Gaus left One Man Army there and headed to the library.
In just an hour since he started, two security agents had stopped him at different intervals. And before he reached the library, he had met three more agencies, some of which were foreign to him with their unidentified uniforms.
Ten soldiers were stationed by the entrance of the building. Contrary to how he was used to writing just his name and enter, they insisted on giving him a thorough search. And when they didn't find anything incriminating on him, they sent him away.
"Come back tomorrow," one guard told him.
Gaus frowned. Why did they have to search him if the place was already closed? He had come to see Rachel and she was no longer there, so he swallowed his complaints and left.
There was another problem though: the wood clones were still tailing him. It wouldn't have mattered on a regular day, but this was different. It was like telling people he was a suspect.
He sighed. There was nothing he could do about it besides keeping his distance from the clones and leaving his mana sense and longevity sense up all day. It would take mana but there was no alternative.
He stopped at Niama to have a drink and relax.
"We are closed for today. Come back tomorrow. Wishing you a good day, sir."
The day was just starting and they were already 'closed for today'. What an irony.
He never intended to cause any incidents. He went to the old dungeon just to have some training and exp as usual. But something he never expected happened as a result and threw the whole restart into chaos. Nobody knew how long it would take for things to normalize again, if ever. He couldn't move about freely and the training he received from LA was also affected.
The marines were there yesterday, so they wouldn't allow anyone to go near the old dungeon ever again. His exp source would be cut off.
As strong as Rachel was, going in would be impossible especially since she wasn't in the loop. And even if she did manage to get in, they would be ready for her. Thorn and those masked girls waiting for her in the tunnels were doomed.
Rachel aside, he needed to think about himself and how much he depended on the second loop to cause blunders. It frightened him. Without the second loop, he would have to give up his investigation of the loop and so many other things. But allowing it to continue would also cost him everything. He would have to find a balance between the two: use it and also reserve his mana, which, in literal terms, didn't seem possible at all.
Gaus returned to LA and lay on his bed. Perhaps, what he did during his first time discovering the second loop was right. He had tried to use the opportunity to level up as fast as possible. It was Tyren and the recurrent loss of 5 MP every restart that made him change his mind. And both these two problems were still in existence.
Another sigh escaped him. It was ten o'clock in the morning. On a regular day, he would go to class and have normal lectures. But no more classes now and he had to depend on his classmates for a training group.
He opened the class interface.
*
Dilfa: looking for training groups, anyone?
Jack: join us at 100 ayrids per day.
Dilfa: what? I'll be helping you by joining. Why do I have to pay?
Dilfa: class rep, I want to join your group. Please...
*
Gaus closed the tab and changed into a new robe. He'd a meeting with Gatan and Antelina. The girl might not come since she was busy looking for her missing friend and she still didn't want to be involved in any trouble, but Gatan would be there.
***
Gaus, Gatan, and Antelina sat in the school garden. Antelina was frowning deeply while Gaus and Gatan stared at her curiously.
"She hasn't been found?" Gaus said.
Antelina nodded. "And she isn't at home either. I went there myself."
Gaus frowned. Even if the invaders had killed Raya or damaged her soul, the girl would remain where she started the loop. Her absence meant two things: either she left intentionally or someone was preventing her from coming to the school; someone kidnapped her.
"Could she be one of the attackers?" Suggested Gatan.
Antelina and Gaus shared a look and then both shook their heads. That girl? No.
"Alright, let's just keep searching," Gaus said after some thought. "She will likely come back in a few days. I was told there is a search party for her and four others that are missing."
Antelina hesitated but she stopped frowning and changed the subject. "Can you teach me how to advance levitate? I want to stop an arrow without raising a finger."
Gaus felt the urge to frown. He had expected this would happen after what he did at the beginning of the restart.
Nonetheless, he nodded. "Whenever you're ready."
"I'm ready right now." She slapped her chest.
Gaus had no choice but to give her an intensive lecture on space, mana, and weightless levitation. He employed the trick she used on him in the previous loop and threw stones at the wall for her to try and levitate. Gatan decided it was fun and he joined.
Unfortunately, none of them could do it even after two hours.
"Let's try something new," Gaus said. "I have studying time magic in my free time. I know where most of the mana veins in the body are, but I don't know what they do. I want you two to help me find that out."
The Great Nasren vein gave a common branch that entered the heart and the brain. He was targeting that last branch.
Antelina stared at him in disbelief. She must be thinking he was crazy.
"Listen," Gaus said defensively. "This won't hurt you. I will be careful and you'd let me know when you feel any changes so I would stop." He turned to Gatan. "I would like to practice it on you as well if you don't mind."
