Part 1

“Ahh for fuck’s sake if it keeps going like this my arms are literally gonna fall off!”

I screamed while throwing myself on my bed wearing nothing but a towel. Only the dim light of the morning sun shone through the window lighting up my bare wet body. I had just finished my morning cold shower, forced on me by master Kyrven, and shouted out my complaints pent up from the continuous training. It had been six month already since master Kyrven started living with us and I had undergone changes both physically and in terms of capabilities. My body was now a lot more developed: my arms were stronger and more solid, a pretty nice six pack was starting to shyly show itself, my hands were full of calluses and I had a whole lot more stamina than before. This was all thanks to father’s training, he still called it the “basic requirements for a swordsman” but in my eyes it was a pretty darn hellish training. I had yet to learn any sword style so the training was still focused on improving my physique and fixing my form.

Training with father sure put a heavy strain on my body but the real problem was master’s training. Not only I had to concentrate to the point where I developed a resistance against headaches but also my body was continuously in a state of exhaustion and full of bruises or cuts. Master was really relentless. His training method was mainly focused on one sole thing: fighting.

In the morning me and master would travel through the west gate and go to the same empty place where I fought with the wolves. There we would fight with magic. Well it was mostly a one sided fight with master always beating me up and scolding me for not being able to perform well enough.

Master Kyrven was smart, just from looking at the fight with the wolves he understood my instinctively fighting style, described with his words it was “a mix of everything from close combat to long distance with the ability to modify spells”. At first I thought that such a description was kinda offensive, it felt like he was mocking me, but the more I fought with him the more I understood his words. My fighting style was unique. Mages usually make the most of the long distance while swordsmans fight in the close quarters. I was a hybrid. A mage with the moves of a swordsman who could manage both long and close distance. Shortly: unpredictable.

To make it simple a mage’s training is focused mainly on one of the three categories of spell: attack, defence and utility. Because of my unique style, master Kyrven decided to train me in all three of them at the same time. So my training consisted in attacking master and trying to hit him, defend against master’s attacks and dodge all of master’s attacks.

During those six months I didn't advance in tier, at least formally, since master chose to focus on my ability to create and modify spells which, he stated, was my most powerful weapon. Thanks to that I actually managed to learn, create and use some advanced tier spells. I could not be considered an advanced tier mage but I didn't really care that much about it.

Modifying attack spells was not too difficult. For example I could modify “stone pillar” to a spell similar to “iron spear”, I created the spell “fire pit” by covering the ground with a veil of flames with a radius of five to six meters at most that dispersed only in my proximity. I was even able to give forms to my stone spells, for example swords, lances or simply rocks to throw. They were still not stable and strong enough to withstand more than a couple of swings and they were still rough forms, far different from the real ones, but were still useful on certain occasions.

While modifying attack spells turned out decently well done I had a lot of problems with defence magic. I wasn't able to modify the form of the spell but only it’s magic output. I could make shields able to sustain more damage and barriers had their nerfs powered up but I wasn't able to change the shape of the shield or the effects of the barriers, least of all create a whole new spell. It was frustrating but mages have their affinities so even master did not seem to care much about it. Guess that defense magic wasn't really my thing.

Unexpectedly what I was mostly inclined was utility magic, especially boosts. Healing magic was not my thing either, probably because the medical knowledge from my past life was in conflict with the process on which healing spells work. Either way, boost magic was what I was more suited for. My specialty? Something that I called “battle boosts”: a series of boosts that focused on increasing my physical performance. My repertoire included speed boosts, strength boosts, armor boosts and a couple of unique boosts that I created.

It was thanks to the boosts that my unique style took form, without them rushing in close quarters would spell suicide for any mage.

Even thanks to all of this I was never able to beat master Kyrven. His strength was on a whole other level: his spells were precise, his shields were strong, his movements nimble and purposeful. Everything he did was astonishing, it looked as if he was not fighting but dancing. I only had respect for that man. Also his punches packed an insane amount of brute strength to them, at first I thought he was using some kind of boost but it turned out I was wrong.

Even after six months of hard work I was still far away from even being half as good as master Kyrven.

[Mhh I wonder how should I fight him today? Should I use one of the unique boosts? Nah better not risk it, those two are not ready yet, he is gonna beat the hell out of me if something goes wrong and I fail miserably hahaha!]

I stood up from the bed and walked towards my wardrobe, picked up my training outfit now ruined and full of patches and walked through the door.

“Oi Raphael-kun how long is it gonna take? Breakfast is getting cold!”

Master Kyrven’s voice could be heard from upstairs. He was one of the first to wake up in the morning so, after some intensive cooking lessons with mother, he took the habit of propearing breakfast.

