Completing the Alchemist Association trial, running across the Third Realm—he wanted to see Old Hei, but a large part of it was trying to get something that could help me. Rugrat felt his guts twist as he thought of how he’d acted, embarrassed and wishing he could wipe away his self-centered actions.
He looked back at the smithy. Now that he could once again use his Mana, he wanted to try to smith again. He looked over to the sleeping Erik and shook his head.
He had no idea of what Erik had to go through to get the pill, and the power it contained couldn’t be something normal.
The least I can do is let the poor bastard get some rack time.
***
Erik woke up with a sore body from having fallen asleep on the bench. He looked over to the smithy but the furnace’s fire was out and it looked as if it hadn’t been touched all night. Rugrat and the others were nowhere to be found.
Erik stretched out, using his Simple Ranged Heal as it worked over time, to wake himself up and work the various kinks he felt across his body.
The others were all asleep still, so Erik pulled out a prepared meal and sat down at the table and started to eat.
It wasn’t long until Rugrat woke up and he was moving through the house.
“Morning,” Erik said.
“Coffee.” Rugrat wiped his face and moved to the table, slumping down in a seat.
“How did it go?” Erik asked.
“Check it out.” Rugrat held out his arm.
Erik pressed his fingers to it, and used his Simple Organic Scan. Looking through his body, he could see all of the changes that Rugrat had undergone.
“What are with these extra colors?” Erik muttered to himself.
“Temperings. Guess that I was tempered with Mana of all of the Affinities. Not sure what it will mean.” Rugrat shrugged.
“It will allow you to have a greater affinity toward all types of spells. You can control the different Affinity Mana with greater control. It might not be that big of a thing right now as we cast spells with the Mana in our bodies, but if you can reach a higher level in your Mana Gathering Cultivation, then spells will be powered by a combination of the Mana inside your body and the Mana in the Ten Realms.”
“What?” Rugrat asked, waking up quickly as he pulled out some caffeinated drink.
“I only know what I learned about the pill. In the formula, there is a description of these effects—it is a Master-ranked pill, after all, and it can be used at any time in one person’s life. Though the facts that it does not keep long and it requires a lot of resources, the effects are really potent. Part of the equal exchange with the Ten Realms: highly powerful but for a short period of time. Instead of decently powerful over a long period of time. This pill isn’t technically to heal one’s Mana channels, it is to alter them, remodeling and tempering them, increasing one’s affinity to all of the elements. This pill should be taken before one reaches the Mana heart stage, which is where magic turns from internal to external, or from elemental to Mana. I thought that was just referring to formations.” Rugrat turned thoughtful. The sleepiness from before had fallen away, his eyes alert and eager.
“Oh?” Erik asked, prompting Rugrat to go on. He had only gotten information from asking Old Hei; it was flawed and incomplete as he had only asked it to get more background information on the overall effects of the pill.
“There are in total ten stages of formations: Power, Function, Direction, Tapping into Elements, Drawing External Mana, Use External Mana, Domain, Elemental Hub, Environment Alteration, and Mana Well. The first three stages are required to make a spell or a formation. Power can come in many different forms. Function is the formation or spell and the Direction is touch based—ranged or whatever you have engraved into the formation plate.
“Tapping into Elements is a new stage; it is where one uses specific Affinity heavy elemental Mana to carry out a spell or formation’s effects, say when using different gems that store up a concentrated amount of one Mana Affinity. Drawing External Mana, when the formation doesn’t just use the Mana in the formation, but it’s kind of like the ignition, the formation is the primer, the surrounding Mana the gunpowder. Small energy output, big energy return.
“Domain is when one can exert control over an area—everything inside this area is controlled by the Mana or the effects of spell and formation. With the Mana gates opening, we have gotten the titles Mana Duke, Mana Lord and so on. These are close to a domain, as we are able to exert control over the Mana in the area around us, but we aren’t able to lock it down from others, making them unable to draw in Mana.
“Elemental Hub refers to someone or something that not only affects the area they’re in, but it can transform the Mana Affinities where they’re located.
“With Environmental Alteration, one can change their environment as a formation becomes a part of the land and even if removed, the effects will last until they are altered by another elemental alteration or massive realm event. People with this power no longer need to cast spells as they have reached the point where their actions create change in the Ten Realms. They are demigods over their domain.
“Mana Wells—these are only barely technically formations. The Mana wells and ley lines that run through the Ten Realms—these natural phenomena can be replicated in formations and when one reaches the pinnacle of the Mana Gathering system. They have crossed a boundary between human and a creature made of Mana. These formations or people no longer require Mana from the world around them. They create their own Mana, transcending the limits of mortals and becoming akin to gods. Now it is best to think of the Mana Gathering system as the power source, the engine and the battery, and these ten stages are one’s ability to utilize that power. Someone who has reached the end of the path of Mana Gathering might only reach the Domain stage; still, they will be the kind of beings who could cause continents to shift, nuclear reactors with nearly unlimited power to lay waste to anything within their domain. Within that domain, unless there is another with the same power and ability, they are akin to a god, untouchable.”
