~~~Lee~~~

Lee couldn't tell what made killing ticks so much easier, his Mana Mind, or getting to F-grade. Whatever it was, he liked it.

The ticks were already weak to him since he resisted their numbing effects, but now they couldn't even ambush him. Paired with his F-grade body, it was a slaughter. Seeing the cores appearing in his Mana Mind made him really glad they hadn't had time to kill the eggs before, and he wasn't planning to do so today either. Ideally, they wouldn't even fight the queen, much less kill her.

Lee took a step to the side and held his machete almost casually out beside him. The tick trying to drop on him from the ceiling fell directly onto the blade and landed in two pieces with a splat. It really was too easy now.

Granted, the massive tide of the creatures from before had diminished, but there were still plenty of them in here. He was going to make a killing in cores, and Lee pocketed a few for Jamaal along the way. The only downside was the mind attributes he'd lost in gaining Mana Mind, and the long slog just to get back to where he'd been. Still, he wasn't complaining. The skill was worth it.

Lee had also been practicing what he assumed was Mana Manipulation. Whatever he had done to the construct panthers, while giving him a blinding headache, had also shown that there was more to Mana Mind than he'd initially thought. The whole 'intrinsically linked' part had been serious, and he could move all the surrounding mana at will. It didn't even seem to cost him mana to do it... though the skill had said it consumed mana just to be active, which it always was.

He convinced Alejandro to test his movement skill on him and found he could disrupt it. If he got the timing right. Of course, that was all it could do, for now. The opaque wall that was every person or monster was just that; a wall. Even the ticks were nothing more than outlines in his mind. At least until they died.

That had been an interesting experience after he killed the first tick today. Even split in half, they only became two opaque shapes for a second or two. Then the shells of darkness shrank, and always toward one of the split halves. It would shrink down to a single point and then there would be a core. Something he'd been too distracted to see when fighting the panthers the day before.

Obviously it had something to do with the cores, which didn't really help since he didn't know what they were. He could see them with Mana Mind. Hell, he couldn't not see them; they stood out like blazing flares in his skill. Most of it was the dense mana filling them, but they also had something else in there. Something he couldn't actually put a name to. Only feel.

It definitely made finding them much easier. No more digging when the corpses piled up. Which led to a disappointing and unsuccessful attempt at manipulating mana.

Lee could move the mana in the air with just a thought, and he tried doing the same to a core. He wasn't trying to move the mana per se, rather he hoped it would move the tiny core itself. Visions of yoinking cores into his hand danced through his mind, and... it didn't work. All he got out of it was a headache. Though the core twitched when he tried.

His dream wouldn't be a reality... yet. But hope lived. Maybe once the skill leveled more...

Alejandro was behind him and killing his own share of the bugs, but Lee was the vanguard today. The whole disaster with Alejandro abandoning the group still weighed on the man, and most of his attention remained on Saira following behind them. His mistake two days prior had cost Larry his life, almost killed Sandy, left Mar with one arm, and let something terrible happen to Saira.

Lee still didn't know what happened to her, but Saira was a lot quieter than she had been. Mar too was even more absent than before. She was still here, probably right behind Saira where Lee had last seen her, but she appeared rarely and spoke never.

He was honestly surprised they'd come back out, especially with him and Alejandro. Saira claimed she was fine, and Lee would not discourage the healer from joining the hunt. Not that he was worried. The ticks were a joke compared to those panther beasts, but you never knew what might show up out here. Better to have a healer and not need her... and all that.

As for their emotional conditions, that was something he couldn't do anything about, so something he tried to ignore.

The group fought their way back to the hunting section to claim any and every weapon left behind in the store.

May had come back to the complex after the battle the day before, and Lee reluctantly invited her as a resident to his building. He had mixed feelings about her choice to run away. On the one hand, she was a coward. But then, Jamaal and Bradley also hid during the fight. Their choice to stay without fighting might have also made the battle more difficult, considering that message about how many people were present before it kicked off...

They found out after the battle that only two monsters had attacked anywhere else. The groups in the other buildings had killed those two, but not without casualties. Which, considering Maria and Saira were the only two healers in the complex, made sense.

Lee still didn't know if it was the Mana Well that drew most of them to him, but from how many of the cat monsters tried to kill him, it was a solid theory.

His growing desire for some enchanted armor was the driving factor in welcoming May back...

They cleaned out the remaining weapons, which weren't that many, and while there might be more in the stockrooms at the rear, no one was going there. Lee had jumped high enough at the entrance to spot something big moving around in the store's far end—likely the new queen. No one wanted to draw that into a fight. Primarily because they had no good way to fight without getting up close and personal, but also because there was no point. Better to keep the core supply coming.

