemy, which means it is just vitality draining with extra steps. In that regard, Tana has his unique form of attack all to himself.

In the meantime, one of my Clones has reached my fairy friend; Sylanna, the Snowfairy Mother.

"I'm sorry for not seeing you for so long. My home has been facing some problems." I say apologetically.

"No problem, friend!" Sylanna giggles. "I've been here for thousands of years with just my children, so I can live without you for a few months."

I study the Likeness of Varath, a statue made of war and battle essence. Perhaps it's time I retrieve it? I suppose I don't have to. Other than the historical value, there's no reason to do so. Plus I may make one anyway for the trial.

Hold on. Isn't the likeness special? The statues of Myrou have her image projected onto them, right? And Myrou can possess her likeness or something? Does this mean that the gods can spy on me if I make their likeness? Maybe I should ask Kayafe?

It's very convenient to talk with multiple people across large distances with my clones!

"Kayafe, what does a likeness of the gods, like the ones you made, actually do?" I ask. After the initial lesson, things quieted down and moved on to just me practicing, Kayafe too made a soft lounge chair to relax in, but her expression shows that she is deep in thought. In any case I need to know if the Likenesses are dangerous.

"Hmm? Well, it gives them a direct connection to us. That's why they're so hard to create and why they are important. I specifically chose Varath, Myrou, and Venaro because they represent three fundamental pillars of society; Strength, Culture, and Knowledge. The likenesses were supposed to ensure those foundations stand the test of time, although it seems your society has regressed in the strength and knowledge department."

Venaro and Varath were both in favor of not using my soul as a resource, but they had ulterior motives that may not keep them on my side once they get what they want.

Yeah, on second thought, It's best the Likenesses stay here for now. But this is not the only reason why I came to see my fairy friends.

"Can you help me with something, Sylanna?" I ask

"What is it?" Sylanna's musical voice soothes my worries. Did she sense my concern over the Likeness?

"I need to understand beauty more" Sylanna has a snow Bond, but she is intimate with beauty essence; perhaps I can get some insight from her.

She giggles, fluttering around me with several other snow fairies.

"Beauty is what you make of it! But if you really want to improve your Bond, then I can't help you; I'm on the same stage of my Bond as you, so there is not much I am able to teach."

Fair enough. I should ask Kayafe how she got to level two thousand in her Bond. She must think I am being weird suddenly asking random questions.

"What did you do to get to level two thousand in your Bond?" I ask her. "I sorry if I am acting strange, I am having another conversation with someone else but they couldn't help me"

"That sounds really useful, almost makes me want to take a mind mage for my last Class," Kayafe says. "But to answer your question, I fought a lot of powerful monsters."

Her straightforward answer does not give me much confidence, but she pauses to think for a moment. It looks like she's not done speaking yet. "With that said, someone whose paths I crossed said that one needs to start merging their Anima with their bond… or something along those lines. I have no idea how to do something like that. 'You explored Beauty, you fought with it, you trusted your life with it, and you've externalized it. Now you must become one with it.'" She quotes something, slightly changing it for my sake.

"What does that mean?" I tilt my head quizzically.

"Again, I'm not entirely sure; but Anima is life in concept, right? So you need that concept to include Beauty. That's the biggest part I have trouble with; I don't even know where to begin doing that"

I let out a sigh. It doesn't seem like there's a shortcut. I could ask Safyr, but she's not the type to always answer questions; she prefers that I work it out myself. Looks like I will just have to put my nose to the grindstone and slay a lot of monsters to level up my Bond.

Chapter 204: Heroic Trees

It is the evening after my training with the golems, and Kayafe and I have returned to the dungeon village to take a bath. The bathhouse is made of stone and has a constant fire under it to heat the water. It is very large as it is only one of three bath houses. The water is not as hot as I am used to, but we have to make do with what we have, right?

"Hmm," I hum. If I can make an endless healing water source, can't I make an always hot bath?

"Hey, Kayafe. With [Manipulate Magic], I can make it so mana can't leave a location, right?" I use a clone to help apply bathing oil to my long hair.

"Yes," Kayafe nods, relaxing neck deep in the water.

I transform the mana in the bathhouse into fire mana to heat the water to Nexus temperatures and imbue it with magic so it can't leave the bathhouse.

Warmth seeps into my body now that the water is at a proper temperature, helping me relax.

"So, if I understand right, I can make it so mana can't leave a location, but I can't make it so mana will transform when entering a location with [Manipulate Magic]?"

"Correct" Kayafe nods with an approving smile. "The latter requires using [Manipulate Magic] on a location, not the mana itself, even though it affects the mana."

"So the magic has to be applied to the mana, but can that affect things that are not mana?" I ask, my clone moving on to my tails.

"No, but in a way, kinda," Kayafe answers. "The magic has to affect mana, but it can power and empower enchantments. So you can make an enchantment that does not require an influx of reserved mana, and you can make the enchanting effect far stronger. So it is through the effect of the Enchantments that you can affect non-mana things."

So I can make more Entylamos, but Kayafe or I will have to renew the magic on it every now and then. That's actually incredibly powerful; it's essentially making a temporary magic item! The only thing it won't get, though, is the tier bonus, so it will only be as powerful as I can make it.

"You never mentioned how long the magic lasts. Do you happen to know?" I say as I shift my tails to allow my clone to work on the next one, having finished with the one before it.

If it's too short, then it's not worth the effort to make things for commercial use.

"It's about one day per skill level, long enough to matter, but not long enough for crafting purposes," Kayafe says.

So just over two years. Kayafe's right, two years is not long enough for crafting, which aims for longevity. It can change the course of a war by supplying an army with magical weapons, but it won't keep the kingdom in power without renewal. For my personal uses, however, It's almost perfect; I can renew the magic whenever I want.

I should take this time to practice making things with my newfound abilities, but what should I make? Item bonuses don't stack; only the strongest one applies, so it'd be a waste to make something that empowers my beauty spells since my Dryad's Grace staff does that. It didn't have much use since my Kyhosa was better, but… Anyway! My Diadem empowers my minds, so I can't do anything there. Perhaps I can upgrade my spear and dagger? It's fairly weak to what I can make now. Plus, my armor. It never saw any use, and I hope I am never in a position where I need it, but maybe I can make it resist mental attacks and other things that I am likely to be hurt by.

I summon my spear from a storage ring to begin the upgrade process; however, I suddenly have an Idea! I put the spear away, much to Kayafe's confusion.

Now that my manipulation abilities are vastly improved, I should be able to help grow the star tree, at least to the point that I might be able to harvest enough wood to upgrade my spear and dagger. I will have to replace the spear shaft and dagger hilt, but that's easy to do, and the benefit should be well worth it; the star tree is heroic tier, after all.

I should also consider testing out my ritual ability from my title, and if I am going that far, I might as well try to upgrade my Diadem. If I can combine the tree items, I might be able to make the Diadem clones more powerful. Both Items have an ability relating to my clones, so it's only natural that I try to empower them at the same time.

I get out of the bath after rinsing myself, and redress myself while Kayafe follows suit.

"Are you going to explain your sudden idea?" Kayafe asks, correctly guessing my thought patterns.

"Just had a sudden realization on how to improve some of my items," I say, "You'll see."

We leave the dungeon and fly to the pond where I planted the star tree seed, where it is still germinating.

I reach out over the entire Nexus with [Manipulate Magic], and with a mental command, all the mana starts drifting toward the seed, transforming to nature and beauty essence to help grow the tree. Just like how mana sustains me, the plants of this world can grow with mana, usually nature essence.

Millions of mana, perhaps billions, are consumed by the seed over an hour, and the seed is unable to consume the sheer amount of mana quickly enough, yet still, it doesn't grow! It gobbles up more and more mana until I start feeling tired.

"Need me to take over?" Kayafe offers. "This is why most plant life isn't above major tier; for some reason, the higher their tier, the longer they take to grow. Heroic tier plants can take over a thousand years to sprout, but once they do, their growth speeds up. Almost all plants that are Heroic or above received help like what you are doing."

Well, that explains why it is taking so long!

"Thank you, I had no idea," I say, letting Kayafe take over.

"Trees like this one are very valuable as a source of renewable resources. Normally, one would need a timeless-tier material that regenerates even if it isn't living. I once brought with me a seed for a crystal tree that was Heroic tier, but I guess it's been lost to time."

Hang on, a crystal tree? One is buried under the sea. There's also one in the Lunaleyan lands, although that one seems suspicious.

"What did that tree do?" I ask. "There's a topaz one on an island outside of the Nexus, but it has mind-effecting abilities, I think. There's also a crystal one buried under the seas here."

"It was a crystal tree that always shone with light," Kayafe answers. "It must be the buried one."

"I'm not sure how we can get it out, though; it would be very helpful if we had access to it."

We don't have a dredger, and it will be a monumental task to relocate the huge crystal tree. Papuyo only managed to get into the ruins by going in through a very tall tower. Well, it's not ruins anymore since that cursed being rose the city out of the earth and restored it. Everyone should be moved out of it by now, which is a little surprising, even though Safyr suggested not to live there permanently.

But the fact that the city was raised by magic gives me the idea that perhaps my rituals can do something similar.

"Actually," I say, "I might have a way to retrieve the crystal tree."

"Rituals?" Kayafe guesses, her tail playfully dancing behind her as she smirks.

"How'd you guess?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Magic can do anything, and you're the only one who can reliably cast a ritual spell, a magic spell."

"Yes, but, we can do that once we figure out a good ritual to make it work," I say with a shrug.

We continue to banter as the hours pass while we accelerate the growth of the star tree. Eventually, as the sun has passed the horizon and twilight arrives – at least that is my guess going off the feel of the sun's light – the seed suddenly sprouts, rapidly growing before our eyes. The more the tree grows, the more mana it sucks up until we can't feed it fast enough.

"I see…" Kayafe mutters, "It's one of those that will only grow under certain conditions; I was starting to wonder why it was taking so much mana without even a hint of growth."

Once the tree has reached a matured height, it starts to flower and fruit, shining star-like fruit, bathing the basin in soft starlight.

I wish I could see it like a normal person. I still have my own spectacle with colors of mana, but I really feel like I am missing out on the experience everyone else would have.

Kayafe is enraptured by the mana being given off in beautiful patterns by the tree, like clouds of twinkling stars, showering the entire area with its beauty and nature essence as if to claim its domain.

What would it look like if she had her old body? Would there be motes of light floating about? Would it look like they are standing like giants among stars?

She can't feel the softness of the chair she made, she can't feel the warmth of the bath, and she can't taste the savouriness of food. There is so much she is missing out on; it's almost painful. Her memories torment her with everything she took for granted.

Am I going to be stuck like this forever? Kayafe wonders. Will her evolutions be able to give her the sensations she once had? How long will that take? Is it going to be one sense at a time?

She needs to know more about mana; perhaps there is another way to regain her senses, a way to change her current body to simulate what she once had. Perhaps Alysara knows something from her past life that can help her, even though that is a stretch.

"...Alysara," Kayafe hesitantly says. "Is there anything you know that can simulate s— Uhh, touch?" She almost said 'sight', but that would have been very inconsiderate.

Alysara tilts her head in confusion but then opens her mouth in an 'Ah ha!' moment.

"Hmm…" Alysara puts a hand to her chin in thought. "While I know why a body's sensation of touch works, I don't know how it works. Or rather, I don't know how to replicate the same thing with mana…" Alysara shifts her weight as her tails move expressively according to her thoughts.

Her people are very expressive with their tails, much more than even what she is used to. It makes it easy to read her body language, but that's not always a good thing. Perhaps she should teach her how to hide her body language in case she needs to hide it?"

"Simply put, the body feels through… Information relaying… body functions… Like roads for messengers!" Alysara says, trying to find the right words to explain. "But the most important part is the brain that interprets the information into many different types of sensations like touch, pain, heat, cold, and so many more. The most difficult part would be trying to make the brain; I doubt that even if we had a hundred years, it still wouldn't be as good as a real brain."

"What about other senses?" Kayafe asks, trying to keep her disappointment to herself. "Are they any easier?"

But Alysara shakes her head.

"They all rely on the brain, everything the body needs or does ultimately relies on the brain, to put it simply. But we may have a shortcut! Maybe we can make a ritual to complete your body!"

A ritual spell for the tree, and now one for her body; they really need to figure out how to make them work.

Chapter 205: Magic Princess

After marveling at the patterns of mana being produced by the tree, I harvest an appropriate branch for my weapon upgrades and use my Bond to heal it; along with an enormous amount of mana.

"I suppose the only thing stopping these trees from being constantly harvested is the abnormal amount of mana required to heal them?" I ask.

"Yes, unless it's a rare healing type. Most healing types only force the body to heal, but that still uses up mass that a body needs to replenish. In the case of the tree, it's slowly converting mana to matter through a racial skill, but that requires a massive amount of mana which it doesn't have on hand," Kayafe replies.

"Well, I got my wood, so now I need to set up a ritual site to upgrade some of my items," I say with a shrug, changing the subject to my goal.

"Already?" Kayafe asks. "I thought you would wait until after your Dungeon training to start on it."

"That was the plan, but I really should upgrade some of my items to better my training, and this is a good opportunity to study rituals with an academic purpose, rather than testing it on something we might need to get right. Ultimately, these items aren't essential to my Classes and Skills, and can be replaced if they are lost."

Although I must admit I am rather attached to my diadem, if it works, it will be stronger. I don't think it will be destroyed in the ritual; at most, the upgrade, which I plan to, in a way, combine the Diadem and weapons, may not be what I envisioned.

It only makes sense to combine them. Considering that these items will be for my clones and minds, I should build the ritual around them. The next thing to consider is location. I am not aware of any kind of special event any time soon, but I can still load the dice in my favor.

Having the ritual require being near the center of a Nexus is an easy requirement to achieve, but, in the wider world, it would be difficult. Next, having the ritual take place at twilight during a Mind and Beauty essence storm should normally make it very rare. However, considering how twilight happens twice a day and I can create the storm, which is generally a rare, if not near impossible, event given the timing, I can do it. The problem is that because I can do it, the rarity of things might not matter, only its specific conditions. This should allow me to create conditions that are so specific as to be impossibly improbable under other circumstances, which may help the ritual.

Of course, this is all hypothetical. I doubt I can actually game the system, but creating something with such conditions means that it can't be used against me by someone else. Kayafe said that ritual spells likely fail, not always fail. In creating this ritual, I'd be setting a precedent that, if people don't realize it's from my title, they may generally think it does work and may increase their chances of success through placebo.

Then again, maybe I want people to be able to cast a ritual? In any case, I am making this ritual so only Kayafe or I can cast it, since limiting the conditions to make it work should make it more powerful, not so others can't use it against me.

I discuss this and other details with Kayafe, who is more knowledgeable about rituals, while I set up the ritual site.

"Little is known since no one had the ability to cast rituals reliably," Kayafe says as I form several statues of me to represent my clones. "In theory, this ritual should be incredibly powerful, but I agree that, relatively speaking, it isn't difficult for you. This should confirm, however, if the conditions only, or partially, matter for the caster or creator."

I listen carefully, linking the statues to each other to represent my mental connection to my clones.

"As for the strict conditions that make it possible to only those with very high [Manipulate Mana], I am unsure if that even matters. It can be like my trial of the gods, where it is easy to do with the enhanced [Manipulate Magic] and thus should not be worthy of a legendary feat, but it is actually worthy because the skill is so hard to enhance. In other words, that trial's difficulty relies on its prerequisites. This could be similar, but trials aren't rituals, even if they may be related."

"So this ritual will tell us whether or not the difficulty itself matters, or if it's in relation to the caster?"

Next, I forge the spear and dagger in the hands of the statues in the form I envision their improved versions will look like.

"Yes," Kayafe nods. "The one you did for your Kyhosa was a different type of ritual, in which there were no casters."

"What do you mean?"

I then start on etching an inscription copied from my [Many Minds] magic framework on the ground, and placing the statues on the inscription's line intersections.

"That ritual was precedent on a condition, and once that condition was met, the ritual was cast. This is the most reliable way to cast a ritual as no one is the caster, hence why what we are doing is so unknown."

"Isn't this the same thing, though? This ritual depends on the time of day, twilight specifically; it should work the same way."

In the center of the inscription, I form an altar out of beauty and mind essence as the final piece to this ritual site.

"That is one of the triggers, but you are creating at least one of the conditions, making it an artificial trigger, not a natural one; that is why you are the caster. If you want powerful rituals, you will have to study the history of rare events all over the world; you can't just stay here."

With the ritual site close to being done, I look it over and let my new [Inventive Perfection] have its say.

Each statue is a mix of two essences, one Beauty essence to symbolize its tie to my Bond and one Mind essence to symbolize the mind. The first is made of serene Beauty essence and zen Mind essence. The second is made of elegance Beauty and id Mind essences. The last statue is made of Grace Beauty and ego Mind essences.

[Inventive Perfection] doesn't have much to say, but I think that's mostly because I am treading unknown ground. The skill only works off my knowledge, so it doesn't work well on rituals.

The only thing left is to wait for morning twilight, when I will upgrade the Diadem. I only have a few minutes of opportunity, but with my Bond, I can quickly reshape the star tree wood and replace the old spear shaft and dagger handle.

As for the Diadem, I will upgrade it to super-solid and also make it capable of storing the weapons.

I conjure the Mind and Beauty essence mana storm I need over the entirety of Temple Island, and wait for twilight which should automatically start the ritual, signaling me when to start. I pass the time by talking to Kayafe about [Sense Mana] and [Sense Magic] until morning twilight. Once I notice a change in mana in the area around me which indicates the approach of dawn, I begin upgrading my weapons.

I start the crafting by removing the spear shaft from the wolf fang spearhead and reshaping the star tree branch I harvested with my Bond. Next, I reinforce the star tree shaft with super solid Beauty mana, incorporating the identity of the awe of the cosmos when looking at the vastness of the night sky. I add decorations of Beauty mana in the design of stars and soak it in a blanket of magic so it'll leave behind an illusory trail of cosmic stars and nebulae using Beauty mana.

For the spearhead, I upgrade the solid mana edge reinforcement and decorations to super-solid Beauty with the identity of grace like a flowing dance of an ice skater. Next, I renew the spear's current enchantments and reinforce them with magic to strengthen them.

I use the same process for the dagger, and as I examine my work with [Inventive Perfection], it has an idea to improve the weapons.

I add Mind essence, a type that represents consciousness, and enchant the weapons with the ability to conjure a spectral weapon linked to it that can strike independently if willed. I reinforce this enchantment too.

I notice that each time I apply magic to the weapons, it becomes more and more saturated, until magic starts slowly drifting off of them. It's possible that applying more effects shortens the lifespan of the magic, or I only have a certain allotment of time for which the magic remains effective. In either case, there is a limit, a trade-off of sorts.

Satisfying [Inventive Perfection], I take off my Diadem for its upgrade. I followed my plans for it, upgrading the mana to super solid and then enchanting it to resist mental attacks and reinforce it with magic. This is the only magic I can apply since it's already a magic item.

I'm not sure if Kayafe knows this since she doesn't have [Sense Magic], but considering she planned on teaching the crafting part later, she probably hasn't gotten to that lesson yet. In either case, already magical items have reduced ability for further magical reinforcement. I suspect it is related to its tier potential, meaning that a below-average major tier can be further enhanced with [Manipulate Magic], while an above-average one has less potential to work with. So a magic item like the Dryad's Grace which pushes the limit of its tier, probably can't be reinforced with any more magic.

I wonder if there's a way to see how much magic a material can hold, and if there's any risk of applying too much. Based on my previous observation on miasma in general, as well as its utilization in the creation of monster materials upon a monster's death, it should increase the magical potential, but that is a bigger risk than I am willing to take.

I should discuss the ritual and my findings with Kayafe after this is over and see what she has to say about it.

While one of my minds is observing the magic phenomena in front of me, another keeps watch on the ritual as a whole, noting that all the mana in the ritual site has transformed into ritual mana. This transformation has even affected the super-solid statues that I made.

With sudden inspiration, I take some of the ritual mana and forge a super-solid maker's mark on the weapons and diadem. The mark is the halves of two separate inscriptions, copies of my [Sense Magic] and [Manipulate Magic], put together. Inside the core of the inscription halves is a diagram of mana, showing five MM and elementary particles. However, for those who don't understand what it is, it looks close to a diagram of the elements, with each particle representing one of the eight elements, vitality, and reserved mana.

A thought occurs to me that I should be able to replicate ritual mana if I've seen it before; I should find some time to experiment with that and see if it can't elevate my craft further. However, now that I've been looking at it for a few seconds, I can see that there's a faint magical signature in the mana, much like how the alien mana from the Eldritch beings was being stabilized. Can ritual mana even exist on its own?

With the time left for the ritual quickly running out, I move on to the final two parts of the upgrade process. I add Space essence to the Diadem and enchant it to store the weapons. At the same time, I link all three pieces together.

Finally, I make more Mind Components with [Many Minds] in my soul, exhausting all of the ectoplasm my soul can spare, and then transfer six over to the diadem with [Astral Projection].

I finish the item upgrades just in time as the ritual consumes the ritual mana and even the mana in the statues, removing almost all traces of the ritual site. The magic washes over the area and flows into the items, leaving only trace amounts of the ritual mana as evidence which I gather into a small pebble-sized sample.

Magic Princess' Diadem:

(Exalted) (Set)

This Diadem has been crafted by the Saintess of Mana and Magic in a ritual. This item holds her history of saving her entire people by replacing their missing Mind Component, even at the cost of her pain and solitude. This Diadem is capable of summoning ten copies of its wearer, each with its own Mind Component, which the wearer can control as if they were their own body and self, while making them more resistant to mental attacks and other trickeries of mind mages. Furthermore, each Clone is fully capable of acting autonomously and receives their own copy of the Magic Princess' Dagger and Magic Princess' Fang Spear.

When worn, grants ten additional minds and mind components to its wearer. Grants the ability to make ten realistic clones made of the wearer's unique mana that can each be controlled by one of the minds. Each clone uses one of the ten granted Mind Components gained by wearing this Diadem. Enhances Mind resistance by 1900%

Magic Princess' Dagger:

(Heroic) (Set)

This dagger is made by the Saintess of Mana and Magic. This dagger is linked to its spear counterpart and is able to provide additional mana should the need arise, but each copy shares the same pool of mana. This dagger can also summon a starry spectral dagger, which is mentally controlled.

Battery 30000, Clone Linking, Spectral Strike.

Magic Princess' Fang Spear:

(Heroic) (Set)

This spear is made by the Saintess of Mana and Magic. This Spear is able to store a charged spell for later use, but each copy has the same mana pool to draw from. This spear can also summon a starry spectral spear, which is mentally controlled.

Battery 50000, Discharge, Clone Linking, Spectral Strike.

Chapter 206: Mountain Lightning

I started this ritual expecting worse results, so I am quite content with the outcome, even if I hoped for more. The Diadem did, however, become exalted tier, even if it's on the lower end of the tier, and it did achieve what I wanted: a huge power boost to my clones, and connecting my weapons to the Diadem.

I put on the diadem and stored the weapon inside it. Each clone may get a copy of them, but I can still use the original weapons.

"The ritual worked!" Kayafe congratulated me.

"Yes, now I am ready to power level my Classes!" I celebrate with her.

