Chương 13: Chapter Thirteen

Mom was being weird. I understand that something was going on and there was an explosion. I even understand that I was the target for some other bit of magic. But locking me in the inn was excessive since it's already been proven that whatever piece of this chaos that involved me didn't care if I was splayed across my bed staring at my ceiling as mom droned on about the same concepts she's been reciting since yesterday.

"Mom, I have Mana Control to level three now." I complained.

"I know how to improve it, and will have a lot of time in the cart to practice it." My voice came out whiney.

"You can never have enough control dear. Let's go again. Remember circulate the mana through your entire body. This is important." A groan escaped me and I slipped back into my internal mana sense. If only it was that easy. I had a dozen outlets for what I've accepted to my mana pool, though ocean was a better term for it, and twice as many inlets. On top of that, they were bringing more in then taking out. My gains in Mana Control came from creating a current from one of the inlets towards one of the outlets.

After all the things that have gone strange the past couple of days, I am rather worried what would happen if I just commanded the mana to flow into the outlets. What would happen to me? Which is why I'm actually practicing control and making that current thin. Very thin. Once I get everything hooked up, I will work on increasing how much flows in the current and how much gets pulled into the ocean. I groaned again as I got to work. It was going to take so much time! Skill: Mana Control Leveled!

3 → 4 The message flickered across my awareness and I open my eyes. Mom's still there. Still pacing. Still bouncing Boyan to keep his easily entertained mind busy. She sees me staring at her.

"It's four now. Can we go outside? Or just to the common room?" Her face tightens as she looks me over.

"No." I deflate further into my bed and look away from mom towards the window. Which already had the sheen of Mom's mana over it. I had only wanted to open it to let the air in. I opened my status page instead of sinking back into my mana sense. I'm not rebelling! Just bored of a monotonous task! Besides, it's past time I should have done this. I skipped the attributes I had already read, just noting their levels.

ATTRIBUTES: Racial Mana Body Racial Mana-Bound Existence Mana Sense: Tier 1, Level 8 Mana Saturation: Tier 2, Level 2 I only glanced at these, seeing that I've increased mana sense quite a bit. I have been seeing mana since I figured out how to use the attribute, seeing no sense to try and disable it. I wonder if people walk around not paying attention to mana. I think that would be weird now. Mana Compression: Tier 3, Level 2 Mana prevented from leaking is instead used to compress mana pool.

Effects: Increases the potency of your internal mana. Current compression: 3% So… My spells will be more potent. That's like getting some free spell power. Though, I wonder if this will make my work on connecting my system harder. It's only a two percent increase, so I doubt it will cause me too much problems. For now. I shouldn't try training this until I get myself sorted out. Mana Inertia: Tier 4, Level 5 The mana flowing inside your channels resists external interference. Effects: Reduces mana drain effects.

Reduces destabilization effects of large mana expenditures. My mind went back to the dream I had the other day. A dream that wasn't a dream according to… everyone. People cursing me, but that curse was causing my mana to move. If I hadn't had this, how much worse would it have been. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Would I have hurt someone? Would I have been able to do… whatever I did? Mom asked a long series of questions about that dream and what I did.

Nothing like what Ginger did when she thought I knew something she didn't. That was… I shuddered reminding myself that I wouldn't ever see her again. Dense Core: Tier 5, Level 2 Mana has condensed into a solid core within your body. Effects: Improves Mana Compression growth rate. Mana manifests as a faint physical pressure that can be felt by those sensitive to mana. The mana within your system causes your eyes to glow in dim light. I let out an annoyed hum. People can feel me just by being near me.

I wonder if I can use it to crush little twits like Gi… No. I shook my head. I'm not going to think about that. This isn't helping my decision not to practice Mana Compression. And how to I have a 'mana core' if my whole body is made out of mana? Does this mean my whole body is dense? Wait, the system is calling me fat! I growl at the text in front of me.

"Concentrate Lyra." Mom said and I frowned. I heard her take a seat and start mumbling to Boyan. Must be hungry again. Hunger and poop. Boyan's two states. Mana Imprint: Tier 6, Level 2 Dense mana passively imprints into objects you interact with for extended periods. Effects: Objects briefly retain faint mana after contact. Imprinted objects feel slightly 'heavier' to mana-sensitive individuals. Could this recharge spells cast on objects? Benna's cooling stick came to mind.

It was sitting in a cup of fruit juice, ice happily clinging to it. I guess that would be a yes. Interesting. Mana Saturated Body: Tier 7, Level 2 Continuous Mana Imprinting increases your longevity. Effects: Physical resistance is increased while mana pool remains near full. Your hair takes on the color of your mana, glowing faintly. I shed mana, then that mana is imprinted into objects. And me. Because I'm made of mana, it increases my life span? Or am I made out of mana because of this?

