Jiran pulled his hand from the murker’s chest and its liquified, compressed organs splattered across the ground. He flicked his hand, removing the last vestiges of sticky gore from his gauntlet. Red motes of challenger density pulled themselves from the beast, zipping through the foggy air to sink into his skin. He inhaled deeply, forcing the cascading emotions to merely simmer within him. Unfortunately, Foresight was buzzing an ever-louder distraction in the back of his brain; a constant reminder that the confrontation with the Graymin was drawing nearer. Shivers wracked his body as the gloomy fog pressed in around him, sensing his moment of emotional weakness. Hungry wisps of ephemeral aura reached toward him like hands ready to pull him into darkness and despair.
Jiran shook himself sharply, dispelling the residual visions and focusing all of his considerable mental attributes on a single point: The corpse bleeding out on the damp soil beneath him. He hefted it over his shoulder before jumping with all of his might. The fog parted above as his arm flashed. A burst of mana was released to travel along the synapses of the framework, scattering the forest’s barrier as easily as shifting a layer of fabric.
He shot into the sky, lingering sunslight painting the Land of the Lost in deep shadows. He brought his most recent kill to the new pile of corpses now thirty deep. He lifted all of them into his aura and set off toward the Forest of Melodies.
Four more kills than last time and I finished in half the time. It’s been just under two hours since Eldest left. I should make it back before any of the Forkara show up. Niya was supposed to bring the People through the portal about an hour ago so they should be well underway with making their equipment.
Better check my gains before I get there.
STRENGTH: + 28
AGILITY: + 32
ENDURANCE : + 29
DURABILITY: + 26
WISDOM: + 26
INTELLIGENCE: + 29
Multiplied by my concentration, these few points make a huge difference to my overall power. I didn't overly rely on the formations in my suit this time, so I’ve already adapted to most of the changes. It sure is hard to keep up when they’re increasing this fast though.
Mana Confluence: + 1
Elemental Castigation: + 1
Mana Omnis: + 1
Enthralling Touch: + 1
I think I’ve tapped out what I can gain from consistent use. I really need to find some time to dig into the fundamental principles of mana and the elements or I’ll never unlock another subskill. I still need to figure out what aspect I want and how that whole process works. Not to mention, figuring out how to weave my mana like that Remalon could.
Challenger timer reset: + 120 hours
NAME: Jiran of Madra
RACE: Remalon
AGE: 0
WEIGHT: 3489 kg > 4258 kg
ACCLAMATIONS: Remalonian Constitution / Scion of Mana
TIMER: 351:57:32
TIER: 4
EXP: 200/200
GROWTH: 21.30 % > 37.03 %
Yes! I get exactly half a percent of growth per kill and I killed thirty beasts but gained fifteen point seven three percent growth instead. Now that I can pull mana out of the beasts and safely filter it, I don’t have to tap into my own mana to fight. All the density I’ve gained from eating these tier sevens is being converted into growth. But almost an entire percent of growth in an hour is impossible even before tier one, which means my method of rapidly converting density to growth is working!
This isn’t a big deal for me since most of my growth comes from challenger density. For Mayalyn and the rest, this will dramatically decrease the time it takes to tier up. I can’t wait to find out if this works for them. I hope it’s not just a Remalon thing.
MANA: 54
CONCENTRATION: 18
STRENGTH: 218 > 246
AGILITY: 224 > 256
ENDURANCE: 215 > 244
DURABILITY: 217 > 243
WISDOM: 216 > 242
INTELLIGENCE: 220 > 249
CHARISMA: 78 > 80
SKILLS:
Mana Confluence: 78 > 79
Elemental Castigation: 47 > 48
Mana Omnis: 22 > 23
Enthralling Touch: 32 > 33
Identify: 19 > 24
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With the pile of incredibly heavy corpses in tow, it took Jiran nearly twenty minutes to reach the valley. A rapidly growing flock of Forkara were gathering to the west, their forms appearing as speckled dust against the backdrop of First Father descending toward the horizon.
He ignored them for now, far more anxious to see Mayalyn again and check on the status of the People. The smithing formations he had made for them were situated near the teleportation platform at the edge of the pond. He crossed his fingers, hoping they hadn’t gotten into any fights with the Timberlings in the short time he was gone. The directions he had given Niya were thorough, but there was no guarantee that language barriers hadn’t caused any issues.