I needed this power boost, and it helps defend my mind now, a weakness I have neglected. But, despite my not knowing why it works, I now know that rituals can be used to upgrade magical items. I assume it can fail to upgrade a magic item if the ritual is too weak, but that is something I will have to test at some other time.

Rituals are probably something I will have to fail at to learn anything, assuming the magic will cooperate. Magic is chaos, so it's entirely possible my test rituals will show exaggerated or under-exaggerated results. Attempting to fully understand it may be a fool's errand. However, as long as I account for that possibility by making the tests as blind as I can…

I discuss this train of thought with Kayafe.

"So you want me to come up with rituals and have you cast them?" Kayafe asks.

"Yes," I answer. "If magic is ordinarily dangerous to do because it is chaotic, then it's possible that casting rituals for the purpose of study may show exaggerated results. So the goal for me is to cast rituals which I know the absolute minimum of"

"So you're worried that a ritual cast, with the goal of understanding rituals, will have inconsistent results? I had assumed it worked a little more like [Manipulate Magic] where we are in control under certain conditions, but your concern is warranted." Kayafe pauses for a moment as she adopts a thinking pose, and after a minute of thought, she continues.

"If that's the case, then I should mix experimental rituals with practical ones, so you don't know the purpose of the ritual either."

"Good Idea!"

I am reminded of a scientific experiment from my past life, the double slit experiment; this sounds similar to it. It will be interesting to know if knowing the purpose of the ritual will have any effect on the outcome.

With that settled, I tell Kayafe about how items and materials can only hold a certain amount of magic, or more specifically, the mana inside of them, since [Manipulate Magic] can't be applied to non-mana materials.

"Is it a certainty that it is based on how much mana is present in the materials?" Kayafe asks.

"I don't know," I reply with a shrug and a swish of a tail. "It was something I noticed during the ritual; I didn't have time to experiment. I thought you would know or suspect something."

"I didn't have [Manipulate Magic] for long before my adventure with my companions ended, and I didn't pay attention to how long the magic I applied to items lasted, so, unfortunately, this is something I don't know about either." Kayafe sighs and gets a far off look.

"Kayafe!" I get her attention so she doesn't get lost in thought. "It doesn't matter if you didn't test it before; it just means we experiment with it together!" I say cheerfully, trying to cheer Kayafe up.

"You don't have to worry about me," Kayafe replies with a soft smile. "But thank you."

"In addition to the magic stuff, there's one more thing I noticed, and we can quickly try it out."

"What's that? Kayafe asks.

"Watch closely" I grab some mana between us with [Manipulate Magic] and transform it into the ritual mana matching the pebble-sized sample in my hand. The mana instantly shifts back to its normal element, but Kayafe should have noticed what I did.

"Hmm? Did it transform back on its own?" Kayafe asks, putting a hand on her chin.

I nod. "I was just testing to see if it would, but it confirms that ritual mana can't normally exist. But now I want to see—"

"If [Manipulate Magic] will work?" Kayafe finishes for me as if she is on the same wavelength.

I nod and try again, this time imbuing magic in the ritual mana, and I smile with glee as the mana remains stable! This means that we can make more ritual mana! Well, as long as we have something to work off of and the stabilizing magic will only last a couple of years so nothing long-term should be made out of it unless it becomes a magical item.

"Interesting." Kayafe purrs with intrigue. "So we'll need a sample of rituals if we want to make more of their mana…"

We can't just invent or 'discover' a type of ritual mana; it just doesn't work that way. Well, it is possible but trying to transform mana into the signature mana of someone, or a ritual mana, is like trying to describe a color you've never seen before. It's only something you can know by seeing it.

"Yes, but I have no idea about the effect it will have on anything made from it, so that's another subject of research we need to do."

We have a lot of work to do in the future, and while I have the spare minds and bodies, Kayafe doesn't. That won't stop me from getting ahead, though. I summon two more clones and send them and the ritual mana sample back home to study the things we discovered today.

"It's morning now, so let's take a bath and then go back into the dungeon."

Yrania stalks her two subjects of study as they return to the dungeon. It's such a rare opportunity to study how one acts after being trapped for so long!

It looks like Kayafe has a subconscious dependency on Alysara, a type of imprinting. But this is likely due to social foreignness and economic dependency, so it is expected that Kayafe will slowly become more independent once she gets used to her situation. Yrania takes mental notes. She doesn't feel her subjects mental condition, even if it would grant her much better certainty for her study, but doing so counteracts her efforts to hide.

Yrania found it best to remain unnoticed when studying people. Her presence often unnerves her subjects, so she uses her Bond to simply be unnoticed. This doesn't work on everyone, like Lavaerd, but it works on most, even those with moderately trained mental resistance, since she is strong enough to pierce some resistance.

Yrania uses [Mental Form] to shrink herself to enter the dungeon, following the duo, and arrives back on the other side. Another great subject of study is to see how the Runalymo are adapting to living in the Dungeon; too bad she wasn't here to see how they behaved when they first set up the village.

So many new subjects to study, not enough time!

Yrania can't help but be jealous of Alysara's cloning ability, but she banished those emotions from her mind to help focus on her targets.

Kayafe has taken a mentor role, but the reason is clear, or more likely, has more than one reason. It is likely she feels that she needs to repay Alysara. It is also likely that she wants to mentor her because they share the same skill, and probably more reasons, but those should be the two biggest reasons.

The royal-blue-haired couple flies back toward the mountains.

"So, monsters over twice your level are not a challenge for you," Kayafe lectures Alysara. "But not everything is susceptible to vitality damage, so you can try to slay them through mana toxicity. This is most useful against weaker monsters, but there are powerful monsters who haven't trained their resistance, so it's always good to cover all the bases before you have to resort to fighting seriously."

Alysara nods attentively and follows Kayafe's instructions to slay several nearby monsters.

The lessons Kayafe is teaching are fairly well known, well, not the exact same lesson, but rather the method is. The key point is to always attack the most common weak point you are capable of exploiting; for Yrania, it is the Mind.

"So first attack vitality and the mana reserves of an enemy; then, if it doesn't kill them, try mana toxicity."

"Yes."

The training went on for several hours, reminding her of her own training by her parents, and this nostalgia is further intensified by the next lesson.

"Now that you have the basics, let's move onto the next level of training," Kayafe announces once she's satisfied with Alysara's improvement. "Now, do what I show you, and once you get a feel for your level of power, then you'll practice against more powerful monsters."

Kayafe grabs hold of all mana in the area, even attempting to grab Yrania's, but she resists the efforts and, with [Normality], makes her not realize the resistance. Kayafe then gathers the mana in a massive ball above her, compressing the millions of mana into an arrow of solid-beyond-liquid mana, which Yrania didn't even think was possible, before turning the whole thing to a type of lightning spell mana and launching it at a distant mountain top.

The arrow blitzed through the air in a fraction of a second, and with a blinding flash followed by a delayed and deafening roar, the entire mountain is split apart with crackling energy still in the air. Massive boulders rain back down from the sky as a shockwave approaches, carrying a ring of lightning which safely passes around the Runalymo pair. Yrania is simply unaffected by the damage, even shrugging off a direct hit by a boulder as it shatters upon contact with her back.

The destruction is quite impressive, and she can almost hear her father's words in a similar lesson.

The difference between an exalted being and a legendary being is the capability of total annihilation. Even the weakest legendary being is capable of city-destroying levels of power, and it only goes up from there. My mother is capable of drowning entire continents if she wishes; that is the power every dragon aspires to have. However, true power is not destruction, but control. Being able to destroy your foes with minimal casualties is what separates the truly powerful from the strong.

Yrania watches the glow of molten rock falling into the deep chasm. She and her grandmother's recent fight had them holding back quite a lot. If they had fought seriously, the Runalymo would have been devastated. Strikes from dragons have meteoric power behind them, and the shock waves are often strong enough to blow over trees and buildings for dozens kilometers.

Of course, not every Legendary being is capable of mass destruction, like those strange eldritch whatever they were. Some specialize in forms of non-collateral attacks, like Yrania. Mind attacks won't normally affect physical things. Assassins and others who specialized heavily in single-target attacks likewise go against her lesson, but generalists like Kayafe and Alysara will have to learn this lesson eventually.

Alysara is in shock at the display of power, and even Kayafe shows a little surprise.

"... As I said, I too need to get used to my new strength," Kayafe remarks, recovering quickly. "And even if you control the same amount of mana, you still won't be able to match this, but you still need to learn your strength so you don't accidentally hurt people."

Alysara nods tentatively before mimicking Kayafe's spell, aiming at another mountain peak. With another thunderous roar, that too is split in half, but the damage is clearly far less, and the boulders aren't blown nearly as far away, not even reaching them.

"So, how strong of a monster do you think you are capable of slaying? It's time for practical training against a more capable foe."

Chapter 207: Inner Bond

A Roc flies majestically high in the sky, looking regal and proud as it scans the ground for prey. The large beast resembles a falcon with long forward-facing horns. It coats itself in Earth mana, not Air or some other element that I would have expected from a flying monster; it even has a Metal Bond, which must have influenced its race as its feathers appear metallic.

Sky Blade Roc (Exalted), Level 1124 Sky Tyrant (Exalted), Level 1055 Earth Lord (Heroic), Level 912 Unbreakable Body (Heroic), Level 2432 Steel Bond

It is a powerful monster far above my weight class, but still, it is something I want to test my new strength against. Stress testing my abilities will reveal my strengths and weaknesses, making such a powerful monster a perfect training partner.

In a surprise attack, I attempt to rip the vitality from it, succeeding only in drawing out a slow trickle as it resists my attack with an infuriated screech. Next, I gather mana around it to suffocate it with mana toxicity, but after a few seconds, I see that it's not killing it quick enough, so I abandon that method of attack. I then enforce my will upon the mana to turn it into an ice spell while compressing the mana to a liquid form and applying magic to it to enhance the spell effect, much like how I would use magic to enhance an enchantment before casting the spell and freezing the large bird in the air.

A wave of frost ripples out from the Roc, and ice builds up on it. All the air within a kilometer suddenly liquefies and falls to the ground. Frozen carbon dioxide flutters down like snow, and still, the Roc survived! The Roc screeches in pain and begins to fall but catches itself once warm air rushes in to fill the sudden vacuum, and it has warmed up enough.

The Roc scans the ground in fury before spotting my clone, and in a rage, it dives, zooming toward the ground like a cannon, a cone of mist forming around it as the sound roars behind it. It lands, crashing into the ground with an explosion, cratering the mountain slope and causing a landslide as the rock formation crumbles from the impact.

How is that thing still alive?!

More than that, it seems to be consuming Earth mana to replenish its vitality and heal its wounds!

There has to be a better way to cast the spells. I didn't need to freeze the air, just the Roc. Maybe instead of making the spell more powerful with magic, I make it more concentrated? It doesn't matter how strong a spell is if over half of the spell is wasted on collateral damage.

Noticing my clone is seemingly unharmed by its attack, it pecks at it, slamming its beak into the ground with boulder-crushing force, the sound of the impacts like the booms of cannons. Next, it scratches at my clone, raking the destroyed ground with its overly large talons.

I gather more mana, this time turning it into a lightning spell and striking the Roc with such force, it is blasted away from the mountainside as arcs of energy crackle in the air and smoke rises from the Roc. This time the explosion is far more contained, but a shock wave still expands from the attack, crackling lightning rolling through the air.

The Roc hits the ground and rolls down the slope in a daze as I remove all the mana from its vicinity to prevent it from healing, gathering more mana for another spell, but I am starting to run out. The mana will fill in what I took but not as quick as I need it to; in other words, I am running out, and unless I draw it from myself, which is nothing compared to what I need, then defeating this oversized bird is going to take a long time, if I can even do it at all.

However, that is to be expected. The Roc is over level three thousand, but slaying it was not the goal; exposing my weaknesses was. I lack the firepower and the control to make my spells efficient, and I don't have access to unlimited mana, despite my ability to use the mana in my surroundings. Monsters can resist my attacks through sheer stats and level disparity, which means that no matter how strong my skill is, I have to train my Bond and Classes if I want to compete against truly powerful beings.

I stop attacking the Roc since I won't be able to defeat it and start planning my next training session with Kayafe.

"You need to level up your Classes," Kayafe says.

"And my Bond," I add, to which Kayafe rolls her eyes.

"Anyway," she continues, "you should try to get your Classes to Level one thousand as soon as you can; this will unlock the third Class for you, which you can then make into a powerful caster Class. Alternatively, you can just reset your Classes since they aren't that advanced; in just a few days, you can be back to where you are now if you choose caster Classes that benefit from your [Manipulate Magic]."

"Perhaps my first Class, but I am not changing my second; my clones are too useful."

Perhaps I should reset my first Class? But it helps me with operating my clones at a very far distance which may become very useful after evolving. I'll wait on that for some time.

"Of course, but you still need to level up your Classes."

"Already on it," I reply. Ever since I returned to this Dungeon, I've had several Clones fighting in other dens using my Bond, and I've gained two levels, about one per day. That is still slow; it will still take two to three years to get to the next threshold of my Bond. I need a better way to train it.

Evolving my Bond skills should grant me three or four levels each, which is a good bonus, but I am running out of ways to improve them. Safyr said that Bonds have infinite potential, so there is definitely something I am missing.

I've seen Safyr and other dragons fight, and Klaman can somehow hide with his Bond, but how? They all defy the limits that are indicated by the mana usage, but considering that Bonds are, according to theory, divinity, perhaps it is the divine aspect that I am missing, or more accurately, not training right.

Let's go back to the basics. At first, leveling up the Bond was about familiarizing oneself with it. Learning what it can do and familiarizing myself with it on a conceptual level. Next, more of the same, but getting a deeper understanding of it. Then it was 'Bonding' with it, incorporating it in every facet of my life and putting my trust into it. Bonding with it gave me my Bond presence at level five hundred, and after that, it was about mastering everything about my Bond, from the technical mana usage, to the conceptual forms and integration of beauty in my life, which strengthened my Bond presence.

How do I go up from here? Kayafe said something about combining my anima and Bond, one's the concept of my life, and the other is my concept of beauty; they are both conceptual in nature. Well, Bonds are more than a concept, but they have that aspect.

So, how do I go about mixing and fusing my anima and Bond? There has to be a hint in everything I've done so far. Familiarizing, this is learning, or perhaps even developing my concept of beauty, then comes understanding that concept, which leads to bonding with it superficially; this gave me my Bond presence. I think this is the key. My Bond presence is a projection of the concept of my Bond, so instead of projecting it, what if I direct it inward?

I control my breathing and focus on my Bond's presence, trying to shift inward. I've learned how to hold it back. I've learned how to selectively affect people with it; now, this is the next step.

Little by little, I feel the shift in my Bond and feel… something… it's indescribable; the only words I can think of is that it feels 'right'.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 1042-1044!

I'm doing something right if I suddenly gain two levels!

It will still take weeks, if not months, of training to master this, but I think it's something I should work on with every waking moment. A slow and gradual improvement, like how I practiced holding back my presence and the selectivity of it.

The odd thing is, however, that instead of weakening my presence by directing it inward, it is instead strengthened, like it is getting intensified before leaking back out.

All of this shows that I still have a lot to learn when it comes to my Bond. Also, since this will be how I will level up my Bond, I can focus more on leveling up my Classes now. It's been a while since I last power leveled my Classes and Bond, but I recall the best way for doing so is high risk, and highly challenging battles are the best way to get experience, or rather aether if I want to be technical with it.

Uloru swings her hammer down upon the Grasscythe mantis in front of her as it leaps out from around the corner of an overgrown building. The chitin cracks loudly, and the monster jumps back in pain. She follows it, not letting it gain distance, keeping her ears perked up in case more of them show up as she hammers the monster again and again.

She hears the battle of Kadona fighting another as a third leaps into the fray, but Uloru flips its gravity, so it falls upward and away. One for each of them is way more than enough, considering the high level of these monsters.

Irela and Jowaru are both fighting three together, but since they are higher level, this is what they feel they can take on now.

With each hit, Uloru makes her foe heavier with [Weighted Strike], increasing the gravity pulling on it until it is immobile on the ground. That is when Uloru delivers the finishing blow to the mandibled head, spraying gore over her boots and all over the ground. Around the same time, Kadona had dispatched her own foe.

"Level five hundred!" Uloru celebrates reaching the level milestone for her first Class.

While Kadona congratulates her, Irela and Jowaru have gathered the attention of more Grasscythe Mantises, the rivalry of those two pushing each other well into the mid-five hundreds.

"Let's take a small break so you can evolve your Class," Kadona says, keeping watch on the two metal manipulators.

It doesn't take Uloru long to decide on her Class, and soon, they are back at it again, carefully getting the attention of a few monsters at a time. With monsters that can be well into the level six hundred range, this place is great for leveling up, but also very dangerous. Normally, Uloru and Kadona work only as a pair, but in this case, Esofy wouldn't let them, or Irela and Jowaru be here unless they all came together. So it is a surprise when they all start hearing another fight nearby.

"No one else should be allowed here. Should we investigate?" Irela asks.

"I'll scout it out," Kadona says, scanning around with her perceptive area. "...I think it's Alysara. Whatever the monsters are fighting doesn't have any life, so I assume it's Alysara's clone, but we should be cautious and confirm."

The others nod, and they sneak over to the sounds of explosions and screaming monsters. It is not hard since all the noise covered their footsteps and drew the attention of the nearby monsters.

Sure enough, they find several five-tailed, young women with gold-tipped, royal blue hair wearing black eyewraps are conjuring fairies and striking the Grasscythe Mantises with spears and daggers.

She can definitely use more practice with her weapons. Alysara is fighting off a dozen monsters with seven clones and weaving illusions to disorient the monsters, even making them attack each other.

"More tails," Jowaru comments with an indifferent huff.

They watch for a few moments, still on guard in case any monsters try to sneak up on them. If they get involved, then the monster kills will count as party kills, so it's rude to help unless asked or the other person is obviously in over their head. Considering Alysara's clones can't be hurt, they opted to stand by and observe how Alysara has improved over the years.

However, a sudden hum echoes around them like a musical chime, and a presence very similar to Alysara's, but somehow different, envelopes them. The Grasscythe Mantises jump away in fright, almost as if by reflex, only seconds before they are suddenly blasted by beams of light as a massive winged monster appears.

Its enormous wings and fur shimmer with dancing light, seemingly made of the stuff. Its eyes shine like twinkling stars, while its antennae wave with all the grace and elegance in the world. Its six legs are each tipped with a sickle-like claw, and a long stinger is raised behind it, poised to strike.

Prismatic Butterfly Hunter (Exalted), Level 964 World Weaver (Exalted), Level 895 Beauty Caller (Heroic), Level 2068 Beauty Bond.

Chapter 208: Bond Resonance

How'd that thing sneak up on me?! Why didn't I notice it sooner through [Sense Magic]?! Not only that, but the moment it appeared, I had a feeling. I felt… a presence. Like something is standing next to me, but it's not [Sense Magic] that's giving a sense of affirmation to that vague feeling… more accurately, it seems the feeling is coming from my Bond.

Bond resonance!

This might be a serious problem. Our Bond resonance can lead it directly to my real body, even over the long distance between us! Is it a coincidence that it attacked my clones? Could it sense my Bond through the clones? Does it recognize that my clones are a Bond skill?

Whatever the case is, I need to be careful. The stronger my Bond becomes, the more likely I will attract unwanted attention. This is just another reason I need to become stronger. I can suppress my Bond presence, but I don't think I can do that and train my Bond at the same time right now. Also, assuming this situation isn't a coincidence, it's possible my clones may still resonate with other beauty Bonds, and I don't know how that works.

The huge butterfly-like monster elegantly shifts its wings toward one of my clones to show two eye-like patterns, from which beams of beauty mana shoot out, instantly destroying the clone and melting the ground into a glowing puddle.

I retaliate with my liquid state fairies, conjuring dozens at a time which swarm around the butterfly monster, each stabbing into it to deliver their explosive attacks. However, the monster suddenly dissipates like it never existed, and from behind my clones, two beams shoot out, sweeping through four more.

It's using illusions! I realize what's going on, but I have no idea how it is doing so! Is its mana signature, vitality, and even soul part of the illusion?

I summon more clones to replenish my lost ones, but suddenly, the earth below my clones explodes, and lava erupts, burning the earth and even my clones.

Kadona and the group retreats from the destruction that is raining down around my clones, and I manage to sneak an invisible clone alongside them. I teleport them with [Immaculate Translocation] further away into a safe, grass-covered building before revealing the clone among them.

Meanwhile, a storm gathers, and lightning strikes my clones, disrupting their forms. Beams shoot out from random directions from an invisible source, and wind blades sweep through the area like tornadoes.

"There's no way we can fight that thing," Kadona says, rather calmly, given the situation.

I can definitely fight it off, it's just under two thousand levels and doesn't have a third class, but I'll need to fight it with [Manipulate Magic]. However, it's also using very advanced illusions, and I want to learn what it is doing.

"Where'd it even come from?" Irela complains with frustration in her tone.

"We need to return to the village; this could be another treant situation on our hands," Jowaru says, sneaking over to a gap in the wall to watch over the fight between my clones and the invisible foe.

"I don't think it has the same motivation," I say. "It might only be here because of me since we both have the same bond. It's possible it sees me as an intruder in its domain."

"Why you and not us? We've been here for a few days now, and it only comes when you arrive? That doesn't sound right," Irela says.

"Bond resonance. It's when your Bond presence feels another, but this only works if you have the same Bond." I answer, Directing my fairies to retaliate by attacking random areas in hopes of hitting the butterfly monster.

"That explains a lot." Jowaru says, looking at Irela before turning back to me. "So that means your real body is here?"

"No, but I am thinking it can feel my clones since they are like a bundle of my Bond."

If that is the case, then it should also feel my fairies and other Bond skills. I will have to test this out. However, what's strange is that Bond resonation is only happening now; why not sooner? I can feel its Bond, but maybe it can't feel mine?

Not wanting to speculate, I focus back on the discussion and fight.

"You should teleport back to the village and tell Esofy, it isn't interested in you guys now, but that may change."

With a nod, they huddle together before vanishing, using their dungeon waystone key to go back to the village.

They're going to need an Entylamo class ship for cases like this.

I can make another Entylamo with a day's effort now, and with [Manipulate Magic] I can make it gather and transform mana easily, but it probably won't become a magic item. Hmm, I can upgrade magic items with a ritual, but can I make a magic item with a ritual? It may not be worth the risk. Magic items have their own magic framework, but what will happen if I try to force that without a pre-existing magic framework?

It's worth investigating, but I shouldn't risk it on anything important until I know better. However, before I can work on anything like that, I need to kill this monster.

So how can I defeat its illusions? They seem magical in nature since I can't sense any mana; however, I also can't see any trace of magic, so it might be pure Bond. But if that's the case, then how is a level two thousand Bond capable of doing that? It's on the same stage as me, just further along, so it should still be working on fusing its anima with its Bond. using pure divinity like the dragons seem to do sounds like something that should be far more advanced for this stage of Bond growth.

There's something that I don't understand, a piece of the puzzle I am missing. Whatever it is doing is not magic; I highly doubt it can hide that, but what if it's cloaking its spell mana? But how would it do that?

Whatever the case, there are two ways to test this: I can try to 'grab' the mana the illusion is made of with [Manipulate Magic], or I can amp up my perceptive pressure.

