Chapter 28 - The Best Day Of My Life
Added 2023-05-08 02:14:48 +0000 UTCWisdom + .2
Intelligence + .2
Shaping + 1
Shaping + 1
Shaping…
CONGRATULATIONS - Fire Control technique discovered
Further upgrades delayed due to lack of density
My finger!
My face!
Jiran cracked open a stinging eyelid to look at his blistered hand and blackened finger.
Crap on a stick, I really messed up this time.
With frantic breaths, Jiran pushed a wad of mana into his burns and immediately felt a numbing relief that was far better than any ice pack. He hobbled to the creek and completely submerged in the cool water.
Why didn’t I cover my hand with a coating? Why did I stick my face three centimeters from my hand? You would think some of those stupid books I read would warn about how dangerous shaping is!
If not for that danger sense, I would have been burnt to a crisp for sure.
Despite being underwater, he felt sweat beading out of his skin from the realization of how close he came to dying.
All that from the tiniest speck of mana too. Maybe one-thousandth of my total. Why was it so strong? It has to be the difference between a sloppy mental image and one that touches on the foundations of physics. Why does that make such a big difference and what does that imply for skills and techniques?
I need to try again, but maybe I’ll leave out the nearly killing myself.
I’m not waiting until my hand is healed. Even with the burns, this is the most fun I’ve had since I learned to absorb the densoons.
Wait a second! I might not need to wait at all.
Jiran came up for air and swam back to the edge of the creek where he rested on the soft riverbed. He cringed when he saw the broken blisters on his finger steadily leaking blood.
He focused on the body's process for healing. He pictured cells combining together to create collagen and then granulation tissue. He knew there was more to the process but that was as far as Brandon’s memories went.
Hoping he had a clear enough image, he grabbed another minuscule glob of mana and activated the shaping.
He watched in wonder as the blistered, bleeding holes in his skin filled in with a white fleshy substance. There was a shimmer of mana like the reflection of light off a window then suddenly his hand was whole and pain free.
No freaking way! It actually worked. Is that confirmation that mana manipulates the world through physics?
He looked at his reflection in the water and repeated the skill, again watching in fascination as his face healed in a matter of seconds. A shiver ran through him that soon cascaded into outright tremors of excitement.
Molding + 1
Shaping + 1
CONGRATULATIONS - Regeneration technique discovered
Jiran held his uncontrollably shaking hands in front of his freshly healed face.
I’m doing real magic. This isn’t like molding where I’m just moving things around a little. I’m actually changing the world around me. Interfering with the building blocks of the universe.
This… this is freaking incredible!
He leaped to his feet and pumped his fists into the air. Water splashed all around him, dancing through the air.
He noticed a man-sized section of space was unaffected by the flung droplets; it stood out like a sore thumb as the water hit the empty air and bounced away. A fraction of a second later, Lenton appeared in that space.
He gave Jiran an appraising look before howling with laughter. Jiran stood awkwardly as the man pointed at his face and continued laughing. Twice, it looked like he would calm down and then upon seeing Jiran’s face, he would erupt all over again into another fit of laughter.
By the time he finally calmed, Jiran was standing with his hands on his hips in annoyance. Lenton wiped the tears from his eyes while taking deep breaths.
“I’m honestly impressed by how stupid you can be, boy. On a positive note, you look much better without eyebrows!” Lenton barely made it through his sentence before breaking out in another round of uncontrollable laughter.
Jiran glanced at his reflection in the water and confirmed Lenton’s observation. All the hair on his face had been burned clean as well as a sizable amount from above his forehead. Several seconds of concentration later, he had regrown the missing hair.
Lenton was no longer laughing. His face now held an intense glare.
“What technique did you just use? What’s the exact name?” The old man took a step forward, his size and intensity bearing down on Jiran was enough to make him swallow nervously.
“I-It's called Regeneration, Master Filibree,” The old man mumbled something under his breath while staring off into the distance in deep thought.
“Foolish child. I have a task for you. The densoons have mutated two crabs that are approaching the pier. They will arrive in roughly one hour. I want you to go aid the hunters in dispatching them,” Lenton said distractedly.
“As you say, Master Filibree,” But the old man was already gone before Jiran could reply.
An hour isn’t much time. My spear is in the woods. I won’t be able to grab it and then make it to the pier in time. Maybe Samris has another weapon I can borrow.
Jiran dashed into the manor in search of Samris but he couldn't find the man anywhere.
Crap, I need to figure out how to actually fight with shaping in the next hour.
