what are you doing
Qin Sa clicked her tongue in irritation, palms laid flat on her cross-legged thighs. This would go a lot easier without a certain nosy intruder interrupting her concentration every two seconds to ask something or other about the color of the moon, the kinds of cuisine one could purchase at the academy cafeteria, or to list the cool things she could think of that he could punch with her hands.
And a new contender for most annoying question – why they were out here in the wee hours of the day, ages before breakfast was to begin, slinging Class One and Two Ice Shards at a tree trunk on the outskirts of Sucker’s Demise.
Meditating, guardian spirit. Please; just keep quiet a moment while I do this.
The quiet returned, and Qin Sa’s breathing slowed as it did. Her mana circulation, conversely, sped up, increasing the amount of raw magic filtering through her cells as the internal flow of her body’s energy harmonized with her thoughts. She focused on her heartbeat, the da-dum of the muscle thumping in her chest, the soothing rhythm assisting her in clearing her mind completely. One-two, one-two, one-
but why though
Damn it.
Qin Sa uncrossed her legs in a huff, wiping the accumulated perspiration on her forehead with the back of her hand. Looking up into the sky at the position of the moon, she decided to throw in the towel. There wasn’t enough time left; another half an hour or so and it’d be roll call. She’d done all she could for today – her mana pool had been drained completely, and for that matter, the guardian spirit constant distractions wouldn’t let her top it up even just a little more so she could squeeze in another Class One to end off her impromptu training session.
“It’s not for looks, if that’s what you’re asking; it’s to increase the mana regeneration rate,” she replied patiently. “In combat or otherwise, mana regenerates at a slower pace than if you’re at rest. If you allow your body to enter a trance state, without external thoughts or worries, it increases a lot more quickly. That’s what I was trying to do.”
Qin Sa laid back down on the soft grass, head cradled in her hands as she gazed up wistfully into the night sky. Well, this wasn’t too bad either. There was something enticing about the early hours of the day and the dead of night, moments which felt like you were the only person in this world. Nothing but peaceful serenity, and the idea of endless potential waiting to be realised.
so uh why do you want to train your magic so much
Except that she wasn’t alone right now.
Which ruined the magic a little.
Qin Sa sighed in defeat. She did suppose the guardian spirit might be feeling a little bored. He was cooped up in her mind all times of the day, unable to move a finger except only when she allowed him to. And given that he seemed to be a child with his immature demeanour and endless chatter… the least she could do was indulge his curiosity.
“There’s two reasons,” Qin Sa spoke out softly. “One is to help my father with his ranch. We raise Cheery Sheep for their wool and meat. It doesn’t bring in all that much, but it’s enough to support the three of us. The problem is, the ranch borders a forest, so there’s the occasional wild animal looking to poach a sheep or two. My father’s getting up there in age, and his legs don’t work as well as they used to. Magic just seemed like a practical way to replace his stick swinging and hoarse shouting.”
The wild animals, as she’d put them, were nothing more than a couple of Hardy Wolves and rarely, if the weather was good enough, a Confident Bear. They might wander in looking for a snack when they felt like it, becoming more brazen as her father got older and less intimidating.
Their ranch survived on margins, meaning that if one livestock was pinched here and there, it would eventually translate into crushing losses which would cut into other aspects of their lives. Qin Sa remembered a winter one year when she was still little where she had no choice but to bathe with cold water and a bucket; because the firewood was going straight to keeping the house warm. She’d nearly gotten sick from the experience, and it stuck in her mind as something that she needed to ensure never happened to her family ever again.
how ‘bout number two?
Qin Sa smiled wryly.
“Well- it’s… magic, isn’t it? The thing of dreams. With magic you can do anything, as they say. Build bridges, create towers, dig wells; a magician could do so much in so little time. I’ve always dreamt to be a mage like the ten seats of the Order of Glint. Did you know that eight of them came from Orth?”
Her smile faded slightly as she continued, cruelly reminded of what she was currently in the midst of doing. She was still a far cry from those that she admired.
“… which is why I have to improve my magic more. Get it to a level where it can do all those fantastic things – not act as a glorified ice dispenser. And with enough improvement; maybe I could earn some more money on the side, allow my parents to retire early.”
i could help
“Hmm? Help?” Qin Sa questioned. What could the spirit help with? He didn’t even have a body to help out with.
with the animal problem
Oh, he just wanted to hold the reins a little while, stretch his limbs a little.
Qin Sa mulled over the offer. Despite the obvious hidden motives, that… wasn’t a bad idea, actually. With the guardian spirit’s help, clearing out the animal dens wouldn’t be too colossal a feat. Probably could even be done in half a day, if she put her mind to it.
But… she didn’t know what the true nature of this guardian spirit was. Sure, she’d been calling him a guardian spirit, but there could be any number of explanations for his arrival in her mind. His sudden descent into her life could be easily proceeded by a just as sudden exit.
“No. It’s a nice gesture – and thank you for offering – but it wouldn’t work out.”