Not seeing or hearing anything alarming during his approach, his escalated heart rate began to settle. When he passed over the last row of trees and saw the mass of clamoring beast people, a sinking sensation pulled his guts into his boots as he saw the Aahmra standing in the middle of a crowd. His arms were raised high above his head as he shouted orders, the old mouseman’s long white hair and beard swaying in the wind. Jiran immediately noticed that he looked much younger than the last time he had seen him, confirming his elevation to the sixth tier.
Thoughts of seeing Mayalyn again had kept the destructive influence of the challenger density at bay, but now, seeing the auramaster before him as though nothing had happened between them, instantly shattered his control. Flooded with a voracious need to dominate worthy prey, Jiran bared his teeth in a snarl, the thick desire to kill overtaking his senses and turning his vision red.
He sucked his aura close to his body and blasted toward the mouseman, the heavy corpses discarded to crash into the ground. Jiran slammed into the Aahmra’s aura at an awesome speed. He was pushed back two meters, his feet creating furrows in the soil. After their initial clash, the distance between them failed to shrink and Jiran’s eyes widened in surprise. For the first time since learning that his manabody was merely an extension of his soul, he had encountered an aura that didn’t immediately yield to his greater understanding. They locked eyes as their wills struggled against one another, and a haughty grin pulled at the corners of the Aahmra’s lips.
Unwilling to admit defeat and determined to crush the auramaster’s will by overcoming what he took the most pride in, Jiran clutched at the synapses of the framework with his mana and condensed aura. He pulled himself toward the Aahmra one centimeter at a time. The Aahmra held his ground, his arms raised and his previous grin nowhere in sight.
His tail lashed behind him as he snarled, “Impressive, but you’re going to have to do better than that!”
Mana Omnis allowed Jiran to watch the mana flowing through the Aahmra’s core and into his left hip. A moment later, a new stream of energy flooded into his aura, lacing it with an aspect that Jiran didn’t immediately recognize. Suddenly, the weight crushing down on him tripled and he fell to the ground, barely holding his legs beneath him. The pressure was immense, assaulting him like a collapsing mountain. Jiran’s limbs shook with effort, every ounce of his newly-improved attributes straining to just barely hold himself up.
Once more, the Aahmra flashed a victorious smile, “Give up now. You’ll never defeat me in a battle of aura!”
Damnit! If he lifted me up instead of pressing me into the ground, my only option would be to use my mana to attack. Why isn’t he doing that? Is his aspect something to do with gravity? Maybe he can only exert this level of pressure toward the ground. I shouldn’t assume that. He's a tricky old wretch after all.
Suddenly, the mouseman hopped backward, widening the distance between them by a meter, “For all Mayalyn’s boasting, I assumed your aura would be a match for mine. But it turns out you're just as pitiful as the first time we met.”
“You’re really going to pretend this is just a contest of auras after you put so much mana into your aspect? Since you’re so confident, let’s see how things go without you cheating!”
Enthralling Touch connected with the mana flowing through the Aahmra’s body and core. With a swift tug, Jiran dominated the energy and roughly pulled it from him. Instead of bringing it into his suit or body, Jiran spread it around both of them in the shape of a large box. He then used Elemental Castigation to seal them inside a room made of meter-thick ice.
Shock spread across the Aahmra’s face, accompanied by his voice cracking, “W-what?! What did you do? How is that possible?”
In that first moment of hesitation, Jiran managed to leap forward, closing the gap between them. The Aahmra tried to back away but crashed against the ice. Half the strength of his aura was redirected to bash against the wall. It began to crack from the pressure and just as a hint of relief washed over the Aahmra’s expression.
When Jiran created a second layer of ice, even thicker than the first, despair flashed in the mouseman’s eyes before they lit up with hope born from panicked desperation, “It doesn’t matter, even if you defeat me, they’ll never follow you! I’ve been instilling loyalty in them for three generations, they’ll be mine until the day they die!”
Jiran took another step forward, finally close enough that he could reach out and grab the Aahmra at any time. He stood tall, looking down as he shrugged off the pressure of the aspect-filled aura crashing down on him, “And what if I kill you? Will they still insist on following you when you’re dead?” Jiran whispered, his face contorting in a vicious snarl.
