Chapter 51 - Revelations Just Lead To More Questions

Jiran floated in darkness, safely cocooned in a comfortable warmth. He had no body, no mind, he simply was. Time passed smoothly without thought or external stimulation and as all things do eventually, a change occurred. A filament of golden light stretched out to him from the void. It connected to his awareness with a delicate touch.

Jiran followed the thread on instinct as something within him yearned to uncover its secrets. After following it for an unknown eternity, a pressure pushed against him, seeking to keep him locked in the darkness. Suddenly, the void was a prison and he would not be contained. He pushed harder, railing against his constraints with all his might. He was unwilling to be restrained, even if he had no thoughts to fathom why.

His cocoon broke and he fell through the wall into brightness. As the light washed over him, his body rapidly formed into the shape he was familiar with as if his existence was being printed into this luminous layer of reality.

A soft, melodic tinkle sounded nearby. He focused in that direction, finding the sound a balm to his lethargic existence. A transparent woman was there, beautiful and majestic. Her body was made from millions of stars swirling within a nebula of luminescence. She floated in the bright space, her hand lazily gesturing him closer.

Jiran was entranced, his question spoken without thought. “Are you… Madra?” The sound of his voice sent a shock through his brain, rousing him from drowsiness and bringing his senses fully into focus.

“No, I am your daughter,” Her tone was empty, without emotion. A twinkle in her starry eyes revealed at least some emotion, though he could not decipher it. Jiran cracked a smile at her joke.

What a strange creature. Might as well play along, what else is there to do while floating in nothingness?

“A see-through woman with a sense of humor. Stranger things have happened lately or I might be freaking out right now.”

She blinked at him a few times and he got the sense she was not comprehending his attempted levity.

“You created me when you delved into your mana some time ago. You called for me, and I was.”

She’s serious. What is going on here?

Jiran’s thoughts were becoming more clear by the second and his mind raced as he tried to understand her meaning. After a few seconds, he remembered the technique Lenton made him learn and the strange face he saw floating in his mana. “Are you talking about when I learned the revelation technique?”

“Possibly, yes, I do believe that is the case.” Her head tilted and a finger came to her chin in an unnatural simile of a thoughtful pose.

“But that technique just drains my mana without doing anything. If you were there, why didn’t you talk then?”

“Mmm, yes, your mana was very tasty. I remember it well. Perhaps I had nothing to say because you had nothing to ask?”

Jiran’s mouth fell open as he felt heat rising through his neck.

Obviously, something called revelation would need a question to reveal an answer. Maybe I just subconsciously ignored that technique because I didn’t like the idea of having all my mana sucked out… again.

The woman interrupted his thoughts. “I am short on mana, so we are short on time. I called you here because there is something I know you will want to see.”

She moved away, floating through the brightness. Jiran saw nothing else of interest when he looked left and right, so he shrugged his shoulders and followed.

“We are in a place less restricted by the edicts, giving me a rare chance to explore. I found this and knew you would want to see it, so I woke you from your slumber,” She stopped just ahead of him, pointing in a random direction.

“What are the edicts?”

She did not respond and since he was curious about what she could see that he could not, Jiran floated to her side and followed the direction of her finger. The curtain of pervasive light spread to reveal outer space. At the forefront of the stunning vista of stars, moons, and suns, a planet idly spun through the cosmos.

The planet dominated his view, Its massive size impossible to grasp. Jiran watched the movement of the suns and moons as they sped around the planet at an unnaturally accelerated pace.

Wait, that can’t be right. The suns are rotating around the planet? Since when are suns little more than moons?! And why are there nine of them? Is this supposed to be Madra?

Jiran counted again, growing more disturbed by the moment. A red star followed by a blue and finally a yellow. Then the next set of three came into view as the first vanished around the curvature of the impossibly massive planet. Soon, a third set replaced the second in the same pattern.

The Fathers and Mother we see each day are just three of nine. How can a planet possibly be far more massive than a star?

Jiran remembered her warning that they were low on time so he spoke his question quickly. “Is this truly Madra?

“Of course, silly.”

“I’m even more confused now. This shouldn’t be possible.”

“Yet it is. I knew you would understand.” Jiran noticed her form becoming more transparent and her voice sounded distant, despite her remaining at his side.