The guardian spirit didn’t quite understand the refusal. With his abilities, massacring a couple of forest critters would be a piece of cake! He would toss on a Physical Boost and charge through the forest, fisting everything in sight. A fisting here, a fisting there – and her problem would be solved!
And it would be really fun!
c’mon lemme do it
“There’s the ecosystem to worry about, right?” Qin Sa explained carefully. “If, for example, we wipe out all the Hardy Wolves, perhaps the Timid Rabbits grow out of control and start overrunning the woods; maybe to the point where they break into our ranch and start pilfering our feed. It’d just be exchanging one problem for another.”
ok but
“And let’s not forget,” she added a little more curtly, raising her bandaged arm. “that this was what happened the last time you decided to show off in my body. If I did let you go on your little extermination mission, next time I might not get off so easy. Probably would end up in a full body cast.”
haha oops
“Hey, don’t worry about it! You’re helping a lot as is! The couple of levels I gained from the King Wolf increased my overall MP, so if push comes to shove and I really need more MP, we can go on a little King Wolf killing spree!”
hooray!
Qin Sa got up, brushing the dew and bits of grass from her skirt.
“Now c’mon, we have to be getting back to the dorms before they figure out I haven’t been in bed for the past few hours.”
~
“Haven’t you heard?!” Qin Sa’s dorm mate, Cai Li, excitedly piped up as the two sat around one of the cafeteria’s many tables, breakfast bun in hand. “There was a sparring session yesterday in Class 1; and a student almost died!”
“Oh?” Qin Sa replied coolly, taking a chunk out of the dry bread. It wasn’t any of her business whether or not someone she didn’t know perished in an accident. She was here to learn the art of sorcery, not gossip. “They certainly take things to the extreme in the advanced classes.”
“You aren’t getting it, Qin.” Her friend added more urgently. “The fight that happened was supposed to be an ordinary exchange of Class Twos, boring stuff that even we do, but the one that ended up utterly defeated – he was using forbidden magic! And he still lost!”
forbidden? ooh yes please ask her more thanks
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Her guardian spirit had perked up at the word “forbidden”, and was now clamouring for her to pry out more information to sate his stoked curiosity.
Typical.
Although… I’m not getting anywhere training by myself. If I approached someone in Class One, especially someone who’s so formidable they could overpower another invoking forbidden magic even while shackled by the limitations of the Class System… I could progress a lot more quickly.
It’s worth a shot, at least.
“Do you know who the other student was?” she asked. “The one who won the fight, that is. If he’s that good, I might ask him for a few pointers myself.”
“That’s the thing, Qin – he’s not good at all! He’s a complete beginner!”
“… what? You’re kidding.”
“No! That’s why everyone’s talking about it! It’s unthinkable!”
A novice… beat someone who’d successfully controlled forbidden magic? Spells that weren’t taught within school curriculum, magic known to everyone to have the hefty cost of increased unpredictability in exchange for immense power – that forbidden magic?
“Ok, he isn’t exactly a complete beginner,” Cai Li clarified. “But from what I hear, he’d only just awoken from a coma of several weeks and suffered a complete memory loss… so it might as well be as if he’s a new student. Haaa… effort really can't beat innate talent, can it?”
“Do you know who he is? His name?” Qin Sa urged.
What little had been revealed about this mysterious prodigy already cemented it for her – she had to get him to teach her how he was advancing through the Class System so expediently.
Danger!
“Shut up,” Qin Sa muttered in irritation. The Danger Sense skill was quickly becoming her most disliked new addition to her abilities. It chimed in at the most awkward times; interrupting her train of thought during classes, announcing the peril she was in while she was studying for a test; and even while she was in the restrooms! It was vague and unspecific, an utterly worthless Skill.
“Danger Sense off.” She whispered.
Danger Sense disabled.
Good riddance. You won’t be missed.
“Hmm? Did you say something Qin?”
“Oh- nothing important. Right, you were about to say – who’s the guy that won the fight?”
“His name’s Ting Ren; you can’t miss him even if you tried. Just look out for the one everyone gives a wide berth to when they see him. Guessing that they don’t want to get on his bad side. I’ll definitely be doing that too, let me tell you. I have enough worries that- oh hey, look! There he is right now!”
Qin Sa spun around in her seat, following her friend’s hushed exclamation. At first glance, the boy didn’t look as intimidating as the tales Cai Li had spun made him out to be – he was simply an average Orth student in build and height. If she hadn’t known any better, Qin Sa might have dismissed him without a second look.
The fear he commanded, however – that proved he was anything but average. Crowds parted where he walked. Noisy cliques grew silent and strolled off in the opposite direction. It was as if he had a circle of repelling cast on his personage, for no one dared even come into his vicinity; lest they suffer the same fate as his poor classmate.
Qin Sa got up from her seat to follow after Ting Ren, half-eaten bun dropped on her tray. Cai Li grabbed her arm.
