FVR
Chapter Fifteen.
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The air reverberated with another booming sound, popping Joel's ears and sending a rumble through his body. He looked up to the two men briefly, but neither one twitched, and the prisoner's all seemed too scared to react.
Joel looked at Ali, who stood at his side, and leaned down a little to speak, but only managed a single syllable before Ali shot him a look. Joel translated it as, shut the fuck up, and turned to look back.
A faint twang of horse manure in the air touched his lips, triggering an instinctive and childish flurry of spitting. Fucking gross!
The brow on the taller man furled, throwing Joel a puzzled look. "Listen well," he continued, his voice booming over the noise around them. "The process is straightforward. We shall assess your prowess in combat and your command over your own mana. Following that, you shall be assigned to a suitable unit for further instruction." He looked down at the smaller man and gestured forward.
The smaller man took a few small steps toward the prisoners and stared at each one in turn. With a piercing intensity, he observed them for a few moments, jotting down notes on a piece of parchment for each prisoner.
Once the man had finished observing Ali at the end of the line, he returned to the taller man and muttered something under his breath. Handing over the parchment, he nodded in acknowledgment before briskly leaving in the same direction as Aurora.
"Alright," the taller man announced loudly, reading from the parchment, "from the front, your numbers are one, two..." he pointed at each prisoner from right to left, ending with Ali who was twelve, "follow me."
Eleven, Joel echoed, still trying to rid himself of the earthy and bitter dryness of the horse manure from his lips. The taste was a disgusting but welcome distraction that calmed him as he followed the other prisoners through the fortress, each foot sinking slightly less into the wet mud the further they walked.
Navigating through archways, under bridges, and along wide paths, they eventually came to a courtyard.
Enclosed by towering, thick walls on all sides, the yard had several wooden beams overhead, each one with its own ropes dangling leather balls at their ends, which were placed in holders along the wall.
The man stood at the front of the line, facing away. Even with his back turned to Joel he had a commanding presence; his broad shoulders seemed to stretch his armor, hinting at the muscle beneath. His auburn hair flaked with mud and dust as he moved, telling of the lack of comforts in the fortress and the hardships of life. Yet, he remained resolute. Bound to his duty and the responsibilities it placed upon him.
Joel focused his vision on the orange hue above the man, Dalton, he paused, thinking about his ability to see their names, I wish this gave more information...
"As unblessed," Dalton said loudly as Joel and Ali entered the yard; the clean ground latched onto the mud from their shoes as they entered, "you will be unable to move the elements. However, you have the ability to generate a shield of mana, or sense mana in living things." He unchained the prisoners and removed their shackles one by one. When he came to Joel, he pulled him to the side and spoke soft enough to not be heard by the others, "speak now if you have an envoy awaiting your presence," he said, removing Joel's shackles. "I shall endeavor to ensure your safe passage."
He thinks I'm someone important.
Joel looked to the ground, stuck with indecision; he knew there was a chance he could be free, but that freedom might not take him to safety. The chance that the game wanted him to stay here was also a possibility, or that if he left, he would miss out on some training, which was sorely missed in what Joel assumed to be the tutorial. Either way, Joel had no envoy and no home waiting for him, and his best option was to gain as much strength as he could so that he could be as independent as possible. With an intuitive action, he shook his head.
Dalton didn't reply as he turned and addressed the group. "To go to battle, one needs four things: a weapon, and training with it," he gestured over to the edge of the wall, where a stockpile of weapons sat in barrels. "A unit, and the trust of those around you," he said, looking at a prisoner and gesturing to the others around him. "A mana shield, and the control to defend from attack," he pulled a blade from his hip and rolled it an inch from his chest, stopped by something Joel couldn't see. "Finally, mana sense, and the control to detect an unseen attack." With a subtle wave of his hand and a gust of wind, a leather ball unlatched from the wall and hit Ali on the back of the head. Ali cursed, and looked around dumbfounded. "Without these things, you will be a weight on the field that we cannot carry, and so shall be sent to a supporting unit." Dalton paused, and raised a hand, "who here knows how to do any of these things."
