My eyes wandered to Zen as I was finishing up my coffee. He's sitting there with one palm raised. Probably getting practice on externally using mana, guess he's managed to get a head start on me. Though, I'm confident in my ability to clinch victory.

"You praying or something?" I teased. His reply confirmed my guess that no, he is manipulating mana. I suppose it's about time to put in more effort. Jen seemed interested though, and it would be in her best interest to develop Mana Manipulation, ASAP. We have to survive and sword or no, she might need the Skill regardless..

"Yo–"... but he seems to be wholly focused on the point of space above his hand.

Hmm.

Zen you lucky bastard! That looks like some sudden inspiration or something, an enlightenment, I have read several cultivation novels and that is the word they use to refer to his current condition. He's suddenly doing something I am sure he should be capable of yet, just minutes ago, there is no doubt.

Even Jen stopped to stare as the mana he mentioned fades into focus, becoming visible. Is his mana condensing? Becoming solid? I had to stop myself from moving up there to touch it. Might explode or something.

He kept doing his thing with the mana, using incredible amounts of it that the air slightly shimmers at their passage. Then his hand shot up, his tendons flexed in a grabbing motion inside the sphere. A vortex of mana bloomed inwards and the ambient leftover energy fades into the air.

I watched dumbstruck as he fell limp on the couch, a sheathed dagger in his hand. Jen called his name in concern, rushing up to him. I followed, he's a friend, someone with an exceptional mind and various talents. A gold needle in the haystack. Can't have him dying here.

Did he just produced that dagger out of mana?

—

DING.

Turn it off~! Damn alarm.

Ughh.

Skipping work today!

Then memories of giant rats flashed through my mind, very up close and personal. I jumped out of the, uh, I looked back. Couch?

Right, okay. So, I had lunch, then the dagger!!

Reminded of—what I think is—my first success with the cold metallic death part of Metamorphosible Mana, I look for it with haste, my eyes roam the room and fall on Jennifer who us in the kitchen. Cooking. "Hey Jen, you seen any dagger lying around?"

"You're awake! You kinda went unconscious for a while, but when the snoring started, we left you alone." She was startled at my question, but started explaining without me needing to ask. Even as she went about the kitchen, busily cooking. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel alright." Checking my stats shows no debuff and a full mana tank. "Nothing on the system status too, thank you for your concern." I added.

Satisfied with my answer, she pointed at the end table beside my newly claimed couch. "Your dagger is in there. Henry kinda took a long look at it before placing it somewhere nearby for you."

"Thanks again!"

I fast-walked to said table and opened the drawer. It lays there looking every bit an ordinary dagger. picking it up with both hands, I strengthened my grip and with a slight tug, unsheathed it.

Brown leathery hilt, iron-ish blades and crossguard. But, upon a closer look, the whole thing differs slightly from a usual dagger by having a bit of transparency to the material, like it's made of well polished, tinted crystals.

Is that how the trait works? Make a cocoon of mana, give it a design and fuel the creation with more mana. Which meant, as the name implies; my mana can metamorphose, like caterpillars?

A quick search later.

"A change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means." I read softly to myself, several times. Change of form or nature…

I can live with that! Overpowered Archmagus MC! I chuckled at the childish thoughts. Gonna need way more mana for that though.

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"Zen, Is that a new spell? Conjure Dagger or something?" The question pulled me out of that small part of my brain who never really managed to grow up. Everyone is like that right?.. Henry came into focus, with a bowl of pasta, "it's not. Where'd you get that?" At the sight of food, my stomach squeezed in hunger.

Chewing slowly with a mischievous grin, his mouth purposely left open as he does, producing sounds that are annoying to my hungry stomach. He pointed a thumb at the kitchen where I can see Jennifer with her own bowl.

Food! I charged.

'Updates please.' Might as well do something while my hands are occupied.

DING.

Skill level up, Mana Manipulation 3 > 4

Skill obtained Visualization

Skill level up, Visualization 1 > 3

Skill level up, Mana Manipulation 4 > 5

Cool!

"Exquisite! Thanks for the dinner" I told Jennifer. Kissing of my pinched fingers in a gesture I saw from a cartoon. Though, the more I try, the more I'm starting to doubt where I remember having seen it... oh well!

"So, new spell?" Ask you-know-who.

"Nah, it's from the trait I told you about." I decided to come clear, no sense hiding things from them. The world has become a dangerous place, so strength in numbers, as they say. "Though I wouldn't doubt there's a spell that conjures a dagger, too."

"So, how many spells have you unlocked during my, uhh, unintentional slumber?" I poke for spoilers from my competitor.

"What, investigating the competition?" He asked back with a smirk. "No comment. Your own fault for taking your beauty sleep."

"Tskk, fine!"

"You gonna try out your new toy?" He asks another question.

Change of topic, accepted.

