Seated in the comfy seat of the study, Sam held up the sealed diary he kept hidden away.
It glowed brighter than the rest of the room.
There was a slight difference in the form the mana took as well. Where as the energy that flowed through the rest of the mansion was something of a calm ocean -vast but harmonious- the book's mana coiled around itself, a invisible safeguard for any unable to perceive mana and an unbreakable lock for those who couldn’t control it.
What especially stood out to him was the fact that it neither gained nor lost energy. In his hands was a perfect example of an isolated system. So long as no outside force interfered, the lock would be forever sustained, it’s contents never to be revealed.
The glow wavered then flickered out of existence.
Sam laid down the diary and nursed his eyes.
Exhaustion was nothing new to him even before this mess. During his younger days he had temporarily abandoned the orphanage he grew up in and hit the streets alongside a friend in a bid to carve out their own life -a naïve bit of foolishness that never amounted to much- so he knew what it was like to run with little to no sleep back to back. Later on, as a college student, through the power of proper time management he avoided the all-nighters his classmates bemoaned.
The exhaustion that weighed upon him was a sort of cross between physical and mental. A pressure gripped his eyes and head, painless but difficult to ignore. As for his mind, it felt as thought every conscious thought had to fight its way through a viscous liquid to be considered while images of sleep, among other distractions, screamed for him, effortless stealing his attention.
How long had he been practicing mana sense?
He opened his eyes.
Golden symbol filled eyes awaited him.
“Are you aware that your eyes glow when you meditate?” Hecate asked.
Meditate? He hadn’t given in much thought but that was a rather accurate comparison. Attunement -as the book dubbed it- required a sort of distant awareness. Detached from thought but still aware enough to actively seek out mana. Meditation wasn’t something Sam had much experience with but he imagined that sort of detachment was reminiscent of what those who practiced it strived for when they wished to reach the end of thought.
To Sam it felt no different than when he found his stride during a long study session. Conscious and unconscious thought alike melted away as he became immersed in his work.
“No.” He answered, tone kept even. It’d be preferable if she only showed up when she had something useful to share but telling her that? Well, he wasn’t willing to take the risk. If nothing else, the idle comments and suggestions weren’t completely worthless.
Now he knew not to practice sensing mana around others. Not that he ever considered it. He wouldn’t dare muddy his awareness around anyone unless absolutely necessary.
“I quite like it. You typically look rather bland.” He grunted in response. Hecate pouted. “Very few mortals receive the opportunity to speak one on one with a deity. A measure of reverence would be appropriate.”
A slight exhale left his nose. Revere the thing wishing for his death? What a stupid joke.
“Yes, I suppose it wouldn’t be sincere coming from you given the circumstances.” She floated back, until she was centered in front of the desk. “I really do want nothing more than to be of assistance to you. There is no need for animosity between us despite deferring perspectives.”
“Speaking of which, I recommend sleeping in today. Your mortal need for sleep shouldn’t be underestimated.” In the blink of an eye Hecate switched to a chiding motherly tone as if it were perfectly natural.
After last night’s little party he had holed up here. Aside from working out with Ivan and aura training with Mai, he did the same for the past few days, meals skipped and arduous hours spent acquainting himself with mana. He could now perceive the energy for an uninterrupted eight seconds. Not the massive leap forward he hoped for but progress all the same.
He stood up and pushed opened the windows, the magical night sky disappearing to reveal the front of the mansion. The sun had only just begun to rise, its rays just barely reaching over the dense forest that surrounded them to beat back the invasive darkness.
Ivan would be expecting him.
He closed the window, scooped up the diary and book to hide away in his room, and left the study.
“You’ll regret this, little one.” Hecate said, trailing behind him.
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「Endurance Rank UP」
「Description: Your stamina and resilience have risen above the humans of your home world. Forge onward and chase new heights.」
Sam grabbed the hem of his shirt and wiped away the sweat dripping down his face. Lessening but still very much present distrust of these windows aside, it would be lie to say he didn’t feel a sense of accomplishment at the sudden alert.
《 Personal ID 》
Designation: Sam
Origin: Pure Human
Sex: Male
Age: 21
Alignment: Neutral
Titles: Lone Observer, Desperate Survivor, Second Fiddle, Phantom Estate’s Owner
Core Attributes: [Strength: D] [Agility: D] [Endurance: C] [Perception: C] [Charisma: D] [Intelligence: B] [Luck: E]
Inherent Attributes: [Aura: B]
Divinity Points: 3
Traits: Level-headed, Sharp Senses, Trashy Swordsmanship, Unstable Mana Sense
Inherent Traits: Armaments of the Soul
Strength and agility shouldn’t be far behind so long as he kept up his training. He hadn’t received any alerts about his perception, charisma, luck, or intelligence so there was no telling if those were things he could intentionally train. He'd look into them -perhaps even question Hecate- but for now it’d be best to focus on what he knew he could affect.