Four of the prisoners hesitantly raised their hands, including Ali. Dalton nodded upwards, silently urging them to reveal what they knew.
Ali, still rubbing his head, spoke up, "I can use a spear, and use mana sense," he stuttered, "a little."
"Why were you not using it just now?" Dalton asked.
"It's tiring to use it all of the time, is it not?" Ali replied, "and that ball has no mana in it."
Dalton exhaled loudly, "the ball might not, but the mana I used to move it did - you should have sensed that." Ali furrowed his brow in annoyance, but remained focused, paying close attention. "It is also very tiring, I know" Dalton continued, "but with proficiency, even unblessed are capable of stretching their mana sense to last for several hours. You must learn to do this." He gestured to the other prisoners who had their hands raised, and each one mentioned a weapon they could use, or their small proficiency in sensing mana.
Joel listened on intently, mana cannot sense inanimate objects, but inanimate objects and be moved by mana, and it's that mana that we should be able to sense? His head hurt. He pictured what that would look like and how exhausting it must be to remain ever vigilant.
He thought about putting up his hand, but the only fighting experience he had won were the fights against the wolf and his own shadow. He knew he was weak, and knew he needed training, but the thought still made his feet itch, and still filled him with a sense of uncertainty. Causing pain to someone else made his skin scrawl, even if it was just a game.
Dalton sat on the ground and gestured to Joel and the others who had not raised their hands to join him by tapping the earth with his palm. "Sensing mana is like feeling the air from your nose as you exhale, or feeling your chest rise and fall with every breath. Once you become aware of it, you will always know where to find it." He paused, looking at the four prisoners who raised their hands, "the few of you who can sense mana already know this." A few prisoners, Ali included, nodded. "You must practice using mana sense every moment of the day, stretching the mana in your body to make the most out of every drop. That is the foundation of any combatant."
Dalton picked up a few broken pieces of stone from the ground - rubble that had worn away from the walls over time - and made them levitate above his palm. The movements of the debris weren't still, they moved up and down with each slight breeze, but they were still enough to show his control over the wind.
"Before you see the effects of wind, it is invisible. You would not know of it if you could not feel it or see its effects." He dropped the rubble to the ground and placed a hand to his chest. "Mana is the same. It is here, always. Once you feel its effects, it shall cease to be invisible." With a motion of his hand, he blew the hair from Ali's forehead, revealing his scar. "Those who are blessed, naturally protect themselves with their mana when met with a small flame. For the unblessed, it is not so simple. You must experience something far worse - the very movement of your own mana."
Ali and the prisoners who remained standing all widened their eyes. Dalton gestured to them and they scurried off to the edge of the yard. Joel looked on, wondering what was about to happen, and braced his body for an attack.
"Close your eyes and feel well. What I am about to do is akin to the practice of creating an external mana shield. However, in this instance, it is used to repel the mana of those who lack control over their own. Focus on the feeling, and in time, your mana shall reveal itself." Dalton finished.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Joel closed his eyes and braced his body firmer than before, prematurely winching at the thought of pain. His mind focused on the rise and fall of his chest, its familiar rhythm disrupted by waves of panic.
With a sudden and jarring motion, Joel was pulled backwards from deep inside of his own body. It was like the air inside of him was trying to escape through his back, leaving the front of his body feeling somehow vacant. Every part of his body felt cold from beneath his skin, as if an invisible hand had placed a pump in his chest and started to release air inside of him.
In the second he felt the impact, he became acutely aware of every vein coursing in his body, every subtle movement of his organs, every fiber of his muscles stretching and contracting. In a moment of startling awareness, Joel could sense every inch of his body as a cool breeze washed over him, and it made him feel... heavy.
His mind went blank and he leaned forwards gasping for breath the moment the feeling passed. His eyes were too blurry to see anything and his head ached with a thumping from deep within his skull. But there was something new, something within him that he could feel now that he couldn't before. It surged through his veins like weightless air; it didn't act as blood did - but as water would. Placed into a cup, water becomes the cup. It was as if the mana within him filled every part of his body, and he could feel its weightless form flow through him.
