Level Up Legacy Chapter 31
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Arthur always considered his mana to be supplied from elsewhere. He was under the impression that he was borrowing it from the outside, just like a game. This misconception was because of his Legacy, as it felt like this strength was not his own. However, he realized how faulty his understanding was. He kept using mana as a currency while it was a part of his body, drastically reducing its efficiency.
There was another way to use mana other than abilities or skills, and that was enhancing. Mana is a type of energy that has appeared alongside the first dungeons in the world, and that's why many of its properties were a mystery. However, it was believed that each person had a body and the lifeforce that moved it. After much research, this life force was a type of mana as well.
In theory, mana can even resurrect the dead if they haven't been lost for a long time. However, that remained in theory as no one was ever able to replace life forces with mana. There seemed to be a link between a person's lifeforce, mana, and the person himself. Once that link has been lost, the mana would leave the body.
Since lifeforce was a type of mana, that meant everyone had mana. That was, in fact, inaccurate. Mana was the name given to the energy a person could add to their body, on top of their lifeforce. That's why non-awakeners were called as such because they had no awareness of mana, even if their lifeforce was mana as well.
The common knowledge about abilities was the same. Even if Arthur was uneducated, he would still use other methods to increase his knowledge. One such method was the internet, allowing him to access information with public-access.
If mana was the energy of the world, then people were the filtering gates mana would go through. As each person was unique in their way, their body would manifest mana differently. Some people would control flames when they tried using mana, others would have their body's functions amplified, turn a person invisible, and even communicating with other dimensions like summoners. Abilities were versatile and unique for each person, usually inherited but mutations could occur with a child having a different ability than his parents.
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Then came the raw use of mana, as weapons and other tools were normal unless they were artifacts or magical tools, a person had to use their mana to enhance his weapon or coat his body. This was invented by a powerful person whose ability was unsuitable for battle or industry a hundred years ago. The person was able to control mana so efficiently that he could contend with powerful ability users.
It was then that mana control and usage was spread among the public since it gave people with non-combat abilities the hope of being able to hunt and defend themselves in this chaotic world. Arthur wanted to learn the basics by himself, and that was the main task on today's agenda.
As he closed his eyes, he tried to sense the mana inside of his body. As it has reached 30 by now, it was hard to not notice its existence even if he tried. Like a gentle flame in his body, the mana moved and flickered inside of his abdomen. The mana was linked to his lifeforce, greatly enhancing it. That was why awakened people lived longer than others while looking a lot more youthful.
Using the link that he imagined in his mind, Arthur urged the mana to different parts of his body. As if pulling a boat while swimming, he felt like his mana was met with resistance. It was his lack of control over his mana, as well as the weakness of the link his body had. Because this link was unused for almost all of his life, Arthur had a weak control of it. If he was more knowledgeable, he'd have a better grasp of how to use this link and what it was called. However, he was simply a person who has just recently awakened. He didn't have the time to have proper education about mana or abilities, reling on himself to learn things throughout his jobs.
Arthur felt mentally tired after trying to move the mana to different parts of his body. Although it was a gentle energy, harmonizing with nature itself, Arthur had no control over it. If others could pull their mana as they wished like pulling a rope, then Arthur felt like he had a thin thread. As soon as he tried to tug on that thread too hard, the link would scatter and his mana wouldn't move. He'd have to concentrate again for him to use it.
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For his next goal, Arthur decided to kill the violet-gem goblin ant. To achieve that, he would have to learn the proper use of mana, even at a beginner level. There were no shortcuts around this that he knew, nor did he have skills regarding mana control. He'd have to exercise daily to strengthen his link. As he was tired right now, he decided to rest.
Opening his eyes, Arthur found that it was pre-noon. As he still had some time before lunch, he wanted to test a few more things. He closed his eyes and sensed his mana as he tried activating his camouflage skill. He felt a portion of his mana leave his body and envelop it. This time, Arthur felt his mana leave his body through somewhere else from his 'consciousness.' If his mana was the target of his link, and his awareness being the origin of the link, then the skills were an intermediate between his awareness and his mana. If Arthur had to visualize it, then his skills were like gates that filtered mana. His awareness gave commands to these gates and they would drain mana and produce and manifest that mana into the world.
Arthur did another experiment with his runes. He used the Strength-I rune while he focused on his mana. Unlike before when he tried pulling mana directly, there were route-like pathways that his mana could travel in and the rune would be manifested this way.
All of this was novel to Arthur as he never studied them, but he found the difference simply fascinating. Why would these three things have different ways to manifest? What was the difference between abilities and skills, other than the former being simply instinctive? He felt that they were linked somehow, but one was simply 'artificially' made and one being inborn with the person.
There was a reason that abilities were a lot more preferred than skills. First was mana usage. Skills used more mana. For example, his F rank Poison strike used 2/30 of his mana. However, his strength amplification used 1/30. The same could be said about his Protection-I, which had an evolving feature along with his strength, as it would simply drain 10/100 of his strength in terms of mana. These runes were versatile but they were also cost-efficient, and Arthur attributed this to the 'pathways' his body had that could manifest his ability.
