Jonny swung with all he had the solid air in his hands in the shape of a bat hitting the thin ball of air he had set up to swing at.

The ball shattered like glass and the bat in his hand cracking in half.

"50" Jonny muttered a little out of breath, not wanting to spend to much time on keeping track of the hits he just counted every swing. 50 was his new record with the bat, 5 for the little hollow balls of air.

Once the balls started to last longer he would work on making the bat less solid, so they mite even out leading to his thin constructs being stronger.

It mite mean more constructs if his limit really was how many he could make. At this time though Jonny wasn't sure how strong ether construct was.

He had his music going and after a while he just zoned out, falling into a nearly meditative trance just him swinging and counting.

There was also the question if his swinging was making him stronger. The first time he took a break he was breathing hard, feeling the aching stiffness in his arms and back. Now though he felt just a little burn like he had just started his work out.

'Would I have gotten a skill for the bat swings and the trying harder to make the constructs stronger?' Jonny wondered pulling open his phone and looking at his list of abilities.

It was quite the list by now.

phone upgrade lvl 3

Woodpecker search app lvl 3

Tortis archive app lvl 2

Advanced mana manipulation lvl 3

increased distance, lvl 4

Increased mana production Lvl 2

Mana vision lvl 2

Magic Knowledge lvl 4

life magic lvl 2

Permanent solidified elements lvl 4

move speed lvl 2

change shape lvl 1

color change lvl 2

Strength to constructs Lvl 4

Running lvl 2

Screaming lvl 2

Shield bash lvl 2

Pain ignorance lvl 2

Regeneration lvl 1

Stomp lvl 2

explosive resistance 1

Showmanship lvl 2

Meditation lvl 5

Aura of awareness lvl 3

sleeping lvl 1

Speed reading lvl 4

Magician tricks lvl 1

Acting lvl 1

Bat swing lvl 2

So he did level up his bat swing and his solidification strength, the screaming lvl 2 pissed him off a little but he did scream a lot that fist day, And maybe he mite be able to use it to call for help latter.

He liked that his showmanship skill was lvl 2 with out even really trying, he only had the one day of having fun to thank for leveling that up.

'Meditation is my highest?' Jonny wondered 'im not sure if that's a good thing or not... But the books did say that was how you were supposed to get started.'

That also didn't exactly help him know how strong his constructs really were. lvl 4 was one of his highest but at the same time he didn't know where that stood on a scale from bubbles to steel.

Jonny thought about giving Luke a call and asking him to punch one of the bubbles then tell Jonny how strong it had been.

But with the training Luke was to be doing Jonny wasn't sure Luke would even know how hard he was hitting to give him a best guess.

And Jonny was having a hard time dealing with Luke lately he seamed so hyped up with his new powers he was more likely to smash it open then tell Jonny it felt like punching an empty soda can.

So that meant Jason with his metal skin and serous personality it would give him a great person to tell Jonny just how much he was improving so far.

Pulling out his phone he txted Drew first remembering how they kept getting in trouble for slacking off when he wasn't told what they were up to. "want to check how strong my constructs are getting Jason to punch one."

The text came back quickly "...OK, meet him in the Green house i'll be there soon got something for you."

"Green house?" Jonny sent back

"next to the zoo, its like the zoo but for plants."

"ok? when did we get one of those?"

"when I found out we had nearly unlimited zoo space but not enough animals."

"OOOOOHHHH ok I get it now."

Drew let it die there, Jonny got out of his garage grabbed a drink and checked that he was clean enough. Thinking he seamed fine he put on his suit coat and tie before heading out across the street noticing the Construction crew seamed to be gone a nice new clean foundation of concrete drying in the sun.

Heading down to the Collage portal door Jonny wondered just how fast Drew's team could put up a building, or if any of the people sleeping now were going to get a power to just make buildings from nothing.

Though with how he thought about mana that shouldn't really be possible, witch lead to the question just what the hell where powers if mana is the only real magic.

But did it even really matter at this point? Powers where powers and mana magic was mana magic right?

A blue shape flew at Jonny making him jump back raising his hands and making a wall of solid air as he did so.

It didn't stop the thing form hitting him though the buzz on his wrist making him cry out in what he thought was pain.

After a heart racing moment he realized the buzz was him getting a new text. 'Woodpecker has returned files updated in the Tortoise.'

