Power.

There’s any number of sources from which power can be derived. On Earth, in nature, there’s muscular strength, size, chemical advantages from poison to adrenaline, and so many other things that can give one animal advantage over another. One plant that can grow taller to steal the light from above others, the list is endless.

Even the ability to survive in extreme environments can be considered powerful, in that it grants a meaningful advantage over others.

For human civilisation power is mainly derived from two important factors, numbers and technology. Having more people, means more farms, more food, more smiths, more weapons, more soldiers. The better these people can work together the more that number means something. A well-coordinated group of a thousand can still be more powerful than a group of ten thousand that hardly work together at all.

Technology can also give an advantage, as seen by the rifle and cannon that allowed more powerful nations to seize what they wanted from colonized lands that couldn’t fight back. Or at the very least, they couldn’t hope to win when they tried to fight back. There’s also other elements, faster, larger ships to move people and goods quickly, farming tools to make farms more efficient, smooth roads for faster travel, communication tools to allow wide spread people to coordinate more effectively.

A thousand different tools that can increase the national power of a country.

Out here in the greater universe the relationships change yet again from everything I’m familiar with. Mana and magic alter the power dynamic, in some ways quite simply, yet there are still more complicated relationships and power dynamics that I’ve yet to figure out.

That said, like how a nuclear intercontinental missile is more powerful than a club, a crystalised mana form is more powerful than a gaseous mana form. Liquid state falls in the wide gap between, and my goal is to get as much power from that liquid state change as I can.

“You’re not pushing yourself too hard?” Nel asks, resting a hand on my arm.

“I’m fine.” I reply with an easy smile. Having these girls around me steadies me, keeps my mind from slipping into distracting thoughts.

I’m going to protect them, but to protect them, I need real power.

We’re all together sitting around in the room that Nel prepared for us in the ruins. I relax on the soft couch, breathing slow and meditating as I analyse my inner world.

Breaking through to a proper liquid stage has been my short-term goal, something to take me from a club to a rifle. The simple increase in mana capacity would be enough on its own to give us a means of ending our war in the dungeon.

It’s a little frightening to realize how much a single person can do to an army in this world, especially knowing how far I am from standing at the peak of reality.

Using every technique that I’ve developed for the purpose and directing every one of my split minds to the task, I flood my flesh with mana, adapting to it. It’s nearly done, nearly over.

I’m nearly there…

As I watch, the last of the numbers ticks up to 100% and the mana flows through my flesh as easy as it does my soul. The leaks are repaired as everything just feels right. My mana form, my soul, and my flesh bound together closer than before.

Then again, I can’t describe half of what that really means, just that everything is a little bit clearer. My skin and flesh feels a little bit more mine, and my mana flows a little bit more smoothly.

I’ve been waiting for this moment and expecting a massive change, but somehow this feels better than some euphoric rush of power. Like my feet have found the ground, like I’ve woken up from a daze. The ringing in my ears that I never knew was there clears away, and the slight fog over my eyes disappears.

Letting out a long breath, I let my mana flow out through familiar patterns. The mana flows easier, smoother; it’s still gaseous but for the liquid shards, which is the next thing I’ll need to solve.

“Time for a stress test.” I mumble, whirling up my mana into a viscous storm, swirling it around in maddened patterns just to see how much it takes to make it leak.

Yet, even as I push the flow into denser and more rapid flows, it doesn’t break out from my body. My flesh itself seems to hold it on course, pulling at the mana flows and guiding them to stay on course.

Only when I force the flows to their very limits does a little mana escape from my grasp, burning out into the air.

“Not bad.” I say.

“Kyra?” Nel asks at my side.

“I’m testing out a few things.” I say. “I think, I’ve finally broken through.”

I pull more mana out from the crystal battery in my lap, I let the mana process as I stretch my new mana flows. This should be enough.

I add more and more mana from the battery into my mana form, but it only condenses the mana inside the shards inside me. The liquid core shards growing denser and denser where the rest of my mana form remains in a gaseous state.

Finally, the shards refuse to get any more dense, inflating a little until that too stops, and my mana is measured at 8,000 units.

So this is what my mana form teacher was worried about…

Breathing out a long sigh, I try to press on further, but I can’t squeeze any more. The next step would be crystalising my core shards, but that’s just assuming that I can’t fix my current imperfect state.

8,000 is a massive boost, but if this is going to be my new limit before I break into crystallisation, then it’s not nearly enough.

I can do better.

I have to do better.

Storing the mana back into the batteries laid out around me, I reduce my mana all the way back to 900. The shards disappear as my mana returns to a uniform weakened state.

It almost feels strange.

