Portal Game - Chapter 5 - New Abilities

{Class Selected!}

{Congratulations! You are now a [Mage Acolyte]}

{You only have one class available - All levels allocated to class: [Mage Acolyte]}

{Class [Mage Acolyte] has reached level 1! All stats have been increased accordingly.}

{Skill Unlocked: [Sense Mana] - Passive - Lvl 1

Skill Unlocked: [Mana Manipulation] - Active - Lvl 1

Skill Unlocked: [Mana Bolt] - Active - Lvl 1}

Information streamed into James’ head as his mind was flooded with notifications from the Voice of Svilenia. He was beginning to get used to the way the fantasy system operated, although he wasn’t quite there yet. Jamest still couldn’t help but wince every time the otherworldly realm spoke to him. The first thing that he noticed was a warmth that spread throughout his body and mind. It was a soothing feeling, one the young adult had never felt before. He could almost feel his mind expanding and his body becoming stronger as they somehow transformed from the inside out. The pleasurable sensation was pushed away as soon as it came as the new skills downloaded themself in James’ memory. It was a bit disquieting how it all worked, but it wasn’t anything that he worried about too much.

Knowledge of how to use and apply the skill was crammed into his brain and his body instinctively adapted. The new mage acolyte instantly noticed the effects of [Sense Mana] without even needing to look at the skill description. He could suddenly feel the now not-so-foreign energy that pulsed through his veins and permeated through the air. Notably, the atmospheric mana concentration was non-existent outside of the apartment and only increased in gradient as one approached the bathroom where the portal lay. James could only conclude that mana was very much a fantasy world thing and did not naturally appear on Earth. It was something to be expected really. Any mana in the apartment must have drifted in whilst the portal was open.

The new skills excited James. Mana manipulation? Mana Bolt? His newfound abilities were something straight out of a fairy tale. He could only hope that the skills were everything he dreamed they would be. After taking a moment to go through the notifications a second time to check if he had missed something, the excited office worker impatiently opened up the skill descriptions like an overeager child on Christmas day.

{[Sense Mana] - Passive - Lvl 1

As a wielder of the magical arts, you have the ability to sense the ethereal energy known as mana. Whether it be the natural ambient mana of the Realm of Svilenia or the opposing forces of your foe’s magic, you shall be able to feel it as if it were your own.

*On level up: The clarity in which you sense mana increases.}

{[Mana Manipulation] - Active - Lvl 1

As a wielder of the magical arts, you have the ability to sense the ethereal energy known as mana. As you increase in skill, you shall be able to shape this mana into powerful spells and construct that will aid you on your path.

*No mana cost,

*On level up: Mana will be able to be shaped more easily.}

{[Mana Bolt] - Active - Lvl 1

The most basic magical attack skill. Mana is channeled and condensed into an orb and is then fired in a chosen direction with force. On contact, the orb explodes with arcane energy. Although simple, this spell is a staple among established mages and is not to be underestimated. Damage increases with the quantity of mana channeled.

*Mana cost: 10,

*On level up: Proficiency with spell increases, Damage increases}

The skills didn’t disappoint. Like flexinging a newfound muscle, James guided some of his mana to his right hand. It felt heavy; uncooperative. His mana was slow to obey his commands and sluggishly flowed through his body at a painfully slow pace. It took 20 seconds for James to receive the results he desired. He supposed it was to be expected, the skill was only level 1 after all.

{Proficiency threshold reached! [Mana Manipulation] has reached level 2! Class experience gained!}

James smiled. It was always nice when hard work was rewarded, if what he had just done could be called hard work. Suddenly the mana coursing through his body felt less resistant, but only by the slightest amount. The change was negligible enough that it made no practically no difference at all in the young mage’s ability to shift the magical energy. There was still much progress to be made.

Stumbling over a broken chair left lying in the hallway, Elise half ran into the living room. It hadn’t taken long for James to process the changes that occurred in his body. Only 10 seconds had passed since the young adult had chosen his class. Elise marched up to him and firmly grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him gently back and forth.

“You’re picking a class? What are the options? This is important James! if this is anything like what I think it is, this choice will change your life forever!”

The girl was agitated, her green eyes slightly bloodshot as she stared him down. She was obviously passionate about the situation. James didn’t blame her. Who wouldn’t be excited when supernatural powers were involved?

