Zed was happy to see the others—mostly Oliver and Ash. In fact, he’d assumed meeting them would’ve been full of joy and some level of celebration. Well, he had expected at least a little bit of that. And if that wasn’t the case, at least Oliver would’ve been exceedingly happy.
Unfortunately, while there was happiness, it was difficult to dwell on. So while the others stood around him with words and mixed emotions, he struggled with pain. A pain that had no intentions of leaving him.
Cycling his mana had long become pointless since the mana in his core wasn’t obeying him again and no notification had come up to inform him of the reason for this.
So he stared up while pain whispered bitter nonsense into his body. He tried his best to strike some kind of conversation so that he could distract himself from the pain and injury in his side that wasn’t healing.
When Ash and Oliver had gone the extra mile to point it out, an illogical part of him wondered if they were—maybe in some confused way—stupid. He had a healing attribute so did they really think he had no idea that he wasn’t healing.
Somewhere in the depths of his mind where the pain was yet to consume, he knew they meant well. And considering he was the one trying and failing to make conversation, he wasn’t one to be questioning the validity of anyone’s mental state.
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Quest: [Advance]
You have been saddled with the gift of mana. Your core is full and growth stands on the horizon. Trigger your advancement and rise to the next category. Only then can you grow.
* Objective: Advance to category two.
* Reward: [Category two].
* Bonus objective: Don’t damage your [Mana core] 0/1.
* Reward: None.
* You have 1 pending Quest.
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Yea, yea, Zed thought as the notification came alive. At this rate damaging my core is the least of my worries.
For some reason, Ash chose to touch the injury in his side, the one he’d gotten from the broken bison. He would’ve scowled at her if he had the will or at least glared if pain allowed him turn his head. Instead, he remained silent as he battled the pain that threatened to rip his core in two.
“I can fix that, if you’d like,” someone said.
Zed heard the voice, and it sounded wrong. It was like gravels scraping or a particularly quiet tunnel crumbling. It was not what a person was supposed to sound like and a part of him wished he could put a face to the voice.
There was a moment of silence before the voice spoke again.
“What? I know a thing or two about healing magic.”
“Healing magic or life magic?” someone asked, his voice came out as if from a speaker turned down to acceptable settings.
“Does it matter?” falling tunnel voice asked. No answer came, and it added: “So what do you guys say?”
It was a nice offer, but Zed already knew the solution to his problem. He had overfed and he needed to either throw up, which he couldn’t, or suddenly digest his food, which he could. With a mental command, he called up another notification.
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* Maximum Exp per category limit met, further Exp gain may lead to [Mana core] damage. Advancement advised.
* You have 1 pending advancement.
* Would you like to advance?
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Staring at the notification, Zed said, “Counter offer.”
He felt eyes turn back on him.
“Regale me,” Falling tunnel voice said.
“How good are you guys at fighting monsters?”
“Why?” Chris asked, suspicious. “What did you do, Bloodbath?”
The name brought a wave of nostalgia to Zed, some of it good and most of it bad. He couldn’t help the impish grin that stretched his lips.
“Nothing yet,” he said to her, then to the gravelly voice he added: “So are you?”
“Yes,” a different voice answered.
Works for me, Zed thought but said, “Good.”
He stared at the notification once more.
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* Would you like to advance?
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Why not? He thought, then gave a mental consent.
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* Advancement in progress.
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Considering his current state, Zed expected pain to accompany it and braced himself for it. It took him a moment to realize that nothing came. Instead, the pain reduced, alleviated as if he’d been put on a sudden morphine drip. It bled from him, trickling away like a plastic bag of water with a slight hole, and he sighed in relief.
Mana coursed through him, expelling from his core to fill his body. The once disobedient mana in his core fell back to subservience and he felt it turn, cycling to his will.
Zed felt the mana that flooded him go to work.
It healed broken bones he was now realizing were broken and the hole in his side stitched itself back together even if very slowly. He felt it the way a person feels their muscles relax during an exceptional massage and let it take its course.
Someone screamed near him and he ignored it.
He felt the strain on his mana core settle, then felt his core tighten. Instinct told him that whatever strain he’d put on it was mending.
It gladdened him.
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* You have advanced.
* You are now [Beta Rank] (Category two).
* 4 Aptitude points added to all base Aptitudes.
* You have received 5 Aptitude points.
----------------------------------------
Well, that was… anti-climactic.
Zed remained on the grass. The process was done and his body was back under his control. He felt freer than he’d ever been. But the grass was also soft and he wasn’t ready to get up.
He took the moment to bask in his relief despite the eyes on him before finally getting up.
Movement came easily. So easily that he realized it had been a while since he’d done anything without any level of strain. It felt like ages since he’d been in top shape and the memory felt like something from a distant past, a time on the edge of remembrance.
On his feet, he ignored those around him, pulling up his personal information.
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Melchizedek Nyborn
* Specie: Human (Mana blessed).
* Category: 2/3.
* Rank: Beta (category 2).
* Exp to category 3: 2512/3400.
Skills
* [Bloodwrath (Mana, blood)].
