“Really?”

Finnean glanced at Daniel’s left shoulder, his expression that of annoyance.

“Did you sneak into the forest again? Who rescued you this time?” he said, putting Daniel’s Earth clothes in his bag.

“I’m a changed man, I swear. I only got stabbed by a sword this time,” he chuckled, feeling at his shoulder. Only memories remained to show for it, and he would never forget those.

“So, how did that happen? I’m sure you’ve gotten a hero class from all the adventuring you’ve been doing.”

Daniel regaled Finnean with his grand journey to the citadel. At this point, having told the story of his stabbing three times, he was a master at it. Even Xaviar would shed a tear at the tale had he told it to him. At the end of it, Finnean nodded thoughtfully.

“That’s one way of doing it, though I still can’t see what you’d gain from this. Maybe it’s the levels - nothing quite like a grand adventure to level your sinister class. Unfortunately, I don’t think they’d let me or your Morvina assassins tag along.”

Daniel clicked his tongue at that. “The night watchers can follow from a distance, hiding in the shadows. Call me paranoid, but I don’t think just a squad is going to be enough.”

“As for you... Would you like to join the expedition? With your tailoring skills, you can make a convincing disguise. I can’t offer anything more, but you’re bound to level as well.”

For some reason, that made his laugh harder than any joke Daniel had made.

“We’ll see. There’s a week remaining, so I’ll sleep on it. Perform a few eldritch rituals and look to the stars for answers perhaps,” he looked thoughtfully to the sky.

“Oh, right, before I forget. I asked around a bit about the Steelford family you mentioned last time.”

This instantly drew Daniel’s interest. Xaviar refused to even speak to him without any new information.

“From what I’ve pieced together, they had a proper mansion and were living lavishly just five years ago. Then, one day, they suddenly abandoned everything and fled from the city. I couldn’t find out why or where they escaped to. At least not without pulling any serious contacts.”

He grinned and pinched his fingers, to which Daniel responded by grabbing his coin purse and shaking it. A single, pathetic jingle echoed from the inside.

“I’ve got thirteen crowns to my name and you know that. Even then, I don’t think I’ll survive the rest of the week off of that.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll look around some more, but don’t expect much. Some people are too bothersome to contact for free,” Finnean said with a sigh.

Truthfully, Daniel didn’t think money mattered to Finnean, but his principles couldn’t allow him to do something for free. Thus, he flipped a single crown at him, which prompted another belch of laughter from Finnean.

“How generous. With this, I can buy the services of the entire thieves guild. We’ll find them in a flash.” He slammed the table, grabbing the iron crown.

“Actually, I’ve got another favour to ask,” Daniel said, making Finnean groan. “You mentioned hunting parties last time. I’m in dire need to level up for the upcoming fight. Any suggestions?”

Finnean looked at the Crowned Dragon in the distance, thinking for a few seconds. “Our group is supposed to join hands with the Red Cloud in two days’ time for a hunting trip. It’s a competition of sorts, A mixed group of warriors and mages will have two days to slay the most beasts,” he spoke slowly, each word deliberate and drawn out.

“My partner is Eris, but oh, what a shame - on the day of the hunt, she gets sick from the food and has to spend the rest of the day on the toilet. Fortunately, another mage is nearby and can substitute for her. How joyous!” His eyes glinted with mischief as he sipped his tea.

Daniel considered the plan in his mind. He didn’t have anything against Eris, but it was clear as day that Finnean harboured a deep grudge. No true harm would befall her, in fact, this was a one-of-a-kind chance for Daniel to gain more levels and connections.

“What a shame,” he said, toasting Finnean and further plotting out petty villainy. The two of them made their way back to the guild, and before long, his doublet was once again brand new, not a single burn mark on it. Now that his daily meeting was done, he was free to pursue his own interests.

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Today was the day he was learning his new skills. They were all supposed to gather at a specific time, which made Daniel wonder how he was supposed to do that without his phone back when he applied. Now, he expertly navigated through various side streets before he arrived at a tower made from brass, so polished that it reflected the midday sun.

The tower resembled something from a completely different era, a marvel of both engineering and magic that unnerved him the longer he looked at it. Lattice-patterned brass plates of various sizes adorned the tower like a massive jigsaw puzzle, the lines in between similar to the veins of a beating heart. There, in the middle of the tower, was a pulsating crystal, resonating with magic.