With a shake of his head and a deep breath, Joel steadied himself as he sat back up. Imagining himself as a vessel for the mana, he sensed it fill him. Drop by drop, his vessel filled to the brim with the calm wave of a newly visible source of energy.
〘Skill Unlocked: Mana Sense〙
〘Title Unlocked: One With The Self〙
〘Reward For Title: Two Skill Points〙
Finally! Without knowing what mana did, Joel was worried he had wasted his skill points. But now, he could start to climb closer to the strength he needed. With a giddy smile, he looked up to Dalton. "I've got it!" He said cheerfully.
Dalton gave him a sharp look.
Huh? Joel looked over to the other prisoners, collapsed on the floor. Ah, shit! I got it too quickly...
Dalton rose to his feet, his words came out slowly, tinged with a hint of confusion, "practice with the others." He gestured over to the other four prisoners then walked away. The moment he left the yard, Ali approached Joel.
"How'd you do that?" Ali asked.
The game must make it easier to learn things, but I can't say that. "I've gone through something similar before," he lied.
With several prisoners on the floor, each one coming to in a huff of sweat and dizziness, and Ali still staring at Joel as if he were an enigma, Joel thought back to his aims. I have to improve my reactions, learn the sword, and master using mana. If I can do those things, I'll be able to stay here far longer. He stretched out his open palm, and sensed the mana within his body. It was a similar color to the golden hue that once spread across the horizon, but much fainter. Still golden, but less dense.
Joel took the chance to check his skill page for mana sense.
《Mana Sense. Beginner. Proficiency: 0/100. Gives the ability to detect internal mana》
Proficiency is clearly different to levels, but I don't know if it has the same restrictions as levelling skills does. I guess I should just focus on using this as much as possible for now, see how long it takes to max it.
Mana sense was an active skill, but once on, it remained on, like a passive skill would. The moment he gained the skill he could sense mana from within his body.
Several minutes passed by while the prisoners either collected themselves or focused on their internal mana.
Joel sat on the rough ground with his thoughts tracing the mana throughout his body, building a deeper understand of how it felt. With his eyes closed, it was as if he were floating in a pool of breathable water, but with a cold, gentle breeze flowing through his body. He couldn't sense the mana outside of his own vessel, but he could see its effects. It was like looking at a tree through a window - he could see the wind move the branches and lift the leaves, but he couldn't feel it; he knew the mana was there - he could start to see its effects and how it spread throughout the world - but it was still out of reach.
Sensing mana, even internally, used mana. It felt as though he were moving a bead within his body, and after a few seconds, the bead would dissolve and he would need to grab a new one.
Ah, that's the catch, he realized.
He was using one mana every ten seconds, which meant he couldn't leave it on all day, and so maxing the proficiency would take a lot longer the lower the mana pool.
I could throw my points into it, but I still need points for levelling skills and increasing my stats. Fuck. This game really is restrictive. Just how long do they expect us to be in here? Joel wondered how long it would take to max these skills, or if it were even possible.
Dalton returned with the other prisoners from the city, repeating the same monologue he had given to Joel and the others. When he was done, and several prisoners lay on the floor, he returned to Joel's group. Nearly out of mana, Joel stood up and waited for the next instruction, hoping he would find out how to learn to produce a mana shield.
"Mana takes time to regenerate, and it is impossible to use it all; doing so would mean death." Dalton said, brushing his hands on his clothes, "so use as much as you can whenever you're able, for it is how you gain proficiency."
No mana means death? Joel knew that didn't apply to him, but knowing not to use it all while around others was important information. Didn't Roland mention this? Something about Samul, and Loomas?
"Next, we'll test your combat readiness. Those of you who have fought before, stand to my left." Ali and three others moved over anxiously, leaving Joel alone on the wall while the others rested on the ground. "You've all fought before?" Dalton asked. The four of them nodded, "where?" Dalton looked at Ali.
"Once, for the Lord of Toretone, at a place I cannot remember." Ali answered.
"You've killed?" Dalton asked.
Ali paused, nodded slightly, "plenty."
"Then choose a weapon and show me." Dalton took a prepared stance, his hands outstretched in front of him, his feet shoulder width apart, his sword sheathed at his side.
