Chương 8: Mana

CH 8 - Mana Screw that scammy elf, I'm gonna check out the other store the info pamphlet recommended. This shop is run by a human, but the info desk lady had warned that the guy was crazy. After getting scammed by his first option, Grey decided he'd take what he could get.

"Aah, fellow human! Welcome! Have you been bathed in mana and reborn like this old one?" The elderly man behind the counter of the shop looked like he didn't have a lot of years left. He had long grey hair, just like the wizard stereotypes from fantasy. His back hunched over an ornate and sophisticated cane… But his shop looked like it was practically falling apart. Seems like he doesn't get much business. Probably because the elf at the info desk pushes everyone to the elven store.

The wizard stared him up and down as he got closer.

"I don't detect the essence of mana within you? Why have you come here if you haven't wished for arcane affinity?" The dude seemed to mean well. Maybe he was just obsessed with magical research. Grey explained some aspects of his shapeshifting and his idea to forge mana circuits and mana organs.

"HAHAHA BRILLIANT!" The old man smiled as he began inspecting Grey more.

"This one's mana circuits were forged from wishes. They are unchangeable unless I attain a wish of higher value, but you… YOU can forge TRUE mana channels. This is unprecedented. Most body-altering abilities have much more stringent rules… Let's see.. Where did I put it? Ah, yes.." The wizard fumbled around a drawer before finding what he was looking for.

"Here, take this and try to absorb it." Grey held the tiny mana stone in his palm and focused on it, but nothing happened.

"Hmmm… Try eating it." A concerning grin grew on the wizard's face as he stared on with anticipation. I think I know why the info desk elf warned me about this guy. Not seeing much harm in it, Grey threw the pebble-sized mana stone into his mouth and swallowed.

"It's fine for that other shapeshifting species…." The wizard whispered to himself. At first, nothing happened; as if he had swallowed a regular rock. However, a moment passed, and he could feel his stomach trying to digest it. His stomach acids tried eating away at the pebble. He focused on his ability and strengthened his stomach, slowly turning the small rock into a small amount of liquid mana. The mana swirled together in his belly, and the walls of his stomach lurched from the recoil of the stone's power.

Grey stopped himself from puking. The foreign energy was being fought off by his body now, but he didn't want to waste it.

"Hmmm… You're not dead yet, that's a good sign." The wizard murmured. Grey's eyes widened. NOT DEAD YET? Then, he concentrated. How can I overcome the mana in my stomach and use it to my benefit?

"Usually, if a human eats raw mana stone, it just passes through as a rock. As for those who can digest it, liquid mana is too powerful for a human's belly, and so it can eat away at the stomach lining." Yeah, this guy is crazy. If I had known that, I wouldn't have used my ability to break it down. Grey worried about his stomach bursting and focused on reinforcing it. He strengthened the lining of his stomach similarly to how he increased his bone density.

He felt slivers of energy entering his body as the mana fought with his stomach for control. The mana wanted to eat away at his body, but his stomach was determined to devour the energy it was providing. The battle caused a clash of energy that radiated pain through him. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. At a certain point, Grey could draw a certain amount of power from the mana within him thanks to (Shapeshifting).

Grey winced and bent over, clutching at himself. The wizard stared on as if Grey was a science experiment and offered no other help. He even brought out a notebook and started scribbling notes. Grey ignored him and focused more. The mana that it was absorbing was bottling itself up in his body as unused energy. A portion of it was being used to densify his stomach, but he needed to figure out what to do with the rest. He took a gamble and moved the mana-infused energy into his stomach as he strengthened it.

Mana began seeping into his stomach, changing it with a new malleable power. The absorption of the stone progressed much faster after moving mana into his stomach lining. Soon, the stone was completely absorbed, and his stomach radiated with a new, foreign feeling. [(New Ability) (Passive): Mana Stomach (E)] Grey smiled. [Mana Stomach (E): Reinforced and infused with mana, your stomach can absorb energy from a very diverse diet. Capable of digesting mana. (Note: can only safely handle very low mana-dense nonorganic material.)]"Woohoho! Tell me what happened!" The wizard's eye grew as big as saucers in anticipation.

