Jim stood in the quiet of his time ring dimension, surrounded by the vibrant growth he'd nurtured with holy mana. The mini trees, flowers, and plants bloomed around him, each one thriving faster than natural cycles allowed. But his thoughts weren’t on the beauty of the scene. They were fixated on the next challenge: divine mana. Despite his repeated attempts, he had yet to successfully convert holy mana into divine mana. The difference between the two was vast, and his failure stung more with each attempt.
But Jim was used to failure. In fact, he embraced it. Every failure was a stepping stone, a necessary part of growth. The more he failed, the closer he was to understanding the true nature of mana—and himself.
He sat down on the soft earth, his mind whirring with possibilities. Holy mana was easy to conjure, but divine mana—that was elusive. He could feel the divine energy all around him, lingering just out of reach. It was frustrating. He clenched his fists, focused, and placed his hands on the soil once more, attempting to tap into the very essence of divine mana.
But once again, his efforts were futile. The divine mana eluded him like a whisper in the wind, taunting him with its potential but never allowing him to grasp it.
After the twentieth failed attempt, Jim sighed and leaned back. As his hands left the soil, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction—not from the failure, but from something else. He turned his head, eyes widening in surprise.
The area around him had changed. Where there had been barren patches of soil or sparse growth before, vibrant flowers, vegetables, and miniature trees now filled the landscape. It was as if the land itself had responded to his repeated efforts, blossoming in ways that would have taken months in the real world.
Jim’s lips curved into a smile. Holy mana wasn’t just a means to an end. It was a force in its own right—a force that could nurture and accelerate growth. He had been focused on converting it into divine mana, but it seemed that the mana’s power could manifest in ways he hadn’t anticipated.
"I’ve been going about this all wrong," he murmured to himself.
An idea sparked in his mind. If holy mana could cause this kind of growth, what would happen if he used it in other environments? Jim had a wealth of resources in his time ring dimension, including the soil from other dimensions he had collected. A desert, a tundra, a forest—all of them had their own unique characteristics, each environment requiring its own balance of mana. What if he could manipulate the holy mana to enhance these different environments?
Without hesitation, Jim walked toward the edge of the forest, where the soil from the forest dimension had been deposited. He placed his hands on the ground, closing his eyes and summoning the holy mana from within his body. Unlike before, where his attempts were focused on divine mana, this time Jim focused solely on enriching the environment with holy mana. He infused the soil, feeling it resonate with the power he channeled.
As the mana flowed into the earth, the changes were almost immediate. The trees began to grow, their trunks thickening, their leaves unfurling faster than any normal cycle would allow. The air grew thicker with the scent of life, and the very ground seemed to pulse with energy. Jim smiled, watching as the forest flourished before his eyes.
However, as he repeated the process a second time, something strange happened. The forest’s growth slowed, and eventually, it came to a halt. Jim furrowed his brow. He wasn’t sure why, but it seemed like the soil could only accept a certain amount of mana before it became saturated. He could feel the mana within his body draining more quickly than he expected.
“Is there a limit?” he muttered under his breath.
It wasn’t a complete loss—he had learned something valuable. There was a threshold, a point at which the soil and plants could no longer absorb more mana without becoming overwhelmed. After the second infusion, the forest’s growth had stopped. It was as though the plants had reached their limit, unable to process any more mana.
Jim leaned back and crossed his arms, thinking. If the plants have a limit, then they’ll need time to adjust before they can take more mana.
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His eyes gleamed as he realized the implications. This wasn’t just about the mana he could produce—it was about managing the flow, ensuring the right balance between the land, the plants, and the energy he infused into it.
Before he could dive further into his thoughts, a sudden presence caught his attention. It wasn’t the usual hum of mana, nor the rush of nature. It was something... different.
Jim turned, his heart quickening slightly as he saw an old man sitting cross-legged on the forest floor. His long gray hair fell past his shoulders, and his robes shimmered with an aura of power that Jim couldn’t quite place. The man’s eyes were closed in meditation, but as Jim focused on him, he could sense an immense energy radiating from him. This man wasn’t ordinary by any means.
