178. Rebirth and Illusions III
Atop a mountain overlooking valley, a shrine stretching a hundred meters sits peacefully as it showers on a pouring rain. Surrounding area are school buildings but unlike the familiar human architecture, the structures are huge hut-looking houses with conic roofs made of fine marbles.
The school is called Lacra Branch Academy, a learning center for Simian Dwarves.
One of these houses in particular, a serious conversation is taking place.
“It’s a direct order from Royal Military Headquarters.” A sixty year old high ranking military officer wearing black robes is seating on a wooden long bench whilst having tea. Opposite him is the current headmaster of the school.
“The last time I checked, technology now allows Runic Guns to be massed produced so, I don’t know what you humans are thinking but surely you must know our practices here are ancient.”A brawny middle aged man replied.
“Me neither. I don’t know what they’re thinking nor do I have interest in their plans. All I know is that he was discovered late and they need you to teach this boy your race’s Body Reinforcement Magic in one year and if it’s not obvious enough, they plan on having him participate at Erindal Mages Admission.”
“Even the best of our kind takes at least two years to master a reliable Body Reinforcement Magic. And you are entrusting me with someone who has not even awakened his Mana Pathways, and a Zero Element at that and that is not even including his inability to speak and I don’t even know how long can he expel and resist foreign mana so surely you must be thinking highly of us.”
“I never said you must succeed.” The military officer got to his feet and turned towards the door where a human boy is standing. “Come here , boy. Bring me that briefcase.”
The boy had been silently standing at the entrance ever since they arrived. With the instruction of the officer, he lifted the briefcase then brought it over the man.
“As you can see, he may be mute but he is obedient.”
The officer took the brief case from the boy and placed it on the table then said, “Inside are eight Crystallized Pathway Awakening Potions together with your rewards. And before I go, let me remind you that he may not have an Element but he is still a candidate Mage Apprentice.”
The officer turned around then walked towards the exit.
Meanwhile, the boy is none other than Theodore.
After drinking that unknown liquid back at Elifar City, he passed out due to exhaustion and when he woke up, he was in a carriage with a Royal Military Officer headed to an unknown western regions of Ludonia Kingdom.
Occasionally, he did see adults and children his age and while they look humans, they have hairy skins and extending at the back of their shoulders is another pair of hands twice bigger than their original limbs.
After almost an hour, they finally arrived at their destination.
Theodore had been attentive.
Prior to meeting that mage at Elifar City, he was always convinced that this world is an illusion but now he is beginning to have doubts. He feels like this world and the world from his memory fragment are both real.
Nevertheless, he still calmed his mind and did not allow his mind to be clouded further. He just hopes that if he feels something familiar again, that there will remember another memory fragment. For now, he will be patient and observe.
Right now, he had learned that the method to filter Mage Apprentice had been hidden in plain sight. To a commoner, when they looked at him struggling after taking a step inside the testing room back at the city, everyone thought he was worse than garbage. But in truth, the moment he held the transparent ball, it had already been determined he passed. The rest was just a show to make it look like he failed.
The only issue is, he was deemed No Element so he was not adopted by a duke but instead sent to the Royal Military. And to make matters worse, he is being sent to a cram school for twelve months.
“Something wrong, kid?”
“Thirsty.” Theodore murmured. He had already made a decision to reveal he is capable of speech. He had already been rejected for having no element and he might fail again if he does not break the image of being weak.
The headmaster’s eyebrows squinted when he heard Theodore. It was his understanding that the boy was mute but just now the boy spoke. He guessed that Theodore must be a very timid boy nobody speaks to him to the point he was labeled mute. He wanted to interact with the boy and get to know him better but knowing that he will disappear in a year, it is best not to be attached.
“Follow me.”
When the two stepped outside, the rain has already subsided. While the pitter patter of the rain has already stopped, a thick fog has descended the mountain. Theodore forced to familiarize himself of the surrounding as he knew it will be his environment for the next twelve months.
After a quarter of an hour, Theodore was brought into one of the guest houses of the school.
“Stay here, I’ll get you a drink.” The headmaster instructed Theodore to wait in the living room and after a minute, he came with a glass of water. He did not immediately gave to Theodore though but instead opened the briefcase.
As he opened the briefcase, he felt disheartened by the as he saw the eight crystallized pills. If only possible to covet them and give it to the most outstanding youths of their clan.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
The headmaster carefully unsealed four of them and like a candy he gave it to Theodore.
“These are not candies. You need to immediately swallow them, understand?”
“Mmmh” Theodore nodded as he started at the pills which are emitting strawberry flavor.
When the bean-sized pills were in his hands, he felt this mysterious feeling again as if he had done something similar in the past and as usual, he felt tantalized again as no memory fragment surfaced.
“Goodness!”In irritation, Theodore cursed in his mind and swallowed the pills then drank from the glass of water.
“How do you feel?” As Theodore cleared the strawberry after taste in his mouth, the headmaster spoke but before he could respond, he felt a warm trace of comfortable energy spreading from his stomach moving throughout his body then slowly, he felt like something is lighting up inside him.
Theodore closed his eyes and without him realizing, his body moved and sat on a meditative position.
“What am I doing?” Theodore muttered to himself and opened his eyes as he was surprised by the involuntary movement.
He did not want to create any bad impression so he immediately got to his feet however, the moment he stood up, he felt a finger swiped the area near his nostrils and when he lifted his head to see the headmaster’s face, he felt all of his strength left his body.
Just now, the headmaster placed a paralysis powder below his nose.
“Just relax. You will feel a cold and itchy trace of energy which will pass from your chest towards your hand. But everything is safe. This will make you stronger.”