I crank my perceptive pressure to the maximum I can muster, and like breaking through the surface tension of water, I see past the illusion. The fake mana and soul I saw fades, revealing the real beauty essence.

Everything, from the storm to the erupting lava, is an illusion, although one that can damage things as the illusion would suggest, as evident by the surroundings.

There's no way this monster knows I can see mana and souls, so unless it accounted for literally every type of sense, there is something more going on.

The butterfly monster flinches from my perceptive pressure, looking around with fear.

I wonder…

I use my [Fear Gaze] for the first time, keeping my pressure up alongside it. The monster flinches back again, looking around with more paranoid fervor as several tings ring off in my mind.

Ting! Fear Gaze has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 10!

1st breakthrough: You've instilled paranoia in those under your gaze; this will help you confuse and terrify your enemies.

In addition to several levels, I suddenly gain a new idea; if this creature wants to play with illusions, then two can play that game.

With [Figment of Reality], I conjure wispy and dark figures at where the monster's peripheral vision should be, all while keeping up my heavy pressure and gaze. I intentionally keep the shapes vague and out of direct sight as the monster whirls around to try and get a full look at the shadowy figures, but they blink out before it can get a clear sight of them.

The imagination can conjure a monster infinitely more terrifying than anything I can show it.

Ting! Fear Gaze has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 20!

2nd Breakthrough: You've instilled panic in those under your gaze; this will help you scare your enemies into fleeing.

As if to prove me right, several more chimes signal the growth of my gaze skill.

The Prismatic Butterfly vanishes as it teleports to get away, leaving behind a sudden stillness. However, this sudden peace only lasts a dozen sweet seconds as the monster reappears in a flash, a whirlwind of flames and lightning incinerating everything within a hundred meters, and even melting the stone structures and vaporizing the tall grass!

How can it do that with an illusion?! Can it even be considered an illusion at this point?!

The butterfly buzzes with unbridled rage and annihilates everything it sees with beams and fire, a stark contrast to its previous cautious and perhaps curious attacks.

All the clones in the area, save for the one that followed Kadona and the others, are immediately destroyed by the monster's explosive return, but before I can conjure more, the butterfly suddenly appears next to it, quickly destroying it with the raging inferno.

It must have realized I used a fear attack on it and is understandably furious. I doubt many enjoy mind-affecting abilities being used on them.

However, what happens next has me scared, as the monster disappears from my perceptive field, and I feel the Bond resonation grow stronger. I instantly snap my perceptive field to its maximum area, lowering my pressure not to scare everybody in the village, and see the butterfly monster teleporting in quick succession directly toward me!

I immediately suppress my Bond presence and use the Dungeon Waystone Key to teleport to a different location while informing Kayafe of the situation with my clone near her.

"Relax, you moved yourself to a different location just like you planned, so you have time to think things through." Kayafe says, noticing a hint of fear in my voice. "The vast majority of people would have to fight it face to face. You can obviously utilize distance in this case, but you may not always have that luxury. To survive in future encounters where you might not have this option, there are measures you can take. Resistance skills, armor, and healing aren't the only methods; there are also defensive spells you can cast."

Kayafe showcases several spells, from physical barriers to energy-draining fields that sap the intensity of spells. "You may have very high skill levels, but you are far from battle experienced. You will have to practice close-range combat in the eventuality that something may sneak by or lull you into a false sense of security. You don't need to fear close-range battle as much as you think you do with your level of [Manipulate Magic]. You can pretty much suppress your enemy's ability to use spells, and even if they are strong enough that they can still conjure spells, it will be vastly weakened."

Kayafe does have a good point that I am not immune to surprise attacks. I can't read the minds of others, and someone may come to me with a false offer intending to assassinate me at some point down the road, so I really should practice 'normal' combat. However, I'm not going to get an introduction to first-hand combat with a foe higher level than me; perhaps I should ask Esofy for some lessons before moving on to monster combat.

"I can work on my combative prowess later, when there isn't an angry monster out to kill me, but thank you for your advice."

This encounter has been a wake-up call, that there will always be something out there that can pull the rug out from under me no matter what I do. It happened with that perception-poisoning spider, it happened with the Mind Eater and Mind Slime, and it's happening again now. The only thing I can do to help in situations like this is to practice, prepare, and get strong enough to survive.

The Prismatic Butterfly finally reaches my old location, and upon seeing my clones, a flash of light erupts from the monster, which instantly kills my clones, leaving the infuriated monster alone. However, the mana stills around it, and its torrent of flame and lightning all but vanishes as if smothered. Let's see what I can learn from it, how its illusions work, and how it implements its Bond.

Chapter 209: Nipping the Bud

I crank my Perceptive pressure back up and focus on the Prismatic Butterfly, shrinking my perceptive area to only cover the mountains. I carefully watch the monster conjure its spells and look around for me. Its antennae wave around, and I can feel its Bond increase in pressure momentarily, probably in an attempt to find me, but with my Bond suppressed, I am safe.

Or I thought so. The Monster vanishes and reappears closer and waves its antennae again as it momentarily increases its Bond presence again.

It's copying me?!

Just like how I saw past its illusions with my perceptive pressure, is it using the same theory to detect me even when I am suppressing my Bond?

The butterfly teleports again, appearing dangerously close to me. I teleport to another Dungeon Waystone, much further away and hopefully out of its range.

How is it doing that?

I'd ask Kayafe, but she hasn't made any direct effort to improve her Bond, so she likely doesn't know what's going on. I'd ask Safyr, but she probably doesn't want to be bothered with something I can probably figure out myself. Wasn't there someone else I could ask, though? It feels like it, but it's like I have forgotten, which is strange.

In any case, it seems like I'm on my own for now, and as long as I can keep this game of cat and mouse up, I'm safe.

My best guess is that even though I am suppressing my Bond presence, I am not suppressing my Bond itself, so as long as I am in its resonance range, it can detect me. But how do I suppress my Bond further?

The butterfly sends out another pulse, like a radar, and again teleports closer to me. I try to suppress my Bond even further, but as my foe gets closer and closer, I abandon that idea. Even if it's possible, I am not proficient in it right now, and considering that it takes months of practice, even if I did find out how to do it, I would still not be able to hide from the Prismatic Butterfly.

What's worse is that the monster seems to be getting more proficient with its detection, so what if I blind it instead? How can I blind it? Maybe I can give it false signals? If it can detect my Bond skills, then maybe if I leave clones and illusions made from [Echoes of Reality], I can fool it?

It is worth a try. With the waystone key, I quickly go to several other locations in between its radar pulses. Next, I use my new breakthrough in [Sense Magic] to blind it's perceptive eyes in case it had a sensing ability; this will also have the effect of it being unable to feel my perceptive pressure which seems to only make it angrier at this point.

When the monster uses its Bond radar again, it appears confused, its antennae twitching erratically. I may not be able to hide my Bond, but it seems like I can fool the monster for now.

Now that I have bought myself some time, I examine what it's doing with its Bond spells. It is using a lot of mana, and its mana seems strange, almost like a new form of spell. It's very subtle and easy to miss at first glance, but the more I focus on it, the stranger it appears.

It's almost like spell mana amped up to eleven; hyper spell mana? No, it's somehow mana infused with the Bond's concept!

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 980!

49th Breakthrough: You have sensed Bond Mana; this will help you study the bridge between mana and Bond.

Essences, spell mana, unique mana, ritual mana, and now Bond mana is all related in some way. In truth, most of those are just elemental mana given identity beyond their element, with only ritual mana being unrelated to an element, which may explain why they don't naturally exist. So it's only natural that Bonds should be able to influence mana similar to how spells do it, but I completely overlooked this.

I suppose with everything that has been going on, I just didn't have time to really think about it. I just assumed Bond mana was simply its essence, but this is very surface level. I should have questioned if there were more since there are more specific essences under the base foundation essence type.

What I suspect is happening is that as I focus my Bond inward, it not only fuses with my anima, but it may also transform my mana into Bond mana if I will it. This is why the butterfly's illusions are more effective and why it is able to cause destructive illusory spells. This is the next level to the Bond and how I can further improve my Bond spells and Skills.

I continue playing Marco Polo with the monster, all while studying its spells to better understand what's going on, until the prismatic butterfly uses up most of its mana and returns to its home.

I explain what I learned and how the butterfly seemingly learned a new ability from me to Kayafe, asking for her feedback.

"Not all monsters are the same," Kayafe explains. "But you can group them into three rough categories: Animalistic, intelligent, and sapient."

I nod, instantly understanding. Sylanna, the fairy, and dragons would be sapient, the Prismatic Butterfly and Treant would be intelligent, and most other monsters are animalistic.

"Sapients are the most dangerous but also the safest since they have the capability to be reasoned with, although some, like other people, may still fight. It's better to just consider them a person who is capable of learning, deceit, and empathy." Kayafe explains

"Intelligents are smart monsters that can learn and apply simple deceit and tactics, but generally don't understand empathy. They only understand what they feel and can often hold grudges. This is where you should be careful since they can get quite obsessive. If that monster is among those, then it will surely try to seek you out."

"So what you are saying is that it may keep trying to hunt for me, right?" I ask.

"Yes. What's more, giving it time to think will only make it more dangerous, so you will want to slay it soon before it figures out how to differentiate you from your Bond skills."

So I need to nip this problem in the bud before it grows any more dangerous.

The Prismatic Butterfly returns to her nest with fury still boiling at her insides. That lesser dares to humiliate her! Scare her into running away all the while that coward hides and flees!

You've felt it; you must have. A voice enters her mind. A small lesser stygian sits in the corner of her nest. The pest has been trying to 'spread the vision of its goddess' and pestering her with 'visions of greater power'.

Stygian Seer (Heroic), Level 824 Chosen Gazer (Heroic), Level 611 Sightless Acolyte (Grand), Level 758 Ice Bond.

The stygian always keeps its eyes closed, but it has an icy gem in its forehead, what it calls its 'third eye'; or maybe it was 'gaze stone' or some other nonsense like that? The Prismatic Butterfly listened before only because the lesser being amused her with mad ramblings, but now he irritates her.

She lashes out with [Altered Reality], showing the world the true beauty of destruction. Flames dance like forbidden entities of annihilation, and the ground smolders with a beautiful glow as lightning twirls with its fiery partner, stepping with wild abandon on the ground.

The true beauty of the world. Its short-lived dance of death holds value to those fortunate to witness it and live; that is what true beauty means. Eternal beauty has no meaning, no value. Why visit a flower that lives forever? One can always taste its sweet nectar later, but those that are short-lived must be tasted while she has a chance; the same concept applies to beauty.

The icy glow of the Stygian's gem brings her out of her thoughts. Her dancing flame and lightning slows to a crawl as the monster casually walks out of danger.

You've felt her sight, the fear, the overwhelming pressure like the weight of the world is behind her gaze, yet you reject her gift? She has done nothing but show you the rightful path, even as you attacked her.

The Prismatic Butterfly shudders in rage and fires a multitude of [Disintegrating Rays] from her wings to shut the rambling lesser up, but then the Stygian's gem lights up again, and it appears to zip out of the way.

Anger continues to rise in her as the lesser being continues to flee, just like that damned girl who seems to be approaching with a few of her fake bodies, according to Bond resonance. Fed up with the recent events, she unleashes a burning nova to scorch and melt everything around her. The overgrown building she claimed for herself collapses, forming a large puddle of lava that rapidly cools into black glass, but to her astonishment, the stygian is unharmed!

It seems the lesser was also caught by surprise, but it is in a circle of unaffected ground, and a shimmering globe shines around it. However, before either of them can digest what just happened, more of those winged things appear.

Instantly she can feel the presence of a foreign Bond as dozens more signals appear with the glowing winged little people.

The Goddess has protected me! The Stygian says with relief.

The Prismatic Butterfly blasts out lightning at the annoying Stygian since she knows these Bond signatures are just a spell, but her spell seems to be completely drained again.

The summon spells strike at her, each hit like a needle that injected explosive mana. It hurts a lot, but doesn't inflict any serious or obvious damage.

She stands there, taunting the lessers, showing them how weak they truly are; she doesn't even need to heal herself. However, while she does this, she pulsates her Bond, feeling the foreign and weaker Bond skills around her.

There is an extremely slight difference between the bodies and these summons, so there should also be a difference between the real body of that coward and the fake ones. She needs to find a purer signature… or perhaps…

She almost freezes as she tries to work the problem out; all the while, she ignores the painful strikes. Her anger simmers down almost as if it knows that if she can figure out how to find the real body, then she'd be able to get revenge.

That coward doesn't use the true beauty of fire and lightning; she uses weak and inferior beauty, so her Bond should reflect that. Her skills, on the other hand, should be influenced by a Bond skill and thus should feel different. Instead of trying to find where and who, she should try to find a difference between the Bond signatures.

After several minutes of thinking, the Prismatic Butterfly realizes that it is still being bombarded by attacks. This time there are those fake bodies wielding spears, trying to pierce her invincible chitin. They are even weaker than those summons, barely noticeable in their strikes. The Stygian has retreated and is nowhere to be seen.

She wants to gloat, to show how insignificant its 'goddess' is, but something else catches her attention. A massive sphere of liquid mana hovers high above. Whatever it is, it isn't good, but she should be able to teleport out; all she needs to do is find that body.

She pulsates her Bond again, focusing on the tiniest details that separate her from her fakes, and finally, she finds that coward hiding on the outskirts of the plains! It will only take her two teleports to reach her, and she'll slay that annoying girl!

The Prismatic Butterfly wills [Immaculate Destination] to bring her to the girl's real body, except nothing happens. Why won't she go anywhere?!

That's when she feels it, an emptiness as if her mana is all gone. How? When?! Was she so absorbed in her efforts to find her that she didn't notice her mana being stolen?!

"Yeah, I'm not going to let you do that," The many-tailed girl says. "I hope I used my classes enough for them to qualify for levels."

Suddenly, something hits the Prismatic Butterfly, and everything goes dark.

Chapter 210: A surprise visit

The Stygian watches as a pillar of Dark mana engulfs the Prismatic Butterfly, breaking apart its spells as the sheer amount of Dark mana repels the Beauty mana. Several tings ring off in his mind upon witnessing the Goddess's divine judgment, signaling the several breakthroughs and levels he just obtained in [Sense Mana].

A shockwave of darkness overcomes the land with volatile secondary explosions, but the butterfly has somehow survived! Reeling from the attack, it stumbles, but all the mana from the first attack suddenly sweeps back up into the air above it before being channeled back onto it, creating a continuous spell that loops back onto itself… or perhaps not. The mana is thinning, somehow being extinguished, and it's not at a slow rate, although it's not at a fast rate either.

Another revelation from the Goddess!

She is showing him the secrets of mana and a powerful spell to make him stronger. A spell that loops back to continually strike… but how can he do something like that? Training? Perhaps he needs to develop his spells in a certain way, or perhaps he needs a support skill. But he can think about that later; there is way more to the goddess's spell, secrets being revealed to him that he can't yet comprehend.

I am still unworthy…

The butterfly tries to flee, but a quarter of the Dark mana shifts to gravity essence, and the spell changes, weighing it down. It tries to crawl away, but the spell follows it until it finally dies.

What does this mean? Does the goddess want to eliminate those that reject her? Or was there something else to it? Did she know that the prismatic butterfly would never accept her ways?

Perhaps he too should take a similar stance.

However, before he can contemplate further, the Goddess approaches! Or rather, a projection of her does. She lands in front of him, and he bows, honored that she would appear before him again.

Suddenly, he feels her mind touch his with a telepathic spell. Elated, he accepts the communication, eager for the Goddess's wisdom.

Thoughts flow into his mind, a command by the Goddess herself!

Do not harm the ones that look like me. The Goddess says, her mind feeling stalwart and strong.

Of course, Goddess! What of monsters? Should I spread your teachings to them? What if they reject you? Do I slay them?

The Goddess is silent for a few moments, thinking, but answers positively.

Yes.

May I ask a boon of you, my Goddess?

The Goddess pauses again, longer this time, but again, answers in the positive.

Yes.

Excitement fills the Stygian, but he forces it down to control his emotions.

Forgive me, for I was unable to fully understand your demonstration, the form of mana that spell took still eludes me.

Again, the Goddess takes her time to answer, but when she does, she feeds him thoughts and images of mana! They are in such detail, explaining what liquid mana is and how it works.

Instantly, several breakthroughs for [Sense Mana] gain many levels, and the more he digests the Goddess's knowledge, the more they level.

I will go now. The Goddess announces regally before her projection disperses and the beauty essence making it up fills the air.

The Stygian resolves himself to form a thriving coalition of followers by the time the Goddess next appears before him.

Stygian Seer (Heroic), Level 824 Chosen Gazer (Heroic), Level 611 Sightless Acolyte (Grand), Level 758 Ice Bond.

It's that monster from way back.

It seems to have specialized in sensing skills, but what concerns me are the names of its Classes. There's no doubt that I had some influence in the direction it has taken, which is certainly a surprise.

It has gotten way stronger, probably stronger than the treant, and it seems to be roaming around much further than what I think the dungeon intended. Question is: is it hostile? Does it fear Runalymo because of me? I doubt it; more like it appears to respect me. I only saved it from an attack because I saw its Race and Classes and wanted to know why it went down that path. It even keeps its eyes closed, perhaps emulation?

Should I try to communicate with it? Sylanna is sapient; perhaps this one is too? I doubt all monsters are spawned with knowledge of a language and the ability to speak like us.

I send a clone over to it; however, when my clone lands, it bows.

I have a bad feeling about this.

I channel a telepathic spell through my clone to establish communication.

Suddenly, I feel reverent thoughts coming from it, no words, just intent.

What do I do? It clearly holds me in high regard, but will it listen to me? Can I effectively tame it? For now, I should make sure it won't attack any people.

I send images and intent to the Stygian, telling it not to attack Runalymo.

It answers back with affirmation and asks if it should attack monsters… or at least that's the impression I got; this isn't exactly an accurate form of communication. In any case, the more monsters it kills, the less that will harm the villagers, so I give it the go-ahead.

A sense of devotion leaks through the telepathic link as I give it my answer, but it suddenly sends me a desire to ask something.

I could deny it and go; I doubt it will go against my wishes, but I suppose a happy monster is not a spiteful one, so I allow it.

It asks something about the spell I cast. Decoding its emotions from its intent, I figure out that it's asking about the state of mana I cast.

So it has yet to be able to see liquid spells. How much information should I give it?

I quickly go over the pros and cons but figure that teaching it a little bit of [Sense Mana] won't give it any actual power, so I give it information on solid and liquid mana as well as MM forces and how they play a part in giving structure to mana.

With that done, I tell it my intention to leave, and before it can ask for anything else, I sever the telepathic link and cut my connection off from the clone. I will continue to keep watch over this Stygian and see how things develop, but as far as I can tell, it won't be hostile to me or any other Runalymo.

I inform Kayafe of my success in slaying the Prismatic Butterfly and also the Stygian situation.

"Powers that are on the same level as legendary are often seen as godly." Kayafe giggles with amusement. "Every legendary being can relate; you'll get used to it. Most people can't really comprehend what legendary beings are capable of and often over or underestimate them."

"Great…" I'm not even legendary yet, and this is happening to me. What are people going to think when I do become legendary? Whatever; I'll leave that up for legendary me to deal with.

I send a clone to collect the remains of the Prismatic Butterfly while I teleport back to the village with the waystone key. I then go to Esofy and ask for proper combat training, leaving a clone with Kayafe.

I had attended their dojo a while ago, but I've never gotten very experienced in combat like she and the others have. However, now I have to relearn how to fight again since my new tails have messed everything up… again.

"You want to learn how to fight and face monsters? That's a surprise; you seem to be doing well enough as you are currently. Why the change in attitude?" Esofy asks.

"The more powerful I become, the more attention I attract. I have to learn eventually, and it's safer to start and become proficient in battle before something capable of sneaking up on me shows up."

Esofy stares at me for several seconds, trying to figure out what worries me. "You think that your recent world announcements might attract some bad attention?"

I nod. "The Guardian is of the same opinion, but even if nothing happens, it doesn't hurt to be prepared."

"Very well. It's too late to start today, so come in the morning."

Over the course of the next week, I practiced in Esofy's combat academy while training my Bond, gaining about two dozen Bond levels. At the same time, I kept up my training with Kayafe as we moved from fighting with [Manipulate Magic], to crafting on the outskirts of the dungeon village.

However, this time it isn't just Kayafe training me; I am also teaching her about mana and some magic and inscriptions.

Together we have built a new airship, one entirely made of mana and fitted with cannons that fire solid-state spells. Inscriptions are used to fuel the enchantments, which are empowered with magic to ease the amount of mana the airship needs. This airship isn't fitted for transport and trade; it is instead fitted for combat.

As the first warship, it's named the Baamash, which means 'battle' 'boat' 'sky', or 'airship of battle'. The Baamash isn't larger on the inside, which vastly reduces its mana consumption, but it is still around the same size as the Entylamo since it needs space for mana batteries and ammo storage. There is a waiting room that is capable of holding up to twenty people for deployment or pick-up, but the primary purpose of this airship is to combat monsters that are too strong for people to slay.

"How do these thrusters work?" Kayafe asks as I finish up the last one and start the decorating.

"They take in air, compress it, and heat it up," I explain while adding stylized depictions of lighting and incorporating mana-gathering inscriptions into the thunderclouds. "You compress the air because the only way to get the same volume of air through a smaller hole is for it to leave the thruster faster, which produces more thrust. You heat the air up because hot air wants to expand, which pushes the air out even faster."

"And with magic, we can make it so the liquid fire mana can't leave the thruster, so no additional mana is needed to use the thruster," Kayafe adds.

"Yup!"

Magic is very useful, but this airship is metaphorically being held together by glue. It won't last forever and will need to be reapplied in a couple of years, but it's well worth it since it is vastly more efficient.

The Baamash doesn't need lift or drive sails, although it does have them for redundancy and for take-off and landing, since the thrusters would be unsafe if anyone were to be near it when they start.

A crowd gathered to witness the creation of the Baamash and once I finished up the final decorations, we give them a tour of it and explain its purpose. Esofy and the Elders thank us for the airship.

"We always worried when the next Treant situation would arise, but now we have a solution to that problem. Thank you for giving us peace of mind." the Elders say, bowing to us.

After that, we mess around with different crafting techniques for a few hours, but then I notice something approach the Nexus; a mass of craftsmanship essence. It clearly has a Bond and is producing an obscene amount of mana similar to what an elemental produces.

Spirit God of Craftmanship (Legendary), Level 3135 World Smith (Legendary), Level 3187 Matter Creator (Legendary), Level 2958 Starflame Conjuror (Legendary), Level 2472 Archmage Spellsmith (Legendary), Level 2196 Soulcraft Grandmaster (Legendary), Level 13042 Craftsmanship Bond.

There's only one being this can be, Urolon, the God of the Forge and Craftsmanship, the first one to suggest using my soul for his own gain.

Chapter 211: Challenger

I watch as Safyr flies out to Urolon, who takes a humanoid form with strong facial features, pointy ears, short hair, and a muscled build wearing blacksmith leather clothes.

They talk for several minutes, during which Safyr clearly threatens the Spirit before Safyr lets Urolon into the Nexus.

The god quickly finds my house and lands in front of my door, politely knocking; any hint of his encounter with Safyr is hidden behind a poker face.

