《The World Box(Old)》


 Chapter 1: The Box

    A crash in the night. It had awoken Siul from his nightly dreams. A trail of grumbles and hard steps followed. It was too late to be dealing with problems in the old house.


    How had it even broken in the first place? Last he checked, which was a year ago, the house was as pristine as a newly sharpened sword. Not to say there wasn''t some wear and tear, but it could easily be considered safe and cozy.


    However, forced to investigate the source with caution, he walked down and around into the basement while grumbling with tired eyes. He did not want any pest to rummage through the basement, lest he find himself with an infestation.


    "Too much stuff..." He had never realized it, but over the years, he had thrown many things down the basement. Stuff that which he never saw again since then.


    His eyes caught a box covered in dust. He carefully opened it only to find it full of old dog toys and other pet care equipment.


    "Ah, Griffin''s toys... Miss that old cloud." He remembered the lively four legged beast. Large and not to mention fluffy, his maw bit on only the grandest of occasions and that was if only a nibble.


    He continued to wade through his basement, trying to find the origin of the crash. It was loud enough to wake him up from the top room of his two story house. It was just about as far as he could be from the basement.


    A sound of running water; a stream, had not stopped bothering him since he stepped on the cold concrete underneath his house. He searched continuously, but it seemed he had no luck. A worry was growing larger, that there was a potentially bad leak somewhere.


    He moved a few boxes and then he saw it. Right there, in the corner, what looked to be a sinkhole laid in a cracked and ragged circle. The concrete surrounding it still sprinkled some dust.


    Pressing the flashlight on his holoband; the latest generation device replacing phones with light holographic technology, he peered down into the hole. There were various broken ruins of his old belongings and broken debris laying on the floor. The sinkhole had revealed a small cavern.


    Seeing a shine to the far right of the cave, he looked to find that it was a small stream running rapidly.


    Just as he was about to finish looking and call for repairs, he saw a small reflective sheen from part of the cave. Too dark and far away for his holoband''s flashlight to reach. He fetched a stronger one from the area and pointed it to where he saw the shine. A metal door revealed itself. He widened his eyes in surprise. It was completely unnatural and he wanted to see for himself what it was.


    "No, I should leave it to professionals..." Siul tried to extinguish the desire, but he could not convince himself. Picking up a nearby ladder, he placed it comfortably and securely in the hole and climbed down with excitement.


    It had been too long since he had experienced curiosity such as this. As he grew older, he became more recluse and his sense of exploration began to fizzle out, leading him to seek less adventures. However, the adventure practically forced itself on him this time and he could not resist.


    Stepping on the ladder, its rickety movements and the echoes of his feet emanated in the cavern. He landed on the cold hard floor. The solid, frozen feel of the cave was apparent, as if his shoes weren''t even there. He looked around the cave once more, but he had already seen what there was to see earlier.


    Walking up to the stream, he found that it came through a small gap and snaked through the cavern before leading into another small gap in the cave walls. He tried to open the metal door, but it was to no effect. It was wedged. Thinking for a while, he got an idea.


    Climbing back out of the cave, he retrieved a portable light weight saw. Having bought the saw on impulse, he wanted to make a few projects, but ultimately, he never used it. At least now, it could finally fulfill a purpose.


    Turning on the saw, sleek plasma crusted its edges and he pushed it into the door. He moved his hands and it wasn''t long until he had a rectangular shaped hole in the door. Although Siul called it a rectangle, it was more akin to a drunken circle.


    After cutting the last edge of the hole, it was barely big enough to fit him.


    He touched the edge.


    "Ah!" He flinched back. The metal was hot. Very hot. He would have to wait until it cooled down.


    Grabbing a fan, he placed it right before the door and went back up into his house to eat a small nighttime meal. After an hour and a half had gone by, it was warm enough to not burn his skin upon touching it and he crawled through the hole.


    Shining his light throughout the new room, he found that it seemed to be man made with its cubical structure. At the end, there was an altar that looked to be as ancient and old as time.


    Turning around, Siul looked back at the door only to find that there were no actual hinges or even a way to open the door in the first place.


    He sighed and looked at the walls of the cave. They were ridden with marks, but at a closer look, Siul found that they were thousands of tiny murals; too small and mysterious to make any sense of.


    Moving to the middle of the room towards the ancient altar, he found that it was decorated with intricate carvings and decorations of cryptic symbols and flowers. Although there was nothing of value that he could pull off from it, Siul thought that he might be able to earn some quick cash by giving it to a museum or some archeologists.


    On top of the altar laid a single transparent glass box. Reaching his hand to inspect it, upon contact, an electronic voice startled him. Shivers were sent down through his spine.


    The voice was like a crack in the adventurous silence. Siul''s mind blanked. Never did he expect to hear a voice from it.


    "Verifying Identity... No identity found. Searching for an owner... Talon Confederacy undetected; nowhere to be found within the galaxy cluster. Transferring ownership to the nearest intelligent life form. Transfer in progress... Siphoning knowledge of current civilization."


    As the voice emanated from the glass box, Siul stood in shock. Had he just found evidence of aliens? However, now was not the time to be wondering that. After all, he is becoming the new owner of the said artifact. Ten minutes of silence passed and the voice from the glass box spoke out again.


    "Ownership transferred, primitive human, what is your name?"


    Siul looked at the box incredulously. He had just obtained its ownership and it immediately resorts to calling him primitive.


    "I am Siul. What... Are you?" Siul asked cautiously. He didn''t want to offend it. Its abilities were unknown.


    "I am the life simulation box, or more simply known as The Box. I can simulate life by establishing world life simulations under my control, and by extension, you control.


    Siul was beyond impressed with the potential capabilities of the box. Of course, he wouldn''t be surprised if it was lying either.


    "Do not be impressed by this simple application of mine, other applications will be available for use later on when more energy is supplied." The box said with pride.


    "Are you intelligent?" He had been hesitating to ask, not knowing whether it would become angry or not.


    "Are you primitive? Of course I am intelligent... Regrettably, it is similar to how you humans think."


    Getting his answer, Siul decided to not try and push further. He did not question the need for the box to even have an owner in the first place. Siul did not want to ruin his chances with the alien relic.


    "What can this life simulation of yours do?"


    "Questions later, I need energy. It has been much too long since I have had any." The box spoke with impatience.


    Thinking for a second, Siul picked up the box and brought it near an electrical outlet in the basement floor.


    "I reckon you don''t need a wire?"


    His question was followed by a blackout. The box had tried to take too much power at once. Siul fumbled around the basement before finally finding the breaker and turning the power back on.


    "Siul, combined with my back up energy, your home only has enough energy to make a single life simulation area about the size of this pathetic basement. We need to work on that, I can''t be living in poverty."


    Siul sighed at the demands of the needy box. Still, though, he was led by its promises.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Don''t worry, though. I have an excellent solution that will solve all of your energy problems. First, we need to- That''s strange..." The box was silent for a few moments before a black crystal that practically absorbed all surrounding light floated out.


    "What is this? Why do I not remember getting-... Wait, no, why can''t I remember much of anything!?" The box started to become distressed as it noticed amnesia becoming apparent.


    It tried to calm itself down, but the feeling of realizing that its memory was gone made it very disoriented.


    "Calm down, Box! Stay calm and try to gather most of what you remember." Siul tried to help. He did not know its exact situation, but hopefully, the first hope to find its lost memories was to see what it knew at the moment.


    It took a while for the box to gather its bearing, but once it did, it recounted what it knew rapidly.


    "I remember how to use my most basic function, the life simulation area, and I can control it to a degree... It''s weird, but using it feels foreign, like a new muscle. This should not be the case. I also can''t remember my previous owners other than the fact that I hated them and they controlled me through a voting system. I can''t remember my origin and I don''t know any other functions. I also have no idea what the black crystal is." The box spoke grimly.


    No matter how much they thought, though, they knew that the mystery of the memory wipe was hidden deep and well.


    "When I gained... Ownership, it mentioned something called the Talon Confederacy." This was the only hint Siul had at the moment. If the box didn''t know anything, then he really didn''t know how to continue this investigation.


    "The Talon Confederacy... I still have no clue." They gave a mournful sigh, but the two of them were out of ideas.


    "Well, let''s look at the crystal then. It''s the only other clue we have. First, though, can you give yourself a name? It is... Weird to just call you ''Box.''" It was hard Siul to constantly address the glass box in front of him as simply "box" when he knew it was intelligent.


    "Fine, call me..." The box gave a long moment of thought. "Bon!"


    Siul looked at Bon for a few moments before giving a warning.


    "Are you sure you want to be called ''Bon?''" It was a simple change from the word "box" and did seem more like a name, but it was too simple and cute for a thing such as the alien box. He did not know if Bon would come to regret it in the future.


    "I am sure, there is no need for something complex. Just call me Bon." Seeing the box''s stubbornness, Siul could only go along with it.


    "Alright." They moved their attention to the black crystal. It was unusual in the fact that it could go in and out of Bon at the box''s will and it absorbed all light shortly surrounding it, giving it a fuzzy shape.


    Siul watched the crystal float around Bon in an orbit like a satellite. He reached out to grab the crystal, but the moment his hand made contact, his mind and vision turned dark. As if the curtain of the world had shut and enveloped everything in complete darkness. In a panic, his body jerked away from the crystal. Colors entered his sight again.


    "Huh?" Siu l did not expect the effects of the crystal.


    "What happened?" Bon worried, but there was no harm done to Siul.


    "The moment I touched that crystal, all I could see was just complete darkness..." Siul shuddered a little.


    "Did you feel weird or any pain?"


    "No."


    "Try touching it again. It doesn''t seem to harm you and I can''t interact with it."


    Siul nodded and approached the crystal cautiously. He knew that this was the last hint that they had to discover what happened to Bon, but he did not want to sacrifice or take any significant risks, yet.


    Reaching out and touching the crystal once again, his vision was enveloped in complete darkness. This time, he did not let go of the crystal and he was prepared. Holding the crystal, he found that he could feel all other senses, but it was just his vision that was obscured.


    "There is nothing wrong with your body." Siul heard Bon''s voice, but he could not determine where it had come from. It echoed infinitely within his mind. Goring from common sense, the voice should have come from Bon''s position relative to Siul, but it instead permeated throughout the visionless world from all directions.


    "This is hard to get used to." He saw a spark of light. It was sudden and went as fast as it came. Another spark of light entered his vision before a few more appeared. Each spark stayed slightly longer than the previous.


    They illuminated the world as if it were a canvas. They painted it and began to reveal a whole new world around him.


    Just as the light became as frequent as torrential rain hitting the ground, a huge explosion of light blinded him. A voice permeated throughout the world, but it was not Bon. It was the same monotonous robotic voice that he heard when Bon was being activated.


    "Subspace World Crystal -Blank Habitable World- has been activated. Seeding primordial Organisms into the largest oceans. You are currently in the observation state, consult the box or use the configurable menu to change states." The voice was quickly replaced by Bon''s in the next moment.


    "What happened!? My mind suddenly went blank. Is everything alright over there?"


    "Yes, but it seems that this place is a sort of ''World Crystal." Siul explained what happened before he explored the world in the observation state he was in. It was now that he could truly no longer feel the senses of the world outside. He was now completely inside the crystal.


    After a few minutes, the monotonous voice came back.


    "Planting of primordial cells is complete. Would you like to plant a special condition that will cause a strain of primordial cells to evolve into host''s species known as -Homo Sapien?- The species will evolve in accordance to how homo sapiens evolved on the planet -Earth.-" This time, Bon was able to stay conscious as it cursed at its monotonous counterpart. Bon was right angry at being forced unconscious every time the voice appeared.


    "Damn you cur! I resisted! How does it feel now that I am already resisting your control!"


    Siul ignored Bon''s ramblings as he pondered at the prompt of the monotonous voice. If humans were to evolve, then he could even live among them in the future.


    "Yes, plant the condition." Siul did not want any other strange sapient species to evolve in the world. At least, not in the world yet. With humans, he would be able to understand how the world works better with something similar to him living in it.


    "Condition confirmed. Now planting. Be advised that once the cell strain of -Home Sapiens- has evolved close enough to current host species, the anti-extinction protection will be activated." There was no follow up from the voice for another few minutes before it spoke again.


    "Planting complete. My purpose has been completed; to assist the current owner with its first world. I will now enter into a slumber until the owner activates special conditions."


    A celebration of joy came from Bon as he likely no longer had to deal with the voice for a while.


    A transparent window also appeared in front of Siul with glowing letters.


    [Observation Mode]


    [Interaction Mode]


    [Upgrades]


    There were only three lines of text. The first line, [Observation Mode], was dimmed more than the other two. Looking out the window, Siul suddenly heard from beside him. Siul looked over to see Bon flying around the space and looking at the world below.


    "Look at this! Is this what you were seeing?" Bon''s voice was curious and filled with energy.


    "Yes, we are currently in observation mode." As he said this, Siul focused on the second line, [Interaction Mode], and in the next second, his body suddenly solidified. He fell rapidly as gravity''s grasp pulled him down.


    The air was suffocating and he tried to breathe rapidly with adrenaline, but with each breath, his condition only got worse. He grew dizzy at seeing the world grow rapidly below him.


    "Wait! Observation Mode!" In a panic, Siul focused back into observation mode before his body turned into a ghostlike form again.


    With fast breaths, Siul looked down at the ground fearfully as he stared at the window. In the short amount of time that his body was in the world, no matter how hard he tried, every gasp did not satiate his lungs and only made him suffocate more.


    "Is there oxygen in the world?" He was glad that he turned back into observation mode. If he did not die from the fall, then he would have died from the lack of oxygen.


    The whole world was still barren of life. Siul looked up and was surprised to see a sun and even a moon very faintly on the horizon. He didn''t know if they were real or not, he wouldn''t be able to tell for now.


    Seeing the menu of the window in front of him, he now knew what two of the three options did and so, Siul focused on the [Upgrade] Option. The window expanded into a list-like format. In the list, there were only a few things to select from.


    [Upgrades]


    [Current Achievement: 0]


    [World Complexity Restricted Time Acceleration: 1 Achievement]


    [Material Production: 15 Achievements]


    [Rudimentary Radar: 30 Achievements]


    [Energy Propagation: 100 Achievements]


    He looked at the options before giving up. The only selection that he could accurately guess its functionality from was the first one, the rest were too vague.


    "Siul, if I remember correctly, this place may operate off a special energy. It is an energy proven to be true by none other than myself, but I can''t exactly remember everything. It is an energy in the background of the world and present nearly everywhere." Bon Spoke suddenly.


    "And you didn''t say anything before?" Siul was intrigued.


    "I was confused and couldn''t think properly. This energy can be best compared with magic and qi from the fiction of your world." Bon''s voice was undisturbed, but the information shocked Siul.


    "Really? Magic..." Siul grew excited. The thought of being able to manipulate fire and perform supernatural wonders and an impossible dream of his and many others.


    "From what I know, it is a path of civilization on par with technology, Both have pros and cons. But us? We can do both. Technological civilizations often take a lot of research and time. While the same goes for magical civilizations, there are some differences. It''s just that the medium and utilization of energy is different. there is one advantage to focusing on magic right now, though." Bon stopped to let Siul digest the information.


    "Magical civilizations have the power to strengthen the individual body much easier than a technological civilization. Strengthening your body gives a lot of benefits such as a longer lifespan. We can focus on technology later, but for now, I think it is best to explore the benefits of magic."


    Comprehending the information, Siul had no counter argument. Not only did it excite him, it would also give him a chance to see things ordinarily only seen in fantasy. It was also true that focusing on technology was not really necessary at the moment either.


    "Alright, but first, how do we even learn how to use magic in the first place?" Just knowing the fact that it existed only barely affected their abilities to actually use it.


    "Well first, we somehow unlock the time acceleration upgrade and then we just let the world cook until something supernatural happens?" Bon stated as if it were obvious, but he, too, was unsure. Though he did know some more things.


    "Yes, but we do not know how to get points. Also, this world could just end up naturally developing into a technological civilization. How are we supposed to prevent that?" There were a few holes in Bon''s plan, but Bon regurgitated the last of what he knew.


    "The last thing I know is that every living organism should at least have an extremely small mote amount of energy, let''s call it mana. This mana will be released upon their death and so, after enough deaths and luck, something might evolve to sense and use mana. An atmosphere, gravity, or electromagnetic field can contain mana, but this subspace world is contained so it can gather mana from the very start. Once humans appear, hopefully we can nudge them to study whatever supernatural life evolves and then we just steal what they learn!" Bon''s plan sounded solid to Siul except for one major point.


    "How are we supposed to learn magic when the time come?" Bon''s plan was starting to make sense in Siul''s mind, but the biggest point remained unanswered. How were they going to learn the magic from the humans?


