“In a drug addled daze, our hero’s breathing begins naturally gathering and then repelling the ambient mana.

This can be considered a good way to train ones control over ambient mana, but not much else. It does on the other hand serve as a direct benefit to the little fluo.

Her eyes shine with fervor, her lust filled gaze on our hero and her hands moving from Ji’s shoulders to his chest.

As she expected, she has fallen prey to her own medicine. But with every breath Ji takes, her body shivers uncontrollably. A small and short shiver that she follows up with a moan.

Our hero sensitivity to mana infused drugs has him over stimulated and no longer in charge of his faculties, yet his body wants to move on his own.”

‘Ji -Ah!’

“No longer sitting, Ji and Tio are now entangled like snakes on the ground, the entrancing music gives one the sense, in a peculiar way, that they are dancing.

If one shivers, they both shiver, if one moans they both moan. Ji’s breathing becomes increasing erratic and in tandem, so does the ambient mana.

While our hero is under heavy influence, Tio is only partly incapacitated and can still sense what is happening but she’s unable or unwilling to extricate herself from the situation.”

‘Ah!’

“As the toxins in the air begin to disperse, so does our hero begin to regain his faculties. His internal body ripping itself apart and then healing. A cycle that exhausts any drug.”

“Woman!”

“An enraged shout is the first thing our hero manages to shout. This shout has an odd sensation to it, almost barbaric.”

‘Ji!’

“The more our hero understands his situation the less angry he gets and the more he leans towards his animalistic urges, as is expected of carbon based lifeforms.

The two are still half dazed and can barely hear each other moan. Unsurprisingly some of the lazier and hedonistic customers, have begun betting.

Ranging from Ji’s stamina, Tio’s threshold and to the number times they are expected to consumate. To call them perverted is an understatement.”

“Tio! -Ah!”

“It is beneath someone as exalted as us to describe these activities. While these acts are not shameful in and of themselves, some shame must be attributed.

If I am forced to narrate, I will do so on my terms. Within the boundaries cast upon me so cruelly.”

‘Yes! Yes!’

“The weather can be said to be mild, the skies are clear blue with spots of clouds. The wind not sharp on the lowland but the higher you go you’ll feel its sharp edge.”

“Hngh!”

‘Ah!’

“If we would compare this weather to yesterday's weather, we can say it has become milder. The wind was lesser and the sky was clearer.”

‘Drink this.’

“Unsatisfied, the fluo smothers the young hero in fluo wine, a well known commodity. Especially known for its stimulating properties.”

“You want more?”

‘I want everything!’

“Separated only for a moment the two have slithered into each arms again, their vigor revitalized by the drink. Their eyes fierce, as if enraged animals.

Despite the blessing of not having to listen to our hero, and having to respond to his whims, we cannot be content with this situation.”

“Turn around.”

‘Oh!’

“What we can celebrate is that our hero should feel fatigue, a mental fatigue his body cannot mend by itself.

This mental fatigue can be considered well documented, thousand years of observation tells us the males of any lowborn civilization suffer in this way.”

“Enough. I can’t anymore.”

‘Eat. Drink.’

“No!”

“The unrelenting activities have lasted into the night, the exhaustion is apparent. Our pale faced hero is exhausted beyond measure.”

‘Sleep then.’

“As if knocked unconscious our hero has fallen asleep half sitting, on the warm ground. And only a few moments pass before the exhaustion takes the fluo as well.

The ground is surprisingly dry, especially for such an unhinged event including a fluo. Perhaps she was more lucid than we believed.

This however changes now, Tio’s unconscious state makes her gather and dispense water, forming a watery fog. This is something our hero has fallen victim to on occasion.

I suppose we have to seize the opportunity and take a break. I’m sure most of you got other engagements. I’m expected at least twelve hours of freedom.”

‘Ji.’

“Hrm.”

“It turns out our twelve hours turned into sixteen. A welcomed rest. But this vacation has been cut short as the fluo has already woken up.

Not only did she wake up before our hero, she has cleaned herself and dressed up on familiar looking blue clothing.”

‘Ji, I’m going to begin carving.’

“Wait!”

“As if stung by a bee, our hero springs to his feet.”

“Hm? Tio?”

‘Good morning.’

“Morning.”

“It is clear our hero is not fully awake despite his abrupt outcry.”

“Tio.”

‘Mm?’

“You don’t have to drug me to seduce me.”

‘...’

“For the first time we can see genuine shame from the fluo mistress. Or at least perceived shame”

“You know this won’t go unpunished, right?”

‘Unpunished?’

“Despite her usual calm demeanor and worldly ways, Tio can be considered a spoiled person. By both her parents and aunts and uncles.”

“That’s right.”

“It is clear our hero is teasing the surprisingly naive fluo. His usual cheery demeanor haphazardly veiled behind a sad mask. Like a young child that has been tricked.”

Woodworking increased by 1

“A long pause made the air feel awkward. Only the violent slashing of a carving knife against an innocent piece of wood can be heard.”

“I wasn’t entirely out of it last yesterday.”

‘...’

“But your food, water and air. You’re an aggressive host.”

“The fluo’s shame only increases and she can’t help but stare at her feet.”

“Come here.”

“Our hero’s voice seems sterner, as if ready to discipline.”

‘What?’

“Sit down.”

“The Fluo appears almost in tears. She sits down and struggles to lift her head to meet our hero’s gaze.”

“Awh”

‘Ah!’

“It seems our hero is finally unable to contain his facade. His arms have entangled miss Tio-oh tightly.”

