11

The electric breaths Vander drew buzzed through his body with energy and power. As fast as he drew in mana with his meditation and breathing technique, he spent it to further progress his circulation. As far as he could push the mana veins and tendrils to the extremities of his toes, fingertips, and into the very fiber of his muscles and bones. He integrated everything, expanding the network of mana circulation to every part of himself.

As costly as the process was, his mana regeneration rate kept him topped up at all times. He hadn’t yet delved into advancing his mana storage, not yet. The time would come, but he wanted to prepare a proper foundation before moving on hastily. Being meticulous with the groundwork for how the magic spread through his body was the least he could do for the sake of his future self and current potential.

Even six hours later, he blocked out all but the ambient mana from the world and continued his circulation. The electrifying buzz through his body became the only sensation he experienced as he blocked out the world and its ongoings entirely, his trust in his comrades and dad enough to let him focus on his training.

As he moved forward with the training of his mana circulation, he seemed to hit a block for the depth in which he could expand. Muscles, sinew, and tendons all were integrated into the system, as were his bones, spine, and brain. Everything had been saturated with the spider like paths, but he’d continued to limit the flow of mana to the main body system of his circulatory system, keeping things isolated to his lungs, heart, and veins.

But one by one, he let loose the blocks. Mana breathed in through his nose, streamed through his lungs, entered his bloodstream and slowly sank into his bones. Time became meaningless as he continued saturating the entirety of his skeletal structure. Even though he remained completely still, he felt the changes intimately as his body hardened to the point of feeling stiff, like worked leather.

And then something clicked in place. Feeling like he wouldn’t get much more out of channeling into his bones, he shifted focused and pushed into his muscles. The process repeated until complete, following the cookie cutter textbook approach outlined by Adrian. The time it took seemed to reduce asmore and more parts of himself submerged in mana, almost like clearing a blockage or reducing natural resistance.

Anything he could submerge in mana was, and after each, another piece of him clicked into place in his mind. Almost like going down a checklist, he continued until his entire body became more mana than flesh. When he breathed, his entire body vibrated. When he breathed, he felt alive. When he breathed, an absolute confidence of power and speed and magic sang to him, begging for him to flex his newfound abilities. Almost like a compulsion.

Vander refused. If he were to describe the feeling, sweet poison, much like hope. He wouldn’t chase that urge to show off his power. When the time came, he’d dissect each movement and ability and any other fruits born from his labor. Concentrating, he did a check through his circulation, just as he’d done ten times before and would continue to do another ten times after. Messing up at this stage, he couldn’t fathom what consequences that would bring. And to know would be to learn in the worst way possible.

The rewards of his labor appeared before his eyes when he finally released his concentration.

You have established a Mana Skeleton and obtained the skill: Imbue Bones (Level 1).

The first skill he’d gained through his efforts topped the list of too many notifications to concentrate on all at once. His head hurt, and an ache pressured behind his eyelids. Rather than continue through the list, he looked around in awe and took in the world around him. The magic sight really threw him for a loop.

Identifying one thing from another became a task of futility. The ambient magic in the air looked almost uniform with the brush, trees, and critters darting across the ground and from branch to branch overhead. But he could tell they were there, even if with some difficulty. The longer he used the ability, the more pain he felt from the headache.

Dom’s warning echoed in his ears, and Vander couldn’t help but grin. The man was crafty. He’d mentioned Zekiel’s own efforts in an attempt to create a friendly competition between the two. Vander wanted to say he was above it all, that he’d lived long enough and experienced his fair share of battles and rivals and competition. But the truth didn’t lie.

He hadn’t been rivaled, and that loneliness of standing at the top had been one of the reasons he hadn’t devastated the DMHA. An unopposable power, one without equal, would draw concern everywhere he went. Even if he’d gone off-world through a Door, his power would draw the people he’d trained, the closest thing he could consider a friend or family, to hunt him. Would’ve drawn the monsters of whatever world he decided to go to.

This world wasn’t all that bad. He grinned and progressed through the prompts.

You have established a Mana Musculature and obtained the skill: Imbue Muscles (Level 1).

Imbue Bones and Imbue Muscles have reached level 25. The shared synergy creates a new skill: Empower Physique (Level 1).

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At some point, he’d felt the difference in his application of mana through the circulation channel into both his muscles and bones. He thought he’d just gotten better at controlling it, which might be partly the case, but he hadn’t expected to have upgraded both skills to the point that they’d created something new and easier to use.

You have established Mana Eyes and obtained the skill: Magic Sight (Level 1).

Explained the colorful world and muted oranges and yellows and grays. The critters he spotted and the wild bushes barely registered. Or more like they registered as something nearly empty, an empty specter of white space surrounded on all sides.