I don’t usually experience this state unless I’m transitioning between empty and full, so it makes me a little bit anxious.

Slowly, I draw in more mana, pushing up to the 1,000 point mark where the mana state transition occurs. On the precipice, at 999 I feel the core shards struggling to form from the mana inside me, but that’s not what I’m looking for.

Dispersing the mana that gathers to form the shards, I push onwards, spreading it all out as much as I can.

It’s like a game of whack-a-mole, dispersing the shards, while drawing in ever more mana.

Finally, a cool energy flows through my veins, and my mana form grows more dense, more real, more grounded.

I let the energy rush around inside in new forms and shapes, but a frustrating new problem rises to my attention.

The shards are still forming.

I disperse them, but they keep coming back… No, I think that I’m still making them. I’ve grown used to the shards and like a bad habit, I’m instinctively reforging them when I have the chance.

Slowing my breathing, I force a new Skill into existence and set my new mana form as it currently is. No shards, the ‘real’ mana spread evenly throughout my body, while the ‘active’ mana swirls under my control. With some effort I get the Skill working to counter my bad habits, evening out my mana form.

Focusing on gathering more mana again, I start drawing from the batteries, absorbing more and more as the whirlwind of blades rages through me, cutting me apart until I get it under my control. The pure liquid energy filling me grows heavier and heavier as I add more and more to the vessel of my body.

After a time, I have to contend with leaks again as even my newly forged mana suitable flesh, isn’t enough to handle the density of mana running through me. Using my most well-practiced, stable cycles, I push my limits.

We’ve spent a little time gathering as much mana as we can and storing it in the crystal batteries that we’ve put together, and it isn’t a small pile that we’ve gathered.

It’s not until I’ve drained the very last battery that I reach my limit.

52,798.

“Well, that’s… something.” I mutter, struggling to keep the flow fully contained. The only reason I can handle it at all is because I’ve been struggling to stress my mana form as much as I can all this time, so maintaining this much mana in a stable cycle is… manageable.

From what I’ve studied, the next step beyond getting used to this much liquid mana, is transitioning into the crystal stage, which has multiple stages of its own.

Unlike liquids and gasses, the crystalised mana can’t be pressured into a denser state. It has to be structured into one of three different crystal formations, the first around 60,000 units mana density, the next just shy of 80,000, and the final at nearly 100,000.

I’ll have to ask about that in my next class, but for now I’ll need to get used to what I have. It’s more than enough for the near future, especially since I can’t fully control it.

To say that I’ve powered up is an understatement, but at the same time it’s just more pure muscle behind my magic and my punches. I can’t even properly form mana shields with my mana this high, and my magic hasn’t become any better constructed, just more powerful.

I’m going to have to get used to this new power and continue developing my Skills and magic so that I can actually use this new mana as best as I can.

I’ve swapped out my club for a war hammer, now I have to figure out how best to use it.

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“Ah, Kyra?” Eshya asks, touching my arm before rapidly pulling back and shaking it out. “What did you just do?”

Nel has already moved herself clear of me, but they all turn their attention towards me.

“I’m liquid stage now.” I say. “Properly liquid stage, not the halfway I was at before.”

“You jumped right to the end of it, by how it feels to touch you.” Eshya grumbles, looking me over. “Seriously, did you skip all the way to crystal stage?”

“Not yet.” I reply, smiling as I look over the new numbers.

52,978 units.

I have to check it twice.

It’s… so much more than I’ve ever had before. Power, real, undeniable power.

It’s a measurement of density rather than volume, so it’s not the most accurate measure of my current power. I’ll have to look into having my measurement system changed as now that I’m properly liquid stage, and the peak of it at that, the mana density isn’t nearly as important anymore compared to the volume.

Perhaps a percentage measure for the density, while a numerical measure for volume of power? I’ll look into updating my systems.

“I think I’m almost ready to deal with Loekan.” I say, leaning back in the chair, feeling it crack when I put my weight into it.

I sit up quickly, but the damage is already done.

“You’ll have to get better control of that.” Eshya says, “I don’t think I want to end up like that chair, even if we have a healer to fix us up. I mean, even touching you feels like I’m running my hand over a dozen red-hot blades. The mana friction is… overwhelming.”

The implications are clear, and rather upsetting.

“That swimming Skill helped to repress the symptoms of having too strong of a mana form.” I say quickly. “I can adapt that, or I can just store the mana back into the batteries.”

Eshya nods happily, smirking playfully.

“No need to panic.” She says, “I’ll have that much mana soon enough, and unlike you I can’t just throw it all into a bunch of crystals.”

“Ugh.” Vii shivers after touching me, glancing towards Eshya. “I’ll catch up too.”

