"Are you Kayafe?" I ask, trying to maintain the connection. I was blowing through my reserves very fast.

"Yes, Who are you?"

"I am Alysara"

"Alysara. You are the first to have come to talk to me. How are the Runalymo? Are they safe? Are they doing well?" Kayafe asks, sounding apprehensive.

"Yes, we've recently had a few disasters but we are managing. It could have been a lot worse"

"Disasters what kind? Are we being invaded?" Kayafe sounds worried.

"No, first it was a series of bad storms, and recently a monster nest, but we dealt with the nest"

"I see, no other race has come for us? No humans or elves?"

"No one even knows what those are," I say. I knew but I'm an outlier. I check my mana reserves about thirty thousand left.

"Good, that's very good, they are very powerful and cruel beings, many other races are too. Stay in the Nexus, most of them can't handle the mana toxicity it's why we chose this place despite the little amount of food available. Sorry for that by the way, it must be hard." Kayafe says with remorse.

"We are doing fine. We've found ways to cultivate fruit and the Domrs provide meat, also there's an island that lets us farm the new monsters. I don't have a lot of time left so can you tell me how the Mana Arc was created? Perhaps in time, we can make another so you can be freed?"

"I appreciate the thought, but I doubt you have the capabilities to. You'd need an empowered skill that can make a nexus gem and know how to influence magic item creation; a minimum of five hundred levels is what you should be aiming for, even then I had to act as the catalyst for the gem to form as a magic item"

"I have Mana Manipulation with twenty-two breakthroughs, and I can get several more if I wanted"

"You do?! That's impressive, you must have a very powerful caster class, but why haven't you gotten more breakthroughs? Trying to cap the levels?"

Twenty thousand mana left.

"It's a cursed skill, I also have [Sense Mana] over two hundred with twenty-four breakthroughs so that has helped me a lot. Is there any way you know of that can remove curses?" I try to hold down my hope, to not let it get too high.

"It's impressive that your [Sense Mana] is even that high, I was only able to get that skill to twenty-five breakthroughs. Curses can be removed but cursed skills aren't exactly the same, theoretically, it's possible, just a lot more rooted and would require other things. Mana Manipulation is the best of its type that I know of, it's actually the one I have but if it's not also a class skill I'm not sure if you can help me"

Fifteen thousand mana left

"How do you remove normal curses? What are examples of normal curses?" I need every little bit of information I can get. Perhaps I could ask the Guardian but I'm here right now and Kayafe may know more.

"Curses are varied, from cursed beings like undead and cannibals to hexes and defiling rituals. Look for expert witches and users of curse magic, they'll be able to teach you more"

Ten thousand left

"What exactly is it that curses skills?"

"Curses are very dangerous because it involves the soul. Normally the soul barrier would prevent it from taking root too deeply, but skills bypass this. Curses are a very specific type of soul magic it warps ectoplasm into a weapon with strange effects, a cursed skill damages your soul and small fragments of your ectoplasm infiltrate the skill, causing side effects. Surely you already know not to take cursed classes and evolutions, or maybe you always thought it unsafe but if you take a curse class the cursed skill will dig deeper into your soul and will entirely rip apart your soul. Magic will warp your body into a monster and your body will become a mindless, soulless monster seeking destruction of everything around it."

Six thousand left

"Then how does cannibalism work? That doesn't involve the soul so, why?"

"It does, race skills and magic are also contained in ectoplasm, consuming the flesh also consumes traces of that ectoplasm"

"So, if you have a curse that transforms your reserves and it transforms it into someone else's unique mana it's safe?"

"As long as it doesn't contain ectoplasm it's safe"

Two thousand left.

"Times up, thank you, Kayafe"

"No, Thank you, now I can rest knowing my efforts aren't wasted"

My mana ran out the connection ended.

She was a lot more knowledgeable than the Guardian. The stories told that she had allies, I wonder if one of them was a soul mage?

