New Power

Mana form class is always an interesting affair, being born a mana-less muggle there’s always more for me to learn about the magic of this world.

If I wasn’t right now struggling to contain the flickering flames of cold rage, suppressing my desire to run down into the dungeon and start slaughtering my enemies, I think I might be better able to enjoy it. Instead of violently rending gremlins apart and bathing in their blood as I deprive their corpses of mana, I express myself by bouncing my heel up and down, the same way an old man does while waiting impatiently for his wife to be done with the shopping.

“You’re a unique case.” Persephone says. Rather than turning her head, the teacher unforms her mist-like body and reforms it to be looking my way.

“I’m sure there’s records of someone like you somewhere, maybe in one of the other academies, but I honestly can’t find anything here. Born in a mana desert, it shouldn’t be this easy for you to develop your mana form, and it really shouldn’t be this easy to destroy it.”

“I’m special, I already knew that part.” I say trying to keep the snark from my voice. It’s a growing struggle, and like trying to keep a methed up badger in a plastic shopping bag, I know I can’t contain it for long.

“What can you tell me? You’re an expert on mana forms, so I’m sure you can make some assumptions.” I say.

She let’s her form relax a little, only vaguely resembling the elvish woman she likes to present herself as.

“These core shards you describe are essentially portions of your mana form that have fully adapted to the liquid stage of development. Usually, a core stays in a single part of the body with minimal freedom to move it but it sounds like you’re not so limited.

“The mana leakage that you’ve described is likely because your core is shattered. The shards are too small to contain the liquid mana that you’re trying to condense within them.”

“So, I really shouldn’t be leaking this much?” I grumble. The more mana I gather the more of it that leaks out, the most I’ve held at once so far is around 3500 units. “What’s the peak of liquid stage mana?”

“52,798, After that the crystallisation process will prove challenging, but you don’t need to worry about that yet. Most people progress their liquid stage development without any leakage like this, but your rushed methods have left you incomplete.

“I expect that if you succeed in developing your body to properly process all the mana moving through you then the shards will disappear and you’ll have a complete and proper mana form without all this leakage.”

“I’m doing that, but I need more power today.” I say.

Easier to flay flesh with a sharp blade. Better to break bones with a heavy club.

I shake the thoughts from my head.

“I’ve noticed that I can do things with the core shards. When one was in my eye, my sight temporarily became much clearer, in the layers of fat I felt like I could store my mana more effectively. Can’t I do something with that?” I ask.

“Perhaps.” She says, looking worriedly at me. “It is best left for later lessons, when you’ve properly developed yourself, but you’re not going to listen to that advice, are you?”

“No.”

She sighs, partially returning to mist before reforming herself.

“In the liquid stage of development, you can alter your flesh. How much and in what ways depends on your particular physiology, your understanding of magic and magic materials, and your instinct or nature.”

“My instinct or nature?” I ask.

“You cannot change yourself into something that you consciously wouldn’t recognise as yourself. Such as changing your flesh to that of another species. There are some who do make that change, but they are rather uncommon, most don’t even have the option.”

“Wait, wait. That’s a lot more change than I thought was involved.” I say, slowing her down. “You can change your entire species?”

“Somewhat, yes.” She replies. “As I said, it requires a particular personality, the change is rarely complete as few fully understand what changes they’re trying to make, and fewer have the mana to support such alterations.”

“So… I can do anything?” I ask. “Make myself into anything, so long as I’m comfortable with the change?”

“In theory, yes.” She says sounding exasperated. “In practice it costs more mana to effect these changes than anyone at your stage can afford. Those who try to effect larger changes inevitably drain their mana dry and die of mana shock.

“It’s strongly advised that you only alter yourself so far as to make yourself more capable of your chosen career.

“As a soldier, you’d best focus on making yourself more durable, and forging your body to suit your fighting style.” She explains. “Most fighters take this chance to settle more firmly into their combat style, or so I’ve been informed. It’s best that you take your time and make changes slowly, especially considering your current condition.”

“Understood.” I say, focusing on the stray shards and the parts of me that they float through. Everything from my tonsils to my appendix and even my toe nails can be given new purpose. I just have to figure out what custom parts I want to mod myself out with.

Power. Stronger spells to mince more flesh. More mana to fuel the slaughter. Sharper nails to pierce their eyes and sharper ears to better hear their screams as they try to beg for death without a tongue, without teeth. Teeth returned, pressed into the eyes holes and a potion to heal it all in place.

I swallow back the bile rising in my throat.

