Time Remaining: 25 days
Cosmic Vanguard Candidates: 9,243,812
Cordalum: 0/1
“Twenty-five days for a single Cord…alum, huh? With that many of us vying for it, this is going to be one heck of a game.”
He looked away from the floating mystical writing. He was surprised by how quickly he had adapted to the magical interface. With just the right thought, he could access all of his resources, stats, and the newly discovered tutorial status panel.
Alan continued down the path, admiring the ring he'd slipped onto his left ring finger. He knew it was corny, but he wanted it as a reminder of the commitment he’d made to himself.
He hadn't considered buying a scabbard for his falchion, so he'd been carrying the sword in his right hand.
The rustle of the silver-tinted leaves was still everywhere. It was soothing. However, ten minutes had already passed, and he had expected to see a slime or monster by now.
He'd been running mental calculations on how to kill a slime. Would cutting them do the trick? Slimes, with their unique gelatinous form, often presented nuances in combat, but they were typically weak. He'd also been trying to figure out how to use Manafestation.
Alan stared at his hand for a while. He had absolutely no clue about how to manifest mana or if it was even possible, but obviously, it had to be. Maybe something was missing, since he was able to use Identify and he was even getting good at it.
Closing his eyes in frustration, he took deep breaths, calming himself and enjoying the surreal jungle. When he opened them again, he saw a… “dog?”
[Shadowpelt Wolf - tc 3]
Alan was staring at a cold-blooded killer. The beast’s snout wrinkled, revealing a set of sharp, gleaming fangs. Its nostrils flared. It took deep, rapid breaths.
He saw his entire life replaying in his mind. He remembered the previous time he felt powerless.
He tried to move his legs. They wouldn’t budge. The weight of the plaster was suffocating.
He felt a sharp pain. His chest was heavy. The tubes and wires constrained him.
He remained lifeless.
He saw sterile white walls. He couldn’t even reach the nurse's call button. The room was cold. The world was silent.
Three months, he recalled. Three months in the hospital, weak, helpless, powerless.
Alan felt the wolf’s resolve. It was done sizing him up. It was ready to attack and feast on him. It launched faster than Alan could react.
The wolf rocketed toward him, soaring to Alan's full height.
Sorry! I didn’t mean to call you a dog! Alan positioned his falchion between himself and the wolf, attempting to protect his body. Falling back and hitting the ground hard under the wolf’s weight, he used his left hand to brace the end of the sword against the advancing creature.
The wolf’s jaw clamped down on the blade with tremendous force. “SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!”
The blade rang out as the fangs bore down on it. A creak. Teeth scraped against the edges. The angry wolf thrashed its head violently.
Then Alan tightened his grip on the sword. His knuckles turned white around the hilt. The wolf was unable to penetrate the hardened steel. The stalemate held - neither blade nor bite would yield.
Damn it, he thought. Calm yourself.
“One. Two,” he said while breathing deeply. “Three. Four.”
“Sorry dog!” he shouted, allowing both his falchion and the predator’s fangs to come closer to him for a quick second.
At the same time, he twisted the blade inside of the wolf’s mouth and pushed up.
The blade slid with ease.
The top half of the creature’s head separated from its body, landing on his face. He felt the wetness.
You have vanquished [Shadowpelt Wolf - tc 3] — Myst has been assimilated.
He spat frantically as blood and gore covered him.
More Blood gushed out of the wolf’s body, completely soaking his tracksuit. “That's what I'm talking about!” he chuckled with a wild grin.
Pushing the two animal parts to the side, Alan rose to his feet.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
It took a long while for Alan to clean the blood off his falchion. And to clean his clothes as best as he could, even though he knew they were ruined.
We are not gonna talk about what the hell ‘myst’ is.
He scratched his head sheepishly, then laughed and continued marching down the path.
He must have missed something earlier. The continuous rustling of the silver-tinted leaves had masked the approach of the shadowpelt wolf, and he hadn't noticed its presence until it was right in front of him. Looking at his blade, he appreciated its efficiency; it had done its job well against his very first enemy.
He suppressed his curiosity’s powerful tug. He had questions about how to use his ability and the meanings of ‘tc’ and ‘myst’. But he knew he would learn all of that eventually, especially since it was called a tutorial.
Alan squinted across the foliage, looking for another wolf to satisfy his craving. It had been a long time since he’d felt so motivated. The pure adrenaline rush reminded him of what it truly felt like to be alive. It felt exhilarating.
It was addictive and he wanted more. Yet, after walking for over ten minutes, no more wolves appeared. It was frustrating not being able to satisfy his newfound passion. “Here doggy! I’m here! Any slimes…” he cried out desperately.
It was probably a lost cause; the only audible sound was the rustling of the silver-tinted leaves. Alan was about ready to give up and focus on his next objectives: water, food, and shelter. When he decided to try one more thing. Something that he initially wanted to avoid, but now decided that was worth the risk.