"Dude! You nearly just killed me. To anyone else, that might have been fatal. Why would I tell you anything else?" The man furrowed his brows before shuffling around a chest under his desk. He brought out a few jars containing different samples.

"Seems like the stone got absorbed, right? And now I'm sensing slight traces of mana inside you. Tell ya what, this research fascinates me, and so I'm willing to part with these treasures for a discount. The only thing is you have to help me with my research by telling me the results of eating them." Grey looked at the bottles and saw strange plants, bugs, and rocks he had never seen before.

"I don't even have any wishing coins left." Grey admitted.

"THEN WHY DID YOU EVEN COME IN TO MY SHOP!?" ——— Grey sat in his room at the hostel. He had little time left on his stay, but he still wanted to make the most of it. Jim was enjoying the training facilities and was busy implementing knowledge from his new martial art manuals. The wizard ended up giving Grey some plant and bug samples with mana infused within them as compensation for his reckless "experiment". He told Grey his name was Ryzen.

He definitely had a few screws loose, but at least he was more knowledgeable about magic than anyone else Grey had met. Before Grey tried ingesting any of the items he got, he needed to know what he would do with the energy. He learned that ingesting energy in excess with nowhere to store or use it caused it to build up dangerously. With nowhere to go, it could explode inside him. So far, he had used fat and muscle mass as an energy source, but that was too taxing and risky on his body.

He revisited his Elf Anatomy Manual and his new Common Monster Anatomy Manual for more ideas. In the monster anatomy manual, he saw more examples of mana-attuned creatures. These creatures all had similar yet different patterns of mana channels and organs that allowed them to internally use mana. While elves had a singular dedicated mana organ, it was more common in beasts to have regular organs that were infused with mana, like his stomach was.

For example, fire-breathing creatures had a fire attuned organ in their throats that was dedicated to using breath attacks. Grey flipped through pages in the book until he found some creatures with stomachs similar to his. Most of these creatures were actually herbivores that sought mana-infused plants to absorb slowly. By doing this, they could avoid eating for weeks or months if they had a powerful herb in their stomachs. The manual also made note that their stomachs were often powerful catalysts in alchemy.

Mental note to self, don't tell ANYONE I have a mana stomach… He was out of ideas until he discovered an entry on humanoid monkeys that possessed mana stomachs and a "mana heart." After analyzing for a moment, it seemed like their hearts were evolved to infuse mana gathered from their stomach into their bloodstream. Due to the nature of mana flowing through their blood, they were only capable of body enhancement magic. An elf's mana channels were different from a mana heart and mana blood.

An elf's magic anatomy was separate from its bodily functions. Its purpose was to store and direct mana into spells that were cast externally. Grey figured his shapeshifting would count as body enhancement and tried to brainstorm how he would go about upgrading his heart. I can't mess this up. If I damage my heart, I don't feel confident in fixing it with my ability.. Grey assumed creating a mana heart would be similar to how he changed his stomach, and figured he could probably pull it off.

Trusting his gut, he did what he needed to do to get stronger. Grey prepared himself. Now was the time to take risks. I f I can leave the city as strong as possible, I'll be much better off back on Earth. With health potions, bandages, and food in reserve, Grey looked down at his supplies. Five different mana-dense samples sat in separate jars. He removed each one just in case he would need them. Wasting no time, he swallowed the first sample. A small dried bug that had a faint magenta glow.

Apparently, it was a bug that ate mana stones and was very dense in mana for its size. A familiar feeling hit Grey's stomach as mana from the bug poured out. It hurt, but not nearly as badly as the mana stone. More like a spicy pepper. As he absorbed the mana from the bug, the energy inside him welled up. He waited until the energy was unbearable before directing it all into his heart. Suddenly, Grey's eyes opened wide, and his mouth dropped open. Something was going terribly wrong. His heart had stopped beating.