With me being in the dungeon, I feel relatively safe for this encounter and send one of the clones I left at home to answer the door.

"Greetings, I am Urolon, the God of the Forge and Craftsmanship" Urolon introduces himself with a boastful tone in his voice.

He cannot learn that I have recovered my memories. I activate [Acting] assuming the role of a liar, con artist, politician, and any other deceitful role I can think of, with different minds.

He knows that we have enhanced [Sense Mana], so I can't act surprised. I'll just show him what he's looking for, and he'll be on his way.

"I am Alysara; what brings you to me?"

Urolon narrows his eyes suspiciously for a moment. "You can't lie to me, I know you have recovered your memories. Safyr wouldn't threaten me like that if she didn't know what some of us wanted, and the only way for her to know is if you told her"

So Safyr gave it away…

"According to our deal, you need to show us your memories."

What?! Panic rises in me. I am not ready for this!

"We didn't make a deal," I say, thinking quickly. "I made one with Myrou, no one else."

"Fair, but I'll be telling Myrou so she can retriev e you."

[Inventive Perfection] nudges me, pointing out that something doesn't quite add up.

"Then why are you here?" I ask cautiously. "You won't take me by force because of Safyr, so why stay around?" I carefully watch the god, but his poker face remains stalwart; however, he doesn't retort. Becoming more confident in my hunch, I press further, "Go on then, tell Myrou, or is there some other reason why you are here?" Something tells me I can't be reserved; if he's going to tell the other gods, then he will tell them no matter what I say.

Urolon finally breaks his stoney expression, grinning. "A little bold, aren't you? Well then, let's bet, and settle this like the crafters we are. If I win, you must come with me, and if you win, I'll not only not tell the others, but I'll even vouch for you and side with Myrou on the stance of not using your soul as material."

This is what he wanted all along. Normally I won't agree; he's a crafting-type god with tens of thousands of years of experience; I don't stand a chance. However, what do I have to lose by declining, Gaining a few more days? I have a few tricks up my sleeve that might give him a surprise; plus, as I do this contest, I can talk with Kayafe and prepare an attack in the event that I lose.

He's a Spirit, effectively an elemental, so all the craftsmanship essence that is covering the whole village is actually all him. This also means he is very weak to my manipulation if I transform his mana into another type. With Kayafe and the Mana Arc, I doubt he can resist our combined efforts. However, at my current power, I won't be able to defeat him on my own; I'm not even sure if I can delay him for long.

Can we defeat him? We will have to slay him, not just drive him away. However, if we do that, the world notification will just alert the other gods and possibly scare them into ganging up on us.

It seems my hands are tied, no matter what course of action I take.

I inform Kayafe what's happening, explaining the options I have.

"You'll have to tell me the full details later, but for now, we should be ready at the Mana Arc. We have a major home advantage, and there's Safyr; she won't let them take you because she seeks your knowledge. You are not alone in this."

"Yup! I'll give you my support too! Those Great Spirits are in for one hell of a fight!" Yrania says.

Somehow it is only now that we notice her; however, the massive form she previously had now appears only a little bigger than a Felin.

Kayafe frowns, and [Inventive Inspiration] works overtime to figure out how I somehow didn't see her.

She used a Jedi mind trick on us!

"I did warn you that just because you have a hundred levels in a resistance skill doesn't mean some might not have a way to pierce your resistance," Yrania says, sensing my realization. "Count this as part of your resistance training."

While that conversation is going on, I give Urolon my reply.

"I don't have much choice; either way, I accept your challenge."

"Excellent! We will be making a weapon with this material," Urolon reaches into space itself and withdraws two roughly equally sized lumps of metallic ore completely saturated with mana and coated with magic. "The one who makes the stronger weapon wins, simple as that. You have three days to complete your work."

I take the piece he offers me and [Analyze] it.

The information is blocked?!

That must be what the magic is doing. Can I remove it?

I try but am unable to pry it off with [Manipulate Magic].

"Both of our materials have been information blocked; not even I know what it is. This is to ensure we are on equal footing. Any other materials you wish to use, you can do at your own discretion."

Urolon flies off to the middle of the sea, where he compresses his mana into matter, forming a floating platform with a workshop on it.

If I even have a chance at winning, I'm going to need all the help I can get, and he never said I couldn't have help. I'll need a ritual, powerful materials, and Inscriptions.

I take a peek at Urolon's materials that he is laying out to get an idea of the competition I have to deal with.

Phoenix Heart:

(Legendary)

The endlessly burning heart of a Phoenix.

Cinder Treant Root:

(Legendary)

The smoldering root of a powerful Cinder Treant.

Dragon Horn:

(Legendary)

The horn of a fire dragon.

The more I see, the more my heart sinks. I can't win this. I have the Heart of Brimora, but should I bother? Can one legendary material, even if it was a god of destruction, compete with all Urolon has?

He may have a material advantage, but I have ritual mana, ritual spells, inscriptions, and advanced mana materials such as super-solid mana. Arguably these have the potential to be equal to legendary materials.

I already have the ritual mana centered around beauty from the first ritual that upgraded my Kyhosa. Now I need mana for destruction to lean in on the 'destruction' aspect of Brimora's heart, and what better place to cast that than the risen city? It was destroyed once and rose during a massive battle between dragons and a cursed being. An illusory reenactment and some sacrifice of dragon mana, if Yrania is willing to give me some, and I think I might be able to cast a powerful spell, and hopefully, I should be able to get a ritual mana sample from that.

I tell Yrania and Kayafe my ritual plan, and if anything, it lets us test to see if we can use it against Urolon if we need to.

Yrania agrees to let me gather some of her mana for the purpose of casting this ritual, but it seems like she is mostly interested in seeing what will happen.

We fly to the city, which is almost entirely empty of people, save for a few visitors, and set up the ritual. I form a statue of mana depicting the battle between the dragons and the cursed being.

"Oh?" Yrania notices one of the dragons depicted in the statue. "Father fought this cursed being? How long ago was this?"

I had no idea that fire dragon was Yrania's father, but if Safyr summoned Yrania, then it makes sense that Safyr, Yrania's grandmother, can summon her son.

"About four years ago," I answer, making a brazier of Ice mana applying some magic so it will transform mana in it to Fire mana.

Once everything is ready, I start humming the melody the cursed being was humming and place the mana silk I had woven from Yrania's mana into the brazier. The mana silk instantly goes up in flames, and the released mana starts to turn into ritual mana.

Mana begins to gather around us and swirl into a sphere above that starts to produce the same musical tone that I am humming.

Something inside me tells me that I need to cast this spell now; otherwise, it will be too powerful. I first gather a small sample and then release the ritual spell into the sky.

Flames and ice engulf the sky, and a shockwave sweeps over the clouds blowing them away. It is like a second sun has appeared in the sky that freezes over, casting snow all over the city.

No harm is done to the city or the nearby villages. Was it because I didn't want that to happen or because the spell was based on an event that was in defense of the Nexus?

An irritated roar comes from Temple Island, and Safyr flies over, hovering in the sky.

"What are you three idiots doing?! Magic is not a plaything; you could have blown yourselves up! Yrania! Kayafe! You know better than encourage this behavior!"

"Normally, I'd agree, but with Aly's title, I believe that she can safely cast ritual spells; they won't have a chance to backfire," Kayafe says calmly.

"Hold on!" I interject, "'Rituals can backfire?!"

"Ritual spells, yes, but you have guaranteed success at casting them, which I assume means that also won't backfire. If the backfire is the result of magic rebelling attempts at controlling it, you metaphorically have magic's permission to use it."

"You assume. You could have at least warned me of that risk!" I chastise Kayafe.

After a short lecture from the elder dragon, she huffs and flies back to her resting spot, grumbling. In the end, no harm was done, and now we know of a ritual that can be used to defend the Nexus if need be, and we got the ritual mana sample for future crafting efforts. However, we still don't know if a ritual spell can harm me. We might have just gotten lucky with this one due to history, but I may not have that same luxury next time.

With the ritual mana samples now secured, I have to research a new inscription. All I have are mana-gathering and mana-transforming inscriptions. Both are coreless, so they technically don't use magic. To get anything more, I need a core inscription and one with destructive abilities, but what form should that take?

I need to play to what I know. How can I adapt my current inscriptions to make a powerful one? I have twenty minds, Kayafe, and three days to figure this out.

If the mana transformation is the majority of the inscription, then what happens if I add a random core to it? What will happen?

Naturally, I do this far away from the village, and my caution proves right as the inscription sample explodes.

First down, only a few thousand more.

I don't have to find the core that works, I just have to rule out all other ones that don't work, and with twenty minds and [Multitask], I can test hundreds of samples a minute.

A full day later, I found an inscription core that works with the mana-transforming inscription. It only shines a magical light, but it's a start. Now that I know one sample that works and several thousand that don't, I can start piecing together the puzzle and really start learning how inscriptions work.

Chapter 212: Primordial Mana

I now have an inscription core that produces light, but how'd it get there from the inscription that transforms mana into Light mana? It's possible that the core is translating the inscription into a real phenomenon. To confirm this, I copy the core into the other mana-transforming inscriptions to see what happens.

Sure enough, those inscriptions produce the effect of their element—water, air, and earth being conjured—albeit at only minuscule amounts and of uncontrollable matter elements.

So what does this core actually do? It appears to realize the effect of a coreless inscription, but what would happen if I use it on the mana-gathering one? The realization of mana gathering is mana gathering, except the core consumes the mana. The mana is consumed at a fixed rate, so maybe it is just far more effective?

I try it out on a wooden slate, and sure enough, mana zooms to it, gathering around it and even forming a film of solid mana around it like frost.

For those unable to use high-level [Mana Manipulation], this inscription will have incredible uses by granting average people access to solid and maybe even liquid mana.

I copy the realization core into my notebook for future research unless I can find some way to make it work for my challenge. I have two avenues to pursue, find an inscription that I can better use with this core, or find a core that I can use with my inscriptions.

I can keep doing something random for a new core, but now I can try and find an inscription that will best utilize the core for the purpose I need; the only question I need to answer is, what do I want that inscription to achieve?

Before I answer that, I need to settle on the form of my weapon. I have to use that mystery material, and there's not enough to make a cannon, so I will have to settle for a more traditional weapon. While I have practiced with spears, I think a sword spear will fit what I need more. What I need is something that can pierce any defenses, and liquid mana is perfect for that as it acts like a superfluid, meaning it will pass through normal matter with only some resistance.

Using magic, I can keep the liquid mana in the form of a blade and even make it turn solid to deal internal damage once it has bypassed someone's defenses. This is why a sword spear is better for this purpose than a normal spear; the longer blade means more damage and can pierce thicker armor.

Stronger doesn't mean more power if that power can't do as much damage as a less powerful but more efficient or effective weapon.

Making the blade out of my new ritual spell mana should be ideal, and that spell seems to be mostly influenced by the dragons and the cursed being. This means fire, ice, and water should be used in my new inscription, which actually works quite well. Motion, from water to bypass defenses, fire and ice to do damage, and since they are opposites, they repel and cause even more damage.

But how does the heart of Bimora fit in all this? The heart of the Goddess of Beauty and Blood seemingly doesn't fit, and while I planned to use it, perhaps it's for the best that I don't. Mixing themes and symbolism can hurt the end result rather than improve it. Before I cast the ritual spell, it was viable, but the ritual mana doesn't really have anything to do with beauty or blood, and trying to force that will just hurt things.

It feels like I should use it to close the material gap, but [Inventive Perfection] is telling me not to use it. It has never led me astray, and besides, if I'm going to lose this challenge anyway, I might as well try to conserve the valuable materials I have.

I don't plan on following Urolon anywhere, and I will fight if I have to. Kayafe is preparing for that eventuality, and she is ready to unleash her full power as well as the Mana Arc's.

Focusing back on my task, I start developing a new inscription, one that should blend and fuse the mana together. Adding the realization core to this inscription should produce the effect of the fused mana just like how it realizes the effect of the mana transforming inscription.

While most of my minds work on the inscription development, I start working on something else that should replace Brimora's heart. It's been something in the back of my mind ever since I started training with Kayafe, but once Mana is compressed enough, it will form matter. What if I use magic, so it doesn't do that? What if mana can't form matter, but I keep compressing it? Perhaps I can find a new state of mana that simply shouldn't exist.

If I think about it, Super-solid mana should be equivalent to heroic or even exalted tier since it requires an extreme condition to form. I doubt there's any environment in the world where it can form naturally. Following this logic, ritual mana should be equivalent to legendary tier; it really shouldn't exist, and it can't without the help of magic. So what tier would a hypothetical impossible state of mana be? This is my hope of matching the material tier that Urolon is using.

I start compressing a sample of mana and watch as the elementary and MM mana particles squeeze together before finally blending and fusing. It is rather easy with the bonus from my title, but that's to be expected.

Ting! Manipulate Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 1120!

56th Breakthrough: You've managed to compress mana into matter; this will allow you to conjure objects

I got two levels in this, but I will practice later. Now that I know what should normally happen, let's stop that from happening.

I apply the magic on a new sample of mana and begin compressing that. The particles get close enough to touch, and they don't budge from there. I keep compressing it more and more until I even start straining myself. Nothing seems to happen, and just as I was about to give up, I notice the mana starts to evaporate?

Curious, I keep the pressure up and push it as much as I can muster, but I quickly tire myself out with little more improvement.

What kind of insane pressure does it need?! I have a huge bonus from my title, and I still can't do it!

Normally I'd wait and train before giving it a go, but if I can get anything useful, I need it for this contest. If I can't do it myself, then perhaps I can get Kayafe to help or maybe even use the Mana Arc.

After resting for some time, I go to Kayafe, who is in my lounge, reading Alysara's Library. I lent her my eyewraps so she could read it.

"Kayafe, can I get your help with something real quick?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Have you ever prevented mana from turning to matter, but tried to keep compressing it?" I ask.

"Yes, but no matter how hard I tried, nothing seemed to happen; why?" Kayafe's tail twitches with curiosity.

"Well, I tried, but I also couldn't really get anywhere; however, I did notice something strange, and I thought if we pooled our efforts, we might get somewhere."

Kayafe looks toward me, raising an eyebrow.

"Even with your title bonus? No wonder I couldn't get anywhere." Kayafe sets the Library down. "Ready when you are."

I make a new sample and start compressing it, quickly compressing it to the point where it should have turned into matter. Kayafe joins in, and together we quickly get to the point where it seems to evaporate.

"I see," Kayafe says, "Now I know what you mean. It seems to be turning into another state of mana we have yet to have a breakthrough for."

We keep compressing the mana more and more, but as the mana continues to shift into this new form, it gets harder to manage. Even together, we are unable to progress any further and the effort only manages to result in tiring us out.

"Aly… do you know what this means?" Kayafe asks.

"That because we haven't gotten any breakthrough yet, we haven't achieved anything?" I sigh, exhausted from our strenuous activity.

"Yes, but this is something new; what's more is if we can do this on our own, it should count as a legendary feat. There's no way this is not. Even with two of the most powerful [Manipulate Magic] users, we still cannot do this, so being able to on our own has to be worth legendary."

"Could it perhaps be a legendary trial?" I ask.

"Yes, and the good thing is that since it is so insanely difficult to do, such a trial shouldn't need to have major consequences."

"It shouldn't? I thought all trials had to have some major consequence" I tilt my head a little and twitch a tail. From what Safyr said, trials need to be risky.

"That's to supplement the difficulty requirement," Kayafe waves a hand. "Technically, legendary should be near impossible, like this. My trial didn't need to be deadly; exile was fine enough since mastering a skill is incredibly hard to do, and it was impossible to do it without that. But this, this is something that goes so far beyond that. We both have very high [Manipulate Magic] skill levels and titles empowering us, and we still cannot do it."

"So trials don't have to be super risky, that's just because people want it to be possible?" I clarify

"Yes," Kayafe nods

"So, what level do you think it will start to become possible for us? Our effort added up isn't fully additive; it felt like we were getting diminishing returns."

"We both have [Manipulate Magic] close to level one thousand. If together we equal around fifteen to sixteen hundred, then it should require a skill level of around two thousand." Kayafe says after a minute of thought.

"Think we can do this with the help of the Mana Arc?" I ask with a slight smile.

"That just might be the push we need," Kayafe says.

We fly over to the Mana Arc and place our hands on it. I nod to Kayafe and make a new sample. I will the Mana Arc to use its powers to compress the sample along with our own efforts. It still requires a ton of effort, and the more aid I draw from the mana arc, the less mana it is funneling into the dungeon. This is bad since, if it isn't doing that, it isn't protecting the Runalymo from the flood of mana. But we are so close!

All we need is just a few seconds to make this sample. The torrent of mana will take at least a minute to drift down and endanger the Nexus, and I can now protect people from all this mana if they are in danger.

Deciding that I can mitigate any danger myself in time, I switch the full power of the Mana Arc to helping us. I watch as the mana sample slowly evaporates. Five seconds go by, then ten; the sample grows smaller and smaller as I try to feel whatever new form this mana is trying to take. Twenty seconds go by as a flood of mana bears down on the Nexus, moving slightly faster than I predicted. Thirty seconds pass, and finally, the sample disappears along with several 'tings' announcing our success! I instantly switch the Mana Arc's power back to its normal job, helping it along as I focus in on where the sample should be.

Ting! Manipulate Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 1140!

57th Breakthrough: You've managed to compress mana into Primordial Mana; this will allow you to make the mana from the first age of mana.

Ting! Sense Magic has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 1000!

50th Breakthrough: You've sensed primordial mana; this will help you study the first form of mana.

Chapter 213: Saintess' Anguish

Interesting… I got a level for sensing primordial mana but no level for [Manipulate Magic]. I always get the 'first use' level, but I suppose it doesn't count if I have help? If that is the case, then I won't be able to max out [Manipulate Magic] levels until I am able to do it on my own, or perhaps with just the Mana Arc? I haven't heard of magic item bonuses hindering skill training before… Regardless this might just be the only case where I can get all the knowledge levels before getting the first use level.

Now onto the elephant in the room. Primordial mana is the first form of mana from the first age of mana… it is highly likely mana itself changed when the Age of Elements came around, then changed again with the Age of Essences, so it's possible this is the first time primordial mana has existed since before the first great calamity.

Now onto what I am looking at. It appears to be, well, primordial, like the energy version of mana if mana were matter. What I mean to say is that it seems to lack physicality, a cloud of possibility and power. I wonder if there are other versions of primordial mana, like a liquid and solid state of it but that is so far from even our combined efforts that there is no point in speculating.

"This is… incredible," Kayafe says, her tail dancing wildly in excitement

I nod. "We'll need to figure out what kind of properties it has. It doesn't have the MM force, nor is it elementarily aspected, but it has to do something."

Back during the Age of Mana, there were mages, so it was used in some way. However, we didn't have to do anything, as I soon noticed the ambient mana that passes through the primordial mana suddenly gains a huge boost in intensity. This does drain the primordial mana a little, but it seems we have just found one of its interactions with normal mana. Primordial mana seems to super-charge normal mana.

"Did you see that?" I ask.

"Yes," Kayafe nods. "It appears that primordial mana is pure power. I wonder how it reacts to enchantments, spell mana, and even ritual mana? Can it empower rituals as well?"

"We can test two of those and see how well it does with crafting if I use it for my challenge."

"How much primordial mana do you need?" Kayafe asks

"Quite a lot more."

If primordial mana is pure power, then isn't it the mana equivalent to E equals M C squared? I'm sure there's some mathematical formula to this, but doesn't that mean that normal mana is a lower power but more stable form of mana? Is there an even lower power form of mana? And what would it look like?

All questions to answer later. For now, we start making more primordial mana, taking a small break after each session until we have just enough for me to make my weapon and one sample for Kayafe to play around with.

While I've been making primordial mana, my other minds have been hard at work finding a new inscription, and they've just found what I've been looking for, the inscription that compresses mana. I will need to improve it to the point that it compresses mana so much that it begins to fuse, but I also need to make a version that only gathers and compresses specific types of mana. This is where I suspect the outer layer of inscriptions comes into play.

If the core is where the magic happens and the middle part determines what happens, then the outer part determines what it's all applied to. After an entire night of research, I finally found a form that works well enough for my purposes. I insert the realization core in this new inscription and watch as it produces a jet of freezing flames. It isn't perfected, and the inscription can be refined more, but I am running out of time.

After a long day of producing primordial mana and a full night of research, we return home, and I start working on the sword spear. I first start by purifying the ore using my Bond; the impurities separate out and form a small pebble of rock. I try to [Analyze] it again, now that it has changed a little, but the protection stays; even the impurities are still protected. I shrug, expecting this outcome, and move on to the next step.

I reshape the purified ore into a long hollow shaft and form ritual mana, and compress it into a super-solid sword blade complete with a guard before applying magic to it to turn the mana to liquid once it touches a solid object. Since liquid mana is less dense than super-solid, the blade will actually extend in its liquid state, so as it cuts, it will grow longer. Of course, it's harmless in its liquid state, so I apply magic, so it will form a cutting edge as it encounters soft flesh. It won't cut bone, but organs, blood vessels, muscles, and other soft tissue will be cut.

Next, I fill the hollow of the shaft with primordial mana and apply magic so it can't flow out; since it lacks physicality, it will just pass through matter and even mana. I then enchant the sword spear to increase its fluidity so it will have less resistance passing through matter. After that, I start decorating the shaft and blade with stylized depictions of the battle between the dragons and the cursed beings with a thin film of super-solid beauty mana mixed with ritual mana. Hidden as part of the decorations are my new inscriptions, incorporated in such a way as to be almost invisible if one is unaware of what to look for.

With the sword spear finished, all that's left is to do an upgrade ritual, but that's mostly to see how Primordial mana will interact with ritual mana during its ritual. Kayafe and I begin another session of creating more primordial mana before setting up a ritual site in the same place I cast the ritual spell.

I don't want to keep asking Yrania for mana to sacrifice, and she's been yelled at enough, so I need another thing related to the events here, but what else is there? We have the place, and we are making the depictions of battle again, but what can be used to start the ritual?

An idea pops into my mind, and I don't like it. Memories of that time when I spent two years replacing everyone's mind component resurface afresh, and I clench my fist.

I take a deep breath to calm myself. This ritual is already pretty similar to the spell, and there needs to be a distinction; this is the only thing I can readily sacrifice, and besides, it's to help me win this stupid challenge. I'm not doing this for others; I'm doing this for me.

"Are you alright?" Kayafe asks with worry in her voice.

"Yes, I just remembered something unpleasant," I say.

I also have to consider [Astral Projection's] curse. This is intended to complete this item, so I should feel my anima start draining depending on how powerful this item is. I will probably need to be healed by Lanya again after this, but we will be returning to the Lunaleyan lands in a couple of weeks anyway, so I can do it then.

A part of me is uneasy about this ritual, but that might have been because of the ritual spell I cast recently. It is a good reminder that I have to be careful with these things, that just because I can't fail at casting them doesn't mean I am a master at casting them. What if that ritual spell inflicted collateral damage? I may have just gotten lucky.

Deciding to play it safe, I add more statues around the place, of the city rising out of the sea, to the workshops from around the city. I lean more heavily on the creation aspect of this location to ensure it is a safer creation ritual, not a destructive spell.