“Then will the change shift your Mana channels?”
“We are both still in the tapping into elements stage. We draw in all kinds of Affinity Mana. Yes, we purify it a lot and we have taken in cleaner Mana with less impurities, but our bodies are not able to clear everything and we still have impurities in our bodies. Drawing in External Mana means that we naturally draw in Mana, removing the impurities. This can be through modifying our Mana Gathering systems, or it can be through training, or a mixture. Once one reaches that stage, they touch upon the Use External Mana. At this stage, the spell is the key. We create the spell or formation, then power is drawn in from the Ten Realms, increasing the power of the spell.”
Rugrat saw Erik’s confusion.
“Think of a car: you turn the ignition, simple action. Then that action starts the car, small action, bigger reaction with power coming from somewhere else. In one way, a person could say that, before drawing in Mana stage, people are elementalists, but once they control Mana they are Apprentice mages, but became mages when they can use external Mana. This kind of strength turns them into terrible forces. One mage is worth an entire battery of artillery. Healer mages could bring men back from the brink of death, allowing a force of ten thousand to fight over an army of one hundred thousand, not getting tired, their wounds vanishing. Instead of just lightning blasts and Mana spears, one could call down a rain of hellfire or asteroids, cause the clouds to form a lightning tribulation. Now if you’re saying this allows a greater Affinity control, well, most elementalists prefer to specialize in just one element as they find it easier to work with. Think of Fire mages, Water mages, Metal mages and so on. It is easier to control; they have a greater affinity for these spells so even when they become mages then they will be stronger when casting those Affinity spells. If one was to increase their affinity toward all of the elements, then all of their spells would make a leap forward in strength.” Rugrat’s word
s were soft and almost breathless as he looked at the table, working through his own thoughts. Erik’s eyes were glowing as he was making connections of his own.
“At the same time, to support that, even if one has the ability to use external Mana, they need their Mana Gathering system to be powerful enough to give that initial fuel to the spell and have the impurities removed. When one compresses their Mana core, their ability to store Mana increases by a large margin and they open another Mana gate. One still needs to draw in Mana and compress it more before they can create a Mana heart. A Mana heart condenses and pulls in Mana on its own, cleansing it and purifying the body. This purer Mana affects one’s skill and pulls them up to draw in Mana, as one will draw in refined Mana without conscious thought,” Erik concluded, snapping his fingers.
“Right.” Rugrat nodded. He let out a snort and drank from his cup. “Something else to look forward to!”
“How do you know all of this?”
“Well, I do read sometimes, and it’s pretty basic information with formations, like how we know the names of the different stages of Body Cultivation. Though the descriptions are rough and only what I’ve been able to learn so far, so there might be flaws.” Rugrat shrugged.
Erik nodded his head absently.
The Mana Gathering system is the most used system by humans to increase their cultivation and the natural power of their body. I’ve still been unable to find out any information on how I can complete the next stage of my Body Cultivation. Old Hei talked about it a bit ago—I should ask him about it and see if there is a way for me to increase my Strength.
“Thanks, man,” Rugrat said, his sudden words making Erik’s thoughts stumble to a halt.
“What for?” Erik asked, drawing a blank.
“For dealing with my moody ass and helping me out. I’m sorry about last night.”
“Look, we’ve both been there, a dark place where it seems like there is nothing we can do to help it. That there is nowhere for us to go.” Erik fell into silence.
“All we can do is move forward,” Erik said a few minutes later, his voice soft but determined.
***
Rugrat returned to his smithy and stoked the fires with his Mana.
Matt and Domonos similarly went about their own tasks. Domonos was teaching Matt how to fight and spent the rest of the time training. Matt, when he wasn’t getting his ass kicked, was off trading.
Rugrat pulled out Erik’s Kick Ass Armor set. It showed signs of wear and he quickly made repairs.
Rugrat pulled out several ingots of Mortal-grade iron and placed it inside the furnace. He waited for it to turn cherry red, before pulling it out and hammering on it, flattening it out more. He took some powder out and poured it over the metal and placed it back in the furnace, heating it. He pulled it out and flattened it out once again before pouring more powder on it.
To create the enhanced iron he wanted, he needed to combine or alloy it with the enhancing powder fully.
Heat, powder, fold, repeat.
Sparks appeared under his hammer as he worked. Requiring only his physical strength, he was able to keep the Mana expenditure down.
As one ingot was completed, he started on the next, repeating the process. Rugrat lost himself in the act, his mind focused and drawn to the metal as he sunk into his craft.
Some time later, he resurfaced, feeling Mana rushing through his body without a hint of pain. Instead, he felt as if he were filled with energy.
“First, I want to see if I can make Earth-grade iron, that will be the next hurdle.” Rugrat took a longer drink from the jug. He looked around the smithy. The Mana contained within was so dense that it created a slight mist. It was thanks to this mist that he was able to work longer. The power seeped into his Mana channels, permitting him to purify his Mana more and increase its density, allowing him to capitalize the most on the small amount of Mana he could use.
