The next day started bright and early so that Lucas would have plenty of time to fully explore what he'd discovered regarding stat-augmentation Skills. He was up quite a bit before he'd usually rise, it was still dark outside, in truth, but he still blasted through the morning chores before anything else. He followed that up by preparing a pot of tea--just enough for himself since his mom wouldn't be up anytime soon--and retrieved the paper and stylus he'd used last night to jot down his notes.

Before he could get to reviewing the notes, however, there was something he had to see to first.

* [----------: - Limited Mana Authority - Limited Sensory Enhancement]

Once more, there had been a change in his most mysterious Skill. Just as before, the change had been a subtle one, but less so this time. With his limited mana authority, it had almost been as if Lucas had the latent ability all along and his status adapted to show it. There were, of course, benefits to having the ability displayed on his status and things Lucas found himself better capable of for the change, but largely it remained subtle.

The limited sensory enhancement had been immediately noticeable, however By earning [Sense Mana], Lucas had expected to improve his mana authority, and in a way he had. With his sensory enhancement, Lucas could now view anyone's internal mana with nothing more strenuous than a flex of his will. The overall enhancement even further than that though, and this was the part that was most noticeable and distracting: it had given him something like an instinctual awareness of his surroundings. Like how a person could navigate a familiar location in very poor light conditions, and not bump into anything, except much more dramatic. It was seriously weird.

Without turning around, Lucas could tell, hear, feel an insect crossing the windowsill above the sink. All night long, he kept getting disturbed by numerous small movements like that. Luckily, the enhancement wasn't so strong that it had kept him awake, and strangely none of his mundane senses seemed to be affected. He did not taste the tea he was drinking any more than he could before, the threads of his clothes hadn't suddenly become unbearably grating. It was more like Lucas had received an entirely new sense.

One that he would doubtlessly have to take time to master, because while at the moment it was nothing more than an annoyance, the ability to perceive everything in your surroundings had massive depths of untapped potential. With it, Harry would have had even less of a chance getting the drop on him the other night.

That...is actually a really good point.

Even without the displayed limited sensory enhancement in his status, Lucas was able to dodge Harry's ambush as if he'd received a brief forewarning. Lucas remembered getting a near-compulsive feeling that he needed to move away at the time, and that allowed him to escape harm. In all likelihood, that was [----------] at work before it had even received the latest change, just like how Lucas had been able to manipulate mana for a long time but the ability only got represented on his status recently.

Who knows what else you have in store for me, Lucas thought while gazing at his blank Skill. That was enough dwelling on the subject for now, however. He had work to do.

Without further ado, Lucas dove into his notes. Last night, he'd made a few key observations while looking at Eugene's Skill. For one, there was absolutely no way of making a constant stat-augmentation like how he'd made [Regeneration]. Fundamentally, it did not work like that. Eugene's mana currents had shifted and fluctuated in form with his every movement under the effects of his Skill. Not entirely, but the fact remained that it required a constant state of flux and that seriously inhibited any effort he could make to produce something permanent.

In theory, and with a lot more observation of Eugene's Skill within the bounds of different environments, Lucas could manually manipulate his mana to produce the same or a similar effect. Right now, that wasn't exactly feasible and in all likelihood the results would still be inferior to a System-given Skill. Ironically enough, however, his plan to increase the chances of being offered such a Skill through his Class selection was to do just that--at least for a limited amount of time. If Lucas could replicate the effects of Eugene's Skill all on his own, he had to qualify for some sort of prerequisite in the System's eyes, right?

Time waits for no one, so Lucas immediately got to work after finishing his review. Taking into account any possible accidents, he moved outside so that any damage his actions might do wouldn't be inflicted upon the house. This would actually be a perfect time to go to his tree hollow, but the prospect didn't really excite him when he remembered the recent weather. If that place wasn't flooded and muddy, then it had become the abode of some forest critter or another.

No, instead he simply found a good place to rest with his legs crossed atop an old box, right around the back of the house where the only person that might see him would be Eliot, up early to tend his animals. The pre-dawn air was quite chilly this early, and the cloud cover made it so he could just barely see three paces before him--apart from the 'sight' [----------] now gave him. That was just fine, in Lucas's opinion. He navigated well enough and without incident, and beyond finding a place to rest, he didn't need to see anything.

The cold actually helped him, complementing the tea's efforts in energizing him.

So, having found a satisfactory place to conduct his business, Lucas's attention turned inward. He found his mana currents faster and with greater ease than ever before, no doubt aided by his recently increased awareness in this as well. His mana flowed as fast and efficiently as ever before, but when he took the time to observe its flows, he couldn't help but get the feeling something was different.