I walked down the stairs and sat at my usual place.

“And who’s fault is it that I have to take a cold shower every damn morning?”

“Oh well but that wakes you up at least!”

“Not in a pleasant way!”

“What? Would you prefer being kissed by a cute girl who brings you breakfast right on the bed?”

“Mhh now that I think about it doesn't actually sound bad! Definitely better than being forced to take a cold shower”

“Pff sometimes I can't even believe that you are six! You sound like an old man”

[If only you knew that by now I should be something around 34 years old!]

“Anyway, where's mother?”

“She left early and went to the medic to have the baby checked out”

“Mhh should we wait until she comes back?”

“Nah she said we can leave”

This was big news for me. In my previous life I had no brothers or sisters and I grew up kinda lonely. I had always wished for a little sister or brother to look after and finally I had that chance. Mother was two months pregnant.

It actually came out as a shock since the medics told her that it would be almost impossible for her to have another child after me. Against those odds she was now bearing a little brother or sister. Because of that father was now able to leave work a little bit sooner so he could cook for us instead of her. We all, master Kyrven included, tried to help her as much as we could. For a reason or another we were all worried about something.

“Oh by the way Raphael-kun, lately our fights have become a little monotone right?”

“Monotone for you! I am finally close to beating you so for me the fight’s still on!”

“Determined as ever I see hahaha! Good! But today I got something in program. How about we step up a notch?”

“I told you, I will always be ready for everything you throw my way! What is it?”

“Hahaha get ready, today I’ll teach you a little trick of my village!”

He rarely spoke about his origins and when he did it was to make a comparison with his strength. He said he was weak for his village standards and another reason for his travels was to get stronger. He told me that the people from his village were litteral beasts when it came to fighting and had techniques that many strong mages only dream about.

Hearing him saying that he’d teach me something from his village meant that I was about to experience something both extremely painful and unique. I couldn't miss a lesson like this!

I was totally fired up to the point that I finished my breakfast in a matter of seconds and got ready to set foot for our training grounds.

Part 2

As we reached the place we sat down under the shadow of a tree. It wasn't hot but the sky was so clear that not even a single cloud could be spotted on that vast expanse of light blue so the sun’s rays hit as hard as rocks. We sat there for five minutes drinking the equals of my previous life’s energy drinks. It was an awfully tasting mix of some vegetables, sugar and a strange liquid that master Kyrven bought in one of the town’s shops. Even though it tasted awful it was as efficient as ever, the surge of energy that this mix gave wasn't even comparable to my world’s energy drinks.

“So, ready to start?”

Interrupted the sound of crickets master Kyrven voice. He was already standing up and doing a little stretching. It was a habit of his I figured.

“Let’s get down to business!”

I said while standing up. I was still fired up by the fact that master would be teaching me something from his village and I was wondering what kind of powerful magic was it gonna be.

“Good. You know how every living creature possesses mana right?”

“Yes, even monsters have their own mana flow and the more advanced monsters are able to cast simple spells”

“Correct, but how do you define a ‘living creature’?”

“Eeehhmm, something that is alive is to easy of an answer right?”

“Partially”

[What?]

“I don't think I have to tell you this but what I’m going to teach you next is something from my home village so I’d prefer if you don’t talk about it or teach it to anyone, understood?”

“Yes maser!”

“Good. Now let’s get back to your answer. As I previously said it is correct but only partially”

While saying that he used an earth spell to raise a rock about 50 centimeters from the ground up and used it as a chair.

“That’s because it’s too vague of an answer. You see, the land, the trees, the rivers, the mountains are all part of nature and nature is alive. Everything that has not been modified by man possesses mana and is considered alive, even the ground you are standing on right now!”

He paused and looked at me with a serious look in his eyes while holding his sharp chin with his right hand leaning on his knee.

“What I’m about to teach you is something that even some monsters are able to do. I'm going to teach you how to use this natural mana to your advantage!”

I made somewhat of a puzzled face after what master said but he looked quite amused by my expression.

“I guess some more detailed explanations are needed. Tell me how do you cast ‘stone pillar’?”

“Uhh, I think of the shape of the pillar in my mind, adjust the density and the toughness of the material then I send my mana with those informations to the desired place all in a matter of seconds”

“Haaaa that’s it, so you do understand that you send your own mana through the ground to reach the desired place! The downsides of this method is that the further you want your pillar to appear the more mana you have to invest and the time it takes to reach that desired place is considerably higher”

He was actually having fun. Since we started training I never had any problem with his teaching, I was able to catch up quite fast with his lectures but right now I was really struggling to understand what he was trying to say...and he found it amusing.