Jim’s instincts flared, and he stood up slowly, preparing himself. “Who are you?”
The man’s eyes opened, revealing a pair of deep silver orbs. He smiled faintly, an expression that seemed both wise and amused at the same time. “I am the Asura Spirit. The one who has watched over your journey.”
Jim froze, his mind racing. The Asura Spirit? He recalled the asura spirit but it has never taken a physical form in the past. Maybe it was from the mana he infused into the environment, the asura spirit might have benefitted from it.
“...You're the Asura Spirit?” Jim’s voice was full of disbelief.
The spirit nodded, his expression unchanging. “Indeed. I have observed your efforts to harness the divine forces, and I must say, you have been... persistent.”
Jim didn’t know what to say. Part of him wanted to ask a thousand questions, but the other part of him understood that the spirit wouldn’t have come without reason. He took a step forward. “If you’re here to teach me about divine mana, I’m ready.”
The Asura Spirit’s smile widened, and his gaze softened. “You misunderstand, Jim. I have not come to teach you. I’ve come to show you the path.”
Jim’s brow furrowed. “The path?”
The Asura Spirit rose slowly to his feet, his movements fluid and deliberate. “You seek to control divine mana, but there is more to it than mere control. You must learn to align yourself with it. You must understand that divine mana is not a tool to be wielded at will, but a force to be nurtured, respected, and ultimately, embraced.”
Jim’s thoughts whirled as he processed the spirit’s words. Align, nurture, embrace… He had always viewed mana as something he could manipulate, something to gain power over. But the idea of alignment—a partnership, not mastery—was something new.
Just like divine mana, there are many paths energy can manifest in. In your time, it is called mana. Back in my time, divine mana was only one path of mana. Masters found new paths for mana, each with its own distinct qualities. Divine mana is a powerful force, but it is only the beginning of mana paths. This world’s mana quality has significantly deteriorated since my time. It is … a disappointment but understandable in the way your time views mana. Its almost as if someone is stealing the mana from this universe.
Jim was shocked that that the asura spirit knew about the multiple universes as this was a secret that even he did not find out if only by accident.
As Jim was lost in though, the Asura spirit continued “There were roughly 100 universes back in my time but it looks like there aren’t many universes left in your time. Something is definitely behind this and it seems that it is your journey to take and find out about this world”
As I was saying “Holy mana is the link between the mortal and the divine. It is a conduit, but you must be willing to let go of your desires. To truly wield divine mana, you must become part of the flow. You must not seek to control it, but to become one with it.”
Jim took a step back, processing the weight of the spirit’s words. He had always thought of mana as a resource to exploit. But now, it was becoming clear. To control divine mana, I must become its equal, not its master.
The Asura Spirit’s silver eyes glinted with approval. “You are on the right path. But you are only beginning to understand. The road ahead is long, and the challenges will grow greater. But with the right mindset, you can learn to wield the divine forces as they were meant to be wielded.”
With that, the Asura Spirit began to fade, his form dissolving into the air like smoke. “It seems that this is the amount of time I can spend with you right now. I can feel my spirit weakening, but I will try to come find you again once I have recovered. Besides it looks like you have another guest waiting”
You must not seek to control, but to become one with it.
Jim stood in the middle of the flourishing forest, a quiet resolve settling over him. He wasn’t just a farmer. He wasn’t just a ninja. He was something more. And with this newfound understanding, he would carve a new path—a path that would reshape the world itself.
As the asura spirit dissipated, a voice shouted near the small tree “ Over here”
He turned to find Adam, along with another figure—a new spirit, standing nearby in the central area of the time ring. The spirit was older, with a jovial expression. “You can call me Old Man Jenkins,” the spirit greeted, his grin wide and mischievous.
Jim’s brow arched, a sense of curiosity flooding him. Another spirit? This day just keeps getting more interesting.