I always thought that my changed color because of my race. If it did because of this, I wonder if it's still my original color underneath. I would just need to drain all my mana… Right. I'm made out of mana. I would die. I love my hair color! Please stay! Mana Gravity: Tier 8, Level 3 Ambient mana naturally drifts toward you, slightly increasing mana regeneration. Effects: Ambient mana becomes thicker and more stable in your immediate vicinity. The movement of ambient mana creates a faint breeze around you. This!

This is why mana follows me around like a lost puppy, and why the elves took so much interest in me. What's the big deal? It's just an attribute. People are stupid. Mana Convergence: Tier 9, Level 4 Ambient mana gathers and densifies in your vicinity. Effects: The surrounding environment becomes faintly mana-saturated. Mana-sensitive individuals feel constant pressure near you. Loose matter might become caught in your mana current, moving towards you. I'm seeing a couple of patterns taking shape here.

"Mom, when attributes do similar things, do the effects enhance each other, or does one work over the other one?"

"So that's what you're doing. You know you should be practicing Mana Control like you're supposed to be."

"I am." Mom let out a long-suffering sigh.

"The effects become more potent. For example, someone with two attributes effecting Mana Sense, will get more than someone with a single skill." She paused.

"And I know you're not, because you glow when you're actually practicing."

"Oh." I thought. I only had one more to examine, so I might as well. Then I guess I can work on Mana Control. Again. Mana Sovereignty: Tier 10, Level 2 Ambient mana in your area of influence is treated as part of your mana pool. Effects: Environmental mana remains stable in your area of influence. Mana gathered around you no longer disperses naturally. External mana interference is weakened within your vicinity. Mana-sensitive individuals feel overwhelming pressure in your presence. Wow.

Images of myself walking around in the center of a cyan bubble invaded my mind, and wouldn't leave.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Lyra." She answered distractedly.

"Am I walking around in a bubble of mana that puts a lot of pressure on you?" Mom didn't answer immediately.

"I wouldn't call it a lot of pressure. Even Boyan can handle it just fine… but yes." My ears drooped as I kicked the mental me down a slope, which she bounced down safe in her mana bubble.

"Oh…"

"Mana Control, Lyra. Start glowing please." Fine! I dived back into my internal mana-scape and continued to work on getting the current across the sea. I hope my glow is sticking its tongue out!

"Hi love… why does Lyra's glow look like it's giving you a raspberry?" Even asked and I celebrated my success by spinning briefly before coming to a quick stop. I meant for the current to corkscrew like that! Honestly, I'm surprised that I can still hear them. Every other time I've done this I wasn't able to hear anything. I must have improved to do so now.

"She was having concentration problems. I helped keep her on task." Pfffft! Evan chuckled.

"I can see what she thinks about that." Mom sighed.

"It's clear she's remarkably talented. I worry that will make her lazy and not put effort into learning magic. Instead relying on that talent."

"Talent fails when against an expert." I felt as though I had bit into a pampaw fruit. Was I really being lazy? It's only been a few days since I could even see mana. Was it really… damn it. I turned to my work and got to moving mana around. Stupid Mom and her stupid worries. I lost track of the conversation for a while as I worked. I felt like my Mana Control was on the verge of leveling up. But what did I know?

"The last of the goods will be loaded tonight, so we will be leaving tomorrow morning." Evan's voice drifted to me as I pushed, prodded, and cut my way through the bulk of my mana, making way for the trickle that was following me.

"Is there going to be trouble?" Evan hummed a negative.

"House La'Tithe has lost a lot of sway after the explosion. They're saying the house can hardly be called experts when their own kin blow up their home due to a backlash."

"Is that what happened?" Mom sounded disbelieving.

"That's what they're saying, and that's the important thing now. I doubt it's going to stop that atrocious bill the La'Tithe's put forward, but it will stall it long enough for us to leave." My efforts became half-hearted as I listened to their conversation. Mom was always so guarded when she talked to me. Is being able to hear while I do this not normal? It wouldn't surprise me. A lot of me is not normal.

"So, we leave it to others?" Mom's voice took on a darker tone, and I was suddenly quite happy not being awake for this. Gotta get this current flowing! That's me!

"Yes." Evan stated flatly.

"Because it's not for us to fix. Let the Watchers like Benna and Leon handle it. That's their job." I felt a hand touch my head, and some of the mana in front of me took on the shape of a hand.

"Ours is to raise these little ones right now. Remember? That's why we're settling down for a few decades." The hand left and I heard Boyan squawk.

"I know. It's just hard leaving it to others when we have felt the cost…" Evan made sounds of comfort and I quickly tuned them out. Lalala! I'm making progress! I think I can see the outlet I'm aiming for. If I squint. And tilt my head. Must be almost there.