Chapter 9

Eli’s consciousness clawed its way back to reality, his senses flickering on one by one. The cool embrace of water lapped against his skin, soaking into his clothes. His head throbbed, though not with pain—more like his brain was running on an overclocked processor.

"Eli!" Alira's voice was sharp, pulling him the rest of the way. He opened his eyes to see her crouched beside him at the edge of the Heart Spring, her usual stoic demeanor cracked by worry. "You're alive. That’s... good." She sounded like she wasn’t entirely sure.

Eli groaned, his body feeling both heavier and lighter at the same time. “What the hell just happened? Did I drown? Am I dead? Because if I am, this afterlife is very wet.”

Alira leaned back, relief crossing her face. “Not dead. I was starting to wonder if you’d drowned in two inches of water.” Eli groaned, propping himself up on his elbows. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. What the hell happened?”

“Whatever Lilly did, it—" She paused, her eyes flicking over him. “It was intense"

“It felt intense…” He pushed himself upright, noticing the ease with which his body responded. The stiffness in his legs was gone. Completely. He flexed experimentally, then froze. His mind remembering the feeling of his legs… No bolts. No plates. Nothing.

He glanced back at where he was standing and saw the glint of metal. Before he could spiral, a soft chime echoed in his head, followed by an unfamiliar yet neutral voice.

"Welcome, Eli. The Celestial Mana Interface is online."

“What—who—what the hell was that?” He scrambled back, eyes darting around the clearing.

Alira tilted her head. “What was what?”

“That voice! You didn’t hear it?” He pressed his palms to his temples. “Oh, god. I’m hearing voices in my head.”

The voice returned, unbothered by his panic.

"Your Celestial Mana Interface has been activated as a result of your awakening of your first affinity. This system will assist you in navigating Caelum, managing abilities, and optimizing your affinity progression."

Eli blinked. “Celestial Mana Interface? You’re in my head?”

“Correct. Think of me as your personal guide.”

He glanced at Alira. “You seriously don’t hear this?”

“I think my HUD is talking to me now.” Eli muttered to Alira.

“Incorrect. I cannot talk. I am synthesizing words that you can understand.”

“Oh god, it’s like a video game tutorial guide but very literal.” Eli said rubbing his temples. He glanced up at Alira, noticing her half grin, “Yeah, Yeah, new reference material.”

Eli stood up out of the pond and looked down at his dripping clothes.

“Great, any chance you have an ability to dry clothes quickly?”

Alira just shook her head, “I will start a fire to help dry you off, but no, I have no such abilities. There is clothing you can purchase that is water proof.”

“Oh cool.” Eli said dryly. “I will put them on my Caelum credit card.” Alira started the small fire and conjured the two chairs from before.

“I am sure you are about to make a video game reference…” She said narrowing her eyes at Eli, “but, regardless I can purchase you some new clothes when we reach the nearest town.”

As Eli sat down on the chair in front of the fire his HUD flashed purple the list of the 5 affinities appeared. With Physical highlighted.

Affinity Selection:

1. Elemental: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind. Control the natural forces of the world.

2. Energy: Electric, Arcane, Space-Time. Harness the raw power of the universe.

3. Life: Healing, Nature, Balance. Restore and protect life’s essence.

4. Spiritual: Light, Shadow, Psychic. Manipulate the intangible and unseen forces.

5. Physical: Strength, Metal. Enhance the body and manipulate the material world.

“You have awakened Physical Affinity. You will need to select your abilities so they can be integrated into your Mana and Body.”

“Okay.” Eli muttered. The HUD pulsed purple again and displayed 3 columns:

PASSIVES – ACTIVES – POWERS

“Please select 5 abilities from Passive and Active and select 1 ability from Power.”

Eli focused on the Passives, and it opened up a long list of passive and active abilities.

“Okay,” Eli muttered, staring at the sheer number of choices. “This is a bit overwhelming.”

The AI’s voice chimed in.

“Select five abilities and 1 Power Ability. You will have 10 points to allocate to those abilities. Points may be allocated freely, with a maximum of 4 points per ability at Copper tier. Would you like to view descriptions?”

“[Yes / No]”

“For more information on how point allocation works for each Mana-Tier, please seek the help guide.”

He sighed. “Okay, Yes.”

His HUD expanded the list into a table with the Ability name, the Description and the Progression Overview from Copper to Diamond.

Eli stared at the massive list of passive and active abilities displayed in his HUD, the glow of the interface making his head spin. “How in the world am I supposed to pick five? There’s, like, thirty here!”

Alira, sitting cross-legged across the fire, gave him a pointed look. “If you don’t narrow it down, you’ll be staring at that list all night. Start with what you need most.”

“That’s the problem,” he groaned. “I don’t know what I need!

This is all—” He gestured vaguely at the glowing display. “It’s too much. Every option sounds useful, and I can’t tell if I’m picking the right ones or setting myself up to get squashed like a bug later.”

