I temporarily put on hold my eagerness to continue experimenting with my new magic while I recover from my previous expenditure. Not wanting to waste any time I pull up my status and skills sheet to really see how much progress I have made.

Status

Name:

Reiza

Classes

-

Level:

1

-

Race:

Beast-kin: Celestial Fox

-

Gender:

Female

Final Class

-

Age

14

Atributes

Strength:

7

Stamina:

30/80

Dexterity:

12

Mana:

180/250

Constitution:

6

Endurance:

8

Free stat points

0

Intelligence:

27

Wisdom:

25

Luck:

9

Skills

Level

Coalessence

3

Endless song

-

Energy Healing

2

Living enchantments

- Soul lock

1

Mana Channels

7

Mana Manipulation

5

Mental Resistance

6

Natural Language

Pain resistance

3

Primal Senses

1

Soul Resistance

3

Speed Reading

4

Oh wow I really have made a lot of progress. My intelligence and wisdom have skyrocketed! I’m a bit bummed that my constitution and other more physical stats are still really low but I’m sure that I can get them to increase. When I read the medicine book I saw stat increases so maybe if I do some physical training I can get my other stats up to par. Hmmm… wait! I completely forgot that I should be talking to my seed! Well I don’t need to tell it or well her everything so I guess I can just talk about my experiments with her.

Having finished going over my status page and satisfied with the amount of mana I have recovered I decide it is time to press on. “Okay so I’ve seen what it is like to just spray out a bit of mana but now I’m going to try and let out a little bit and just see how well I can control it.”

Putting action to word I again draw a little mana from my core and let it flow out of my hand making sure to not draw out too much. Making sure not to loose control of it a thin streamer of pearly white mana flows around my hand. Laughing I play it around my fingers and bounce it from hand to hand. Wanting to see more I slowly start moving the streamer away from my body. After a couple of feet it gets noticeably harder to control and at about 10 feet I find that I can’t move it any further.

“My current range of movement isn’t all that far but when it’s close to my body I have pretty good control over it.” Bringing the streamer of mana back towards me I move it closer to my chest and the little seed plucks it from my control quickly devouring it. “Hey! I was playing with that.” I complain at the seed. “If you wanted some all you had to do is ask.” Naturally my little seed stays stoically silent, it does however emanate a gentle warmth as if happy or content.

Suppressing a grumble and trying not to smile at the pleasant feeling the seed radiates I decide to move on to my next experiment.

“Since you ate my mana I guess I’ll try something new. I already know what happens when I use mana externally so now I want to see what happens when I try using it internally.”

Already knowing what happens with the healing patterns I avoid using those and instead push mana up into my head. Instantly a cool refreshing feeling fills my mind. “Results are good so far. A mama infusion appears to reduce fatigue and my thoughts are so much clearer. This might be able to- oh!”

While talking over what was happening a thread of mana made its way to my eyes and the world changed. The entire cavern now glows different colors. The grass is illuminated by a soft green light, while the crystal stars glow a cheerful yellow. Other colors are also visible: the blue of water gleams brightly from the stream, the rock lets of a barely visible brown glow and wisps of teal flow through the air.

“I- it’s so beautiful.” I whisper. “I can see all of the mana.” Captivated by the beauty of what I can see, I just stand there and stare.

Several minutes pass and the lights slowly fade away as the mana drains from my eyes. Ready to push more mana that direction I am interrupted by a familiar chime.

Ding!

Having discovered mana the energy that permeates body and soul you have increased your soul stability! Time to 100% stability reduced by 10 years!

Soul Lock has reached level 2!

Having increased the level of your soul lock it is now able to support an additional living enchantment! Research more skills and magic to develop more. Increasing the level of soul lock will allow for additional living enchantments to be created.

You have 1 enchantment available would you like to create? Yes/No

Uhh… that cool. So now it will only take about 70 years for my soul to become stable. The ability to get more living enchantments is awesome I will have to try and get more. Would I like to create a new one? Yes!

As soon as I mentally select the yes button my body starts to glow with a bright golden light. Black ink seems to fill the spiral of the soul lock before pouring out along the paths of my energy healing skill. As the ink flows over my skin the same feeling of ecstasy I experienced with the formation of the soul lock flows over my body.

After a time that is both exquisitely long and painfully short the sensation ends, and a new tattoo adorns my pale skin. Chains of interlocking hexagons flow out of the soul lock following the paths of my energy healing method. The marks are faint and barely noticeable unless seen from the right angle. The graceful flow of it around my body is captivating and I spend a few moments to admire it.

Living enchantment created!

Skill energy healing consumed to create Healing Matrix

Healing Matrix – Needing to circulate healing energy yourself is a thing of the past. The Healing Matrix constantly moves minimal amounts of energy through your body to keep up a constant state of heightened regeneration. Should a significant injury occur you can add mana to this enchantment, and it will activate greater healing properties. Should you be rendered unconscious or be unable to feed mana to the enchantment it can act using its reserves and still provide healing. Increase level to increase healing capabilities. +1 Constitution per enchantment level

New class choices available!