    Bon thought for a second. "We will observe humans and try to copy them? We will learn the absolute basics from copying them and then develop it on our own by experiment and observing." Siul was about to ask another question, but Bon responded, seemingly knowing what he was going to ask.


    "I am not made for large calculations. In fact, my ability to digest knowledge is about as good as yours. I do not know the reason and as much as I hate it, I learn exactly how you do, which is through learning and enlightenment."


    "Alright, you''ve convinced me. Now, we''ll just have to figure out how to get achievement..."


    As if tempting the subspace, a prompt appeared in front of the two of them.


    [Life has been planted into the world and has started to spread. This is a momentous occasion for the world. The world is changing at a slow pace but the future is limitless.]


    [+1 Achievement]


    Both of them stood surprised. They did not expect their first point to actually take the initiative and place itself in their hands.


    "That was easy." Bon said, perplexed.


    Now that they had gotten the first hurdle out of the way, Siul opened the [Upgrades] menu and purchased the [World Complexity Restricted Time Acceleration.


    A strange energy left the window and enveloped Siul and Bon. A warm stream of knowledge entered into their minds. They felt like they had just stepped out of a relaxing bath as they reviewed what they had just learned.


    A new option appeared in the main menu of the window called [Time Acceleration (Restricted by World Complexity)]. The information vaguely detailed what the upgrade did. The acceleration would be restricted by how complex everything was in the world. This included the amount of organisms, average intelligence, accumulated knowledge of organisms, as well as how strong the organisms were. The world''s maximum acceleration would continue to decrease until it was about as advanced as human civilization in the "real world."


    Siul gave a sigh of relief as the current humans were relatively advanced. The last major advancement that he could remember was the space travel revolution a few hundred a years ago which included the making of the first FTL capable ship that could get to other solar systems fast enough for a generation of humans to not pass and it has only gotten much more polished and faster since then. This should be more than advanced enough for him to not worry about the restriction for a while.


    "Well then, let''s let this world cook." Siul increased the time acceleration more and more until millions of years began to pass each second.


    "What will this world look like when we return it to a normal time?" Siul was excited to see new sights in this world.

 Chapter 2: Accelerated World

    [Life has evolved into multicellular organisms, this revolutionary change is a momentous step in the progress of the world.]


    [+1 Achievement]


    ...


    [First signs of photosynthesis have appeared.]


    [+1 Achievement]


    ...


    ...


    [Life has spread out onto land. This marks a new revolution unto the world.]


    [+1 Achievement]


    ...


    ...


    Prompts appeared every second, recording important moments in history and occasionally, achievement would be rewarded. The notifications were rapid and the two only read the first few before dismissing them.


    "It''s practically being handed to us." Bon remarked at the easy supply. By now the two of them had acquired 13 points after just a few minutes.


    Still, though, hundreds of millions of years had passed and Siul was curious as to what progress the life on the world had evolved.


    "I''m slowing down the world." The land was now a blurred light green with different shadows mixed all around the world. Its blur began to slow down until the changes were clear.


    "About... 3 billion years have passed?" Siul looked at the world. His eyes widened to see a few large creatures. They resembled much of what dinosaurs are speculated to have looked like.


    "Would it also similarly follow the path of evolution on Earth or is this just a coincidence?" He looked at a large dinosaur-like creature lazily lying down near a nest of eggs.


    The creature was rough and had sharp spines along its whole body. It had furred skin and seemed to be herbivorous judging from its mouth and behavior. There was a large axe-like tail that looked hard and rough.


    Siul continued to watch the creature as it got up and ate a few bushes and leaves. It would sometimes use its tail to demolish a few trees to clear a path. It continued on about its day without a care in the world like it had done the same thing every day. It walked around, protected its eggs, and basked in the sunlight. Every now and then, it gave a short growling roar, as if mumbling thoughts incomprehensible to him.


    Just then, in the distance, he saw a short pack of vicious quadrupedal reptilian creatures approach the large axe-tailed dinosaur silently. They were small relative to the dinosaur''s size and covered in black scales. Their eyes were sharp and their bodies streamlined. Sharp claws and a ferocious, scaly snarl made them a fearful sight to behold.


    They hid near the axe-tailed dinosaur, preparing for an ambush. They swiftly got into positions and a large one that looked to be the alpha of the pack roared with a high pitched shriek. The pack of thirteen began their attack.


    The axe-tailed dinosaur gave a large roar in the face of its attackers, violently swinging its tail to one of the ambushes and barely missed its body. The dinosaur''s eyes were vigilant and it didn''t move far from its nest.


    The two sides entered into the desperate battle. Just then, a daring reptile rushed past the axe-tailed dinosaur''s defenses and snatched an egg. the dinosaur roared with a deep fury and despair. Scratches and bite marks littered its body.


    The minutes continued to pass as the high stakes battle continued. The axe-tailed dinosaur swung its tail and hit one of the snarling reptiles solidly, crushing a few of its bones on the spot and incapacitating it. Another tried to rush past, but it stomped down on its tail just in time and snapped its neck with just a bite.


    11 were left, and they only attacked harder for each second passed. The axe-tailed dinosaur caught and crushed another with its tail before another reptile snatched another egg. The dinosaur snapped its head to the side and caught another reptile''s tail in its mouth and dragged it under its feet to crush it, but another reptile took this time to steal an egg.


    The axe-tailed dinosaur''s face only grew more furious as it bunkered down near its eggs to protect the remaining two. It viciously protected its next and refused to move like an immovable fortress. The reptiles moved in all but the places the axe-tailed dinosaur could reach, though, and if it didn''t act, then its eggs would be their dinner.


    It stood up and just then, another reptile slid under it and grabbed an egg. It roared with anger and swiped its tail at it just in time to incapacitate it. 8 were left. The alpha let out a loud shriek before they all began to retreat. They had lost five in this battle for eggs, with what they had obtained, it was not worth it. They had sustained too many casualties and others were injured. If they continued, it would only be putting themselves at a debilitating disadvantage in the wild kill or be killed world.


    The axe-tailed dinosaur looked at its retreating attackers with regretful eyes. It did not give chase as it knew that it would never be fast enough to catch up. It looked at its body, there were too many scratches and some would join the scars from its previous battles.


    The dinosaur gave a quaint roar of sorrow as it looked down at its nest. It fought long and hard, but there were just too many. It snuggled up besides its last remaining egg, at least she had saved one.


    "Look at this!" Bon''s voice broke Siul off the scene. As sad as it was, it was a part of the world. It was survival of the fittest in the forest and nothing could change that among the beasts and dinosaurs.


    Bon''s voice echoed throughout the world, but it was only Siul that could hear it. In the next second, he saw Bon fly toward him before leading him somewhere into the world.


    As Siul looked around, he noticed that it really was large. Although he could not tell exactly how large it was, it was about two fifths the size of his current planet, or half the size of Earth. Siul noticed it earlier, but the world and window seemed to refer to Earth a lot.


    As he approached a small forest region, he noticed a few creatures that were starting to transition from quadrupedal to bipedal creatures. Taking a closer look, he found that they were very similar to chimpanzees!


    "Huh? Chimps shouldn''t even exist in this time period..." Siul was not a foreigner to the history of his species origin and even took a class in college that specifically went over the history of Earth.


    "Actually, going off of how accurately this world follows Earth, mammals should only be in the beginning stages of evolution. If I am correct, it could be a few ten million years after the extinction of most dinosaurs before humans would even have a chance to emerge in the line of evolution." Siul never knew that his knowledge of Earth might come in handy.


    The class for the "Study of Earth History" was often met with scorn, with many stating that it was useless. Still, it didn''t stop the history fanatics from keeping it secured within the curriculum as an option. The only reason Siul took the class was because he needed credits.


    "Siul, the parasitic voice inside me said humans will evolve in accordance with Earth. Actual humans might not appear until much later." Bon did not know exactly what earth was like. It only knew how Siul''s civilization was structured along with some basic knowledge. It would have to do some research on that later, but it did know that the species of humans weren''t going to emerge anytime soon.


    "I''m wondering if these dinosaurs are going to go extinct. If they can''t it might be very different from Earth or probably any planet currently occupied by humans. Also, this world''s oxygen levels should be incredibly high right now. The more oxygen there is, the larger the creatures can be..." Siul was wondering how the humans would even be able to survive in a world like this. He remembered that they had an anti-extinction protection on them, but once they were close enough to current real world humans, it would be up to them to survive.


    "I guess their only way of actually being able to survive in this world is to learn magic?" Bon murmured from the side.


    Humans in this world would not be able to realistically survive without magic and so, this lessened the pressure on the plan by a few levels. Even if technology did develop to some extent, until they developed guns and bombs, it wouldn''t be able to affect most of the more dangerous dinosaurs at all.


    However, once magic is discovered and used by a human, the benefits will outweigh exploring technology until humans sit at the top of the food chain and start to explore deeper into the workings of the world.


    "It might not actually be that hard?" Siul thought that the plant would be way harder to realize, but the path to a magical civilization was practically laid out for them.


    A hard and unforgiving world with a weak, but smart species such as humans that, no matter what, wouldn''t be stronger than the creatures of the world without magic was like a cheat to push the humans towards it.


    Siul watched the chimpanzees swing along the trees and scavenge for edible fruits. Siul noticed that there was an unusually low amount of dinosaurs in the area.


    "The anti-extinction protection?" The protection seemed to take many forms. He guessed that, if it came to it, the world might even resort to drastic measures like famine or disease among the dinosaurs.


    Looking over the world for a few more hours, Siul and Bon resolved themselves to accelerate the world. In the grand scheme of things, this specific point in history would never be relevant in the future. it would be forgotten along with the other millions of years. Only referred to vaguely as a time period in history books.


    They were not in the world to track the path of evolution or record the history. They needed the humans to learn how to use mana and magic. In the future, many creatures would be entirely different or extinct, there was no point in getting to know the exact details of the current world creatures.


    Slowly accelerating the world, Siul did not increase the acceleration as much as the first time. Humans in the form of chimpanzees had already started to appear and so it would only take a "little" more time for them to evolve close enough to modern humans.


    "A thousand years a second is good." The world turned into a blur of colors once again. The colors were less violent to change and smoother than before. A single area would, for the most part, remain green unless something drastic happened.


    Every 10 seconds, they would stop the acceleration and investigate the world to track the progress of humans to see if they had begun utilizing magic. Every minute, the chimpanzees evolved closer to a human and could no longer be called a chimpanzee, they were hominids. A dozen minutes later and the similarity between a hairy human and the hominids were almost identical. They were getting less hair and becoming completely bipedal.


    It was at this time that Siul decided to experiment, but he was only met with disappointment.


    "The [Interaction Mode] cannot be used while time is accelerated?" A frown appeared on Siul''s face. The possibilities of being able to do such a thing were promising, but his fantasies were put to a quick end. He looked at the prompt in front of him and his eyes fell on a trail of words.


    [Interaction mode is unable to be used due to the rate of time acceleration and the lack of a method to ensure the safety and longevity of the owner.]


    "Does this mean that if I find a way to enter the world while time is accelerated safely, it will then let me enter interaction mode?" Siul pondered the possible and fantastical methods that could fit the conditions of the prompt. He excluded the technological possibilities as a magical civilization wouldn''t be able to provide him his answer. "Bodily possession, reincarnation, clones, transmigration... Is that it?" All of the possibilities that he could think of mostly consisted of forgoing his body. This method would allow his "main" body to be safe while he could do things in the subspace world without worry.


    Siul decided to put the thought away, though. He wasn''t sure if he could achieve those possibilities in the first place. each of the methods mentioned seemed way too advanced to think of at the moment.


    A few hours passed and Siul could no longer tell the difference between a human of this world and himself. It was like seeing a person from a different region or planet. The humans of the sandbox world were much more muscular and held a serious expression. Their skin was tanned and hands rough.


    Still, though, there were no signs of any human learning a way to use magic.


    "Bon, are you sure every organism has a little mana inside of them? By now, the world should be filled with mana!" Siul was wondering how dense the mana in the world was. Despite their searches, they had yet to see any creature utilize mana in any way.


    "When I said that they had only a little mana inside of them, I meant that they were only singular, infinitesimal motes of mana. Too small for the both of us to even comprehend! there has to be an astronomical amount of deaths just for a creature to even begin to sense mana." Bon was also getting impatient. He knew that there were only miniscule amounts, but he, too, had underestimated just how small the quantity was.


    Suddenly, the monotonous voice rang out from Bon as it barely kept itself conscious.


    "Humans have reached the threshold to deactivate the anti-extinction protection. All humans will be altered with a grace period of accelerated evolution and greater chance of enlightenment over the next few years within the subspace world." The voice was like a ghost in the wind with how fast it came and went. It appeared out of nowhere and before they could even understand what it had said, the voice did not linger and went into its slumber once again.


    "Ok, this might be so easy after all. BUT! As long as we can somehow find a species in this world that clearly uses magic, we can secretly make the humans ''discover'' it. They might then get enlightened and try to learn how to use the strange force called magic!" Bon quickly formulated a plan.


    It would be hard to find a species that clearly used magic, but the grace period was probably their last chance before the humans truly went extinct. The world would not go easy on them and they would easily go extinct within a few months.


    Siul nodded as he scoured over the forest floor. It would be no easy feat. They could no longer accelerate the time or the humans would be gone before they could blink.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    They first searched for anything that looked out of the ordinary, but they quickly found that magic creatures may look more normal than some of the stuff they would find. Siul looked towards a small insect with five tentacle-like appendages that it would use to capture bugs. There was also a tiny dinosaur-like creature that had six legs and only one gender...


    His eyes then gazed over a creature in the ocean that looked like a disc and propelled itself like a squid through the waters. The biological wonders may be more fantastical than what magic may achieve.


    They had wasted just a week on this objective alone and it only made their hopes lessen and their opinion on the creatures of the world degrade.


    Sitting down on the ground, Siul pondered in his ethereal form. The world, although small compared to Siul''s planet, Haflon, and Earth, was still a region too big to thoroughly explore in even a year. There was too much to see, too much to explore. Not counting the oceans or skies, just the land was enough and any one of the three mediums, land, water, or sky, was enough to waste a month just for a chance for them to find something interesting.


    He yawned as he ran through countless thoughts, none of which seemed to have any hope or make sense. They still had a few months to spare, but it was cutting it close. Standing up, there was no other choice. There was no tool or device they could use to make the process any easier and he did not trust anyone enough to bring them in on what he and Bon had.


    Siul was in charge of the land while Bon worked overtime on the lands and skies. The small box had nothing else to do and it couldn''t sleep. Plus, it seemed that Bon liked just the act of exploring the world itself as well.


    It was like trying to find a glass needle in a haystack. Even if they took it apart strand by strand, there was still a chance that they would miss it due to its transparency. Of course, it didn''t have to be glass depending on what type of things have evolved to use mana. But right now, that was the best way to describe it.


    He took a short nap and ate a short meal before resuming his search. Through plains and forests. Mountain ranges and lakes dominated by dinosaurs that touched the skies, there was still no sight of what they needed. He came upon a desert and it was barren with only the most efficient of dinosaurs being able to live. Still, nothing.


    A lumbering giant passed through his form as he nearly passed out. Many sleepless nights had been spent scavenging for any useful organism. Large or small, grotesque or pretty, it did not matter, but the world did not answer his wishes. Leaving the subspace world, he made a straight walk to his bed and collapsed on it. Even in his dreams, he was constantly rummaging through the earth, looking for any pinch of something that might reveal a magical organism.


    He woke up with a stupor. The world was spinning and he tried to stand, but he fell back on the bed in a daze.


    "What are we doing?" Siul couldn''t help but question. As long as they wait, magic will appear according to Bon... He thought of giving up and just waiting for some other intelligent species to evolve and take hold of magic. But then he thought of Bon. The small, cheerful box didn''t give up. Thinking of the last time that he saw Bon just simply existing, he suddenly felt like he couldn''t crush the small box¡¯s hopes. His was already long gone, but Bon''s was still fiery and full of flame.


    With a toss, he decided to get some extra rest.


    He didn''t know when he woke up, but for the first time in a month, he finally felt fully rested. Grabbing a snack, he immediately went to the subspace crystal orbiting Bon''s boxy shape. Due to the box essentially being the catalyst for the crystal, its body was not sucked into it each time and could access the world at any time.


    Looking at the crystal''s exterior, it was no longer completely black like before, but now it was decorated with shades of green and blue with spots of red. He touched the crystal and he was sucked into it.


    For as long as humans were alive, he knew that Bon would continue searching even if it meant going through four haystacks.


    The world entered into his view and he was fully inside. He did not dare to enter interaction mode, as not even dinosaurs were a bigger threat than the high amounts of oxygen in the atmosphere. A human like him, who was used to a modest atmosphere would be unable to survive for more than a month just existing in the world.