“Actually, I’ve already picked.” James smirked. Elise did a double-take and just stared at him in disbelief, her face slowly controting into an expression of anger.

“You’ve WHAT?” Elise’s stare had evolved into a ferocious glare. She shook him a bit harder.

“You damn idiot, what did you pick?! If you chosen something stupid I’m going to kick you! Are you listening to me?!”

Faced with the threat of bodily harm, the young adult decided to answer his arrogant sister with the show don’t tell policy. Choosing the smashed television in the corner as target, James channeled his mana as he activated the [Mana Bolt] skill in his mind. His eyes widened in amazement as the magical energy left his palm and condensed into a small sphere, just as the skill description said it would. The mage gasped as the mana became visible to the naked eye and he saw the mana for the first time independently of his [Mana Sense] skill. Threads of milky blue light converged into an orb of radiant magical force that illuminated the dimly lit room. The sensation of using magic was odd yet invigorating. James could feel the skill guiding his mana along set pathways as it moved, yet it nevertheless moved slowly, just like in his previous experiment.

“Jamessssss...” Elise dragged out his name in a cautious tone, shrinking back at the sudden show of magical force. “What… what Is that?”

Her pupils dilated in shock at the sight of the young adult’s new skill and she gasped as the orb of ethereal energy only grew bigger. Her breathing became ragged as the orb grew bigger and brighter.

“Magic” James responded bluntly. As more and more mana gathered in his palm, he could feel that he could unleash the stored power at any time he wanted. All it would take was a single thought. After 30 seconds of channeling, the orb was about 5 centimeters in diameter. ‘Just big enough to test properly’ James thought. The skill had taken so long to channel that it should be comical. It wasn't. The mana glowed in a way that could only amaze no matter how long one watched it.

‘[Mana Bolt]!’ The mage called out the name of the skill, and the skill responded.

A resounding bang flooded the apartment as the magical orb blasted away from James’ palm and sundered the poor, already destroyed television to pieces in a masterful show of arcane force. A flash of blue light accompanied the explosion, forcing the siblings to squeeze their eyes shut. Only scorch marks and rubble greeted James when he opened them again.

{Proficiency threshold reached! [Mana Bolt] has reached level 2! Class experience gained!}

“Well shit.” James stated. “I was expecting a beginner spell to be a little less dramatic.”

Elise didn’t reply instantly. Her widened eyes stared at the impact point of the blast for a good three seconds before she shifted her gaze to regard the culprit. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but the girl struggled to get any words out. Her facial expression contorted; excitement and shock each taking their turn to display themselves on her visage, with a small hint of fear. James knew that it wasn’t him she was scared of, but the destruction the mana bolt had caused.

“I had literally just gotten rid of Mrs Smith” She finally said feebly. “Thanks to you, she’s probably going to show up at the door again in a couple of minutes.”

“Ignore her then,” James pulled out a piece of plain paper from a half collapsed chest of drawers and started writing. “If you pretend the problem doesn’t exist, it’ll go away after a while.”

“Why didn’t you leave the Portal alone then? That was certainly an option at some point.” Elise replied with a little more confidence in her voice than seconds before.

“Would you have left it alone?” James looked her in the eyes meaningfully.

“No, I wouldn’t have” His sister confirmed after only a second of thought. “So you chose a mage-type class?”

“Bingo!” James grinned and handed her the piece of paper. “Here’s my profile that you oh so desperately wanted to see.”

{Profile:

Name: James Haggen

Race: Human

Level: 4

Primary Class: [Mage Acolyte] - Lvl 1

Secondary Class: None

Health: 97/110

Mana: 140/140

Strength: 10

Dexterity: 11

Constitution: 11

Vitality: 12

Intelligence: 14

Wisdom: 17

Spirit: 14

Free Points: 8

Titles: [Otherworlder], [Portalbound]

Class skills: [Sense Mana] - Lvl 1, [Mana Manipulation] - Lvl 2, [Mana Bolt] - Lvl 2

General skills: [Sense Portal] - Lvl MAX, [Knife Proficiency] - Lvl 1

}

James’ status had changed drastically with the new class and skills. Most notable was the growth in his stats, some of them having even twice their previous value. He would have to later test to what extent they had changed his physical and mental capabilities.

Elise snatched the paper out of his hand as Gollum would with the One ring and agitatedly read it over. Her shoulders visibility tensed as she finished reading and put the written status down on the plastic table between them.

