Chapter 9

Looking over the town it was clear that whoever was going leave the city would have done so by now. Looking over to Keira and Quentin’s group with counting the other survivors they had slightly more than a dozen pure mages but not one of them ended up beyond level 30. In fact the overall level of Orion’s group ended up slightly lower than that, it was truly a low level town. This also meant for John that to stay together would be the riskiest thing of them all.

Going after dozens of groups with a few people each would be a waste of their time compared to a few large groups, they would send someone Orion reasoned

For now they would stay as one group, walking the entire night. Rodo was with the villagers that he had saved, looking over the group Orion noticed that the Woodshop owner was one of them and waved at him. Noticing, the man waved with a huge smile on his face

Orion remember that now was the best chance to ask Quintin about how to unlock his mana.

Since all users of mana have to do the same thing there must be an easy way to do it

Finding Quintin again was the easy part even after he walked away from the camp. When found he was floating pieces of fruit around children. Making shapes and having the children try to jump through them even stopped Orion from asking at once, rather he just wanted to watch until they were done.

It seemed Quintin noticed Orion waiting for him and told the children that he was out of mana. Walking away they complained about not being able to play anymore and Quintin came over to where Orion was now standing.

“Do you need help with anything Orion?”

Orion then explained his problem to Quintin who agreed to help instantly

“Your right every mana user has to do the same thing and being at low level town has allowed me to unlock many more people than the usual, sit down in front of me”

They both now sat across each other, the window hitting them lightly. It carried with it the smells of the cooking food nearby reminding him of the same smells of the town.

“All you have to do is reach for it and I will pull from my end”

Before Orion could ask what he was planning Quintin put one hand on Orion’s forehead and the other on the back of his head. Orion once again tried to use mana but a wall blocked him then it seem too slowly get thinner. Again he tried and the wall bent, feeling there was some other force on the other side of the wall. It was like feeling another hand through a pillow then a piece a cloth.

“Imagine not just ramming through but piercing it” Quintin spoke like a master talking to his disciple.

Picture in his mind an arrow like he had read in the book Orion was given he slammed it into the wall causing a crack to appear. With all his will one last arrow was pushed into the exact same place and on Quintin side they squeezed. The wall trembled then broke away.

A rush of energy starting from Orion’s head went down through his body, it went down until it reached his feet then slowly receded back to his head.

Mana Control (Passive) basic 1/150 (Rare)

The control of mana in your body allows you to use mana and is one of the factors in determining how much mana is required for a given spell. Some spells may only be able to much use if your rank in mana control is high enough. The strengthen of your mana veins will allow higher level channeling and increase channeling speeds. (Rare) you are more in tune with your mana veins then most people allowing for the sub skill “Mana Vein System”

+2 Wisdom +2 Intelligence

Mana Vein System basic 1/100

More than just flowing mana through to strengthen your Mana Veins you can focus mana through only the veins you want to allow for a faster casting time. In return not all veins will be able to handle the amount of mana as the ones used most often. Another special trait is the use of condensing your mana into a ball within your body. It will drain you making you tried but in exchange it’s used to reinforce your Mana Veins outside of combat. Future ranks will allow multiple balls to be used at once.

Shocked Orion wanted to check if it really was true

“Open menu”

Name: Orion Class: None

Level: 14 Race: Human

Title: None Organization: None

Health: 135 Mana: 120

Strength: 9 Magic Resistance: 0%

Agility: 6 Mana Regeneration: 12/m

Intelligence: 4(+2)

Wisdom: 4(+2)

Luck: 4(+2)

Endurance: 6

Vitality: 7

Unspent Soul Points: 72

Easier (Variant): experience gained increased, 3+ soul points per level, much greater chance of increased rarity of skills and abilities

Clam Mind (Rare): +2 Wisdom and Intelligence

Inspire +2 Luck

Even with what had happened with seeing that Mana had been unlocked it was a great day. He still had questions about what Mana Veins were but it looked like Quintin already expected it and was waiting for Orion to relax before continuing.

“I assume you want to know about casting and what mana veins are?”

Quintin asked as he started to draw in the dirt in between them a shape of the human body. Orion nodded to his question so he began again with his explanation of his bodies new abilities.

“Mana does not come from your entire body just your head, that’s why both my hands went to either side of your head when we were breaking through your wall”

That was a question Orion had for some time and it was refreshing to finally get an answer to that. Leaning on the tree he had been sitting in front of he enjoyed his new sense, a new weight but a good one.

“In order to use mana it must come from your body and where it can come out depends on where your mana veins end at, for most people at their hands. Those with Uncommon Mana Control have them at their feet allowing flight”

Before Orion could speak Quintin added in extra detail to his explanation so that Orion would not misunderstand

“Even if you have the extra veins in the right spot it would extra a very high mana regeneration, the more weight the more it will cost extra”

It was sad news for Orion that it would be quite some time before he could fly and even longer to go at any high speeds

“When spells level it lessen the mana cost and ranking up unlocks new sub abilities of that spell, also two different spells have the chance to combine to form a new spell but that

depends on their ranks and if it’s even possible”

The explanations were all that Orion hoped for but with so much information at once it became a problem to remembering it all. For a time Quintin became a river of information and Orion was a poor boat trying to stay on top. One question he expected to have answered by the time Quintin had finished talking was not so he asked about it

“Are there any items that can multiply a person’s power or store mana for later use or even other mages sending their power into one person?”