    Flying over a few mountain ranges that had become too familiar, he moved in a different direction. The trees swayed and the sun was bright. No storms or air frying hot days would disrupt his search. It was particularly hard during those times when the organisms would hide in shady places or in caves.


    Soon enough, he came upon a new area that was a mix between a sahara and a forest. Not too many trees, but not enough to be a sahara. The grass was healthy, but not too much so. The place seemed to be a hotspot for moderately sized dinosaurs. Occasionally, a large dinosaur would come rampaging through, taking whatever smaller dinosaur it saw near its path in its maw.


    He saw promise with its albeit calm mood compared to the scarier forests. Just about anything with any amount of coverage was deadly in the world, even more so if it was covered in dense trees that could hide the body of behemoth-like dinosaurs easily. On more than one occasion he looked to the side in the forest and almost passed out in a panic at seeing a pair of malevolent eyes accompanied by a body larger than house gazing around the area.


    The was out and he watched a pair of six legged chubby looking feathered dinosaur cubs play underneath a tree. Nearby, a herd of what looked to be more than 20 of the more mature, grown up dinosaurs were resting with a third keeping watch in rotation.


    Just then, he watched one the cubs adventure too close to a white, bulbous plant and bumped into it. In an instant, it was tangled in sticky vines. Siul stared at the sudden vicious surprise in the peaceful sight.


    "Is it a carnivorous plant?" Unable to watch the sight any longer, Siul got out of his shock and exited the subspace crystal. He fetched his saw and entered into the world. Pulling out a compartment that extended the length, he held his breath and entered into the world. The heat pelted him and he broke out in a sweat almost instantly.


    Holding up the extended saw, he stayed out of the plant''s range and cut the vines holding the dinosaur before immediately entering back into observation mode. The cool feeling of his ghostlike form dissipated the heat as he watched five of the older dinosaurs come over in alarm before pulling the cubs away and into the center of the herd. A few of them seemed to growl at the two, reprimanding them for their lack of awareness.


    He continued to search around the sahara, but there was no luck. It was the same as everywhere else he had been. The sun was on its horizon and he leaned against a tree, trying to think of how a magical organism might manifest mana.


    Night began to sink its embraces on the world and Siul drifted his eyes back towards the same plant as earlier. His eyes widened.


    A bulbous light was being emitted from it. Each second it got stronger and countless insects began to swarm to it. All around the area, the same thing was going on with many of its species. The light bulb on top of it glowed dim, but it was enough to be practically a beacon in the world.


    Siul walked towards it and looked at it closer. The light was certainly not fluorescent and on closer look, it did not glow like phosphorus either. No, it was more like a true light bulb, there was something inside of it, reacting.


    "... Mana?" Siul''s heart beat faster as the bulbous plant became more and more promising.


    "Bon, get over here!" Over time, they had found that as long as they yelled, the other could hear it no matter the distance. To find each other''s location, all they had to do was head in the direction of where they heard the other yell.


    After a minute, Bon landed next to him.


    "Is this it? Really?" The box orbited the plant, inspecting it with discerning... vision? Come to think of it, Siul never questioned how the box saw things or even felt stuff either.


    "It''s the closest thing we have found other than that... Rat?" Siul remembered the rat. It was large with its body being three feet high on all four legs. Its head was of some abominable combination between an anteater and a fox. Its furless tail was divided into four different parts at the end.


    "It gives off light to attract bugs and other species, it may even use magic to strengthen itself too! Its unique way of using magic also makes it an obvious object to study instead of kill." Siul thought of the way it caught the baby dinosaur in an instant. Not only was it way too fast for a thing such as the plant, its vines were strong enough to contain the dinosaur too.


    "Well... Now that we finally have our magical savior, all we''ve got to do is move them!" Bon exclaimed.


    Siul left the subspace world and sourced a few old tools. His parents liked to take care of... Heavy duty plants and so, he had more than enough spare tools to use. As long as they were touching Siul or Bon, the tools would be able to be taken in and out of the subspace world. However, if they remained inside of it too long, then they would become stuck in the world. It was the same for anything originally from the subspace world too, they couldn''t bring any of it out into the real world.


    Entering into interaction mode, Siul made sure his light exosuit, stick proof clothing, and replanter were all working properly before moving closer. He felt a vine smack against his side, but it slid off in the next second.


    Sticking the circular planter around the plant he turned it on and the ground below was cleared away rapidly, revealing the plant''s roots. It then cuts off the roots heading out of its area before packaging it inside a resilient clear bag filled with nutrient rich liquid.


    Picking up the bag, Siul took the replanter and headed to an area not far from a human village and set down the replanter again. He put the light magic plant still packaged and put it in the middle. Turning on with the "replant" mode on, he watched it cut away the bag, spilling the liquid on the ground, and part the ground underneath it before repacking it around the plant. Afterwards, it poured more nutrient rich fluid all around the plant and let it soak into the ground.


    The light magic plants never took the process calmly and even just holding the bag was a struggle. Within three days, he was able to replant 35 plants; each near a different tribe of humans. Bon assisted in the effort such as locating the plants and finding good places to replant them, but there was only so much it could do.


    "Now all we have to do is wait..."


    Siul looked at his hand and thought that, for a moment, he had a green thumb until he realized it was the sticky residue from the plants.


    With not much else to do but wait, they accelerated the world a week at a time before stopping it and monitoring each of the tribes thoroughly. The process was immensely boring, but the promise of magic was just too good of a motivator for a man like Siul.


    By the third week of accelerated time, roughly three quarters had killed the plant directly out of fear while the others remained. For the weeks afterward, though, only a few plants were killed and by the second month, they had determined that six of the tribes were trying to study the plant and not kill it.


    Tension in the tribes had noticeably raised in the three months that passed in their world as the appearance of more dangerous dinosaurs and animals became more frequent in their areas. Intervals conflicts would often break out in tribes that did not have strong leadership while other tribes sent out valuable scouts to try and find a new home, but it was to no avail.


    Bon and Siul noticed that in each of the tribes studying the plant, there was a certain talent in each of them. They were not talented in fighting nor leadership, but instead in discovery and research. As the two observed the talented individuals, they were always at the center of new discoveries whether it be technical advancements, insights, or teaching the members of the tribe.


    "It seems that they have convinced the tribes not to kill the plants?" Siul and Bon didn''t really care about the individual reasons and were just happy that a few of the tribes were actually studying it. It meant that the two were at least doing some things right.


    However, a new worry was at the forefront of their minds. The increasingly dangerous environment around their valuable researching tribes. The two no longer paid any attention to the tribes that had killed off the plants. They had no value in their eyes and were not worth looking over.


    Siul and Bon located a safe cave near three of the promising tribes, but the other three tribes were in the middle of nowhere with no caves or protection. They could only rely on the trees and their own ability to survive.


    "We''ll just have to leave them to luck and hope they survive..." The two of them did not have any tools at the moment to save those tribes. They did not want to bring anything foreign into the world lest they might start some sort of strange religion or whatever consequence that could halt the development of their goals.


    With the tribes that had safe caves near them, they were able to mimic the footprints of small creatures that were often hunted as food as well as planting lush berry bushes to lure the tribe scouts to explore the area.


    It was nearly guaranteed that the scouts would find the tribe given enough time, they were just accelerating the process.


    The caves themselves were only a little more safe than the outside world, but the tribes needed whatever protection they could get in this vulnerable stage.


    Looking at their work, Siul felt that he needed a break. He had been entirely focusing on the subspace world for a couple months and many necessities in the real world were ignored.


    The tired man slowly left the crystal. His movements were clumsy. He stumbled around as it took him a few moments to remember how to use his legs. Having spent most of his time observing the subspace world as a ghost, his only mode of transportation, for the most part, was flying like a ghost. It didn''t require much of any movement and only thought.


    Walking around the house, his stomach growled and rumbled, but the house was fully depleted of food. He needed to buy some more from the nearby city about twenty minutes away.


    Entering into his run down car, he drove towards the city. Reminiscing on the last few months, Siul found that it had been much too long since had so much enthusiasm. His days went by fast as he worked hard on the subspace world and talked with Bon. Before he realized it, the box had already become a friend.


    He had never considered Bon a tool in his mind. They both relied on each. Siul wanted to learn magic while Bon needed to get its memories back. Besides, they were essentially bound to each other too. It is hard to continue his laid back way of life thinking of Bon as a tool when he conversed with Bon and shared the world with it.


    Reaching the city, he drove to the nearest market and entered. His eyes were tired, but his face was more energetic as he stacked food in a hover cart. From instant foods to vegetables, he stacked enough to last him another few months. Latest generation fridges could preserve even the most perishable food for years.


    "Oh, hey Siul! I haven''t seen you in ages. How have you been?" A familiar voice greeted him from behind as he walked through the market. He turned to find an old friend walking up to greet him.


    "Is that you Grane?" Man, the last we met was about... Five years ago?" Siul was surprised to see the man. The Last time they met was in the nearest capital city where they shared a room on the college campus.


    "Yeah, I didn''t know you lived in Tyulin too!" The man was joyful at their reunion. The two practically relied on each other for everything and if it weren''t for the fact that their paths in life were slightly different, he would still be friends with him. Now was a good chance to reignite this past connection.


    "I live outside the city, sort of in the country. About a twenty minute drive. I just came here for groceries and other necessities." Siul did not want any misunderstandings. He did not live in Tyulin, but he was close enough to be considered a part of it. After all, unless it was something special or important, he went to Tyulin for everything.


    "Oh, well, you''re still close. Anyways, want to hang out? It''s been forever! Besides, I''m not much of a busy man any more." Grane was youthful and energetic. Siul could hardly tell the difference between Grane of the past and Grane of the present.


    "Sure!" They both weren''t that busy and Siul hadn''t even worked in the last three years. It could be considered both lucky and unfortunate, but he had a large inheritance from his parents that had passed away. They had a notorious name as children of fate because they seemed to have the best luck in the world.


    From frequently winning lotteries, they often made a living off of just abusing their luck. Therefore, when they eventually died at the nearly record breaking age of 124, the both of them passed on the same day, within the same hour and only a few minutes apart. In fact, Siul was surprised at how healthy he himself was considering that they had given birth to him as a 100 years of living celebration party... He did not like to think about it.


    Even the house he inherited from them was built on top of a powerful alien relic.


    Of course, Siul made sure his education was excellent, but after graduating college, the job life was just not for him. He grew recluse and with the inheritance, he could live comfortably for even 200 years if he needed to. Without Bon, he would have probably continued to live life as a hermit for another decade or more.


    Finishing the rest of his shopping, he made a quick stop at his house before meeting up with Grane at a popular and energetic place called the "ARG Battle Center." An entertainment giant specializing in holographically assisted AR battles of all kinds to achieve the highest degree of realism and even more realistic battle entertainment.


    The large building was decorated with countless floating holographic billboards that listed off many events inside of the ARG Battle Center and advertised all kinds of products. From the latest VR and AR tech to all kinds of stylish holo bands and clothing.


    The building itself was donned with a colosseum-like exterior that was too large for him to even see the edge of in the distance. It polluted the area with sounds of battle, war cries, gun shots, and the sharp binding of swords colliding.


    "It''s been so long since I''ve been here... I''m finally starting to feel old. Haha." Grane murmured. The two had not been in an ARG Battle Center in a few years and the unchanging lively battles from within induced nostalgia.


    "Let''s see how rusty we are." Siul''s heart was pumping. He could still remember the last tournament he had entered in an ARG Battle Center. Although he was not the best, out of millions from the local space network, both of them were in the top 50 of multiple categories in his prime.


    It had been a long time since had moved his body like he did before. They walked through a door that decayed when they approached and towards a wall filled with kiosks. The receptionist greeted them as they filled out a few forms.


    "Welcome to the ARG Battle Center! Please fill out a few forms. The content includes safety agreements, payments fees, and all of that stuff. You can sign on the holotab. We have multiple deals going on right, but I would personally recommend the yearly subscription!" The energetic clerk rapidly shot off her words in a cutesy manner as the two signed the forms and paid a fee.


    "No, we are fine. We''ll just get the normal Battle Ticket." The two were not sure if they were going to enter the place often. It would be safer to just get a normal ticket that would let them fight anywhere in the Battle Center for the day.


    "Here are your battle bracelets and have an adrenaline filled day!" The clerk sent them off with an energetic pose before moving on to address a few other people that had just arrived.


    The clerk handed them a silver bracelet. Once it was put on, though, it seemed to weigh nothing. A holoscreen popped out of the bracelet showing their states.


    Their ranks had been reduced to rock bottom through the years of inactivity, but at least they still had their collection of digital trophies and achievements.


    Entering into the battle center, sounds of war echoed constantly in Siul and Grane''s ears.


    "What should we do first?" Grane was full of energy as he looked towards a sparring ring.


    "Let''s test what we know." Siul wanted to test his skills once more and see how much he had to relearn. Sparring against Grane, who''s skills have also degenerated, was the natural decision.


    Walking into the sparring ring, a holographic screen floated out of the battle bracelets.


    [Confirm that player "Grane" and player "Siul" are conducting a match in the medieval sparring ring.]


    They confirmed and weapons seemingly materialized out of thin air.


    [Select your weapons.]


    A ring of countless cold weapons orbited around the two as they picked a weapon they were familiar with. Siul reached out and grabbed a simple double edged sword while Grane grabbed a shortsword along with a few daggers.


    [Battle starting in 3... 2... 1... Start!]


    A short alarm rang before the outline of the ring glowed before forming high transparent walls, locking the two in the circular room. A few onlookers gathered around to watch the spar.


    With a heavy foot, Siul stepped forward to a moderate distance towards Grane ashe prepared a heavy swing. Grane was quick and made swift movements to try and stab Siul''s waist.


    Siul interrupted his movements and stepped back into a defensive position. Not losing his eye on Grane. He could not let Grane get too close or he could have numerous cuts with his quick moving daggers and shortsword. He had to keep his distance, but if he played too defensively, then he was just a sitting turtle waiting to be killed


    They circled around each other, trying to find any weak spots. Suddenly, Siul stepped forward and swung his sword. Grane reacted quickly, however he fell for the trap as Siul fainted the attack and slashed Grane''s left hip.


    Grane froze for a moment as the shock from the injury momentarily surprised him. Along the cut, a bright solid red visual had appeared. When injured in the battle center, pain was substituted with shock and the intensity would be different depending on the seriousness of the wound. The shock would also be continuous in some battles if bleeding was enabled.


    Siul continued to step forward as he pressured Grane. In a few moments, his sword was already swinging towards Grane''s neck. With quick thinking, Grane ducked down before putting all of his muscle into his spring body at Siul. He held his shortsword toward Siul as he rocketed towards him.


    Siul could not dodge Grane and the shortsword plunged into him, sending a vicious shock throughout his chest. He knew that he didn''t lock before he would "die." Taking a deep breath, Siul gripped his sword tight. Grane could not pull out the sword and was too late to let go. Siul slashed at Grane who could not retreat in time. This time, it was Grane who could not dodge as he recovered from his previous lunge.


    A shock was sent throughout Grane''s neck, he was "decapitated."


    With panting breaths, the two of them looked at eachother with approval in their eyes. They had made way too many mistakes for either of them to be proud of, but they could feel their old traces of experience coming back. They would recover many of their old instincts with a little more practice.


    [Player "Siul" Winner!]


    The two looked at the rest of the massive center. There were countless battles to fight and they would have all the fun they could.

 Chapter 3: Mana

    Gunfire rang as Siul ducked down behind a short wall. He took out a small, but stout pistol. Gripping it hard, he rushed out of the cover towards a safer wall. In front of him, he could see a group caught by surprise from his sudden appearance.


    Whips of bullets rushed past him before narrowly making it behind cover. The enemies now knew his position, but he still had a few surprises. Grabbing a flash grenade from his chest, he bit off its pin and threw it out towards the group of four.


    Shouts echoed before a high patched blast and an impossibly bright flash was emitted. In the next second, Siul rushed out with his ears slightly ringing and shot the dazed group before rushing back into cover. Heavy footsteps turned the corner.


    "Siul, I know you''re behind that wall." Grane''s voice taunted. They were on different teams, but they were also the last ones remaining.


    Siul grabbed a smoke grenade from his vest and threw it out towards Grane. Gray smoke covered the area and Siul took the chance to sprint into a building on the opposite side.


    Sluggish, heavy shots constantly fired into the smoke. Grane''s fired his heavy machine gun aimlessly and the grim reaper''s shadow was catching up to SIul.


    With a stroke of luck, he narrowly made it into the building, but not before a bullet whisped into the smoke causing Siul to let out a faint grunt. It had grazed his arm.


    Now inside the building, Siul ran up stairs and wrapped a quick bandage around his arms. The constant shock simmered down in intensity as he saw the body of one of his teammates. In the game, a fake body along with their weapons would be made when the player died and turned transparent to spectate.


