by Dante King
I gave her a peck on the cheek. “Sure. Sounds great.”
I moved to enter with her, but she put her hands on my chest. “Uh uh,” she said, shaking her head. Her eyes gleamed with mischief. “I want it to be a surprise.”
A good surprise, I hope. “Oh, okay. I’ll wait.”
I glanced around the square. Right at its center stood an ornamental fountain, a leaping koi fish jumping over a makeshift dock. A plume of frothing water shot from its mouth, filling a basin with a bottom lined with coins. Benches surrounded the fountain, with a few older peasants lounging around them and socializing.
“Right over there,” I finished, pointing. “By that fountain?”
Anna squeed with delight and gave me a longer, deeper kiss. “Awesome,” she giggled, no doubt thinking of how beautiful she’d look tonight for our date with Lyra. “I’ll come get you when I’ve picked something out, okay?”
That sounded fine with me. I made my way to the fountain, sitting before it and peering into its depths. All around me the sounds of friendly conversation pierced the air, thousands of people going about their everyday lives. Only these lives took place in a world that until recently I hadn’t known existed.
What a place, I thought, rocking back on my heels. I could have slept—even after using Mana to heal my muscles from all that lifting, I felt tired. So peaceful.
My eyes opened. It wouldn’t do for Anna to find me sleeping when she came out with her nice dress. After watching peasants make their way through the square for a while, I decided to try and practice a bit more Cultivation.
“Every little bit helps,” I thought, drawing my legs beneath me on the bench. I probably didn’t have to assume a pose like a monk from a Saturday morning cartoon whenever I tried to increase my Cultivation through meditation, but I figured it couldn’t hurt.
I closed my eyes—and opened my senses.
It was good that I had time, because the process felt frustratingly slow. It seemed to take ages to quiet my mind, to let the promise of the threesome I’d likely be having tonight and the anticipation of seeing Anna in a cute new dress fall away from my senses. But slowly, the world sharpened into a deeper clarity.
I meditated on the smells and sounds around me, trying to understand them at the most elemental level. A half-dead tree stood in the square, a few feet away from my bench, and a strong wind blew a leaf onto my arm as I sat there thinking. I felt the leaf, and then I felt it, absorbing the tiny traces of life remaining inside of it as my knowledge increased.
Comprehension of Wood Increased!
Initiating Memorize Stage (Level 1: Blossom)
Memorize Stage reached 11% (Level 1: Blossom)
I opened my eyes to the words floating over the fountain and smiled. Rising from the bench, I stood on my tiptoes so I could reach the branch of the wizened old tree whose shade I’d been sitting under. I sought out one particular spot: the place where the wind had shaken that dead leaf free, sending it against my skin.
The tree had given me a gift, though it couldn’t possibly have understood that. So I decided to give it a gift back.
I didn’t fully understand what I was doing. A great deal of my power appeared to move on instinct; at a level more primal than conscious thought. All I know is that as my fingers touched one of the tree’s spindly, finger-thin branches, I knew this was where that leaf had come from.
Mana flowed from my fingers across the surface of the branch. A tiny sprout emerged from the side of the wood, forming a single leaf. It was so green that it contrasted sharply with the rest of the graying tree.
Eric Casts Blossom!
“Take a penny, leave a penny,” I whispered, shaking my head. “You’re paid back, tree. Now let’s see if I can do a bit more.”
With the knowledge still fresh in my mind, I bent to the soil surrounding the tree. As my fingers sank gently into it, the packed earth spoke to me, telling me of all the possibilities inherent in that teeming bed of life. The tree, aged and starving as it was, required most of the soil’s nutrients—yet there was room for more. I could see where more would grow.
Forming a tiny divot in the soil with two fingers, I cast Blossom a second time. This time, as the Mana surged in the dirt, a beautiful sunflower rose from the spot I’d marked. It craned its neck into the sun’s rays, like a baby animal taking its first steps into the world.