“This is crazy…” She said, trembling.

“Tell me about it.”

“Are you going to tell anyone else?”

“Maybe Cole, but not right away. I don’t trust anyone else enough to let them in on something like this. ”

“Cole? Like, Cole from your work?” Elise rolled her eyes when James nodded. “Of course you’d tell him, I shouldn’t have expected any less!”

“You’re seeming to forget that I’d never have told you if you didn’t live here.”

Elise clicked her tongue in annoyance and grabbed yet another packet of crisps. She opened it in the most violent and aggressive way possible in a display of displeasure, yet thankfully managed to do so without making a mess.

"So if you're telling Cole eventually, that means I get to tell someone too right?" Elise stated the question instead of asking it.

"Actually, no." James shut her down.

"Why not?" She challenged.

"Because it's my portal." He responded. Elise glared at him, daring him not to change his mind. James smirked. He was enjoying this too much. After about 10 seconds Elise let the issue drop.

“So what about Dad and Lucas? Do we hide this from them?” Elise began.

“Absolutely! Do you know what they’d do if they found out about some magical wormhole in our apartment?”

Elise thought for a second and then groaned. “Dad would probably call the police and then use this as an excuse to take us to the states. Lucas would freak out and tell Dad. I get your point.”

“Exactly.” James affirmed. “So we keep this between us until we know better what’s going on.”

"Yes I know, I know" Elise waved her hand dismissively. "Can we talk about the issue at hand now?"

"And what would that be?" James asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Whether we go back through the portal or not obviously." Elise responded.

It was a good question, one that James hadn’t actually considered yet. Honestly, he was surprised his Otaku sister had thought of this before he had. Fantasy world or not, they had just been attacked by a giant wolf that didn't understand the concept of personal space. Stats and magic may be exciting, but was it really worth the risk of death? What would happen if James died? In what kind of way would that even happen? The young mage shuddered at the thought, yet before he could think too deeply he picked up on one important detail.

"We?" James stared at Elise incredulously.

James looked at his sister. The girl looked reluctant yet eager at the same time. Her hands were trembling slightly but there was a resolve in her expression that could not be ignored. He knew that if he chose to go back through, getting Elise to stay behind would be an insurmountable challenge.

"You know me James," Elise began. "You found a fancy world and you really expect me to sit this out? Not gonna happen. Now answer my question; are we going in or are we not? So far we've been talking as if we know we're going back through. Is this really what we want to do though?"

James passed a moment in contemplation. He knew what Elise wanted to do and deep down he knew what he wanted to do as well. Yet no matter how much he tried to convince himself, the reality of the situation continued to crush down on him. What else might they find in Svilenia? What dangers awaited them? He needed a tangible reason to go back, and that reason wasn't too difficult to think of.

"Elise," his sister flinched at the seriousness in his voice. "When I picked my class there was a priest option. One of the capabilities of this class was healing."

Elise didn't need James to explain any more. She knew what he was hinting at. The young adult watched as her eyes widened with hope.

"You think we can heal Mother?" She gasped at the realisation. For a few brief seconds, the arrogance that Elise normally displayed wasn't present. She became the person that she was before the accident happened. Then the moment passed.

Elise narrowed her eyes. "How sure are you?"

"Very." James responded. "Whether through the priests, alchemy or magic, supernatural healing is a thing there if the options from the class selection are anything to go off."

"Through the portal it is then." Elise concluded. “If there’s a chance to make things right with mother, there’s not much to think about.”

James nodded solemnly. "We'll go in tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Elise objected. "What's wrong with now?"

The young mage sighed. 'Trust the anime addict to jump in without a plan' James thought before remembering that he himself had done the exact same thing an hour or two before. He smiled wryly before quickly pushing his embarrassment aside.

"If we're going to do this we need to be prepared" James stated. "Do you want to be eaten alive by Satan's next top model? The system notification said that that thing was a cub! Do you know what a cub is, Elise? That damned monster was a baby! How fucking big do you think an adult would be?"

Elise's face paled. She didn't need to be told any more to understand the problem.

"We’ll go in tomorrow afternoon." James reaffirmed. "In the meantime, I'll make sure that we don't die horribly while we’re in there."

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found the number he was looking for. Without hesitation, the young man started trying out a message.

The first time he went through the portal, he'd screwed up and nearly killed both his sister and himself. He'd be damned if he made the same mistake a second time.