    "Are you going to hide all day?" Grane was approaching the house, Siul knew that the man still had a mass of ammo and other heavy weaponry on him. Siul, though, was almost entirely out of ammo.


    Inspecting the body in the room, he found a few C-4s along with a detonator.


    "Perfect." Siul muttered as he grabbed the packets of explosives. Barging into a bedroom of the two story house, he planted the explosives under the bed, in the closet, in some draws, behind the door, and the last two under some debris directly below the window.


    Grane had just reached the top of the stairs. With not much time to spare, Siul rolled the wire from the detonator and opened the window to prepare for his escape. He then took a sheet off the bed and laid it inconspicuously on the floor, covering most of the wire. It would be enough as long as Grane didn''t focus on the floor too much.


    Siul opened the door and fired a few shots at Grane who had managed to take cover in time. They traded shots and the standoff continued until Siul''s pistol let off a few clicks. He reached down for another magazine, but he was only met with empty pockets and straps.


    "Ahaha, you''re dead now." The continued clicking of the gun as well as the desperate rustle of clothes was an obvious indicator. Grane''s steps were rapid.


    Without hesitation, Siul threw aside the pistol and ran towards the window, clutching the wire detonator hard before jumping out of the window. He hit the ground solidly, only a clumsy roll had managed to offset the damage somewhat.


    After a few moments of getting back his breath and bearings, Siul looked up at the house only to see Grane peeking out of the window. Siul held up his arm and Grane''s eyes widened as a sense of realization dawned.


    "Lights out bastard." Siul muttered as he put force down on the button.


    "Shit!" Grane whipped out a quick pistol, but he was too late.


    "BOOM!" An explosion blew up the house as its foundations shook. A small hill of fire appeared from within and set the house ablaze. Holographic smoke formed clogged the air above.


    A celebrative screen appeared in front of Siul.


    [Team Greyhound Wins! Player "Siul" is the MVP]


    [Game Stats - Expand]


    Siul let out a deep breath. The battle was particularly intense this time and his heart was still beating rapidly.


    The entire environment faded into thin air as players lost their transparency and congratulated Siul.


    "That was awesome! You sent him to hell with that explosion." A player looked towards Siul in admiration.


    "Fair game man, you really caught me with that C-4 trap..." Grane approached Siul. If he had been more aware of his surroundings, then he could have easily avoided that death with his robust armor.


    Robots approached them and healed a few minor wounds. It was still possible to get hurt in the battle center, but the safety was still unparalleled. There were many measures to make sure that no one is harmed severely. The first and only death that happened due to ARG Battle Center Entertainment was when it was still in its infancy and getting the kinks worked out which was well around a hundred or so years ago.


    "Haha, yeah." Siul stood up and shook hands with Grane. This would be the last battle of the day. After more than a few hours, although they could replenish their fatigue, it was hard to fix the fatigue of the mind. They were tired.


    They accepted the praises of the players around them before they headed out of the center.


    "Well then. See ya!" With the goodbye, they parted ways. They had already exchanged contacts when they were inside. Entering into the car, Siul turned on the autopilot with tired eyes. He liked to drive, but it was not safe with a tired mind.


    With a few sputters, the old car quickly headed out of the city and towards his house.


    ---


    Siul woke up in his bed. He could not remember when this happened, so he chalked it up to sleepwalking. He had been truly sleep deprived the day before, combined with the action of the ARG Battle Center, he didn''t blame himself if he couldn''t remember some things. Checking his holo band, he smiled at the new contact.


    Walking down from his room and onto the first floor of the house, he found an excited Bon on the couch.


    "Siul! Humans have finally made progress!" Bon''s information immediately gave him energy as his mind cleared up.


    "Really? What did they do?" Siul walked towards the couch and sat on its soft, plush cushions.


    "One of those talented geniuses in one of the endangered tribes started acting weird. When I noticed this, I observed him for some time and found that he was secretly meditating near the light magic plant." Bon explained his observations.


    Bon let out the subspace world crystal and Siul entered it, Bon''s body entered a few moments after. Following the box, the two silently floated down besides the tribesman genius and watched him.


    He sat at a safe distance from the light magic plant and looked to be focusing hard despite meditating. It was an often occurrence that the man would let out a grunt or sigh in annoyance.


    They watched the man with laser-like focus. Despite their efforts though, only the wind seemed to change.


    Suddenly, the man opened his eyes and gave a vicious smile. He stood up and took a deep breath before sticking out his arm with the palm of his hand facing up. He winced in pain. After a few seconds, he furrowed his brows in concentration as the air above his palm seemed to condense and slightly distort. The man kept his concentration as he slowly walked towards the light magic plant and shoved his palm towards it.


    As soon as the distorted air in his palm made contact with the plant, an invisible force seemed to be stuck in between the man''s palm and the plant. However, the man''s attack was met with the plant''s own invisible force. In the next moment, with a stout bang, the man was sent staggering back. He looked at the plant with promising eyes before walking back to his tribe.


    [The first human has learned how to manipulate mana, this sets a mark on the initial path of civilization the world has decided to take.]


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    Looking at the window prompt, they stood still, not knowing what to do before they shouted with joy. The anxiety within them was deflated and they had completed their objective. If one could do it, then so could another.


    Remembering the man''s actions, the two tried to meditate in the world, but it was to no avail. No progress was made.


    "... We should wait until these people develop their techniques more. We aren''t making any progress." No matter how hard they tried, the two could not feel anything in the air.


    As much as they wanted to use magic, they were just wasting their time with no direction.


    They continued to watch the tribes and paid more attention to the tribe genius that had learned how to use the magic. Days passed as no development was made.


    Then, on a day like any other, Siul observed another genius from a different tribe that had migrated to a cave. He, too, began to meditate near the plant. Then, as expected, after a few days, the man showed signs of having learned how to utilize mana.


    The first man to sense mana, which they had named Genius 1, had still not shown signs of trying to teach his own tribesmen how to sense mana, however the newest one to sense mana, Genius 2, had immediately taken his discovery to the chief of his tribe and showed him the power. He then took on the responsibility of teaching the people in the tribe how to sense and use mana.


    "This one was much faster in spreading his new power unlike Genius 1, who still has not taught anything..." Siul and Bon continued to observe Genius 2 and eventually stopped paying attention to Genius 1 altogether. Genius 1 showed no interest in even teaching his technique to anyone.


    They watched Genius 2 as he brought his tribesmen near the plant and instructed them. His teachings got more and more strict the more people he taught. Slowly, Siul and Bon began to understand what they needed to do. It made more sense the more they watched him teach.


    Perhaps the biggest contributor to their understanding was that Genius 2 was very expressive, often using his hands and even drawing rudimentary pictures to try and get what he was saying across. Although they couldn''t understand his words, the pictures were more than enough after a whole day of watching.


    Each tribesman took, on average, around a day to be able to sense magic. If it weren''t for Genius 2''s teachings, then they might have taken much longer. Perhaps even weeks. Finally, Genius 2''s methods of teaching slowly took form and became consistent throughout his lessons. Siul and Bon felt that they knew enough to try and sense mana on their own.


    From what they could decipher from Genius 2, meditating by the plant made the process easier as the mana would be a little more dense around it. They also needed a calm, but open mind. It isn''t about closing off the world. The goal is to find a feeling from within that resonates with the area around them and then grasp the feeling to be able to sense and control mana.


    They searched the light magic plant sahara region until they found a big patch before entering into the world. Siul put on his light weight, simple mask that blocked the amount of oxygen he received. It worked wonderfully and he did not regret the somewhat high price.


    They settled down in the middle, but just far enough to not disturb plants and sat in a meditative position. They mimicked what they saw from Genius 2'' teachings.


    The world was quiet as they focused on themselves. It was a world of stillness inside of them that blinded the sense of mana. They continued to focus inside of themselves as they searched for the special feeling.


    Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours as they meditated with the light magic plants. The mana density should be high, but that did not mean it would be easy.


    They continued to keep a calm and open mind. Only the sense of sight, the one that humans relied the most on, was permitted to be blocked. It would actively make it harder if they blocked any other senses. As they were aware of their surroundings, they were just as aware inside of themselves.


    The hours passed into the day and Siul opened his eyes with a rejuvenated and rested feeling. He was not able to sense mana, but the experience itself calmed him and made him more relaxed.


    As he got up, he looked around only to find that Bon was still deep in meditation. Siul gazed around randomly until he suddenly heard a loud thump from behind. A dinosaur roared viciously and he nearly froze in fear. It rushed towards him with an unforgiving bite and Siul leaped towards Bon before entering into observation mode as fast as he could.


    He turned around to see that the dinosaur''s movements had entirely stopped. Its legs were completely covered in vines that were digging into its skin. Blood was drained. It fell like a leaf in the morning breeze.


    Adrenaline coursed through him, but it was quickly replaced by fear as he saw the plant''s might.


    "What happened?" Bon said, confused.


    "We almost died! We nearly got killed by that, but..." Siul gazed back towards the dead body of the large furred creature. It was even thinner than before and roots climbed all around it, covering it with digestive fluids.


    They quivered in fear at the plants before leaving the subspace world. Sharing their experiences, though, it was expected that they both had not learned much.


    A rumbling stomach from Siul broke the atmosphere.


    "Alright, time to eat." Siul placed Bon near a wall outlet before he made himself a quick minute meal. The meal was composed of a small slab of steak with some mushrooms on the side.


    The steak''s juices filled Siul''s mouth as he tried to look back on his experience meditating. He soon realized a small problem.


    "I am too impatient." He had already known that he would likely need multiple days before he could sense mana, but he was just too excited to wait, or lazy when it came to difficult problems. Like when they were searching for the light magic plant, he had wanted to give up, but it was Bon''s enthusiasm that had made him keep going. He didn''t know how the box did it, but it didn''t grow sad at its missing memories and kept its sights clear and full of joy.


    He also wouldn''t be able to topple buildings or make extreme spells the moment he learned how to sense mana. He needed to take things at a slower pace and be more patient with himself.


    Finishing the last of the steak and mushrooms, his stomach was filled once again as he looked towards Bon. The box seemed to be in a sleeping state, but Siul knew that Bon never slept. It was currently inside the subspace world.


    Taking a small rest and nap, Siul entered into the world again. The light magic plants had more than terrified him, but he knew that as long as he didn''t disturb them, then he would be safe.


    Awkwardly sitting in the middle of the light magic plant orchard, he began to meditate next to Bon.


    He focused on himself and the world around him once more. Trying to find the ways they connect. What resonates and what doesn''t? There were many things inside the body that did not move with the rest of the world. Instead they reacted and responded. From the physical matter of the body to his mind, they did not actively resonate with the world.


    His sense became stronger as he entered deeper into the meditative trance. He listened to the world, the changes of the wind and the bustle of life. Roars to chirps, the frequent cracks of twigs, small critters, and even the caws of the skyfaring birds.


    Once more, the seconds turned into minutes and the minutes turned into hours as he fully immersed himself into the world. Trying to find out what resonates and what doesn''t. Slowly and decisively, he narrowed down everything he could sense until... Nothing was left.


    It was a world that, even with his senses, was invisible. Without color, smell, hearing, touch, or taste. He could not resonate with the world. But he did not give up and instead backed further inside of the senseless world. The more he accepted it, the more it seemed to accept him back.


    An unknown time passed and he continued to ignore the few senses that would pop that did not resonate.


    Suddenly, he felt something. It was unlike anything he had felt before. It did not feel like he was touching, smelling, tasting, or hearing. Instead, it was something else entirely. It came from inside himself. The very center of his being.


    he focused on the feeling even more until he got close enough to ''feel'' it. He continued to get closer and closer. He could ''hear'' it. The more he resonated with the feeling, the more his senses opened up and assimilated with the feeling. He was able to ''taste'' it, then ''smell'' it. A long period went by until he saw a strange blue light slowly fade in from the darkness. It walked around his body as if it belonged to it. Suddenly, Siul realized that he was able to ''see'' it.


    He could sense mana.


    Siul watched the mana inside of him that did not seem to have any worries. It traveled through his body like it was always there. Siul tried to move it. Using his new found way to ''sense'' the mana, he tried his best to touch and manipulate it.


    The mana grew to a slow halt from within his body as Siul focused on taking control. He ''grasped'' the mana and moved it sluggishly around his body in the path it moved in before. However, he felt something different this time. The mana traveled along the special path from within his body. From his heart, to his head, then to the chest and arms before going down into the legs. It then moved back to the heart. Along the way, it passed by every important part and organ of his body too.


    As he moved the mana around his body, he found his body parts opening up to the strange piece of mana. His body allowed the mana to rejuvenate his cells and increase his bodily functions as it passed through with his conscious effort. Finally, he managed to move the mana throughout the whole pathway. It left a lingering trace, lighting and livening up the pathway.


    Deciding to stop now, Siul exited out of his meditation as he groggily opened his eyes. His mind was slow and his true senses came back to him. The world, however, felt different. A new sense joined his perception. He looked around only to find that he could ''feel'' and ''see'' the mana from around.


    Just then, the single mote of mana from inside of him grew excited as it seemingly vibrated in harmony with the mana in the air. Slowly, the mana around Siul started to converge into his body and join the lonely mote of mana. With every new mote of mana, his body felt more lively. Compared to how he felt now, he might have thought that he was terminally ill before. It did not take long, though, for his body to feel satiated and satisfied. It could no longer give any more residence to more mana.


    Siul played with the mana in his body and, to his surprise, he felt a small force actively generating a small amount of mana, or at least acquiring the mana in a way unknown to him.


    His body was stronger and his thinking was much clearer. He felt hidden injuries inside of his body heal themselves, injuries that he did not know he even had were healing. His body was much healthier than before.


    "You finally sensed it!" Bon''s voice awoke Siul from his curious stupor.


    "What do you mean?" Siul was still in somewhat of a daze, never had he thought that he would actually learn how to sense mana.


    "I was able to sense it a day before you did. I didn''t wake you because I saw that you were also close!"


    "Day before? How long were we meditating?"


    "I was meditating for 6 days, while you did it for 7."


    "What!?" To Siul, the whole process didn''t even feel like eight hours had passed.


    He rubbed his head and he felt like he had gotten the best rest of his life, but seven days had passed!


    The amount of time that passed wasn''t out of his expectation, but he didn''t expect to do it all in one meditative session.


    Now that they two could sense mana and even manipulate it a little, the two of them no longer had to protect the human tribes of the world as if they were their life and death. Though, having humans develop magic would certainly be a mountainous boon.


    The two of them entered into observation and headed out to observe the progress of the tribes. They were surprised to find that one other tribe learned how to use mana as well. When they checked back on Genius 1, though, they were disappointed to find that he was still keeping mana a secret.


    "Should I accelerate the world? There is not really much we can do other than hope they survive now that we know they are learning how to use magic." They did not want to interfere with the world much and he was sure that at least one of the cave tribes would be able to survive and develop long enough to get a foundation in the world.


    "Sure, let''s just do a week at a time." Bon wanted to make sure that nothing unexpected happened.


    "Alright." They let a week pass in the world before stopping the acceleration. They then took note of the changes in the tribes before repeating the process.


    They continued to do this until three months had passed in the subspace world. As expected, the three cave tribes were doing well, albeit a little cramped. The wilderness tribes, though, were not doing as well. Their populations had been reduced and, to the surprise of the two of them, Genius 1 finally started to teach his tribesmen how to sense magic.


    The wilderness tribes had to constantly move and it was hard to keep track of them. This eventually led to the decision to stop paying attention to them. Maybe they would make a surprise debut in the future? But despite their low hopes, the two were not optimistic of those tribes'' chances.


    Finally, to not totally get out of touch with the subspace world, Siul and Bon decided to accelerate the time so that a week would pass for every hour that passed in the real world. This decision was made so that the progress would not be lost and they would be able to check on the subspace world.


    Getting out of the subspace world, Siul groggily walked up to his room and fell asleep. He had been focusing on the subspace world for a few months now and he still wasn''t getting the best of rest. His initial goal had finally been achieved and so, he felt that he deserved some more rest. The next step, though, would be the development of magic which would last indefinitely.


    Bon continued to watch the world. The box spied on the tribes. Because it could not move much in the real world, its only source of freedom was the subspace world. It liked watching the people go about their daily lives as he saw their stories and struggles unfold beneath him.

 Chapter 4: Gukulm Scout

    Gukulm looked outside the building with wise eyes. He could feel the tension in the air growing every day. Something had changed in the area and it was not for the good of the tribe.


    "Unfi, have you found any more caves?" Gukulm asked the scout directly. He was their single most experienced scout in the tribe. He had put many resources in training scouts for the purpose of finding a new home.


    Unfi looked at Gukulm with downcast eyes.