[Sometimes I really want to punch this fucker!]

“Now, by using natural mana...mhh no, by borrowing natural mana you are able to make up for those two downsides. The quantity of your own mana needed is only the quantity containing the information about shape and material because in this case you don't use your own mana to create that pillar but you borrow some natural mana to do it for you. Also it is way quicker with this method since you don't have to send your own mana through the ground. Obviously this only works for spells of the same nature as the material of that area. For example you can't cast a fire spell using mana borrowed from the ground or a water spell with mana borrowed from the air. Simple right?”

[Simple my ass!]

I was having a really hard time understanding the fact that a caster could be able to borrow mana from his surroundings and basically mix it with his own.

“So correct me if I’m wrong but there are four types of natural mana, right? So the same could be said for the mana inside us?”

“Yes and no. There are four types of natural mana, which are: fire, earth, wind and water; but it’s something different from the mana inside of us. While the natural mana could be considerate rough the mana inside of us people is refined, meaning that it doesn't contain one single element but the ‘base’ of all of them”

“Something like a mold?”

“A mold you say? Mhh yeah I guess it could work as an example, as always you catch on fast”

“Nah master, this time I have some real troubles following everything you say”

“Well it’s understandable, I’m basically revolutionizing all your previous knowledge on the matter. Have you understood everything until now?”

“Yes I got how it works and it’s used in battle but you mentioned something about the fact that some monsters use this technique too, what’s that supposed to mean?”

He had a worried look on his face and he gave off an hesitating feeling, like he wouldn't want to give me the answer. It took him a good minute to finally start speaking again starting with a disheartened sigh.

“Well, monsters have a higher affinity to natural mana manipulation since they are more in contact with nature than humans and other species do. Fact is that their bodies evolved in a certain way that allows them to store some natural mana inside their own mana flow which also facilitates them in the manipulation by mixing directly their own mana with the natural mana stored”

“Does this mean that other species can also store natural mana?”

His expression became a lot more serious all of a sudden.

“Never, and I say never, try to store natural mana in your body. For other species except monsters it’s like poison. It slowly corrupts your mana flow to the point where your body, to recover the lost mana, is being consumed and turned into mana itself. Basically muscles are burned, bones are shattered, blood is evaporated and the skin turns to dust to the point where you first lose your legs, then arms ecc until there's nothing left of you.”

Upon hearing those words my expression also stiffened. Living a life like that is sure to be painful and the sole thought of it made a cold pearl of sweat drip from my forehead.

“Yep I got it! Manipulate yes. Store no. Easy enough!”

I said while shaking my hands in front of me to emphasize the concept.

Master Kyrven looked like a middle ground between wanting to slap the hell out of me and a serious-like teacher. Honestly, master was a really easy person to talk to outside of his lessons but during them I had to pay the same respect that one pays to his teacher, not that it’s wrong, though a laugh here and there would have been greatly appreciated.

“Soo in today’s lesson and onward we will be focusing on natural mana manipulation. We'll start easy, step by step. For today try sending your own mana to the ground without creating a spell. This should be a taught enough bone to chew for you. Now get started!”

Easier said than done.

I was used to sending mana through the ground thanks to all the times I used ‘stone pillar’ in the fights against master, but that mana had a purpose. The mana sent normally through the ground to cast ‘stone pillar’ works as both the “package” and the “postman”, the caster sends the information of the spell, the mana necessary to create the spell and the mana that works as a road to deliver everything to the desired place. What master wanted me to do was completely different. I was asked to send mana to the ground without purpose and without effect.

Conceptually it wasn’t that challenging, all I needed to do was throw something out of my body. Truth is that there are two problems. First of all, by throwing out functionless mana it becomes restless. I found out soon enough that “refined mana” cannot stay outside of the caster’s flow without a purpose. If mana is thrown out without a purpose it will come back to its sender. Second, after hours, I learned that natural mana is compact and structured as a block made out of infinite tiny little drops of mana. If I should compare it to something I would compare it to water. When water is liquid it is very simple to mix it with other liquids(refined mana) but if the water suddenly becomes solid(natural mana) mixing other liquids with it becomes impossible.

So in order for me to send my mana inside natural mana I had to first overcome the issue of the “boomerang mana effect” and I had to find a way to mix solid with liquid.

Those things were nothing that can be accomplished in a single day of work, needless to say it took me a whole month to see the first results.

Part 3

Fast forward to seven months, something that would change the way I saw this world happened.

