“What took you so long?” Ralc barks at a woman he noticed from the corner of his eye.

“A war council.” a pale looking woman wearing a red robe answers.

“Why wasn’t I called?” he narrows his eyes and glares.

“It was deemed safer for you to stay with the summoned. A beast was detected half a day's walk from here.”

Ralc looks at the soldier he was talking to before he noticed the woman and the soldier leaves them alone immediately.

“Which beast and when?” he asks after making sure no one was in earshot.

The sun is sitting much lower in the sky and the arena is filled with long shadows.

A woman in a red robe walks up to one of the trainers and says a few words. The trainer then whistles to get the attention of the others.

Tabika, in the middle of playing a game with some of the soldiers, stands up and heads towards two figures lying on the ground.

The whistling wakes me up.

-Still so tired…- I yawn.

Hearing footsteps coming closer I look and see Tabika heading our way. Gently I wake Elsa and wait for her to remember where she is, before standing up and helping her do the same.

-Eyes red and hair messy… no way in hell I’m not doing her tonight.- I suppress an urge to bite my lower lip.

“The red robe is here.” Tabika lifts the sword I dropped to the ground after she punched me and throws it to me.

“You’re her problem now...” she points and I see the black woman and the Russian man already standing next to a plain looking woman in a red robe.

“It was an honor to meet you.” she shakes Elsa’s hand and leaves after sending me a glare.

“Can’t believe she thinks I raped you…” I shake my head at Elsa.

“Well, what you did wasn’t much worse, you know?” she touches her face as if making sure that’s everything is back in its place.

“Really?” we start walking, “I thought you said I didn’t do anything and that it wasn’t my fault.”

“That was just so she wouldn’t kill you.” she shrugs.

“Right… and the crying was just to seal the deal?”

“Exactly.”

“I see… well whatever happened back there better not happen again. Or next time I might not be able to hold myself back in time.” I smile and nudge her lovingly with my shoulder. “Plus I got a skill to resist whatever it, so try it again and you’ll see that last time was me still being nice,” I add jokingly.

Elsa doesn’t respond.

-Whelp… that confirms it in my opinion. She used a skill on me. Question is why would she use a skill that would make an opponent want to kill her?-

“Greetings. I am Gardami. I will be your magic instructor for the foreseeable future,” she bowed slightly.

“Raven.” the fit black woman said after Elsa and I shared our names.

-Cool name.- I smile to myself.

“And this terribly silent guy is Ivan.” I motion at the russian guy who decided that a simple nod was enough as a greeting.

He gives me a look but otherwise ignores my taste in naming.

“A pleasure to meet you all. Unfortunately, an unforeseen event has taken place and I am needed elsewhere. As such I’ll have to be brief but tomorrow we shall meet early. Until then, have all of you chosen a weapon already?”

“I haven't,” I say after Raven shows her two daggers and Ivan does nothing while holding a huge warhammer with metal spikes. “But I plan on wielding an axe.”

“Understood. Now… an average acolyte usually needs anywhere from half a year to a year to grow magic related trees. However, with your unlimited potential and, more importantly, the small size of your garden, we expect it will take you no longer than ten days. After that, a day or two should be enough to learn a few spells and gain a magic related class. Questions?”

“Too many,” I chuckle, “but let's start with what our lack of trees has to do with getting the magic ones?”

“Every tree you grow and the more branches it has, makes others grow slightly slower. For a person of this world by the time they try to become an acolyte they are usually from six to ten years of age and have already grown around thirty or so trees already and many more branches. Most of which are useless and are the result of growing up. ”

“Is there any difference between growing trees and unlocking them?” I interrupt her.

“Hmm… you better ask one of the priests. I will not pretend to understand the garden. I just know how it is for most.”

“And how do the priest know?”

“They whisper with the gods. Now, once you can access your mana freely you will need to pick an element. Usually acolytes are tested for their strongest affinities but as a hero you can choose whichever one you want. Nonetheless… any but the basic ones will take far too long. As such my suggestions are light,” Gardami looks at Raven.

“Air,” she says to Ivan.

“Earth,” our eyes connect.

“And air as well,” she smiles at Elsa.

“Can you please elaborate why?” Raven asks before I get a chance too.

“With daggers your best strength is an element of surprise. Light magic will help with feints and avoiding notice. It is also the prerequisite for Illusion magic. Air can both lighten and hasten you. Earth will protect you. Now one by one I will let you feel the flow of mana. Give me your hand,” she holds her hand out to me.