    "No." Unfi responded with a small voice. The pressure on him was increasing by the day. Each day, he had to go farther before. Into the bigger and more dangerous world. A world where humans wouldn''t survive without wits and intelligence at all times. When he had found the cave they resided in, he was hopeful, but the huntrows outside only got more dangerous.


    Unfi did not like traveling so far. It seemed the further he went, the larger the huntrow went. In time, the youth swore that he had seen a huntrow as big as the sky itself. Unfi knew at the sight that the tribe was just a small colony of ants in its eyes.


    The scout often voiced his findings to the chief and, although he knew that the chief took his warnings seriously, it always felt like he didn''t. Unfi just didn''t know what the chief was thinking sometimes.


    "Then go train your scouts. The future of the tribe depends on the ability of the scouts to find a safer home." Gukulm was patient with the young man, but it was necessary. Even now, he knew better than ever before that the outside wilderness was getting much too dangerous. A new home was needed, lest some of the bigger huntrow start to move in.


    "Ok." Unfi gave a small response as he quickly ran off.


    He had always hated training scouts. It was not that it was boring or tedious, but it was that their ability to survive was dependent on what he taught them. Their deaths would be his fault. People would say that it was he, who killed them even when he truly did his best to train them. He never even let the trainees leave the village until he had taught them everything he knew and made sure it was ingrained into their minds. It was only then, that he would conduct advanced training with hands-on experience. Scouting requires experience and he can''t teach experience inside the village.


    The area was not safe, and it hasn''t been for a while. It was a difficult task to even gain experience as a trainee in the demanding wilderness world. But he couldn''t send them anywhere else.


    The scout job used to be easy. All he had to do was find easy huntrow prey or watch out for the rare rampaging huntrow. But now, it was the most dangerous job of all. If it weren''t for the young man''s quick ability to adapt, he would be like all the other scouts of his generation. Dead in the maws of a huntrow.


    Even now, he runs the risk of dying each time he goes out. He was scared, but even more scared of the village being ravaged by huntrow.


    Unfi quickly reached the scout training area and found a few trainee scouts sparring. He stopped them all and started a quiz.


    "You! What kind of berries are poisonous?" It was a vital part of a scout''s training to know what one would be able to eat while outside. Often, scouts stayed out in the forest for days at a time. They could not cook or the smell would attract huntrows, big or small, it was too big a risk for anything.


    The scout thought for a second before speaking.


    "Thornberries, bloodberries, spiderberries, and tulberries."


    "Good! Now, you! What is the biggest cause of death for scouts?" Unfi targeted a different scout who then scratched his head for a while.


    "Huntrows?" The answer seemed obvious to the scout, but he was met with a berating from Unfi.


    "NO! When you go into the wild, you know not to EVER approach or let a huntrow approach you. The enemy of us scouts is exhaustion! Too many scouts overestimate their ability. They see new things and it might be fun, but you don''t know how to deal with a lot of new things at once. Even I don''t! Some scouts go out into that forest and never come back because they lose their way! They use all of their energy and when they need to use it..." Unfi slipped a few red colored berries in his hand stealthily before clapping his hands. Red liquid splattered out. "They get devoured!"


    Unfi looked at the scout with sharp eyes before continuing his lecture.


    "They will eat poisonous berries, they will trip and fall, and they will make more mistakes when they are exhausted. It is important to maintain your health by eating and resting properly when out on a mission! Scout, do you know how to do this?" Unfi''s bold eyes met with the scout''s.


    Thinking for a moment, the scout could no longer keep eye contact as he meekly gave his answer,


    "... Cover yourself in dirt and sleep in a tree?"


    Unfi waited a few suspenseful seconds.


    "Not enough! Find the tallest tree! Do you want a huntrow to pick you out like a free meal!? Do not just settle for dirt, make mud! Plaster leaves on yourselves. Paint the illusion that you are the tree! Never sleep in a cave other than the village cave! Who knows what huntrow could have made its home there? You will find yourself with half your guts spilled out before you can even yell!"


    Calming down, Unfi gave a few more lessons. From navigating in the wild to signs that may indicate an area is safe, he did not stop. After finishing the day''s lessons, he had the scouts perform drills and run through a few courses.


    "Climb that tree! You need to drop everything without hesitation!" He drilled them on their running and tree climbing abilities. A scout''s best friend is the skies. As long as a huntrow could not reach them, they were, for the most part, safe. It is impossible for most of the creatures and huntrows in the wild, so it was absolutely necessary that the scouts must avoid plains and stick near to climbable trees.


    In the skies, avian huntrow were either too small to deal with humans or preferred to hunt elsewhere for different food than humans.


    A messenger approached Unfi.


    "Unfi, Chief has some important information!" THe messenger stated the message before he started to escort him.


    Unfi looked at the man, it was rare that a messenger would have to drag the recipient unless it really was vitally important.


    "Ok." Unfi ran towards the chief''s hut, leaving the messenger behind.


    Entering into the chief''s hut, Gukulm''s voice sounded out from a room. Unfi could hear a few words from another guest as well.


    Walking into the room, Unfi saw a large table. Gukulm and Munta sat in a chair as well as everyone else in charge of their sections of the tribe.


    Just the fact that Munta was in the room greatly surprised the scout. Any time Munta accompanied meetings, it always revolutionized the way the structure of the tribe worked with his intelligent concepts and ideas.


    Unfi found his seat on the table before Gukulm started to address the matter this time.


    "Everyone, once again we have gathered here to discuss the future of our tribe. Munta has discovered a hope with limitless potential..." Gukulm paused and narrowed his eyes as he looked at everyone in the room. "Perhaps now, we have a hope to expand into the wilderness. The huntrow will be below us as we explore the potential of Munta''s findings."


    Everyone in the room turned serious at the proposition. It was common that ambitious ideas and motivations would manifest in these meetings, but not once had anyone proposed the idea of ruling over the huntrow. It was preposterous to think that they, a measly tribe of humans, would ever be able to overpower huntros.


    They were silent as the chief was confident. He was a reasonable man and did not make impossible assumptions if he did not have evidence. As expected, the chief gestured towards Munta as he stood up.


    "Everyone here knows about Makahbra, the plant that mysteriously appeared in the outskirts of our village. I have spent much of my time recently studying this strange organism. It is unlike anything I have ever seen with its dazzling and blinding lights. After many weeks of my own effort, I have finally come to an amazing conclusion. One that harnesses a special force in our world." Munta held out his arm with his palm facing up. In the next moment, the air above his palm distorted.


    The air continued to distort more and more as energy gathered. Munta strained and grabbed a block of wood before pushing his palm towards it. Before they made contact, the distorted air made a short ''pop'' sound as the wooden block flew across the room. The energy in the palm of Munta''s hand dissipated as he continued to talk.


    "The plant uses a natural force that permeates throughout the world. I will call this ulma. I have discovered that ulma exists all around us and even inside. Finally, though, I learned how to use this ulma..." Munta held out his palm again as the ulma gathered on it in a sphere.


    This time, the ulma was compressed into an extremely small sphere. Munta strained as drops of sweat fell. Continuously compressing the ulma was no easy feat. A color began to manifest inside the ulma sphere, it was of a light blue-ish color. The color felt infinitely deep. It only appeared for a few short moments before Munta lost focus and it dissipated into the air.


    Seeing the evidence that this ulma was indeed present, everyone in the room grew interested.


    Munta sat back down as he gave short, quiet pants.


    "Everyone, now that you have seen this power, I will now have Munta teach all of you how to sense and use it as well." Gukulm gave a brief conclusion to the discussion as he, too, held out his palm and seemed to control a sphere of ulma. He continued this for a few seconds before dissipating the ulma. "Even with my short experience in using it, I can tell that it is as deep as the unknown history of our world itself."


    Unfi looked at Gukulm and Munta with practically sparkling eyes. Although he did not know what he could do yet, he could feel that this new ulma power would make scouting much less dangerous.


    All the people departed from the meeting room before the chief stopped Unfi and addressed him.


    "Stay here Unfi, you will be the first to learn how to use ulma. Go, follow Munta." With the brief command, the chief exited the room as well. Only Munta and Unfi remained.


    Looking at the energetic scout, Munta nodded his head. It was natural to be excited, especially so for the young, but experienced scout. He could already tell that the scout knew that it would make his job easier. Many dangers were out there and the scouts needed whatever advantage they could find.


    "Follow me." Munta led Unfi through the village and towards Makahbra.


    Reaching the plant, Munta instructed Unfi to sit down near Makahbra, but at a distance to where it couldn''t reach him.


    "THe ulma around Makahbra is more dense. It will be easier to sense near it. Now, the first thing you need to do is have a calm and open mind. To sense the ulma, you need to find what inside resonates with the rest of the world. Slowly, you will have to filter out everything that does not resonate until you find ulma. It is the only thing inside your body that will actively resonate with the air around you." Munta grabbed a stick and drew a few pictures on the ground.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Even if you can no longer ''feel'' anything, continue to search, you will know what ulma is the moment you sense it. It is not enough to just sense it, though. You must try and move the ulma along the path it travels in your body. Once you have done so, your body will have fully opened up your ulma path to accept more ulma that can also rejuvenate the body." Munta drew a simple diagram that had a closed loop on a humanoid body representing the path that the ulma would travel through.


    "After your body has accepted ulma, it will naturally replenish itself. However, once you regain your senses of the world, you will subconsciously absorb ulma from the surroundings too."


    Digesting the information, Unfi continued to listen to Munta.


    "I will now help and give you a boost, but it is up to you whether you can actually sense it." Munta put his palm on Unfi''s chest. A strange feeling flowed from the palm and into Unfi''s body. The scout had an increasing sense of "fullness" as more and more ulma was put into his body.


    "The increased amount of ulma in your body should make it easier to find the ulma inside yourself, but it will slowly seep out of your body, so start meditating." Munta instructed Unfi in the ''proper'' meditation technique which was just finding what was most comfortable.


    The scout closed his eyes and released the thoughts from his mind. To his surprise, it was almost a natural feeling. He had spent months, or even years of his life alone in the forest. Often, he had to understand the huntrow and the life around him. He could easily discard his thoughts and become one with nature.


    His breathing was consistent, but powerful as he focused on himself whilst still aware of his surroundings.


    "A calm and open mind. Ignore everything that doesn''t resonate with the world." Munta''s voice echoed inside of his head as he began to filter the information that entered his mind.


    His perception of time was lost as he continued to search for ulma. The world that he knew slowly lost its liveliness, but he did not stop his search. He continued to ignore anything that his sight, touch, hearing, smell, and even taste could resonate with. His mind grew more and more calm, but also infinitely lonely inside of himself.


    Suddenly, as if teasing him, he felt a feeling from within. It was playful and lively. It wanted him to find it, but the feeling continued to mischievously hide. The feeling came and went constantly. Each time it only barely slipped out of his grasp. With a flicker, his mind reacted and it grasped the feeling firmly. HE focused on it and then he ''felt'' it. He continued to focus on the feeling until he was able to hear, smell, and taste it.


    One last time, he grasped the feeling with all of hsi focus as he tried his best to keep it contained. It became more and more tame as it succumbed to him. He could see it.


    It was an infinitely small mote of energy that was moving throughout his body constantly. He watched the energy until he recognized the path; it was the same path that Munta had outlined.


    ''This is my ulma?'' Unfi continued to watch the ulma move around his body until he remembered what he had to do next.


    He focused on the ulma within his body more and more. Trying to get it to stop. It slowly, but resiliently came to a halt as he had to maintain a constant focus on it. He caught the feeling, but this time he moved the ulma ever so slightly. He continued to move it. The process was tiring and required him to keep it contained at all times. The more he moved the ulma throughout the path, though, it seemed that it really was being opened up. He felt more and more lively the more he moved the mote of ulma through the path.


    His body and mind grew increasingly clear, but still, the process was not any easier. With one last mental push, the scout had managed to move the ulma the last of the distance. In the moment that he let go of the ulma, it vibrated with exuberance. It raced around his body, much faster than before.


    Unfi opened his eyes. He was able to see, hear, feel, smell, and taste once more, but an additional sense joined him. The ulma inside him began to suck in ulma from the surroundings as if it were a voracious beast. The path was being filled up with ulma.


    He looked around the world with a new perspective, a new dimension of sense was added. It would take time to get used to it.


    Unfi''s eyes laid on Mount and found that he could tell the man already had much more ulma than himself. He could not actually ''see'' the ulma in his body, but he could ''feel'' the dense amount inside the man''s body.


    "You can now sense ulma, but now I must teach you to control it. Follow my actions." Munta reached out his arm with his palm facing upward.


    "Again, you need to grasp the ulma within yourself and then move it towards your hand. After doing so, you need to ''push'' it through your hand. It will resist, but once you make it through, it will be much easier in the future. The ulma that has been expelled can still be controlled as long as it is connected to you in some way. The further away it is, the harder it will be to control." Munta gave Unfi some direction before he headed off. "I need to teach the next person."


    Unfi looked at Mutna''s back excitedly. His body had stopped sucking in ulma from the surroundings and, if only slightly, he did generate a small amount of ulma inside himself. He headed back towards his own hut and sat on the floor.


    Closing his eyes, Unfi began focusing the ulma within himself. He held out his palm and clumsily grasped the ulma. Pushing the ulma, it moved sluggishly inside him, it was actively resisted until it passed. Many parts of his body still resisted the ulma and would need to be ''baptized'' by manipulating the ulma. Just as he reached the wrist of his hand, Unfi''s focus lapsed and the ulma retreated back into the ulma loop.


    Exiting out of his concentration, he noticed a large headache had started to form.


    "I need to rest." Unfi could not continue to manipulate the ulma inside himself if he couldn''t even concentrate properly.


    The scout laid on his bed and fell asleep. Throughout the night, the ulma within silently circulated, healing countless minor and invisible injuries.


    The next day, he woke up with more energy than he had ever before. Before he was even fully awake, Unfi was already standing up and getting ready for the day. His body felt fluid and smooth. Surprisingly, he could see better. The fuzzy and blurry world that he was used to was entirely gone. It was like, for the second time, a whole new world has been presented to him.


    He looked at his hands and remarked at them. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, they were all clear.


    Calming down, he sat on the floor again and controlled the mana through his arm.


    Manipulating the ulma in his body, he repeated what he had done the day before, but he quickly recovered the progress he had made. The path that he had already carved into his body allowed him to recover his progress with only some effort as he moved the ulma through his arm and to his wrists where he felt the resistance of his body again.


    Making it to his palm, though, he tried to push the ulma through his skin, but this time, a much greater resistance presented itself. It was like a wall had manifested in his body. Increasing his focus, he continued to push the ulma into his palm with increasing force. No matter how hard he tried, the ulma would just not go through the wall.


    Seeing that his current method was not working, Unfi receded the ulma from his palm all the way to his elbow. He braced himself and took a deep breath before pushing the ulma with everything he had back towards his palm. the ulma rushed through his forearm and into his hand. It was like he put his arm over a fire. It pushed against the wall of his palm and broke the barrier. A stinging pain rang out throughout his palm before disappearing.


    The ulma seeped out as he recovered from the pained shock of surprise. He manipulated the ulma that was seeping out of his palm before pushing it back inside. He then let the ulma out of his palm with focus and tried to compress it into a sphere like he had seen before. Slowly, the ulma was shaped into a sphere and compressed even further. The more Unfi compressed the ulma, the harder it got.


    With a lapse of concentration, the scout''s ulma dissipated. He looked at his hand in wonder. The scout then carved another path towards his other palm, this time he was able to do it all in the same day. With another sting of pain, he had opened up both of his palms.


    The scout thought of the possibilities. Would he be able to release ulma from anywhere inside his body in the future? The scout continued to play with the ulma as he thought of its uses as a scout.


    "My body is stronger as it goes through the loop... What if I circulate the ulma through my body faster than it already is?" Thinking of the possibility, the scout focused on his body again. This time, controlling the whole natural path of ulma.


    He took control of the pathway with bits and pieces at a time. A headache began to form right before he was finished. The headache was nearly head splitting when he took control of it fully. However, he remained awake and was determined to test his idea.


    The scout began to accelerate the ulma slowly. It got faster and faster. His body felt more energized. However, to his surprise, Unfi found that the ulma was being depleted nearly exponentially. Accelerating the ulma even more, it was used up faster. It was now that he noticed a strange, additional force was made as a byproduct when he used his mana. He didn''t know what it was, but it faded into the background of the world rapidly after a few seconds.


    WIth his body getting even more energized and stronger, he used great concentration and moved his body to pick up a wooden block.


    Gripping both ends, he pulled and the block was split in half.


    Unfi let out a grunt and a small smile before his body fell over unconscious. His mind was blank as the headache made his head feel as hot and heavy as magma.


    Unfi woke up in the village infirmary.


