Flow

Training started off as Jay expected - with the basics, and some phrases that he overheard earlier made sense.

“Picture a veil, a spiderweb of the surrounding mana - grab it, twist it, spin it into twine, then twine into rope - and then pull the rope in, making it a part of yourself; un-twirl it as it enters your mind and body… Think about the boulders of the earth, standing against the rain and elements. Unmoving - the only thing to split the boulders are the tender roots, seeping into them from trees. Imagine you are the tree, make your bark, your shell, stronger. Become as solid as the rock and unrelenting as the tree.”

Jay tried practicing as he had been instructed, however, he had found that using his own analogies worked better.

Viladore raised an eyebrow at seeing this. Jay learned faster than any other pupil, while also seeming to channel a larger amount of mana - though he didn’t realize that Jay had previously listened to his teachings in secret.

“Very good.” Viladore said casually, trying not to inflate Jay’s ego. “Next lesson.”

While trying the second lesson, Jay similarly had trouble until he came up with his own analogy.

It seems like my understanding creates a greater effect… he thought as he continued forming his own analogy. “The shell strengthens while the center flows. An impenetrable bone protects the soft inner marrow.”

Again, it surprised Viladore at how fast Jay learned.

Seems like he’s a natural, he thought as he gazed at Jay’s unusually thick mana shell forming around his mind, though he thought he felt something else mixed in.

A second later, it dissipated suddenly. Viladore understood what this meant, knowing he had achieved level 1 of the ability.

Receiving the notification distracted Jay, so he lost his concentration.

[New Skill - Acquired]

<[Mana Membrane Level 1]> (Passive)

[Mild protection from various mental attacks, mana drain, mana burn, mana overload, destabilization, mental disarrangement.]

[Cytokine Stabilization] (Passive, head only)

“Good. Practise that at least once a week.” Viladore nodded.

Hmm, I wonder what a cytokine is… thought Jay as he looked up from the notification at Viladore.

“Oh, yeah, sure.” he nodded. “So how do I use this ‘essence’?” quizzed Jay, remembering what Sullivan had said.

“Well, you’re learning about it tomorrow unless you had discovered your essence today. I have to explain a lot to you before sending you off to find your essence.” He looked at Jay, confused.

“Hmm, no I think I’ve found it...” Jay said as he stood up, backed away from Viladore and had his floating bone ring appear before Viladore - Viladore’s eye’s opening a little wider as they reflected the intermittent glows from the green wisps of gas floating between the bones orbiting around Jay.

“What...” Viladore couldn’t find the words.

Jay simply smiled as he plucked a stink-rat bone out of the air before the gentle bone-whirlpool disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

As Jay was sitting down, Viladore’s face cringed at the bone Jay had chosen as a wave of stench washed over him. It was still black from the marsh, the marrow inside probably rancid and rotting. The leftovers of the attached cartilage were absolutely stinking.

“No, this will be bad for your concentration.” Viladore thought of an excuse as he grimaced, not wanting to be around it. “Have you got anything else?”

“Hmm...”

Jay returned the bone to his ring, not insulted at all. Its completely understandable, he thought to himself, as he pulled out a stink-rat tooth from his inventory.

“Hmm… these didn’t want to go into the bone ring. Perhaps they have other uses?” said Jay, holding three black teeth in his hands as he showed his teacher.

A little disgusted that someone’s essence was body parts, Viladore continued his lesson.

“Ok so Sul… ahem the guild master,” he corrected himself with a slight cough, “wanted me to train you in ranged attack magic.”

Jay’s eyes lit up at the thought of spell casting.

A few hours passed as Viladore and Jay talked about mana, mana craft, and magic; the difference between the cause and effect, the results, along with the randomness of harnessing chaotic magic.

Viladore explained how Jay could channel mana into certain objects, as well as himself, as he recapped the previous lessons. After the theory came the practical, and the lessons on the usage of essence began.

“Hold your essence… uh, the tooth… in your palm and channel some mana into it. Remember, use your own mana and not the ambient mana. Do this until you can sort of feel the tooth as if it’s a part of your body - then will the tooth, or imagine it, flying at one of those nearby stones.”