“Oh I like this one! It heals and increases my constitution. Let’s see what it can do!” I exclaim happily. Pushing a thread of mana into the matrix I gasp as the whole thing starts to glow with faint blue light and a wave of refreshing energy infuses my muscles. “Oh this feels great, and it’s so pretty!”

Turning my attention away from one of my new favorite things I look closely at the last part of the notification. “Hmmm… I’ve seen that show up several times now. I guess I should really look at what’s available. I want to get good classes but they will have to help me with what I do or I will end up with a crappy final class.” Deciding to finally take a look at what options I have I pull up the class selection menu.

Available Classes

Basic

Explorer

Ranger

Rare

Druid

Mage

Healer

Legendary

Druidic Defender

“Okay so it looks like classes are separated into three different levels. I don’t think I want to take a basic class so that leaves- oh a legendary class! Druidic Defender. I wonder what it does.” Focusing closely on the class I try to bring up more information on it but nothing happens. Frowning I try again with another class on the list… and another… and another. No matter how many times I try no information appears.

“Crap! It looks like I’m going to have to pick with no knowledge of what it actually is.” Silently pondering weather it would be worth it I stare at the legendary Druidic Defender class. “Well it is a legendary class, and I am supposed to defend the forest, so it does fit… alright let’s do it” Closing my eyes tight I mentally select the Druidic Defender class and confirm my choice.

White and green mana swirls around me going faster and faster before sinking into my skin and disappearing. As soon as the mana is gone a notification covers my vision.

Legendary Class Acquired

Druidic Defender

Having received the blessing of a heart tree and unlocked a pure mana affinity you have ascended above the average druid. As a Druidic Defender you are charged with the duty of protecting the forest and growing a new heart tree. Possessing a deep connection to nature you will find it much easier to learn nature based magics. Sensing this connection nature calls to you increasing your awareness of what happens around you.

+2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom per class level

This class is perfect! Increasing my ability to learn nature based magics is perfect for growing in power. As for nature calling to me, I can now sense all of the problems that the heart tree told me to fix. Granted the feeling is rather vague but I can feel the general location of the blight and even have a rough idea of the territory that each of the queens has claimed… yikes that’s a lot of territory. Back to the magic now I really want to start experimenting.

I am about to dive headfirst into more magical experimentation when a tugging sensation in my gut makes me stop. Looking down at my little seed I start to feel a sensation of thirst. The seed isn’t just thirsty it wants… it wants some of my blood. The abilities of my new class are allowing me to sense so much more from my little seed.

The reason that it wants my mana is so that it can form a deeper connection to me and it wants the blood because there are so many nutrients in it. No longer feeling hesitant about giving blood to my seed I prick my finger with one of my sharp canines and let the blood drip onto my seed. The seed eagerly absorbs drop after drop until finally a feeling of contentment comes across our bond.

Stopping the flow of blood with a pulse of my healing matrix I again prepare to jump into experimenting with magic and am again stopped by the instincts of my class.

Uhhhg what now? Turning my attention inward I am assaulted by a feeling of uncleanness and sickness. Trying hard not to retch while failing to suppress a shiver I pull my senses back. Apparently, the problem with the blight is getting bad.

Using my connection to the forest to create a vague map I look for where my instincts tell me a problem is. It takes several minutes but eventually I map out a course that will take me to the blight without crossing into the territory of a queen, something tells me I’m not ready for that encounter. With this path it should take me about… 3 days to get there. I guess the problem might not be that bad yet but with the travel time my class is definitely telling me I don’t have much time to dawdle.

I guess I will just have to take my experiments on the road! I’m feeling fairly refreshed still since basically all I’ve done today is meditate so I might as well set out now and see how far I get.

Turning to my seed I ask, “Well, you up for an adventure? I am pretty curious to see what’s outside the cave,” and naturally, the seed gives no response.

Taking its silence as agreement and willing to take it along even had it protested, I turn towards the one tunnel leading into the cavern and take my first steps outside the Twilight Grove.

Immediately after leaving the ambient natural energy drops and the light of the crystal moon and stars fades. A feeling of homesickness hits me and almost makes me turn back but my new defender instincts and the weight of the flower in my hair push me onwards. I have a promise to keep.

The tunnel I am following goes through several twists and turns as it climbs higher and higher. After a couple minutes of quick walking I can feel the effects of my low endurance hitting me. I’m about to stop for a breather when I notice a bright shaft of light piercing the darkness just a little further down the tunnel.

“Come -gasp, on we’re- gasp, almost there.” I pant.

Digging deep I push myself into a jog down the last part of the tunnel. Rounding a final corner, I step outside for the first time into bright sunlight.