”””Happy birthday.””” (Everyone)

”What?” (Ari)

”Happy birthday brother. Did you forget about it this soon?” (Maria)

Looks like it. I had no idea about it. No wonder you were acting so strange yesterday. You wanted to suprise me. I appreciate gesture. It has been too many years since I had birthday celebration. Good thing I came at this time. One week later is my sister´s birthday. I had to remember to bring present. I´m not hoping to get anything. Everything here is get by making and finding on your own. There is no present giving tradition here.

”Look brother. We get you a present.” (Maria)

I don´t remember I had ever got any presents before. Did I change timeline too much without me knowing about it. What could have changed it. They gave me wristwatch. I remember now. This was memento from my father. Maria ja Ville ordered me to take this fixed. They probably meanted to give it to me later when it isn´t broken. Wristwatch on my hand was working quite well.

”You friend helped us to fix it” (Ville)

Ville gave me decent explanation. As a merchant you should know how to fix easy damages. If this is all changes then it is alright. I should thank them.

”Thank you for your inconvenience. I like my present very much.” (Ari)

There is no doubt about that part. This wristwatch was my memento of you two. I always carried it with me even though it was broken. Explosion damaged it too much so it couldn´t be fixed. Wait a minute. Doesn´t that mean it is going to happen tonight?

”You became pale suddenly. Did you not like your present?” (Maria)

My sister was worried that wristwatch wasn´t to my liking. It is just this was the last thing you gave me before you died. I was trapped for half a year. After I got free I found out that my village was destroyed by monster stampede. My brother and few other managed to survive. Maria´s body wasn´t found but how would cut open every monster´s stomachs in these mountains.

”No. Don´t worry. I just remembered something important.” (Ari)

I tried to keep my face under control. I was more happy than angry so it was easy. I should enjoy this moment for now. It is going to be difficult later.

We spent day talking with each other. Tyr heard all the stories about me. Especially embarrassing things. I was happy and unhappy the whole day but I was glad about it. I didn´t have time to meet my best friend today. He was in a hunting trip. He managed to survive the stampede so I wasn´t worried.

”Thank you but we must return to the station. I go get all of the stuff. Villagers have brought it to usual place. Right?” (Ari)

”Just go to village´s chief´s house like usual. There shouldn´t be any problems.” (Ville)

”””Bye””” (Ari, Maria and Ville)

”Bye” (Tyr)

We went to get everything and went to the station.

”Thank you for helping me out.” (Tyr)

”You are welcome.” (Ari)

There was no point to say more. We haven´t known each other for long but we became friends. At first I was worried that he would try too hard. Fortunatelly that didn´t happen. I would like to spent some time with him in a future. He doesn´t have talent just as merchant or essence user. He is good friend. I think I should tell him about my past. He is going to believe it and he won´t try to ask anything difficult because of it but not now. I need to focus on this moment. Best way to stop explosion and terrorist attack would be by essence collapse.

Essence collapse is misfire of spell. It causes user to be unable to use magic for long time. It also causes other magics to be neutralized. This also works on chemical bombs. Essence collapse´s other side effect is curb sudden thermodynamic movements. Thanks to these effect explosion can be stopped or at least calm it.

Unfortunately there is negative problems too. First would be it would show how stopped and activated the spell. Both parties would know each others identity and find them even from other side the world. I should know it. I became famous because of this technique. I deliberately used essence collapse to stop and locate my enemies. Even if someone managed to escape from me then I could find them easily later.

Unfortunately I would be the lossing party this time. They would be able to find from anywhere. Of course this problem wouldn´t be if it was normal bomb. I highly doubt it is going to be normal bomb. Strong investigator mage can locate builder´s identity easily. No one would take a change. I wouldn´t at least.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Essence collapse also causes the train to malfunction. Passengers can´t escape. I have to escape fast so terrorist couldn´t take hostages. They would have to go after me. At least explosion wasn´t too big. I would have died in the past if that wasn´t the case. I gained magic resistance but it isn´t immunity. For that reason terrorists want as many alive as they can or they aren´t strong. Either one being the case, it gives me change to stop them.

”We two would like to buy tickets to city.”

There was no point to tell conductor which city. There is only one. After buying ones to both of us, we spent rest of the time by looking the view. It was midnight but everything was clear to see. We didn´t need to talk to each other. After the mine I gave excuse to look around the train by saying that I´m going to toilet.