“Don’t want to live a life without my touch?” Eshya asks, with a bright smile.

“I’d rather not.” Nel says, sighing as she looks down over her notes. “I’ll focus my own efforts as well. The tensions that can rise because of something like that could cause issues for our relationship. I don’t want that, so we’ll all develop our mana forms properly.

“Thresh is still working to get mana potions that can expand our mana pools rather than just refilling them to what they were.” Nel says, pulling out a few notes. “It’s not a perfect solution, but it will help us.”

“You mean growth without all this pain?” Eshya asks, leaning forwards eagerly, “Yes please.”

“Then we’ll need to supply her with the needed parts.” Nel says, “Hopefully that’ll be easier after the war.”

“A good reason to get hunting.” Eshya says, leaning close, her eyes shining.

While she hasn’t made quite the same jump as I have, she has been progressing rather quickly. She’s moved up to 1500 units of mana density, and she’s developed a few Skills and techniques that should give her the edge in a battle.

Vii proudly sits across from us, her own jump into the liquid stage a troublesome thing for her, but she did make it.

“How is the liquid mana stage for you?” I ask Vii, as she flutters happily, stirring the wind around her.

“It’s good. Powerful.” She says, smiling brightly. “The wind is so much easier to grasp. It wants to move; it wants to be given direction and power.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Eshya asks with a laugh.

“My talent is stronger.” Vii says cheerfully. “I can use even more powerful wind magic. It doesn’t make up for my other magic, the time stuff, I still can’t use it well, but it is so nice to feel the wind like this. Swirling around like it’s hugging me.”

Well, that sounds good at least. Nel hasn’t progressed as far, but that’s no surprise, she’s not a fighter, she’s taking things slowly and carefully.

Adler has been trying to improve as well, but there’s only so much she can do. Her magic is already well refined, and her mana form is already into the thousands.

I take a deep breath and reach out through my ‘eyes of an empire’ Skill, looking at the world through everyone around me. I see through Rudolf’s eyes as he looks over some messages in his mind, things that I can’t actually see, funnily enough. Through the eyes of Korgan and Arn as they train the wide room where we beat those metal crabs once upon a time. Red is still making war in the dungeon, and Lakesh ordering around the soldiers defending our base.

They’re too far spread out for my Skill to tape them together as it’s meant to, but I do have some idea of the space between them. The vast dark gulf of the unknown between us and Red is more than I can manage to fix.

“I think that we’re ready to end this war.” I say, letting the energy flow through me in raging torrents. Enough to make my last attempts at killing Loekan seem a joke.

Power enough to unmake a city. To undo the mistake of Loekan’s birth and erase everything he’s created. To spare only enough of his rotten flesh to parade around before his surviving armies, before they too suffer the same.

I shake the thought loose, but the warm feeling remains in my corrupted heart. I’ll be more powerful than him. More powerful than anyone in that cavern but Arduelle and Frey.

“I’m as ready as I can be.” I say, “Without wasting more time than we can spare.”

“I hate to disagree…” Eshya says, “But you emptied out all those batteries. Do you have anything spare?”

“Ah…” I pause, looking at the tall pile of crystals that I’ve emptied. It took so much time and effort to fill them, and now…

A war can’t be fought without a good stockpile of ammunition. Even with this new power I’m not sure that I can end this war in a single strike, or more accurately, I’m not sure Loekan is going to let me. If he could just hand himself over so I can kill him it’d be easy, but that’ll never happen.

“We’d best get to hunting, then.” I say, standing up. “You girls ready to go with me?”

“Sure.” Eshya shrugs. “I could use some time to practice my new Skills.”

“I’ll go.” Vii cheerily hops up from her chair and comes over to join us.

“I’ll stay. I have to think about a few things.” Adler shakes her head, remaining in her seat while Nel focuses on some paperwork at the same table.

“I’ll prepare everything for the war. It’ll be before the weeks end?” Nel asks.

“Before we have to leave for our class activities.” I say. “I can’t risk Loekan attacking while I’m away. Red might be able to repel him, but she might not. We get this finished now and we can finally take some time for ourselves after it’s done.”

“You can finally focus on your schoolwork again.” Nel says with a smile. “Not to mention we need some proper time get to know one another. None of us have had proper dates in so long.”

“Yes, we’ll have free time enough for everything.” I promise with a smile. Imagining that peace that we’re fighting for. I have to ensure that we get it. It’d be too easy to find some new cause, some new enemy, but for now, we don’t have the time or energy for anymore conflicts.

“Enjoy yourselves, and don’t get hurt.” Nel says, waving us away. “I’ll inform everyone of your developments and have the meeting prepared.”