Unfortunately, it meant they didn't dare go for the food aisles, either. They were too close to the queen. Sure, they had plenty of meat between the rattlesnake and the panthers, but rice, beans, or flour were all in short supply. Just not short enough to risk the queen.

The plan was instead to travel further away and find a different store. Ideally one that wasn't a lair. Of course, that would only increase the odds of it being picked clean already.

No one attacked them when they left this time, which was a nice change, and with everyone at F-grade, the jog back home went much faster. Alejandro was on edge the whole way, sticking close enough to Saira that he was in danger of tripping the both of them. His head never stopped moving as he scanned the surroundings.

Lee took the rear but stayed near enough to keep everyone inside his Mana Mind range, which was growing nicely with every level.

Status

Name:

Lee Cascade

Race:

[Mana Conduit](F-Grade Human)

Traits: [Adaptable] [Energetic Resilience] [Conduit] [Ley Line Attuned]

Class: Runic (Legendary) - Level 5 (Novice)

Class Skills: Rune Scribe (Uncommon) - Level 8 (Novice)

Attributes:

Strength: 12(+1%)10.1

Vitality: 11(+2%)10.2

Dexterity 13(0%)10

Wisdom 4(+132%)4.6

Intelligence 5(+129%)4.5

Willpower 3(+128%)4.5

Twin-Soul ???

Non-Class Skills(1/3): Liquid Mana Blast (Rare) - Level 1 (Novice) || Mana Mind (Epic) - Level 14 (Basic)

Buffs:

Debuffs: [Mana Burn]

Breaking the constructs had boosted Mana Mind up, and his experiments with cores and other stuff also helped. His range was up to around fifteen feet in every direction, including into the ground, which was weird. But then it was probably only a matter of time until they found an underground monster, so Lee welcomed it. As for why he was guessing on the range, which he felt like he should know instinctively, well, he didn't know. Maybe his grasp of measurement wasn't very good?

Luckily, the greater amount of information going into his mind wasn't as overwhelming as he'd worried it might be. It felt akin to his proprioception. He knew where stuff was, or rather where the mana was in an almost passive way. Then, if he focused on it, more detail would spring up. The incoming knowledge also changed constantly, especially when he was running, but even then, it wasn't too much. Nothing could ever sneak up on him again.

Which was why he was so surprised when something stabbed him in the head.

He was aware of the others rushing back to him as he fell to his knees, but still couldn't understand what was happening. There was nothing there. Nothing that could be...

Then Lee felt the rage, the hatred. He wanted to kill everyone and everything. Unfortunately, it wasn't all directed outward. Lee saw the past few days in a new light. A dark light. All his mistakes stood out in stark relief, every memory painting a picture of a failure that would only die. One who would take everyone else down with him when he did. I should just die already...

Debuff: [Critical Bleeding]

Hands grabbed him, wrestling with his limbs, and then hoisted him into the air, carrying him away. Lee didn't care. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. He was...

Debuff Removed: [Critical Bleeding]

Warmth flooded into him with the scent of pine and summer sunshine, and it rolled over the emotions that were drowning him, pushing them back.

Lee understood what was happening.

"No! Stanley!" He screamed aloud and in his mind as he begged for his brother to hear him.

The pain in his head came back when the sunshine left, but Lee didn't care about himself. He was losing Stanley. Again!

Of course, Lee knew he would likely die if his brother did, but he didn't care about that. He only wanted Stanley to stay! Stay with me, Stanley! Please!

He was sobbing and screaming. Even the warmth that flooded into him again wasn't enough... and then… it all just... receded.

Lee floundered as the dark emotions vanished, leaving him unsure of what was even real anymore. Stanley was still there, but far away. No longer sharing his head space... but still there! Stanley was still alive!

Lee was aware of the fact that three people were currently holding him down. Alejandro and Saira with a hand each, and Mar sitting on his feet. He knew why, too.

He had just cut his own throat.

It was horrifying... and embarrassing to recall. It felt like he'd had one bad day and immediately chosen to end everything.

But he shouldn't be embarrassed. It wasn't his fault. He hadn't been in his right mind. It had to have been some kind of mental attack on Stanley that bled over into him. Right? Why else would Stanley have been feeling that way? Unless... had something happened to Caffeine!?