“What? No! I don’t understand at all! The gravity from all that mass should have crushed us all into paste. Every atom on the planet should have long ago been compressed to the point of nuclear fusion. This can’t be real.”

“Goodbye, Father,” She said in a whisper so light he could have imagined it. Then she was gone, vanished completely. Her twinkling eye was the last thing to disappear.

“And she’s gone. Maybe I should give her mana more often so she can stay longer next time.”

Jiran turned back to the majestic view. His body vibrated from a visceral desire to understand how any of this was possible. Wonder at the world he inhabited sparked his emotions into overdrive, causing his fists to clench and moisture to build in his eyes.

Well, that explains why the seasons are so long. Anything big enough to capture nine stars in its gravitational force would take a very long time to see actual seasonal changes. How the hell does it not collapse under its own mass though? The obvious answer is magic, but screw that weak-ass reasoning. I want to know!

Jiran felt a tug that was impossible to ignore. He tried to resist it, to keep looking out at his home in all its unimaginable glory for even one more second. His efforts were in vain. He was sucked through the bright space and back into the dark void before finally falling into his real body once more.

Disoriented from the rapid transitions, he was vaguely aware of pulsing messages that sped across his awareness.

CONGRATULATIONS - Tiering successful

- Distributing challenger rewards -

ERROR - SM vulnerability detected

Compensating…

Compensation failed

Rerouting…

Rerouting failed

Attempting to reinforce SM layers

Insufficient energy reserves for immediate reinforcement

Remaining energy reserves 3%

Calculating…

Rerouting node reinstatement algorithm through entity 2374DH11971 SM layers

Entity 2374DH11971 entering stasis until SM layer repairs completed

. . .

Entity 2374DH11971 SM layer repairs completed

Remaining energy reserves 2%

Exiting stasis

- Distributing challenger rewards -

Reward for successfully completing tier two challenger series - Quest system acclamation granted

Reward for completing tier two challenger series in under 12 hours - Identify Skill granted

Reward for first place in tier two challenger series - Prototype user interface granted

Jiran’s first sense of himself came in the form of a pounding headache and a throat so dry it cracked as air passed through to fill his lungs. A thread of thought and emotion connected with his mana and a Shaping filled his mouth with water. His eyes flew open as more of the liquid was created than he anticipated. His body spasmed in momentary panic, the action sending him spinning across the ground as water shot out of his nose and lips. He hacked and coughed on the soft ground, doing his best to limit his movements.

Through bleary eyes and a manabody that felt much larger than before, he observed a grassy field near a brightly lit forest. Three blots of brightness in the sky let him know it was midday. He ignored the scenery, far more interested in creating more water for himself. His second Shaping was more successful as he dumbed down his mental image even further than normal. After sating his thirst, he calmed down enough to think rationally.

Where am I? Strange trees, birds, bugs, and lots of grass. Some kind of pedestal over there? I’ll check it out in a minute.

Jiran could feel the ground around him through his aura, but there was something strange about it. It took him several seconds to realize his aura was pushing against it, applying a steady pressure across the dozen meters that it now covered.

My manabody is exerting pressure against the ground. Is that why I feel so light? Because I should have gained weight again after tiering. I’ll just check.

Jiran closed his eyes and golden letters flashed across his eyelids.

CONGRATULATIONS: Tiering successful

CONGRATULATIONS: Channeling skill unlocked

Kill requirements to ascend unlocked

Molding: + 2

Shaping: + 2

Coating: + 7

True Origin of Fire: + 2

True Origin of Lightning: + 1

True Origin of Ice: + 2

True Origin of Water: + 5

True Origin of Wind: + 3

Restoration: + 5

Mana Siphon: + 7

Shaping threshold reached skill evolution available

NAME:  Jiran of Feylon

RACE: Human

AGE: 8 > 15

WEIGHT: 221.70 kg > 843.18 kg

STATUS: Prototype User Interface / Active Dual Mind / Awoken Manabody / Healthy

TIMER: N/A

TIER: 2 > 3

EXP: 0/100

GROWTH: 0%

MANA: 3 > 6

CONCENTRATION: 3 > 6

STRENGTH: 60

AGILITY: 60

ENDURANCE: 60

DURABILITY: 60

WISDOM: 60

INTELLIGENCE: 60

SKILLS:

Molding - Mana Expansion lvl 73 > 75

Shaping lvl 47 > 51 (Subskill Evolution Pending!)