“One moment. Is there an ice element?” I ask and she lowers her hand.

“It is an advanced form of water magic. Very powerful as well. Unfortunately water magic isn’t very useful in combat. At least not in the first few years of practicing it.”

“But it can be used for combat, can’t it?”

“High level practitioners can create water jets that are quite powerful at short range. And masters can create water blades sharper than any sword. However, unlike with ice, I have not heard of any ways of simple application with weapons and armor.”

“That doesn’t matter. All that matters is that Elsa needs to learn it,” I cross my hands over my chest, “Otherwise she will be betraying her namesake,” I add with a grim expression.

Gardami turns to look at Elsa and bows.

“I apologize if I have offended you. But I suggest pursuing ice only after you survive your first battle.”

“Don’t listen to him. He’s an idiot.” Elsa rolls her eyes and Raven grins. Ivan is as expressionless as always.

“I am indeed. But not in this case, Ice Queen. Choose water.”

“No. Just because I bent my knees when you asked doesn’t mean I’ll roll over as well. I like your idea and I’ll think about it after I can survive on my own,” she puts one hand on her hip in defiance.

-What the fuck does that have to do with anything?-

“Surviving comes in many forms and water will give you the most pleasant try at it. One of us has to have it and it will fit you perfectly.” I try to keep a straight face as I answer her.

“Thank you for your concern but I rather listen to someone who knows what they are talking about,” she smiles and extends her hand for Gardami to take.

“Your loss… I’ll learn it myself then.”

-Even more fun for me. And I get to tell her ‘I told you so’ when she comes begging for my help.- I grin at the annoyed Elsa.

“The difference between skills and spells is in the way they consume mana. Most skills will take from the individuals mana pool by themselves. Spells, however, require you to manipulate the mana yourself. Gestures and chants are used to help direct the flow for the desired outcome and don’t require much more than memorization and practice. However, our hopes are that you four will become tactic casters, combining fighting skills with magic and as such you will focus on freeform casting.”

She stops her monologue when she notices our puzzled faces and seems to decide there’s no need for more confusion.

“What I will do now is push my mana through your body so that you can later try and replicate the feeling and reverse the flow,” she looks at the others as she speaks, while holding Elsa’s hand in hers.

“This will feel slightly uncomfortable,” she smiles gently and her palm begins to radiate faintly.

Elsa’s eyes open wide and she lets out a soft moan followed by a shy smile and rosy cheeks.

“Will it feel the same when I do it?” she asks quietly.

“Unfortunately no. But it should flow the same way,” she smiles understandingly as Elsa clicks her tongue in disappointment.

“Do you need another demonstration?” she asks, already turning to me.

“No, thank you. One tease was more than enough.”

-She doesn’t look as dirty as the other women from this world. Doesn’t smell as bad as them either. There’s even a faint hint of perfume.-

I smile back at Gardami as she takes my hand in hers.

-Soft. Fragile. A ring on each finger.-

A sudden coldness appears on my palm together with a small glow. The coldness travels up my arm leaving a feeling of nonexistent wetness on my skin. Once the initial surprise passes Gardami’s mana starts to feel better and better. My hand jerks slightly as the mana passes from my shoulder to my torso.

-Wow…- I think as I feel a tightness growing in my pants, -It’s like the feeling you get when you hit the ulnar nerve and pain passes through the arm leaving paresthesia. But there’s no pain and the feeling that's left is like the sensitivity I get after an orgasm…-

Trying to keep a straight face I concentrate on the energy flowing through my hand and try to pull on it. Almost instinctively it responds to my manipulation and a burst of mana, a raging river compared to the previous stream, pushes its way up my arm and explodes into my chest.

Gardami snaps her hand back as if electrocuted while my whole body jerks twice.

“Was this on purpose?” she asks with a confused expression.

“It felt good, so I wanted more.” I smile and shrug.

She keeps looking at me with a confused expression.

“Can we do it again?” I extend my hand.

“Of course. Just try not to blow up your arm again.”

-I hope she’s joking…-

Again a momentary coldness creeps up my arm and in its wake the arousing sensation appears. This time instead of manipulating the foreign energy I try to direct the flow in a more efficient manner. Instinctively it goes from a turbulent flow to a laminar one.