    "... Where am I?" His memory was foggy as he slowly got out of his daze. He remembered his last memory was filled with pain and excitement.


    The light of torches lit a silhouette on the walls. Unfi turned his head to look at whoever was near. It was Trilla, the village doctor. Her hands were on his chest. Unfi blushed before noticing that something strange was going on inside his body.


    "Huh?" Unfi felt that his pathway was being manipulated somehow. After a few seconds of tracing, he discovered the source. Trilla was sending ulma into his body and accelerating the ulma pathway slightly, but also in an extremely gentle way. It was like a massage.


    "Oh! You''re awake..." Trilla looked up at Unfi.


    "What were you doing?" Unfi was curious.


    Trilla looked at him seriously as she took her hands from his chest. "I was healing you. Don''t overexert yourself while using ulma. You just learned how to use it!" She looked at him with sharp eyes. "Do you know how many days you were unconscious?"


    "... No?" Unfi said, startled. It must have been bad if she was measuring the time in days.


    "Three days."


    Unfi''s jaw dropped. He thought of the time that was wasted while he was passed out.


    "Three days..." The scout murmured to himself.


    He heard Trilla speak again beside him.


    "If it weren''t for the fact that I was taught how to use ulma right after you, you might have been asleep longer than that. I was transferring my ulma to you and into your body so that it will recover from the impossible amount of fatigue that you somehow managed to get before passing out... Just what were you doing to cause this?" Trilla''s voice was filled with demanding curiosity and a trace of bafflement as she looked at the sickly scout.


    After training with ulma for a short while, she was quickly able to deduce that it could heal other people better than all previous methods she knew of, but the amount of fatigue in Unfi''s body was extremely unnatural and unlike anything she had seen. If it weren''t for his newly enhanced body, it might have killed a normal person.


    "I was experimenting." His voice was low.


    "And just what were you experimenting with!? Tell me so I can know what happened." It was very important for her to know the causes of her patients'' effects.


    "I took control of my ulma pathway and accelerated it. In the end, I determined that it did, indeed, increase my physical performance by magnitudes." As he was explaining his actions, a thought entered his mind.


    ''Did I permanently damage my ulma pathway as I did that?'' The thought terrified Unfi, he didn''t want to permanently injure himself the moment he got control of ulma.


    Hearing what Unfi said, Trilla could only deeply sigh.


    "When you overexert your muscles, do they feel fine and normal? No, they do not! The same happens with your ulma pathway, if you push it beyond its limits, it is inevitable that damage will occur. However, luckily ulma is very hard to damage by nature and there was no permanent damage done. For the most part, I have healed your ulma pathway, you will need a day of rest though." With the information, Trilla shooed the scout out of the hut.


    Unfi looked at the roof of the cave as he focused on himself. He looked close at his ulma pathway and he found that it seemed to be a bit sore and minor scratches were few and far between.


    He walked out of the cave and found his hut. Most of the important buildings were within the cave while huts that were meant for living were kept outside. However, soon enough all of them would have to move into the cave should the wilderness prove to be too dangerous. Unfi shuddered to think of how cramped the cave would be.


    "I need to get more powerful to protect the tribe..." Unfi walked towards his hut and collapsed. Although he had been unconscious for three days, it did not reduce the fatigue on his mind any further.


    ---


    The ulma inside of Unfi was bustling in activity with just the thought of his first hunt. He grinned as he stood on the outskirts of the wilderness. A sturdy bone sword was held in one of his hands and a sheath in the other.


    He took a step and the world around him changed. The tension was higher. He could feel the ruthlessness. Every single roar, every single step of a critter, every sway of the tree. If he were not aware, he may find himself ambushed by a huntrow lying in wait.


    More careful steps ensued as he moved into the forest with practiced efficiency. He had spent more of the life that he knew  in the wilderness than the one that he remembered in the village. It called out to him.


    He moved into a grove of the green hell. His breath was silent and his thoughts were empty. He filtered through every sense to keep the insanity away. Now truly, it would take years just for a trainee scout to reach his standards to scout on their own. Unfi needed to prove it. That huntrow could be defeated with just his mortal hands.


    He took in a deep breath as he navigated through the trees. Making sure he was never too far. He knew his limits well. It was what partially allowed him to survive for so long. But the limits he knew was the him of the past. Unfi would need to put himself to the test to figure out what he could do now.


    The ulma in his body raged on and pulsed like his heart. The nervousness in his mind was sapped away as he grew more used to the area that he had spent much of his time in.


    Thump. A wieldy monster stepped behind him. Unfi did not hesitate to climb a tree faster than before. In just under a few seconds, he was already near the top and jumping towards a different green cloud of leaves. In his previous position, a violent tear of branches was left. He looked behind him. A mighty huntrow was on his tail.


    It roared in annoyance. Its steps shook the ground. Unfi''s heart went pale with fear. It was unlike anything he had faced before. Unable to face it directly, all he could do was run. But that was all he ever did.


    He stopped the thoughts in his mind. He did not want to run any longer. Was this venture out into the wilderness not to prove that? He was no longer a scout. He was a warrior. He fought for the tribe, he protected the tribe, he found hope for the tribe. In its most desperate of times, he would be the light in the midnight. The sun rising from the horizon. Warmth in the winter. The executor of huntrows.


    With a swift foot, Unfi dodged the maw of the huntrow. He jumped back towards it and onto its back. With his bone sword in hand, he cast a mighty push into its skin. But it was not enough.


    Ulma gathered into his arms and they supplied power. With one more stab, it had punctured the huntrows tough skin. A feat never accomplished before except for the sharpest of swords. But he had done it with his own arms and strength.


    The ulma in Unfi grew more excited and he pushed more out from his pathway. He could not maintain his composure when accelerating his pathway, it was not a viable option of support. For now.


    He took the bone sword''s handle once again, his arms climbing hard onto the hide of the huntrow. In the face of perseverance, he climbed across its back and all the way to its head. His fingers pale and sore from the grip.


    His body jerked back and forth as the huntrow tried desperately to throw him off, but it was not enough. With a cry he cast his sword once more. This time, into the huntrow''s eye.


    Unfi did not stop at just the eye. He pushed further. It carved into its flesh, a gully of blood formed and spewed out. Red flesh was privy to the eye, evidently not shy.


    The sword did not stop its journey there. And continued forth. The huntrow thrashed to and fro. Its body bashing against the trees. The leaves swayed as if there was an earthquake. The ground covered by plushful grass cracked and pits formed. Claws dug trenches in the dirt.


    Unfi continued his cry in the face of the world. He would be the one to prove that ulma was the path of greatness. He was above the huntrow. No longer an ant. No longer a speck in the wilderness. Humans would prey on the huntrow. Humans would reign.


    His hands caved by blood pushed the sword forward with one more great push. The huntrow stopped dead in its tracks. No response from its flesh. Muscles locked and twitched. Sound was no longer in the control of the huntrow.


    He had done it. Unfi continued to hack at the huntrow, making sure that it was dead.


    He was done. The huntrow was dead. It was not at the cost of a squadron of tribesmen. Not even a death had occurred to his kin. He had killed a true huntrow. Not one that hunted in packs. Not one that barely towered over him. No, it was a true huntrow that shook fear into his very flesh.


    He had done it himself. Ulma assisted him, but it was Unfi that had done it. He knew now that humans were no longer ants. He dragged the huntrow''s carcass back to the village. It was a tireless effort.


    But never before had he felt so fulfilled.


    He had not been far from the village when the battle had occurred. The sounds of a desperate struggle, and his recent departure, had worried many. A wall of his fellow tribesmen were formed at the village''s outskirts.


    They all stood in shock at the monster Unfi brought back. All it took was one cheer for the rest to rush forward. They helped him drag its body. It was the largest carcass anyone had ever seen.


    Unfi smiled. It was possible. The individual human could triumph even a giant huntrow. Many of his own scouts looked towards him in admiration. The same thought was in many of their heads. ''Would I be able to do it too?''


    A new dream had formed unto many young tribesmen. One that of power and loyalty. To learn from Unfi. To prove that they could protect the village and most importantly of all, to hunt the huntrow. To be powerful. The joy of the hunt and the joy of the fight excited them

 Chapter 5: Control

    Siul woke up from his deep, comforting sleep and thought over his future plans. His body was energized for the day.


    "Now we will have to monitor the subspace world for new advancements and continue to develop our understanding of magic... So much to do. I don''t even know where to start with magic... I should practice my control."


    Bon''s voice interrupted his thoughts.


    "Look at the world!" The black crystal was already out and floating around Bon.


    Following Bon into the world, they soon arrived at a tribal village.


    "This is Genius 2''s tribe?"


    The tension was even higher than usual. It was not tension that came from survival, but something different. He observed the oddities in the people''s behavior.


    "They are training to fight?" Siul thought it was unusual. Why would all of the tribe member need to be trained in fighting? "Bon, what is going on?" Siul was curious.


    "War!" Bon said curtly.


    The simple word shocked Siul.


    "War!? What happened?" Siul could not believe that a war was already beginning.


    "Remember Genius 1? Well, he found Genius 2''s tribe and well... Since the time we have forgotten him, the guy has only gotten terrifyingly better at controlling mana. He has even taught his whole tribe now. Or... What''s left of it at least. A scout party from Genius 2''s tribe was attacked by them, but one managed to escape. Now, they are all preparing for the possible fight." Bon explained the events.


    Bon led Siul to where Genius 1''s tribe was camping out. Siul was not very surprised to find that Genius 1 seemed to be in control of everything. Nobody dared to disobey him.


    Genius 1 assembled his survival-harded tribe and gave a short, but seemingly inspiring speech that riled everyone up. A trace of true hope lingered on their faces as they looked in the direction of Genius 2''s tribe.


    Siul watched the tribe slowly move through the forest, approaching Genius 2''s tribe. They were exceedingly cautious and were constantly on the lookout for any danger. Their experience from living in the deadly wilderness evidently paid off in vigilance and raw power. On the way, they dodged all dinosaurs that were in their path.


    Finally, it seemed that Genius 2''s tribe noticed that danger was approaching as a youthful scout appeared from the shadows and warned the tribe. Immediately, everyone inside tensed up as they moved to the outskirts of the village.


    Siul thought of something and tried to sense the mana inside of their bodies.


    He was disappointed to find out that he couldn''t look at the mana activity directly inside their bodies, but he could see that they were dissipating small amounts of mana from their bodies. Suddenly, a few thin tendrils of mana extended between squads of people. They pulsed constantly.


    "Are they communicating?" Siul murmured and continued to watch them prepare for battle. He focused on Genius 1''s tribe to see what they were doing.


    All of them held sharpened bone swords and daggers with bright faces. They seemed to use the same methods as Genius 2''s tribe before noticing something unusual about their weapons. He looked closer to find that there was a thin film of mana covering them. He did not know what it did exactly, but he suspected that it made their weapons sharper and more durable.


    Genius 1''s tribe emerged from the trees. The two sides saw each other. Hell broke loose. Both parties yelled battle cries. Diplomacy was thrown out the window the moment their gazes met. At first, Genius 2''s tribe looked like they wanted to negotiate, but they gave up that thought as soon as they saw the attacking tribe rush forward.


    [War has broken out for the first time between intelligent creatures. The first of many. War will become as common as flowers throughout history. With war on one side of the coin, the other side harbors opportunity that paves the way for advancement. Each side has no choice but to become stronger.]


    [+2 achievement]


    The battle was cruel as bone swords clashed. There was no high pitched screeching of metal. It made for a strange theme of battle, one that caught Siul off guard.


    "They didn''t even try to negotiate with Genius 2''s tribe." It was the easiest solution to the problem and one side already didn''t want to fight. Not only that, it would also equally strengthen both sides if they joined together.


    "Genius 1 is not right in the head. From the very start he has been greedy and power hungry unlike Genius 2 who helped the whole tribe."


    "That seems about right... Did he feel threatened by the presence of another tribe and not only that, but had a somewhat safe and permanent area to reside in? He may have wanted what Genius 2''s tribe has for himself to increase his ruling power more... Despite all that, it was idiotic and outright foolish to start a battle with Genius 2''s tribe." Siul was disappointed in Genius 1. For all of his intelligence, it seemed that he was only good at magic and that was it. He was not meant for a role in anywhere that asked for even the smallest bit of critical thinking.


    Bodies fell from both sides, sounds of battle disturbed the area.


    "Uh oh, this might be the end of the battle and Genius 1." Bon whispered from the side before flying down towards an agitated part of the forest. It was then that Siul saw a gigantic dinosaur towering over the trees make its way to the battle. Angered at the commotion


    .


    Each side spoke a different language. Their yells and insults unable to be understood between each other. Still, it felt good for them to insult their enemies.


    Suddenly, though, the chief of Genius 2''s tribe issued an order and everybody retreated. They were quick and caught Genius 1''s forces off guard. However, in the next moment they understood. Their worries were replaced by something much worse.


    The last of Genius 2''s tribe barely made it back into the cave before a large boulder was moved in front of the cave entrance with the effort of the whole tribe. Screams of terror from Genius 1''s tribe were heard as the largest dinosaur that Siul had seen ravaged the area.


    The clearing was in chaos. Genius 1''s tribe scattered into pieces. The battle that only lasted a few short minutes was cut by the much greater danger in the form of a dinosaur.


    "That was... An anticlimactic ending." Siul looked down at the humans below with pity. However, he could not feel bad. It was not any of his actions that had caused and even more so, it was due the actions of a foolish leader.


    The battle initially shocked him. He, who had not seen much real battle or bloodshed, was able to withstand the sight when looking above. In a morbid way, it was like watching ants fight in his mind. Siul couldn''t get the thought out of his mind and didn''t dare to get any closer to the battlefield lest he get truly disturbed by the sight.


    The dinosaur ravaged the area, eating the bodies of the fallen. It did not discriminate between the two tribes. Free snacks were better not wasted especially if they did not taste any different. After cleaning up the area, it found that there were no longer any other easy bites. It roared before turning around and walking back into the wilderness, leaving a trail of disturbed trees from its wake.


    The two of them flew down and went through the boulder to see how Genius 2''s tribe was doing. Not to their surprise, the entire cave was a busy mess. Wounds were healed with mana and people wept at losses. A lonely scout, the same scout that had come with the warning, stood in front of the boulder with deep and determined eyes. The mana around him felt much deeper. Nearly paralleling Genius 2 himself. The scout circulated mana as if he were fidgeting, but his body only stood still.


    The scout''s fists balled up before something happened in his hands. The mana started to manifest and took the shape of a sword. It resembled much of the bone swords that littered the battlefield outside. The scout looked towards his hands and smiled. He whispered something before running out of mana and collapsing.


    A girl from the back of the tribe shook her head at the sight before taking the scout to a special building as if she had practiced the same actions dozens of times.


    "It will recover." The mum liveliness of the tribe was rampant. The whole cave was shrouded by a shade of sadness, but it would only fuel the tribe to carve out their position in the world even more.


    "The other tribe, though..." Siul looked deep into the wilderness. The attack of Genius 1''s tribe had been crushed soundly, however he knew that an important figure was still alive.


    "Genius 1 is out there... No, let''s call him survivor." It was tiring to refer to the geniuses of the tribes as ''Genius.'' Siul decided to give them an actual nickname. They deserved it after their troubles.


    Siul knew that Survivor would live to make another attack with a twisted grudge. For all of his greediness, Survivor was still cunning and preserved his own life despite his lack of critical thinking. Not only was Survivor cunning, though, but he was also the first to discover magic in the first place. He was more talented and had more time to develop his use of mana than Genius 2.


    "... I''ll call Genius 2 Gaves, it is just too cumbersome to call him Genius 2."


    Siul did not worry about Survivor much, though. Survivor would certainly be a pest, but he was no match for an entire tribe full of people wielding mana. Even if his use was more advanced, the amount of people was too much for one person like Survivor who only had a slight advantage over individuals.


    Watching the rebuilding effort of Gaves'' tribe, he heard Bon from beside him.


    "Two more tribes have also discovered mana. One of them learned it about 2 weeks ago in the subspace world and the other seemed to have just learned it around the time this battle took place." Siul hadn''t noticed it, but Bon had already checked on the other tribes.


    Siul forgot that the box often spent most of its time exploring the subspace world. There was nowhere else it could even go. Bon was incredibly familiar with the world and would certainly know of quite a few beautiful places.


    ''I should take him somewhere in the near future...'' Siul wanted to show Bon the real world too. The plan of learning magic, however, took too much time. He thought that learning magic quickly would be easy, but before he knew it, a few months had already passed and he had only touched about the first molecule on the tip of the magical iceberg. He didn''t even want to think about the potential of the subspace world and the technological side of things. The scale was just too big to comprehend.


    Scanning through the menu, SIul remembered the achievement they had gathered.