It the answer was yes the items that could allow such a thing would become his number one goal to get. He could form a party with as many mages and items possible and fight beast of a much higher then what he is now and level more quickly then it normally was possible

“No, not one of the things you asked about is possible. I mean if you think about it the system would be so broken it would only matter who had the totem with the highest multiplier of the spell damage or how many they had around”

Quintin chucked at the thought of such things in the world. Orion admitted that the idea did seem much more foolish when he asked about it. In a sudden Quintin got up from laying down and looked over at Orion once again

“One last thing and this one’s important, for a while until you have sent enough mana through your body it will be very slow for any spells you try to channel. Practice some spells until the menu tells you your Mana Veins are clear”

Quintin got up from where he was sitting and motioned for Orion to follow him so he did. They walked away from everybody else and faced a tree, they had to go a distance away so that Orion could learn a spell and then practice.

“I will channel a fireball slowly and you watch”

Quintin raised his right hand in the direction of the tree they were in front of. The inside of his hand seemed to shine then a flame circled in his hand that grew until it fit like a ball. Then it shot out of his hand faster than Orion could run and hit the tree causing a crater to form and a fire to break out.

“The better rank it is the faster it can travel and the amount of damage it does increase. If you practice wind magic that will allow a fireball to enhance further”

Quickly running over to the tree Quintin summoned water from the ground and put out the fire. It had taken four more tries for Orion to learn it and when he did he jumped up in the air with Quintin for once.

Fireball (active) basic 1/100 (Uncommon)

You are now about to channel the element of fire in your hand. As this is one of the most basic spells and first you learn it will become one of the most important. Future ranks will allow you to cause more damage and a wider area of effect is wanted

Damage: 30 Mana Cost: 150

“You don’t just have to watch people do a spell in order to do it yourself. From reading about one or even an original one from your mind, don’t forget that when you’re out on your own”

Quintin cautioned to him to which Orion was once again grateful for the invaluable information he now knew. The cost of the fireball at its present state did not trouble him. With the seventy two soul points that were ready to be invested he could increase both his total mana and the regeneration rate of five times it is now.

Glancing at his pack Orion asked Quintin to wait where he was and went over to it. Orion had two items he was unsure about: The blue crystal that use to belong to Claire and the Mold Sword from Rodo’s Workshop. Guessing that pulling out the sword was too big a risk and the chance of Quintin not knowing about weapons high he grabbed the Crystal from his pack. Clutching it to his chest and making sure his cloak wrapped around he walked back to Quintin and presented it to him.

At seeing the object Quintin seemed surprised and quickly ran his hands over it. A magical circle appeared from his hand, turning like it was a gear. The Blue crystal glowed for a moment and then went dull.

“I am surprised you have an item such as this, do you really not know what it does?”

“I really don’t, I found it but since it was just now the use of mana came to me I wanted to know how to work it”

Better not to say how I really got it was from a woman who tried to kill me

Quintin wanted to either ask more questions about how Orion came into this object because it seemed the story was missing parts but since he had done so much for him no question were asked.

“This is a magical weight system powered by the mana in your body. The higher constant rate of mana you put in beyond the minimum amount for this device to function it increases the overall rate and spreads out over your body to your major muscles.”

Orion did not see the point of the object if the only way to get stronger was to invest soul points in strength. When he spoke his thoughts to Quintin he was told that it was the wrong way to think.

“Soul points are how you get stronger that is true but just leveling is not the only way. You might have already guessed it but the other way to gain Soul points is to train your body to the extreme in that given area. That is what this device is for, in exchange for giving you the chance to gain points this way the difficulty is almost too much”

It was explained by Quintin that the rate in which mana is consumed by the device depends on the amount of strength the user has. Sometimes there are ‘checkpoints’ where a larger than usual amount of mana is required and that happens when ones strength get to high. When that happen the crystal grows a new part a moves to a new part of the body.

“It’s time to get back for dinner, also Aus asked to speak with you when you had time”

Quintin commented as the two of them walked back to where most of the group was. The camp of nearly a hundred people was unusually close together, the reason was that people felt better the closer they were around other people. Orion noticed Brandon and Rodo sitting together with the boy, ever since the attack he had mute and refused to speak.

Keira and Quintin walked with him over to where Brandon was sitting and it became a group of six. That night it was decided that by the mages that all the people would split into small groups and head to different towns. It would give them the greatest chance and most people agreed. Orion already knew that the people around him now would be his group and after speaking with Aus it his day would end and the traveling would begin again.