“Leveled up captain?” Ivan questioned across from, in the middle of some cool down stretches, hair and face drenched in sweat.
The man was something else.
Whether it be running circles around the improved wooden defenses that separated the mansion from the forest or push-ups, Ivan has taken the intensity of his workouts to a superhuman level. One of the many effects of attributes points. His skin was tougher than normal, all the drinking the few nights back left the man with a headache so minor he still outpaced Sam during their morning workouts, and it took a long while for any signs of exhaustion to show up.
Sam hummed.
He had little issue with lying but he avoided it where possible. Every lie represented a loose end. Another thing to keep track of. It was far easier to let others make their assumptions and go along with whatever conclusion they came to. At the end of the day it was still a form of deception but it gave him wiggle room should it ever become necessary to reveal anything.
“You’re lucky. Me and Sasha haven’t been able to gain any levels recently.”
“You’re not getting any experience points?” Sam questioned, windows of information banished in favor of focusing on Ivan.
“Not exactly. We just need more and the amount we get has gone down. I won’t even get one point from these workouts unless I keep at it for a few hours.” Ivan explained.
“Naturally.” Hecate appeared beside Ivan, floating just high enough that the dancing blades of grass weren’t able to touch her or the fluttery white dress she wore. “Few deities are so generous that they would continue to offer power for mundane accomplishments. It is far too early to tell the stars from duds after all.”
That was bad news. Truly bad news. For the group at least.
As petty and selfish as it was, Sam couldn’t help the blooming relief within. Though their overall fighting power would take a hit, if the growth of others slowed that meant he wouldn’t fall behind as quickly as he feared.
He had time.
Sam nursed his head and closed his eyes, the pangs of exhaustion more prominent than ever. The heat within rose up. The pain vanished. As his aura settled back down, it grew hotter. Stronger even.
Odd.
“Don’t push yourself too hard now, captain. You got a long way to go before you graduate from being a little string bean.” Ivan said, patting Sam’s shoulder as he passed, headed back towards the mansion.
Maybe forgoing a night of mana training wouldn’t be so bad.
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Sam tossed a ball of crimson flames at Mai.
He called it a ball but it was small and weak, not even the size of baseball and already beginning to fizzle out before ever teaching the intended target. Mai’s swift dash towards him didn’t slow. All it took was a slight shift of the wind before it made contact and the pathetic excuse of an attack dispersed into vanishing embers.
He backpedaled and tossed out more of the flames.
The speed at which he called them forth he certainly increased but their power was lacking. An oddity for him. Usually he had trouble subduing the blazes not bringing them to life.
He tried to toss one more but Mai finally reached him, forcing his hand closed with hers, the ball snuffed out. A fist the gut sent the air rushing out of his lungs. Mai released his hand, allowing him to stumble back, taking breathless gasps.
He hated fighting her. Any progress he made felt insignificant compared to the strength she wielded.
It took some time but Sam managed to find the air his lungs desperately screamed for and ready himself once more.
He still endured her training without complaint.
“Your aura is different.” Mai, surprisingly enough, spoke up instead of rushing him. She rarely spoke despite their numerous training sessions. “Potent.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“No.”
A breeze swept past.
Sam shifted suddenly aware of dry his mouth was. He gulped. Then the gasping started.
He couldn’t breath.
His hands shot up to his throat but he found nothing wrong or out of place. He felt find just a moment ago, so why-
More wind gathered, swirling together until a mini greenish tornado formed around him.
“Don’t struggle.” Mai said, face blank. “It’ll only make things worse.”
Sam instinctively reached for his aura. That proved fruitless. The winds strengthened and he somehow ended up on his hands and knees. His vision blurred, the room no more than ripples of color. A painful pressure swelled around his skull. Wretched gasps left his throat raw.
He could do nothing. Not against her.
‘NO!’
He couldn’t accept this. His life was his own, not something to taken away according to another’s whims. No one had any right to what was his.
His body got hotter. Hotter. And even hotter still. It felt as though his insides were being melted away.
Then a furious orange burned everything away.