Finally, I draw out one of my mind components with [Astral Projection] and drift it over to the ice brazier. It burns with a ghostly flame as mana begins to gather and transform into ritual mana.

More and more mana gathers and begins to flow into the sword spear, but then something else begins to move and be pulled in by the ritual, ambient miasma.

"No, no, no, no! This isn't supposed to happen!" I say in a panic.

I didn't even know this could happen! No one even told me of this possibility! I knew rituals can go wrong, but not this wrong!

Is it because there's too much ambient miasma? It's been on a rise from everything that has happened, but there shouldn't have been anything it can be applied to, nothing to spark it.

"What's going on?" Kayafe asks, alarmed by my outburst.

"It's drawing in Miasma!"

"WHAT?! That's never happened before!"

More and more miasma is drawn in and burned, sparking a massive growth in magic. The growing magic framework of the item begins to shine brightly before cracking and dissolving until nothing is left, but more miasma is still being drawn in, continuing for another minute until everything suddenly stops. As expected, I feel a massive drain to my anima and I almost fall over from sudden dizziness, but I managed to stabilize myself with my tails. After the episode, I focus on the sword spear.

The imagery of the sword spear has changed to that of the cursed being consuming the mind components of its victims. The sword blade has changed from ritual mana into unique mana, but its form has become jagged and grim, but the worst change of all is its unworldly presence and humming.

Saintess' Anguish:

This cursed item, made by the Saintess of Mana and Magic, can reap the minds of its victims, cut through any defense, bring ruin to entire cities, tear down mountains and sink entire landmasses. It can conjure shades of its victims to fight for its wielder, limited only by the number of minds it has consumed. However, to wield this weapon, it will consume a mind component of its wielder and more the longer it is held.

"What do we do about this?" I ask, making sure not to touch the weapon.

"We should tell Safyr, if anything, to see if she knows something. I've heard of cursed items before but never actually seen one."

Agreeing with Kayafe, I send a clone over to Safyr and explain the situation, after which she remains silent for a few minutes before finally speaking.

"I'd say that I warned you about magic rituals, but it is fair to say that you weren't warned that curses can arise from them. Looking at it from your point of view, the most you thought could go wrong is for the item to be destroyed, and you'd lose the challenge, a calculated risk." Safyr says, being surprisingly fair. "And it is also rare that rituals lead to the creation of a cursed item without designing it specifically for the creation of one."

Safyr sighs as if remembering something. "I should have foreseen this and warned you to never base a ritual on a negative. I don't know much about rituals, so I can't say why but it reduces the chance of a corrupted ritual. Now I would like to see this cursed item for myself, and you should ask Urolon about it for his wisdom; he may have insight that I do not have."

Well, now I have the problem of how to transport this cursed item. I can probably transport it safely since I have spare mind components, but I'd rather not.

Chapter 214: Urolon

Two hundred nineteen years ago:

Urolon swung his hammer down, shaping the ectoplasm and bonding it to the metal beneath. Again and again, he swung his hammer bending reality each time with his Bond, too absorbed in his work to notice another presence enter his forge.

"Ohohoho! Practicing, are we?" Like an ancient tome repeatedly being shut, the laughter of an old man greeted Urolon's ears.

He stopped forging mid-swing for a moment to register who it was before he started again.

"What do you want, Venaro?" Urolon asked, not wanting to deal with the other god's antics. "Get to the point."

The God of Knowledge and Wisdom stroked his long beard for several minutes, but Urolon wasn't interested in playing his game and chose to ignore him.

"Alright. Fine! I'm here to convince you to take our side," Venaro said, sounding a little bored.

"Why should you care?" Urolon asked. "Once you get the memories of the Archive, its state doesn't matter anymore to you" Urolong put the ingot in the forge to reheat it before finally turning towards the other being.

Venaro wore a wide-brimmed, pointy hat and long grey robes. His face is mostly obscured by a long white beard save for his silver eyes. The backdrop of the void can be seen through the windows of the forge.

Venaro smiled mischievously which caused Urolon to frown. "Because I value knowledge. What will this soul bring to one of the realms with the knowledge they have? Legacy souls often bring change, but what will such an old soul accomplish? What insights do they have that we lack?"

"And why should I care about all that? That soul is Mythic tier, I can bring much greater and more effective change to all we know."

"Ohohohohoho! Is that so?" Venaro's smile widened. "Tell me, do you know what you even need to make a fabled tier item?"

"No, but I have time to figure it out" Urolon crossed his arms. He didn't know it at the time, but everything he worked towards would be made meaningless.

Venaro reached into space itself and pulled out a fist-sized ore, and tossed it to Urolon.

"You blocked the information" Urolon glared at the other god, who laughed again.

"You know how to bring out the full potential of every material, right? Then go on, do it; make the best weapon that ore can become."

This was the exact thing Urolon didn't want, but Venaro always managed to find a way to force his games on others.

"Come back in three days" Urolon took the ore. At least he gained something from playing these stupid games.

One hundred six years ago:

"Still can't make a Fabled item with the World Core?" Venaro teased

"Shut up! I'm just missing something, that's all!" Urolon said with frustration and anger. "I'm so close! The items are on the verge of Fabled tier!"

The mysterious ore that Venaro had first given him was part of a World Core that had fallen to an inhabited world in one of the realms. A city is built there now, but they can easily go in and take a few pieces. The world core will regenerate; it is primordial, after all. Pieces of Timeless and Primordial tier materials are never Primordial or Timeless, which meant they can't make more regenerating materials.

"You do not lack skill, Urolon. You lack the knowledge to make a Fabled tier item." Venaro said

"So do you!" Urolon growled.

"Yes, but I'm not the one banging my head against a wall. There is something more about the magical process that we do not understand, we must pause and think of the solution."

"There is honestly nothing you can see with your [Sense Divinity] that I am missing? This item should have the necessary requirements to become Fabled, right? You're not playing another one of your stupid games, right?" Urolon said, getting more and more frustrated at the situation.

"Your item's divine framework should only barely have the requisite divinity needed to become Fabled, but it is like I said, there is something about the magical process that we don't understand."

"Then we need someone with [Sense Magic]" Urolon calmed himself. He doesn't know what he doesn't know, and it's useless to try. All he can do is experiment and stumble upon the answer. "What skill enhances into that?" he asked.

"I don't know," Venaro shrugged. "I thought [Sense Mana] did, but it enhanced into [Sense Divinity]. Mana does fuel magic, but Divinity creates it, so that's probably why. I assume something like [Sense Miasma] will work, but I haven't been able to get that."

Five years ago:

Ting! Alysara, the Runalymo, has reached unparalleled knowledge and mastery in the Sense Mana skill!

The freedom of Alysara's soul faction met after this world notification. No one had expected this, and other than Myrou, no one had even bothered to check on her. Venaro wore a wide grin, his silver eyes gleaming with glee.

He had blessed her to develop mentally faster, making her smarter. In a sense, he is nurturing a tree so it may bear sweet fruit.

Myrou was likewise happy at the growth the girl is showing and gave a report on recent events.

"I thought you wanted her to be in a safe place," Urolon teased the greater goddess after she mentioned the recent disasters in the Nexus.

"Silence!" Fathlyr, the God of Law and Justice, said. "I still don't understand why you were even invited here! You are just looking for the chance to use her!"

"Calm yourself," Venaro said. "He won't do anything; I can assure you of that."

Fathlyr growled, his golden eyes pierced right into Venaro. "Myrou, we can't trust him either. Once he gets her memories, he'll no longer support us!

"It's to show Alysara's worth, Fathlyr. We can only gain more allies with this." Myrou said.

"I'm interested in those Airships," Varath, the God of Battle and War, said. "It's not the first time something like it was made, but the way she did it is new."

Urolon had to agree. Alysara was showing her genius and making things he didn't even think to consider.

The meeting went on for a long time, and they agreed to invite a few other gods from the neutral faction in this conflict who might now show favor toward Alysara.

Things became even crazier years later when Alysara managed another world notification.

One year ago:

Ting! Alysara, the Runalymo, has reached unparalleled knowledge and mastery in the Manipulate Mana skill!

"Ohohohoho! Do you know what this means?" Venaro said, entering his forge.

"That you are annoying?" Urolon said dismissively.

"That, in just fifteen years, she has managed to surpass you in crafting with mana, even though you started a hundred yea— Whoa!"

Urolon threw his hammer at the annoying God of Knowledge and Wisdom, who shifted his mana out of the way, making a hole in his body for it to pass through.

"You should treat your tools better!" Venaro teased, dodging the hammer's return in the same manner.

Urolon caught his hammer and continued his work. That girl may be good at crafting with mana, but he has his sights set on the World Core material and making a Fabled item from it. Unless she can solve the 'magic conundrum' as Venaro put it, her actions mean nothing to him.

"I like her," Omyran, the God of Healing and Rest, said after hearing what she did after the battle between the dragons and the cursed being.

Many neutral gods became favorable toward her after this. However, it wasn't until just a couple of weeks ago that he had to admit that Alysara has far more potential for greatness than what her soul is worth.

Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has freed the Saintess of the Runalymo, Kayafe, the Runalymo, and completed the Mana Arc!

The Saintess of Mana and Magic. Until now, he and Venaro had assumed she had [Sense Divinity]; however, it is now undeniable that she knows something about magic that even Venaro doesn't, and it shows as he lost his bored playfulness.

"Her altruism gave her the saintess part of her title, but the only way mana and magic is in there is because she has significant knowledge on those subjects. That's the only thing that makes sense!" Venaro paced back and forth in Urolon's smithy.

"Do you think she can solve the 'magic conundrum'?" Urolon asked.

Venaro stops before turning toward him. "If not, then she should have the missing pieces of the puzzle."

"You can't wait, can you?" Urolon asked. "You want to know now."

Venaro nods, greed in his eyes.

He knows Venaro; however, Myrou is quite protective of Alysara, but if he can convince her that he'll officially join her faction if he knows that Alysara has the knowledge or the potential to gain the knowledge of how to craft a Fabled item, then he'll be able to lord this knowledge over Venaro, he'll have knowledge that the God of Knowledge and Wisdom does not.

"Then hide the information of two pieces of the World Core. I want to see if she herself is capable of even getting close, at least, to see her mana craft."

Tasked with relocating the cursed item, the first thing that comes to mind is simply putting it in a box, which I make from supersolid mana and decorate with depictions of chains. Next comes the task of actually putting the cursed weapon into the box.

I can potentially use my clones, but will that work? I am linked to my clones so it may try to consume one of my minds through the link. That or it will consume the mind of the mind piloting the clone, so I want as many degrees of distance between it and me as I can afford.

I've tried being a little more risky but that has just backfired, and nothing good comes from curses. Furthermore, this is a true magic item, so who knows how strictly it enforces its cost and how it considers it being 'wielded'.

That said, I am probably the only one other than Yrania who can afford the cost of touching it, so it should be I who moves it.

I conjure two automated clones, making sure I am not piloting them, and make tongs for them for which they can use to pick up the cursed sword spear and put it in the box.

The presence of the Saintess's Anguish flares up in anger at being denied its meal, and a headache assaults my, and from the looks of it, Kayafe's mind as we bring our hands up to our temples.

With it now safely enclosed, I maintain my two degrees of separation and order an automated clone to follow us as we fly over to Safyr. Urolon just landed next to Safyr as well, but even the mighty dragon reels back and hisses once she feels the Saintess's Anguish presence.

"I've never felt such an insidious presence, and I've accidentally created a cursed weapon before." Urolon says, eyeing the box with caution. "Just how strong is this weapon?"

I have the box opened to show Safyr the cursed weapon. She and Urolon stare at it, and for several moments they remain silent before Urolon speaks up.

"I've seen many cursed items before, but most are far more subtle. A sword that instills bloodlust in its wielder slowly over time. A king's crown that makes the wearer more ambitious, greedy, and paranoid. A ring of healing that ensures all future children of the wearer are stillborn. The most important thing to note is that these effects are never stated in the item's identity; they hide the worst of their curses. So, what manner of cruelty is this weapon hiding if it openly states a cost?"

"Do you know of a way to destroy it?" Safyr asks Urolon.

"Cursed items are indestructible, but there are ways to purify them. It is incredibly hard, and the method is specific to each item, but it is possible. It essentially boils down to pacifying the malice of the item, but I have no idea where to start for this weapon; the one with the best knowledge on how to do that is Alysara, but many times doing so is not worth the effort, and it's simpler just to seal it away forever."

"How do we do that?" Kayafe asks.

"By locking it in a container of greater divinity than the cursed item has magic. In most cases, only a heroic or exalted tier item is sufficient, but I feel this one will require a container of high legendary tier to contain fully."

"Isn't that basically trying to make a magic item?" I ask. "How can you make a magic item if the magical process is unreliable?"

"That's the hardest part," Urolon says, looking toward me. "It often takes years, even decades, to make one item. Most craftsmen do not spend that amount of time to make something, so it's even rarer for them to make a magic item."

I raise an inquisitive eyebrow. "Why does it take so much time? What if you reach atomic perfection before then? If the item is perfect, it's done; you can't spend more time on it."

"Often, it is the planning that takes up most of that time." Urolon answers. "Taking the proper steps and deliberation to think your craft through is just as important. Your execution of crafting may be the best in the world, but if you work spontaneously and haphazardly, throwing ideas in and out as you craft, then you will never be the best."

Ouch, it's almost like a critique of how I went about this. But to be fair, he sprung this whole challenge on me! He had all this time to think of what he wanted, but I only had three days!

"And you expected me to complete this challenge in three days?" I accuse, but Urolon just shrugs.

"Technically, you win; your weapon is stronger. However, Venaro did the same to me a couple of hundred years ago, and I wanted to see if you could match what I did back then. In a sense, I never intended to win this challenge, rather I was testing you. The thing that I actually came here for is your knowledge on magic."

"I was curious too," Safyr interjects. "Your knowledge is valuable, but we don't know how valuable. If you hold the secrets to making a Fable tier weapon, you can gain a lot of allies, or at least you know your worth for when others come and seek to trade for your knowledge."

Urolon nods. "I am in possession of a Fable tier material, yet for hundreds of years, I have yet to make something that powerful; Venaro and I came to the conclusion that we lack information on the magical process that makes what you call magic items. In essence, I am willing to protect you from the other gods because it matters not how valuable your soul is if I can never realize its potential."

In actuality, what we call 'magic items' are not true magic like the cursed weapon in front of us, but 'apotheosic item' doesn't roll off the tongue as well; plus, it's a holdover from when I didn't know as much about magic and magic items. However, this also means that the gods are aware of apotheosis, the fusion of divinity and magic, right?

"What do you call magic items, then? What do you know?" I ask.

Urolon raises an eyebrow. "The 'magic' part of magic items comes from the magical process that turns an item into a tiered one. However, the Tier is like a divine rank; those with [Sense Divinity] can clearly see that. What we don't understand is what the magic is doing, it should destroy the divine mark like when a cursed item is made, but it doesn't."

I see. So they have someone with [Sense Divinity], and they think that the magic framework is purely divine because they only see the divine side of it. The divine mark is probably what they call the magic framework, and since too much magic destroys the magic framework, they are under the assumption that magic can't be in the framework.

It will be hard for them to believe me but my inscriptions are proof that magic frameworks are part magic. The question is: What are they willing to pay for this knowledge?

Chapter 215: Skill Trading

"What guarantee do I have that you'll continue to be on my side?" I ask, "Won't you get my memories anyway?"

"The deal was for your memories of your past life and the time you spent in the void, but not anything after that. And besides, Venaro would hoard that knowledge for himself. Your knowledge has the potential to be worth more than your soul." Urolon pauses to let his words sink in.

"You are a crafter; you know that knowledge allows one to go much further in their craft and bring out the maximum potential of the materials used. I know that with your knowledge, I will be able to craft far better items. Even if you don't have the knowledge now, you may have it in the future. You achieved all this in under twenty years, so how much will you have discovered in a thousand? That is your guarantee that I will stay on your side."

In other words, he has far more to gain with what I can teach him in the future. Without me, he can't forge fabled and mythic items even if he has the materials, and there's no point in having the materials if he can't realize their potential.

"So your loyalty buys the secret of magic items, but what are you willing to trade for my knowledge of mana, magic, or certain crafting methods I've developed?" I ask, adopting a trader role with [Acting].

Urolon raises an eyebrow with a slight grin. "Alright, I'll play along. I have several legendary materials that you'll surely find interest in. Also, what other methods of crafting have you developed?"

Is it wise to trade for legendary materials? I might be able to make a legendary item, but what if I don't? It would be a waste in that case. So I should ask for something more permanent, something like knowledge. Knowledge is power, so trading knowledge for more knowledge is better to ensure I get the full value of this trade.

He has a Class on souls, so he most likely has [Sense Soul], if not the enhanced version. Also, he, and the other gods, live in the void, so they must have some knowledge of how to get there, so asking for knowledge of space is another possibility. However, the one thing I should ask for, if anything, is information on [Sense Divinity]. That is my one weakness, the one thing related to mana that I can't yet see, I don't know if it's even possible for me to get it.

I am hyper-specialized in mana when it comes to crafting. However, Urolon clearly shows that that is not the only way to get very powerful items and that there are some things that I may be doing wrong.

"Technology." I answer Urolon's question. "Airship technology, mana-based technology, things like that. As for what you have, I am more interested in what you know about divinity and [Sense Divinity] as well as your methodology in crafting."

"You should know a lot about divinity by now, right? Why ask for it in trade?" Urolon asks.

He's fishing for information; thankfully, the Lunaley prepared me for this since they always seem to be doing that.

"What does that matter to you?" I counter.

"It matters because if you somehow have a different enhanced version, then we both would benefit from that knowledge."

He's saying that we both benefit, but he would clearly benefit more; I won't fall for his tricks.

"[Sense Divinity] for information on magic, and your methodology for information on mana. Deal?" I ask, pressing the deal.

Urolon crosses his arms defiantly. "[Sense Divinity] for information on both Mana and Magic. I already know a lot about mana, so it's worth less to me."

I hold my poker face, but that doesn't help. He knows I want information on [Sense Divinity], and he can probably guess that I don't have it, so he's leveraging that fact. Unlike my deals with the Lunaley, I don't have all the leverage, and the thing he really wants, he's buying with loyalty which gives him a lot more leverage over me.

Is there anything I have to even the odds? There are inscriptions, but my research on them is still in its infancy; there's just not enough to make a big trade for. If not that, then what else? Primordial Mana? Ritual Mana?

Hold on, if [Sense Divinity] is enhanced from [Sense Mana], then why should he care for information on mana? Shouldn't he already know? Or perhaps he thinks I know more than him?

"I think Information on the, normally, impossible forms of mana is at least equal to your crafting methodology, if not equal to [Sense Divinity]," I say, teasing his curiosity.

"Impossible forms?" Urolon asks, quirking an eyebrow but keeping his stalwart stance.

"Alien mana, Ritual Mana," I gauge his reaction, but whether or not he knows, he's keeping a trained expression. "and Primordial Mana all the way back from the First Age" Urolons face twitches slightly, and I can see greed in his eyes now.

"Oh? Tell me about it; why is it worth so much?"

I nod toward Kayafe. "It took our combined power and the aid of the Mana Arc to create. We estimate it requires a skill level of at least two thousand, and that's factoring in our titles. It's at least high legendary if not low fabled equivalent."

"What's your knowledge level for it?" Urolon asks.

"Two, for now, but after a few weeks of study, at least five."

"Very well, throw in a sample the size of a two-kilogram iron ingot and the chance to study alongside you until you get five knowledge levels, and I'll offer [Sense Divinity] for it."

He's asking for about twice what I used for the sword spear.

"Too much, it's really difficult to make, plus that is asking for the use of the Mana Arc as well as Kayafe's service in addition to mine. Eight-tenths of a Kilogram-sized iron ingot is what we can offer."

Urolon frowns. He expected a lower counteroffer but not one below half his offer.

"One kilogram."

I shake my head. "You underestimate just how hard it is to produce; it took us most of the day to produce that much"

"Very well," Urolon sighs with resignation. "I accept your deal of a sample of Primordial mana equal to eight-tenths of a Kilogram sized iron ingot, the opportunity to study it alongside you, and information on what you know of mana for what I know of Divinity and [Sense Divinity]."

"Just one clarification," I say. "You do have [Sense Divinity], right?"

"Of course."

"Then onto the next trade. Knowledge of magic for your crafting methodology."

"That I can agree on," Urolon says. "So, about that mana technology you mentioned…"

"To be honest, the technology is still in its infancy, but I think it's at least worth unenhanced [Sense Soul] knowledge."

While Urolon could get ahead of me on Inscription research, something tells me that the immortal being would take longer, if not for the fact it takes him a decade of planning and preparation to get one item made. So I am confident I can get much further.

"We'll have to see how much it's worth then; how about showing me an example?"

He's still trying to get information, but I can show him a poorly efficient inscription, so even if he would steal the technology, he wouldn't get the best version. Also, he wouldn't know if there is a better version, so he might not question its ability.

I make a weak inscription that gathers mana. I won't show him an example of a core inscription.

"Hmm, it looks like a Divine Mark," Urolon says.

Anything I say can and will be used against me, so I just keep my mouth shut and await his judgment.

"There are other forms of this technology?" Urolon asks.

"Yes"

"Then I will trade you one breakthrough for each form of this… what do you call it?"

"Inscriptions. That sounds fair, but three breakthroughs will be for my current knowledge on how it works."

"Two," Urlon counter offers. "You said it yourself; the technology is still early in development, and there are probably things you don't yet know."

"Deal."

I really only know three inscriptions. The mana gathering, the Mana transforming, and the mana fusing one. The one I made the First Inscription with is more of a prototype and thus I won't really count it as one until I know more.

As for the fundamental knowledge, I explain the difference of core and coreless inscription as well as how the forms seem to influence the inscriptions. This is all equivalent to five breakthroughs for [Sense Soul], and after forming a journal with those breakthroughs out of mana for me, Urolon asks the question that I've been anticipating.

"These Inscriptions are definitely based on the Divine Mark, which I assume holds the secret to magic items?"

"Yes," I answer.

It was better for me to sell inscriptions because they might discover it on their own anyways, since they were already buying information on how magic items are formed.

"What you call the Divine Mark is Apotheosis, the fusion of divinity and magic. They are two parts of the same coin, opposites. They form what I call a Magic Framework, since divinity acts as the framework used to control Magic which powers Skills, magic items, and Classes."

Urolon facepalms. "We were wrong all along. At least I get to rub this in Venaro's face. So the reason why I can't make a Fable tiered item is because there isn't enough magic to power the item?"

"That's the theory, anyway. I can't confirm without [Sense Divinity], but it's what makes sense. Speaking of, You got [Sense Divinity] from [Sense Mana], right? If that's the case then why did you get that but I got [Sense Magic]?"

"I've been wondering that myself," Kayafe suddenly interjects. "Sorry if I'm interrupting, but I wanted to weigh in since you brought up the topic. What I think determines the enhanced version of [Sense Mana] has something to do with our breakthroughs and knowledge in regards to mana. Alysara and I probably studied magic items and assumed mana is related to magic. Did you discover Bond mana before enhancing the skill, Urolon?"

Urolon adopts a thinking posture, uncrossing his arms and placing a hand on his chin.

"Yes. I was taught by Venaro so I didn't learn it on my own. We spirits, and many legendary beings, tend to specialize in the Bond. Divine powers may influence our skill enhancement direction if that is indeed the case."