He bolted out of the house and ran as fast as he could toward the pier. With each step his movements became more fluid, the distance between footfalls wider. Tentatively Jiran added just a touch of mana to enhance his muscles and he shot forward in a blur.
First Father was only partially visible on the Murinth Ocean’s horizon as he rapidly approached the steep hill down to the water. He slowed to a comfortable jog as he took the winding path down.
All the while his mind raced as he rapidly discarded one idea after another on the best way to fight with his new skill.
If I had more time I could probably figure out how to throw a fireball but for now, all I’ve got is a flamethrower. Expecting them to stand still while I slowly bake them into crab cakes seems like a recipe for failure.
Fire simply won’t be effective enough against crabs. I need something more suited to my enemy. Something that’s good against a creature with lots of water in its body.
I need something like lightning.
Besides, I don’t think they have any eyebrows to burn off.
A shiver of anticipation swept up his spine at the idea of shooting bolts of lightning from his hand.
I can do this. I’ll start simple.
Holding out his right hand with his thumb and index finger a couple of centimeters apart, Jiran focused on what he wanted. He pictured the electrical currents running all through the human body, in every cell. He imagined the currents increasing in strength until it could jump between his two fingers.
With the smallest amount of mana he could control, he activated his Shaping.
The result was instant. A small flash of electrical current jumped between his fingers. He felt a tingling zap that escalated into a painful burn before his skin blackened. Shaking his hand with a curse, he quickly healed the burn.
Shaping + 1
CONGRATULATIONS - Lightning Control technique discovered
Shoot! I should have used the automated regeneration skill so I can start leveling it. It’s not doing me any good sitting at level zero.
At least I’m starting to get the hang of this. I bet even a tenth of my mana would have blown my hand off and crippled my organs…
Awesome! What’s next?
Jiran arrived and found a good spot near the water's edge on a tall rock where he could see the entire pier.
If I want to safely use this in a fight I’m going to need to level the technique which means using the automated version at least once. That’s going to suck so much if I don’t figure out a way to protect myself from the current.
Maybe I can make an insulator, like a rubber glove or something? All I need is something that doesn’t have any free electrons for the current to travel along. The body naturally strips electrons from atoms all the time so that should fall under the shaping skill.
Jiran started by creating a Coating of mana over his hand leaving only a tiny gap at the end of his index finger for the current to escape.
He then pictured the coating functioning as a rubber glove with no free electrons. He felt something shift within the coating of mana and hoped it was working. With the automated technique taking control of the coating, his brain was free to start the next process.
Coating + 1
Coating + 1
Oh, that’s draining my mana a lot faster than normal now that I’ve changed it to an insulator. Better hurry.
Trusting in his coating technique, Jiran activated Lightning control while pointing at the water two meters below him. Almost a third of his mana was drained into the shaping and a small jolt of current jumped from the tip of his finger to the water below.
Lightning control + 1
I guess I’ll call that a success. A third of my mana for that weak little blast that wouldn't even hurt a child. What a joke. At least the technique can level up now, that’s what’s important.
Jiran rubbed his hands together in anticipation before creating another insulated Coating. He then formed the mental image for the real attempt.
He focused on the cells in his finger and how each cell was made of molecules and those molecules each made of atoms.
He imagined just a few of the negatively charged electrons around his atoms being freed from their atomic constraints to run rampant across the gap between his skin and the positively charged ocean water below.
With the smallest nudge, he pushed five percent of his mana into the tip of his pointer finger and released his Shaping.
The world went white and a whip-crack of force blasted him clear off his perch and onto the sand and gravel of the beach below.
As if a flash bang had exploded next to his face, Jiran was blinded and deafened. Blinking rapidly, he groped about with his hands looking for purchase to regain his balance enough to sit up in a world that wouldn't stop spinning.
Eventually, enough time passed that his brain began to function again.
He rubbed his head and tried to see the world past the scrolling messages that were flashing angrily behind his eyelids. Giving up, he read the messages, hoping to understand what had just happened.
Shaping + 1
Shaping + 1
Technique evolution triggered - Lightning Control > Lightning Manipulation
Technique evolution triggered - Lightning Manipulation > Origin of Lightning
Technique evolution triggered - Origin of Lightning > True Origin of Lightning
True Origin of Lightning + 1
True Origin of Lightning + 1
True Origin of Lightning…
Further upgrades delayed due to lack of density
In the distance, Jiran heard shouting and the blaring of a horn warning the town of an impending beast invasion.
Standing up like a drunkard with a sloppy grin on his face, only a single thought resounded through his mind; today was the best day of his life.