The headmaster let Theodore lie on the floor and after a few seconds, his index finger touched the area on Theodore’s fourth rib and sent his mana.
“I will be opening seven Nodes on your hands and this will feel a bit uncomfortable. Endure it and don’t resist. It will only be for a moment.”
Theodore wanted to reject the energy however, that moment the headmaster’s aura came in contact with is body, the de-javu-feeling struck again and this time, stronger.
He wanted to concentrate on that feeling but the moment he closed his eyes, the image of all his Mana Nodes being lit up greeted him, the beautiful root-like structure lighting up like a decorated Christmas tree.
However, the image did not surprise him at all and in his mind, he asked himself, “Why is there no dantian and why is the center of circulation in the heart?
Whose energy thread is that?
Is my body being invaded?
Who’s the enemy?
I need to use my Godly Eyes.”
Theodore opened his eyes and wanted to circulate energy towards his eyes but he realized the Nodes had yet to be connected.
“Why is it not connected?” Theodore closed his eyes again.
When he closed his eyes, he saw the unknown thread of energy being retracted and at the same time, he felt the most intense pain assaulted his entire body like his innards and boned had been simultaneously pierced.
*Arrgghh!!
The pain is otherworldly that even his sedated body twitched uncontrollably before curling in pain but at the same time, this level of pain sent a shock to Theodore’s soul.
*Arrgghh!!
*Arrgghh!!
*Arrgghh!!
When Theodore’s soul was shocked, the unnecessary particles of his soul composition which had been added during Samara had all been removed making him remember his true self. In an instant, millions of memories surfaced further intensifying the pain he is currently going through.
“Prepare the tank!”
Meanwhile, seeing that Theodore is showing allergic reaction to his mana, the headmaster shouted then carried Theodore’s body then madly ran outside then into other building.
“Prepare the containment tank!” The headmaster imbued his voice with mana as he rushed outside while carrying Clay.
(Open the door!)
(Open the door!)
In less than a minute, the headmaster entered a cellar with his subordinates who were quick to respond to his instructions, a two-meter glass tank contain greenish fluid has been prepared to which Theodore was slowly submerged into.
Seeing that Theodore stopped twitching, the headmaster let a long sigh.
“The military officer that visited us should still be within our vicinity, send a message and tell him they brought me a reject.”
(Right away, headmaster.)
At the same time, when Clay had remembered everything, he ignored the pain and tried guiding the bursting energy from the pills he ate earlier. Having glanced on the Nodes that are now lit up from having consumed four Pathway Awakening Pills, he had already confirmed that was reincarnated to another world and possibly a different universe.
During his past life, he was able to confirm that the circulation centers utilized by Mages is still the dantian but that fact that center of circulation here is literally on the heart, that is one big proof he is on another universe.
Right at this moment, he is still being assaulted by the pain caused by the foreign mana residue from the headmaster but having experienced this level of pain in the past, he had become indifferent.
Slowly, he guided his own energy towards the Mana Nodes forcefully opened by the headmaster and baptized it himself with his own mana before expelling the foreign residue.
Back at Gar Wahger planet, when he was first introduced to cultivation, he remembered Aunt Mabna’y saying why it is a taboo to open someone’s meridians. If he is a regular person, this level of pain will probably turn someone into a vegetable but for him, it had become tolerable.
As soon as Clay’s consciousness connected to the seven Mana Nodes in his circuit, he noticed that the residue is slowly being expelled. He reckons it is probably the medicinal liquid his is currently floating into.
With a little push, the remaining residue had all been completely expelled out.
Clay wanted to sigh in relief but liquid had already entered his lungs and his nose. Like a fetus inside a placenta, there is no need to breathe.
Having expelled the cause of his pain, Clay wanted to relax but the energy released by the Pills is continuously subsiding. From his estimate, it will take another five minutes before it dissipates.
He wanted to ignore it but judging from the headmaster’s reaction and called him a reject, he can already foresee that he will be thrown away which means, he may not have access to this pill again. From his understanding, the Pathway Awakening Pill has the same function as Qi Sensing Pills which will help one open their Nodes.
Clay had yet to understand how Mana circulation works and would rather wait until given proper technique but he may not have another chance to consume a Pathway Awakening Pill.
Clay knew very well the dangers of recklessly opening Nodes especially that he knew nothing about being a Mage. The fact that the headmaster started with the Nodes on his hands is already a proof of that.
He is not planning on opening the Nodes around his heart, nor his chest, nor abdomen and not even feet but the Nodes around his eyes.
Life is forever unfair.
Comparing himself to cultivating geniuses, he is but an insignificant ant in terms of innate talents. Even if he probably puts all his effort, work a hundred times more diligently than everyone, he will still end up like everyone, a normal mage or cultivator whose future will be decided by mages in power.
Clay had witnessed far too many deaths and that includes him being a mass murderer and if he needed to survive, he can only gamble if his cheat will work in this world.
“So be it.”
Clay made a resolve and cleared any hesitation and started connecting his consciousness towards the energy released by the pills once more. To avoid the flow from going berserk, he started with a strand of Mana.
He played with the thin thread of energy and after minute, controlling it became natural. During his past lives, controlling his Spiritual Qi was child’s play and while his newfound power is derived from Mana, controlling it was no different from the energy he was familiar with.
Clay let the hair-like thread of Mana passed through the Node above his sternum then slowly connected them towards the Nodes around his eyes. He remembered his first time. It took him hours to make the connection but now, only a few breaths had passed.
When the connections were made, Clay increased the amount of Mana passing through each node and after another minutes, all the Nodes around his eyes had been opened.