That was… worse than normal. I can practically see the violent scene before me, and… it feels satisfying.

“Is there any chance I could’ve fucked up my brain with this evolution?” I ask, feeling a shard floating frighteningly close to my grey matter.

“As I said, you can only change things if you would be comfortable with that change.” She replies, watching me worriedly. “Is there something wrong? Do you need help from a healer?”

“It’s fine. Just worried over nothing.” I say, shivering and pressing the worries away. It’s probably nothing.

Though…

Even as I try to quiet the voices in my head, my voices, there’s still a few of my stray multi minds swirling about with thoughts of Loekan. Violent thoughts of things I’d like to do to him.

I press those minds into service helping to cycle and observe my mana flow, keeping them too busy to daydream about such violent things. My head hurts from the renewed efforts, and my heart beats painfully in my chest, but I’ll be fine.

“Is there any other questions, or would you like some time to focus?” Persephone asks, shifting about once more, today she’s hardly been able to keep her form at all. Is my presence really making her so nervous?

“I’ve taken up plenty of your time already.” I say, struggling to find the right polite phrase. I feel like a half-drowned rat trying to stay afloat on a sinking ship, focused so much on the violent torrents of mana flowing through me that even words are difficult to find.

“Call me if you need anything more.” She says, bowing politely and leaving me be.

I’m not the best company right now, I’ll have to admit, but so long as I focus on getting up to speed with my mana form everything should be fine.

Most days I keep the mana flowing through me at a sedate pace, well controlled and without any of my energy spraying out from lack of attention. Right now, though, the mana in me is racing around an impossibly windy racetrack while spraying small droplets of mana spray every which way into the air around me.

Though I regret the waste of mana, I can watch as the stats tick upwards on my stat sheet. I need my body to get used to this quickly, and this is the quickest way.

Where the dense mana flows, my flesh reacts. Like with my mind developing mana senses, my digestive system which can work through food easier, and the strengthening of my muscles, other things are changing that I don’t fully understand.

Forcing the change this quickly fills me with feverish aches that spread throughout my body, but that isn’t enough to stop me.

This is just the start; I’m already shopping for new parts while my core shards shift throughout me.

With my current fighting style, I most need to increase my mana capacity, and potentially my defences, though that too is heavily dependant on my mana capacity. There are still countless things that I could do with myself beyond this.

“Maybe…” I mumble, feeling out the shards swimming through me, looking for something special. Something different, powerful. As a shard floats down through my lower bowels, I feel an intriguing change. I focus on the shard, the liquid mana within whirling about and slowly seeping into the flesh, a taste of the change to come.

I don’t fully understand what’s changing, but it feels right, and without properly thinking it through I start pressing my mana into it. Forcing the change.

A thousand questions float through my mind. Is this dangerous? Should I have asked more questions first? Is this a stupid waste of mana?

It’s too late for these questions. By the time the shard floats away, my flesh has absorbed a few hundred points of mana. Enough to change me.

I’m no longer the Kyra I was. Now I have a new and improved sphincter. The portal to my dark side has been reinforced with powerful magic.

Instinctively feeding mana into the upgrade, I can feel a slight pressure relieved from my guts. I stop immediately, the sensation of shitting myself a rather uncomfortable thing, even without the fetid consequences.

Well it’s not a weapon, but it’s certainly interesting.

I look towards the teacher, and thankfully she’s still free.

“Is there something that you’d like to ask about?” She asks, I check but there’s no one nearby to overhear so long as I keep my voice down. I’d still rather not share these details with the whole academy.

“It’s possible for my body take on magical abilities. Talents in particular?” I ask. “And, what should I know about that sort of thing?”

“It is possible.” She replies. “Such adaptions tend to aid in casting, improving efficiency, and assisting in shaping magic. Some will refine your magic for a single purpose, but the better adaptions can act as a focus for your particular talent, allowing you to cast your own spells through the adapted organ, empowering the spells.

“The feathers of your friend, Vii, are the second type, allowing her to cast wind magics at a further reduced cost, and improved power.” Much like Fluffy Butt’s tails, and the charm that Adler uses to cast her magic, if I’m to guess.

“You have such an option?” She asks.

“I think it’s more the single purpose type.” I reply, chewing on my lip. Even if it’s the latter type, I don’t really like the idea of shooting annihilation bolts out of my arse. “Is there a chance it would backfire on me? Like, could the magic hurt me? Or if I use up all my mana and end up with no mana at all, my… upgraded parts won’t break down from lack of mana, right?”

