Vane. . . no, actually Vane and Justin are probably the two people I will never understand. Well, Justin is the wheels within wheels type. Vane on the other hand has some unique circumstances. Ever since he was born he was fated to collect curses. In fact, the reason why Teacher built a “school” on an uninhabited planet in the Grhine galaxy was to protect Vane.
Teacher found him when he was three and even then he was lucky to even be breathing. To this day he still has an uncountable number of curses flowing inside him. If it was just that then I would still be able to get a read on him and what he’s thinking. However, due to the curse of silence, he’s completely unable to talk or even communicate. Instead, he conveys meaning through the ability “Empathy”, which ironically makes it harder to understand him despite literally feeling what he wants to say.
All of that isn’t to say that I don’t trust them or anything but, They have definitely made moves in the past that just didn’t make any sense till the final moment. So, seeing Vane sneaking out and about is more than a little bit curious. I tried following him for a bit but it didn’t take long for him to disappear behind the school.
Slipping into paradox space no doubt. Honestly, I won’t pretend to understand it. Teacher called him a Schrodinger and well from there it just kinda stuck with him. She once said it means to be in a state of existing and not existing. Again I won’t pretend like I understand all of it. Even his ability to modify curses goes beyond my understanding.
Gah, I honestly shouldn’t get worked up over this. They have, or rather, they will have a history of explaining themselves when the time is right. As much as I don’t understand them, I trust them. No, actually I think I know what this might be about. The folders I left for them had “damaged” schematics for a level 6 mechanical body. The same body Justin made for himself at the peak.
Mechanics, engineering, and electronics are an iterative processes. The further down the line you start the further you can go down the iteration in your own lifetime. Justin is probably trying to figure out how to build a prototype from it now. As such it makes sense Vane is running errands for him. After all, birds of a feather flock together.
I can put that aside for now. I need to just relax in the meanwhile. I just came back from one of the worst calamities the Maeia Realm ever experienced, watched everyone I’ve ever known and loved die, and then used up the remaining energy in the realm to activate the “Temporal Phoenix” spell.
It's been a rough couple of days, to say the least. I showed up to class the next day. It was kind of boring considering it was just fundamental information on different flora and fauna found in the realm. I ended up zoning out and thinking about my future plans. It's kinda hard to choose which legacies, treasures, and connections I should take.
Using external means to obtain strength is always a tricky matter. It can add impurities to my energy for one and for two a lot of them might not be compatible with my energy type. I guess I really can’t make those decisions till I have formed my sage art. I try pulling my attention back to class but it just isn’t all that intriguing. I think I finally understand why Aubrey spent so much time pulling pranks when we were kids.
“Alright with that, lessons are done for the day. Everyone besides Shane is free to go,” Teacher spoke, pulling me away from my boredom.
It seemed like I was unconsciously circulating my energy. Not really practicing but, just moving it around my body out of instinct. I guess I’ve picked up some weird habits over the years. At any rate, I follow Teacher to her lab. Not much to say really, I feel kind of uneasy. It feels more like a death march than going to learn ancient techniques.
Once inside she guided me to a particularly large vat. The liquid that took residence in the tub was dark red and had the smell of rust. It didn’t seem like blood but, it couldn’t be too far from it.
“As you may already know in order to use this practice you need to be completely reborn,” Teacher began.
Ahh, so another rebirth. That makes sense. That would make this my fifth rebirth and my fourth incarnation. In my last life, I had undergone a couple of mishaps and had been reincarnated or reborn a couple of times. Still after having just performed a time jump I didn’t think I would have to undergo a reincarnation so soon. Well actually this is a rebirth and not a reincarnation but, it's pretty much the same thing. New body, same soul.
With my thoughts in order, I reply with a simple, “Yes I understand.”
She scans me looking for an ounce of hesitation. Finding none she continues, “This isn’t going to be easy. Once you’ve undergone the rebirth I'll give you the techniques. I only made them harmonize, forming the Sage Art is up to your own talent and ability.”
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“Don’t worry, with Teacher’s edits I have full confidence in forming a Sage Art,” I reaffirmed my choice once more.
“Well, not like I thought this would talk you out of it. Okay, step into the pool. I’ll guide the energy in the natural flow of the novice level of the Loli skill. Try to mimic it and along the way your body should slowly begin to conform to the practice,” Teacher continued rather hesitantly, “Also, try adding in the first circle of the Dragon Heart, the more compatible you are with both practices the more successful the easier it will be to make the sage technique.”
I didn’t need much more urging than that. Stripping myself down to basically nothing, I slip into the viscous red abyss. As time passes I feel my body slowly break apart, dissolving in the solution. It didn’t hurt. In fact, it felt comfortable, warm even.