In any case, I think I understand curses a lot more. Cannibalism works because skills and classes are stored in ectoplasm or something and the mana attracts, combining your mana with another but the ectoplasm takes a ride with it. If this is the case then my [Mana Manipulation] should be safe to use on anyone, but even if that's the case I don't want to risk it. Kayafe may have known a lot of things but she clearly isn't a soul mage and doesn't know the details or how it works. I need to figure these things out myself.

Perhaps I could examine my soul with [Astral Projection], see what's really going on? I don't think mana, soul, and ectoplasm, are all the same thing, hell, I don't think mana and magic are exactly the same things. Mana does certainly fuel magic but that doesn't mean one is the other.

I stepped down from the pyramid, thinking about everything I've learned. I still have many things to ask, many things to talk about, but I can save that for later.

Kayafe has the same skills I do. [Mana Manipulation] and [Sense Mana]. Both of her's are higher too. The Guardian had once said she met with someone with over five hundred levels in [Mana Manipulation] was that Kayafe? She did mention needing five hundred levels to make the Mana Arc.

Where can I find an expert soul mage? But I don't think a soul mage uses mana, they use ectoplasm or something of that nature. Maybe if I get [Sense Soul]? If the really does lie in ectoplasm then why hasn't a soul or curse mage already figured out how to remove cursed skills? It's definitely a direction I need to look into but it could just be a red herring.

I went into the temple. The ceiling is held up by rows of beautiful and intricately designed pillars, a stark contrast to the damaged and weathered pillars at the top. Myrou gold decorated the pillars, accenting their design. Rooms branches out from the main hall archways with the same designs as the pillars serves as entrances to the rooms. At the back of the main hall stands the Likeness of Myrou. I step to Dad's side, she was staring intently at the statue, fully absorbed into her state of perception.

I took this opportunity to examine the statue. The surface perfectly resembles Myrou when I first met her, but inside the statue is a dizzying matrix of fused Creativity and Beauty essences. The two mana's are fully fused in a perfect blend but what's more is a hint of unique mana, Myrou's unique mana. The matrix shifts and pulses of mana circulate throughout the statue. It seemed as if made of metal but the mana resembles that of the solid mana like the fire mana around the pyramid.

There was only one person I know who could have made this, someone who wanted to declare this place as theirs and had the skills and power to do so, Kayafe. It's possible it could have been made by someone else but to forge mana into a solid state and to do it at this degree of level one would almost need to sense the mana in some way, not to mention they'd need to have know Myrou's form, at least the form she has chosen to represent herself.

Could I do the same thing if given the time and opportunity? Something like this may qualify as a legendary action, one that could be attributed to my [Mana Manipulation], giving me the necessary legendary point needed to empower the skill and perhaps free Kayafe. Or maybe making a storm calming Mana Arc. Perhaps I could make several Mana Arcs or improve the current one. Who knows what's possible with empowered skills.

"You ready, Aly?" Dad says, finally noticing my presence.

"Yeah," I nod. I wanted to take a look into the dungeon but I have enough on my mind for now. We still have lots of things to work with, spell crystals, airships, Study mana to raise my breakthrough levels, find a way to improve my evolutions.

I've actually been thinking about that one. If I continue to pursue the Two Tailed Wise Runalymo evolution as I have stumbled into doing then not only will I get a good evolution but I can help my people. There's just one downside, it seems potentially influenced by [Mana Manipulation] so I should do my best to not get any more levels in it. After I get the Evolution then it should be safe.

We walked back to the pier and got on the boat to go back home.

"Aly, It is very dangerous to train up a resistance skill," Dad says, rowing the boat back.

"I know, the Guardian didn't tell me that she was going to do it, but I am grateful that she did. Being immune to Mana Toxicity has led to many new insights and opportunities."

"Just don't make a habit of it; okay Aly?" Dad gave a sigh. "I don't think I can take the worry"

"That's why I took the class I did, I'd rather not be in a position where I'd need those skills either," I say, leaning back in the boat.

"The Inter village Kheshamo tournaments are going to start soon, do you want to participate?"