Ali stretched his back before grasping a spear. He moved the hair from his eyes, and swung the spear experimentally a few times, adjusting his grip, before executing two quick thrusts which were clear as day to Joel's eyes. He's good, but slow...
With a loud exhale, Ali readied himself, and stepped in to Dalton as he pushed his first thrust. While his movements showed the skill of someone used to fighting, he lacked the refinement and guidance Lor had shown, and was outmatched by a far more experience fighter. As his spear sailed past his opponent, Dalton swiftly stepped in with a sliding front foot and delivered a palm strike to Ali's chest. With a thud, Ali crumpled to the ground, allowing Dalton to seize the spear.
Ali gasped for breath on his knees, holding his ribs with both hands. Fuck, Joel looked on, amazed at the strength Dalton had thrown into the strike, but equally amazed at the look in Ali's eyes, which had the same alertness and determination as before.
"Up," Dalton said.
Ali looked up with tears in his eyes, then struggled to his feet.
"Again," Dalton threw the spear back, "you three," he looked up to the other three prisoners, "join your man at arms."
They each grabbed their own weapon and showed some immediate teamwork as they circled around Dalton, who waited patiently for the first strike to come.
Joel looked at the three green-named prisoners: Tobias, Callum, and Jordan, and wondered how many it would take to defeat an unarmed orange-named fighter.
All three men shared a gaunt, malnourished appearance, with unkempt hair, scruffy beards, and ragged clothing. Tobias, the smallest of the three, had eyes that flickered nervously back and forth between Ali and Dalton, seeking any guidance he could find. Callum's face was energetic and his grin radiated a confidence unbefitting of someone in his situation. Finally, Jordan, standing the straightest among them, scrutinized Dalton with a calculating gaze as he shaped him up with his own chest pushed out.
Four versus one... Surely they have to do something?
With a fast sequence of intentional movements, the duel unfolded while Joel watched on, amazed at the skill of lowly prisoners.
Calum launched the first strike, aiming for Dalton's back with a powerful overhead swing. Seeing the attack, Ali followed with a thrust from the front, while Jordan and Tobias held their ground, waiting for an opening to strike.
As Dalton deftly evaded the initial strikes by shifting his footwork slightly, he swiftly intercepted Jordan's blade with his boot while catching Tobias' sword in his hand. Dalton pulled Tobias in with his sword and maneuvered behind him. While the others gathered themselves, Dalton wrenched the sword from Tobias' hands and kicked him into Ali.
As Tobias and Ali collided, Callum lunged from the side with a feint, pulling the blade back at the last moment to strike with a thrust. Dalton dropped Tobias's sword, effortlessly catching Jordan's blade. He crouched, swiping at Callum's feet before kneeing him in the face. Spinning around, he parried Jordan's second strike with his palm, then stood up and kicked him in the head, sending him crashing to the ground.
Ali and Tobias scrambled to their feet. Tobias grabbed another sword and slowly circled Dalton with small, cautious steps. Ali took a moment to assess Jordan and Callum, who lay on the ground with open, motionless eyes. He glanced down at Callum and his sword, then gestured forward. Callum nodded slightly and waited patiently on the ground. Ali looked to Tobias and glanced upward, then back to Jordan and signaled to Dalton's right side - the furthest from Ali.
With a brazen yell, Tobias executed an exaggerated leap toward Dalton; the sudden glare from the sun momentarily disoriented Dalton, but he managed to sidestep out of the way. However, as he moved, he stumbled on Callum's blade, which had been pushed along the ground, causing him to lose his footing. In that split second of vulnerability, Ali and Jordan attacked from opposite sides.
Dalton smirked, closed his eyes, and twisted his body. He pushed himself up with tremendous force, generating a sudden gust of wind that sent all four prisoners hurtling backward. The sound thundered through Joel's chest with a boom, quieter than the one he had heard earlier but enough to pop his ears and blow him back slightly.
"Good. Excellent even." Dalton said with a smirk, dusting himself off. "I'll send you over to Beatrice's unit to train your mana shields once you've regained your strength." He looked over to Joel and the other prisoners from the first batch, "let's see what the others can do."