It's go time.

Choose your path…

[Child of Iginet]

Being born in Iginet, this offers a start for those that don’t yet have a path.

Mana offers [Child of Iginet] to all, for those who have no other option.

[Villager of the Land]

Being born and raised in a village, you will perform a supporting role in your community.

Another standard option, just like the [Child of Iginet] and not worth it.

[Fist Fighter]

Using your fists as weapons, you have achieved victory in multiple brawls. Refine your fighting skills and pumble your enemies into submission.

Wow… I must’ve gotten into a lot of fights before Hollow picked me up. He saw me beating up some people when we first met, so I guess this makes sense. Sounded a little violent for me, though. More relaxed, less fighting if possible.

[Child of Old]

Age has no meaning for you. Time passes by and you watch it, becoming unaffected by it, as you are insignificant to it.

And the ‘time’ factor shows, and quite obvious at that. I guess if I want a longer life, this is the path to it. Wonder why it still calls me a child in the name. Is everyone without a class considered a child by mana and the world? Regardless, it doesn’t look like I could protect myself. Even if I can live forever, it won’t do me any good if I can’t last a few days outside this bunker.

[True Sloth]

Sleep is in your very nature. You will become the slumber that others fear and rely on. Attacking when others least suspect it, becoming the nightmare that fuels dreams.

Uhhhh… kinda dark. I guess sleeping in a comma did something. It almost sounds demonic, so I should probably avoid this. Giving people nightmares could cause more problems than good. It might be powerful, but quite limiting by the sounds of it.

[Manaborn]

You have waited for your time to become something more. Your body becomes one with mana, as it has understood you. Without your existence, mana loses its purpose.

This must be here because of the bunker’s location, ‘In a mana dense location,’ Hollow said. I can’t sense any mana, so I have no clue how much, but there’s definitely potential, considering that mana itself is extremely diverse, as it fuels most abilities.

[Dormant Being]

You exist, yet no one knows your name. Fade into the background and become one feared by thought, not by presence.

This is… bewildering. Hmmmmm. It could help hide or give abilities to avoid people. The word ‘feared’ seems to imply some combat potential, but I’d probably find it hard to act friendly. And what does ‘thought’ mean? When someone thinks of me? Quite vague tho.

The first three seem like more standard options, considering they mention nothing about the ‘time factor.’ So that leaves [Dormant Being], [Manaborn], [True Sloth], and [Child of Old].

[True Sloth] seems like it attacks the mind, not really the direction I want to head. It’s also too direct, seeming to lack versatility. Hollow mentioned that if possible, I needed to pick one that allowed for branching paths in the future, since it’s difficult to tell what the situation is above ground. For all I know, sentient beings above ground could have good mental defenses, and the class would be otherwise worthless.

For [Child of Old], I didn’t want to watch the world pass as I sat on the sidelines, or at least that’s what it sounds like. There also doesn’t seem to be offensive opportunities, which is an overall no-go.

So, all that leaves is [Dormant Being] and [Manaborn]. Both seem to have some combat power, but it’s difficult to tell which one could be better. I could tell [Manaborn] is working with mana in a ‘free’ like manner, or at least part of it is. It also sounds versatile, so not too much risk.

[Dormant Being] sounds like I could inflict a lot of pain and suffering, but how ‘feared’ would I become? Will this affect forming relationships with others? If I’m always alone, it would add another level to surviving in this world.

The more I think about it, [Manaborn] Is becoming the only option. Multiple possibilities and working directly with mana sounds pleasantly versatile.

I went over the descriptions again, making sure I missed nothing. Yup, [Manaborn] is still the best option. Every other class is a risk to some extent, so sorry other classes. You sound kinda cool, but I value my life.

You have chosen, well done.

The words entered and left my mind in an instant.

With that, I regained my senses, but something felt distinctly different. Something all around me. Like a sixth sense, one saturating and soaking me. I basked in the sense, letting it wash over me.

I had one word, warm, almost like a greeting as it gathered around.

“Oh, I think I know what it is, it must be mana. It feels stunning and… and invigorating? It’s kinda weird, but… natural, like a cool breeze on a summer day.”

The mana floated around like a subtle breeze as it faded through objects, existing in a different plane of existence. I felt it down to my very soul, becoming a part of me, a part of who I am.

It flowed, not just around me, but into a dense energy source inside my chest. It didn’t have a physical representation, but one representative of my soul. “Ahh. Is this my internal mana supply?”

For those gifted to use mana, they have an internal energy or a core as Hollow called it, disposable with the use of certain abilities. Everyone can have one, but few actually do so, and from what Hollow said, you’re normally not supposed to sense it. At least not without a specialized ability or other tools.

