{Congratulations! You’ve gained a skill: [Projection]!}

{[Projection]: The knowledge gained from [Analysis] and [Essence of Life] can be combined to form a four-dimensional projection, visible only to the user. The user can mold the shapes of objects already analyzed using the magnifying glass and create a virtual version that perfectly exposes its physical form and magical essence. As a secondary ability, the user can use the new skill for simulations of different behaviors with the projection object.}

{Note 1: A minimum of two projections is required for simulations.}

{Note 2: Each projection costs 40 mana units. Ensure sufficient mana is available before using the skill.}

{Note 3: [Projection] is limited by the user’s capabilities. The skill does not support replicas of a higher level than the user.}

Jonn saw the blue message boxes appear and gradually dissipate in his vision. He learned the basics of the new {Skill}, recognizing the immense potential for [Projection] in his daily life in the village.

This is not a mage’s offensive skill. The Celestial Magnifying Glass system is geared towards support-type powers, particularly those capable of studying and developing things.

Jonn had no aspirations of gaining abilities that would make him like the mages who had almost destroyed Valorian. However, he was concerned enough to consider a future where he might have to face mages left over from the Third Magic War.

I’ll see if I can get spells in the future. But for now, I’m going to focus on the possibilities of the Celestial Magnifying Glass.

He smiled at the chicken in front of him, though he wasn’t looking at it at that moment. His focus was on the new {Skill}, to which he was gradually directing his mana.

Combining his experience of observing the chicken and the mana crystal, he saw a figure resembling the creature that had just laid an egg appear through the lens of the magnifying glass. This yellow-feathered creature looked identical to the animal. Jonn could even see its organs when he used [Analysis], including sensing the mana core lodged inside the creature.

Jonn watched the virtual chicken with his mouth open for a few moments, without thinking of doing anything special. Eventually, he thought of the Aether Tear he had given the creature, and a replica appeared next to the virtual chicken. He made it consume this other replica and let [Projection] work, quickly showing how the new crystal would fuse with the chicken’s mana core and more than double its previous mana.

A single crystal seemed insufficient for the chicken to reach a mana level similar to what he had at the start of level 1.

The new mission talks about turning the animals in the village into beasts. Progress is at 0 out of 32, meaning zero animals have turned into beasts.

His eyebrows drew together as he realized something.

Hmm, she’ll only be a beast when she reaches level 1… Assuming that level 1 for beasts is the same as for mages, she would need about 2 crystals to reach my level.

Jonn reached a crossroads where he had to decide: use the remaining Aether Tear on another animal and split his investments or concentrate on what he had on the hen in front of him.

I have to consider that this chicken seems to absorb mana on its own from now on. And I only have one crystal left for the next few months.

He wouldn’t go back to his greenhouse and disrupt the cultivation of crucial plants for the village for the sake of a single attribute point he could gain by turning the chicken into a beast. He had his own doubts about what might happen next and preferred to take things slowly.

It’s decided. The hen won’t become a beast, even if I give it the crystal I have. And it can grow up on its own… Not only that, but it might be interesting to split what I have between two. I don’t know what might happen to the chicken tomorrow or the day after.

The question now is, should I give the remaining crystal to another chicken, a cow, or one of the wolves?

Jonn looked at the hen, still with her eyes closed, but gradually showing signs she was going to wake up.

First, I have to test this egg. There’s mana in it. But what does that mean?

Jonn had almost no magical theory, almost no books or even instruction to know things that would be simple for others. All he had was the Celestial Magnifying Glass and his guesses from observation.

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Would the egg he had just picked up from under the hen be like the other eggs? Would it be better? Would it be dangerous for his fellow villagers?

Ordinary mortals could absorb small amounts of mana without risking their health, as far as he knew. That was why the Eternal Village still existed in a place intoxicated by the mana of powerful mages. But the limit of mortals was low and it would only take a greater concentration of mana entering their bodies for one to show poisoning signs.

Jonn had already seen fellow villagers suffer after spending too much time in areas of higher mana density, with some coming close to death.

Let’s see what this egg has in it…

He first washed the egg, which had a green stripe down its center, before analyzing it with his magnifying glass.

At first glance, it looked like a normal chicken egg. Its size was regular and its coloring, except for the green stripe, was white and regular. But on closer inspection, Jonn saw it wasn’t so simple.

Interesting. This hen’s eggshell has a unique structure compared to ordinary eggshells.