When I looked up, I found an older woman staring at the flower and the tree. She gave me a nod, smiling as if she understood me perfectly, and went along her way, humming a tune I didn’t recognize.
“Would you look at that,” I murmured, standing up and brushing the dirt off my knees. “I’m becoming a regular green thumb. I should show Anna this.”
Where was Anna, anyway? I’d spent quite a while meditating on that bench before I felt my Comprehension of Wood increase. I knew the girl liked to try on fancy things, was probably trying to decide between a dozen different outfits, but surely she should be on her way back by now?
I didn’t want to spoil Anna’s ‘surprise’, but I needed to make sure she was alright. I made my way back from the fountain square to the dressmaker’s tent, stopping along the way to buy one of the same sweet buns I’d seen that crowd of youths eating earlier. It was just as delicious as it looked.
From a distance, I could see Anna inside the tent. She stood before a mirror with her back to me, holding up a mass of silky purple fabric before her chest. She turned and said a few words to the shopkeeper, then both of them laughed. The woman running the stall didn’t look much older than the barmaids at the Hungry Herb, so I figured I had a pretty good idea of what they were talking about.
No wonder she’s taking so long, I thought, shaking my head as I made my way back to the square. She’s talking about me, probably. At least she’s made a new friend.
It was good that Anna fit in so well in this new world. But the capacity of women to gossip about each other with the men in their lives never ceased to astound me. I’d expected people to talk about Cultivation, maybe—or the philosophy that went with living in a world where enormously powerful masters like Eliezer controlled the nature of reality.
Instead, most people thought about the basics: food, sex, and gossip. Not so different from Earth, I thought, chuckling to myself as I sat back down on the bench. Only cleaner—and with more girls who like sharing. A win-win as far as I’m concerned!
Anna really was taking a long time in that dress maker’s shop. We had a whole town to explore: if she spent all day getting herself a cute outfit, she’d be taking it right back to the Hungry Herb for our date and missing out on the rest of the town. Maybe I could use the extra time to practice Cultivation some more?
I got off the bench and walked a circuit around the garden, admiring the fine plants on display. With my new senses I knew things about them the old Eric could never have guessed, but still I wanted to know more. I needed to be more powerful—Anna and Hazel depended on it. Not to mention Lyra.
There was one ability I’d used in combat I hadn’t experimented with yet. I’d summoned a Mana Shield during my fight with the Marsh Croc, but it had quickly shattered beneath the force of the monster’s Gust attack. If I could improve it, I might be able to block even more powerful spells.
Last time, I’d cast it by instinct. Now I concentrated on my fingers, picturing the complex strands of Mana I’d seen covering the shield as it snapped into life. There was a strange sensation of resistance in my mind—the mental equivalent of trying to run through Jello—then something snapped in my skull.
Eric Casts Mana Shield!
The Mana Shield emerged fully formed, floating in the air just in front of my face.
I quickly learned I could move it wherever I wanted. Not only was it portable, its strangely strong surface was as flexible as a rubber glove. I ended up splitting the Shield in two and covering my fists with it, forming protective bubbles that almost resembled brass knuckles.
This looks good, I thought, watching
the crackling balls of energy. I bet I could block a spell pretty well with these. How can I possibly test that, though?
No one seemed disturbed at all by my hands as I made my way through the garden, picking my way back to the bench and the half-dead tree I’d originally sat beside. Apparently, the doings of Cultivators were something expected and mostly ignored by the populace. People showed interest in my shielded fists as I passed them, but no real alarm.
I thought of all the eccentric old wizards I’d seen in movies and TV shows when I was growing up, and how the people in those fantasy worlds respected such men but gave them a wide berth. I guess I’m the wizard now, I thought with a grin.
The fountain had cleared out by the time I arrived. The sun had reached the apex of the sky, the shadows of the trees and benches shrinking to their smallest size as high noon approached. The air was sweet and hot, filled with the scent of a thousand growing things.
I saw the tiny sunflower growing next to the tree. I’d made a hole for it with my fingers, then poured Mana into that hole in order to cast Blossom. Who’s to say that I couldn’t do more with a larger hole? Suddenly I got an idea.