Above the tower, a clock built from multicoloured crystal with four obsidian hands announced the time to everyone walking by. Looking up, he observed that it had a 13-hour dial instead of the usual 12, which was another reason why days felt so long. He still had another twelve minutes before it reached the third dial.

Nearby, he saw a monk dressed in yellow sitting next to the tower, meditating as time passed. From Soren’s diary, he learned that an entire monastery was dedicated to timekeeping, and he speculated that they hid an extremely important story and a terrible secret. To Daniel’s chagrin, the old exorcist wouldn’t elaborate further. One day, he would come and investigate further. That day was not today.

The inconvenience of not having a portable watch once again struck him. He could’ve just stayed in the guild and waited, but no. There wasn’t even an hourly chime since some of Morvina’s priests were still sleeping. He hurried back, and when he finally arrived at the classroom, one thing immediately struck him as odd. It was filled with children.

The oldest must’ve been no more than thirteen, and here he was, seven years older than everyone else. Daniel didn’t easily get embarrassed, but his face was completely red as he sat down in one of the front seats, away from everyone. It could’ve been much, much worse, but seeing as these were primarily children of nobles, they had some semblance of manners. After all, children wouldn’t hesitate to tell the truth.

“Ehm. We’ll be continuing our lesson. Let’s have a quick reminder so that everyone remembers what we’re doing.”

Daniel observed the older woman in her thirties as she markedly looked at him. She had black, curly hair, narrow and gaunt cheeks, and an impish look on her face, dressed in the same blue robes every wizard here wore. She was also thin as a stick.

“The first and most important step of learning Mana Manipulation is sensing it, and to do so, you must be rid of any distracting thoughts. Let’s start by lighting the incense,” she said, snapping her fingers. In an instant, eight sticks of incense lit up, flooding the room in smoke. He recognised them as the same Tavian used.

“Make yourself comfortable in your seats,” she said, her voice growing hazy. Each inhale washed away his previous emotions.

“Focus on the sensation of your breath. Feel how it goes in, then out. In, then out,” he breathed in deeply, relaxing his limbs.

With each breath, his mind grew quieter. The constant stream of thoughts that was once like a rushing river was now a quiet pond, expanding his awareness. More than ever, he felt connected to the present.

“Your mind may wander from time to time, and when it does, return your attention to your breath. Now, I’ll guide each of you individually.”

The sound of her footsteps grew louder. The vibrations passed through his body. The light before his eyes dimmed, and she softly spoke to him.

“Place your hands together.”

He obliged, and moments later, he sensed something strange. One moment, they were fine. The next, the air around them became heavy, clinging to his skin through the gaps of his fingers.

“Concentrate on your hands. Do not rush your mind. With time, you will learn to sense the mana around you.”

Ah. It all made sense now. Daniel hadn’t needed meditation to feel it in the first place. From the moment he arrived in this world, he had sensed mana moving with every action, with every breath. It was a heaviness to the air that Earth lacked. Only, back then, he couldn’t name the sensation.

“I feel it.”

Seconds of silence passed, and he could imagine what she was thinking. Right now, he couldn’t care less.

“Wonderful. Now, sink your mind even deeper into the sensation. What we call mana is a substance weaved together like a net by various threads. Let your mind hone in on a single one.”

He let go of any stray thoughts, only focusing on what was in front of him. Similar to waves in the ocean, he sensed mana ebb and flow as he moved his hands around. With familiar motions, he cupped his palms, imagining he was holding mana in its purest form. It was trapped, with nowhere left to go as long as he held still.

Daniel lost track of time, his attention sharp enough to cut. He closed his palms, feeling the mana escape from his grasp. Finally, he held only a sliver, and as his concentration eclipsed it, he realised its true form - the single droplet of mana was made from thousands of threads, the limits being only his imagination.

He had felt her move on from him, so he patiently awaited his turn, sinking his mind deeper and deeper. “There are so many threads,” Daniel said when his teacher stood next to him.

“Remember, focus on a single thread, not the entire net. Now, gently try to grasp it and pull it towards yourself.”

He obliged, and despite his calm mind, he couldn’t help but grin to himself. Even this was incredibly familiar. Instead of following her instructions, he recalled his memories. In the depths of his soul, he had wielded a red river like a serpent against a god. It bent to his every command because it was his and no one else’s.

Now, he imagined it true. Every drop of mana in this room belonged to him - it was under his domain. With absolute confidence, he willed it to move, and so it did. His mind strained to cover the entire room, but before long, he beheld a sphere of mana, right above his palms.

Skill Acquired.

Mana Manipulation (Common)