* [Bloodlust (Aura)].
* [Force (Rune)].
* [Force shield (Rune)].
Titles
* None.
Attributes
* [Equilibrium] (Physical, mana).
* [Regeneration] (Physical, mana).
* [Hypersensitivity] (Physical, mana).
* [Bone density] (Physical)
Affiliations
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
* None.
Aptitude
* Strength: 47.
* Agility: 36.
* Speed: 32.
* Mana: 73.
* Will: 29(-5).
* You have 5 Unallocated [Aptitude points]
* [Aptitude points] will be gained at each category.
* You will gain 5 [Aptitude points] on advancement to next category.
* You have a pending Quest.
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Zed read the notification with a wide smile. His aptitudes had taken a drastic rise, and while he knew he’d only gained four in each aptitude, having the extra numbers finally merged with the base aptitudes made it look like he’d gained more than just four points in each one.
Another noticeable difference was in the power coursing through him. It filled him to the point he felt overflowing with it. He felt strong enough to pick the world up and bring it down on its side. In this state he wouldn’t lose a battle. He could even beat Ivan.
Alright, let’s slow it down. Maybe not Ivan.
Zed looked down at his fist, opening and closing it, testing his grip. It obeyed him, happening almost faster than he could send the command. He’d felt powerful before, but his control over it and his body had been choppy, as if he was constantly tapping from a reserve that didn’t belong to him. He’d been strong but the strength hadn’t felt like it had been his.
Now, however…
He clenched his hand in a tight fist and walked up to the nearest tree, walking past those around him. He stood before the tree and punched it, channeling all his brimming strength into the blow.
His fist met the tree in a loud boom, carried by an unwavering force.
Zed stood quietly as everyone around watched him and waited.
“Do you know what we call that?” a hollow voice asked. “We call it the hubris of advancing. You feel very powerful. Invincible, even. Until you realize you are not.”
Zed remained still, fist pressed against the surface of the tree.
The tree stood, unfazed.
“Need some help?” the same voice asked.
“Nah,” Chris laughed. “He’ll be fine. It happens all the time.”
“It does?” the voice asked, surprised.
“Yea,” Chris said. “Bloodbath’s kinda stupid.”
“Zed?” This time it was Oliver that spoke, and Zed’s lips pressed in a thin line.
He had gravely miscalculated. So now he stood as still as a mountain, fearful that any further movement would worsen his situation even as he felt a sliver of his mana leave his core. It channeled into his fist to heal bruises and broken bones.
Despite advancing, the process was slower than usual. Zed was beginning to worry until he remembered where he was.
Low mana density region, he scowled as the pain in his broken fist slithered away as it healed.
Once he felt he could move his hand comfortably again, he turned back to the others.
“How many of you knew that was going to happen?” he asked.
Only Chris raised her hand.
“And how many of you suspected something like that was going to happen?”
Everyone raised their hands except the large Olympian and Shanine who was trembling on the ground.
“And nobody thought to warn me?” Zed asked. “Yes, I’m looking at you Oliver.”
“In my defense—”
“You have no defense,” he said, cutting Oliver off as he shook his healed hand, testing it.
“Well, neither do I,” Chris said with a smirk. “I just knew I was going to enjoy it.”
“If it helps, I knew you were going to heal,” Ash said.
Zed shook his head, grumbling words that were unintelligible even to him as he walked back up to them.
Now that he had advanced and didn’t feel like he was dying, he could truly appreciate the company he was in.
The presence of the Olympians had been a momentary shock, but considering Chris wasn’t trying to kill them or run, Zed assumed they were safe. The others looked decent in simple clothes. Oliver carried his characteristic backpack while Jason’s rune-blaster hung at his back, carried from a strap he wore over his shoulder.
There were three other mages Zed didn’t recognize. In truth, he recognized one of them, he simply didn’t know who he was. The man was a mage with a hat and terrible skin care routine. He wore a wooly striped sweater despite the fact that mages did not feel the cold. Zed walked up to the man and held out his hand.
“It’s an honor to meet you Mr. Krueger,” he said, bowing at the waist. “I’m a big fan of your work.”
The mage shook Zed’s hand generously and respectfully.
“I see you’re a man of culture as well,” he said. “It’s always nice to meet a fan.”
Zed looked up at the mage and the mage looked down at him.
“What’s your name, man of culture?” the mage asked.
“Zed.”
“Well, Zed. I am called Big Man Desolate.”
Zed turned his gaze back to the ground.
“May I call you Big Man?” he asked with much dramatizing. “Long names stress me.”
“You may call me whatever you wish, man of culture.”
Big Man Desolate released Zed’s hand and Zed rose back to his full height.
“Freddy it is,” he said before turning and holding out a hand to Oliver. From the corner of his eye he could still see Shanine shaking. He intended to remedy that eventually.
Oliver stared at Zed’s outstretched hand and reached to shake it, confused.
Zed slapped his hand aside dramatically.
“I need something to eat not a handshake,” he said. “Why the hell will I want to shake your hand after what you’ve done?”