Lucas pondered that for some time before coming to any realizations. His mana was somehow...brighter, more vibrant. And it was as if it teetered upon a threshold. Lucas realized it was his imminent Class selection that must be the root of this vibrancy. His mana was about to go through a qualitative change, and it showed.

There's not much I can do with this information, but it is pretty.

In time, he beat his captivation and returned to the task at hand. To start, he picked a small rock up from the ground and started tossing it back and forth between his hands. The pace at which he threw the rock remained slow and constant. He needed an action to showcase the effects of the mana manipulation that would come, but he did not need it to be of any particular significance, so it wasn't in his interest to throw it with great speed or strength. That was why he chose to use the rock in the first place, instead of, say, jumping up and down.

The true heart of his task was a matter of mana, so Lucas took his in his metaphysical hand and began to influence his currents to be more in line with what he'd witnessed of Eugene's last night. He was careful not to go too far, and thus disrupt their natural state. There was no telling what would happen in doing so, but he'd likely lose [Regeneration] at the very least.

As he worked, Lucas realized that he was actually still going too fast with his tossing. He had to manipulate his mana to fluctuate at the same pace as he threw the small rock, and performing the fine movements in time was proving difficult. He caught the rock once more, took a breath to reset, and began again.

Lucas kept at it for an indeterminable amount of time in his focussed state of mind. It felt really long, but there was no telling if that was truly the case without breaking his focus. Eventually, he felt as if the rock had begun to fly faster, without his effort ever have increased. Still, he kept at it. Just like there was no telling how much time had passed, the increase in speed--if that's what it was--could not yet be validated without breaking his focus.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Soon, however, there could be no denying his progress. Lucas cracked a grin and opened his eyes at the same to behold the small rock flashing from palm to grasping palm. His hands themselves moved so fast he had trouble keeping track of both at once, and even as he watched they continued to speed up. Lucas got so distracted trying to follow the rock, that his concentration on manipulating his mana faltered, and suddenly one of his hands dramatically slowed.

"Agh! Fuck!" Lucas cursed as he cradled his left hand to his chest. The small rock, now returned to the ground from whence it came, had hit his pinky finger just wrong enough to squish its tip and bust the nail. Losing focus on his mana had been a stupid mistake--one his bleeding and throbbing finger now held him accountable for.

He swallowed his instinctual panic and took a deep breath, followed by another as he forced his mind to calm.

Whoo, okay. It's not that bad, really. It's not even too much for [Regeneration] to gradually heal. Look, even now the bleeding is beginning to stop.

True enough, the Skill Lucas was most proud of had begun to curb his pain and heal his wound. It was slow, by magical standards, but far faster than natural healing. A quick look at his status showed it hadn't even taken a dozen HP. Probably wouldn't take more than an hour to completely heal, as well, but even through the still subsiding pain, Lucas knew he could do better than that.

Thanks to the resting shape of his mana currents, all Lucas had to do to apply healing to his fingertip is channel more mana through that particular area. It hardly required any effort at all, and his slight wound began to regenerate before his eyes. It wasn't quite as fast as his mom might have healed it, but considering he didn't even have a dedicated Skill for this yet, he thought it was quite impressive. The power to handle any wound, with nothing but a few points of mana...Lucas didn't know if he'd ever lose the wonder he held at such a sight.

Once his finger was all fixed, his prior grin immediately resurfaced. Lucas did it. He'd managed to replicate the effects of a stat-augmentation Skill, and it hadn't even been that hard. Now, he could start his Class selection without worry that he wouldn't be offered the sort of Class he was shooting for. For if the System still didn't deem him worthy, when he could practically replicate the effects of such a Class with nothing but mana manipulation, he truly did not know what else he could do.

Lucas stood and hopped down from the box. He got the answer to his previous musings on how much time had passed as well, as the sun burst through the clouds at the perfect moment to hit him square in the eyes. It was now past dawn, even though the cloud cover still made it look as if there was some time yet. Lucas shook his head and started back inside.

By then, his mom had already awoken and he found her at the dining table, nursing her own cup of tea. Lucas's cup was still sitting at his prior seat, and even though it was undoubtedly cold at this point, he joined her at the table and took it back up. They sat together in companionable silence.

"You okay?" His mom suddenly asked, startling him out of his daze.

"Huh?" Lucas turned to her. "Am I okay?"