Could it be that my class is causing the formation? Directly affecting my senses somehow? “Hmmmm.” I tilted my head to the side as my eyes narrowed. Going back to the description, it should completely integrate mana into the class, so it’s understandable in that aspect.

Besides my core of internal mana supply, something else in the room felt familiar to that. I didn’t really pay attention before, with the world being crazy and all, but in the room’s four corners laid a dense chunk of mana near the ceiling, giving off the room’s light. Using mana as an energy source to produce light? Probably.

Before basking in my new senses longer, another set of words popped into my head.

[Ayla]

[Manaborn Human]

[Age: 10582]

[Mana Construct]

[Mana Gathering]

[Mana Manipulation]

[Identify Soul]

“Oh, my mana! I’m not some granny, but a WALKING SKELETON for all it matters!” The first thing that caught my attention is the age, 10582. I knew I was old, but this… is something else entirely.

Being someone with no memories of growing up or experiencing life is already 100 times older than the normal life expectancy. It’s unnatural, like I’m not myself, the myself that’s named Ayla.

“Can I even call myself Ayla if I don’t remember? For all I know, I’m somebody else, and this is all an elaborate lie. For what purpose? You know what, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just get outta here.”

“I can’t change it, anyway. Remember, I already vowed to loosen some of my own screws so I could go with this insane world thing.”

With that moment aside, someone figuring out my age would be quite the event. I’m dead or at least going to be imprisoned or, worse yet, sold as some unique specimen. “Look here, ladies and gentlemen! We have a unique human specimen for sale. Go ahead and do some experiments on her.” I lightened up a bit, but the whole thing gave me the heebie-jeebies as I shook my head and hoped I’m good at running. “Good thing he gave me the ring. It’s literally a lifesaver on multiple fronts.”

Beside those worries, I gained 3 abilities from my class, [Identify Soul] not being one of them since everyone gains it with a class.

[Mana Construct], [Mana Gathering], and [Mana Manipulation]; These are the abilities that grant me power, the power to do what’s impossible otherwise. Unlimited in nature, but limited by the amount of mana, according to Hollow, but you need to grow the abilities thoroughly with practice. It’s not the only way, but definitely the most straightforward and simplistic. “Not sure how they work yet, but hopefully they're good.”

Following the instructions from Hollow, I focused on my class abilities, letting the words fill my mind once again.

Abilities

[Mana Construct]

As a Manaborn, mana will heed your call

[Mana Gathering]

As a Manaborn, mana gathers upon your call

[Mana Manipulation: Novice]

As a Manaborn, the flow will become in tune

[Identify Soul: Novice]

Which was unknown will become known.

I know a bit about the [Identify Soul] with Hollows writings, if that counts for anything. Everyone gets it during their class selection, allowing for one to identify class, race, age, and name. But that depends on one’s abilities and who you’re using it on.

My class abilities were still vague. How does mana heed my call? Can I command it to do anything? Will I need to speak out loud or just think about it? It sounded versatile, but it might be a source of difficulty without explicit instructions.

I’m also not sure how useful the mana gathering ability is, but it sounded the safest, so let’s try that first.

I looked around, taking in the amount of space I had to work with. “Not really the most amount of room, but it should work.” A smile decorated my face, the most important decision of my life already made, and I was going to make the most of it.

“Ahhhhhh” Exhaling, I prepared myself with some calming thoughts. Using my new senses, I got a feel for the mana around the room, watching as it flowed throughout. Some places had clean and laminar flow, while others were a bit more chaotic and turbulent.

I activated [Mana gathering] and focused it towards the room's center. No talking, just a thought, willing it to gather. I first felt a gentle push, like a slow wind pointed towards the room’s center. It took a hot second, but the density grows, heightening my new mana sense with an increase in mana. A slightly more packed region of particles, bumping into each other as they moved about.

After a second, the mana slowed, resisting my influence as it reached the limit. “I guess that’s what a first attempt get’s me.” I relaxed the ability, and it naturally deactivates, releasing the mana to once again equalize.

“I guess that was a success. But there’s something that makes little sense.” No mana usage, as my core still shined with the same bright glimmer with my new mana sense. “Thought abilities relied on internal mana to power themselves. Let’s try that again. Could’ve been beneath what I can sense.”

I activated the ability again. Feeling the mana gathering slightly faster than before as I got used to the execution, although not by much, but hey, still an improvement. Before long, I felt the same density limit stopping me as I dissipated the mana a moment later.

While focusing more on the surrounding mana, I noticed some of it disappearing. Well, not disappearing, but some of the individual particles became dull and floated off from the primary group. It felt kinda sad, but it didn’t feel wrong at the same time. I watched as they floated away, exceeding the range of my senses.