His HUD chimed:

“I can narrow down the choices if you have an overall focus you want, like strength, metal manipulation or speed.”

“Strength and Speed. That is the focus I want.” Alira Looked at him, “Okay, we can go…”

Eli shook his head, “No, sorry, I forgot you can’t hear this thing, it is narrowing the choices based on my suggested focus.”

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Alira looked impressed. “This HUD of yours is quite the gift.”

“Let’s wait before we start calling it a gift, but it is definitely handy.”

After about an hour he finally felt like he had the right ones chosen.

For his Power ability he selected:

🔹 Titan Form - Temporarily enhances size, strength, and durability. Grants a 50% increase to physical power and damage resistance for the duration.

For his Passive abilities he selected:

🔹 Herculean Strength - Enhances raw strength, increasing physical attack power by 20%. Stacks with other strength-based abilities.

🔹 Reinforced Ligaments - Strengthens tendons and joints, increasing movement efficiency and reducing the risk of self-inflicted damage from high-impact strikes. Grants 10% increased agility.

🔹 Adamant Heart - Increases stamina regeneration and reduces damage taken to vital areas by 10%. Allows sustained combat for longer periods.

And for his active abilities he selected:

🔹 Meteor Dash - High-speed burst movement in a straight line, allowing Eli to reposition, evade attacks, or close distance instantly. If used in an attack, impact force is increased.

🔹 Fusion Punch - Channels mana into a punch, causing it to explode on impact for additional force. Stacks with Herculean Strength for amplified damage.

His HUD’s voice said:

“Please confirm chooses [Yes / No]”

Eli took a deep breath and said “Yes.”

Eli had closed his eyes right when he said ‘yes’ thinking about what happened with Lilly. His eyes closed.

Then he heard his HUD:

“Please allocate your 10 points to your selected abilities.”

Eli opened his eyes, Alira watching him with a curious look. “So, I need to assign points to them, now.”

Eli and Alira again went back through his abilities trying to determine the best approach, finally Eli went through them to finalize their choices.

“First Herculean Strength this boosts raw strength. So, 3 points.”

“Next is Reinforced Ligaments, this increases mobility and prevents injury. So, 2 points.”

“Adamant Heart, reduces damage to vital areas. 1 Point.”

“My active abilities.”

“Meteor Dash, high-speed instantly. 1 Points.”

“Fusion Punch, this I infuse mana into physical strikes. 1 Point.

“And finally, my power.”

“Titan Form. A temporary enhancement to size, strength, and durability. 2 Points”

His HUD asked him to confirm.

“Confirm point allocation. [Yes / No]”

“Yes.” Eli closed his eyes again. But again, nothing happened.

HUD chimed again:

“Point allocation complete. Abilities will initialize during the integration process. Estimated time: 3 hours. Please remain motionless during this period.”

“Three hours?” Eli muttered, staring at the glowing display.

Alira shrugged. “It could take less. Or more. The manifesting process is unique to each person. Time varies from person to person. No one really knows.”

He frowned. “Wait—what do you mean, ‘no one knows’? Don’t people do this all the time?”

She shifted slightly, folding her hands in her lap. “Every person in Caelum is born with an innate affinity. Like I told you before we got here.” Alira said eyeing Eli.

“It’s tied to where they’re born, to the mana that flows through their homeland. A child born in Rivahlon will almost always have a water affinity. A child from Ignithar will manifest fire. It’s as natural as the seasons.”

“So they’re just... born with it?” Eli asked.

“Not exactly. The affinity is innate, but it doesn’t manifest until adolescence—usually during moments of strong emotion or extreme stress. A water affinity might manifest when a child is caught in a storm, or a fire affinity when they’re defending themselves from danger.”

Eli frowned. “And if it doesn’t manifest?”

“Then they’re what we call ‘Non-Mana Users.’” Alira’s tone softened.

“About a third of the population never manifests their affinity. They’re ordinary people—not warriors or mages, but blacksmiths, merchants, leaders. They’re just as important as anyone else.”

Eli nodded slowly, absorbing the information. “So, basically, everyone here has a path laid out for them from birth. And then there’s me, with this—” he gestured at his HUD—“weird system that lets me pick and choose.”

“Yes,” Alira said.

“You’re unique, Eli. You weren’t born here. You don’t fit into the natural order of this world, so the Celestials gave you something to help bridge that gap. But it’s up to you to use it wisely.”

“Great,” Eli muttered. “No pressure.”

Alira motioned for him to sit cross-legged. “Now you need to center yourself. Let your body and mana align.”

He followed her instructions, closing his eyes and trying to mimic her steady breathing. The minutes ticked by, his frustration mounting as his mind refused to quiet.

Eli shifted uncomfortably, his legs already had the feeling they needed to move if he sat here for much longer. "Three hours of this? I can’t even sit through a movie without needing to move."