"Are we talking about the skill that woman used on me?" Gatan asked.
Gaus nodded. "But you are not going to lose consciousness or anything. I will be careful."
Gatan shook his head. "I am sorry, man. I don't want any problems."
"You worry too much, there won't be any problems..."
"You said it yourself, you are learning this thing." Gatan was still shaking his head. "No offense but you still don't know what you are doing, and if you fry something, the problem will stick with me for several loops."
Gaus nodded slowly. Though he had no intention of hurting them in any way, and he would've done anything possible to be careful, he still understood the man's fear. Well, Antelina would be enough to serve his purpose for now...
But the girl was also shaking her head as he turned to her. Gaus raised his eyebrows.
"Sorry," she mumbled.
Gaus smiled bitterly. He wouldn't hurt them.
He thought about it a bit and decided to visit the tournament arena. There would be plenty of test subjects there who would have nothing to worry about since they weren't in any loop.
The academy gate was closed for students so he couldn't go out and had to wait until the loop reset. Early next morning, he booked a room in Sizea and later went to the arena and waited for the tournament to start.
Hira had explained to him the need to block the common branch of the Nasren Vein to stop the marines from channeling the mana of the slaves in the underground city of Dekar. If he wanted to get into the underground city and see what was happening, then he needed to learn mana block. That was the only way for him to witness the invasion firsthand. And he needed the skill to have a chance against Tyren as well.
He found a seat and sat, discreetly observing a young man sitting a bit further from him. He felt slightly guilty for using the skill on the young man without his consent. At least there wouldn't be any permanent damage.
He pushed world essence into the young man's body.
*
Longevity color activated.
*
The essence highlighted the vein located by the left side of the heart. He pushed more essence and squeezed the vein with ethereal hands.
The young man drooped forward and almost fell on the young woman sitting in front of him. He shook himself awake. Gaus could hear the young woman telling the man to go home if he was sleepy.
He had blocked the entire vein, and it was still blocked, but the young man just dozed off a bit and woke up as though nothing happened. Was his mana not sufficient, or was his skill at wielding the essence amiss?
He searched further away and found another man. He squeezed the man's vein just as he did with the other. This time, the man just blinked and went on talking. He was not in the least aware of anything happening.
Gaus tried again five consecutive times but all in vain. He must be doing something wrong.
He knew where the vein was but he still couldn't mana block it. Why?
The tournament commenced. He couldn't see any of the contestants using the mana block. If anyone was using it, then they were adept at hiding themselves.
He watched the match for some time and then turned to the young man again. He pushed more world essence and blocked the man's common branch of the Nasren vein. He pushed the essence through the vein and into the smaller veins connecting to the brain.
He then traced the common branch back to its origin in the major vein and the great Nasren vein that exited the longevity cord. It was as long as six meters and Gaus followed its length and blocked it off with world essence. It took much more mana than blocking the common branch alone.
After he was sure everything was blocked, he looked at the young man and saw him chatting with the man beside him.
Gaus tried again but to no avail. The man didn't even notice.
After failing for the fifth time, he realized something: whenever he blocked the veins, the essence he used leaked through the cord. It was subtle and the leaked essence immediately blend into the surrounding ambient essence. But Gaus could see it, and that made him change his approach. Instead of blocking the common branch first and then pushing essence from there to the rest of the veins, he started from the Nasren vein in the cord. Although he couldn't block the great vein, he could pollute it with essence and create a barrier that would prevent something from leaking. From there, he pushed the world essence to the major vein that gave rise to the common branch he was targeting.
The essence kept coming back and pushing at him every time it hit the end of the vein.
After a long moment, it stopped and the entire common branch collapsed.
*
Congratulations, you've successfully learned mana block.
Mana block.
Rank: ?
Level: 1/?
You have become a true time mage. From the cord to the great and major veins, everything is now yours. Promana is made in the cord and by entering the major veins and their tributaries, it becomes premana and mana. Use mana block to stop promana from getting converted to mana, and mana from entering the magiwatch and the rest of the body.
Cost: 5 MP per meter of a vein. Size would only matter in extreme situations.
*
So that was why he couldn't learn the skill at first: promana block + premana block + mana block = mana block.
He heard a thud. His test subject had collapsed on the young woman in front of him. He withdrew the pressure and watched the vein slowly recover. It would take some time but the man would be fine again. It would be another story if it was the great Madarate vein, but Nasren didn't kill.
Gaus turned to the other side of the arena. Two men argued over the ongoing match between Rafiyan Nazareth and his opponent.
*
Mana block activated.