Channeling lvl 0

Identify lvl 0

TECHNIQUES:

Forcing: 36 > 38

Coating - Adaptive Elemental Aegis: 50 > 57

Revelation: 1

True Origin of Fire: 17 > 19

True Origin of Lightning: 23 > 24

True Origin of Ice: 18 > 20

True Origin of Water: 5 > 10

True Origin of Wind: 7 > 10

Gas Manipulation: 13

Acid Manipulation: 1

Metal Manipulation: 6

Light Manipulation: 12

Restoration: 15 > 20

Mana Siphon: 16 > 23

OTHER:

UNIQUE - Foresight

Jiran’s vision was drawn to the three next to his tier and the six next to his mana and concentration. He stared at them for several seconds, ignoring everything else.

They really doubled again. Normally at tier three, you should only have four but I have six. I’m fifty percent stronger in every way than all the other tier three’s out there. Well, except those two others, though chances are they ascended again already. Does that make me the strongest tier three in existence?

Unbelievable. How much stronger would the empire be if everyone knew about the challenger density? No, they would all be dead. Nobody born on Madra could survive what I just went through without very specific knowledge and training. Even people with memories of Earth could easily die in there. I would have too if I didn’t use mana siphon.

Jiran shook his head, banishing the unpleasant thoughts.

The only thing left to confirm is if killing a tier five starts the timer again. If I can truly triple my attributes, mana, and concentration every tier instead of doubling it…

Shivers ran up Jiran’s spine.

At tier six, I'll be just a little less powerful than a tier nine! By the seventh tier, I’ll be fourteen times stronger in every way than a normal tier seven. After that, the numbers get incredibly stupid. But that would mean going through several more of those arenas and coming out alive. And something tells me they aren’t going to get any easier.

Not wanting to consider the implications of that train of thought, Jiran examined the rest of his status in more detail.

Wow, I did gain a ton of weight. So I’m right that my manabody is offsetting that automatically. Because otherwise, I would feel a lot heavier. Cool! What else changed?

When his eyes glanced over his age, he did a double-take.

What the fuck, I’m fifteen?! I’ve been tiering for seven seasons? Is that because of the tripling of my attributes or something else? Wait, there were some messages, something about repairing some damage and stasis. Arghh! I can’t remember.

Niya!

His eyes flew open as concern for his family gripped his heart. Sweat sprouted across his back, sticking his suddenly claustrophobic clothes to his skin.

Calm down, Jiran. She was with Lenton and Samris. She’s definitely fine. There’s no way they would let something bad happen to her. I hope they’re all okay. I have to get out of here and find them.

Jiran clamped down on his anxiety and tried once more to recall the system messages about entering stasis but the memories were fuzzy and disjointed. Slow and steady breaths gradually brought his hammering heart rate back under control. The sounds of birds chirping and insects zipping about on their daily missions grounded him in reality. He watched one of the bugs closely as it flew over him. He could see every flap of its wings as if it were moving in slow motion, the surreal sight finally returned him to a sense of normality.

I think that’s called proprioception. Is this the result of my boosted concentration multiplying my Intelligence attribute? I’m pretty sure that has something to do with speed of thought. Well, I’m not doing any good to anyone laying around in the grass.

Knowing he would be far stronger than before, he gently lifted himself to his feet. He moved through dozens of stretches, taking as long as needed to get a solid grasp of the power radiating from every centimeter of his body. He had grown, again. Rippling muscles spread across his wide frame, straining the clothes that barely fit him.

He squeezed his fist, marveling at the rock-crushing strength hidden in each digit. He took a wide stance and threw an experimental punch with most of his strength behind it. He felt the air pressure resist for only a fraction of a second before bending and then shattering entirely. A booming sound broke the peaceful mid-day atmosphere sending the birds flapping through the air in a panic. They screeched their anger and fear as they fled from the monster in their midst.