“Well, at least I know how the ability is powered, but I still don’t understand why. I can clearly sense the usage of mana, but why not use my internal mana? Now that I think about it, there must be something to the ability. Especially considering that I don’t even know what it’s used for.”

Pusing that aside for now, I concentrated on the next ability, [Mana Construct]. Using the same method, I direct the ability at the center of the room. A slight tug pulled at my mana core, but it disappeared a moment later, rejecting my influence.

Unconcerned, I activated the ability again, but I felt another twitch of rejection. Tilting my head with narrowed eyes, I recalled the explanation:

[Mana Construct]

As a Manaborn, mana will heed your call

“I should’ve expected that. I might need to give it some instructions. Enough direction to ‘heed my call’ might be the key.” It had ‘construct,’ in the name, so let’s try making something.

Focusing towards the center of the room, I imagined a small piece of cloth. Large enough to cover the hand, but thin in construction. Nice and simple.

I immediately felt a loss of mana evacuating my core, and then moved to the room’s center. With the image in imagination, the mana formed a bright ball as it crossed into the physical world, leaving its natural state.

The formation took a few seconds, but the cloth formed beneath the bright light. “Ahhhhhhh.” Releasing a puff of air. I felt a part of me missing, as my core had noticeably shrunk. I couldn’t feel the individual particles leave me, but it was a stream being pulled out of me, sucked out of my very existence.

“Now that was expensive! Around thirty percent of my core for a simple white cloth.” [Mana Manipulation] should act passively to aid my class ability, or ‘in tune’ as the ability called it, but the real question is how much it helps?

Moving closer, I lifted the cloth, easily sensing the mana embedded within, no longer pulling from my core. I pulled and stretched the fabric between my fingers. “looks and feels normal enough, but I can still sense the mana construction woven between the fabric strains. Individual mana particles all lined up, just like normal spun fabric.”

After a couple of seconds, the cloth faded, becoming transparent as it dissipated within my hand. It’s a slow and calm transition, but everything returned to its natural state.

“Welp, that didn’t last long. I probably need to supply continuous mana if I want it to remain in the physical world.”

My core remained at the 70 percent mark, but I got the remaining back through natural regeneration. The surrounding mana naturally flowed into my core, albeit quite slow. I watched for a while, attempting to gauge how long a full regeneration would take with natural mana regeneration.

“Ooo, quite slow. At least a few hours, but let’s continue practicing.” Another small mana cloth later, but this time I supplied a continuous stream of mana, keeping it in the physical realm.

My mana dropped as I continuously supplied the individual threads, the initial conjugation requiring the same amount of mana, but the maintenance continued to shrink the core. “Wow, this is not practical. I’m going to need a massive amount of mana to keep anything in the physical realm, at least anything more useful than a cloth.” Finished with the ability, I deactivated it to keep my mana in supply.

“I wish I knew how to compare these abilities to others offered by the more standard classes. All Hollow told me were some types of classes and what to look out for during my class selection, but he didn’t leave any averages or whatever to compare it to. Welp.” I shrugged my shoulders. “The world has probably changed too much, anyway.”

With that, I started practicing with my newfound abilities for the next 5 days, hoping to get a fluent feeling. I’m on a timer with my food supply and my sanity for what it counts, and the more prepared, the better.

“You know, it kinda sucks I can’t tell time down here. I’ve gone through a few ration packets, but that really isn’t the most accurate clock.” Dark bags laid beneath my eyes. It’s been a mess the last few days, with a nonexistent internal clock messing with my body.

Three things replaced everything I did; Sleeping, eating, and practicing. Not something fun, but I didn’t have another option.

I’ve gotten quite comfortable with mana and its whims. The more I moved, formed, or directed mana, the more I could sense its nature and movement. It felt like particles floating in the wind, directionless and uncensored, but at other times, it had a mind of its own, moving with intention and discretion. Made little sense, but I was just going with it. The mysteries could wait until later.

Besides the failed attempts at creating anything large, different minor items were quite easy now, like some rings and coins. But there was still a major problem. Something like a ring was possible to maintain for half an hour, but something like the cloth sucked up all my mana in a few minutes. Versatile ability for sure, but limited in what I could create and maintain.

I’ve also figured out a use for [Mana Gathering], to increase natural mana regeneration. Since the ability doesn’t use internal mana, I can focus it on myself and create a region of higher density mana.

This allows a quicker absorption rate into my core. Cutting down the regeneration to a 6th as long. Or at least by my estimations, again, relying on when I’m hungry next is not the most accurate clock.

Making small objects was all good, and that, but I’ll need to defend myself. The [Mana Construct] is the only option I had. Although not directly offensive, I could use it to learn a new ability. Hollow mentioned that pushing your current abilities could often end up changing them in certain ways.