It allowed him to pump more into the metal he was working on and the environment naturally affected the metal.
He took another big drink, wiping his face and putting the beer away before pulling out a Mana stone.
“All right, well, it looks like you’re up.” He stood and went over to the anvil. He pulled out his hammer and put the Mana stone down.
He started striking the Mana stone until it shattered. Rugrat picked up the pieces and continued to smash them, crushing them into smaller pieces until the stone was nothing but dust. He wiped it into a pouch and pulled out a Mortal-grade ingot and tossed it into the furnace, increasing the temperature. After some time, he put it into an enhanced Mortal-iron crucible.
Rugrat thought back on the information in his mind, recalling how long it would take for the metal to liquify.
He sat down and watched it, using his Mana blade to work on a piece of metal.
He had reached mid-Apprentice skill level in formations, still way behind compared to his smithing, which was reaching into mid-Journeyman level.
Rugrat looked over at the crucible some time later and put his doodling plate away. He went over to the crucible and pulled it out of the furnace. “I just hope I’m not wasting a Mana stone on this.”
Rugrat took out some of the Mana stone dust and sprinkled it into the crucible, creating a white surface on the red metal. It slowly started to sink into the metal.
Rugrat used another tool to stir the metal and placed it back into the furnace. After a few minutes, he pulled it out again, stirring and adding in more of the Mana stone dust.
“Either I’ve got heartburn or my heart is hurting from seeing me throw away so much money.”
Rugrat grit his teeth and continued to the point where he could see the Mana stone dust permeating the metal.
He took out an ingot mold and poured the contents of the crucible in.
Cooked with flames strengthened by a dungeon core, in a concentrated Mana environment and a fifth of a Mana stone in dust. This better damn work.
Rugrat placed the mold right at the center of the Mana Gathering formation and then sat there, waiting for the ingot to cool. The iron started to dim slowly; the Mana stone powder combined with the iron ingot shone with the power contained within.
“I need to find a better Mana Gathering formation. This one works but it’s crude as hell!”
Chapter: New Boundaries
After breakfast, Erik’s feet took him toward Old Hei’s residence. But remembering how fatigued he had looked, Erik stopped himself and looked around.
“Been awhile since I’ve been to a library.” Erik went toward the Division Headquarters library.
He showed one of his tokens to the librarian.
“You can read the manuals in the first two floors,” the librarian said.
“What about manuals that are on cultivation?” Erik asked.
“They are in the side hall. You have the authorization to access the first three floors.” The librarian pointed to a door to the side hall.
“Thank you.” Erik headed in.
There were four stories to the main library and all of them were packed with books. The first floor was for those of the Apprentice rank and had the largest collection of books. The second floor for Journeyman alchemists, then Expert and Master. Each floor got progressively smaller. In the Regional Headquarters, the Expert floor would be the final level one could reach and it had a few hundred books, but at the Division Headquarters, there would be thousands of books but only a few on the Master-level floor.
Erik didn’t pay attention to any of the books. With all of the Alchemy he had been doing, the tests and the trials, he wanted some distance from it all. He knew he would come back, but he didn’t want to force it.
He made it into the side hall. It was filled with manuals on increasing one’s Mana Gathering Cultivation and a person’s Body Cultivation. These were useful to the alchemists to increase their Strength and have reference material for what the many types of altering concoctions they made would do to their or their patients’ bodies.
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br /> Erik went to the first floor. The Mana Gathering books were plentiful, numbering in the hundreds; the books on Body Cultivation numbered in the tens. From this, one could see how people preferred to take the easier path when they increased their Strength. Body Cultivation was not only resource and time-intensive but it was also extremely painful.
Erik found some interesting information. As he learned more about Body Cultivation and browsed through the Mana Gathering books, his Healing Book’s information increased as he added in information on the changes one’s body would undergo when they increased their cultivation.
Damn, this thing is better than Post-it notes!
The stiffness in his body that had been there since Rugrat had hurt himself fell away as he took his time. There was nothing he needed to rush toward, no event or trial he needed to complete. He had Mana stones to head to the First Realm or to spend as he wanted; the options of the Blue Lotus; Rugrat was healthy and fine. With these worries to the side, Erik actually started to enjoy looking up information on cultivation. With each book, it felt as though his mind, which had been closed off, was opened up to a new idea. More than once he realized where his assumptions had led him wrong, or a new method he hadn’t thought of.
When he reached the second floor, he didn’t even take the books to the desk to read and sat in the aisle, reading the information within.
***
Rugrat was working on the iron ingot with Mana stone powder added to it.
He turned it, heated it, and injected more of his Mana into it, acting as a conduit for the Mana around him.
Using the Mana crystals, the iron was able to hold a large amount of Mana in it but it had not been able to cross from the Mortal level to the Earth grade.
Rugrat’s hammer moved constantly. The metal hummed and vibrated under his blows as he used the vibrating blows that he had learned from Tan Xue, allowing him to combine the Mana crystals evenly and control the makeup of the ingot with a higher degree of control.
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