"what... oh yeah." Jonny said out loud taking a breath and dismissing his wall of air. 'i completely forgot I sent out the Bird to scan the those odd symbols above the people who were getting changed, that will be an interesting thing to read latter.'

He kept going for Jason wondering if Drew could just use his memory power on Jonny's phone and just give him the cliff notes.

Jonny didn't find a new portal so he just walked in to the Zoo portal, there he found the one way hall had changed to going both ways with the staircase forming a T section.

Something in the back of his mind finally went click. 'ah.. so this place really dose change for its owner.'

Jonny wondered how many other secrets the ring held and if the Tortoise knew them.

Jason was standing in the largest room Jonny had seen in the Zoo so far bare dirt covered the ground and a bright light shinning from above, a bush and a couple small trees beside him.

Jason was standing to one side of a holly bush, starting at a new spot in the dirt seaming to be breathing out deeply.

Jonny flicked through his mana vision seeing that the breath he was letting out was mostly Life mana moving down and into the dirt where a new seed was taking it and growing.

Jonny watched as Jason breathed nearly silently whistling life into the growing bush, clearly using some sort of breathing technique to keep the mana flowing.

He could see the green life mana mixing with the little green dot in the ground swelling, growing together roots spreading growing deeper finding a little bit of water layered into the artificial earth. Taking it and using it to grow up into the cloud of Jason's breath.

Jason when he saw the plant start to peak out of the soil started to move his lips changing the shape of the mana and the direction of the plant's growth seaming to try and make some sort of chair or bench.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

It wasn't going well... The breath he had already been breathing out was already saturating the air so what control Jason did have was soon lost as the bush actively tried to grow into Jason's mouth.

Jason let out an annoyed grunt stopping his breath jerking his now solid metal face away from the out of control plant.

Jonny wanting to help solidified the life mana going to the plant that had been drifting away from Jason who finally noticed Jonny behind him.

"oh hey... Say you've got the power to see mana right?" Jason immediately started to ask taking a few steps away from the crazy shaped bush.

"yeah. Wanting to know where your going wrong?" Jonny asked moving the life mana away from Jason before letting it go.

"yeah, I can't figure it out." Jason said looking a little pissed at the plants around him.

"Well I mean... It is your breath, sooo.... it acts like air going out and spreading. Honestly im surprised you could even get it into the seed at all."

Jason frowned "what do you mean? how else do you make mana?"

"Well for me it just comes out of my hands, like..." Jonny trailed off trying to think about what exactly it was like for him. "i don't know... Like mana coming from my hands."

"Great help." Jason said looking away sneering at the plants before holding up his hands and squinting.

"Why did you start out with breathing in the first place? I never would have even thought of that."

"Well the first mana I started with was life, couldn't get "the breath of life" out of my head. That and stories of ancient gods breathing life into things. Just stuck and wont get out."

Jonny did know what Jason meant by that, the first man was supposed to be made of clay then breathed life into him by a god, and even the earth its self bloomed with life from the breath of the mother goddess.

Jonny couldn't help letting out a breath of his own infected by the repeated idea. "you got a point now i'm having trouble too."

"thank you." Jason said holding out his hands and looking at them like they knew what they should be doing and just weren't to be contrary.

Jonny thought for a moment watching Jason struggle 'it looks like a personal thing like maybe Jason just cant think "hands" like I can.'

"here" Jonny said making a bubble construct. "I came here for you to punch this anyway and it looks like you need it. Just try and remember I need to know how strong it its."

Jason didn't say anything fist flying at the white orb shattering it in a single strike. "hmm. give me another."

Jonny took a step back the shards of air disappearing thinking he mite as well use this as a form of training Jonny started making bubbles coloring them black as quickly as he could keeping them around the same height but spread out a little away form Jason.

Losing himself in it Jason's metal fists slammed into bubble after bubble shattering like glass before bullets, Jonny felt a little vindictive seeing his hard work falling so easily.

So he turned one of the black orbs solid through and through it took Jason another few punches to get to this solid orb and when he hit it there was a hollow sound that reverberated though the air.

Jonny wasn't sure what it was at first then when Jason changed his stance and instead of a punch slammed his fist down onto the black ball the sound thrummed again but this time Jonny could see the pained look on Jason's face as he continued to pound away the 5th strike nocking a chunk off of the black orb.