Beyond the fountain with its leaping fish, the far side of the garden square lay completely deserted. No one remarked on anything strange as I found a small hill of dirt where no plants had yet flowered, kneeling over the soil with both of my hands balled into fists.
Let’s see how this works, I thought, tensing. One, two, three!
I punched the soil beneath me. And watched in wonder as the Mana Shield cut through the ground like it wasn’t even there.
When I pulled my hand back, a fist-sized hole was left in the soil. I’d barely even felt it hit the Shield—it took no more effort than punching the surface of a pool, shoving my hand in the water. Yet I’d displaced the earth more efficiently than any shovel.
I gave the ground another experimental punch, using the other hand. This time, I shoved deeper, until my elbow touched the ground. You could have buried a brand-new tree in the hole I’d just created—it was huge!
“Holy shit,” I whispered, looking at the Shield over my hands. The dirt refused to cling to the shimmering strands of Mana—they fell off as if they’d been repelled by a magnet. No cleanup necessary, it seemed. I wondered if it would do the same to bone and blood.
Yes, I was already thinking of the Mana Shield in terms of a weapon. How could I not? This was far, far better than brass knuckles—this was like being the Million Dollar Man. All the Shields needed were a couple of rockets.
Thinking fast, I tried to cover my entire body in the Shield. The material had some ability to stretch, yet not nearly enough. Tiny plates of the stuff clung to my arms and chest—enough to stop an arrow if it hit me in the right place, but with nowhere near enough coverage to keep me safe in a serious fight.
Maybe I can make it larger as I level up, I mused. If I could end up covering my whole body in the stuff, it could be extremely powerful. Like a set of plate armor, only light as a feather but stronger than steel. Mana Armor?
Just then, I heard someone cough behind me. Fearing a guard had decided I’d broken the rules by tearing up the dirt in the town garden, I pulled the plates of Shield together in front of my chest as I turned around.
It was no guard.
Anna stood before me—looking more beautiful than I’d ever seen her.
A wispy blue gown clung to her ample curves, tied together with intricate strands of crimson sash. It showed off a daring expanse of her tanned cleavage, leaving her even more exposed than one of the Hungry Herb’s barmaids. The hem of it barely reached to mid-thigh, like a sundress only way, way more elegant. Anna had always been a knockout, but this outfit elevated her to the status of a vision. I felt my heart skip a beat as I devoured her lustrous curves.
“Oh, you like it,” Anna said, beaming. “I thought you would.”
“You look… incredible,” I said, meaning it. The Mana Shield hanging before me dissolved into nothing, completely forgotten.
“I’m really sorry I took so long,” Anna explained. “There were just so many awesome dresses to choose from—believe me, I wanted to bring all of them home with me, but Lyra would have had a conniption.”
“You definitely picked the best one,” I said, trying not to stare too obviously at my cleavage. “I’ll feel like the luckiest guy in the world with you on my arm.”
Anna tossed her arms around me, practically jumping into my arms. “Thanks for letting me get it,” she said, nuzzling my neck. “The lady working at the dress shop was really nice, but some of the people in there looked a little scared to see me. You think it’s the horns?”
I glanced at them. The slender protrusions poked from either side of Anna’s forehead, slightly curved in the middle. They matched her pointed ears and slightly demonic appearance perfectly.
“They’re nice horns,” I said, giving her a pat on the ass. “Nice girl, too.”
Anna grinned. “It’s so strange,” she murmured, looking down at herself in her finery. “I feel like such a badass, but I look like a princess out of a fairy tale. I really, really like this dress, Eric.”
“It looks great on you,” I agreed. “When the barmaids back at the Hungry Herb see you in that getup, they’re all going to cream their panties.”
“I’m more worried about what Lyra will think,” Anna said with a sly grin. “Besides, the girls at the Hungry Herb don’t wear panties.”
