Jim studied the figure before him, his eyes narrowing in curiosity. The spirit called Old Man Jenkins seemed out of place in the vibrant, mystical forest of the time ring dimension. Unlike the Asura Spirit, whose presence radiated a sense of ancient wisdom and power, Jenkins exuded an air of mischief, with a twinkle in his eyes that made it hard to take him seriously.

“You must be Jim,” Jenkins said, crossing his arms and leaning casually against a small tree. “The boy who thinks he can crack the secrets of divine mana. A bold move, I must say.”

Jim tilted his head. “And who are you to judge?”

Adam chuckled from where he stood, arms folded. “Don’t let his demeanor fool you, Jim. Old Man Jenkins might act like a clown, but he knows things—things you can’t even begin to imagine.”

“Exactly!” Jenkins said, jabbing a thumb at his chest. “I’ve forgotten more about mana than you’ll ever learn in ten lifetimes. And I’m here because, well…” He grinned wide, his expression turning almost comically sinister. “You’re gonna need me.”

Jim raised a skeptical brow. “Need you for what? Another vague lecture about how I’m doing everything wrong, and where did you come from anyways?”

Jenkins barked a laugh. “Oh, no, no. That’s the Asura Spirit’s gig. I have you to thank for freeing me from the holy treasure chest. I was working on one of my techniques when I passed away from old age. I guess my obsession to complete my own style forced my spirit to stay in the mortal realm. Since I have you to thank from releasing my spirit from the Christmas bowl I’ll give you something as a reward for freeing me.”

“I’m here to teach you something far more practical. You’ve got the holy mana trick down, and you’re dabbling in divine stuff, sure. But there’s a whole world of mana out there you haven’t even scratched the surface of. Different paths, different flavors, and some of them? Well, let’s just say they make divine mana look like child’s play.”

Jim crossed his arms, intrigued despite himself. “Like what?”

“Ever heard of chaos mana?” Jenkins asked, his grin widening as though he was letting Jim in on a cosmic secret.

The words sent a shiver down Jim’s spine. Chaos mana was a concept he’d only encountered in fragments—whispers in old texts and theories that were dismissed as dangerous or unstable. Most scholars believed it to be a destructive force, one that defied control and corrupted anything it touched.

“You’re joking,” Jim said cautiously.

“Do I look like the joking type?” Jenkins replied, gesturing grandly to his jovial face.

“Yes,” Jim deadpanned.

Adam stifled a laugh, but Jenkins ignored him, straightening up and adopting a more serious tone. “Chaos mana isn’t just destruction, boy. It’s creation. Change. Potential. The raw, untamed force that underpins everything. Without chaos, there’s no order. Without order, there’s no growth. If you want to master divine mana—or any mana, for that matter—you’ll need to understand that balance.”

Jim frowned. “And you think you can teach me?”

Jenkins shrugged. “I can do better than that. I can show you.” He turned toward the dessert environment, motioning for Jim to follow.

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Curiosity outweighed caution, and Jim trailed after him, Adam close behind. As they walked, the lush growth of the forest gave way to a clearing, where the ground was marked by intricate symbols etched into the soil. The patterns seemed to hum with latent energy, and Jim could feel a faint pull, as though the air itself was vibrating.

Jenkins stopped at the edge of the clearing and turned to face Jim. “This,” he said, sweeping his arm dramatically, “is your first lesson.”

Jim studied the symbols, their chaotic loops and jagged lines unlike any mana inscriptions he’d seen before. “What is it?”

“A containment field,” Jenkins replied. “The only thing keeping the chaos mana from leaking out and wreaking havoc. I’ve been collecting it for… oh, centuries, I’d say. Figured someone like you would come along eventually. Someone stubborn enough to try and tame the untamable.”

Jim hesitated. “And you think I’m ready for this?”

Jenkins smirked. “Nope. But that’s the beauty of chaos—it doesn’t care if you’re ready. It just is. Your job is to survive it long enough to learn from it.”

Before Jim could respond, Jenkins clapped his hands together, and the containment field began to glow. The air grew thick with pressure, and the symbols pulsed with an otherworldly light.

“Wait—” Jim started, but it was too late.

The ground beneath his feet trembled, and the clearing erupted in a torrent of swirling energy. The chaos mana surged upward, a writhing mass of colors and shapes that defied logic. It wasn’t like any mana Jim had ever seen—wild and unpredictable, shifting between beauty and terror in an instant.

“Focus!” Jenkins shouted over the roar of the energy. “Don’t fight it—feel it! Let it flow through you!”

Jim clenched his fists, his instincts screaming at him to resist. But as the chaos mana swirled around him, he remembered the Asura Spirit’s words: You must not seek to control it, but to become one with it.

Taking a deep breath, Jim closed his eyes and reached out with his senses. The chaos mana was overwhelming, a storm of emotions and possibilities that threatened to tear him apart. But as he let go of his fear, he began to sense something deeper—a rhythm, a pattern hidden within the chaos.

Slowly, cautiously, Jim allowed the mana to flow into him. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced—wild and untamed, but also alive with potential. It filled him with a surge of power and clarity, and for a brief moment, he felt as though he could see the threads of the universe itself.

But just as quickly as it came, the energy turned volatile. Jim cried out as the mana surged out of control, threatening to consume him.

“Enough!” Jenkins shouted, slamming his hand onto the ground. The containment field reactivated, and the chaos mana was drawn back into the symbols, leaving the clearing silent once more.

Jim collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. His body ached, and his mind was reeling, but he felt… different.

Jenkins crouched beside him, a satisfied grin on his face. “Not bad for a first try. You didn’t explode, so I’d call that a win.”

Jim glared at him. “You could’ve warned me.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Jenkins replied, clapping him on the shoulder. “You’ve got potential, kid. But chaos mana isn’t something you master overnight. It’s going to take time, effort, and a lot more near-death experiences. Lucky for you, I’ve got nothing better to do.”

“Would you care for a spin Adam?”

Adam wasn’t sure but Jenkins didn’t care enough about his feelings to stop as he hadn’t had anyone to talk to in centuries.

As Jenkins unleashed the chaos mana within the symbol the mana shook violently as if it was a raging torrent, than a tornado. There was no method to the shape of chaos mana which was why it was tricky. The chaotic mana seems to influcence the surrounding environment which normal mana did not exhibit.

Adam was thrilled as he jumped head in first. At first glance, it looked like Adam was moving like he was riding a bull, however, you could tell he was enjoying the ride as he was smiling and laughing the whole time.

Jenkins eyebrow widened as if he saw a rare gem. After a couple of minutes, Jenkins slammed the mana symbols on the ground. “This kid has a natural affinity for chaos mana. Only a handful of people in the world can survive more than a minute with the chaos mana. This Adam punk isn’t half bad.

Jim and Adam groaned, but a small smile tugged at his lips. He didn’t know where this new path would lead, but one thing was certain—his journey had just become a lot more unpredictable.

“Well looks like ill be busy for a couple more centuries” as the Jenkins grinned.