Jonny let that one fall too and saw the damage done to Jason's hand. One of his knuckles where misshapen flattened like clay that had been struck, the bottom squashed in with a clear impression of the black orb.

"Holy fuck dude." Jonny said seeing the mess. "how the fuck are we even going to fix that?"

"well, were magic now so i'm guessing with that." Jason said glaring at his mangled hand. "what is this going to do when I turn it back?"

"DUDE!" Jonny cried out. "what is up with you?"

"what? I'm hopping it'll fix itself or at least break in a normal way." Jason said letting his hand turn back into flash, as the shine left the damage remained. The hand's bones crunching then breaking through the skin nearly as if the damage was being added after.

Jason grimaced clenching his teeth as blood pored down his arm looking at his mangled hand with more anger then pain.

Jonny started making life mana grow in his own hand letting it solidify and turn green so Jason could also see what he was doing. "hand it over."

"Wait, I think I got it." Jason said focusing face relaxing a little as the blood soaked threw his shirt sleeve and jacket dripping onto the dirt the ground growing with a small patch of grass.

Seeing this Jason moved his hand out over the bush the drops of blood hitting the leaves the plant eagerly grabbing and growing with it.

Using the blood like a guide Jason started growing the bush out making the shape of a large arm chair.

If Jonny hadn't seen that Jason's own hand seamed to be absorbing the life energy all-be it slower then the plant, he would have jumped in and forced Jason's hand to heal on his own.

"I... think.. I got it..." Jason muttered as his hand closed up less and less blood leaking out but the plant still growing according to his will. Soon Jonny couldn't see the blood but a steady stream of liquid life mana moving from his hand and down onto the plant shaping it more like dripping wax. Witch seamed to be just enough control for Jason to be satisfied.

"Finally" Jason muttered darkly. "Iv had to reset this room 5 times now."

"...this mite sound like a joke... But it's not I swear." Jonny said once again reminded that no one who worked for Drew was really sane. "Did you try breathing into a balloon or something? Like use it to store up the breath then let it out slowly the way you wanted it to?"

Jason froze, watching the plant grow under him.

"...Maybe you should take a break."

"...yeah." Jason said softly "I think I mite have been at this to long."

"Well i'v taken a couple breaks and even ate once or twice sense yesterday."

Jason frowned looking very tired even his dark skin couldn't hide the cycles under his eyes.

Jonny noticed for the first time how much Jason's face had changed from the large strong face it had been. if pressed Jonny would swear the new soft features looked feminine, as if he had gone to far the other way.

"yesterday? Shit what time is it?" Jason asked looking at his own "phone." "I have been at this too long, I need a nap."

"Ok..." Jonny wanted to ask how strong his bubbles were or how strong his solid orb had been but now didn't exactly seam the right time.

"Most of those were kinda strong." Jason said blinking slowly walking by Jonny. "Like... a cookie sheet but broke like glass, and as you could see that last one was stronger then the metal I become... witch I guess doesn't help as much not knowing what the hell 'that' is."

"thanks." Jonny said thinking of it. "I mean it's got to be pretty damn strong to hurt you, I can't think you'd get a power to turn into metal and it be week."

"Thanks" Jason said walking away back to his room in the hotel Jonny guessed, but Drew had been watching the whole thing smoking just outside in the hall he made a portal helping Jason back home the fast way.

Jonny glanced around him at the crazy plants wondering if he shouldn't reset the room on his way out.

In the end he didn't not wanting everything Jason had just done to feel like nothing, so he just stepped out waiting on Drew to get back.

It didn't take that long, just long enough for Jonny to feel awkward just standing there and think about putting music mode on when the portal opened back up Drew stepping out closing it quickly behind him.

"Well that was... a thing" Drew said shaking his head already pulling out a new cigarette "Didn't know ...he was getting so over worked."

"Yeah... sounds like some one needs to look over him so he doesn't get tunnel vision."

"yeah... Mite put you up to that, seeing how you'll be heading out together soon." Drew said pulling out what looked like a ticket out of his pocket. "Me and Mike worked this up, its a paper crystal mix that can hold things in it but acts just like paper, Tare it up."

Jonny took it then tore it like a train ticket a flash of mana coming from it a moment before his phone buzzed.