His eyes flitted from the path ahead to the dense jungle surrounding him. Taking a deep breath, Alan veered off the path, pushing through the foliage, feeling the leaves brush against him as he moved deeper. The ambiance of the jungle was both intimidating and exciting.
Alan paused, as he contemplated his surroundings. With a wry smile, he remarked to himself, “Here I am, fighting wolves in a jungle, relying on a nifty HUD-like interface to guide me. If I didn’t know better, I'd say some amateur author out there pulled me right out of a cookie-cutter isekai novel.” He chuckled at the idea of having a potential audience, “At least I didn’t end up fighting the fabled slime…although, I wouldn’t be opposed to a beautiful, powerful, tsundere heroine saving my ass.”
Oh well…
He attempted to use Identify to find nearby wolves seconds after entering the jungle. However, it only provided information about things he was already aware of. While the ability was useful, Alan felt it should offer more. His thoughts then drifted to his other ability, Manafestation. He had yet to harness its power and found himself questioning the system's categorization. Why was Manafestation termed a ‘boon’ while Identify was merely labeled as an aptitude?
Alan had somewhat been aware of using mana after the integration began. Twice. First, when he chose the pursuit of magic in the initiation realm, and now every time he uses his Identify aptitude.
Maybe boons aren’t skills.
It was worth considering.
Alan closed his eyes and tried to focus, but what he felt was... foolish. It reminded him of the numerous times he'd attempted to power up after watching his favorite cartoons. However, any embarrassment quickly faded, overshadowed by his excitement to experience this brand new world.
So he closed his eyes again…
He took a deep breath and focused on using Identify. There was no explicit rule stating it had to be used strictly by sight.
As the silver-tinted leaves rustled around him, he concentrated on the ambience while trying to extend his ability to his other senses.
The mana seeped out slightly and his perception shifted.
“Holy shit,” he unconsciously said out loud. “Maybe—”
Alan blinked. Is this how it’s supposed to feel? Actual mana?
It had to be. It was electric.
When he was five years old, Alan had a nightlight in his bedroom that proved a challenge to unplug. It was hard to get to. Tucked awkwardly between a bulky dresser and the wall, it required him to reach in with his entire arm. He would have to stretch his arm into the tight space, pull the plug halfway out of its socket, and then adjust his grip to remove it entirely. On one particular attempt, as he was adjusting his grip and pulling it the rest of the way, his fingers inadvertently completed the circuit and well…five-year-old Alan met a startling jolt.
Luckily, such low-voltage devices, while delivering an uncomfortable, surprising and terrifying shock, aren't as harmful as higher-voltage ones. But that jolt – that's how mana felt.
Replicating it was strangely familiar, simultaneously easy and hard, like learning to ride a bike.
“I can see…err, feel the magical spectrum,” he said, unsure of his own words. Maybe I can use this?
Alan was starting to suspect the boon’s specific purpose. He tried to repeat the process, focusing on using Identify and feeling the jolt. The mana. It felt like tendrils of energy, seeking out disturbances or resonances in the environment.
Combination Unlocked! By synergizing [Identify] with [Boon of Manafestation], you have discovered the potent spell [Resonance Reveal].
Resonance Reveal? He thought as soon as the message crossed his vision.
[Resonance Reveal] - Channel mana to a concentrated point and employ Identify, unveiling concealed magical or mystical attributes in the designated region.
“So this... this is what it's like to tap into raw magic,” Alan whispered in awe.
He could sense mana pulses around him.
Each pulse belonged to something—critters, insects, even some plants had mana—every living being had a resonance, an echo in the magical spectrum.
After experimenting with Resonance Reveal for a few minutes, Alan made a grand discovery.
He found them. They shimmered with an ethereal glow amidst the foliage, their mana signatures clear and bright against the backdrop of the jungle. Their resonance was faint compared to the rest of the flora and fauna, but it was there. With mana acting as a conductor for his senses, the wolves’ presence was clear as day.
[Shadowpelt Wolf - tc 2]
[Shadowpelt Wolf - tc 3]
[Shadowpelt Wolf - tc 4]
Alan moved slowly toward his prey.
Not surprisingly, the wolves noticed him instantly. They weren’t thrilled by the human’s intrusion. The fur on their backs bristled on end. Their snouts wrinkled and revealed sharp menacing fangs ready to strike.
He gripped his sword tightly with both hands, advancing on the wolves with deliberate steps and maintaining steady breaths. The wolves grew even angrier, clearly unaccustomed to being the ones stalked. While keeping his new Resonance Reveal spell active as he approached the creatures, Alan noticed that it hardly drained his mana resource pool, which he was now constantly aware of in his mind.
“Here we go.”