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Lee's heart hurt just contemplating such a thing... but that couldn't be it... could it? Caffeine was a beast lord, and Stanley would protect him. Unless... No! It had to be a mental attack. It would explain the pain in his head at the start. But Stanley had won. He was okay now. He would be okay!

I need to get stronger. Lee knew it already, but every day that passed made it more pressing. Could he just start running toward Stanley? He was a lot faster now. If he had enough food, then he could run almost non-stop...

Lee did some quick and dirty math. He estimated his running speed well above an Olympic runner now. Maybe thirty miles an hour, faster if he really pushed it. Which meant a hundred to a hundred and fifty hours of sprinting. Factor in sleeping, fighting off monsters, and collecting food... he could probably eat raw meat if he had to. That would save some time. But... it wouldn't work. He needed armor, more weapons, and, preferably, allies. Maybe Jake would be down for it...

"I'm okay now," Lee finally said, primarily to get Alejandro to stop yelling at him. "You can get off me." He kept his eyes closed. Lee didn't want to see the expressions he knew were waiting for him. Even if it wasn't his fault, it still felt like it was. Those feelings hadn't felt foreign or outside of him. They felt like his own thoughts...

"You can't give up, Lee!" Alejandro didn't stop yelling. "There is still hope and joy in our lives! We all need you!" He also didn't let go of Lee's arm.

Lee sighed and opened his eyes. Alejandro had the exact expression he'd expected. Worry and pity. "I'm not giving up," Lee said, tugging at his arm, trying to free it. "It was some kind of mental attack."

"That is what I told him," Saira said, glaring at Alejandro. "Mr Lee would not give up so easily." She let go of him, but Lee noticed she moved to stand between him and his machete...

Alejandro reluctantly let go as well, though he took the unenchanted knife from Lee's belt as he did so. Then he went and picked up the machete.

Lee rolled his eyes as he sat up, but hid the smile trying to sneak onto his face. Their behavior was annoying and embarrassing, but it didn't feel as bad as he'd expected. It actually felt nice... to know they cared. Less than a week ago, he'd been alone. His brother had left. He'd had no friends, not even an acquaintance. Now he had friends willing to risk their lives for him… friends eager to keep him alive… they were friends, right?

"Let's get back," Lee said, trying not to look at the pool of blood in the street. It was big... and ran in a trail to where he now stood. He could still feel the sticky wetness all down his front.

He led the way when no one else took the initiative. Perhaps they wanted him in front, where they could watch him. Mar walked beside him, invisible at an arm's length to his right. So within easy reach. He could see her head moving back and forth between him and her mom following behind.

"Relax, Mar. It's over. I won't do anything." At least, he really hoped it was over... if that happened again... No. Stanley definitely killed whoever or whatever did that to him. They'd be fine.

She stared his way for a while after that, not that Lee could see her eyes, but finally, her head turned to look forward.

"I... understand," Mar said, after a few seconds, her voice so low he almost didn't hear it. She turned her head away, as if afraid to let him see her face, even though she was still invisible. Lee really needed to ask about that skill... "I've felt like that before," she continued, just as softly, and with a quick glance his way.

Lee opened his mouth to protest that it wasn't like that... and closed it again. Instead, he shivered at the memory of what he'd felt in that moment. If she had felt that way, too... Lee couldn't imagine how she was still alive. He'd experienced nothing like that before... so bleak... so hopeless. "It felt like nothing mattered..." Lee whispered. "There was nothing left. Nothing to live for... and I just wanted it to end."

"It really sucks, doesn't it?" Mar said, not turning her head.

Lee wanted to give her a hug, but refrained. She didn't seem like a big hugger. Instead, he said, "If you ever want to talk... well, I'm never going to forget how that felt."

She didn't respond, and Lee left it at that.

Alejandro never gave him back the machete. Instead, Lee got to watch him talk to Maria, presumably about him, considering the looks coming his way. All of Lee's protests fell on deaf ears, and the warm feeling of having people looking out for him waned. Especially when he suggested another trip back outside. After all, they still needed to find another store.

"Even if it was a mental attack," Alejandro said. "Are you sure it won't return?" Something in his voice hinted that he wasn't quite sold on the whole 'mental attack' angle.

Lee clenched his teeth. "I'm not suicidal. I need to keep fighting because my brother is out there nearly dying every day, and I'm not strong enough to save him!"

He was screaming by the end... which probably wasn't the best way to convince anyone of his mental stability.

Alejandro put a hand on his shoulder. "I will hunt for you. Rest today, and tomorrow we will go again."