"My class isn't really built for something like that, without my Kyhosa I can't last in a battle and I'd lose about half my power"

"Your Bond is one of the highest level among all the fighters, and you have a Bond class so your power should be equal or maybe higher than them, not to mention your current level is only on the lower end of the average"

I could just use the time to study mana, with my ability to move my perception I can still study the liquid mana. Or I could use the time to talk with Kayafe again. I haven't even sparred with Chyzu's other apprentices. Well, I suppose I could try a sparring match or two, and tomorrow there'll be an inter dojo sparring match.

"I'll think about it" I give a non-committal answer.

We soon arrive home.

"You're late!" Mom says as we entered the shop, pointing at a backlog of customer requests. "We have a lot of work to do, Aly you help too" I groan.

I don't have same skills so I'm relegated to a helper. I'll also have to manage new customers too and generally have to be everywhere at once... Actually, with my clone, I can. My clone still can't speak but I can use [Echo of Reality] to fill that role now. Plus this will give me a chance for my clone to be useful, it's just been a cool gimmick so far, I want it to be actually useful like pick things up and generally act as a second body once it evolves.

As I stood at the counter I look over my General skills.

General skill 1: Tailoring. 94/100

General skill 2: Pain Tolerance 19/30

General skill 3: Soul Damage Reduction 1/10

General skill 4: Mana Toxicity Tolerance 110/110

General skill 5: Acting 49/60

General skill 6: Musician 110/120

General skill 7: Graceful Movements 39/60

General skill 8: Twin Minds 44/50

General skill 9: Clear Mind 2/10

General skill 10:

I want [Sense Soul], I need to be able to see what is going on in my soul, figure out what's really happening. Looking at this I can see some baggage. [Pain Tolerance] isn't something I really plan to work on, in short, if I'm in pain I fucked up. I'm not planning to be in any situation wherein I feel pain so for that reason this skill is on the chopping block. However, [Pain Tolerance] could be the difference between life and death, It's a fail-safe skill in case I am ambushed so for that reason I want to keep it. I'm ultimately divided on this skill and I do have some breakthroughs in it already. In short, I either dump it or level it I can't just ignore it.

[Soul Damage Reduction] is something I honestly forgot how I got. It happened when I first got the cursed skills but I don't know why I got it. It's level one and no breakthroughs. That said, it's one of the few defensive skills a dragon would need to get so maybe it's worth keeping. However, if I am in a position where I am taking soul damage I fucked up. I'm basically built as an artillery mage I don't get even in medium-range but I won't always have the luxury of choosing my battles. It would be best to replace this skill with one that I can use to gain distance. Also, I can use [Mana Manipulation] to cast a defensive spell or my beauty magic to hide.

[Acting] is a jack of all trades skill but I haven't really had time to level it recently. It helps in dealing with people, it helps with financial situations, it helps in a lot of situations where I can be someone else.

[Graceful Movements] has a lot of potentials and is a skill variant so I'd rather have it but in order to get more breakthroughs, I'd have to do drastic things. It helps me dodge and react quickly, it helps me walk elegantly and dance beautifully. There's more potential here and it's generally helpful in many situations.

[Clear Mind] I recently got and it's one of the skills Chyzu mentioned that helps mages cast spells. I rather try it before putting it on the chopping block.

[Twin Minds] has proven itself vital in so many situations I would not dare remove it.

[Tailoring] is my profession and it works well with mana weaving and enchanting, it has so many uses in being able to make and repair armor if I am ever in a situation where I can't normally get armor.

[Musician] is one that honestly doesn't do much right now but with some breakthroughs that let it cast spells and magic through music, it has a ton of potential.

This is difficult. I have one skill slot left but two or even three skills that I want. [Persistant State], [Sense Soul], and some kind of distance gaining skill. No matter how I look at it [Soul Damage Reduction] has got to go. It's level one so I'm not really losing anything and I have no real way of leveling it up and gaining more breakthroughs. No one I know of is a soul mage so this skill is just dead weight.