*
The two men stopped arguing and both collapsed in their chairs. It didn't take as much time as the first.
An excited smile lightened Gaus' face. Today was a good day...
"You are under arrest for using dark magic on civilians."
Two men stood over him from behind. Gaus clenched his teeth. He had forgotten about the current situation in the city.
"Place your hands where I can see them."
*
Magiwatch has saved 51 seconds.
You have Rewound for 51 seconds, effectively erasing everything in the said period. Only you will remember.
*
The world wound back to when he was about to use the skill on the first man. He didn't try it this time, opting to leave the young man alone. He had to be careful from now on. Everyone was on edge already and things could easily spiral out of control.
The matches came to an end. Gaus followed the crowd and left the arena. He didn't see the two security men again despite looking for them. They hid quite well.
He was on his way out when he received an unexpected invitation.
*
You are invited to the class reps' forum by Linc. Accept? Y/N?
*
He didn't know there was any such forum. Or maybe it was created in response to the invasion. But what would the class reps do about the current situation? Gaus was a bit hesitant, but since it was Linc who sent the invitation, he accepted it.
*
XM9991: Welcome, students. As you can see, this is a teachers' only forum, which means you can't comment on anything. You have been invited so you can be informed of certain situations for you to inform your colleagues. Let's first hear from the teachers. Linc, go first.
Linc: Two of my students are missing. Raya and Ariwen. Raya hasn't been seen ever since the attack on the city, but Ariwen disappeared earlier today. Her family contacted me a few hours ago and told me about it.
*
Gaus shut the window to collect his thoughts. Raya had been missing and was thought to be taken by the invaders. But Ariwen was fine just yesterday. Being missing for one day in a time loop shouldn't be too much of a problem, but if her family reported her missing, then it wasn't just about her being missing. Something else must be going on...
*
Bluk: You're having it easy, Linc. I lost six students between today and yesterday.
Harry: I lost seven.
Linc: six? Seven? Are you sure they didn't just run away?
Bluk: I track each of them to their starting point. I have reason to believe all seven are being kidnapped as soon as the loop begins.
Harry: but why is it just the three of us? Other classes aren't affected.
XM9991: that's the question we want to answer. Nostalgia wants this done with every urgency. She thinks the marines are responsible. As for the reason why she thinks so, nobody knows.
Harry: the marines? Not the invaders?
XM9991: yeah. I don't know why she would say that but we have a job to do. How do we track each of these students? We are supposed to take them as soon as the loop begins.
Linc: er... I'm currently receiving a message from a student. He believes he saw MIA agents take his classmate.
XM9991: MIA? Who is this student?
Linc: his name is Tyren. He was recently promoted to the class by the committee.
XM9991: send him to my office immediately. I'll need to go now. As for you, class reps, make sure you inform your colleagues about the situation. Make sure everyone is within the academy at every time.
*
The interface disappeared and he received another message from Linc.
*
You have received a friend request from Linc. Accept? Y/N?
*
Gaus stared at the interface. The teacher must have realized he wasn't in the academy. But Gaus didn't want to go back, not in this restart. He ignored the request and left the arena.
Fydeba was filled to the brim. Pilgrims, guards, soldiers... Everyone who mattered was there.
Gaus went to the auction hall next and stood in the queue outside the hall. Sometime later, the presenter who was fun of tearing young women's dress collapsed in the middle of his act. The hall erupted into chaos.
Gaus kept to the queue and an hour later, he entered the hall. A new presenter had already been fixed and the slaves were continued to be auctioned.
He laughed bitterly. So the auction would go on no matter what happened. Such was the primordial call.
Late afternoon, he returned to Sizea and rest there for the night.
For several days, he would walk around the city trying his new skill on new people.
Later on, when he was certain about his chances, he sent a message to One Man Army. The two met the following day early in the morning.
A short distance from them, there was a medium-sized apartment adorned with red flowers. The building was on the outskirts of the city, but Gaus could see soldiers moving around the place. The invasion had made moving around the city difficult.
One Man Army sighed. "What is Mr. Lake waiting for? I want this to be done quickly."
Gaus didn't reply, his eyes were fixed on the apartment. Besides taking Tyren out of the picture, he wanted to investigate the loop and ensure his safety now and after the loop. But the irony was he needed the second loop to do that. It was the only advantage he had over others. And, at the same time, he couldn't let the loop suck him dry. He wouldn't even be a mage if that happened.
He had been trapped in this dilemma for a while. There was the fear of losing his only advantage and there was the fear of losing his entire mana reserve.
"Do you think he's giving up?" One Man Army asked.
Gaus walked toward the apartment.