He had already studied the village animals, the cows’ milk, the chickens’ eggs, and even the animals’ feces over the last few months.

It must be twice as hard to break, compared to the others.

Jonn moved on, picking up a spoon and a small ceramic container.

But he had no trouble breaking the egg. By applying the appropriate force, the white structure cracked, showing no rejection to him, while the mana present there remained stable.

Jonn poured the contents of the egg into the brown container and continued his analysis.

It has three times the nutrients of an ordinary egg, plus the equivalent of 1 unit of mana!

If I eat this, I can automatically recover some of my mana after a few minutes of eating it, or even stimulate my magical growth to a lesser extent.

He was pretty sure that daily consumption of eggs like it would directly increase his [Mana] in the long run. He couldn’t say how much at the moment, but it seemed clear that his magical ability would improve.

The system quantifies 10 units of [Mana] for 1 point of [Intelligence]. So this egg should stimulate a maximum of 0.1 [Intelligence]… No, one’s magical ability also depends on [Wisdom]. Maybe that one unit of mana would somehow be split between the two attributes?

I’ll have to test it.

It didn’t seem logical to Jonn to assume that his organism would fully assimilate 1 unit of mana from the egg. Something had to be lost in the process.

He kept an eye on it while frying the egg in water in a small wood-burning oven in his house.

The egg doesn’t look dangerous to humans. The hen has little mana. She shouldn’t produce anything too potent. And if it goes well with the village members, it could help us strengthen the village without poisoning people.

Jonn wasn’t thinking of strengthening the village by nourishing mages, but with the nutrients of a rich diet. His companions were mostly malnourished and had little energy for day-to-day activities. But eggs like these could improve some of that.

When he finished frying the egg, Jonn sprinkled a little salt on it and ate it while it was still warm, feeling his stomach growl with desire.

His eyes opened wide as his tongue touched the white essence of the egg white, his taste buds screaming in delight.

“That…”

Jonn looked at the spoonful of egg and didn’t know what to say. He had never eaten such a tasty egg before!

He chewed quickly, eating the rest of the nutritious food in just six spoonfuls, finishing it so quickly that he was soon staring at the now empty metal pan, craving more.

Gulp!

It’s decided! I’ll give the other mana crystal to one of the cows. That way I’ll have milk with mana in a few more hours!

While he was thinking this, the hen opened her eyes and got up. Hearing the animal, Jonn looked in her direction while there were still traces of the creature’s broken egg beside him.

There was a calmer look on the hen’s face now, and for a moment Jonn thought she was thinking as she looked at him and also saw the shell of the egg she had laid.

He took a step forward, and the hen jumped back, but she didn’t walk around his residence. She knew she was stuck in this place with him and that going any further wouldn’t make any difference. She just didn’t let herself be touched easily, but she didn’t go any further, either.

“Little one, I didn’t expect you to be so successful,” he said as he crouched down, bringing his eyes level with the creature’s. “Tell you what, I’ll give you mana crystals in the future and you give me your eggs.” He showed both with his fingers. “I’ll let one rooster mate with you when we have more food and allow you to have chicks. But until then, your eggs will serve me as food.”

The creature seemed to understand his intentions and didn’t flinch when he brought one of his hands close to her. Her eyes even sparkled when she thought of these crystals.

“From now on, you will be called Annabelle.” Jonn took the hen in his arms, making her a little uncomfortable, but she didn’t scratch him with her sharp claws.

As soon as he opened the door of the house and made his way back to the henhouse, Jonn saw Ice behaving strangely, afraid to approach, but still desirous of the Aether Tear.

“I’m sorry, Ice. It’s not your turn,” Jonn laughed on the way to the animal area.

“Annabelle, you can’t harm the animals or humans in the village. If anyone gets hurt because of you, I’ll turn you into soup. So keep your claws retracted.”

The animal was not yet a beast, but Jonn clearly saw a sign of intelligence similar to Ice’s, even without Annabelle being connected to the [Wildheart Talisman].

He left the creature in the henhouse before making his way to one of the two cows. Jonn chose the cow that produced the most milk, giving her the chance to swallow the remaining mana crystal he had with him.

Soon the members of the village would leave the walled area for their morning activities, with some of them noticing Jonn near the animals, where he intended to stand until the cow woke up and showed results.

He still didn’t know if every animal would show the same results as Annabelle. That was precisely why he hadn’t tried swallowing the mana crystal himself.

After I’ve tested it with all the animals in the village, it will be my turn to use the Aether Tears to strengthen myself!