The Aahmra froze, his mind going blank as he sought a way out, “Y-you can’t k-kill me, they’ll never forgive you. You’ll lose Mayalyn. She’d never absolve you for murdering me after I kept them safe for so long.”
image [https://i.imgur.com/cmALVli.jpg]
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Jiran stepped away, dusting his hands while shaking his head, “You’re an idiot. I never wanted to be their leader in the first place. I don’t even like asking people to do things, let alone ordering them. Every time I do, I’m forcing myself because lives are at stake. Without considering anyone’s opinion but your own, you kidnapped Mayalyn, destroyed her Great-grandfather's legacy, and tried to control me for your own schemes.”
Jiran shook his head, disappointment clenching his guts, “You know, I’m not even mad anymore. You’re just a short-sighted, greedy old bastard. Even so, compared to some of the scum out there, you’re not all that bad. That said, I can’t help but feel a bit lucky. After all, you’re tier six… which means you can take a bit of a beating!” Jiran’s fist flashed forward, smashing into the Aahmra’s face hard enough to blast him through both layers of ice. His eyes dimmed as he lost consciousness, his face contorted from the imprint of the four knuckles that had burrowed into his cheek.
Ducking through the hole, Jiran returned to the dimming light of the late afternoon. He released a deep sigh, his arms and legs quivering from exertion and the desire to instantly renew the hunt. With great effort, he ignored the Aahmra’s prostrate form, instead gazing up at the sky.
Almost out of time. It’s been a day, Daughter should be ready to talk again.
Those nearby whispered and pointed, ripples of shock washing through them as the news of his victory spread like wildfire. The rapidly gathering crowd parted for Mayalyn. She sauntered to him with a smug smile, stepping over the Aahmra to wrap both her hands around one of his.
She lifted it into the air, turning around to face her people, “My Aajiran has defeated the Aahmra. From this day forward, he will be known as Aajiran!”
Jiran’s Charisma attribute blared a warning at him and he wholeheartedly agreed with its assessment of the crowd's feelings. He raised his voice, imbuing it with a touch of mana, “I’m not replacing the Aahmra, he is still your leader and I’ll support his decisions so long as he doesn’t turn against me again. I’ll never forget the kindness and acceptance you showed me when I first arrived on your island. It is my honor to be your protector and your guide now that you have stepped into a new world. As we say in the empire: May we all thrive, together!”
Jiran sealed the air around Mayalyn, cupping her cheek with his hand, “How are the smithing formations? Any issues?”
Her eyes flickered to one of the two dozen chest-high metal boxes at the edge of the pond. Most of those who had chosen to come and fight stood in long lines waiting patiently for their turn. As they watched, a man with the features of a bull wrapped two meaty hands around the handles protruding from the top of one of the boxes. After a brief flash of light, the lid of the box popped open and he retrieved a massive two-handed hammer. He swung it experimentally, a huge grin plastered on his face.
“How could there be any issues? You made them exactly like Great-grandfather’s inventions. Everyone is quite comfortable with them,” She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch with a blissful smile that melted his heart, “Thank you, for that. I… felt like I lost everything he left for us, for me. I was going to ask you to smooth the valley walls so I could try running in a full circle around it, but this gift is much better.”
Jiran chortled, his amusement quickly cascading out of control until he threw his head back and laughed. When he finally regained control, Mayalyn looked up at him with one eye squinted and her lips pursed doubtfully.
“Don’t look at me like that or I’ll lose it again!” Jiran held his side, backing away from her with a wide grin, “Thanks, I’m already starting to feel a little better. Good thing, too. I think we’re about out of time.”
“Oh, I should mention that Cameron arrived just before Niya brought us through the portal. She split the crystals with him.”
“What?! That’s great! In that case, I can leave even sooner. Hmm, the Forkara won’t make it in time if we push up the schedule but I suppose we can always bring the smithing formations to the battle and let them make their weapons and armor there. Okay, spread the word, we’re leaving in an hour.”
No reason to spend the mana on speaking with Daughter since we’ll get there as soon as we can. All that’s left is organizing the Timberlings and the Forkara.
Seeing him looking toward the center of the valley, Mayalyn gave him a gentle smile full of warmth, “Go, do what you must do. When you are ready, we will be ready.”