Test my strength? What did Nic want me to do, throw something? No, I had a better idea.

I bent my knees and tensed every muscle in my body, settling into a ready stance. Then, without warning, I bounded forward, aiming for where Nic stood. I sprinted blindingly fast, feeling the power in my legs send a shock through me. And the power didn’t come from an enhancement in my armor–it came from me. I could feel my muscles working to increase my speed as my feet slammed to the ground with every step.

I skidded to a halt just centimeters away from Nic’s helmeted face, the soles of my boots surely wearing out as they slid on the stone floor. A waft of wind that must have come from my sprint blew the top half of Nic’s black jumpsuit gently.

I flashed a quick side-smile at Nic, then ran back where I came from just as fast as my sprint toward Nic had been. I whirled back around to face him, a smile still glued to my face. I wasn’t even out of breath.

“Yes, you’re definitely faster,” he said. “Now, take out your spear.”

I did as he said, the spear feeling lighter in my grip than it ever had. Not that the spear was overly heavy, but it didn't weigh as much as a feather, either.

“Aim for the target over there.” Nic pointed at the far wall to my left where a mid-sized target stood, painted white and red and mounted on sturdy metal legs. “Throw your spear at it as hard as you possibly can.”

Just the sheer vigor I felt course through my arms, along with the pumping of my blood, made me question his demands. I didn’t know my own strength and felt like I’d damage something–or someone–by throwing my spear in this enhanced condition.

I hefted the spear and quirked an eyebrow in Nic’s direction. “Are you sure?”

Nic took two steps back, increasing his distance from me, but nodded.

I pulled the spear back, my right arm acting like the taut string of a bow as I tensed in preparation to launch the weapon. Finally, I heaved the spear over my shoulder, following through with my entire body. Nic did say to throw it as hard as I could.

The spear whistled as it arced through the air and toward the target. As soon as I blinked, the sharp tip had already impacted the thick painted cloth, tearing it straight through the middle. A loud clang resounded, and I slammed my hands to my ears against the deafening volume of the spearhead banging against the metal legs of the target after ripping the strong cloth in half. It seemed even my sense of hearing was heightened.

Nic remained immovable, but I approached the destroyed target, eyes wide once I further assessed the damage. The target’s cloth was completely ruined, and even the two metal legs on the right had slightly bent from the impact of my spear–not something I could have come close to doing with my normal strength.

“As you have now probably guessed,” Nic said, “using essence to enhance your physical and even mental state temporarily boosts all of your statistics. Very useful, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Uh, yeah!” I opened and closed my hands, smiling at the adrenaline I still felt running through every inch of my body. “When does it wear off?”

“It depends on how much essence you used to enhance yourself, but based on the amount you recycled and applied that I saw, any second now.”

Even as Nic spoke, a heaviness settled over me–similar to a wave of exhaustion, but about 10 times more intense.

“Whoa,” I breathed, feeling myself deflate. I tried desperately to overcome the urge to sit down.

“And that’s the dangerous part.” Nic gestured to my hanging arms and buckling knees. “The crash after an essence boost can leave you vulnerable. You need to remain cautious whenever you use essence this way while in a battle. Before a crash, you must either ensure a teammate has your back or somehow distance yourself from danger.”

I sighed a heavy breath and sank to my knees. I could have fallen asleep right there if I had allowed myself to.

“Is there a way to counteract… this?” I asked.

“Pump more essence through your body,” Nic said. “But that will make the next crash even worse. It will also help to have a high number in your Vitality statistic.”

I mentally compared the crashing feeling to what it must be like when someone had consumed too much mead. Drayek had gotten drunk on a few occasions, and he’d always seemed so happy and carefree in that condition. But the following morning after a long night of drinking had never failed to bring him a painful headache and extremely grumpy mood–grumpier than his usual mood, I mean.

Stolen novel; please report.

I had tried alcohol on occasion but never too much to achieve a drunk feeling. I didn’t like the bitter taste or the burning sensation down my throat as I drank it. But I imagined what I felt now must be similar.

I nodded slowly at Nic, trying to show him I understood, but it took a great deal of effort through my “crash,” as he’d called it.

“So, I shouldn’t do that. Add more essence once the first batch has depleted,” I said.

“No, you should. When the situation asks for it.”

