Chapter 170 Volume IV - Chapter 15: Ranked Up General Level
I picked up my sword and moved to the center of the room. I regulated my breathing and started swinging my sword directly.
These swings were not random, they had an order and a goal. The mana swirling inside me accompanied my movements and turned into a rhythm with my movements.
I started practicing the first phase of the only sword style I had at my disposal, the Ambiguous Flow. I was advanced enough in the first stage of the first phase of the style. I had come far enough in controlling the wild mana that was constantly spinning. Now I could start to go further.
So, the wild mana started to spread around the room. It was seeping through my sword, and every time I swung it, my sword trembled. My wrist was taking its share of it, but I didn't let go of the hilt of my sword.
One minute, then a few more.
I didn't think about anything, I used the Absolute Mind to block out everything but the training and repeated the first phase of the style.
An hour, maybe a couple of hours... I'm not sure.
I paused, I was out of mana, even if I had used a minimal amount for training.
I put the sword aside and sat cross-legged, closing my eyes. I focused on the mana that was slowly being drawn into my body from the atmosphere, incorporating it into the gentle flow I was creating in my body. I incorporated every bit of mana that entered my body into this flow, moving my mana through my body as smoothly and fluently as possible.
Even if I ran out of mana, I didn't have to stop practicing after all.
A minute passed, then an hour, then a few hours again.
When my mana was replenished, I kept swinging the sword, and when I ran out of mana again, I sat cross-legged again. This was the training pattern I would repeat for some time. It was tiring, it pushed my body more than necessary because I never paused.
Such a training method might have been dangerous in my previous world, it might have resulted in injury rather than development, but here... it was different. The human body is much more resilient and heals much faster. I didn't need to worry about things like that.
Somewhere in between, the prince sent me a message saying that he was fine, thanking me for what I had shown him on that visit. Luckily, he sent it just as I was running out of mana, so I had a chance to see it.
He also said that he was looking for the man who cornered us, but I personally don't think he will be able to find him. Even if he has just started his killing spree... he is already a monster.
Anyway, there is nothing I can do about it 'for now'.
The hours passed again. Eventually, I fell asleep from exhaustion. After that, I went to the lectures as usual, but to be serious, I didn't listen to a single one. I continued to practice my mana, since in most of the lectures I had already obtained permission to sleep through my own abilities.
In this way, days followed days. I continued to keep in touch with my friends through our study group meetings, chatting with them and Clara from time to time. I didn't stop visiting Celine, and I also started talking to Sue more and more. I kept swinging swords, improving my mana control, and dueling with the professor. I did my best to improve, to get stronger, and to start putting my plans into practice.
During this time, the only thing on my mind was Alex's disappearance, but when I asked Melany about it, I found out that he had taken a month and a half leave from the academy. When I asked why, I was told that it was a private matter and that Alex had deliberately wanted to keep it a secret from people. Of course, Melany would tell me why if I asked her, but if Alex wanted it that way, he must have known something. So, I didn't pursue it.
Most of my days have been uneventful, I haven't had a lot of time like this since I came to Lunerra. So, I did my best to make the most of it.
The days… slowly turned into weeks.
One day, on a normal Thursday evening, shortly after our training session with the professor had ended... I was still swinging the sword, despite being told to rest, when I involuntarily paused.
The sword fell from my hand, or rather I let go of it, and it made a metallic sound as it hit the ground. My eyes widened. I felt my whole body relaxing and warming up as if I had been immersed in a hot spring.
I closed my rapidly widening eyes, sat cross-legged on the ground, and focused on this sensation. My mana reserves were already full, under normal circumstances they should not have been able to hold more, but despite this, the mana in the atmosphere slowly began to enter my body.
There was also a strange sensation enveloping my body, which became more pronounced as the free-flowing mana suddenly followed this sensation.
The mana slowly seeped into my muscles, flowed with the blood in my veins, entered my bones, and continued on its way. Every cell of my body absorbed this mana as if it were slowly vacuuming it up. After ten minutes, the feeling of comfort in my body began to give way to pain.
I kept my body in as relaxed a position as possible, gritting my teeth against the pain that was not only slowly turning into agony but increasing exponentially, but I let the mana move freely inside my body and continue to perform the process.
Fifteen minutes...
When the pain became unbearable, my first thought was to activate my ability, but I didn't touch it, fearing that if I used it my mana flow would be disrupted. It was already passively doing what it could on its own. And yet every minute that passed was slowly turning into torture.
Twenty minutes passed, and then I suddenly stopped breathing. The flow of mana in my body was suddenly disrupted. I felt something hot rising from my throat, I had to bend forward to cough, and the blood came out of my mouth with it. My sweat had spread across the floor, beyond what my clothes could hold. I looked like I had come back from the dead, but I didn't care.
Because what happened was the opposite of 'death', it was the beginning of a rebirth.
A notification fell in front of me.
<<------------------------------
Congratulations! You have reached D- grade. Your body has now begun to exceed the limit that humanity has reached passively with the help of mana! Your development will be even more difficult from now on!
You withstood the excess mana released during the ascension for nine minutes and fifty-seven seconds!
Your stamina stat has increased by one rank! In addition, the side effects of the new increase in your general level will last for a shorter period of time and your body will be able to get closer to the mana more easily!
