R-a - Volume 4 - Chapter 58

R-a - Volume 4 - Chapter 58

(Accidentally deleted the previous post while updating!)

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(Updated with corrections to stat screen)

(Next chapter in ~3 days, I'll shoot for 2, but probably 3)

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“Ha…” Micheal took a deep breath, slowly gathering himself.

“There’s no reason to be upset. Let’s be happy.” Micheal nodded.

No matter how frustrating it might be knowing there was something he had missed after desperately searching for ten years, all of that was in the past.

He was living a new life, now, and there was no reason to let his emotions cloud his judgment.

“Focus.” He regained control of his emotions, entering an almost meditative state as he calmed down.

‘Alright.’ Micheal turned his attention inward, at his freshly formed Mana Circle.

Mana Circles, in a similar vein to Ki, had a distinct hierarchy. The 1st Mana Circle served as a foundational base, while later Circles expanded upon one’s control of Mana and Magic, increasing in energy density, purity, and concentration the more Circles were added.

The highest level of Ki that Micheal had ever achieved, King Tier Ki, was roughly on par with a 5th Circle High Mage.

‘A direct comparison is difficult.’

A 5th Circle High Mage would possess a deep and detailed understanding of Magic, giving him far more capabilities than a warrior with King Tier Ki.

Ki was a simple energy that enhanced the body, making it an ideal for martial arts. Magic, on the other hand, could be used for tens of thousands of different purposes, from Spells that cast down lightning to Spells that reversed gravity. It was incredibly complex.

‘If a 5th Circle Wizard is at least 100 meters away, he can take on 5-6 King Tier Ki Martial Artists with relative ease.’ Micheal roughly estimated. It was difficult to be precise, given the wide variability of different Wizards and their relevant specializations.

‘A King Tier Martial Artist would need to be, at most, 10 meters away if he wanted a solid chance at defeating a 5th Circle Wizard.’ The distance might change if the 5th Circle Wizard was a genius in combat, but in general, 10 meters was the danger zone when it came to Wizards versus melee fighters.

Every situation was different, but as a general rule of thumb, 10 meters was the rule.

Defensive Artifacts, especially those sourced from the Shop, were highly popular with Wizards of all Races. No matter how high one’s Mana Circle, Wizards were simply unable to match the reaction speed of warriors who trained Ki, and therefore relied on alternative measures like Defensive Artifacts, Protective Spells, or hired warriors to act as guards.

It was also because of this that warriors with teleportation Abilities, like Shin’s Limited Warping Phaser Type, were considered the nemesis of all Wizards.

“I did it.” Micheal grinned as he examined his Mana Circle, a sense of euphoria filling him.

“Awesome.” After he shook off the dregs of his past, Micheal couldn’t help but be filled with excitement.

‘So this is Mana?’

Micheal held out his right hand, drawing upon the soft blue energy in his Mana Circle.

Slowly, the unstable orb of blue energy re-appeared. After a few seconds, the energy began to stabilize as Micheal got used to the feeling, balancing it until it stopped shifting.

‘It feels so intuitive.’ Micheal thought, his eyes shining.

When Micheal first obtained Ki in the original timeline, he had felt like a blind man given sight for the first time. It was incredibly difficult to comprehend, leaving him to struggle on his own.

Unlike Shin and Sophia, Micheal had no one to guide him. Because he bought his Ki from the Shop, he had to adapt to the energy that was introduced to his body without any practice or understanding.

With Mana, however, the situation was very different.

In the first place, Mana could not be purchased from the Shop. It was a far more complex energy type than Ki, requiring a detailed understanding and comprehension to grasp.

It was a far more difficult energy to manipulate than Ki as a result.

Or, at least, that was what Micheal had expected…

‘It’s easy.’

Micheal held up his right hand and stuck out his pointer and middle finger together. Instantly, a small orb of Mana formed at the end of his fingers. Micheal’s right hand transformed into a blur as he made several quick motions, cutting through the air.

One second later…

Micheal smiled as he looked at what he had created.

Large, floating blue letters spelling out ‘Micheal’ in the air in front of him.

‘No matter how much experience I have at manipulating Ki… no matter how much I’ve studied about Mana…’ Micheal thought to himself.

‘It shouldn’t be this easy.’

Micheal felt like a fish in water, his control of Mana improving at an absurd rate.

“I have talent.” Micheal acknowledged the truth before him.

“...”

After a few seconds, the smile on his face faded slightly as he sat up, his eyes turning serious.

“Let’s not get cocky.”

He was, at most, a talented 1st Circle Mage.

His ability to complete the Echoes of the Eternal Mana Breathing Method in one sitting was extraordinary, but part of that was due to Micheal’s perseverance, concentration, and strength of will.

“I can’t be entirely certain, but if I had to rank my talent…” Micheal paused, lost in thought for a few seconds.

“I should be in the upper ranks, but not the absolute best.”

It was difficult to judge an abstract concept like talent, but Micheal had a general understanding of it based on what he had observed in his first life.

A moment later, Micheal smiled again.

“Well, it’s good news either way.”

For so many years, the iron wall called talent had blocked Micheal’s path to getting stronger. No matter the effort he put in, the knowledge he obtained, or the Abilities he bought, his progress had advanced at a snail’s pace.