I could think of a few situations that might allow it…. Especially when face to face with a monster trying to kill me. I definitely didn’t want to crash in moments like that.

“Will the essence I just used to… boost myself remain in my Soul? Can I use the streams for cultivation later?”

Nic shook his head vehemently. “That’s another negative to using this technique. By using essence this way, the streams burn away. You destroy them.”

I frowned, feeling strangely sad for the essence streams I’d just used. I can’t quite explain why I felt that way, but the permanent loss of the essence brought a pang of sorrow through my chest.

“This temporary stat boost technique can be a waste if not used in proper moments,” Nic continued. “But it is extremely useful when it is absolutely needed.”

I rose from the floor on shaky legs and brought a hand to my sweaty forehead. “Noted. How did you learn all of this? Did your Codex teach you?”

Nic folded his arms and chuckled. His laughs always sounded strange with the way his helmet muffled the sound.

“You must remember I’m among the first of the clones, so I am much older than you. I have had time to hone my abilities with and without my Codex.”

“How much older?” I pressed.

“None of your business.”

“What Tier are you?”

“Rayden,” Nic growled.

I raised my hands in surrender, starting to feel less shaky on my feet. “Alright, alright. But I’m just saying, I’m rather open with you about myself. The least you can do is tell me some Nic lore once in a while.”

Oh, how I wished I could see Nic’s expressions. But I would just have to settle for the exasperated sigh that left his helmet head and reached my ears.

“I think that is enough training for today. I’ve kept you here for over two hours.” Nic moved toward the double-door exit. “Next week, we’ll meet here again, and I’ll touch on how you can better read casted spells and tell if a Skill someone is using is one you can copy, even if the person is higher-Tiered than you. Even the higher-Tiered fighters use their weaker spells sometimes.”

I liked the sound of that–it could definitely elevate the way I fought and functioned in this world to a whole new level. But I didn’t want this session to end. I had questions about Dex and why he’d turned off in my head–why Nic hadn’t warned me it would happen in the first place. And I also needed to know where he thought I should allocate my 126 free stat points.

“Wait!” I called, catching up to Nic. I barely caught him before he slid out the doors.

He didn’t so much as turn his head toward me. “What?”

What’s more important to ask now? I thought as I caught the annoyance in his tone.

“Uh, I need your advice. About stat allocation. Now that Dex–Codex is gone, I don’t have anyone to offer recommendations.”

Nic came back into the room and let the door close again. “That depends. In what area do you want to focus on as a fighter? Better question, what area do you think you should focus on?”

The way he asked the last question made me think there was a right answer, and he was expecting me to know it. And deep in my gut, I did. I just didn’t want to admit it.

“Both mine and Lord Solomon’s Skills focus on magic–on spells and essence. I… I need to channel most of my strength toward becoming a proficient spellcaster.”

All the times I had turned a fight around–saving others and even myself–ran through my head. And most of those times, as I recalled, had to do with my using essence and casting a spell. Even my expert use of a spear happened after enhancing the weapon with essence. My chance to be a melee fighter like Drayek was fading right before my eyes.

“We Solomon clones, like the original Solomon, are spell thieves,” Nic said. “And, in a sense, we are also essence thieves. We take whatever we can to better our individual chances of survival and even power. You would best serve yourself in becoming a formidable mage.”

I nodded, casting my eyes downward and shuffling my feet.

“Don’t be discouraged. All of your stats are necessary. Loading up all your points in just Intelligence and Wisdom to become a powerful mage would be idiotic. For instance, casting an especially strong spell could destroy your physical body if you don't have enough Might. And the same goes for your mind if you do not have enough Willpower.

You will, eventually and hopefully, climb high enough in the Tiers where everything will balance out in the end.”

I released a long breath of air. My head was starting to hurt. “So, what should I do?”

“Go heavy on your Intelligence and Wisdom for now, but don’t stop putting stats in every other category–even if it’s just a point here and there. I would also put a good deal in Vitality to better your body’s recovery response when using the essence boosting technique I just taught you.”

Nic nodded like he’d given me the best explanation he could possibly offer. I still felt unsure.

“Now, my bed awaits me for the long nap I’ve been looking forward to all week. I’ll see you in class, and don’t forget your training with me every Saturday from now on.”

Nic escaped me, and the double doors shut behind him before I could say anything else.