Now the question was, how should I do that? I could try to form a melee weapon, but then I’ll have to wield it. Maybe a small spear would be best, but that would be too overtaxing with my current mana supply.

“Hmmm.” I sat on my bed, trying to think of a ‘lighter weight’ alternative.

“Could try to create a projectile. Should be small enough. Do I need to form anything, or can I just throw a condensed ball of mana in physical form? Might save on mana usage and, if possible, I could get it to fly fast enough to pierce, like an arrow.”

“Is that my only option? Throwing around small balls, not really as aww inspiring as I’d hoped. If I can’t get it to puncture anything, then it’s probably useless, or… I guess I could cause some bruises and knock a couple teeth out. Or maybe a distraction if all else fails.”

“Welp, let’s try creating a ball.”

Focusing on the surrounding mana, I activated [Mana Construct]. The mana pulled together, forming a bright object into a pea sized ball. The surface of the ball moved around lively, just like fire as it lit up the room, but it looked pitifully weak.

It hovered at waist height, waiting for its next instruction. I didn’t have the best idea of the next step, so I ‘pushed’ it with my mind, moving my hands along to enhance the mental image. And to my surprise, it moved, but it resisted every millimeter, not wanting to move.

“Ahhhhhh.” I released the image before long and the bright ball faded. “That’s not gonna work. Especially with it resisting my movements so much.”

I took a breath. “Take two.” I created a different mental image. One flying like a bird. Quick, fast, and straight. I wasn’t forcing it like before, but giving it a suggestion, just as I did when creating the small white cloth. Not pushing or yelling, but attempting to communicate with the mana, willing it to move as the ability called it.

The ball struggled and shot off loosely, hitting the wooden wall with a crunch. With a hop, I said. “Yes, that worked!” The projectile formed and moved, a complete success, with this only being the second attempt.

“It will need some work to be combat ready, but it’s a great start.” Two complaints tho, it’s slower and quite sluggish to move, but I had an idea.

Walking closer to the impact site, I felt the fingernail depth hole about half the size of a pea laying on its surface. That’s going to sting and annoy something, but not enough to kill. Especially not against a large and thick skin monster.

“Time to practice, I guess.”

Activating [Mana Construct], the same bright pea formed. I imagined the same bird, but with some additional instructions. ‘As the bird streaked through the sky, the air made way for it. Splitting into two and going around the bird, eliminating all obstacles.’ I waited for a second, forming a complete and whole picture.

The ball moved briskly, parting the air as a light trail sat in the wake. An audible peck sounded as it contacted the wall.

“Now we’re talking!” With my grin only growing wider. This is going to work much better than I originally thought if I keep up this rate of improvement, but there is still a problem, mana.

“I can only fire two more if I’m lucky. Should get better with practice, so all in time.” Especially with that last one taking even more than the first 2 attempts combined… then I felt it, using too much mana in one go.

Unexpectedly, I took an unstable step forward, almost falling over as a queezeness grew within my stomach. “Ohhh yark.” A dizziness hit my head, making the world turn. And before long, a loss dawned on me.

With my face going pale, an emptiness filled my stomach. My face tightened as my knees hit the ground. “AAAAGGGGHHHH.” I let it all out with everything I had, leaving me in the quickest route it could, through my mouth.

The immoral smell hit me, but the sense of loss remained. It normally felt weird as the mana left me, but this was something different, something wrong.

I laid on the ground, facing away from the art piece I just created on the ground. My face droops to the ground, as it was the last I could focus on. The color returned with time, but it still felt wrong. I felt wrong.

I shivered a bit as I laid in the wrongness, but I could think of one thing. Throughout my practice, I never used mana that quickly. It’s the only thing that made sense otherwise.

My body rejected the rather large use of mana in one go.

I normally stopped after using half of my internal mana. Not that I couldn't use more, but it felt a little off, so I never pushed it past that. It didn’t impact my practice, so why use more?

I did that on instinct, feeling little bits of discomfort here and there, but nothing this severe. I stumbled my way back up on my feet and plopped down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “Ya, I’m not doing that again. Let’s slowly work my way up next time.”

Mana had always carried a unique feeling since I gained this class. It’s difficult to describe, but it’s really a sense that I couldn't live without now. Not some sort of half sense, but a full experience I’d be missing if I didn’t have it. I don’t know if others had this mana sense, but if they don’t, I’m glad I chose [Manaborn] as my class. It's just relaxing and fulfilling at the same time.

The sense of loss was something to work through, but hopefully, I could do it the slow way next time.

After some rest and a quick rip of a cleaning scroll, removing my artwork, I sat back down and used [Mana Gathering]. The region grew dense, allowing my body to make use of the extra supply. Mana streams flowed into my core, refreshing my body as the vigor returned. The sense of loss all but disappeared, like it never existed.