“That’s… your modifications shouldn’t be designed to hurt you.” She says slowly, “But your teeth aren’t meant to hurt you, yet you can still bite your own lip bloody. It’s part of the reason it’s so important to take your time adjusting to these changes.

“As to the second part, I don’t think running out of mana will hurt you any more than it currently does. Young avian species grow their feathers well before they have the mana density to fully use them and it causes no issues, except that the magical effects are less efficient for a time.”

“So, it’s safe then?” I ask.

“So long as you’re careful.” She says firmly.

Good. Now, I’ll have to see if I can fill my bladder with annihilation magic too.

Toilets? Who needs them?

More importantly, I need to see what else my magic can be seeded into. Eyes of annihilation seem like a cool idea, or anything that would improve my efficiency with my attack magic would be a blessing. So long as it’s something that doesn’t force me to get on all fours and pretend to be an old naval cannon. I mean how would it even work? Would I get Eshya and Vii to line up the shot?

While I search for something that would work a little better, I continue to investigate other options as well. There are practically infinite changes I can make, though it seems none of them fundamentally change my species or sex. Not surprising, I’m near perfect as I am. I can change a few details here and there, which I do take a moment to do when I can, clearing a few blemishes, and tightening my waist a little.

Other changes are less easy to decide upon, and I can already tell that many of them would cost significantly more mana to make happen. I can already see why others have to take this slowly, not many people at my stage of development can afford to throw around thousands of units of mana in one sitting.

As my mana dips down to 2000 I resolve to hold back from further changes unless they’re particularly important. It’s frustrating that I have to wait for my core shards to move to the right places before I can do anything, and it’s even more frustrating that the changes aren’t nearly as effective when the core shards wander away from the relevant organs.

Even so, I still need something more.

Something that causes pain.

Yes, but no. I need a weapon, but these violent thoughts are only distracting me from finding it.

I focus, shifting the mana around and feeling out the changes that I can make. Not everything is obvious, and so much is measured by feel alone, slowing things considerably. What I wouldn’t give for a drop-down menu that could just list out all the possibilities for me.

Unfortunately, I can’t find any such databases on Chip. Something I’ll make for myself, I guess.

I swallow nervously as I feel a shard slowly wander towards my grey matter. As it pierces my brain, I can feel some of the available changes and I’d be stupid to ignore the option out of fear.

Carefully, I explore the possibilities. The shard twists with tight currents of mana, and I can feel what it’s trying to do to me. I hold it back just shy of letting it change me, while mana burns inside, imitating the changes that would come should I accept.

Coldness rushes through my mind, my stress, frustration, and rage cleared away to give more space to pure logical thought. It’s the very clarity that it affords me which holds me back from accepting the change outright.

It’s tempting, the momentary reprieve from all my most tumultuous emotions, but even just using pure logic I can tell that life like this would be unbearable. My emotions guide me, pushing me onwards. Without rage or love I’ll stop trying for anything more.

I’ll stop being me.

I shift the mana flow of the shard into another pattern and all my emotions come flooding back to me. The new pattern comes with a new change, and this time it feels something more reasonable.

A fog I never realised was there clears from my mind and my thoughts come more quickly and easily. Focusing on each of my multi-minds and the tasks that each are dedicated to, time around me seems to slow, or at least my perception of it does.

Through the shifting mana I can feel my neurons wrapped up in the mana that constructs this imitation of what’s to come if I accept. Certain chemical and electrical processes are bypassed through magical processes, burning away at my mana. A small but noticeable drain that I know I’ll have to pay even after the change is done.

This… could be useful.

I force the change through before the shard can slip away. The mana passes through the dense liquid shard before feeding into my fleshy mind, spreading out to fill the entire organ, before the change starts to take effect for real.

My mana drains down frighteningly quickly, stopping just shy of draining me all to way down to 1000. I’m not sure what would’ve happened had I lost access to liquid mana while trying to upgrade my brain, but I don’t think it would be anything good.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I continue shopping for anything that would serve my offensive needs.

By the time class ends I’ve found a few potential options, but I don’t have the mana to force anything through. I’ll have access to plenty more mana shortly enough.

“Kyra. Could you spare a minute?” Adler asks as I leave the room.

“Sure. There was something I wanted to ask you about, too.” I say, the words coming out slowly while I try to get used to my new mental upgrade.

Eshya and Vii join us a moment later, stuck in their own conversation. Something about lunch and the food on offer, I can’t focus on their slow words properly. I’m still forcing torrents of mana to rush through me, forcing my flesh to fully adapt while burning mana to strengthen my mind.