In response, she nodded to his hand, and Lucas looked down to find the dried remnants of his finger wound. It wasn't much, which was why it slipped his mind, but any amount of blood constituted a mess.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that," he stood and went to go get an old rag, which he then wet and used to clean off his hand.

"I take it you finished all your business, then."

"Yep," Lucas confirmed as he again took a seat. "When do you think would be a good time to start my Class selection?"

Mary took a long, slow sip of her tea before answering. "Eugene will be over in a little bit with breakfast. He'll be helping to keep watch over you while you're in their."

Lucas nodded his acknowledgment and finished off his tea, then stood to take care of his cup.

"Speaking of which," his mom spoke from behind him, "we should probably have that discussion."

"What discussion?" Lucas asked without turning around.

"You know where you go through the selection process, yes?"

"Of course," he said. "Everyone knows that Class selection takes your mind deep into your soul, the elders sometimes tell stories about it in the market."

"That they do," his mom nodded, and faced him as he returned to the table. "I just want to make sure you know that the place you will appear to be, the setting your soul shows, will not reflect where you actually are, physically." She paused. "At least, it is extremely unlikely it will. The Class selection takes place where you feel most safe, and at peace with yourself. People like to say it shows you a reflection of who you truly are."

Lucas swallowed as he held his mother's gaze. "That's a little intimidating," he replied honestly.

"It always is, at first," she nodded. "Your guide will be there waiting for you, though. A little gift from the System, and a part of yourself that is empowered by it to help you through the selection process."

Lucas just nodded. He knew about the guide, having heard about it from the same stories the elders told. It was part of him, but would appear as another person with knowledge of the form his soul took, as well as all the Classes that were on offer to him.

Mary talked him through everything for a little while longer, but soon they were interrupted by the sound of the outer door opening and someone entering the clinic. His mom stepped out to see who it was, just in case someone had stopped by particularly early in need of her healing services, but moments later she returned to the kitchen with Eugene in tow.

"Morning!" Eugene greeted. "I brought pastries!"

Sure enough, in his arms was a small basket full of assorted pastries--some fruity, others with cheese. Lucas jumped up, gave the man a quick hug, and grabbed the basket to bring it to the table. He chose one of the cheese pastries to sate his rising hunger.

"Mmm," he groaned in bliss as he chewed and swallowed his first bite, "thank you! This is perfect for today's breakfast."

"Haha, eat lots," Eugene told him, "you'll be needing it later."

Lucas did just that. He hadn't thought of it at first, but if the selection could take up to a week, he really would be needing the food later. That would be an entire week without, if he was unlucky, and even though he was sure no harm would come to him because of it while under his mother's care, it was still a good idea to load up on as much food as he could.

The adults joined him in digging into the basket, and together they managed to put down its entire contents. Afterwards, Lucas was feeling more than a little stuffed, so he took a quick trip to relieve himself, before finding his way back to the table. His mom and Eugene had remained there, waiting for him.

"You all ready?" Eugene asked him.

"Absolutely," Lucas eagerly answered.

"Good. I'll be here for the next few hours, before I have to go for my shift," he told Lucas. "Afterward, though, I'll be coming right back. Between me and your mom, someone will be watching over you at all times."

"Ok," Lucas stood, "so how do I do this?"

They both chuckled and his mom stood. "Follow me," she lead him to his room and instructed him to lay down and get comfortable.

"Alright," she said as she fixed his covers, "if you are comfortable and ready. All you need to do is open your status and focus on your Class. The System will take it from there."

Lucas nodded, but before he could do as she said, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I love you, Lu. I'll be here for you, no matter what Class you choose."

Her sincerity touched Lucas, and embarrassingly enough, he may have begun to tear up a little at her words. "I love you too, mom."

She smiled at him, then gave him a pat on the shoulder to signal him to go ahead, but she did not leave his side.

[Lucas]

[Free Stats: 0]

[HP: 220/220]

[MP: 330/330]

[STR: 18]

[DEX: 24]

[VIT: 22]

[WIS: 33]

[INT: 31]

[Class: Child of Mana]

[Level: 10]

[Skills:

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

[General Skills:

* [Identify: 10]

* [Healing Arts: 10]

* [Basic Combat Training: 10]

* [Vigilance: 10]

* [Stealth: 10]

* [Cooking:10]

* [Fitness: 10]

* [Learning: 10]

* [Regeneration: 10]

* [----------]

[Would you like to proceed with Class selection? Y/N?]

With a mental flex, Lucas selected yes, and everything went black.