"Then I want to learn more about divinity," Kayafe declares. "One; I want to test if I can intentionally enhance [Sense Mana] in a direction I want, and two; if I get [Sense Magic], I'll just be in Alysara's shadow."

It must be hard for Kayafe. She's lost in time and everything she once knew is gone. The one thing she has, her expertise in [Manipulate Magic], is being overshadowed by my talent in [Sense Magic]. She probably wants to forge her own path anew.

She is still superior as a caster, and she'll probably continue to be since I am focusing more on my bond and perception, but doesn't this mean that I should also try to make my own path? Is being a caster, or even Bond mage, right for me? Perception is my thing, the thing I am objectively best at, so shouldn't I be going in that direction?

Perhaps I should spend a little more time developing my gaze Skill and see what I can do with it.

Clone POV

Lotis and Kyhana, my two apprentices, had finally gotten their first Class. Lotis picked up a crafting Class, built around her wood sculpting art. She has recently begun infusing her arts with a Bond Skill to make a primitive golem. It's more like she is controlling them like puppets rather than them moving on their own, but I see a lot of potential should she continue down this path.

Kyhana on the other hand is following in my footsteps in both [Sense Mana] and [Manipulate Mana]. She is at the point of weaving mana silk now and has gotten a Class called 'Student of the Saintess of Mana and Magic.' It's apparently a Grand tier Class.

"You should try to evolve your [Impart Instructions] Bond Skill, Lotis," I advise her. "Imparting minds to your creations should be the next step. Or perhaps develop a skill that turns one of your sculptures into a familiar."

I summon my own fairy familiar and automated clones for example.

"I can take control of my clones, but they can also operate on their own if I want. The fairy will also act on its own, but it requires instructions. They are intelligent, but not alive. You can do the same thing."

"It's just wood though! Wood can't be smart, that wouldn't make any sense!" Lotus argues.

This is what's holding her back. She's not thinking outside the box… sculpture. Perhaps I should try a different method.

"Then why not make them a brain? Try forming a Bond crystal and attach that to your sculpture, that way they can be smart just like my fairies!"

"Hmm, I guess so?" Lotis holds her hands close together, concentrating her mana between them and using her Bond to compress beauty mana to the point where they'll crystallize. It'll take some time to form, but she'll get better.

Meanwhile, Kyhana is practicing her mana weaving. Any silk she makes she can sell for her own pocket change.

I look at her work, closely examining the mana structure of the weaved silk. It's still inconsistent and there are several weak points in each thread which means they can break easily. Her work is actually average among mana weavers, but the standard should be higher, especially considering her Class tier.

"You need to maintain a steady focus, Kyhana. Every time you get distracted you make a weak point in your work!" I lecture her.

I pick up a thread and hold each end before snapping it with a tug.

"See how the mana wasn't fully connected?" I mend the thread and repair the weak points before demonstrating again. "This time, the thread didn't break, do you know why?"

"W-weak points can't handle the same amount of stress as everywhere else, so when they are removed, the whole thread distributes the stress over the whole piece."

"Correct," I pat Kyhana's head. "The whole piece experiences the same amount of stress, but when there's one part that has a lower stress tolerance level, it rips there"

I am simplifying it, of course. Different materials act differently and certain conditions will change things, but this is a basic overarching explanation of material stress. Honestly, I am surprised Kyhana can even follow that much.

They continue practicing until the end of the workday when they return home. I must say that both of my apprentices are quite talented in their own way. Lotis is discovering her own unique craft while Kyhana is smart and able to follow concepts that are quite advanced for someone her age. I know that both of them will be able to do great things if given the chance, and I intend to give them that opportunity.

Chapter 216: True Illusions

I learned a lot about primordial mana after two weeks. It supercharges mana, enchantments, and spells to the same degree that my applying magic via [Manipulate Magic] does. This supercharging is multiplicative with magic, too, but the only downside is we cannot create enough primordial mana to be effective in combat.

In crafting, it is just as powerful, although I am unable to apply it with surgical accuracy. I can't just apply it to enchantments; I have to apply it to the whole thing, which seems wasteful to me. Otherwise, it is an incredibly powerful material.

"It's hard to say what primordial is equivalent to since it doesn't have a tier," Urolon says, examining a crafted item we worked on in my shop. "But considering how hard it is to make and that it is as powerful as magical enhancement, I would place it maybe at Fable tier equivalent, which makes me curious because there seems to be a Legendary tier equivalent form of mana missing."

"Where would you place all the mana if they had tiers?" Kayafe asks.

"Normal mana would be Minor." Urolon answers. "Weaved would be Adapt, solid is Major, liquid, and vitality weaving at Grand. Super-solid mana weaving and solid vitality is Heroic, and finally, super-solid mana and liquid vitality would be Exalted. All of them can be achieved with [Manipulate Mana], so there should be one more that only [Manipulate Magic] can achieve"

Finding a legendary equivalent form of mana should help me a lot since I should be able to make it on my own, but I will only look for it once Urolon leaves. However, this has me curious as to where it's hiding. Is it created by preventing mana from transitioning to another form, like how primordial mana is made? Or is it made by some other method? Or perhaps we are falling for a fallacy. Who says that there has to be a form of mana for every tier? Mana doesn't have tiers, so why assume there's such a rule?

Besides, I think we already have the Legendary tier mana if what Urolon says is right.

"Aren't you forgetting alien and ritual mana?" I say.

"No, I simply don't know where to put those. For alien mana, mana that normally exists in other layers, it should be considered normal for that layer, so why should it be anything special on this layer? Would our mana be more special on other layers? What if you made a normal enchanted item made of our mana on another layer before bringing the finished product back here? Would it be more powerful? Would it be reduced in power? The simplest answer is that alien mana is not special."

Urolon makes a strong argument. Spatial layers aren't different dimensions; technically, all of this realm is made of the layers that exist in the same space. We just live in one part of the realm, but looking at it from the realm's point of view, no layer is more special than another.

"As for ritual mana…" Urolon trails off in thought for several moments before speaking up again. "Perhaps it is the Legendary version of mana. It would fit the criteria, but there's more nuance to it. Rituals can be crafted by anyone, and it certainly uses mana and magic. But does that mana count as a material before being consumed by magic, or is it just consumed and it only becomes ritual mana to help the magical process? Either way, it can be gathered with [Manipulate Mana], and I suspect the tier equivalent of ritual mana depends on the ritual mana itself."

I haven't touched rituals since I made the Saintess's Anguish, which now sits safely in a sealed box that is in a larger container made of supersolid mana and magically enhanced to suppress its aura. It is effectively sealed with no way, other than the use of [Manipulate Magic], to open it. Not even [Manipulate Mana] will be able to open it with my magic protecting it.

Urolon offered to help make a proper seal for it, but I declined. I don't want to be indebted to Urolon, and besides, it'd probably take him a decade or two to devise the perfect seal for it. The current box for it is good enough, and no one except me or Kayafe can open it. Super-solid mana is very tough, so unless Safyr cracks it open, no one should have the capability of even denting the container, much less the box inside it.

I considered burying it and letting it be lost to time, but what if something happens where I need to use it? It would only be a last resort, but considering recent events, it's something I should keep until I am strong enough to handle anything life throws at me.

"There doesn't have to be a Legendary equivalent of mana," I say. "Reality is as reality does. But I will still look to see if there is something."

"Reality also has a lot of parallels, and if we notice a trend, we should investigate. But yes, you are right that there may not be a legendary equivalent of mana" Urolon shrugs his shoulders before standing up. "If you do find anything, let me know. It's been a pleasure working with you"

Urolon transforms into a cloud of craftsmanship mana before flying off, effortlessly passing through the ceiling.

"So what do you think?" I ask Kayafe. "Where haven't we looked?"

"Let's try preventing mana from transitioning to the next phase of each phase and see what happens."

Over the next hour, we do so, combining our efforts and attempting to compress mana but preventing it from doing so. We do not find anything new, but we quickly realize that doing this, no matter the phase of mana, will form primordial mana.

"I think what's happening is that by preventing mana from compressing yet putting ever more pressure into it, we are somehow ripping the mana apart. Let's just skip the compression-preventing magic and see if we can't just rip mana apart," I suggest.

This method is actually a little easier, like we've been trying to push a ball uphill all along and finally reached a plateau. It's still impossibly difficult to do, and we still require the Mana Arc to make primordial mana, but we should be able to make more at one time.

"It seems that this is the proper way to make primordial mana," Kayafe has a hand on her chin. "But we are no closer to discovering a new form of mana."

"It's not like we can just dream it up; if it exists, we'll find it eventually," I say.

My training was interrupted, and I am eager to get back to it. I have, of course, maintained my efforts to fuse my Bond and Anima over the last two weeks, averaging about two levels per day. However, it really is going slow. It will still take me about three years to reach the next stage of my Bond, so unless I find a way to power level my Bond, I should just move ahead and evolve my Classes, even if they don't go up in tier.

Now that I think about it, I should have asked Urolon… or maybe not; he probably would have wanted to trade for that knowledge. Yrania then? Where is she, anyway? Did she get put into time-out or something?

I look over the entire Nexus for the Mind Dragon but see neither hide nor horn of her.

"Yrania!" I call out, just in case she is playing Jedi again. No response.

I suppose I'll have to figure this out myself, then.

Surely there has to be a quicker way to gain Bond levels, right? I don't have three years to get to the next stage.

"What's the matter?" Kayafe asks.

"We've been postponing our training, and I am worried it will take too long to get the strength I need before I meet with the other gods. At my current rate, it will take three years for me to reach the next stage of my Bond, but that's nowhere close to the power I need. I am almost seventeen years old already!"

I informed Kayafe of my situation soon after Urolon arrived, so she is in the loop now.

"This is why Bond Classes are no good." Kayafe huffs, not wasting a moment to slander Bond Classes. "Compared to most other beings, you are leveling your Bond at a lightning-fast pace, so imagine what you'd be at now if you didn't rely on it. I'm not saying the Bond itself is bad, just the Bond Classes."

"If I change now, I'll just have to spend more time figuring out a new style to fight with"

My Classes fit my style, so I don't see a reason to change them. I need to make them stronger and raise their tier, which means reaching the next stage of my Bond, but that's not reasonable in the timeframe I have available to me. So, if I am not able to advance through levels then I need to seek another way to get a good Class. Of the few ways I know that influences Class growth, improving my Bond skills is the safest and most beneficial method as it makes me stronger, can be done without combat, and contributes to Bond level. I have two more days before we ship off to the Lunaleyan lands again. I wonder how many Bond Skills I can evolve by then?

I should start with either my teleportation, wings, or my clones first since they are my staple Bond skills. Of the two, which do I need more? The answer is obvious. My clones. I have [Manipulate Magic] if I need to fight.

I'm pretty sure I know what I need to do. It's the same thing the Butterfly I fought did. Send the Bond spell inward and let the mana become Bond mana before casting it.

I channel [Duplicate Self] and send it flowing through my Bond's presence, flowing through me, before finally casting the spell, a perfect copy of me materializes, completely identical to me. The apparent soul, mana signature, and even gravitational pull have no perceivable difference to the real me. It's as if I conjured a real clone that I can control.

Ting! Your Bond skill, Duplicate Self, has evolved into Copy Self!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 1089-1096!

A true illusion. It's not just an image being conjured with mana; no, this goes far beyond that!

"Can your spells do this?" I smile smugly at Kayafe.

"Hmm, if I apply magic correctly, maybe?" She says, flicking a tail in thought.

"Then how about something a little more complex?"

I cast [Figment of Reality] with my new Bond casting method and watch as everything my perception tells me warps into a meadow, complete with beautiful butterflies fluttering around. Each facet of the illusion appears as its own individual and real thing in a way that would be extraordinarily difficult to achieve with even several spells.

Ting! Your Bond skill, Figment of Reality, has evolved into Personal Reality!

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 1097-1104!

Seven levels again, this will be a very welcome boost. If it's this easy to evolve my bond skills, then I am sure I can evolve them even further. I wonder just what my Bond will be capable of now?

Clone POV:

I duck and weave between Esofy's attacks, aiding my movements with [Acting], taking the role of a spear master. She redoubles her efforts and goes all out, safe in the knowledge that my clone can't be hurt.

I take three cuts, two shallow and one deep. These can easily be healed, but it shows that I am not fast enough to dodge Esofy's onslaught of attacks. I try to retaliate, but Esofy manages to land a good hit.

I had learned that my many long tails are a detriment in close combat since they make pretty obvious targets, and that would throw off my balance if I were to use my real body and I were to lose some of my tails. However, they aren't all bad. I can more easily shift my body weight to dodge faster; I just have to learn how to keep them safe.

This is all without armor. We started with it, but Esofy convinced me that I should learn not to rely on it.

"Some enemies, monster or not, might be able to cut right through it. It's better to learn how to dodge and save the armor for when hits are unavoidable"

I feel like her near-death experience with the Heroic tier void slime led to this philosophy.

So, that's what I am doing. Evasion practice. More specifically, improving my reaction time, which may or may not work since I am not practicing with my real body. What it does help with is decision-making. Or more to the point, re-training my body's natural instincts by beating out the bad reactions through repeated failures and training in the good ones that actually work.

Esofy follows up her hit with a feint, cutting upwards only to suddenly thrust. I fail to see the upward cut as a feint in time and take another hit.

"Don't try to statically block attacks. It's better to evade; stepping back would have prevented both the upward cut and the thrust. Or you can repel my sword, which would have made me unable to thrust; if you control your opponent's weapon, you control the flow of battle. And finally, put yourself in a position where your foe can't retaliate by stepping to their offhand side. Like this!"

Esofy parries my next attack harshly, blowing my spear away from the force of the attack and side-stepping to my undefended side before holding her sword to my neck.

"Most monsters aren't smart enough for feints and tactics but never let your guard down; some are deceptively intelligent."

"I know. Most monsters can be categorized into either animalistic, intelligent, or sapient" I say.

"That's a better way to put it; I'm going to use that next time"

I still have to train with my real body once I learn to recognize attack patterns, but I'll save that for after I come back from the second trade trip to the Lunaleyan lands.

After an hour of this, Esofy takes a break while Chyzu steps up to train my ability to dodge spells. I don't retaliate since I don't want to hurt or stress the baby growing in her.

Dodging spells is a breeze for me. I can see the spell being cast before it even manifests, not to mention I can nudge it with my manipulation if I really need to. In the end, Chyzu needed to call several other caster and non-caster mages to join before I started having trouble.

I had to limit my use of manipulation since this should also train my ability to dodge physical ranged attacks. Regardless if it is a spell or arrow, my perception allows me to know of an attack long before it is cast or shot.

After a long day, Esofy calls for the end of the training. All the trainees go to the bathhouses while my clone flies off to a den to practice against some monsters.

Chapter 217: Familiar

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Ting! Your Bond skill, Aurora Prism, has evolved into Star Prism!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Beauty Gatling, has evolved into Beauty Auto Cannon!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Star Cannon, has evolved into Conjure Star!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Aurora Blade, has evolved into Conjure Aurora!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Bestow Wings, has evolved into Fairy Wings!

Star Prism:

(Beauty)

Shoot out a laser with the intensity and power of concentrated starlight at up to ten people.

Beauty Auto Cannon:

(Beauty)

Shoot concentrated balls of liquid beauty mana to blast through even tough defenses, in rapid succession.

Conjure Star:

(Beauty) (Illusion)

Conjure a small illusory star that explodes upon reaching a destination, damaging everything in the blast radius.

Conjure Aurora:

(Beauty) (Illusion)

Conjure a physical aurora in any shape you imagine; this aurora can block anything that comes into contact with it.

Fairy Wings:

(Beauty) (Illusion)

Bestow wings to anyone you wish that are incredibly fast and agile. This negates the effects of wind and dampens inertia.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 1105-1132!

I zip through the air, faster and more agile than ever. The air whips through my hair and rushes past my ears that I had to fold back, but it was exhilarating! In about twelve minutes, I have reached the edge of nexus, roughly going about five hundred kilometers an hour! Thankfully, the skill includes protection against the negative effects of flying so fast.

I conjure three stars and send them flying high into the sky and watch them blast away a lone cloud. Although they are an "illusion", they have very real effects. I mean, at this point, what's the difference between an illusion and something real? Or maybe that's the point; maybe there is no difference.

I zoom back home, for I have many more Bond Skills to evolve.

I've been wondering how to evolve my fairies; after all, how much more can I improve the 'fairy' if it's already based on the real thing? So I just have to think outside the box. It seems that this stage of my Bond wants me to internalize my Bond, and make it unique to me and me alone.

The reason why the "illusions" become real is that I am projecting that reality that exists inside of me onto the real world. So to improve my other Skills, I have to do something similar.

Ultimately my fairies are just a reshaped spell; they don't have to be fairies. So how can I turn them into something more unique to me? Or perhaps It can be the other way around, turn the spells into something more like the fairies?

That might work. I conjure a fairy with the new method by first floating it along my presence as it flows through my anima or wherever it is going.

Ting! Your Bond skill, Fairy Avatar, has evolved into Conjure Fairy!

Conjure Fairy:

(Beauty) (Illusion) (Summon)

Conjure a realistic illusory fairy that will follow your command.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 1133-1139!

A fairy manifests and starts curiously looking around and exploratively pokes at nearby objects like a newborn child. It even has a soul… or rather, it only appears to. I increase my perceptive pressure to see the Bond mana and make sure it's just part of the illusion.

Good, I don't want to spawn fairies just to send them to their deaths.

It certainly has intelligence, but that's part of the illusion… I hope. Without any soul or vitality, there's no other way for me to tell if it's actually alive. Can it even be considered alive? At this point, it's more akin to an NPC from a game and not an actual living and thinking being.

So what about my [Create Familiar] skill? How can I improve it? Make it more intelligent? Lend it a mind component or something? As long as it's not its own living creature, then it should be fine. However, at this point, [Conjure Fairy] is pretty much the same as my current familiar, so maybe just a smarter fairy isn't something that I want, but I'll still give it a mind component just to experiment.

I cast the Skill, floating it along my presence as usual, and when the spell reaches the deepest parts of my… Bond? I open my soul and drift a single mind component to it. I also give it a small amount of vitality so the component will stick to the spell.

All seems to go well until I feel a chill run through my soul, and I watch as my excess ectoplasm is drawn to the spell! The ectoplasm begins to form a small and seemingly incomplete soul! In a blazing display of beauty mana, what appears to be a fox with five long and fluffy tails manifest with a body of Bond mana with flowing vitality running through veins like blood.

Ting! Your Bond skill, Create Familiar, has evolved into Conjure Familiar!

Conjure Familiar:

(Beauty) (Summon)

Conjure a familiar with a proto-soul. This soul is linked to yours, and when its vessel dies or is dispelled, the soul will be housed in yours until resummoned. The familiar shares your Bond and will always follow your command but otherwise can act on its own.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 1139-1151!

Is.. is it living?

I pat the fox-like creature on the head, and it responds with an affectionate purr, rubbing its head against my palm.

I suppose this is what I get for messing with things I don't fully understand, but the question still stands, is it alive or just "alive" like the fairies are? I analyze the familiar.

Alysara's Familiar

In any case, it doesn't have its own Skills or Classes. I'll need Layna to check if it has Anima or not, but I doubt it, and its soul isn't a full soul, so maybe I got lucky? After all, the Bond is a connection to me, and if it has my Bond, then is it just a part of me? This is too confusing. It is entirely in that grey spot where nothing fits to fully classify it as one or the other.

Still, I didn't even think this could happen without a soul-based Class or something. Yes, I gave it a mind component, but that is all it should have had. This leads to another question. It has a soul component, but does it have a metaphysical mind and personal identity?

I'm going to need Yrania to look at it, and she should be very interested in this, considering her interests. Where is she, anyway?

"Yrania, I know you're there."

No answer.

"I just want to know the mental state of this familiar, if it even has one

Several seconds go by before a pink-scaled dragon the size of a domestic cat appears in front of me, next to my familiar.

"I thought I removed my presence from your mind." Yrania grumbles, "You must have built up a resistance."

"Resistance?" I tilt my head in confusion. I haven't gained any mental resistance levels or breakthroughs…

I check my skill, and to my surprise, I have several more levels and a new breakthrough!

21st breakthrough: You have resisted efforts to remove a presence from your mind; this will help you notice those that wish to stay unnoticed.

"When did I…" I murmur.

"Well you'd notice something was up if you suddenly got Skill notifications, so I had to make it, so you don't notice those as well." Yrania shrugs. "Anyway, to answer your question, that Familiar does not have its own personality. It's just like your extra minds. It has the component and metaphysical mind but not its own individuality or personality."

"You don't sound super surprised about it," I say, noticing Yrania's mere mild interest. I thought she would have been very interested in it.

"You are not the first to conjure familiars; many cultures out there make use of them. They can become far more independent, and some even have their own Classes and Bond levels. Familiars are intrinsically linked to their summoner. When the summoner dies, they die; otherwise, they can just be resummoned. It's very powerful, especially if you have a legendary tier familiar."

Yrania walks around the familiar, inspecting it. "But this is my first time seeing it done with a Bond. Usually, it's a skill, one of the five known ultimate skills; I wonder if you can get your first Class to get the skill version? The Skill version shares the Class, but yours shares the Bond. Can you get an early familiar with both Class and Bond?"

Being able to summon and resummon a legendary tier being every time it is defeated? Yeah, I'd say that is worthy of an ultimate skill.

"Will the familiar die if its proto-soul is destroyed?" I ask. Twitching a tail in worry.

"Yes, but if they can gain a skill to resist soul damage, that will help, making them invincible to all but the strongest of soul mages."

So I can go even further with my Familiar, but do I want to? Wouldn't it be the same as creating life to serve as a slave?

"Don't worry about it too much," Yrania says, probably reading my mental state. "Familiars are often happy to serve their creators, and if you are kind to them, that will only make them happier. Think of them as beloved pets that can't die."

I have time to think about this and what I want to do with it, but for now, I'll keep it around.

I bend down and pat its head once more. I make it smaller using my Bond and place it on my shoulder, since it's made of mana, it's massless, so it's not weighing me down. It nuzzles my cheek and hangs on dutifully.

This isn't so bad. It really is kind of like a pet.

Clone POV:

I Lounge on a soft sofa reading over Urolons crafting methodology while Kayafe reads the information on [Sense Divinity].

"The purpose of an item is one of the most important aspects that go into its creation. This purpose exists on several levels that can be summed up into roughly three parts."

"The first purpose that should be considered when making an item is the self-evident purpose. There are two aspects of self-evident purpose. One is the form of the item, which is perhaps the most self-evident. A sword is a weapon; a smithing hammer is a tool to forge with. Those are their purposes defined by the form in which they are made."

"This form, however, can be further built upon. For example: A sword is a weapon, and it can cut, but it doesn't have to be used in that way. It can be used for justice, to kill, or even cut only what the wielder wishes to cut. This is what is known as the Directed Purpose, what the item is solely crafted for. Further details on an item's Directed Purpose will be explained later."

I see. There's far more to crafting, which likely plays a large role in an item's theme that I've not been including in my crafts.