"I suppose I should, any idea how?" I responded. So, we bounced ideas around but came out with nothing good until the weapon maniac; that is Jennifer barged in and presented us with her methods. Which is kinda what we did discuss, and moar!

We cut meat with it, paper, leaves, bread, anything we had available that can be cut. "It's good to test it on a lot of things," she said. At some point, I started to doubt her words. She tried to bend it, then wipe it with oil, and various other things too many to mention. We're eventually led outdoors to carry on mutilating grasses, trees, rocks, and stuff. She probably made them up for the fun of it, if her giggles are to go by. I play along as this seems to be doing wonders for relieving her stress, even if she hid it well enough.

All in all, it's mostly like a mundane dagger, mass included. We managed to figure out early enough, when It slipped my hands and slammed onto concrete at a wrong angle—causing it to chip. That the dagger is probably more crystal-ish than metallic in nature. Maybe the made of mana part, as it's only very slightly flexible—that I could fix it by placing the piece back in position and putting in more mana. I figure that is probably why she kinda started playing around with the tests…

I can fix it easily enough.

I have no doubt the dagger's sharp edge, it is exactly as I imagined it. Though there must have recieved a lot of assistance during the creation process, since making it flexible wasn't on my mind, probably System shneinigans. Not complaining since it helped make this work.

We broke for rest around 10 Pm. The hour's getting late and all three of us do feel exhausted from all the play-testing. So a short goodbye later, they went into their room while I'm gonna sleep on the couch in the living room. It's comfy enough, speaking from experience. Once again, 'updates, thanks'.

DING.

Skill obtained Dagger Proficiency

Skill obtained Thrown Weapon Proficiency

Skill level up, Dagger Proficiency 1 > 2

It occurred to me while lying on the couch trying to sleep. There is no way to equip the dagger on my person, can't be holding it in my hands all the time. The sheath is smooth all around and the curve would make anything tied to it slip right off.

The thought woke me straight up. Darn it brain!

Took about ten minutes before an idea was formed. If I can reconnect a chipped piece, maybe I can change stuff up too. Item on hand, I pushed mana into it, trying to shape a kinda bulge I can tie a string around. It's working, as a stout flattened mushroom shaped protrusion form on one side of the scabbard.

"Can't you just straight out make it a rope instead," came the sound of Jennifer. I probably stared at her a moment too long, as she's fidgetting in discomfort for some reason. "I think it would be better than having to tie an actual rope on it."

"That's a good idea, thanks Jen. It didn't occur to me." As expected of the weapon maniac, she caught on quickly. "Glad to help! It's better if attached to a belt, more secure. But a rope to tie around your hip should work for now." Then she ran, "toilet, toilet!"

Change of plan. Undo-undo, as the modification this time is to subtract something rather than add to it. I attempt to connect my mana with, well, my mana that is the sheathe—the connection felt like getting feeling back from cramps, without the pain—then willing it to change and flatten. It worked fine, which is good to know.

But designing a way to hold my new weapon is not bearing any results. Eventually, after much shifting around, I finally found a comfortable position on the couch. The dagger sheathe has a unbending shape while a rope needs to be flexible. Hmm, maybe something like a seatbelt clip on the sheathe and make a separate belt. Yeah, ditching the rope. But, a clip would also need to be flexible on the button part.

I could possibly make things in parts to fabrica...

Clank. Clank!

CLANK!!

What was that! I awake with a startle. A glance at my phone shows 3.03 Am.

The door to the bedroom got wrenched open. Jennifer by the door with her katana brandished, her boyfriend alert behind her with his umbrella held tight, ready for action. I run to the window to get a peak.

But the view is of an empty garden. "Nothing," I inform the others. Jennifer ran for the door, us two following closely behind her.

Another door wrenching later. We found the source of the noise, right outside our gate. A monkey with a rather long tail was there, slaming both its arm and its tail at our gate. The long tail is all rolled up at the end to create a weighted ball thingy. Imagine a ball of yarn, but with tail.

"That's a long-tailed macaque," the only one who would know told us. "I hope it had simply run away from its owner, they're usually used as Topeng Monyet."

"It doesn't look like one, aren't they usually smaller, skinnier too?" Jennifer asked, "that one seems about the right height, but too buff, way to buff! Not to mention that tail"

"Mana!" us guys both said at once.

"Why is it here though?" Jen questioned. In which Henry said, "I've also been wondering. Probably sniffed out the food in our trash"

We were slowly approaching the gate as we chatted, so it didn't take long for the primate to notice us and stop to stare. Menacingly. "Definitely Topeng Monyet and most likely one of the slightly miss-treated ones too." Someone decided to mention.

"It probably hates humans then." I said with a heavy heart. The banging of the gate continues.

Unsure what to do next, the three of us stare in silence for a while. But, the gate is bending wider with each hit and there is no doubt in my heart that staying alive is much healthier than getting killed by an avenging primate.

"Gonna try something," I broke the silence. A mana-involved solution for a mana-involved problem.