Jay held the tooth as he looked around at the nearby stones. Some seemed to be new, sitting on what seemed to be dust of the same type of stone. Others had scorch marks, and they even split some in half.

Following his instructions, Jay channeled his own mana into the tooth - the tooth floated in his hand. Suddenly it spun quickly before flying off as fast as an arrow being launched; coming into contact with the stone, it exploded, sending smaller bits of tooth shrapnel everywhere. The stone remained intact with what seemed like some tooth residue left on it, while Jay received a notification.

[New Skill - Acquired]

< [Unstable Teeth Level 1] >

[Ranged Attack]

[5 damage]

[Propagative Stress Rupturing] (Passive) - (4) Fragments split apart after the initial attack. (1) damage to anything hit by a fragment.]

[Ability Requires (1) Enamel (s) of any kind]

[- 6 Mana]

<[Description]>

[Practitioners of the most vile types of mana craft use teeth as weapons - often, these decrepit cultists pull their own teeth for the spells. When slain, they are commonly found with no teeth left. “A toothless man is surely a Godless one.” - Saint Cleosevine.]

Jay grinned at the description. I still have about 19 teeth left, he thought. And I don’t even need to use my own.

The fragments that exploded after the teeth hit the nearby stone surprised Viladore - he subconsciously had conjured an invisible mana shield.

Dangerous kid, thought Viladore, Perhaps we will need somewhere more safe to train in the future…

Viladore nodded, “Well done. That’s a decent basic ranged attack. Since you’ve learned quicker than I expected, you can have the rest of the day off.”

“Oh? Well, thanks Viladore. I appreciate the lessons. See you next time… oh, and when is next time?”

“Well, I would say about a week. Normally it would be every few days, but there are some… strange things going on in the forest, so I’m assisting with that.”

“Oh, I see.. Well, see you in a week then.” Jay said, wondering what was going on in the forest, that even the mana craft trainer was being recruited for help.

I hope Muffin is ok, safe from whatever is out there. He scratched his chin, before leaving the adventurer guild.

With a happy step, Jay walked down the mountain towards the village, wondering what he would have for lunch - however as he looked over the village, he noticed a small gathering of people. Adventurers gathered around Bertram’s weapons stand, all as angry as they were naïve.

Deciding to see what was happening, Jay walked towards the stand - perhaps the merchant brought out his better, magical items, thought Jay as he got closer. Already he could hear a commotion as the sounds of people complaining grew louder.

“You had these yesterday, and you sold us this junk?!?” An adventurer waved his dull-looking spiked mace, pointing it at a display of magical weapons.

“NO REFUNDS! And if you don’t like it, shop somewhere else!” the fat merchant billowed with a laugh, before a sly grin appeared on his face… “However, I will offer 10% off your next purchase if you gift me your old weapon.”

The adventurer’s jaw dropped as if Bertram was insane, yet instead of continuing the yelling-match, he gritted his teeth before muttering some sort of profanity as he walked to the back of the line.

Jay squinted at Bertram, watching from a distance.

Hmm, perhaps I should come back someday with a cart full of weapons and undercut Bertram. There’s certainly nothing stopping me from doing it. I wonder why no one else has though… Jay pondered to himself. If there’s no competition, he can basically do what he wants. I would love to see that prick have to lower his prices and sell better weapons from day one… then no one would’ve bought that junk he put out the first time.

Jay scratched his chin as he shrugged to himself. Oh well, not my problem. I can create my own weapons, anyway.

As he walked towards his home to have some lunch, he stopped for a moment to pity the long line of adventurers standing in line, noticing Mark was there too - though Mark wasn’t facing towards him so he simply left without stopping to say hello, as his stomach was grumbling.

While having lunch, Jay decided he would probably need to stock up on skeletons and teeth.

I’ve only got teeth from the stink-rats, but that’s because they were living-beings, while the bayring’s were some sort of construct. I think I’ll head to wolf’s quarry for a little grinding and some bones after a little rest...

While having lunch, some guards walked by Jay’s house. Remembering that something strange was happening in the forest, Jay had to be careful.

It seems like I’ll need to sneak out of town too, he thought as he wiped his mouth before heading upstairs for a quick nap.