    [Upgrades]


    [Current achievement: 15]


    [Material Production: 15 achievements]


    [Rudimentary Radar: 30 achievement]


    [Energy Propagation: 100 achievement]


    Looking at the available options, Siul was unsure as to what to do.


    "Bon, we have enough achievement for the material production upgrade... Should we get it?" The upgrade menu and achievement were shared by the two of them. It was important to consult Bon in the matter as well.


    "I feel that we should not purchase it. Achievement is scarce and it has taken us months to get 15 points. We have no need for an upgrade that seems to just produce materials. In the future we would still be able to purchase it, but I think the rudimentary radar, for all of its vagueness, might be more useful." Bon thought that the material production was entirely useless for the moment.


    Siul let Bon''s opinion weigh in his mind. He was not too optimistic about the material production upgrade either and like Bon had said, achievement was hard to get when they were also trying to achieve their goals. It was hard to know what the rudimentary radar would do exactly, but he found it to be a better gamble than the material production upgrade.


    "Yeah, we should get the rudimentary radar first." Siul wanted to purchase an upgrade, the urge was hard to resist, but he knew that he would have to wait. If he did not, he would earn the ire of Bon and end up wasting a lot of achievement which was not in the best of both of their interests at all.


    Bon left to continue exploring the world and Siul ventured out towards the light magic plant grove. Bon had managed to find a particularly abundant grove of the plants which made it easier to replenish mana from the density of mana in the area alone.


    Sitting in the middle of the grove, but far enough from the plants to not disturb them, he concentrated on himself as he remembered the battle earlier.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    From his experience, it was impossible to peer directly inside another person''s body using his mana perception alone. However, he could see a byproduct being emitted from the people''s body as mana was being used. He thought of a name and landed on "aura."


    However, due to the simple nature of what anyone knew of mana, including himself, it was easy to deduce what the people were doing. The first thing Siul tried to do was mimic the way the tribe people enhanced their bodies. The aura around all of them increased drastically as their bodies were enhanced more and more. This meant that they were using or manipulating a lot of mana at the same time.


    He continued to think until an idea popped into his head. To concentrate on mana, it used up focus and burned some of it up into aura. Everytime mana moved throughout its pathway, it would make Siul a little stronger. So, if he combined the two, meaning that he would artificially accelerate his mana pathway, it would not only use up a lot of mana, but also strengthen his body.


    He scrutinized the simple path in his body. It was a loop with no other connections. It was simple and could not be any less complicated at connecting the body''s most important parts and organs.


    With the idea in mind, Siul tried to accelerate the path, but he found that it was extremely hard to do so without taking direct control of a portion of the pathway. Focusing on a part of the pathway that he had extended his control on, he continued to expand it until it encompassed his entire pathway. By now, a headache had formed, but it was nothing too serious.


    Taking control of the mana inside his pathway, it started to move faster with his focus. Immediately, he could tell the difference in the power of his body. Taking out mana and using mana to accelerate the processes of the pathway used a lot of mana up, but it would allow him to not only have a temporary strength boost, but also as an ordinary means of cultivation. Of course, the means of cultivation was not efficient and only worked when he had a lot of mana stored up, but it was still a method to accelerate the development of mana in his body.


    If he ever had an overabundance of mana, he could always just circulate some of it around without much consequence. There was a con to using this method, though. The faster he accelerated the pathway, the bigger the strain of his mind and focus. Not only that, but if he wasn''t careful, it could end up damaging his pathway too.


    The headache he had was not the level painful just for increasing the speed by. If he did it anymore, the headache might continue on for the rest of the day.


    Letting go of the mana pathway, Siul thought of the other applications that the tribesmen used. One was a way to communicate through tendrils of mana and the other was covering or sheathing an object in mana.


    The first was easy as all he had to do was connect a tendril of mana to or with another person. They could then communicate in a simplified established language like morse code or certain pulses of mana would be certain orders or movements.


    The second was easy enough to figure out too, he just had to figure out how to manipulate mana outside his body. Making an entire object out of mana like he had seen from the scout was just a more advanced and more mana consuming version of covering an object.


    After figuring out the applications that the tribe''s people used, Siul moved onto what he had originally planned for the day.


    "I need to increase my mana control. That means I need a few exercises, but there is only so much I can do with training my mana finesse inside my body. I need to train it outside too. Doing that may be even more effective too." Siul thought for an hour on the matter, but he did not know of the way the tribe achieved this. He had a few ideas, but they were either too dangerous or too vague to test out.


    "Maybe the first step is opening the rest of my body?" Siul looked at his body. Other than his mana pathway opening most of the major parts of his body to mana, the majority of his body was still in a state of actively resisting mana.


    Taking control of the mana, he manipulated a tendril. It was manipulated into the slog of resistance in his body .The effort was hard and slow, but each time he passed over an area with mana, it resisted the mana much less. The longer a part of the body was covered in mana, the more open it would become.


    This is going to take a week and then some..." He could not manipulate the mana infinitely and he had to rest every now and then to let his mind recover from the constant focus and fatigue.


    Over the course of the next few days, Siul practically camped out in the field of light magic plants. No small animals dared to come near the grove and no large dinosaur dared to come either with the plant''s dangerous methods of attack. Siul shuddered at the variety and ferociousness of defense mechanisms that the plants used.


    As Siul constantly moved the mana, he found that his concentration and ability to manipulate the mana also increased. It was natural, but he knew that it was easy to improve quickly when learning something new. Later on, though, he knew that he would have to make a determined effort to improve his mana control.


    Six days of camping passed in the grove. His body was evenly opened up to mana and although not as smooth as his mana pathway, it was passable. This, however, was where he encountered another problem. In any effort to push mana out of his body, it was like he hit a wall and he was met with far greater resistance than before. He was not sure if he should forcefully make the mana go through his body or not.


    Getting up and patting off the dirt, grass, and dust that had settled on him, Siul entered into observation mode. He was going to check on the magic wielding tribes to see if he could get any more information.


    Arriving at Gaves'' tribe, he found that they were already doing well and most of the village was already repaired. The sadness was already long gone. They were long used to death in the ruthless world and now, a ray of hope shone on their faces as they used mana to strengthen their bodies.


    The battle was just a temporary setback and they would return stronger than they were before. If before they were only slightly optimistic about the future, they were now beaming with brilliant wills.


    Flying around, he picked a random house and floated through it to find a man meditating on the first try. The aura around him was flaring an unusual amount.


    "Is he accelerating his mana pathway? Mana Circulation?" Siul did not like long and cumbersome names unless they were necessary.


    "Anyways, let''s see if I can steal anything off of observing him." Siul had hit a wall and he was still not sure if it was safe to push mana out of his body. He preferred to take things safely, at least until he got a good grasp of mana.


    Siul watched the man meditate, but he only heard silence and his own breath.


    Suddenly, with a deep breath, the man opened his eyes and stretched out his palm before expelling mana out of it. It was manipulated clumsily.


    "How do they do this?"


    Siul continued to observe the man as he performed a few exercises. From forming various shapes, to drawing pictures, before finally spinning the mana as fast as he could, the man began to meditate again, but something was different this time.


    It was not possible to see where the mana was inside the body, but Siul could still feel a large amount of mana being gathered near one of the man''s fingertips.


    With a large rush of mana, a dense amount of mana hit against his finger before flooding out. The man grimaced before taking quick control of the mana that had gone rampant.


    "..." Siul watched him manipulate mana, but he couldn''t help but feel that he had wasted the last few days. The practice was not useless as it did increase mana and accomplished a step that he would have had to do in the future, but he wanted to manipulate mana out of his body as soon as possible. There was nothing else to it, the thought excited him.


    Flying back to the light magic plant grove, he manipulated the mana inside of his body.


    He took a tendril of mana from his mana pathway and moved it towards his fingers. It was much easier to move the mana through his body than before, even increasing the tenacity of his body.


    The mana reached the tip of his index finger and he felt the resistance of his body against his probing efforts. Amassing a moderate amount of mana in his hand, he braced himself before sending the mana flying through the tip of his finger as hard as he could.


    Mana pushed against his finger and he felt pressure emerge before breaking through in the next moment. It felt like a needle had just pierced his finger, but it was short lived as the mana passing through the finger healed it rapidly.


    Siul manipulated the mana as he watched it twirl around his finger according to his will. Although it was not his palm, he mimicked what he often saw the people in the tribes do and made a small sphere of mana on his finger. Digging into his pockets, he found a piece of paper and stabbed his finger towards it. Before making contact, though, the paper was pushed away as the mana dissipated due to the pressure.


    "Nine more fingers to go." Siul was excited at the prospect of being able to manipulate the mana through his finger, but he did not like the pain that came with it.


    Sending a torrent of mana towards his middle finger, he hissed in pain as the mana broke through.


    "Hah, I just need to get this over with..." The pain was not much, but the thought of going through it another eight individual times would not be a fun experience. He gathered a large amount of mana in both of his palms before sending it stampeding towards the rest of his fingers with a forceful thought of immense concentration.


    His hands violently shook as the pain made all of his fingers curl in unusual ways, almost numbing his hands at the same time. They resisted the burst of dull, but still stinging pain. It was like a bullet had been sent through the tip of each finger.


    "Haaa, haaa." Siul panted and waited for his hands to regain feeling. The mana was still loosely connected out of his fingertips and he rangled it back into his body. His hands still sometimes shock, but Siul was happy with the result. Looking at his fingertips, he sent out a burst of mana and watched in amazement as the mana was twisted around his fingers with only thoughts.


    Siul remembered that most tribespeople had done the procedure to their palms and possibly many other parts of their body. He looked at his hands before resigning himself.


    "Tomorrow. I''ve already made my hands suffer enough today."


    Siul began practicing. Forming a few of the exercises including the ones he saw the man do.


    The first thing he tried was to form a few shapes with mana. It was different from controlling the mana inside his body. The further away the mana went, the harder it was to control. He tried to get the shapes as precise as possible, but in the end they still looked round and rough.


    The next exercise was about controlling multiple tendrils of mana. He formed a sphere of mana on one finger tip and once he felt comfortable controlling it, he would form another on the next finger. After forming a sphere of mana on each of his fingers, he would increase the difficulty and begin spinning them in all different directions.


    After thinking of this exercise, he realized that he was only able to form about seven normal spheres before his mind felt too strained to continue. Pulling back in the mana, a headache formed. He would have to rest again.


    ---


    Siul wandered around the world. It had not been long since he had discovered mana, but he had to find something to do as he waited for his mind and fatigue to rest.


    "Bon. Do you know any good sights in the world?"


    "Of course, who would I be if I hadn''t already?" Bon said triumphantly. "Follow me."


    The bright box navigated the world skillfully. Siul almost couldn''t keep up with Bon for the ten minutes that they were flying. Soon enough, though, They were on an entirely different continent filled with all sorts of new sights.


    Towering mountains, large freshwater lakes, land speckled with ferocious life entered into his sights. It was different from the first continent in that it was in more of a colder region, giving everything a pale looking tint.


    They continued to sparse through the land.


    "I could swear it was around here somewhere... Ah!" Bon seemed to have immediately recognized the region and rapidly flew through the air.


    "Wait up!" Siul could only put his ethereal navigation skills to its limit to keep up with Bon.


    Bon made a sudden stop. "It''s down there."


    "Hm?" Siul looked down and his eyes widened.


    An ice speckled valley littered with violet flowers and cyan bushes coated his eyes. It was well lit and the stone was covered in copper colored vines harboring grape colored berries.


    He floated down into the valley. A bat tinted with a dark shade pale blue flew out of the cave and a swarm of its own kind followed behind. They screeched with a high pitch, but it was unified and even a sense of a melody could be heard in it. The last bat exited the cave and Siul flew further in.


    "This is... Perfect!" The beautiful sight could be damned in his eyes as it sparked inspiration in his mind. It was that of something that he was thinking of silently for a while, but would evidently become necessary in the future.


    He had been searching for a nice location to possibly set up a base in the world. Due to their inability to bring anything out of the world, it was necessary to have a secure place in the world where he could study or store valuable things. Never did he think that looking for a natural wonder would lead him to it on the first try.


    "Perfect?" Bon asked curiously from the side.


    "It''s perfect for a base! Well, only if you''re okay with it. You found the spot and all..."


    "Oh! Of course!" Bon exclaimed. Establishing a base on an entirely different continent wouldn''t produce any problems for a long time and it was well hidden too. As long as they hid the entrance well enough, even if the world was very developed, its chances of being found would be very low.


    Siul thought of what he would need like an excited child on colonization day. Ironic given...


    First, space wasn''t an issue. As long as it was big enough to be considered a large "room" or base, he could always expand it later if the need ever came.


    Secondly, he needed some form of temperature regulation. It was set in a cave, in a cold valley, in a cold continent. He needed some way to get heat in it.


    Thirdly was a proper bathroom. He was no true caveman. Besides, it would be tedious and unlike a base if he had to leave it to relieve any waste in the wilderness each time.


    Fourth, he needed a proper waste disposal for used goods such as foods that he would have to bring into the world or any other necessities.


    Fifth, a way to hide the entrance of the base, but he already had an idea brewed in mind.


    Sixth, he needed to make sure that there was circulation and filter for oxygen. Just to be safe, possibly other gasses too.


    The oxygen content in the world was too high for him to sustainably live for longer periods of time. It was cumbersome to wear a mask in his base too. WIth the base being underneath the earth and inside a cave, circulation was also necessary or he would suffocate or suffer from carbon dioxide poisoning.


    Seventh, he needed proper structure and support so as to make sure the base wouldn''t be weak or collapse.


    He doubted that it would collapse even if he didn''t do anything, but it would be stupid to just not make sure. The world has dinosaurs and magical humans in it, that was the true concern of Siul and if something significant ever happened, he didn''t want his lack of preparation to be the cause and destruction of his base.


    Insulation also couldn''t be ignored, even if he could supply heat to the base, he needed the basic functionality to keep it in. The stone walls would work, but not as efficiently as he might like. Especially so because he was in a cold region.


    Lastly, he needed electricity and all of the circuitry needed to handle everything.


    Leaving the subspace world, he tapped on his holoband. A screen popped up and from it, the holonet was at his fingertips. He looked around until he made the ultimate, and only viable option, to go with energy batteries.


    He could go for fossil fuel energy production, but not only did his planet not produce any machine that could process fossil fuels, he himself had to process the fuels and...


    It was all too much work and way out of his expertise, for now. Siul gave a grin at the thought. He had a world under his tips. A wealth of knowledge all there for him to be harvested. With magic at the forefront of it.


    Due to his planet''s small history with anything living on it, it did not have oil or fossil fuels. It mostly relied on solar and nuclear forms of power with Haflon''s main power source relying on three massive sun power stations collecting energy in space before relaying it back to the planet. Last Siul heard, a fourth one has been in development for a decade now.


    Due to this, the planet actually has a surplus of energy. Of course, the government of Haflon makes sure it is not used recklessly.


    Ordering a large battery Siphon as well as an industrial sized battery, he also pre ordered two dozen energized battery parcels. After confirming the purchase, he was notified that it was being manufactured and would be delivered in a month at the latest.


    With power out of the way, he then ordered a stone excavator and tools to dig out the base. Afterwards, he ordered a large batch of firm wooden flooring before ordering a large radiant heating kit. Because the valley was somewhat close to a large freshwater lake, he also took the extra effort to order some pumps and tunneling tools as well. It would be cumbersome to supply water manually from the real world after all.


    Siul was not one for spending money wantonly, even with the wealth he had stored. But even now, he could feel himself bleeding. His spendings hadn''t made much of a dent in his savings, but it was only on rare occasions would he spend even a sum that was a percent of what he had already spent in the past few hours.


    Next was ordering systems for proper waste disposal. He parced through all the options until he decided on a long term, but cheap option. There was nothing else he could choose as everything else either made too much of an impact on the environment, or would reveal his base location. Most would do both. And if not those, then it was too robust or energy heavy to be usable. The option he finally chose included digging a very deep pit and some simple plumbing.


    Moving on to air circulation and filtration, luckily this technology was already both significantly developed and simplified. All he had to do was buy some stage 1 colonization technology along with monitors to measure oxygen and gas content in the base. He could then use the stage 1 colonization technology to either reduce or increase the oxygen in the base along with any other gasses too.


    With the necessities almost out of the way, all he had to get now were supports, insulation, circuitry, and hiding the entrance. Supports were simple and he decided to go with a traditional approach of steel wire and rebar encased in concrete before layering insulation and adding a nice wooden finish to the walls and ceiling.


    The circuitry would be complex and would take some planning, but he was no stranger to it. He thanked his past self for not becoming a hermit too fast and got the near perfect standard of education on Haflon.