He watched one of the birds flying away with interest as its bright colors were like nothing he had seen before. Suddenly, words appeared in the air that hovered near the bird for a second before flickering into his consciousness and settling in the corner of his vision.

[Bofurli Magentartis] (tier 1) Territorial scavengers. These animals intimidate predators with their bright colors indicative of poisonous creatures.

Woah, was that identify? That's going to come in handy if it works on beasts too! And it's built right into the interface, that's… convenient. Oh yeah, shaping evolved too!

Happy for another distraction to keep his thoughts from ruminating on his age and family, Jiran rubbed his hands together as he perused his new options. As he considered each one, he bounced in place while shaking his limbs to continue adapting to his body.

Elemental Power Rotation

Swapping elements after two seconds grants a 20% intensity bonus to the next element. Stacks 10 times

Hmm. It’s almost always best to find a beast’s weakness and stick to that. On the rare occasions that swapping would be better, having to wait two seconds could be a death sentence as most fights last only a few seconds to begin with. Though, if I set up an ambush, I could swap elements a few times and come out swinging with an opening salvo that’s a full two hundred percent stronger than normal. Damn, that’s actually pretty good if I plan to keep fighting beasts two tiers above me.

Elemental Compression

Condense elements granting 1% bonus intensity per level in molding.

Woah! Am I reading that right? My molding is already at seventy-five. That’s freaking huge! Though, it doesn’t say anything about how long it takes to compress the element. How would that work anyway, would I have to compress it on my skin after forming it? If I did that with ice, would my coating be able to handle it? Would I freeze myself half to death while spending potentially dozens of seconds amplifying the power of the element?

Elemental Power Expansion

Shaping a single element grants 10% intensity per second. Stacks 10 times

Oh man, a serious contender here. Simple to understand and easy to use, though not as strong as the other two. This one looks amazing on paper. Double the power output for any of my shapings would be insane. But having to hold it active for ten seconds? Most fights I’ve been in haven't lasted ten whole seconds. I could use it as an ambush gimmick like rotation, but it gives the same 100% after ten seconds while rotation can go to 200%.

What could I do with compression? A lot. A highly compressed stream of water can cut through diamond. Compressed ground as a shield could block a lot of attacks or slow a charging beast. Enough compression could even turn gases into plasma.

These all seem really good. Regardless, I’m not making the choice right now since I’ll probably be knocked out as soon as I do. I’ll make my decision when I’m somewhere safe. Passing out here when I don’t even know where here is would be incredibly dumb.

I need to experiment with channeling too and test out my manabody but maybe I should check out that pedestal first.

Jiran stretched his arms above his head, feeling comfortable enough to walk, he began to make his way to the nearby stone pedestal when a flashing message appeared in his interface.

[Introductory quest issued!]

[A short trip home: Activate the transference grid.]

Ooooookay…

“I was going to check it out anyways, giving me a quest for it just makes me not want to do it,” The sound of his voice shocked him. It was much deeper than in his dream with the strange woman made of stars.

Of course, I’m not a little kid anymore. Plus, being tier three, my body is much closer to an adult than a child. Does that mean I skipped puberty? Guess I’ll find out when I see a pretty girl. Thankfully I have those memories to know what all that means.

Jiran played with his new voice as he begrudgingly trudged to the pedestal. It rested at the edge of a circular, stone platform. A complex series of lines—reminiscent of circuitry—were indented into the hard surface. The pedestal itself was a small obelisk that rose to his waist. The top of it had a square, empty surface a little larger than his hand with a dull gem set in its center.

Jiran looked around for a few minutes before shrugging and placing his hand on the gem. When nothing happened, he pushed a little mana into it and all the indented lines began to glow softly while emitting a low hum.

The quest is called a short trip home. Hmm, am I seriously about to trust that this thing is going to take me home with no strings attached? No, no way, not after that arena and seeing how many people died in it. Blindly trusting anything about the system from now on is a big no-no. I think I’ll take a look around first and see if there are more clues about where I am or what’s going on. I’m worried about Niya but if it’s really been seven seasons, then she’s either alive or dead and there's nothing that rushing ahead will do to help her.

At the very least, I should get some food in me in case I need to use a ton of mana.

Jiran's stomach grumbled as he turned a predatory gaze toward the nearby forest while licking his lips.