It was night, probably something between 2 AM or 3 AM, the moon was still bright up in the sky, softly sleeping covered by a cloud blanket. I was laying on my bed reenacting in my mind the training I did that morning. It happened just a month before that I was finally able to mix my mana with the natural one, even if it was just for a second before feeling exhausted. Since then, training has been a little more successful everyday and also master’s doubtful expression that kept bothering me for the whole time changed to a more cheerful one.

The house that was previously filled with the silence of the night suddenly became as noisy as daytime if not worse. A sole scream was the start of it all. Pain could be felt from that single long scream that echoed around the corridors and slipped under the doors. My body stiffened. The scar on my left eye was itching as the shiny silver teeth of the wolf flashed through my mind.

I stood up and slammed the door open. In my left hand I had a lit candle and the right was ready to cast a spell. As I walked out of my door a tall familiar figure approached me. His neat beard was now scruffy and his always combed hairs were now messy. Master Kyrven had my same thought but instead of a candle he had a little flame coming out of his index finger. No words were said as another painful scream echoed through the house hurting my eardrums. We both directed towards where the sound came from, my parents room. We barged into it looking for the assalitor but found something else entirely. Father was panically stroking mother’s head just like one would do with a dog as mother’s face was painted in pain with a little line of blood flowing out of her spread legs.

“What happened?!”

Both me and master screamed at the same time. I had an idea of what it was but I was not so sure, I had never seen it before in my life.

“W-w-waters...b-broke!”

Father was panicking, profusely sweating while shaking all over. This was a side I had yet to see of him..but he was right to panic. The doctor told us that it would have taken at least another month for mother to go into labour. I had very little knowledge about pregnancy and labour from my past life but I knew that there were consequences to being born prematurely. It happened soon, way too soon. To make it even worse it was night and probably too late to bring her directly to the doctor.

I was starting to panic too. If I wasn't gonna do something there was the possibility that she would die. The sole thought of it made my bones chill to the core. My knees became weak and my arms heavy, my eyes watery as I felt my heart slowing down and my blood succumbing to gravity.

[I'm going to be abandoned again. I’m gonna be left alone again. I'm going to be abandoned again. I’m gonna be left alone again. I'm going to be abandoned again. I’m gonna be left alone again…]

My mind was filled with the faces of my parents from my past life. All of them abandoned me. Left me alone. The fear of losing someone dear to me again was too great. As I was pushing my palms against my temples I tried to scream but no sound came out of my throat. Even my vision started to give in as everything became dark and cold. It was a dreadful cold, not like the gentle one that comes from the soft white winter snow but the cold that comes from the knowledge that the smile you saw on the kid in the park is a smile you won't be able to do ever again. The cold you feel when brought face to face with something beyond your capabilities. The cold of fear.

A powerful slap across the face made me come back to my senses.

“Oi Raphael-kun, it’s no time to stand still like an idiot. I’ll go fetch the medic, in the meantime keep on steadily healing her, it should reduce the pain. Go!”

As soon as he finished talking, master Kyrven zoomed out of the bedroom door, down the stairs and outside of the house running as fast as the wind and leaving every door open on his way. It was no time for me to think of him, he had a job and so did I.

I got besides father and started casting a beginner tier spell, as instructed I focused on easing her pain whilst keeping her conscious.

“Father, don't just stand there! Go get some water and rags to clean her sweat. It’s not your first time, right?!”

Father looked as he saw me for the first time in the room. He was probably too focused on his suffering wife to care about what happened around him but as soon as I gave him a task a little bit of his old self resurfaced. He ran into the bathroom and gathered what was necessary. The rest was on Kyrven’s shoulders.

Ten minutes passed before hearing heavy footsteps from downstairs followed by a dull tonf. It didn't take long before the sweaty face of Kyrven showed up together with that old medic. His grey hairs were all slicked back probably pushed by the force of the wind. Master Kyrven must have carried him all the way here. He was still wearing some sort of pijamas, a one piece of soft blue fabric, and on top of that a white gown.

As soon as he entered the room he took out the necessary gear from the large black bag he carried on his side. He then checked mother’s condition and made a grunting sound coming from the back of the throat.

“Has someone been casting healing magic on her?”

Said the doctor while still asserting his patient's conditions.

“Uh yes I did”

He finished touching mother’s swollen belly and applying some sort of cream on it. After that he turned around and with a smile as bright as day and happily said:

“You might as well have saved her life just now boy”

Without me noticing, my eyes started tearing a bit letting brilliant white tears fall from the ends of my eyes.

[I saved her?]