Before I could tell her what I thought of that, she noticed the faint traces of Mana around me. “What were you doing while I was gone?” Anna asked. “More Cultivating?”
“Something like that,” I said.
Briefly, I gave her a rundown on my discovery with the Mana Shield. I led her over to the fountain, where the tree stood in the early afternoon light, and showed her the brand-new leaf I’d conjured with my Blossom. Then, the tiny sunflower growing in the earth within its shade.
Anna regarded both with something akin to awe. “That’s so amazing,” she murmured, cupping the tiny plant with her hands. “You created life, Eric! That’s the kind of power I would’ve thought only belonged to people like Eliezer!”
“Um, not life, exactly,” I said, tugging my collar. “I think I’m just helping things that are already there grow, if that makes any sense…”
With a smile, Anna plucked the flower and put it into the sash cinching her robe around her waist. “It’s beautiful,” she purred, smiling at me. “It matches perfectly, don’t you think?”
“Definitely,” I agreed. “So we’ve gone dress shopping, for starters. Where do you want to go next?”
I expected her to tell me she wanted food, or maybe to peruse the local apothecary. See if there was a bookstore somewhere in town: and if there was, whether they stored any titles she could read.
Instead, a guilty flush rose over my girlfriend’s cheeks. “Actually, I had a request,” she said, her pupils dilating. “It’s… a little weird.”
Oh, here we go, I thought, crossing my arms over my chest. “Damn, Anna. You hit it off even better with that dress shop girl than I expected?”
It took her a moment to understand what I meant. “Oh!” she said, her face filling with surprise. “No, I meant it, Eric. I don’t want to fool around with anyone until tonight when we have our date with Lyra. Not that the girl at the dress shop wouldn’t have gladly stepped into the fitting room with me—I think she was angling for a little of that while she was helping me try this dress on, to tell you the truth…”
If I kept hearing about that, the two of us would be back at that shop before you could say torrid threesome.
“So what’s the request?” I asked, holding up a hand to stop her.
An awkward look flickered across Anna’s face. “It’s been a while since I’ve been a weapon for you,” she confessed, her eyes remaining fixed on the ground. “Actually, it feels like sooo long! There’s something about it that feels so good, Eric. It’s like I need it every now and the
n—that sharpness, that clarity, that unbridled violence…”
I looked around the garden square. No enemies, only plants.
“Nothing to fight in here, babe,” I said with a chuckle. “Sorry.”
She bit her lip so hard I was a little surprised it didn’t bleed. “Would you transform me again? Just for a few minutes! I feel like if you just swing me around a few times—not even use me against a monster—I’ll feel a whole lot better.” She batted her eyelashes at me cutely. “Please?”
I shrugged. “Sure.”
After all, the people in the square hadn’t flinched at my gauntlets of Mana. I probably wouldn’t get the guards called on me if I turned Anna into my scythe. And if it made her feel better…
A few moments later, the psychedelic wash of colors rose over Anna, and she was in my hand. Her voice echoed in my mind, distorted the way it always got when she was in her weapon form.
“Yes!” she growled, her grin stretching across the inside of my skull. “Ah, that feels so good! I want to destroy something, Eric!”
“Hey now,” I said, speaking out loud. Someone might have looked strangely at me, talking to myself, but calming Anna down took precedence. “I just promised to swing you around a bit, Anna. We’re not killing anyone today…”
“Aww, come on!” I could feel the bloodlust pouring from Anna as she sat inert in my fingers. A girl—a weapon—like her was practically useless just sitting around. She needed to sing. “I’m so fucking turned on right now, Eric! You’re going to give me major blue balls if you don’t let me cause at least a little carnage!”
“You can’t get blue balls,” I shot back. “You’re a girl. Actually, you’re a scythe! How the fuck can a weapon be horny, anyway?”
“I don’t know,” Anna thought inside my head. “I just know that I am!” She paused while she considered her options. “If you can’t kill something, can you at least show me some of the stuff you were practicing without me? Maybe a little Mana will take the edge off…”