"New Apps unlocked Inventory- a bag of holding type power, Fast Travel- a way to request a portal from your location back to the Collage, and Spell book-based on an art app mite need work should help with spells and mana greatly."

"Oh wow." Jonny said reading. "you figured out how to give notes?"

"FUCK yeah!" Drew cried out grinning and enjoying his cigarette more now. "that part has been fucking with us for a while now. It finally worked you got all 4?"

"Wait, 4?" Jonny said trying to tare the ticket up even more to no avail. "No only got three."

"Fuck!" Drew snapped "well witch 3? il get you the other latter."

"Inventory, Fast Travel and Spell book." Jonny said pulling up the Inventory app, just to see what it would be like.

It started up looking more like an email but when he the options read things like store, open storage base, create storage sub space. But oddly there was still a send option.

"We'll those are the important one's I guess." Drew said shaking his head. "the last one is a way to send things to etch other, like an email with objects. Using the portals to connect one inventory to another. Would only work if you have the inventory app though."

"Oh... that mite explain it then." Jonny said. "The Inventory app has a send and an inbox, like email."

Drew looked very satisfied "So its not its own app? Just an upgrade to inventory?"

"looks like it." Jonny said looking at it "I mean its not telling me different... want to just scan me real fast?"

Drew raised an eyebrow but nodded "Sure, didn't think you'd be so ok with me just getting your memory's like that."

Jonny shrugged one shoulder "I don't really see the problem, I mean you already scanned me when you first woke up. You already saw anything I didn't want you to and its not like its gotten worse sense then."

Drew winced "You got a point kid."

The blue lines flashed out from Drew moving over Jonny for just a bare moment before coming back into him.

"hmm... Ok good that works out just fine." Drew said. "we based the Inventory app and send stuff off of email I wont get into it but we thought we changed them enough guess not, mite be better this way..."

"Cool..." Jonny said unsure. "so the fast travel and Spell book?"

"Fast travel should hook you up to the ring so you can just make a portal that takes you back here, once we play around with it a bit it'll be able to take you to anyplace anyone could remember enough to make a portal to if they used the ring. We're working on not needing the ring so much but for now its worth it."

"OK?" Jonny asked wondering just how hard portals where to make that basing everything on the ring was so much easier.

"Now that last one Im not convinced about. Mike swears up and down that it'll be worth it once you learn how to use it." Drew said. "It's based off a 3D art program and you'll have to add in a thing or two but he made it sound self explanatory once you got it up in running. Just in case though feel free to bother him with questions at any time day or night. Wake that bastard up and have him try explaining to you what it can do."

"Sounds good." Jonny said pulling it up.

"Now iv got some one id like you to meet, when they wake up tomorrow." Drew said. "there my personal assistant, you see me texting all the time? well there the one im normally telling to get shit done."

"...Ok?" Jonny said not sure what Drew was getting at.

"Well we got a lot goin on and your important to me, but I gotta delegate I got stuff to do a business to run so if you need anything you think you could only ask me for you should ask them instead I trust em."

"geez make me sound like a kid who wont let go of your hand." Jonny said shaking his head letting out a sigh. "that sounds fine with me, getting a little sick of just running to you for every little thing myself."

"Good good." Drew said finishing off his cigarette "Now we just saw Jay lose it from over work so lets not repeat mistakes huh?"

"yeah yeah, i'm making sure to sleep and eat. Just had a little break walkin over here." Jonny said "I'm going to head back to my place grab a bite maybe do a little reading then get some sleep."

"Good good." Drew said pulling up a screen phone. "Busy day tomorrow lots of people waking up and the RV is already there, but I wanted you to get a little time to get your things together, get set up and ready for war."

Jonny nodded slowly. "and that's why you wanted to be sure I got my fast travel and inventory ticket?"

"yeah. I'm going to get started on a bag of gear for you, and with that inventory I wont have to hold back." Drew said "Really test out how much that sucker can hold."

Jonny just shook his head a little a small smile on his face. "Maybe you should test that while I get some sleep."

"Yeah maybe." Drew said then gave Jonny a pat on the back. "Go get some sleep, Tell me if you figure out that Spell book shit."

"will do." Jonny said as tiredness and hunger seamed to finally hit him. "Man it feels like every time i'm in this place time flys by oddly mite want to look out for that."

Drew nodded seriously "i'll do that."