Being told that burned away the cold I felt since before. Just like a hot sunny ray tears the cloudy sky after a storm, those words teared the feelings of discomfort and dread that clouded my mind. In a couple of days master Kyrven will make fun of the expression I had that day saying that never once before he saw someone both crying and smiling like that.

With a single wave of his hand the doctor signaled us to leave the room. He was about to start working so of course both him and mother needed to concentrate. Me and master were just an obstacle to that end so we quietly left the room and waited downstairs.

In complete silence I brewed tea for the both of us. We sat at the opposite ends of the table but none of us spoke. We had nothing to talk about. We were just waiting for the screams from upstairs to stop. Needless to say that time felt as if it was being purposely slowed in order for me to feel the anxiety of every passing moment.

The screams went on at repetitive intervals for at least half an hour until they suddenly stopped. For just a second, one single second, the house became as silent as a tomb. Only the wind whistling through the cracks of the windows made me realize how depressing a house without any sound was.

It was only for a moment before a high pitched cry broke the heavy tension that had formed in that single second. I looked in master’s eyes and he looked into mine, we both stood up and went upstairs. We paused right in front of the door to my parents bedroom, waiting for someone to call for us. From inside the room some voices could be heard but I wasn't able to grasp anything that was being said. After a minute or so the door opened and the tired face of the doctor showed through it’s frame. With a silent sideways nod of his head he singled us to enter the room.

The heat inside the room was something out of this world and because of that father was now shirtless exposing his well trained back and mother only wore a nightgown. Her hair was totally messed up and all over the place. The delivery must have been tougher because I can clearly remember the time I came into this world and her face looked a lot less in pain than the face I was seeing now. Her skin was pale, her eyes were hollow and tired, sweat covered her face and the bedsheets under her, traces of blood could be seen on the floor.

As I was entering the room she looked towards me with her tired eyes and said:

“Come here Raph, come see your sister”

I walked towards the bed and hidden inside a soft towel was a small human, screaming out of his lungs for who knows what reason. This little human’s head had no hair or teeth, his whole body was smooth and shiny. The human was crying and shouting at the same time. The tiniest tears I had ever seen were wetting his cheeks, some falling behind his ears and some other dripping down the sides of his nose.

Mother stretched out her arms suggesting me to take in my arms what she was holding. I was reluctant, being tasked with something so delicate made me think carefully. Even so I extended my arms and lifted that little package of towels, mother’s face expressed full trust, I had no strength to betray such a gesture.

As I held it between my chest and my arms the loud crying sound stopped. Looking down I saw two big green eyes looking at me with curiosity, a big smile cracked onto the baby’s face as it started to make jiggle-like sounds. I was motionless. I didn't know what to do. I was so scared of breaking it that I wasn't even able to move a muscle.

“It’s ok Raph she’s your sister. You are a big brother now, shouldn't you greet her?”

Mother sure had sensed my tension. Her voice was sweet and calm, unfitting for someone in her state.

“D-does she already have a name?”

I asked, trying my hardest to sound composed and not pathetic.

“Yes, we decided to name her Julie, do you like it?”

I turned my head towards that little human between my arms.

[Right, I have a sister now. She's my sister. My sister]

“Hey Julie, I’m Raphael, your big brother. I hope we’ll get along well and you know…-” she was looking at me with a curious and puzzled expression, her eyes brimming with light and innocence. As I brought my face closer to her she fixed her eyes into mine as if to look directly into my soul, her mouth completely open in stupor.

“-...you have a splendid name, sister”

She started laughing. A very cheerful laugh, the one that comes from down the stomach, pure. She seemed happy, of course she couldn't understand my words but probably my tone or my expression made her laugh. Either way I didn't care much if in her innocence she was making fun of me or it was just a purposeless laugh, she was beautiful.

I gave Julie back to mother as her little arms stretched towards me, trying to cling on me. Mother took her in her arms and hugged her tight enough to let her feel her warmth. Julie looked at peace with her eyes closed and that big smile still on her puffy face.

“See Raph, you are not alone anymore”

Those words.

Those simple words were like arrows that pierced my heart leaving behind both pain and joy.

Those words echoed through my ears over and over letting me feel the heaviness of their meaning. Mother’s usual smile was lighting up on her face. It was as if I was melting in place.

[I’m not alone...you are right, I’m not alone, not anymore!]

I smiled back as cheerfully as I could and she let out a small laugh in exchange to that.

A gentle hand tapped my shoulder. It was master’s hand signaling me that we should leave them be. Probably mother was about to breastfeed the child or simply the doctor needed to have some checkups on the newborn. Either way it was time for the both of us to leave.

That night I happily didn't get an ounce of sleep.