He had spent hours simply trying to get a better grasp of his mana that he even forgot his hunger. Arthur stood up and brought out a primitive creature he hunted yesterday, bled, skinned, and skewered for today's meals. It was one of a boar that had horns radiating electricity. The funny thing is that because of this ability, it looked like a furball with all of its fur standing erect. Arthur decided to start eating monsters of primitive grade because he thought their meat would be more enriched with mana.
As he watched Kira grilling the meat, Arthur felt affectionate toward his new friend. If it wasn't for it, Arthur would have faced a lot of inconvenience and danger. Even more, he would have probably starved.
As he watched the flames cooking the meat away, Arthur remembered what Solomon told him. Everything here was summoned from elsewhere, and maybe that's why he met Kira again. What exactly happened that had led them to be summoned here? It was only a few days between his meeting of young Kira and the trial. However, since time here was frozen, he had no way of explaining things right now. Maybe this was a portion of the future or maybe Kira got here a lot of time before he did, he didn't know.
Arthur studied the scars on Kira's body as he imagined the blood and death it had to walk through to survive. Did it deserve this? Solomon's words rang again in his head.
'Every thirty years, monsters are summoned from the outside world. They are then trapped here until they kill or get killed, what fate is this?'
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Re:Shard - Due to RL issuse uploading is very slow, but still undergoing and not yet dead
An abusive bastard of a father and a mother who never cared. A life in crime, used as a human shield and an assassin and what not. Our main charter’s life is not the best. But he doesn’t complain, he has seen worse after all the is the one to deliver it to others. So his death doesn't come as a surprise, but what comes after does!Cast into a world of magic and monsters, how will he fare in his new life?Cover: [The Ice Barrier] by Horriso.NOTE: This story is for MATURE readers only meaning 18+ (Or what counts as mature in your country!), It is NOT a story for the faint of heart.It contains violence, gore, evil, sexual content + rape - might put them as spoilers, for thoses who want to semi skip them. Utterly brutal and vile. Murder, Slavery etc.2th Note: This is my first posted fantasy story. English is not my first langue. So there will be grammar poops along the way. Will try my very best not to get to much of it in. Will try to get at least one chapter in each week hopefully more.
8 341The Jianghu
Authors note: I appreciate feedback! Part of the reason I am releasing my chapters here is to benefit from reader feedback. If you have the time, please leave a review! Brian has lost everything he has ever held dear. Everyone who cared for him has died, in the most tragic manner possible. He no longer knows what to do. He sees no hope for the future in a world where anyone he loves will die. What is the point in trying in this reality if it all leads to sadness?And then along came the Ingenium, the worlds first true Virtual Reality device. And The Jianghu, a Wuxia-themed Virtual Reality MMO, came with it. Brian doesn't understand it yet, but he feels that both are connected with his dead parents and Uncle Jie. With the intent of figuring out what that connection is, or at least forgetting about his tragedy, he enters The Jianghu.
8 132Bonfire of Souls
Volume I - The Last Great Race The Empire has endured over a thousand years since the fall of great human civilizations. Its cities are cut off from the world through walls and connected by railways. It is steeped in a very militaristic culture and cannot be any other way: Outside the walls, the Infected are waiting, controlled by a mysterious disease that strengthens and turn them extremely agressive.The rules of sucession do not follow primogeniture, instead up to six of the Emperor's children may chose to participate in a Great Race to control of the Capital, as well as elimination or surrender of all other candidates.In the Golden Cage, all children of the Emperor enjoy plenty, security and pleasure, but are almost completely shut off from any interaction with the outside. Tired of that life, Lia has decided to risk her life and participate as the sixth candidate in the upcoming Great Race. She was given a city govern and accumulate forces, she has found close allies.However, does she have the willingness and ability to pay the price needed to sit on the Throne? Volume II - The Grand Hunt Benjamin is not satisfied with his current life in the Empire. The life within Walls are almost suffocating. Seeking freedom, he risks his life by joining the Army of Prince Charles as the Great Race begins, deserting once they arrive at Destroia, the gate to the Wildlands. What will he find in strange lands, filled with stranger people?
8 236Death's Son Desire
Esried, a young man hunted by those in power, struggling to find his place in the world. A world filled with knights, elves, magic, and more. Will he survive the reality that is life? Or will he succumb to its woes and become the evil that hunts him.
8 240The Shrine of a Thousand Kings
The Shrine of a Thousand Kings is a dark fantasy novel with a steampunk and low magic setting. It follows the adventures of Carlos, a vagrant with a mysterious past who finds himself in the industrial/mining city of Godsprings. Armed with a job offer and free room and board at the Blitz inn, his luck seems to have turned around. Yet this fortune quickly deteriorates as Carlos soon finds himself embroiled in the corruption, evil, and magic that beats at the heart of the cursed city of Godsprings. (The cover is a temporary placeholder)
8 135The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is an American children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow, originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900. It has since been reprinted on numerous occasions, most often under the title The Wizard of Oz, which is the title of the popular 1902 Broadway musical as well as the iconic 1939 musical film adaptation. The story chronicles the adventures of a young farm girl named Dorothy in the magical Land of Oz, after she and her pet dog Toto are swept away from their Kansas home by a cyclone. The novel is one of the best-known stories in American literature and has been widely translated. Its groundbreaking success and the success of the Broadway musical adapted from the novel led Baum to write thirteen additional Oz books that serve as official sequels to the first story.
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