"Materials are another thing with self-evident purpose but can quickly backfire. Proper material usage is what separates the mediocre from the talented. It is easy to make a purpose that fits a single material. A fire gem can be used in a multitude of ways, from a utility warming stone to a powerful blazing weapon, but things can quickly ruin a piece if careful consideration is not made. The purpose of an item can easily be muddied by competing self-evident material purposes which destructively interfere with each other and will reduce the maximum potential of an item."

"Proper material usage will not only reach the maximum potential of the materials used, but may even surpass the sum of its parts. This is the crucial part that will determine if an item can become legendary"

This is pretty obvious to any skilled crafter, but having it spelled out really helps my intuition. Now, instead of going by what feels right, I can pair that with the purpose I intend for my item.

"Both the item form and proper material usage is what is known as the Intended Purpose. The careful consideration of materials to best fit the form and function is one that requires time to fully think through. Your Diadem is perhaps one the best examples that I can give you of Intended Purpose. The Diadem is a crown, a symbol of royalty. Royalty needs someone to rule over; your clones. In addition, the Diadem rests upon the head. The head is where the brain is, the physical organ that bridges the mind to the body, so it is easy to connect it to mental strengthening abilities. To summarize: the Intended Purpose is making an item with the best materials and form for its function."

Again, this is something that I intuitively knew already, but it's nice to finally have the words for it.

It's still a little more complicated. Urolon is talking to me, and he knows that I am an accomplished crafter, so he left a lot of nuances out. Basically, Intended Purpose is the symbolic theme that brings out the full potential of the item.

"Last is the Directed Purpose. This is what separates the masters from the skilled. Directed Purpose is a specialized purpose you have for your items. It is what should be at the forefront of your mind with every moment you are crafting your item. Every breath, every swing of the hammer, you need to speak this purpose, and when the item is made, it will have adopted that purpose. This is what makes a sword cut only what its wielder wishes. This is what makes a legendary item."

"Naturally, the Directed and Intended Purpose should not conflict, but you are encouraged to find unique and rare purposes for your items when possible. This doesn't make it any better, but it does have a chance of giving the item an ability most are unprepared for. An example would be a sword that cuts vitality, anima, soul, or mind instead of matter. Most would think in terms of what the sword can already do, like making it sharper or more durable. Rarely do people think of shifting the physical properties of the item."

This is what I was missing, but what I am more interested in is if this can work with mana properties. If I can make a physical sword ignore matter and instead cut anima, then why can't I do the same for mana?

Chapter 218: Taking Off

Ting! Your Bond skill, Beauty Explosion, has evolved into Prismatic Explosion!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Beauty Empowerment, has evolved into Beauty Enrichment!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Intensify Beauty, has evolved into Empassion Beauty!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Beauty's Blessing, has evolved into Beauty's Boon!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Serene Moment, has evolved into Timeless Beauty!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Blessing of Wholeness, has evolved into State of Wholeness!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Beauty Nova, has evolved into Star Nova!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Immaculate Translocation, has evolved into Graceful Translocation!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Sanctuary of Wholeness, has evolved into Domain of Wholeness!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Sanctuary of Passion, has evolved into Domain of Graceful Flames!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Sanctuary of Stillness, has evolved into Timeless Domain!

Ting! Your Bond skill, Serene Sanctuary, has evolved into Domain of Serene Winter!

Prismatic Explosion:

(Beauty)

Augment a Skill or spell with unstable mana to make it explode in a powerful blast.

Beauty Enrichment:

(Beauty)

Augment a Skill or Spell by adding mana for more power.

Empassion Beauty:

(Beauty)

Augment a Skill or Spell by intensifying its mana for more power.

Beauty's Boon:

(Beauty) (Blessing)

Bless a person, monster, or thing with beauty. Slows aging, removes deformities, cures genetic diseases, and slowly gifts one's ideal beautiful features. Lasts for one hour per level.

Timeless Beauty:

(Beauty) (Time)

Slows time or speeds it up to a great degree.

State of Wholeness:

(Beauty) (Restoration)

Restores a person, monster, or thing to a state of wholeness and can use mana to rebuild missing parts. Furthermore, keeps the affected in a state of wholeness by preventing minor damage for one minute per ten levels.

Star Nova:

(Beauty) (Illusion)

Casts an explosion like that of an erupting star centered on you; you are immune to any damage caused by this Skill.

Graceful Translocation:

(Beauty)(Teleportation)

Teleport Anyone or anything anywhere within one kilometer per ten levels

Domain of Wholeness:

(Beauty) (Restoration)

Slowly heal and prevent minor damage to everyone within a diameter of one meter per level.

Domain of Graceful Flames:

(Beauty) (Illusion)

Conjures an area of one meter per ten levels of beautifully dancing flames that burn only your enemies.

Timeless Domain:

(Beauty) (Time)

Slows or speeds up everything in a one meter per ten levels area.

Domain of Serene Winter

(Beauty) (Winter)

Conjures an area of one meter per ten levels of beautifully dancing snowfall that freezes only your enemies.

Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 1152-1255!

That's all the Bond Skills that I can improve for now. I am sure I can further improve a few of these for more levels, and I already have a few ideas for some of the domain Skills.

I can now easily switch between skills after five minutes of effort; still not battle-capable switching yet, but I am getting there. Furthermore, most of my previous versions of Skills have pretty much become innate to my Bond. This means that I can use the Skills without them being Skills now, but those are the weaker versions, so it's not too helpful unless I don't have their stronger version equipt.

Now that I can use [Blessing of Purity] freely, I can safely say I have the cleanest house in the Nexus; there's not a speck of dust to be found!

I can now teleport anywhere in the Nexus, too; no more flying needed. I am definitely keeping that permanently equipped!

[Timeless Beauty] is another one that seems really useful; by speeding myself up a lot, I can get a whole day's work done in a single hour! Or I can do a lot more research in a single day which would have helped a lot when researching Inscriptions for Urolon's dumb test.

[Beauty's Boon] is really interesting. It directly says that it even fixes genetic diseases and deformities, something that Wholeness doesn't do. Slowing aging seems great too, and I assume it's aging, not physical maturity. It even can change one's appearance into what they view as ideal beauty, but I wonder if it doesn't have to do that. I feel like any cosmetic surgery should be done with permission, even if it's what someone would want. It lasts for fifty days at my current level, so it's set and forget, but it never states how long the cosmetic surgery takes nor how much it slows aging, so I guess I have to figure that out myself.

I wonder if I'll get to a point where I can stop aging entirely or even de-age people. But if we are talking about future prospects, I should start a cosmetic alteration business alongside my tailoring one. I am sure tons of people will want blemishes removed and be more beautiful.

My Wholeness healing Skills just got massive improvements. It's not just healing anymore but now a damage-resisting Skill! I am sure there are things I can't prevent damage, like damage on the Soul, Anima, and things like that, but maybe in time, those will be included. Furthermore, I can now restore objects even if they have missing pieces! Before, I could only fix objects if I had all the pieces.

I feel like my Bond is catching up to [Manipulate Magic] now. Still not in combat but definitely in utility. Other than evolving my Bond Skills for the past week, I've also been doing normal Bond training, and we did some combat training in the dungeon for a few days. I've been keeping up with Esofy's training too, and attended with my real body a few times. It's different, and I didn't account for several things, but now I know what it's like, and I can emulate that with my clones.

Unfortunately, I can't just train forever, the world keeps moving, and now it's time to go back to the Lunaleyan lands.

I've been thinking about Klaman's offer for a while, and I think I've settled on an acceptable compromise. Take the Empress offer for only a limited time. This will deepen our relationship with the Lunaleyans; I can build a semi-permanent residential spot for Runalymo that can be a potential evacuation destination if things go very wrong in the Nexus. Once I am strong enough that I am sure I can take on any threats to the Nexus, then I abdicate the throne and live peacefully.

In short, it's a temporary solution for a temporary problem with the added benefit of building close relations to allies and further prosperous trade with them. I can think of it as a CEO taking over a failing business to get it back on its feet in exchange for benefits or whatever.

That said, I have little experience in ruling and will need all the help I can get. I do have resources, though. I have Tusile, Guklaro, and the other Elders. Lanya might give me advice for the right price, and Kayafe may have some good insight. I am not without teachers and advisors.

The Entylamo is being stocked as well as three other new ships similar in build and function to the Entylamo. We figured four ships loaded with goods will bring in far more profit and can complete the trade routes in a shorter time, so we don't have to spend an entire week there.

Of course, those ships were built by Kayafe and me.

"I am eager to see the Lunaley," Kayafe says, her tail wagging in excitement. "I wonder what they are like and what cultures they have made for themselves"

In Kayafe's time, her people didn't really have their own culture, so she must be excited to see how the Lunaley have branched off.

"Are there other Islands around?" She asks.

"The Lunaley is the closest, but I haven't checked if there are any further out. To be honest, I have my time occupied enough as it is. Getting roped up with trade relations for more islands out there will take up too much of my focus away from more important things, like getting stronger for when Safyr leaves."

"Then just locating them is enough. The Elders will have enough international relations practice with the Lunaley in a few years that you can trust them to handle the rest if there is anyone else out there," Kayafe says.

She's right; I don't have to shoulder this burden again, simply finding them and reporting to the Elders is enough.

In any case, we are ready to set out once again in a few hours; I hope there isn't another visitor while we are away.

Oathbound Lin arrives back at the Palace, his mission done. The guards open the door for him, and a rush of mana and an assortment of other presences sweeps past him as he enters. The doors thud behind him, closing to prevent the mana from becoming a danger to the rest of the city.

There are a few towers meant to vent the mana into the sky where it can safely flow along the leylines, but it's still too dangerous for the citizens living nearby.

"Brother Lin, the Emperor has another mission for you," Oathbound Squire Eric says.

"Thank you, Brother Eric" Lin replies

They are all brothers in arms, and the Emperor encourages this bond. The Oathbound Knights are more than just an order of royal Knights; they are a brotherhood, a tight-knit group willing to die for each other.

Another one? I haven't even reported back to him yet; this must be important.

He can imagine what it's about, though. Alysara and Kayafe. The Emperor had shown him the paintings of his old companions and told him his story, but why did he choose him specifically for this mission? Why when he was already on a mission?

The answer must be in the one that has enhanced [Sense Mana]. The Emperor must want something from Alysara and needs to know if she is capable; this is the only reason why he would wait for him to come back instead of sending another Oathbound.

He enters the throne room. The Emperor stands in the center, not sitting on the throne. The throne itself is actually very uncomfortable, and it's that way by design. The Emperor doesn't want rulership to be a luxury but a burden so that he never falls into complacency.

"Lin, welcome back" The Emperor greets Lin with a fatherly embrace. "I know it is unfair to send you out so soon after your return and to rob you of your well-deserved rest, but only you are fit for this mission."

"I am ready to serve for a hundred years straight if need be, Emperor; no need to worry about me."

"You make me proud, Lin. Your mission is a diplomatic one. Find Alysara and request her services to see what the dwarves are up to. However, to avoid poisoning future relations, we need to be sure Alysara is capable enough to avoid the Dwarven retaliations. This will, of course, require you to test her abilities. If you find her lacking, then just try to form good relations with the Runalymo."

As the head of counter-intelligence, he has a mind mage Class and one dedicated to foiling perceptive abilities, even if he isn't particularly skilled in such perceptive abilities. He can track, block, retaliate with spells, and more, so he is perfect for the Job.

He would prefer if Ryan came with him since he is the foremost expert in perceptive abilities, but sending more than one Oathbound is the same as sending an army as a diplomatic entourage. Basically, it'd turn into a show of force rather than an attempt to establish diplomatic relations.

However, one could argue even one Oathbound is a show of force since even one is worth an army, if not more so.

"Also," The Emperor adds, his voice growing heavier. "Be careful of the dragon, Safyr. It's been ten thousand years, but back when I was traveling with my companions she was known as the Sapphire Tyrant, one of the three most powerful dragons in the world. She sunk a large partition of the continent, slew three Spirit Gods, hundreds of Elementals, and more. She is stronger than me and it would take me and the full force of the Oathbound Knights at their peak to even hope to match her. We think the Runalymo live in the Nexus that she now calls her territory, but it's best to confirm if that assumption is right. If not, then you'll need to look for them."

Lin can already feel the stress building up. He suspected a dragon but not one of the most powerful ones.

Most, if not all, kingdoms out there keep records of world messages, and the older the kingdom the more records they have. When the Emperor overthrew the barbarian kings, he kept their records which date reliably back fifteen thousand years and as far as nineteen thousand years, but those records are more sparse.

This is why they know what Safyr has done; they must have combed through the records to learn all they can about the dragon.

Needless to say, Lin cannot afford to bring the wrath of a powerful dragon upon the empire, especially in their weakened state.

"Is there any advice you can give me on how to approach the Nexus?" Lin asks. If it is Safyr's territory, then he can't just barge in.

"Wait at the edge of it and let your presence be known, just like you learned when you were a squire."

Every Oathbound is trained in how to approach legendary beings; in hindsight, Lin shouldn't have needed to ask.

"Calm down, Lin" The Emperor adopts a softer tone and places a hand on his shoulder. "Safyr has been dormant for a long time; she's not looking for fights anymore. Trust in your training, and you'll do well. You are strong enough that it would take too much effort to chase you away if you aren't looking to challenge her but weak enough that she wouldn't see you as a threat."

Strong enough to be an inconvenience but weak enough not to do anything about it, that is the ideal way to engage in diplomacy with legendary beings, that or just be strong enough they aren't a threat.

"Thank you, your Majesty."

"If you feel the need, then rest for a few days; I don't think Alysara is going anywhere."

"Thank you, but I am ready to set out today," Lin says, steeling his nerves.

The Emperor didn't say, but this is a time-sensitive mission if he feels like he needs to hire services from someone outside of the Empire. Whatever the Dwarves are doing has him worried, and every day can be the difference between life and death for tens of thousands.

"I am proud to count you among Oathbound, Lin," The Emperor says, patting his shoulder.

"What about Kayafe? Do you have a message for her?"

"Tell her that I'd like to see her again, when she's ready."

"Understood!" Lin salutes. He Leaves the throne room and up to a balcony where he can fly off. He lifts himself with his mind, parting the air in front of him to reduce wind and drag. He spots the current of mana drifting toward the Leviathan Sea and follows it; it will eventually lead him to the Nexus.

Chapter 219: Ancient Meets Lunaley

Archmage Holuna Ruluna stands at the docks, along with Governor Orlan and Headmaster Vulpun. They watch as not one, not two, but four Runalymo ships made out of mana soar through the sky!

"If just one of those is enough to siege a city, then we are fortunate they are allies," Orlan remarks, wearing a grim expression.

One of the airships moves to land at the docks while the others fly over the city and toward the other cities.

"Something concerns me," Vulpun says. "They set a schedule for trade fit for one ship, not four. While it is good for trade that they have more, and they'll be ahead of schedule, why not set trade routes as if they had four?"

"Maybe because they were under construction?" Ruluna proposes.

"Even if that's the case, and we ignore that it took Alysara months to make the first one, they could have still moved ahead if the ships were on track to be completed in time," Vulpun replies.

"Perhaps, or maybe it was completing the Mana Arc that allowed her to do that," Orlan swishes his tail.

"We'll see…" Vulpun says as the ship splashes down before parking next to the pier.

A gangplank is lowered, and the first to walk down are the Runalymo Elders, followed by Alysara and another unknown woman who looks more like Lunaley than Runalymo.

Five tails now?

Ruluna's attention is drawn to the five very long and fluffy tails behind the blind prodigy. Her Bond presence feels a little more powerful, but there's also something else that she can't quite put her finger on. Rather than just the presence of beauty, it's almost like there's a trace of her in it now.

Instead of spending the next few minutes contemplating Alysara's Bond presence, she turns her attention to the new face. She has the same shade of blue hair color as Alysara, but she feels far more powerful, even though she is suppressing her presence.

Saintess of the Runalymo. Mana Queen Runalymo (Legendary), Level 2234 Magic Caster (Legendary), Level 1887 Grand Mana Seer (Legendary), Level 1725 Mana Conduit (Exalted), Level 1555 Oblivion Mage (Legendary), Level 2112 Water Bond

A chill runs down Ruluna's spine, causing her tail to puff up in alarm. Looking at Orlan and Vulpun, they must have also seen the newcomer's status. It takes her a minute, but when she recovers from the initial shock, she realizes that she got a new breakthrough in [Analyze] for seeing titles. She knew of titles through the World Notifications, but this is her first time seeing someone who has one.

She must be Kayafe from the world message.

She's not only legendary in three Classes and her Race, but her last Class is not ordinary and feels like her strongest. Then there's her title and the fact that her combined levels are more than five times her own!

Orlan is the first to greet the Runalymo, and as he does that, Vulpun leans toward Ruluna and whispers in her ear.

"Magic Caster, you know what that means, right?"

Ruluna blinks, taking a moment to realize that he is talking about Kayafe's first Class. Magic Caster, that means she has some level of control over magic itself, right? That shouldn't be possible, but this class name seems to indicate otherwise.

Of course, it could be something else, but the system tries its best to describe Classes in the ways one would understand. By naming a Class 'Magic Caster', that can only mean that Kayafe can cast true magic, even if it's limited in some ways. If that wasn't true, the system would have called it something else.

Two different people can [Analyze] the same person and receive different Class names, but, in most cases, if they speak the same language, then they will see the same thing.

Ruluna nods. "What do you think we should do?"

"This is an opportunity that we need to capitalize on. We must do everything we can to gain her respect."

"How?"

Ruluna is not a noble; she hasn't learned how to act around VIPs. Well, Alysara counts, but that was a special case where Ruluna was the only one who could communicate at first. It is Vulpun who is good at this sort of thing; what does he expect her to do?

"I'll handle it, but since you are closer to Alysara, I'll need you to get any information from her she is willing to give."

Ruluna suppresses a groan. More politics. Ever since Alysara arrived, she's been stuck doing these stupid political jobs. She wants to go back to the simpler times when it was just going out and killing monsters.

"... This is the Headmaster of the Order of Flame, Vulpun, and the Archmage of the Order of Flame, Ruluna," Governor Orlan introduces them.

Hearing their names being mentioned, they switch their attention to their guests.

"I am Kayafe." The Legendary being says in a thick accent.

Alysara must have taught her the language, but she likely only had a few days to practice.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance" Vulpun bows deeply.

Ruluna follows Vulpun's lead and bows.

"We would like to invite you to a feast to deepen our relationship," Governor Orlan says, primarily addressing the Elders, but the offer includes Alysara and Kayafe.

Likewise, Orlan wants to ally with Kayafe, but he can't ignore the Elders.

"We would be delighted to attend." One of the Elders answers, no longer needing Alysara to translate.

"Will you be attending as well, miss Kayafe, miss Alysara?" Orlan asks.

Both nod.

"Well then, it will start in the evening; until then, we'll gladly give you a tour of our city for anyone who wasn't here the last time."

Kayafe didn't know what to expect from the Lunaley, but they seem like a rather ordinary society from her short tour. She is pleased to see that this country doesn't use slavery, that she can see anyway, and that they seem to be doing well economically.

This is what she expected to see when she was finally freed from the Mana Arc. That's not to say the current Nexus as it is, separated into Islands and with a more or less tribal community, is bad. It is just that it was certainly not what she had expected.

She is first shown the city center, where there is a large and beautiful fountain. It's almost like a park with several ash-colored trees and bushes; pathways carve through the greenery with benches at intervals. Three statues dedicated to Vanaro are in the city center park, but there are no statues of any other spirit gods.

It takes fifteen minutes to cross the park at a leisurely pace, but many wealthy-looking pedestrians are walking around and enjoying nature. There's an artist sitting on a bench painting a woman posing on the fountain, dressed in modest clothes.

Naturally, the surrounding houses are expensive mansions that only the rich can afford, but that doesn't stop less wealthy people from visiting the park. Couples that look to be of working-class wander the park on a date while others are tending to the plants.

After visiting the park; she, Aly, and the other Runalymo who came with them toured around the Grand Bazaar. It is a large marketplace with hundreds of shops, for a one-stop location for all of one's needs. Apparently, it is the place a merchant wants to be to sell their wares, so the cost of setting up a shop is high.

All kinds of trinkets, gadgets, furniture, and more can be found here. Many shops hang a banner associated with their order, from the Order of Merchants to the Order of Cobblers.

However, there is one thing Kayafe noticed that is clearly missing from the bazaar, food goods.

"That's because the Orders that produce food didn't want to pay the high costs, so they decided to make their own market exclusively for their own goods," Governor Orlan explains when the question is brought up.

They visited many other places until it came time for the feast. They enter a grand hall where many wealthy and noblemen have already gathered and are co-mingling.

Memories of her adventures flash through her mind. At the time she was traveling around the world, she often met the nobility of distant kingdoms. At first, she needed allies to help fight the old human kings. Then, once she became legendary, they came to her. Every kingdom has problems that cannot be solved without the power of legendary beings. For those who don't have any of such power, visiting legendary tier adventurers are a great boon for them.

She wonders if this feast will be a similar pretense to gain her favor or have her solve some problem beyond their abilities—

"Orlan! You didn't tell me we would have a new special guest!" An overly loud voice booms through the hall, interrupting Kayafe's thoughts, as a large muscled man approaches her, followed by a voluptuous woman.

He stops in front of her and bows deeply and gracefully, before posing and flexing his defined muscles. His Beauty Bond presence simmers down from the burst he had let out with his entrance.

It is clear he has developed his Bond differently from Alysara, which is to be expected considering cultural and individual differences. The nature of Bonds is highly specific to the individual. Their views and ideologies of the nature of their Bond strongly develops their Bond in unique ways.

To these siblings, Beauty must be something that demands attention or similar to that. With that said, however, they need to learn Bond discipline. It is not a problem for most, but certain Bonds, or Bonds developed in certain ways, might want someone to act one way even if it might be disadvantageous. One must remember that they are not their Bond.

"Greetings! I am Ora Ara Van, and this is my sister, Ryn."

"I am pleased to meet you." Ryn bows elegantly, letting her presence fill the air as her brother's had, but with a more refined feel to it.

"Likewise," Kayafe bows. "I am Kayafe."

"I would love to hear your stories Kayafe; I am sure you have many," Ryn says. Meanwhile, Van is walking toward Alysara.

Here it begins.

Kayafe suppresses the urge to roll her eyes. These two are clearly social climbers, and she would rather not be tied up in their mess. She is past adventuring and helping people with their problems; they've already lived this long with them, so they can continue living with them.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not confident enough in my understanding of your language to tell a good story." Kayafe gives an excuse.

She glances over at Alysara, who doesn't seem to be too enthused talking with Van.

Guess I'll save her from him. It will also give me an excuse to stay away from all the politicking.

"Excuse me" Kayafe politely says to Ryn, walking over to Alysara. However, just as she was about to reach Orlan loudly announces that the food will be served momentarily and that all the guests should take their seats now.

This reminds her of the fact that her current body can't actually eat food, and it will be quite awkward if no one sees her participating; how will she get out of this little issue?

Not a Clone POV

It's the eve before I depart for the Lunaleyan lands again, and I am catching up with my family while I have a clone making more Entylamo-type airships. I show off my new abilities and my familiar, the former going almost entirely unnoticed in favor of the familiar, which the twins absolutely adore.

"It's so soft and fluffy!" Yafel grins, hugging my familiar and patting its head.

"I want to hold it too!" Yafe complains, rubbing its belly as it struggles to get out of their embrace.

