“What happens when they will notice we are not at home anymore?” his auntie asked.

“We can make excuses. They won’t do anything at first. Right now, they are still behaving as if we were living in our old world. Soon, however, they will realize something. And that something is how much freedom the strong ones have. Hell will break loose, and people will engage in the worst act they are capable of; this will last for a while before humanity finally bands together to fight off the monsters. After that, we have at least a few days before anyone will try to lay even a finger on us.”

“And what then?”

Jacob stopped in his tracks and turned toward his aunt Linda.

“Then, we ought to break some fingers to teach them a lesson.”

…

After half an hour, Jacob had already gathered quite a few herbs. It would take years for humans to notice the real value of some spiritual plants. And right now, he was the only one in the entire world with an in-depth knowledge of magical herbology.

“That one is highly poisonous,” Jacob went over the plant and, with great care, plucked it from the soil, “it’s called the Mermaid Song because it causes a big deal of hallucinations. But, most importantly, its effect lasts for hours. At our level, it might last for a day or more. And it’s not hard to work with, unlike some other plants we got. Warriors could dispel the effects by applying Qi in the right way; however, no one knows how to do that yet.”

Jacob turned toward his auntie. He noticed a solemn frown on her face.

“Something the matter?”

“No, Jackie… it’s just that, you know, you were never this upfront and self-confident, not even with me.”

Once again, Jacob realized he was not acting his age. He had spent too many years as an adult and now unconsciously acted like one. On top of that, he had reached the peak of Magical and Physical cultivation. In his mind, that’s the person he was, not just a scrawny and sick child.

“Well, you know, I was telling you about these visions from the future. They are, uhm, making me… more adult?”

Jacob did not know how to approach this matter with his aunt. Should he trust her? But what would happen if telling her such an earth-shattering secret would forever ruin their relationship? Jacob was now effectively older than her own auntie Linda. In his eyes, she was almost a child since she had not yet been exposed to the harsh life of this new world.

“Okay, Jackie. Don’t worry. Take your time. I imagine these… visions must take a toll on you. Seeing so many things must be hard. Did you want to teach me anything, by the way? You mentioned it ten or twenty minutes ago.”

Jacob nodded. Walking through the forest was exhausting for him, so he must have momentarily forgotten. He needed to teach his auntie a Cultivation Technique: and since she had an excellent talent for Magic and a very poor one for Qi, he knew exactly what to pick.

“Cultivation Techniques are based on Qi and Mana. Magic and Martial prowess are the results of these two. So you can see Qi as Physical aptitude, which is the base of Martial prowess. In the same way, Mana is the root of all Magic.”

Jacob tried to be very thorough with his explanation. In fact, it would be hard for someone not used to such a system to understand it at first.

However, when he looked at his auntie’s eyes, she did not seem fazed one bit by his words.

Good, I guess? I hope she’s not faking it. She needs to understand how all of this works.

“And?” asked his aunt Linda impatiently.

“Qi works for Martial Techniques. Mana works for Magic Spells. Each Technique or Spell can be stronger or weaker based on many factors. For example, a Fireball is stronger if someone is more proficient with magic, higher in Magic levels, or more compatible with Fire Magic. Based on your Cultivation Technique, your Qi and Mana will develop an Affinity.”

“Qi, Techniques. Mana, Spells, Affinity. Gotcha.”

His auntie Linda gave him a big thumb up.

“Nothing new,” she added in a whisper.

“Did you say something else?”

“No, no. Please go ahead.”

“Anyway, people do have a natural affinity of their own. So pairing that with the right Cultivation Technique will achieve the best results”, Jacob said.

He already knew his aunt’s Affinity. But, while checking her talent, he had also felt it.

“You have a natural affinity for Fire and Earth, with a minor one for Crystal Minerals, to be specific. The last one is a very defensive Affinity. Fire and Earth can be combined into a Magma specialization later on; however, that would take much training and expertise. For now, Fire to attack, Earth to defend. They can each be used for attack and defense, but it’s better to learn a few Spells and focus on the Affinities’ strong points. For example, fire is less apt at defending. Earth can be used for attacking, but it’s less effective than fire in almost all cases.”

“So, what do we start with?” Linda asked excitedly.

“I’ll impart you a Cultivation Technique. It’s going to be a bit hard since I don’t have much Qi at the moment. I could use Mana, but I don’t have that either. Anyway, stay still and relax as much as possible. This is the fastest way since you don’t know the right languages at the moment.”

There was a multitude of ancient scripts and languages Jacob was proficient with. Humanity had needed to transcribe and learn how to speak those to use the first Cultivation Technique they found in all the ancient ruins and mysterious places that popped out from nowhere.

Jacob had studied for countless years every single piece of knowledge in existence thanks to the Plate. His knowledge was boundless; it was as big and incredible as his body was weak and frail.

He put a hand over his aunt’s head and started chanting in a low voice. Since his aunt didn’t have the time to learn a new language on the spot, he would just pass the cultivation technique to her mind. It was not complicated nor complex. On the contrary, it was one of the first techniques humanity had discovered after only a few unlucky accidents.

Don’t mess with Qi and brains at home, kids. It can get very nasty.

Jacob took just ten seconds or so to transfer the knowledge of this cultivation technique. It had been discovered – and later improved – by one of the most powerful sorceress in the world.

Jane Dabrowski, the Volcano Queen.

She had been just a Polish exchange student in the US during the change. She was one of the few survivors in New York. She had found some ancient ruin in the subway system right under Brooklyn. Somehow, she got out of that with an incredibly powerful Cultivation Technique and a sorcerer’s tome full of mighty spells and magic teachings.

Jacob had fought alongside her in his past life when he had finally been able to overcome his shortcomings.

Jacob was sure Jane wouldn’t mind him teaching it to his aunt. They had pretty much the same Magical aptitude and low Physical aptitude.

“This Cultivation Technique is called the Hell Devouring Devil Cultivation Technique. It’s focused on Magic and brings out the best qualities for Magic users. On top of that, its Affinities are Earth and Fire. Therefore, it should be the best suited for you.”

His aunt slowly opened her eyes, where a red glowing spark flashed for a second.

“I can now cultivate and become stronger.”

It was not a question.