“Oh,” Oliver said, reaching behind him to remove his bag. “I’m not sure I carried anything edible with me, though.”
“I’ve got something.”
Zed turned away from Oliver who was still searching his bag to look at the Olympian that had spoken.
His armor was lean where his partner’s was bulky and a compartment opened from the thigh of his armor just beside a hand gun. He dipped his hand into it and brought out what looked like a protein bar then handed it to Zed.
Zed took it casually. “Thank you.”
He unwrapped the bar as he walked away from the Olympian freely and came to squat in front of a still shaking Shanine.
“I’m really sorry you had to go through that,” he said to her, then held up the snack. “I got this for you.”
She met his gaze with feigned assurance.
“I-I’ll b-be fine,” she stuttered, her trembling affecting her speech.
Zed nodded in understanding.
“How long do you think you need?” he asked.
“J-just a f-few,” she said.
“Ayt. We’ll see if we can buy you some time.”
He offered her the now unwrapped snack, a bar of deep brown chocolate, and she took it from him with trembling hands.
When he came back to his feet, the Olympians were looking off in one direction. Jason, too.
“How many?” Zed asked them, suspecting he knew what had their attention.
“Just three,” the smaller of the two Olympians said. “For now.”
“Four,” Jason corrected.
The larger Olympian’s faceless head turned to Jason.
“Six,” it said. “You missed the two coming from the south.”
Zed shook his head with a sigh as a new notification popped up in front of him.
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New Quest: [This is not a Safe Zone 2]
A sudden eruption of mana activity has been detected from this part of the woods. All creatures with mana sensitivity are drawn to this location. Find a way out before it is too late.
* Objective: Survive the incoming mana beasts.
* Reward: 35 Exp.
* You have 1 pending quest objective.
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“And there it is,” he sighed. “Great. Just great. You’ve just been itching to hit me with that one for a while now, haven’t you.”
He turned away from the notification, dismissing it with a mental shrug.
“Do you think we have time for a change of clothes?” he asked the bulky Olympian, looking up to meet its head.
The Olympian turned its head off to the distance, took a beat as long as a second or two before turning back to him.
“Yes,” it said.
Zed gave it his most grateful smile. “Good.”
He turned to Oliver and held out a hand. “I need clothes, Ollie.”
Oliver sighed but rummaged through his bag, extracting a pair of pants and a shirt.
Zed snatched it from his hand with a kind thanks and made his way out of sight behind a tree close to them.
“You got any boots in there?” Kid asked Oliver, peering into the bag.
Oliver held up a pair of boots then slipped them back into the bag.
“Why didn’t you give him?” Kid asked.
“Because he doesn’t like shoes,” Oliver answered.
“Why?”
“Because I’ve got feet claustrophobia,” Zed said, stepping out from behind the tree. He was dressed in a simple white shirt and green combat pants. “And before you ask or look flabbergasted, because I can see your face behind that tin foil you call an armor, it’s actually a thing. I had a medical card and all that but I lost it during the battle at the china wall.”
Kid turned to Daniel, confused. “There was a battle at the china wall?”
“No,” Daniel answered blandly. “I’m pretty sure he’s saying nonsense.”
“Correct,” Zed said. “But only half. The part about the china wall is nonsense. The feet claustrophobia isn’t, though.” He wiggled his toes as if to emphasize his point. “So, what do I call you guys?”
Kid pointed at himself. “Kid,” he said, then pointed at his partner. “Daniel.”
“Kid and Daniel,” Zed said, repeating the names, before turning to a mage in a pink shirt and another in a green shirt. “And the two extras?”
“Hillary and Jim.”
Zed nodded once while Hillary and Jim frowned. It seemed they didn’t like being called extras.
Then Zed turned to Oliver for more important matters, satisfied to find Shanine taking small bites of her chocolate bar at the edge of his periphery.
“Just out of curiosity,” he said to Oliver. “Do you have any clothes for let’s say…” he looked at Shanine, gauging her size. She was small, somewhere between five feet and two inches and five feet and five inches, and he needed something that wouldn’t hinder her when she moved. “Yes. Do you have something you packed for Ash by any chance?”
Oliver shook his head as he zipped his bag up and wore it over his shoulder.
“Alright,” Zed said. “Second curiosity. Why the hell would you go into a forest you knew would have monsters and pack a white shirt?” he held the hem of his shirt, stretching it. “I mean you could’ve gone for black or green or red or practically any other color but white. Also,” he continued more gently, slipping into a conspiratorial whisper, “why are you guys here?”
“We’re here for the mana surge,” Chris said practically out of nowhere, walking up to Zed with a smirk he did not like. “You said this was where you woke up, didn’t you?”
Zed gulped visibly. He had known this conversation was inevitable but had prayed it could be avoided. Sadly, not all prayers went answered.
“Did I?” he said, shifty. “I could’ve sworn I said I’m from Ohio.”
“Good for you. But Ohio isn’t going to save you now.” She stopped in front of him and took him by the shirt.
Her next words were simple yet menacing.
“Where’s the surge, Bloodbath?”