I guess it's universal how kids treat pets. No matter what world, they will torture, tease, and be overly affectionate to them.

I suppose it's a good thing it's not really alive, but that 'save me' look it's giving me is making me think otherwise.

I almost forgot Kadona and Uloru can see Anima, so I didn't have to go to Lanya for this issue. She might have a breakthrough that they don't, so it might be good to double-check.

Still, I wonder if there's more to life than anima, soul, and vitality. It has a proto-soul, and if what Kadona says is true, that soul is life in identity, then does that mean its identity has yet to grow into its own?

It might have pseudo Anima too… Anima is life in concept; this is why the next step is fusing my Bond with the very concept of my life. However, if I am casting my spells through my Anima, then doesn't that mean my familiar is also made part of my Anima?

I think this is why Bond Mana can make 'real' illusions; I am literally giving the spells life. This has scary implications that I am draining my Anima even more, which is why I still need to consult with Lanya. Kadona and Uloru don't have the breakthrough to confirm my theory of Bond mana having Anima, but they say my anima isn't draining; at least not in any significant amount.

I summon another 'familiar' with [Personal Reality] for Yafe.

"Yay! Thank you Aly!" Yafe rubs her cheek against the fluffy illusory familiar.

"Can you show us how to make our own familiars?" Yafel asks.

"Of course," I pat their heads. "But it won't be the same, since you have water Bonds"

Well, plants and animals are mostly made of water so maybe they can make something more real than mine…

"But I want a fluffy one like yours!" Yafe complains

Perhaps if they get their Bond to the same stage mine is currently at they might be able to get what they want, but there's also the Skill version. I wonder which one is harder to get and which one is better. I'll be starting their mana weaving lessons soon, might as well add familiar training to it too.

Chapter 220: Arrogance

I sit back in the airship, flying toward the healer nation Helikan; the First ship will only be making its rounds in Vocana, but I need to talk to Lanya and Klaman, which this ship is traveling towards. Meanwhile, I have a Clone at the Vocana feast, and I use my upgraded teleportation to teleport my plate of food to me and use [Personal Reality] to make a copy, so no one's any the wiser.

That is when Kayafe telepathically connects to me.

"Can you help me out? I can't eat with this body."

Oh yeah, Kayafe's made of vitality now…

"Sure," I reply and teleport her plate to me, leaving an illusion behind.

I get raised eyebrows from the governors who know my tendency to use clones, but now they seem real, even partaking in the feast – at least it looks like it. They probably tried to [Analyze] me and got nothing which must leave them even more confused. Do I have a magic item hiding my stats, or is it a clone?

Anyway, they use this chance to try and schmooze up to Kayafe, talking first about what they can offer her as friends.

Kayafe is having none of it. Using her relatively little knowledge of their language to get out of their scheming.

While Kayafe has her political troubles, I have my own. Governor Van and Ryn sit next to me

"Good to see you again, Alysara!" Van says.

"Likewise," I respond, clearly showing disinterest in him.

"I see that you've improved your Bond again. Would you be interested in teaching my younger brother?"

Between Lotis, Kyhana, and my sisters, I already have too many people I am mentoring, but even if that weren't the case, I still wouldn't. At the end of the day, they are still foreign political entities, and I can't support someone like that. Doubly so if I become Empress. Their relations with the Luna Empire are likely quite complicated, and having the brother of a ruler of their nation trained by the Empress of the Luna Empire is likely to bring about all kinds of messy political situations.

"Sorry, but I can't," I reply. I don't elaborate on the reason and focus on my food instead.

Ryn leans over and whispers in Van's ear, to which he nods.

"Then we would like to again commission you to make a weapon from the Fire Elemental Heart, and if you do, we promise to defend your home whenever you ask. Furthermore, the Ora house and those we govern will never engage in offensive hostilities against you and your people."

"...I'll think about it," I say after a moment of thought.

The item I make from the heart would have to be very powerful, even among legendary items, in order for it to make a significant difference. If anything can overpower Kayafe and the Mana Arc, then I highly doubt this weapon would tip the tides if it's too weak.

Then there's the issue that the Ora House may not keep their word, or if they do, their descendants may not. What if the weapon is stolen? There are so many factors, and a simple promise not to use it against us does not give me much confidence.

That said, any allies, be they legendary themselves or have a Legendary tier item, are worthy allies that we really need when Safyr leaves.

It'd be best if all of the Lunaley lands and the Nexus were united, either as a federation or under one banner.

"Kayafe?" I send a telepathic message.

"Yes?" She responds.

"What do you think about forming something like a federation with these people, not just this nation but every nation on this island?"

"Still thinking about that whole empress thing? I won't stop you, but you should do what you want to do, not what you think you have to do."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Depends. How will it be governed? What assurances will the current rulers have that they will still have authority over their people? What if they don't want to join? What benefits do they get if they do join? There are many things you will need to figure out first, and even then, many may not want to. What then? Will you conquer them?"

"All that can be worked out in time; I just wanted to know what you thought about it."

"You should focus on getting as strong as you can so you don't need the strength of a nation to protect the people you love. All this does is distract you from your true goal, Alysara."

"Uniting these people could be worth a legendary point; that will grant me a lot of power," I argue.

"Many thought so too, and it rarely is the case. But even if that is the case, you can get one by crafting, which should be where your focus lies anyway. Making a legendary item not only grants you the point, but you also get the item making you far stronger than if you united a bunch of nations."

That does make sense…

"You should be making full use of Safyr's presence to get as strong as you can, and normally I'd say you can't be everywhere at once, but you kind of can be."

Perhaps Kayafe is right, I should be focused on improving myself. My growth has slowed down with all this trading and politicking, but…

"We still need allies, not just for safety either, but for a place to retreat to in case of the worst-case scenario."

"Let the Elders take care of that. Learn to delegate and trust the abilities of others, Alysara."

If I accept Klaman's offer, I can't easily take it back… perhaps I am being too hasty and should wait and focus on what I can do before making a long-term decision. Then again, If I can be everywhere as Kayafe suggests, then having one mind be empress wouldn't delay me too much; the only downside is the sheer distance I'd have to operate a clone, so that will have to be for after my class evolutions. In either case, I need to wait at least until I evolve my Classes before making my choice.

Jetlin knocks on the interviewing room, a stack of papers in his hand.

"Enter!"

He pushes the door open, seeing two instructors and the principal himself.

On his right is the potion teacher, Osala. She has long violet hair and vibrant green eyes with a cute soft round face. She is rather short and often mistaken for a child.

In the middle is the herbalist teacher, Klemon. He is a tall old man with grey hair and grey-blue eyes. He has sickly green stripes in places on his skin due to a side effect of life-extension elixirs.

Lastly, on the left is the Principal, Korathan. He is a bald man who lacks any hair, even eyebrows, eyelashes, ear, and tail fur, a side effect of Elixirs.

Jetlin takes the seat in front of them and hands them his papers.

"I have proof that Miasma will work in this elixir formula!" Jet begins.

The three in front of him sigh and shake their heads.

"We've been over this already, young Jetlin," Klemon says. "This is forbidden by the Grand Healer herself."

"Miasma is just a catalyst! It's safe in small doses!" Jetlin pleads his case.

This formula will elevate Helikan into becoming the most powerful nation in the world! Surely the instructors see this too!

"It doesn't matter if you are right or wrong; this research is forbidden!" Korathan raises his voice

"As long as the elixir isn't powerful enough to force any transformation, it's safe! I tested it on a few Rathins; it's safe! The Grand Healer will surely see this as proof that it can work!"

"You tested it?!" Korathan goes from disappointed to enraged. "Do you have any idea just how dangerous miasma is?! There is a reason why it's forbidden! A theory is not reality, A theory is only as good as our knowledge, and there are always things we haven't taken into account! I'd still have hair if that were the case! Your thesis is rejected, and if I ever hear of you dabbling in miasma again, you'll be expelled!"

"You are dismissed," Osala says.

Jetlin grit his teeth in fury and walks out and back to his dormitory room.

"Why is everyone such a fool!" Jetlin shouts, slamming his fist into a wall.

Searing pain shoots up his arm as he breaks his fist.

"Fuck!" he screams, nursing his hand before reaching into his belt for a healing potion. He chugs the disgusting liquid before pouring the last bit over his hand for immediate soothing. The potion will take time to work its way through his system and fully heal him.

"Why can't they see what this can do!"

They left him with no choice; if he wants to prove that miasma-infused potions and elixirs are not only better but safe as well, then he must show them with undeniable evidence!

He walks to his desk, where he has an elixir brewing station, and begins working. He starts by grabbing a pinch of enchanted iron dust and weighing it out. After a certain amount, there are diminishing returns in effectiveness, so he must be careful not to waste by adding too much.

The metal dust carries the primary enchantment responsible for elixirs and potions, and for some reason, iron is best to use. Other metals can be used, but iron is the most effective and lasts the longest.

He crushes the herbs into a paste and mixes it with water before adding the iron. He then heats the mix up to a boil before adding a catalyzer.

The mutagenic herbs are rare and expensive since they need certain magical properties that are rarely found in the world, and while there have been some productive attempts at cultivating them, it's not that easy.

Sometimes generations of herbs can produce the desired effect, then all of a sudden, one generation just doesn't have it. It's called herb regression, and it can happen at the worst of times. For this reason, most herbalists have two or three gardens, so if one regresses, there's another that they can use to replace the failed one.

Jetlin waits for the water to mostly boil out before taking two of his Lab Rathins and tying them up. Next, he force-feeds them a pain-inducing potion and stabs them with a hot needle. The hand size creatures squirm and squeak for several minutes, then he cuts off their heads and drains the blood into the brewing elixir.

This is a necessary step for adding miasma, the suffering of the Rathins creates it, which can then be drawn out through its blood. This must be done quickly, as the miasma will dissipate after some time. The catalyst he added earlier not only helps make the elixir, but it produces a slimy byproduct that can actually absorb the miasma for a few days.

This is just the first half, and there are several more steps afterwards such that when Jetlin is finally done, the sun has fallen and risen again.

He looks at the vial of cloudy yellow liquid, the finished elixir. There is enough for two mouthfuls, and if he did everything right, it should enhance him, make him stronger and smarter.

"I'll show them all just how wrong they are!"

He chugs the liquid used to the strange and oftentimes awful taste of potions. He hasn't taken a lot of elixirs, but the ones he had taken, tried and true ones with only temporary effects, usually tasted sour or sweet. This tastes bland and bitter, not disgustingly so, but it is definitely unpleasant.

It will take about a day for the elixir to mostly manifest and a week or two to take full effect. Especially potent elixirs can force change over the course of a day, and they are generally dangerous. Repeated doses can also force changes but have stronger effects; of course, potent or repeated uses also have greater chances of developing side effects.

Jetlin doesn't feel any different after drinking the elixir, but that's normal. He attends classes, and throughout the day, it feels like a fog has been lifted from his mind. His thoughts come more rapidly and clearer than ever before! However, he has a sudden craving for something, and his hand is starting to shake a little. He could really go for something bitter right now, perhaps something bland?

Chapter 221: Consequences

Grand Healer of Helikan, Lorana Lanya, can't help but sigh as she rests her forehead on her palm.

"So you're telling me the principal let that student continue with dangerous experiments?"

"He's not going to admit it," The Master of Elixirs, Tsulin, says. "But it is safe to say he willfully neglected the danger. He did lecture the student, as attested by witnesses, but that might have been just to cover his own ass."

"But why would he let someone continue forbidden research? I can understand not expelling the student, but not setting up a watch? Not confiscating anything that can be used to make cursed elixirs?"

"Probably because the kid's thesis is sound, and he secretly wanted it to be proven," Tsulin shrugs. "And he's right, the kid didn't become a cursed being, although he is now exhibiting extreme symptoms of withdrawal."

"We know too little," Lanya says. "We have no way of knowing if giving him more of that elixir or not is the correct choice, or if both choices end up the same"

"Or it could just be a mostly benign side effect, and he'll just have to live the rest of his life addicted to his elixir."

"We need to ask Alysara, she clearly knows more about curses than we do, and this is a matter of national security" Lanya gets up and walks to the window, opening it to get fresh air.

"You're worried Jetlin will turn into a cursed being?" Tsulin asks.

"Yes. This is completely new territory. We know nothing other than the one incident where a cursed being was created and nearly destroyed the city. We are still a couple of weeks away from meeting the—" Lanya pauses, noticing a dot in the sky that is slowly growing bigger. "... Or not, it seems she is ahead of schedule. Tsulin, prepare for the arrival of the Runalymo immediately."

He bows and walks out of the room.

That is impeccable timing, Alysara.

Lanya quickly gathers her other advisors to arrange a greeting party. They arrange carriages and ride them to the port just in time for the Runalymo airship to land and dock. The first out are the Elders, which Lanya greets politely, then Alysara walks out with a strange Forron-like creature trailing behind her. Both Alysara and the creature have five tails, which is a surprise but is not at all unexpected assuming rare race evolutions.

Multiple tails, flaming hair, a glowing halo, changes in hair color, and other metamorphic changes do happen and are generally a once-in-a-lifetime thing for any individual, with around eighty percent of people getting such an evolution. Some people, however, get multiple, and it seems Alysara is one such person.

"You are quite early. I hope everything is going well for you," Lanya says.

"It is going quite well for us," one of the Elders responds.

"We made extra ships so we can dedicate a ship to each country," Alysara says. "Although, we do need to make one more since we only have four right now."

Lanya [Analyzes] the ship, and it shows that it is only enchanted tier, but magically empowered. A chill runs down her spine. If the Runalymo can make three just as powerful as an exalted tier item in one month, then they might be unstoppable if they ever decide to go to war. They can have over thirty exalted tier equivalent warships in one year! Plus, the casual way Alysara said that, as if making three more was as easy as snapping her fingers.

She had gotten more powerful in the month she was away, but that makes sense; she got two legendary achievements. Klaman had told Lanya about legendary points and how they can be used, so it's only natural Alysara should be legendary tier now; plus, she has a title too, which makes her even more powerful.

However, when Lanya [Analyzes] the young woman, she gets no results. That is strange. It really seems like the real her, but it's probably just an illusory clone. She'll need to use her [Life Sense] on the area to find the real Alysara, but she won't risk angering the Elders if they have retaliatory items against sensing skills.

"Come, let us welcome you to the embassy," Lanya says, motioning the Runalymo to enter the carriages. "Also, I want to speak to you, Alysara, about curses."

"I accept. I also have questions to ask you, and I need my Anima healed again," she replies.

So soon? Lanya raises her eyebrow before glancing at the creature. It has blue fur with gold fur on the tips of its ears, tails, and feet. It has ears like that of the Forron but only two of them and has eyes; perhaps it's a cousin species to them?

Is it hurt in some way? Lanya can't imagine any other reason she'd have questions about it.

Alysara nods.

So, there is something about the creature she wants to know?

"First, didn't you cure your cursed skill already?" Lanya asks, getting the simplest question out of the way.

"One of them, yes," Alysara replies.

One of them? If she only had two then she'd probably say she has another, so she has at least three, well, two now, after curing one of them.

Lanya motions for Alysara to enter her carriage, and she follows after her. A guard moves to enter, but Lanya stops him.

"This will be a private conversation."

"As you wish, Grand Healer," the guard bows and joins the driver at the front.

"Is this the real you?" Lanya asks once the carriage door is closed and the sound protection enchantments activate. "I can get the healing out of the way now."

The illusion vanishes, and Alysara appears next to it. Lanya takes a brief moment to [Analyze] Alysara, taking note that she did evolve her race. However, Alysara still isn't legendary tier. She is heroic, not exalted. It's possible she's waiting for her race to be raised in tier one more time, that way, she only needs to use one legendary point since she can only become legendary once she's already exalted.

She then peers into her Anima and frowns as she sees something else. It's as if her Anima has traces of manifest beauty in it. She can't look away; her Anima is like an enrapturing display of life and beauty. More than that, it seems her capacity has increased somehow and is slowly, ever so slowly, expanding. It also seems like her Anima might be healing on its own, although it's hard to tell. At the very least, it's incredibly slow. A chime rings in her mind as she gains a new breakthrough, but it leaves her even more perplexed.

"Your Bond is somehow infused with your Anima," Lanya says.

"I know," Alysara says. "That's on purpose."

"Why? How? I don't know if I can heal Bond-infused Anima, I can try, but it may require a breakthrough that I don't have."

Lanya extends her powers, trying to refill Alysara's Anima back to full capacity, but it seems to reject pure Anima.

"I don't know what you did, but you don't have normal Anima anymore; in fact, it's incompatible with normal Anima now."

"It… is?" Alysara sounds a little worried.

"Yes, it could be healing on its own now, but it's too slow to say definitively. I'll need to know what happened to your Anima to know if it's even possible for me to heal it again."

Alysara spends a moment of thought before replying.

"I started fusing my Anima and Bond."

"Why?"

"It makes my Bond more powerful. The Bond is a bond, so the next level is this," Alysara shrugs. "That's also why I wanted to talk to you." She motions to the creature. "It is my familiar, and with it being made of my Bond, I was wondering if it shares my Anima. I want to know if it's truly alive. It is autonomous and has a pseudo soul, vitality, and a body. The only thing it might be missing is Anima."

Lanya examines the creature. At first she doesn't see any Anima, but as she continues to look, she begins to see the faintest trace of it. Anima this faint is not enough to be associated with a living creature of any sort.

"There's only residual Anima from the spell that conjured it; it doesn't have anima of its own. Now I have a question for you," Lanya says.

"Go ahead"

"What would happen if someone drank a cursed elixir?"

"It's hard to say; I haven't heard of anyone doing that. I would imagine they become a cursed being." Alysara answers.

"Well, I have a problem on my hands. Someone did exactly that. This is the second time this has happened in my nation. The first time, the individual did become a cursed being, but this time is different. It's hard to explain the situation, but the gist of it is that I need to know if there are any dangers, such as if his transformation into a cursed being is just delayed somehow, and what our options are."

"I'll need to see them. Do you have any retaliation items on this person?" Alysara asks.

"Not on them, no, but…. They are under house arrest on the academy grounds, which is protected. When do you want to see the kid? I can arrange a meeting."

"Now works, if that's fine with you."

"Very well, I'll tell the driver." Lanya is about to open the driver's window when Alysara holds up a hand.

"No need. I can teleport us there."

"It would be very bad if I am discovered to be missing from the carriage when we stop at the Embassy," Lanya says.

"Hmm." Alysara places a hand on her chin before smirking. "Give me a moment" Alysara seems to meditate for a minute before a copy of Lanya appears next to her, and she feels a link to it form. Next, Alysara touches her hand, and suddenly it's as if she has two minds!

"Now we can both be here and at the academy," Alysara says with a smile.

It takes Lanya a moment to adjust to the sudden turn of events, but she remembers reading that one of her items had the ability to temporarily give extra minds to someone.

"Do you do this all the time?" Lanya asks, still a little bewildered at the sensation of having two parallel minds, each with the ability to think independently of one another.

"Yes, I have more back home."

Lanya almost gets a headache just imagining being in any more places at once.

"This clone looks so real! If I couldn't see souls, I wouldn't be able to tell."

"Yeah, I'm still working that part out." Suddenly Lanya finds herself, or rather, her clone and temporary second mind, in the academy as if the world just decided she'd be more beautiful there, yet still in the carriage with the real Alysara at the same time!

"So that's how it feels to teleport," Lanya remarks, remembering how Klaman teleports all over the place.

"I'd teleport directly to the room, but I didn't want to alarm anyone," Alysara's clone says to hers.

"I need to talk to the principal anyway; he needs to know the consequences of dabbling in curses, if there are any."

They go to the principal's office, the hallways being mostly empty with classes still going on. Lanya knocks but doesn't wait for permission to enter.

"G-Grand Healer?!" a completely bald man says in a panicked tone before quickly bowing. "I-I didn't know you'd be arriving; if I had known, I'd—"

"That's enough, Korathan," Lanya cuts him off. "I know this is sudden, but I brought someone knowledgeable in curses with me; take us to the boy so she can examine him."

"Right away!" Korathan jumps out of his chair in a hurry.

Once they arrive at the room, pained groaning can be heard.

"I asked you about any retaliatory items on him in particular before, but are there any in the room?" Alysara asks.

"No, not in this particular room."

They enter and Alysara stands in the middle of the room for several long minutes, examining the boy with her sensing ability. An awkward silence falls over the room only broken by the pained noise coming from the bed.

"I see… Elixirs can influence race evolutions, right?" Alysara asks.

"Yes," Korathan says.

"His evolutions are cursed, all of them. If he tries to evolve his race, he'll turn into a cursed being. I don't know if he'll ever have an uncorrupted option again, but that's not all. It's clear he is suffering, a lot more than you think he is; this is causing even more Miasma to build up in his body. If it continues to build up, it's possible that it will have unforeseen effects and, at worst, turn him into a cursed being."

"So we should try to alleviate his symptoms?" Lanya asks.

"Maybe. Have you tried to reduce the pain?"

"Yes," Korathan says. "But it seemed to have no effect, we've made another cursed elixir, but we need permission to give it to him."

"It's really dangerous no matter what you do. With the amount of miasma in his body, it's possible that another dose could turn him into a cursed being, or not, I really don't know."

"Is it worth the risk?" Lanya asks.

Alysara doesn't answer for a minute.

"No. Once cursed, the miasma won't leave, so taking more elixirs will build up more miasma and turn him into a cursed being regardless."

"So what do we do?" Korathan asks.

"Can't you cure his curse? You've already cured one of yours," Lanya asks.

However, Alysara shakes her head. "Even if I could, I wouldn't, nor would you be able to afford the price."

Just what is required to cure a curse? If Alysara had the power and still wouldn't be willing to heal this boy, then it can't be something she can just do, unless she's heartless. So it must require something extraordinarily difficult to obtain or something just as rare, perhaps both.

"How do you cure curses then? I'm willing to pay for that knowledge anyway, we can work out the price later." Lanya says.

"Alright." Alysara says after a moment of thought. "You know Klaman, right? Do you know about Legendary points?"

"Yes," Lanya nods.

"Miasma is equal and opposite to Experience, or rather Aether. Legendary points are, in theory at least, a large pack of Aether. This means you can neutralize the miasma from a curse with a legendary point."

Now it makes sense. Alysara gave more knowledge than she needed to, but having the nuance to go with it helps a lot. Legendary points just aren't for sale, and it's probably not possible to transfer them to others anyway. This means that the only way to cure curses is to first achieve a Legendary feat. This explains why Alysara is still not legendary tier despite having multiple legendary achievements; she needs them to cure her own curses.

"So what do we do? Just end his suffering?" Lanya asks.

"No, with the Miasma in his body, he might still turn into a cursed being if killed."

"So, all roads lead to him becoming a cursed being," Korathan says. He suddenly bows to Lanya. "I beg your forgiveness, if I had known this would happen, I would have taken more care to make sure this never happened."

"It was going to happen sooner or later. It is better that this happens now while we have an opportunity to learn from someone knowledgeable in the subject. We knew it was bad last time this was tried, but we didn't know enough about why it was bad, and this is why we were unable to deter this young man from doing this. Now, we have an authority on the subject who has told us just how bad it is to dabble in curses and that there is no safe method. It is now our duty to remember and record this in history to let this be a warning for all and for the rest of time, so no one else makes the same mistake in the future."