-Much better.- The arousing sensation no longer comes randomly and is now a constant flow, stronger than before, pulsating from Gardami into me as if to the rhythm of her heart. Without too much thought I manage to synchronize to the rhythm and feel more mana start to flow through the contact of our skin.

-Shit… what kind of gentleman am I? Thinking only of myself…- gently I place my other hand on hers.

Sandwiching her small hand between mine I reach out to my own mana, so very different in feel from hers, the contrast helps me find mine much easier. I feel it move. Slowly at first, but by the time I push it out of my abdomen and into my arm it becomes a thin strand of flowing mana.

Gently, I let the mana seep out of my palm towards Gardami and although now outside my body I feel the flow as an extension of my own.

-As if I suddenly remembered another hand I always had but never used before…-

Matching her pulsing rhythm I penetrate her and immediately she becomes a part of me. I can feel her mana pool, in the shape of her body, separating to let my thin strand of mana move with greater ease.

-Her face is becoming as red as her robe.-

An image of myself fucking her roughly while infusing mana from our lower bodies pops into my mind. My concentration breaks and I feel our connection disrupt violently sending pain up my fingers.

Arcanum tree unlocked

New attribute added:

Attunement +5

Mana Channeling branch unlocked

Attunement +1

Focus +1

Mana Sharing twig unlocked

Attunement +1

Magical Backlash branch unlocked

Endurance +2

Reproduction tree unlocked

Vitality +2

Endurance +1

Perception +1

Foreplay branch unlocked

Perception +1

Focus +1

Magical Foreplay twig unlocked

Focus +1

Vine connected between Magical Foreplay and Mana Sharing.

You’ve got the magic touch.

Mana Stimulation Skill acquired.(Toggled on/off)

Enhance the pleasure.

I shake my stinging fingers and begin to laugh.

“You have a gift for manipulation. Congratulations.”

-Well shit… I don’t want to be a mage. I much rather get close and personal.-

“Thank you. Does this talent of mine maybe get me some private, ehm… lessons with you?” I smile my signature half smile which I’ve practiced ever since I was a teenager.

“Not quite,” she smiles back, “talent alone means very little to mages.”

“Fair enough.” I nod and decide not to push the matter.

After repeating the process with Raven and Ivan she sends them back to the trainers with orders to practice whenever we recover enough mana. Turning to me she explains how to change the mana into the desired element and recommends earth instead of water again. Thankfully she doesn’t insist and simply goes on her way after some polite flirting.

“Let me pick up my axe and we can practice,” I say to Elsa.

“Sure, but mind sharing what was that all about?” she asks nervously.

“I don’t know if I should… wouldn’t want to make you jealous, you know?”

“Funny… come on.”

-What’s she playing at?-

“Okay. But only if you tell me what that was all about?” I point at her face which was broken and shredded to pieces just a few hours ago.

“Can’t do that.”

“Your loss. Be right back. Oh… you still have some blood on your face.” mana already flowing I activate Mana Stimulation and brush my fingers over her cheek, pretending to clean of a nonexistent smudge.

She inhales in surprise and I run to the shooting range to grab my axe.

-So skill use is so simple? I didn’t even need to say anything… my intent toggled it on automatically at just the right moment.-

Axe in hand and bag slung over one shoulder I start walking, leisurely heading back to Elsa whose eyes keep jumping from the ground to me. Everyone in the arena seems to be minding their own business. Trying out weapons, looking for more comfortable armour, sparring, talking, laughing.

-Status screen.-

Status

Name:

David Kaplan

Age:

29

Gender:

Male

Race:

Human

Class:

None

Title:

None

Level:

None

Attributes

Health

113/113

Stamina

74/74

Mana

158/158

Vitality

0

Endurance

0

Wisdom

0

Constitution

0

Perception

0

Intelligence

0

Strength

0

Control

0

Focus

0

Dexterity

0

Agility

0

Willpower

0

Attunement

0

Luck

-100

Faith

-1000

Blessings

Transcendental Roots

Not born into this world you are not limited by it.

Babylonian Refugee

Understand and be understood.

Tricksters Blessing

Fate and luck have abandoned you.

Active Skills

Hypothetical Anchoring

Level 1

Set an anchor in time, allowing you to return to it after exploring future possibilities.

Cooldown: 1 hour

Mana Stimulation

Level 1

Enhance the pleasure

Passive Skills

Pounding

Level 1

Helps with striking immobile objects with bare hands.

Self Awareness

Level 1

Helps maintain sense of self.

-The fuck are all my stats?!-