“Thank you.” I say, leaving to meet up with Luke. His oily form nearly invisible in the darkness. His own mana form is mid-liquid and quite powerful.

“Do you need anything from me?” He asks, his form changed into something slightly different from my own reflection. I don’t really care if he imitates me, it’s nothing but a mask that he’s wearing and at least I know he has good taste.

“I’m hunting for mana.” I say, waving out into the tunnels, “If you could scout for us, I’d be grateful.”

“I can do that.” He says happily.

He’s surprisingly easy to get along with, initially it worried me, as I thought he might be trying to earn our trust just to stab us in the back. He hasn’t yet, and I don’t think that he will.

Beyond simply being grateful to me for saving him from the parasitic fire, I think he’s lonely.

I guess when you look like a monster, most people will go straight for the kill. I mean I sure did. So, it must get a little lonely out there.

He still has an issue with light and fire, but these ruins are mostly dark. He’s been staying around here helping out with little things that need doing, keeping us company, and keeping dangerous beasts away.

Together, we hunt through the ruins, guided by Luke who ‘sees’ with more senses than I can properly borrow from him. The monsters here aren’t as frightful as in the dungeon for the most part, and they have much less mana in them, but it is enough.

We hunt the weaker beasts until I’ve filled up every storage crystal I have on hand. Eshya killing most with a single thrust of her sword, giving Vii a chance now and then to experiment with her newly empowered wind magic.

“You should try making a wind spear.” Eshya says, “Like my sword thrust, focus all the mana into a single point and it does so much more damage.”

“Wind doesn’t work like that.” Vii grumps. “It doesn’t want to form a point, it wants to spread out and fill up an area. It’s a pain to even make a blade from it.”

“What about spinning it around on the same point?” Eshya suggests, “A really small tornado, forming a point at the end?”

They discuss the possibilities while we make our return, the mana crystals filled. A few lucky kills got the work done sooner than I was expecting.

“Welcome back.” Nel says upon our return, Adler nods and says her own quiet welcome, twitching nervously for some reason. The two are still working on their own things.

“Thresh has done what she can to prepare us with a stockpile of potions. Healing, mana, and antidotes, mostly.” Nel says getting right into the details, looking over a report. “The weapons we’ve gotten from the rebels have helped us to fully arm our forces, alongside the rifles that are still being put to good use.

“The machine guns have been a ‘great success’ and our testers have taken to them with significant enthusiasm. With the help of a few of our community from the dungeon, we’ve managed to create a small stockpile of bullets. Enough to supply a few of the weapons, but that’s all.

“Our warriors have gotten used to battle, and seem happy at the prospect of an end to the war.” Nel says. “You spoke with them?”

“Some messages,” I admit. I haven’t been able to go visit the soldiers as I’d like to. The battles are still a mess, and we’re still trying to hide my presence from Loekan, so I can’t be too brazen. I’ve resorted to using the messaging system to provide them with a little positive propaganda.

‘The war will be over soon.’

‘What do you want to be after the war?’

Yada, yada, and so on. I spare half a mind to chat with those who are interested in talking about it. Most don’t want to be warriors for life, they’re crafters, or builders, not killers.

I don’t lie to them, I’m going to try and put this fighting to an end, but even so there’ll still be dangerous beasts around. We’ll still need to hunt for food. We’ll still need eyes on the walls, watching for threats.

But for today, we have a war to think about.

“I hear that you’re ready to fight?” Red asks.

“My mana is at 52,000 units.” I gloat. “If someone can point at Loekan, I’ll ash him.”

“Then, let’s talk details.” Red replies. “Never thought you’d become such a tactical grade weapon before. Good for you, you’re now powerful enough to deserve respect. Now let’s see if you can actually put it to use.”

I’m feeling good, the mana burns inside me, wanting to burst out. Looking at the numbers alone I’ve become incredibly powerful, I’ve become someone important.

It feels… right and proper, but incomplete.

Large numbers can hide weaknesses, and I know there’s still so much more I have to learn. It’s like I’ve skipped most of my driving lessons and jumped straight into a F1 race car.

I’ll use this power to make something better from this world.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Skills & Stats

~Mana Form:

Current mana density: 52,798 units

~Mana distribution:

Category Current Max. Defence 40% 100% Offense 40% 100% Mana Sense 20% 100% Recovery 0% 100% Gluttony 0% 100% Misc. 0% 100% Efficiency 100% 100%

~Favourited Skills:

-Tag and Film

-Trapping

-Mana surge movement

-Annihilation defence

-Annihilation flame burst

-Annihilation net

-Eyes of an Empire