Now, finally, with Mana, Micheal saw a way forward, a path that would not consign him to die a middling warrior in Humanity’s Last Army.

“Now then…” Micheal muttered as he began to immerse himself in the memories obtained from Kyrui’s Inheritance.

“Let’s start learning Magic.”

.. .. .. .. .. ..

“So that’s what it feels like to die.”

While Micheal was in the midst of learning Magic, Sophia found herself reliving the memories of Leia, the Master of the Storm.

Leia was a powerful Dark Wraith that had lived a vivid, fantastic life. Sophia found herself admiring Leia’s life history, living through hundreds of memories of travel and adventure.

Leia was a lively woman, a proud Dark Wraith who loved being alive. She constantly challenged herself, celebrated her own victories, and explored the world around her, visiting every corner of the globe.

All good things came to an end, however, a fact Sophia quickly learned as she witnessed Leia’s death to the Titled Deity Sion Swordsoul.

“Is this what Micheal feels every time he uses his Life Orbs?” Sophia muttered as she experienced the horror of death.

“And that guy… so that’s what a Titled Deity is.” Sophia closed her eyes as she recalled what it felt like, from Leia’s perspective, to try and defeat Sion Swordsoul.

“...that’s horrifying.” Sophia shuddered slightly.

There was a difference between hearing from Micheal about the terrifying monsters humanity would have to defeat, and actually witnessing them.

It was impossible to truly comprehend the horror of trying to fight against a Titled Deity without experiencing it firsthand.

“Status.” After a few moments, Sophia pulled up her Status screen.

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— - Status — -

Name: Sophia Morgan

Points: 89,728

Race: Human

Physique: 1 Star

Soul Quality: 2 Star

Age: 23

- Stats -

Strength - 48 -> 59

Endurance - 37 -> 53

Recovery - 37 -> 39

Soul - 20 -> 30

Abilities - (4/7)

Fairy Eyes

Ki Cultivator (Mortal Tier - Late) ->  Ki Cultivator (Mortal Tier - Peak)

Intermediate Sword Mastery (1/5) -> Intermediate Sword Mastery (5/5)

Wind Sweeper

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Compared to her stats on the First Layer, over the past month, Sophia had made solid gains.

Even after she and Micheal were separated, Sophia had done her best to follow Micheal’s advice. She circulated her Ki, growing more and more familiar with the warm energy, while practicing her sword technique.

However…

“I’m weak.”

Sophia frowned.

“He’s stronger than me, now. Incredibly strong.” It was the first thing Sophia noticed after they were reunited.

Micheal’s Ki had progressed beyond Earth Tier into Sky tier. He grew so quickly it felt almost impossible to keep up.

“I was going to wait to talk to him about Heart Trials before I broke through.” Sophia muttered as she looked at her Status, a small frown appearing on her face.

Her Ki had progressed to the Peak of Mortal Tier, leaving her just a hair’s breadth away from attaining Earth Tier. As long as she passed her Heart Trial, she would be able to step into the Earth Tier of Ki.

‘But after the time I spent in the First Gate, I don’t think I need any help.’

She had come to terms with herself, with this horrific, changed world, and with her mission.

Inside the First Gate, Sophia spent years practicing how to draw on Ki, how to manipulate Ki, and how to best utilize her Ki. She gained the experience she needed to have confidence using her Ki as if she had been born with it.

While Sophia’s current Ki levels couldn’t compare to Micheal, her progress in terms of Sword Mastery was nothing short of incredible, to the point where she was already on the cusp of attaining Advanced Sword Mastery.

“Wind… rain… the breeze… a Storm…” Sophia muttered out loud as she went over Leia’s memories in her head.

The Master of the Storm had been a unique person with unique abilities. Again and again, Sophia focused on the almost unsettling, odd sensations in Leia’s memories of when the Dark Wraith channeled Elemental Energy to grasp hold of the power of nature.

“It’s… strange…” Sophia murmured, her heart pounding fast.

“I know these memories aren’t mine… but…” She muttered, raising her hands out before her.

“Why does everything feel so… clear?” Sophia reached out with her right hand, trying to recreate that same, strange sensation that Leia had whenever she drew upon the power of the Storm.

The air around Sophia fluctuated as she unconsciously activated her Wind Sweeper Ability.

Sophia’s eyes began to shine as her Fairy Eyes Ability activated.

Sophia felt the Ki inside her tremble, her veins burning with power…

And then…

Something strange happened.

The talent that made Sophia into one of the strongest Humans on a First Layer filled with billions began to show itself as Sophia’s Abilities and Soul mixed with the Inheritance of the Master of Storm.

For just the briefest moments, Sophia felt her Soul touch upon a strange power.

Fierce, twisting tornadoes.

Raging, vast hurricanes.

Cold, frozen deluges.

Shocking, electrifying thunder.

Cutting, sharp wind.

“...”

The Conceptual Power of the Storm.

In that single moment in time, Sophia began to undergo the Heart Trial to breakthrough to Earth Tier Ki.

And, as she underwent that Heart Trial… unbeknownst to her…

Her Abilities, her Soul, and her body itself began to change.

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