When my body has broken down to nothingness, I don’t panic. I’ve fused with the pool. Becoming a sentient blob of something. I still don’t really know what this stuff is. Eventually, I feel the movement of energy inside of me. I lose myself to following that flow. Bit by bit, pieces start coming together to form my new body. Practicing the “Dragon Heart Rebirth” in the soon-to-be location of my heart I start to merge the techniques. At least on a surface level.
As my body developed further I noticed an alarming issue. I don’t have lungs. The two lumps of tissue instead form into a pair of hearts. That's bad, really bad. I can still exist here due to it being in what amounts to an artificial womb. However, the moment I leave I’ll die from lack of oxygen. It's really not good. No, not just my lungs, my other organs as well.
2, 3. . . 5. 5 hearts. I . . I can’t think about this right now. I can, I can solve this later. Oxygen and many of the other things my body needs can be replaced with energy. As long as I form a complete dragon heart later down the line no of that will matter.
For now, I should focus on my source. From what I can feel from the “Loli Transformation Technique '' it seems to want to form a source based on centrifugal force rather than centripetal force. It's weird but, if I have a heart producing energy anyways then I can lock in the energy using a circle. Instead of forming a core from the middle moving outwards, I’ll form one from the outside moving inwards.
Picking one of the hearts at random I start by building a basic circle, I can fill it in and make my innate spell later. For now, I just need it to act as a barrier. I then spin the energy inside and instead of drawing it into a whirlpool I blast the energy towards the walls of the circle. Creating a thin layer of gaseous energy encompassing one of my hearts.
It seems my body is growing even faster in response to me reaching the 6th step. Even more so, I noticed another heart form. As if stirred by the newest member all of my hearts begin to awaken as mana hearts. That is. . . . unexpected. Typically people can only have one mana organ. Having two puts the body under too much stress. In the first place, people only have mana organs to prevent their organs from collapsing under the weight of too many circles.
Even more shockingly each of them seems to be building a source, as if on autopilot. Multi-source isn't a new thing in the world of martial arts and isn’t too big of a deal because it all becomes a single-core anyways. The shocking thing is that each and every one of my hearts are also growing a circle around it. Since my source is a circle-source combo it makes some sense but, Mages only get one circle. A circle eventually becomes layered into a core so having more than one means. . . more than one core. I’m still far away from the 5th level but, if I do form a multi-core network that would be insane. Wait for a second, does this mean I’ll have multiple dragon hearts as well?
These are questions for the future for now I should help with the progress. After my 6th and final heart finishes, I feel a drastic change undergo inside me. 7th step. My body is more or less formed and it has yet to be tainted by the outside world. Skipping body purification is only natural. Yet, another step and another heart are born. Am I going to be okay?
Can a person survive with 7 hearts and no lungs, kidneys, and other organs? This loli creature must be hardcore! I don’t know how much time has passed but, the pressure of 7 mana hearts, 7 first circles, and 7 sources pushes me well over the point of body refining. Actually, I can feel it. The fundamental change. My body isn’t just refined, it's been reforged. I’m not sure how big I am, but my body has been compacted a few times. The density is definitely beyond superhuman levels. I can even feel a set of scales forming around my hands and feet.
Just as before another 2 hearts pop up inside of me. I’m honestly astonished there is even any room for them at this point. Maybe I can use this chance to start my steps into the second level. The second level is about building energy channels and nodes to form an energy network. Gaining an easier connection to the universe to pull energy into and away from the body.
I try a couple of times to convert one of my sources into a node but, no matter what I do it seems to refuse to listen. I can’t be too greedy. Being at the 9th step of the first level is already amazing. Maybe the loli technique needs a specific way of building the nodes. No, that shouldn’t be it. After all, this is no longer purely either the “Loli Transformation Technique” or the “Dragon Heart Rebirth”.
For now, I’ll consolidate the changes and try adjusting to them. This is only the beginning. Once I’m reborn I can complete my new sage technique. I wonder what I should call it. Last time, I had the “Divine Cosmos” and it was kind of pretentious with that name. I was young so I guess it’s fine. More importantly, I’m curious to see what I look like. I wonder if I’m more handsome now? Perhaps I’ll be able to finally compete with Scott and his natural good looks.
They say the act of walking the path to godhood makes one more beautiful. Whoever said that is a liar. The only person who I’ve seen get more good-looking as they got stronger was Scott. Sure he’s unimpressive now but, in my last life, the dude looked like he was chiseled from marble. A ding sounds through my mind. Feeling like the process was done, I got out of the tub. I guess I’ll see in a moment.