Congratulations! Your [Mana Expert(E+)] mastery has increased to D-!
------------------------------>>
Notifications didn't stop.
<<------------------------------
You have received special rewards for having a contract with a spirit!
It has been discovered that the spirit you have contracted is of a special lineage and that you also possess the [The One Who is Close to Spirits(A)] skill! Your development and achievements will change accordingly!
Congratulations! Your [The One Who is Close to Spirits(A)] skill has been improved to A+ grade! Congratulations! Your [Spirit Magic: Wind Elementalist(E+)] mastery has increased to D-! Congratulations! You have learned the [Spiritual Ascension(C+)] skill!
------------------------------>>
After reading the notifications, I quickly imagined my status window and another blue-colored window appeared in front of me.
<<------------------------------
--Personal Information
Name: Aiden (Ethan)
Last Name: Tenebra (Subter)
Race: Human/Wiera
Age: 18
--???-- ???: %3,2
--Statistics--
General Level: D-
Strength: E+
Agility: E+
Vitality: D-
Endurance: E
Luck: E+
Magic Power: D-
Mana Efficiency: E+
Charm: E
--Status Effects--
Abnormal Status Effect: [Divided Soul] -- [Body Dissonance] -- [???]
--Chaos--
Devotion: Greed
Status: Representative Candidate
Grade: D-
Control Tolerance: E-
Limit E+
Authority: [Chains of Sin(D-)]
--Masteries--
[Swordsmanship(E+)] -- [Mana Expert(D-)] -- [Spirit Magic: Wind Elementalist(D-)] -- [Flame Elementalist(D-)]
--Active Skills--
[Mana Barrier(E)] -- [Ice Thorns(E+)] -- [Spiritual Ascension(C+)]
--Passive Skills--
[The One Who is Close to Spirits(A+)] -- [Absolute Mind(A-)]
------------------------------>>
A grin appeared on my face. I just let myself fall to the floor and looked up at the ceiling. Then my grin slowly widened.
"Ahahaha! I did it, I finally reached D- grade!"
Normally I shouldn't have reached this now because my body wasn't quite ready for it. That was because only two of my stats were D- grade yet.
The more stats someone has, the easier it is for that person's general level to rise to that grade. Normally, when someone raises three of their other stats, except for charm and luck, to the required level, they start to expect an increase in their general level. At four, this probability increases even more, and so on. Usually with four stats the general level increases and that's what really improves the body.
With only two stats, and considering that both of them have recently reached D- grade, it's really rare for the general level to go up a grade, and I've achieved that. Not only that, I've achieved a lot more than a normal person would have achieved because of what I've done in the past.
And now that I'm finally a D- rank, I can use the Sith's fusion with my mana for a while without any backlash! The Spiritual Ascension skill is the thing that happens, I was only able to use it on my own because I knew this information beforehand.
Ascension skills are really powerful, rare skills and I now officially have one of them!
However, no matter how much I tried to calm myself down, I couldn't keep the grin off my face. I paused, though, as an idea occurred to me.
In order to raise one's general level, one's body has to be adapted to it. It slowly improves through hardships, battles won or lost, and so on.
So... is it because I'm a wiera and because of what I've been through so far that I was able to raise my general level early?
I clicked my tongue and the smirk I had just shown was slowly replaced by a puckered expression.
Yes, I'm happy that my general level has gone up, but... when I think about why it went up this early, I can't focus too much on that happiness for some reason. Doesn't this thing that happened... show that I've suffered too much physically?
And... the grades on the chaos tab have also gone up. So, I've become stronger not only as a human but also as a wiera, which determines my proximity to caora.
'What are you thinking about again?'
"It's just... I thought of something useless. Never mind, it doesn't matter."
Sith floated down and landed on my head. Then just waited there silently.
I let out a deep sigh.
"I was just a little annoyed when I realized that the reason I increased my general level early was because I suffered more than normal humans and I'm not even fully human. And that's not the only thing that went up, things under the Chaos tab went up too. It's... even more frustrating, it's like it's emphasizing to me that half of my body is not human."
'Hmm, I have nothing to say to that.'
"I thought you were going to give a motivational speech."
'Do you need me to?'
Sith smiled slightly, then continued.
'You know more than most people I've seen in my lifetime, Aiden. To a degree that I cannot fathom. I might be able to motivate you, yes, but I don't think it's going to make any difference. Aside from the fact that you're in more pain than normal people, I'm sure you already have many solutions for what's wrong with your body. I'm sure of it.'
He's not wrong, actually. I do indeed have more than one idea in my head to become 'human' again. But all of them... they require me to become extremely strong. It could and will take me years to get to that point. Maybe I'll never even get there, I don't know.
But it's not impossible, and even if the odds are one in a million, I definitely want to hold on to it.
"You're right, but I think a motivational speech would make me happier."
'I'm sorry, I'm not sure how to motivate you when I don't even know what's going on in your head. I don't really like the "you can do it, you'll do it" kind of talk.
We have something in common, huh...
"Anyway, thanks."
I quickly stood up from the floor, and as I did so, Sith quickly took to the air, this time settling on my shoulder.
"At least I'm closer to my goals now."
I can slowly start some of the things I have planned. This increase in my general level has definitely helped me a lot.
Although... I'd better take a shower first. I stink of sweat.
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