“You can’t be serious, Qin!” she warned. “That guy nearly murdered his classmate! Who knows what he’ll do to people that bother him! If you want pointers on your magic, ask a teacher!”
“I’ve asked countless times. They can’t see it from the perspective of a student. Plus, they teach from the textbook anyways. Whatever they could advise me on I can read about in my own time. Think about it; his progress has to come from somewhere. I’m willing to risk my life to find out where.”
And besides, I have my guardian spirit; he’ll protect me against this Ting Ren if he tries anything. Isn’t that right?
yeah!
Qin Sa pulled away from the concerned grip from her well-meaning friend, briskly walking towards Ting Ren.
“Um! Excuse me, you are… Ting Ren, right?” she called out.
“Huh?” the boy turned around in surprise. Upon noticing that Qin Sa was indeed addressing him and not some other student called Ding Sen, he chuckled.
“Well, this is certainly different. You have heard about what I did, right?”
Qin Sa nodded profusely.
He arched an eyebrow in puzzlement. “You’re approaching me even knowing that? No, wait; you’re approaching me because you know that?”
She nodded more.
Ting Ren shrugged, and took a more relaxed stance. “Ok, what do you want to ask me?”
“I want to know how you got so strong. How did you go from knowing nothing about the Class System; to beating someone invoking forbidden magic?”
Ting Ren laughed heartily, drawing the attention of the surrounding students for a moment before they noticed who he was, and furtively turned their heads away. He grinned as he leaned in to tell Qin Sa the truth.
“If you must know, the extent of my knowledge of the Class System ends at Class Four; I’m still getting the hang of the gestures and imagery required for Class Fives.”
“But-”
“But, how did I beat Po Dan?” he beamed. “Simple; he tried to use a spell that he wasn’t prepared for; and magnificently self-destructed! Isn’t that funny?! All these students are afraid of me for nothing!”
Oh. That was… a bit of a letdown, actually. Qin Sa pursed her lips in vexation.
She had thought Ting Ren was in possession of a hidden training guide that would aid her in own training, and the reality was that it was all a bunch of hot air, given greater importance by the rumours passed on from student to student, warped beyond recognition.
She bowed deeply as a sign of gratitude. “Thank you anyways, Ting Ren. I will strive to keep improving myself in my own way. I will take my leave now.”
The boy sheepishly waved it off, scratching his head in mirth. “Oh, there’s no reason to be so stiff! Good luck with your studies!”
uh oh
Just as Ting Ren was leaving, Qin Sa’s guardian spirit had spoken up. And in rather uncharacteristic fashion, he had done so in apprehension - not a carefree quip or comment, but an expression of worry.
Uh oh? Guardian spirit, what are you so worried about? He just told us a few seconds ago, remember? It wasn’t him that roughed up that classmate of his; that was the result of a backlash from forbidden magic going berserk.
The guardian spirit didn’t reply immediately, however. Her reassurances were left ignored in the wake of another more ominous message by the spirit.
turn on danger sense
Danger Sense? Why? They were in the cafeteria, not Sucker’s Demise. What was the point of leaving it on, when all that would achieve would be a constant irritation?
Ok, but I don’t see what that’s going to-
Danger Sense Enabled.
DANGER!
DANGER!
DANGER!
…
…
Immediately her field of view was bombarded with countless windows of warning, the once tinny beep of the Danger Sense Skill upgraded several ranks into a blaring siren. Qin Sa felt bile rising from her throat at the sudden sensory assault.
Danger Sense was toggled back off instantly.
What was that?! Danger Sense didn’t trigger like that even with the King Wolf! It’s like it’s reacting to-
The saliva in her mouth ran dry. Her face paled as goosebumps began to prickle in waves across her forearms. Finally, Qin Sa understood the value of the Skill she had been gifted. Danger Sense wasn’t triggering even in the presence of the King Wolf because it didn’t even recognise it as a threat. It had judged that with the assistance of her guardian spirit, she was in no danger whatsoever. A fight that was trivial in many aspects.
But it had chosen this time to scream at her, to shrilly deafen her with blast after blast of ringing. Because she was, at this very moment, in the most danger she could possibly be in without being dead.
Meaning that this was a fight she could not prevail in.
A fight that she had to avoid at all costs, like a terrified mouse, scurrying desperately to escape the claws of the looming cat behind it.
yeah so i kinda recognise who he is now that i’ve seen him close up
Qin Sa’s eyes widened.
You know who Ting Ren is?! Who is he?! And why did Danger Sense react that way to him?!
The guardian spirit seemed reluctant; embarrassed even, as he finally revealed to Qin Sa how she’d misunderstood the identity of what she’d dubbed her guardian spirit, and the danger she was truly in.
he’s me. the real me. zach. which means he’s probably here to try and get me back. probably here to kill you too, ‘cos you were the one that stole his precious Mask
oh, that’s me, btw
the Mask thing, i mean
After a pause, the guardian spirit decided to append to his explanation an eloquent assessment of the probability that she could turn this around, and at the very least escape with her life.
yeah, you’re screwed