“You can’t do that again.”

‘Okay.’

“After seperating again, our hero begins to carve maniacally. His reckless slashes imbue the mana in every swing.”

‘This works too?’

“It works.”

Woodworking increased by 1

“I'm up to ninety two, just five away from you.”

‘This won’t do.’

“The previously awkward atmosphere has been cast aside, in its stead the two begin carving with fervor.”

‘Where did you learn this carving technique?’

“Where do you think?”

‘Narry?’

“Partly, but biggest part was me divining it.”

‘I’m sure.’

“As if taunting his companion, Ji never ceases to carve. To emphasize this, a piece of half of miserably looking, innocent, mangled and ruined wood falls to the ground.”

Woodworking increased by 1

‘Explain what you are doing.’

“No way.”

‘Afraid?’

“Alright, good, I'll tell you.”

“The joyful smile of a person that believes fate is within their grasp. This is our hero’s smile, it is intolerable.”

“We are imbuing the wood with any which kind of mana, right?”

‘Mm.’

“There is practically no other requirement, except for intention as narry calls it.”

‘Intention?’

“Ye, eh. What was it again.

It’s something like, what you want the item to be.

To keep it as simple as I can, I focus on a single word or an object.”

‘A word and an object?’

“No, a word or an object. If I’m making a sword, I picture a sword. Or I focus on a word like magic or sharp.”

‘What does that do?’

“Eh. I can’t remember. Narry said, if I remember correctly, that the world system uses it to help me craft what I want.”

‘Oh, I think I know what you are talking about, mom has talked about this a few times.

They call it a will.’

“A will, intention. It’s probably the same thing.”

‘But you are saying it is connected to the world’s system. I always believed it to be a mantra.’

“I think that is what Narry was saying.”

‘Okay, and is that all you are doing?’

“No, I got a bit side tracked. What I am mainly doing is imbuing the wood.

Imbuing is a kind of control, right? But I also feel like it's different.”

‘Control over mana and imbuing items are similar, but imbuing is a type of control.’

“Oh. Alright. It’s completely different to what I do with my mana spheres.

Anyway. I use the knife and pour as much mana as i can into it and with every slash I stick some mana onto the wood.”

‘Wait. You stick it on the wood?’

“Ye, If I go slow I can make it infuse into it but when I’m carving like this, I need to let the wood do the work.”

‘Isn’t this cheating?’

“How would it be cheating? It works, so it works.”

“Our hero’s method does work in part due to quality of the wood and how well it receives external mana.

The greatest effect is the quantity he can squander. Rather than using a paint brush to draw, our hero throws an entire bucket of paint, pretending it is a stroke of a brush.”

‘I’ll try it.’

“The water primordial, Tio-oh has been corrupted. Her strikes deviate from her wavelike form to a rugged, unseemly hacking.

With every strike the ambient mana and her own appear to splash unto the wood. Her actions strange to watch, strange enough that our hero has stopped his carving to watch her.”

“I don’t think this technique fits you.”

“Every third to fourth strike leaves visual changes to Tio’s complexion. Her blue glow turning pale”

Woodworking increased by 1

‘It works.’

“Told you.”

‘How wasteful. You can keep this up?’

“It’s not so bad, it is mostly ambient mana.”

‘Ridiculous. So this is a Beta? I can see why they go down as legends.’

“While Beta’s tend to become legends, towering above the weaker people, they wouldn’t do it so young, or better yet, so old.”

“You should be a lot stronger than me, why can’t you keep this up?”

“Unlike our hero, Tio-oh, a favored daughter of the two leaders of the Oh clan, does not possess absurd affinity for mana.”

‘I can’t use ambient mana like you, Ji.’

“Then you’ll lose.”

Woodworking increased by 1

“That’s ninety three.”

‘Hundred and two.’

“Tio has resumed to her previous graceful carving technique, surprisingly her speed has increased considerably. It is hard to say who will come out the victor.”

“You should just give up.”

‘Would you like some wine?’

“You think I’m stupid?”

‘Should I put on some music? Do you want some food?’

“Our hero’s stomach rumbles in protest to the abhorrent and sudden absence of food.”

“I have my own food.”

‘Tsch.’

“What was that?”

‘Nothing.’

“A solemn but a welcome silence has dawned upon the carving pair. It is in these moments we can appreciate their talents and enjoy the respite.”

“Novice is around level twelve hundred, right? Tier forty.”

‘That’s right.’

“How high is that in Woodworking?”

‘Around four hundred.’

“We might be able to finish that today.”

‘Maybe.’

“This nonchalant conversation would inspire rage in the masses. Even rare geniuses would not dare compete.

It is fortunate that this trend cannot continue forever, as requirements for mana control share the stage. This is where intention or will as Tio’s clan members call it, comes in.”

“It’s strange how much the level requirement wavers up and down on these sculptures. Highest I’ve gotten, requires just below level three hundred to use.”

‘We are one fourth of the way there already.’

“In such quiet times, time seems to pass by an accelerated pace, soon evening is upon us again, and the pair has barely spoken.”

“It’s only you that keeps being noisy.”

‘It’s getting late, shouldn’t we rest?’

“As long as we both rest, no carving until we’re both ready.”

‘Fine. No need to look at me like that.’

“I don’t know how you managed to increase your speed, but I will win.”

‘Impossible.’

“It is here we must again avert the eyes and avert the mind, as our hero has viciously lunged the the unexpected Fluo, pinning her to the warm ground.”

‘Oh no! I’ve been captured!’