Lee knew it was a kind gesture, but the hand on his shoulder only reminded him he didn't have a choice. He couldn't take on everyone here... the only leverage he had was taking his runes back, which wasn't much of a threat anymore. Would they actually fight him if he demanded his weapon back? Would that mean they cared more if so?

"Wait for the debuff," Alejandro said. "May might have some armor for you by then. It will be safer, no?"

Was that what this was about? Alejandro just wanted his runes before Lee potentially died? Was the concern on his face actually for his own family? Lee didn't want to believe it was that sinister. So he tried not to. The man had promised to hunt for him... so he wasn't after something for nothing, at least. "Fine."

Saira and Mar had caught up while they were talking, and the former now carried a tall spear. She'd heard the tail end of the discussion, and gently squeezed his arm. "I agree with Mr Morales. Rest today. You have done much for the people here. Let us repay your help how we may. We will not let you fall behind."

Lee had told no one about his trait yet. They didn't understand that he was already behind. He probably always would be... but he was feeling like the concern for his well being might actually be genuine.

Also, there was a small voice in his head that hadn't forgotten how close he came to dying in the street. Sure, he would have healed from the cut throat... probably. Definitely. But if he'd swung the machete even the slightest bit deeper... the enchanted blade that could cut anything...

It might be okay to have that weapon out of reach for today. It would also be good to build a bit of trust with these people... whom he hoped were actually his friends. Because he had an idea to test tomorrow, and they would not like it. Especially if they were his friends. Or maybe they would like it more? He wasn’t actually sure how this whole friend thing worked…

Given the spear Saira was carrying when they left, Lee assumed May was making progress, finally. But before he went to see her, Lee had another stop. Aside from changing his shirt and washing the blood away...

The courtyard was empty of both snake remains and panther bodies. Though blood and... other stuff still stained the floor. Their resident water mage was still busy ensuring drinking and bathing supplies for now, but hopefully she would get to cleaning, eventually. Or maybe they could find someone with fire magic...

Jamaal answered his door with a smile. A smile that grew even brighter when he saw Lee. "My friend! Come, come!" He ushered Lee inside. "You hungry? Want for hunt? Or fresh?"

"Actually," Lee said, "I was just bringing you these..." He trailed off with his hand outstretched as he took in the man's home.

The front entrance was almost fully blocked by a long row of tables. The kitchen looked pretty much identical to the one in Lee's own apartment, but the living room had been transformed. Six stovetops lined one wall. Tables and shelves filled the other walls, all stacked with wooden crates full of meat.

"Thank you, my friend. Thank you!" Jamaal eagerly accepted the cores and then waved at his home. "You like? Will be restaurant when you magic a stove."

"You don't actually need a stove..." Lee said and then thought about it. "Get frying pans, or pots. I will enchant them, but you can set them on the stove so it doesn't burn anything."

"Yes, yes. Have many pans." Jamaal opened one of the many ovens to reveal the stack of cast iron skillets. "Had to hide from May. She will melt if not."

Lee chuckled. "Tomorrow. I should be able to enchant something then. Today..." Lee glanced behind him to where Maria stood in the doorway. "I'm supposed to rest."

Maria met his gaze without reaction, Anita in her arms. Gabriel stood beside her, watching everything with his wide, curious eyes. Lee couldn't get a read on Maria. If she was judging him for perceived weakness, or annoyed to be his babysitter, none of it showed on her face.

"Then you must feast!" Jamaal said. "But..." He stared at the cores in his hand.

"Is it enough for F-grade?" The man had asked for those two points specifically, and while Lee had told him about fortification, Jamaal dismissed the idea. Now he nodded, his expression looking somehow both eager and wary at the prospect of evolving.

"I've got nowhere to be today," Lee said. "Take your time. I'll come back later... and good luck. Hope you get some good options."

Maria followed him to the parking garage, where May had moved her forge construction inside once she saw the building buff. Apparently, the extra stats and regen were too good to pass up.

Bradley was with her, and casting his... block spell? That was new. Either a new skill, or he'd evolved the first one. Or maybe just ranked up and got more utility.

It was the evolution. Bradley confirmed it when Lee asked, and he seemed happy with the change. "Not as good for fighting..." he said. "But it is much easier to build stuff now! I'm just tweaking the forge before I get back to your building."

While he spoke, a block of stone materialized in front of his hand and fused to previously placed stonework. Lee could see the whole process in his Mana Mind, and he stayed to watch the last few sections fill in.