But the oaks were quite the opposite. Despite gray bark, a green tinted hue like sparkling emeralds. From top to bottom, the enormous trees’ solid green enraptured him. He even thought to rise and touch one, curious.

The feeling passed. Awe faded to indifference as he made his way through the prompts once again.

You have established a Mind For Mana and obtained the skill: Magic Sense (Level 1).

Congratulations!

Through your efforts, you’ve transcended mortal flesh and established an Empowered Cumulative Skill: Magic Body!

All related skills will be integrated. Magic Body’s level will be based on the levels of all other integrated skills.

Magic Body Requirements:

Mana Manipulation (Level 21)

Mana Circulation (Level 25)

Mana Storage (Level 9)

Imbue Bones (Level 25)

Imbue Muscles (Level 25)

Empower Physique (Level 13)

Mana Eyes (Level 1)

Mind For Mana (Level 1)

Creation of new skill: Magic Body is now complete!

Magic Body (Level 15)

A body attuned to the use of magic.

Contains the cumulative abilities of all integrated skills.

All other attributes will gain a percentage of base Arcana equal to this skills level.

Vander requested an expanded definition of “base Arcana” from the system, though he had a good guess what it meant.

Base Attribute

The value of an attribute without external factors, such as equipment, titles, blessings, or any other form of attribute stimulant.

He looked back at the magic body skill and expanded the integrated skills option that glowed.

Magic Body Integrated Skill List:

Mana Manipulation

Mana Circulation

Mana Storage

Imbue Bones

Imbue Muscles

Empower Physique

Mana Eyes

Mind For Mana

Additional skills can be added to further develop the abilities of a magic body.

The potential to add additional skills made him curious, but his curiosity could wait. Eight skills went into creating the empowered cumulative skill—as the system called it—so he didn’t feel pressured to add anything more just yet. And when the time came, True Lightning Proficiency would be at the top of that priority list.

No, he couldn’t think to do such a thing when his mind barely processed the massive developments he’d made in such a short amount of time. So many skills generated just from saturating mana into his body. Those skills leveled as he continued, growing in level. The more and more he practiced, the more powerful he’d felt until that feeling of rightness had exuded throughout his being.

That must’ve been when he’d formed his magic body. The bonus from the skill… changed everything. The more he learned about how much magic could do in such, in such little time too, the more indignation sank in his gut. But he wouldn’t let it remain. To feel ungrateful would not do him nor any of the others any good. Adrian could have held the scroll forever had he wanted to, but he hadn’t.

For that alone, Vander would just appreciate the sudden growth. But now, he had to see in detail just how much changed. Status.

Vander Braxton (D- Rank)

Class: Basic (Tier 0)

Title(s): Unlucky Reincarnator, One With Potential, Successor of the Pinnacle Hunter, Successor of the Braxton House

Strength: 155 (+75)

Agility: 219 (+75)

Endurance: 187 (+75)

Willpower: 215 (+75)

Perception: 247 (+75)

Arcana: 257 (+75)

Skill Points: 0

Skills:

True Lightning Proficiency (Level 3), Quiet Steps (Level 28), Running (Level 24), Climbing (Level 9), Tracking (Level 27), Spearmanship (Level 15), Throw (Level 21), Meditation (Level 65), Herbology (Level 12), Trap Making (Level 17), Archery (Level 9), Braxton Breathing Technique (Level 23), Braxton Sword Arts (Level 1), Magic Body (Level 15)

Quick mental math. From when he’d checked before this bout of training, he’d gained an exorbitant amount. Namely, an increase of close to seven hundred and fifty attributes. Considering the application of his arcana to the others, a total of well near two hundred spread evenly through all but arcana, the magic body skill was insane.

The increase of his attributes could’ve been purely attributed to his training, to the vast amount of mana he’d input into growing his circulation and saturating his body, however… The numbers just didn’t add up. The skills followed fixed attribute growth rates, even if he needed to do a bit of testing to figure out just how much each gave. The magic body skill seemed to not only amplify his other attributes with the use of his arcana but also augment the attribute gains per level that all the integrated attributes gave.

Which was insane. Doesn’t this one skill give me too much? Just what am I missing?

He looked over his attributes, thoroughly confused. He’d never played many games in his past life, but the one thing he was certain of in those he’d been allowed to play to learn tactics and proper leveraging of resources was he looked like a freak of nature. In one day, he’d become unrecognizable to his previous self.

But no matter how he looked at himself, he thought of Adrian and Dom and Anna. Those three and the feeling they gave him weren’t limited to attributes.

Ah, maybe it’s this.