“I’m going ahead with Adler.” I say to the pair.

“Don’t have too much fun without us.” Eshya replies.

“Are you going to be back for dinner?” Vii asks, tilting her head questioningly.

“We will be.” I reply, before turning to our friendly welfare officer. “Adler, let’s get going.”

“Thank you.” Adler says, quickening her step as she leads the way to the door. “Would the courtyard outside do? There’s plenty of space there and it should be quite pleasant there right about now.”

“It’s fine.” I reply, pulling at a particular flow of mana that’s leaking more than any of the others.

Students make way for us as we walk, and while I could waste a moment trying to figure out why they keep clear of us, I could also use that moment to figure out how the hell mana is leaking from my spleen. Even with a strong flow around my skin the mana just seems to float away as soon as the flow starts to fray, causing mana to spray out around me like a cheap sprinkler.

It’s a little after midday and the diffuse light that shines through the tall canopy of the world tree sparkles in the inverted crystal tree above us. The island provides some little shade, but there’s simply too much diffuse light for it to get genuinely dark.

“I’d like to hear what you have to say first.” Adler says, sitting down on a long bench, gazing up at the crystal tree that suspends the island above us.

“Okay, I’ll get right to the point. Is there any magical reason you know of that would explain why I’m hearing voices… No. Why I am currently thinking extremely unpleasant violent thoughts? Some curse, or something that happens when you get more powerful, or…”

“Uh, no.” She says slowly, peering nervously towards me. “That’s not a good sign, Kyra. It’s not magic, it’s just. Your beastly side showing, or that’s what... Is it under control? Do we need to be worried?”

Flay the flesh, file the bone. See that they suffer.

“I’m fine.” I say, gritting my teeth and focusing. “Just stress and a whole lot of unprocessed trauma. I’ll deal with it.”

If I lose my shit Vii should be able to see it coming, I’ll have to ask her to warn me about things like that.

“Anyway, you wanted to talk?” I ask. “What about?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about your problem further?” She asks, shifting nervously.

“Later. I’ll bring it up with everyone.” I say. It’s something I’d rather keep buried, but I do trust them, and I’d rather they know this is an issue before it becomes a bigger issue.

“Okay.” Adler nods quietly. “My problem is that… I still don’t quite know what values I should hold dear, and where I should make compromises. I know that we can’t save everyone, that we’re not strong enough, but that gremlin child back there… The one who was just playing, and we…”

“I was the one who killed it.” I say.

“I don’t even know if it was wrong.” She says, her eyes wide with shock as she shivers. “If it screamed. More of our people would have died, but…”

“That’s answer enough for me.” I reply. It was awful. It was horrible. It was unacceptable, but if it’s to keep my people alive, then it’s worth it.

“Not for me.” Adler replies. “I can’t keep on compromising my values, making excuses. I need a code to hold myself to. I need rules, but I just don’t know what’s right anymore. The welfare officers are wrong, but no one else is right either.”

“Keep trying to work it out, then.” I say. “That’s what you’re good at. Think about life, death, and everything, ask questions and figure out the answers, until finally you have a set of rules that you actually like.”

“It’s just… it’s hard.” She complains, deflating. Her ears flopping sadly down over her head. “I’ll try.”

“You’re doing well.” I tell her. “I trust you.”

“Thank you.” She whispers, letting out a long sigh as she stares up at the distant sky. “Will you follow my rules, when I’ve figured them out?”

“Most of the time.” I say, “But there are times when even good rules have to be broken.”

She looks doubtful as she turns to me.

“When is that?”

“When they get in the way of saving the people I need to save.” I reply. “That gremlin child died because it was unlucky enough to be a threat to my people. To you, Vii, Eshya, Red. All of us. I’d do the same again, even if you think it’s wrong.”

“Kyra.” Adler says, staring down at her lap. “Please don’t become evil. Please try to be a good person.”

“I’ll try.” I reply, supressing the violent thoughts in my mind. “But I won’t let my people die if I can help it.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Skills & Stats

~Mana Form:

Current mana density: 1052 units

~Mana distribution:

Defence: 0/98%

Offense: 0/79%

Mana sense: 20/100%

Recovery: 0/54%

Gluttony: 0/48%

Misc.: 72/72%

Efficiency: 92/100%

~Favourited Skills:

-Chip Shredder

-Multi-mind

-Tag

-Mana surge movement

-Reactive defence

-Fire burst punch

-Annihilation magic

-Charged casting (Annihilation)

-Mana form flow fixer

-Branching magic

-Swimming

-Annihilation fire burst