It was difficult to stay with passengers. I spent half a year with them and I was only one how survived. At least mentally. I had seen them dying in front of meanwhile I didn´t do anything. I was close to vomit many times. Fortunately I have gotten used to up and down in this road so I didn´t vomit. I still don´t remember Tyr. Could he have died back them? There is no point think about it now. This time no one is going to get hurt. As long as I escape alone then I can avoid terrorists until rescuers arrive. Normally it would take six hours but time to find me is half a day. Tyr can tell that they went to chase me.

There isn´t any suspicious activity or magic use nearby. This means explosion happened in moment notice. It wasn´t preparedby the hand. They must be outside the train. If this is the case choosing wrong direction will cause my death.

”Can you locate them?” (Ari)

”Yes I can. But you won´t be able to move meanwhile.” (Mountain spirit)

That could be a problem. I need to move to take sudden actions. Explosion could come unnoticed by me. I need to know perfect moment to do it. Close but not too close. Time essence could come in handy but my level isn´t anywhere close enough.

I´m not capable of using essence of spirits to their fullest capability. For that reason spirits uses my mana to use skills but one at the time. In addition I can´t change it to other fast. There is going to be time between uses. This is big reason why neutral essence isn´t popular. You hardly can do anything in sudden situations. I know explosion is going to happen but weakness is still causing problems. There is still one thing which is going good for me. Neutral essence can´t essence collapse. Well, that is what people are thinking at current time.

Neutral essence is peculiar by how magic break down. It does but extremely small amount. For this reason it is popular essence to use to form barriers or other defensive magic. Only way to cause neutral essence to collapse it do it on purpose. When normal essence collapse happens so of energy is used to form it. For this reason directing collapse´s direction is impossible. Neutral essence doesn´t have that problem. It is in user full control. Direction, power, effect, duration and finally side effects. It is no wonder why I used my damaged mana flow to use neutral essence to cause collapses. My damaged mana flow made it even stronger and faster. My body naturally caused these occurences easily. It is different now. I might make careless mistakes if I don´t give myself some room to move.

”Sure. Go a head. If you won´t find them in ten seconds then cancel it.” (Ari)

By calling time limit beforehand helps with speed. Before starting I took some saber-toothfox´s fangs and casted beginner beast essence magic. It is called animal instinct. It can sense some harmful and dangerous presences by vibrating. Magic causing explosions will always cause some murderous intent. These fangs will notice them for sure.

Nothing was wound in first ten seconds. That means about 3 minutes of this road is save. I should try again 2 minutes later. For now I should rst and look outside. If I stay tense then it causes more problems than help. I can´t expect something is going to happen the whole road. How knows. Maybe something I caused avoided it from happening. Not likely but I should take a break when I can.

Toilet where I´m saying has a window. Many mountains were going past me with quick speed. Everything was easy to see. Sun wasn´t the only thing up. I couldn´t see the sun. I saw the moon. It was full. It was even sending moon halo. There isn´t many times when something like this was seen. Especially in summer but high up here ice halos could happen.

I was calm for sometime until I noticed two minutes were gone.

”Can you start again with same way…?”

Unfortunately I got heavy headache suddenly before I could finish. Same time my fangs started to vibrate heavily. What is going on? Why now? How could these two happen at same time?

”Sealed gate is reacting. You have partly awakened it. You cleared one condition to free it.” (Beast spirit)

He sounded bot happy and afraid. I have to remove this feeling fast. I can´t fight in these circumstances.

”Please help me to remove this feeling away. Not to mention others I can´t even help myself as I´m.”

”Best way is to fully awaken it.” (Time spirit)

”Can you do it?” (Wind spirit)

What do you think? I don´t know what is there. How could I know the way to release it? I have to stop this awakening. It is shame but I don´t have a choice.

Stopping spirit awakening is easy but side effects are severe. It might cause awakening to be closed forever or even death.

Spirits undestood my silence.

”I might have away to stop it safely but I would take damage for it.” (Ice spirit)

She was asking me take this on my conscience. She hates me very much but same time she saw me all the time in my last life. There is no way that she hasn´t got some sort feeling over this time. Unlike other spirits ice essence was strong in me at birth. For this reason when I started to train magic she must have waited for me. I betrayed her even before that. I was going to use fire essence as main. Of course she would feel betrayed by her worst enemy. Back in that time I was young. I didn´t even consider spirits´ feelings.

”…” (Fire spirit)

Fire spirit was trying to say something but he finally stopped. Fire essence power is way smaller than ice´s. In the past they were equal but difference is too big now. Ice spirit is only one how can help me. Beast spirit is his limits. His power were constantly drained by animal instinct. We can´t wait any longer. Cruel but logical or naive but selfless options were in front of me. What should I choose?