“Because you’re doing it wrong,” Alira said, her tone clipped but not unkind. She had moved to sit cross-legged on the grass, her posture impossibly straight.

Eli shot her a skeptical look. “I didn’t realize there was a right way to sit and do nothing.”

“It’s not about doing nothing,” Alira corrected, closing her eyes. “It’s about centering yourself. Your body is integrating immense changes right now. Meditation will help you align with those changes and with the mana flowing through you.”

Eli leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Great. So, uh... how do I do that? Because I don’t think sitting here and trying not to think about how much my back hurts is working.”

Alira opened one eye and sighed. “You’re trying too hard.” She unfolded her legs and stood, walking over to him. “Let me show you.”

“First,” Alira began, motioning for him sit straight, “you need to stop thinking about your body as separate from your mana. Everything—your muscles, your breath, your mind—is part of the same flow. Sit cross-legged, and keep your back straight.”

Eli grumbled but complied, sitting awkwardly on the grass. “I feel like a pretzel.”

Alira just looked at him, Eli could see she was about to ask what a pretzel was, but decided against it. Not worth getting side tracked on whatever he was about to go off about.

“You’ll get used to it,” Alira said, her tone patient but firm. “Now, close your eyes.”

He obeyed, though his jaw tightened with frustration.

“Breathe deeply,” Alira instructed. “In through your nose, out through your mouth. Focus on the rhythm. Let it steady you.”

Eli’s breathing slowed, though his shoulders remained tense.

“You’re still holding on to something,” Alira said. “What is it?”

“I don’t know,” Eli muttered. “Maybe the fact that I’m sitting in the middle of a forest on an alien planet with magic powers I didn’t ask for?”

Alira smirked faintly. “Let it go. Focus on what’s happening now. Feel the air around you, the ground beneath you. Let your thoughts drift.”

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Eli finally began to relax. His breathing evened out, his shoulders dropped, and for the first time, his mind stopped racing.

And then he felt it—a faint warmth spreading through his chest, like sunlight breaking through clouds.

“What the...” Eli’s eyes snapped open, but instead of the forest, he saw something else entirely.

The world around him was bathed in soft, shimmering light. Threads of energy wove through the air like veins of liquid gold, pulsing with life. He glanced down at his hands and gasped. His entire body was outlined in a faint, glowing aura, the light shifting and swirling with his breath.

“Alira,” he whispered. “I can see it.”

As he spoke his focus wavered, and the shimmering light began to fade. He tried to close his eyes again and go back to the meditated state, but it was gone, he opened his eyes, blinking as the ordinary forest returned.

“What was that?” he asked, his voice hushed.

“That’s your aura—the flow of mana within you. Every living being on Caelum has one, whether they use mana or not. Yours is particularly strong.”

Eli closed his eyes again, trying to recapture the sensation of seeing his aura. It didn’t come immediately, but he felt... steadier. Like he wasn’t fighting himself anymore.

“Three hours seems like a long time.” he said, breaking the silence.

“It does.” Alira replied, her tone amused. “But if you focus, it won’t feel like that long.”

“Easy for you to say,” Eli muttered. “You’ve been doing this your whole life.”

She opened one eye, smirking. “And now, so are you.”

As the hours passed, Eli felt the warmth in his chest intensify. By the time the HUD chimed again, he was already sitting upright, his body humming with energy.

“Integration Complete. Abilities Initialized at Copper Tier.”

Eli flexed his hands, testing the newfound strength coursing through him. His legs felt powerful, his breath steady. For the first time in years, he didn’t feel broken.

Alira stood, offering him a hand. “How do you feel?”

Eli flexed his hands. "Like I could punch a mountain." He paused. "Or, at least, a really sturdy tree."

The HUD pulsed and it said,

"Physical Affinity unlocked. To awaken additional affinities, seek out the Celestial Artifacts Quests have been updated."

“OK, Now I have a set of new quest, 4 total, each one assigned to awaking an affinity. There are artifacts I need to find.” Eli was flexing his hands as he spoke to Alira.

Alira still sitting in her meditative pose, “Does it tell you at least what we need to find?”

Eli focused on his quest icon and it opened to 4 new Quest.

“For Elemental we need to find ‘The Anvil of Aeons’. For Energy, ‘The Nexus Star’, that sounds ominous. Life is ‘The Wellspring Veil.’ And last but not least, Spiritual is something called ‘The Astral Crown.’” He looked over at Alira after he was done reading them. “Have you heard of these things?”

Alira nodded, “Yes, does it give a location at least?” Eli, again rubbing the back of his head, said “Umm, it does, but also states that the Travelers Stone will lead us once we pick which artifact we are going for. So, I guess we need to decided where we are headed?”

Alira grinned, “We can do that later, now you need to train your new abilities. And I think I know who can help us with that.”

Eli looked skeptical, “Who?”