It wasn't just fusing the blocks at the edges, Bradley could also fuse them halfway inside the other stones. It allowed for more freedom in the design and let him turn the chimney to run through the bars so it would dump the exhaust outside. He even fused some stone directly around the bars.

May was already eyeing Lee when Bradley finished. "I know, armor, right? What do you want? Full plate? Half-plate? Brigandine? I should just figure it out and make it for you? How hard can it be to stitch plates into your jacket, right?" She seemed... annoyed. But why? Wasn't this like... her whole deal? Make shit in exchange for protection? It was why he'd invited her as a resident.

"Actually..." Lee said, and not just to be annoying. "I would like full plate." He could see it now. It wouldn't slow him down much with his F-grade strength, and he could cover himself in runes. He'd be a tank. Literally. "But I'll settle for a breastplate to start," he added before she could go off on him.

May closed her mouth and stared up at him for a few seconds. She really was short... "Okay. Dennis, measure him."

Dennis wrapped measuring tape every which way around his chest while Lee watched May feed the fire.

"Dennis, how did you get that banana skill? If you don't mind me asking."

The man hesitated briefly, then resumed his measuring. "I thought it was a joke. Or a prank. I picked the strangest thing I could think of to try and stump the computer."

"What?" Lee recalled the banana from the other day. The singular banana. "What did you pick, and how bad was the affinity?"

"Banana Summoner. And the affinity was very bad."

"What does low affinity do? I considered picking something way lower myself..."

"Mana cost. I can summon one banana with nearly my entire mana pool."

Lee suddenly felt a lot better about not taking the lightning class. Sure, it was only fifty percent affinity but that still might have meant he could only do one or two attacks before having to regen. And he wouldn't be able to use the Well. "Sorry, man. That sucks."

"It is improving," Denis said. "And my original option was Accountant. So I lost little. I have some ideas, and if that doesn't work, there are always the skill shards." He finished the measurements and started writing them down for May.

"It'll be ready tomorrow, but it's gonna cost you two cores," she said. "The good ones that give one to everything." Lee opened his mouth, and she went on before he could speak. "That's the discounted price. Because you're the 'Master' of the building."

"Thanks." Lee ignored the air quotes. "As for tomorrow... how about I trade you enchanting instead?"

"No. Your discount includes the enchanting. I'm charging anyone else ten cores for a piece of armor like you want." She smiled evilly at Lee. "Supply and demand. I'm the only one that can make what everyone needs. And before you get your panties in a twist, I didn't set that price. That was how high the bidding went, even after I told them you were first in line."

"How much did Saira pay for the spear?"

"That? Nah. It was practice. A warm-up." She winked at him. "Plus, I want the healer to remember me when I inevitably end up with a monster in my face."

That was... smart—always good to have a healer on your side. Lee would have to remember to enchant it for Saira.

Lee watched her, or rather, he watched her mana while she funneled it into the fire. With every second that passed, the heat coming from the opening intensified. It also appeared to take a while, as well as a decent amount of mana. "My ru... enchants might be better than you expect." Lee caught the slip in time, but it looked like May noticed. Not that he was sure why he was hiding it... habit, maybe? Jake was a bad influence.

"Hmm. We'll see," she said, with an expression Lee wasn't sure he liked.

The rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly enough, aside from the constant nagging feeling that he was wasting time while Stanley might be dying. Other than that, it was great. Just the specter of death on his shoulder while he tried to relax.

Maria followed him around all afternoon, until it turned into him following her around the complex. He met more people than he wanted to, and some that were all right.

It also meant that he had to hang out with the kids as well, and they turned out less annoying than he'd feared. Actually, kind of fun... and cute. Their curiosity and naivete were... nice. They didn't share the dread that the grown-ups did. They didn't know at any moment another monster like the snake might show up and kill everyone.

Unfortunately, many other children in the complex didn't share that innocence... too many had lost parents or other family. Often violently, and from the silent staring faces on some of them, maybe right in front of their eyes. Lee hated seeing it. It stirred those same helpless feelings in his chest that he was still trying unsuccessfully to forget. The impotent rage at an injustice that could never be made right.

Lee saw Maria in a new light after those interactions. After he saw her comforting adults and children alike. Followed by the moments when her hands reached a little too quickly toward her own children. The way her eyes rarely strayed from them for long.

There were a few times where Maria lost track of him, and Lee saw a similar intensity in her gaze when she sought him out. Maybe, just maybe, she did actually give a shit about him.

He laid down on her couch that night, listening to her telling a bedtime story in the other room, and he was really glad he'd opened his door on that first night.

It had definitely been the right choice.