“Do you think we should start worrying about Albert? It’s been nearly half a day.” Jen asked as they sat around a small fire. She had managed to start with some of the dead trees that hadn’t been fully consumed by the creeping fungus yet.
“Eh, Honestly, you are all doing it a ton faster than I did. It’s kind of weird. I took forever at this. Hell, Ethel took decades to refine her spirit. I’m guessing it just varies by person.” Cal answered as he poked a marshmallow onto a stick.
“Look, you try being the only person who heard an animal talk. I certainly wasn’t going to tell a doctor I might be hearing voices. That was a surefire way for a young girl to be locked away when I was a kid.” Ethel scowled as she explained. “Don’t get me wrong, I am glad that I understand this all now, but my young self with this power would have been extremely dangerous to my well-being. I had some, let’s just call them, radical views in my youth.”
“Just how radical were you?” Stan had cocked an eyebrow before asking the question.
“Hah, Maybe someday I’ll tell you. Big maybe. Let’s just say I’ve still been questioned by government agents more in my youth than since I’ve met you. I imagine that will change eventually, but it still has a long way to go.” She answered.
Before Cal could say anything else, Onelder spoke up. “It will likely be easier and less time-consuming to form the first bond as the ambient mana threads in the areas grow thanks to your presence. Remember how I said yer planet had nothing of real interest initially and how that suddenly changed.” Several heads nodded. “Well, more magic tends to lead to more magic. Flows build on flows. Don’t ask me why. I ain’t a scholar of how that works, but it tends to be true. As far as I know, this is only your first bond. What I said about why people don’t generally have multiple mana spirits is still true.”
“Yes, the rude off-worlder is correct. The reason has to do with just how much of your own channels you can dedicate to mana spirits. Famously, Merlin had four, and he was the most powerful wizard the planet has ever spawned, at least as far as I’m aware. My knowledge is severely outdated. Though Stan is working to remedy that.” While the voice reverberated around the fire, the source was the sword currently lying next to Stan.
“Huh, only four? Really? I think I can beat that.” Cal said.
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“Cal I don’t think he meant it as a challenge.” Stan frowned as his son.
“Yeah, I’m sure he didn’t, but I don’t want to be the one that meets Merlin one day and not have more mana spirits than him. We already looked like idiots in front of the frog. Even if he won’t remember it next loop, who knows how powerful Merlin’s magic is. He might just remember it!” Cal exclaimed.
“He will not, and by frog, you aren’t referring to Glurm, are you? Has he actually returned to the planet?” Excalibur asked.
“Not the planet; he’s holed up on a moon in the solar system. He kicked our collective asses pretty badly at the start of the loop. We are going to see him again ten years in.” Cal explained their meeting.
“Ah, I wish to come to your next meeting. I didn’t expect to find any previous wielders still alive. And no, do not worry Stan. I will not be abandoning you. Glurm’s time has long since passed, ages before even Arthur’s. I am very surprised to learn he has come even this close to his home planet.” The sword almost sounded giddy as it talked about Glurm.
“Interesting, well you’re certainly welcome. Man, that just made our next trip jump up on my list of things I’m looking forward to. Back to the other point. Is there a maximum number of safe mana pools? Could I theoretically collect them all?” Cal placed his now toasted marshmallow between graham crackers as he asked.
“I do not know the answer. Theoretically, I would guess there is no maximum, but you would need to find some way to compact your core further several times over; otherwise, I do not see how you would be able to maintain a connection with all of them, and losing a spirit can be extremely traumatic.” The sword answered.
“Eh, There are some scary things out there in the cosmos. This group of idi…people, and it does pain me to say this, have some crazy growth potential considering where their planet was just a few years ago. Sure, I get that the time loop causes it, but it still makes me wonder if that’s how some of those things got as powerful as they are. I can’t stay much for maximum mana spirits as I do my best never to interact with them, but in the few miserable times I have, I’d guess they have more than five. Hell when’s the last time you saw this Merlin? You even sure he’s still stuck at five? Shit’s different outside this star system, very different.” Onelder added his experience on the topic.
“That is a fair assessment. There are creatures that were beyond many of my masters and their allies' abilities to truly slay. I do imagine Merlin would be likely to have expanded his magical pool in the centuries I have slept.” Excalibur continued.
“Sure sounds like we should add finding Merlin to our ever-growing list of goals. Remind me to run that all by Andy when we meet up. Merlin seems more his kind of person than mine.” Cal said.
Before anyone else could speak. Albert suddenly shot upwards out of the pool, propelled by a large water spike in the center. Even strange he landed outside the pool onto a small mushroom creature. “Hey guys, this is Shroomy. He’s my new spirit.”