    Besides that, though, if one couldn''t even wrap their heads around circuits, wires, and all of that by the time they graduated highschool, then they were in for a tough adult life with the technological level of the planet. Maybe a century ago it may have been fine for the layman to not know much, but now it was inexcusable especially with how good the quality of education is nowadays.


    Lastly, he had the matter of hiding the entrance. He had been giddy about it the whole time. Siul wouldn''t lie that he was more interested in being able to just make a habitable space himself and live in it. No longer would he have to go back and forth between the subspace world and the real world when he finally finished the project.


    He thought up two layers to hide his base. The first would be an adaptable holotech environmental concealer and the second would be a six inch wide steel camo tech door with a durable hidden keypad.


    The scale at which he was hiding the entrance was not necessary and one of the two would have sufficed enough, but Siul felt that it added to the whole hidden feel. It was hard not to resist buying some of the things that he had always wanted to, but never found a reason or opportunity to.


    All he had to do now was wait for the materials to arrive at his house.


    "A month..." It was hard for him to wait, but he held it in. Pushing down his excitement, he knew that it would take a few weeks to even get the base built once he got the materials too. Besides that, he had to move on with his plans in the subspace world and develop his mana control...


    With everything ordered, he gave out a yawn and looked towards Bon. It would take a while, but he knew that the box wouldn''t be troubled by physical limitations once mana was developed enough. After that, it would only increase the capabilities of both of them.


    Retiring to the couch, Siul knew that some things would only get easier as he continued to develop mana, but that also included that there would be new, harder things to deal with or develop. Thinking about the burdens of future development, Siul fell asleep with a snore on the couch.

 Chapter 6.4: Gukulm Warrior

    Unfi walked down the streets and greeted the people that bowed in his favor. It left a bad taste in his mouth, but he couldn''t just deny their appreciation.


    Long ago, he was just a mere village scout. Of course, even then, he still could not be described with the word "mere." It was more akin to a hero, just like he was now, how he had always been. A life lived in expectations and of image.


    But Unfi was not a hero, he hated the word. He knew that better himself. He hated being called a hero, no, he was a warrior. He didn''t deserve the title of hero. He protected sure, but a hero did more than just protect. They solved the problem from its roots.


    Munta and Gukulm were more hero than himself. He fought and protected while Gukulm strived to improve the tribe. Munta constantly improved himself and was the direct reason why Unfi had enough power to protect. Munta solved many problems from their roots, he solved conflicts while Gukulm would lead the tribe. If a hero didn''t solve the problems from the roots, then he would need to be a true leader. Unfi couldn''t solve the problem and he knew that he wouldn''t be able to lead as well as Gukulm.


    Walking to his training hall, he picked up a wooden sword and swung it a few times to get its weight in his mind. No longer just a scout, he was now a warrior. One that must protect all he lived for. His king and his companions.


    A few of his disciples began to approach him, by now he had already gone through many different forms of swings and exercises. Basked in sweat, he addressed their questions.


    They were the usual ones such as, ''what do I do when...'' or ''can you teach me...'' He could only shake his head at the last question. He had already taught his disciples everything he knew within the first month and reinforced the techniques in their mind. What mattered most was experience and it was experience they just weren''t getting.


    His stubble beard was always messily shaven to a thin length and his hair was ragged, giving him the look of a rogue. Still, he didn''t give up on his training. There were still threats on the loose.


    Unfi''s mind stumbled back onto his scouting days. ''when all I had to do was survive in a forest...'' He closed his eyes and thought of that day, the day that started it all between him and Tarban.


    A huntrow may have killed his forces, but Tarban always hit harder when he came back. No one, not even Munta, could rival his raw magical talents. Still, that was where his advantages ended.


    Unfi had forces, more so than that, too, he had technique and experience. Countless battles had honed his senses to the extreme. Even without the assistance of ulma, Unfi suspected that he would only be slightly worse off in terms of skill. A true peak.


    Still, it was just a peak. He had climbed the mountain, but not the land that touched the sky. He stood on a peak far below the clouds, an infinite and vast world of swordsmanship and ulma control was in front of him, but no matter how hard he tried, Unfi was stuck at a bottleneck.


    He could not climb any higher, as said before, he was at the tip of his own peak. High enough to see all the other mountains that could touch clouds, but low enough to where he couldn''t even fathom touching the clouds himself.


    With the body of a stage 3 ulmaster, Unfi would catch his body having feelings of immense false power. His mind wanted so, so badly to be the strongest, but deep down, the warrior knew he was far from it.


    Taking a deep breath, Unfi calmed his mind. It was not good to get lost in his thoughts so easily. He swung his sword, but the itch in his head just wasn''t going away. He needed to fight. To keep his body moving, even if it was just to satisfy an urge that had become all too common in his latest years.


    He put down the wooden sword and walked out into the forest. Powerful huntrow knew to avoid the major human towns, but that did not stop them from gathering far away.


    Bolting across the solid ground, Unfi used ulma to increase the power in his legs with each step. His body was like a straight arrow piercing through the forest and not even an obstacle could obstruct him from his path.


    To his waist, a bone sword made out of his greatest kill of Tak''kulu lay. The sword had accompanied him throughout the years and showed little sign of giving way to breaking any time soon. His body was outfitted with thin metals covered by a few layers of skin from the toughest of huntrows.


    Soon enough, he encountered a large huntrow. It was many times his own height and thousands of times more than his own weight. It roared at the thin creature below it, but Unfi did not give in to pressure.


    Jumping up swiftly, Unfi took out his bone sword in a flash before beginning to slice away at the huntrows tough skin. Its two legs stumbled, but it relented and bashed its side into a tree trunk, the side where Unfi had been.


    The huntrow saw a shadow beneath it and stomped on it immediately, but it was too late.


    Unfi moved like liquid underneath its dancing feet as he continued to slash at the huntrow. It was like watching the huntrow being blended. The slashes made it bleed more and more with each cut. It could only regenerate so much in a short amount of time.


    Unfi maneuvered up its body, resisting the huntrow''s thrashing and mounted its head. He held the grip of the sword with both hands and pierced the huntrows eyes.


    It roared in pain and anger, but it was now blinded in one eye. It began to charge through the trees, but that did little to knock the human on top of it. With another stab, both eyes of the huntrow had been popped.


    The next few minutes could be called nothing but watching the huntrow get tortured as Unfi hurriedly finished off the rest of its dimming life.


    The warrior then slowly dragged the huntrow carcass to town as he looked at his hands in satisfaction. That was until he felt a sense of disgust rise up. He didn''t need to kill that huntrow. The town was doing great by itself. No longer were the times he had to kill the huntrow just for materials, now he killed it to scratch an itch.


    Sheathing his sword, Unfi walked back to his hut. His body shook, but the air was not cold and the winds were gentle.


    Sitting down in a meditative stance, the warrior did not so much as glance at the ulma within himself, but this time truly closed off all senses. He questioned himself repeatedly. What was he doing now?


    There wasn''t much he was doing. He had no purpose. Sure, he wanted to protect his king and companions, but that was how it always was, right? That was his duty and desire, but not his purpose. He trained each day, taught hopeless disciples, just what was he doing with his life?


    Frustrations of being unable to improve any farther only amplified his urges. An itch that only scratched itself when he killed something that used to be mighty and strong. Now? That huntrow was just a small lazl in his eyes.


    He envisioned the peak that he was sitting on top of. It had become a familiar sight and felt like home, but it would never be his home. He should not have a home on any peak. Stagnation would only make him lazy, but his desire to improve was giving him increasingly bad effects. Unfi was in a dilemma.


    Unfi gazed at the other peaks with longing eyes. How can I get there?


    Something clicked in his mind. There?


    ...


    ...


    Me?


    ...


    ...


    Looking at the other mountains, he suddenly realized something. Why would he think about going up when he was clearly unable to do so? His own mountain led downwards in all directions, but so did all other mountains whether big or small. Sure, they would have minor details like cliffs or pits that would catch him, but that was a part of the process.


    He could not go up no matter how hard he tried. So, why couldn''t he go down?


    He would have to walk off the mountain and across the plains until he reached a mountain even higher than the one he resided on. He was limiting himself to one, but why not two? Or even three!


    He had reached the peak of this mountain, there were no longer any skills to be gained.


    Unfi stretched out his leg and took a downward step. Something fundamental changed within him.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    It was like everything he had learned was being forged into himself. More solid than ever. Each step was harder than the last, and with each movement, a pulling force tried to bring him back to the peak of the mountain. Unfi did not let the temptations affect him, his breath was shallow, but he did not mind.


    A few hours later, Unfi suddenly opened his eyes. No longer was he on the mountain, but now he was on the bottom of an infinite plain. He would have to find something new. More inspiration to climb a new mountain''s peak.


    He could not grow, but he could move. He was no longer restrained to one place and could freely take in all the inspiration he needed. With every piece of information he learned, it was like taking additional steps from within the plains. Eventually, his efforts would pay off.


    A pressure naturally came off of Unfi and he looked around with deep eyes. He saw the world differently, like he could cut it in half.


    Standing up, he walked around the town. People moved around without a care in the world. With the abundance of ulmasters, not everyone had to dedicate their lives to the defense of the town. Still, Unfi couldn''t help but slightly ridicule these people. There is always a stronger foe, one that even he may not be able to defeat and if this time comes, then there is no helping them but themselves.


    Entering into his training hall, he picked up his wooden sword again. His disciples dared not to disturb their master, as it felt like he could kill them with but a single glare.


    He swung his sword and it was like a force in the world. Unfi knew that this was not so, but it moved so elegantly, that it surprised even himself. He practiced a few sets of his own technique, and it had reached a new realm. His sword moved the same, but it was solid. He knew his movements long before he would reach them.


    He let out a deep breath of air, it was refreshing to finally feel something different in the way of his technique. He had stagnated so long that he felt moss was growing on him.


    He slashed out. It was different from any other slashes before and it was rough in nature, but it could work. He repeated the slash and before long, it had reached an acceptable standard. Back in his plains of mind, he was standing before a small hill.


    ---


    It was hard to say whether Unfi was sad, even though he himself knew that. He had gained experience in his 38 years of living, but still, never did he anticipate Gukulm''s misfortune. A normal day like any other, but Gukulm had started coughing up blood.


    Unfi knew that the man, his king, was old. But the effect of ulma should let him live longer, right?


    ''Then why...?'' He thought in his mind. His king had only lived for 80 years. Going from the few people that managed to actually reach this age, the earliest one had died naturally at the age of 86 and that was before ulma had been developed.


    He tried to think of a reason, any reason, then his mind wandered to him. It was Tarban.


    There was no one else it could have been. He''d had a grudge against him and his tribe for as long as he could remember. But when he thought of it, Unfi didn''t know why Tarban didn''t do this sooner.


    Still, it was hard to harbor hatred for his enemy when he had to take care of Gukulm. He would not leave his side until either someone cures him, or...


    ...


    Three days later, Gukulm succumbed to poison.


    Unfi found himself tearing up. Something he hadn''t done in a long time. Just how had Tarban done it?


    The warrior knew how. Deep in the jungle, there was a special plant that only Gukulm liked to eat. To everyone else, even himself, it tasted too bitter, but his king ate them like it was the only food in the world. They had their own trees growing, but still, it was not enough for him. It must have been one of these wild trees that Tarban had targeted. From there, it would only take time.


    Unfi found himself disturbed at the thought. To think that he would agree with Tarban that poisoning the tree would be the easiest and simplest way to kill Gukulm. No one had even thought of it despite the many ways it could endanger him.


    Poison tasted bitter, Unfi knew that fact well. That was why even someone as wise as his king would only think the fruits were extra bitter when he took a bite.


    Still, there was only so much that Unfi could do, he was not one to lead a town. Between Gukulm''s people, Unfi was up there to be chosen as the new king, but he denied it. He was not meant to rule, or lead. He was a warrior, he had to fight and protect. Many people under Gukulm severely doubted their skills, but in the end, everyone could only agree that a certain person was the most suited for this rule.


    Munta. He was the new king. Although Unfi couldn''t feel the same towards him as a king, the man was still his friend. One that he would be willing to protect just the same as Gukulm.


    He caught himself in a dilemma, then who should he be under? The principles of his dead king, or Munta? He knew that both of them relied on Gukulm exceedingly and so, he knew that even if it was a little different, Unfi didn''t mind Munta. And so, he was now under Munta.


    It did not take long for the town to be turned into a city. So many ideas. Unfi watched the walls previously built undertake new designs, houses were improved, and new infrastructure was added.


    Just where had Munta gotten all of these ideas from? Unfi knew that, just like before, it was hard to understand the genius''s mind. It was so full of ideas, that he doubted he could have thought of all them in a lifetime.


    Still, the town began to expand and before long, it was more than four times its previous size. Bigger buildings mostly occupied the space, but Unfi knew that it would only get bigger to accommodate for new people.


    Unfi watched as the huntrow of all things were... domesticated? Whatever that word meant, pet huntrows were just called trows. Small four legged creatures that he had seen in the wilderness sometimes took on a friendly side. Compared to the ones that were in the forest, these creatures actively tried to make you pet it? It wanted affection and it was just too hard not to give it to the creature for most people.


    The warrior was a man of principle, but he, himself, couldn''t help himself but get his own hapcron. This idea led to many other huntrows being turned. Despite his precious thoughts, it seemed that a lot of huntrow, in nature, weren''t as violent as he thought.


    Tilmike''s were used for transportation with their fast and strong legs while gangdun''s were used by a new type of people that traveled between developing towns in caravans. It was a dangerous job, but the people were strong enough to defend themselves.


    The world was changing at a fast pace, but the rapid improvement soon came to an end. The warrior walked into a large building. The exterior was exceedingly humble, but inside, there were many tools and gadgets of all kinds.


    Munta stood besides a table, trying to make what seemed to be a circle with many small pillars sticking out of it. Every now and then, an assistant would notify him of a certain matter and he would solve it after only a few minutes.


    Unfi greeted him and Munta dropped what he was doing. The pressure on the man was hard. With juggling of taking care of, what Munta called a whole city, to trying to think of ways to improve, and making new things to advance the world; there was just too much to do for a single man.


    On a level, Munta could only relate Unfi, his only friend. It was hard to be as trusting and charismatic as Gukulm, but Munta made up for it in building his trust with ideas that improved people''s lives. In the same way that Unfi focused on his craft of fighting, Munta did the same in his contraptions and ulma.


    The two walked out the building and they got to talking. From the state of their civilization to simple matters, it was a nice break in their lives.


    "My forces are still looking for Tarban, but by now we''ve travelled out a hundred Galn from any human settlement, but still, there is no sign to be found..." It was a tiring effort and years of search had yet to bear any fruit.


    "Do not worry, we''ll find him eventually." Munta could be considered paranoid, but mostly just careful. He did not make any mistakes and he hunted his own food and thoroughly checked everything that entered his body. The only way to kill Munta was through assassination.


    Unfi knew that this was because Tarban was still loose, but truly, no matter how hard he tried, there was no traces of Tarban anywhere. His attacks only came every few years, but each time they were enough to cause significant damage.


    The last attack had caused all nearby plant life to rot all the way from 5 Galn out of each city and town. The rotted plant life would act as a catalyst and emit a poisoning gas that lasted for a month. Many people died and everyone had to stay in enclosed bunkers the whole time.


    As they walked through town, they retrieved a large pile of meat before heading into Gukulm''s memorial. They stored away their armor and weapons before walking inside. The original light magic plant laid in the middle.


    Giving the plant the meat, they kneeled down.


    "May you live again, strengthen your soul in the bud of this plant and be let free into a life anew. Do not worry, we will set this country right, in your place." After doing so, they made Gukulm''s ruling symbol out of dense ulma and let it be devoured by the plant.


    Leaving the memorial, Unfi and Munta talked about future concerns and in the end, Unfi decided what to do next. They parted ways and Unfi headed into the training halls.


    His disciples had long grown up and taken in their own disciples, it was only a matter of time until he had to expand the training halls once more. Walking into a private room full of light magic plants, he basked in the ulma and practiced his swordsmanship.


    The development of a new style, directly combining ulma and sword technique into one was going well. If, before, he had only been using ulma to sharpen his or improve his movements, now he would be using ulma to make his own sword techniques.


    Unfi flashed forward, letting go of his grasp of the sword, but strangely it did not fall to the ground. Through a thread of ulma, he held the sword in the air and pulled his hand back to capture the grip of the sword. Right after that, he slashed out again, but this time a burst of ulma formed the projection of swords.


    The swords were weak but sharp. If they were to hit something, they would still do a good amount of damage. Making contact with a block of wood, they made a notch before shattering into pieces of ulma and dissipated into the air. The true sword cut its own block of wood directly in half.


    The advantage of the phantom swords were that they were made out of ulma and by using another thread of ulma, he could control like it was a limb. Still, they would never do enough damage to do a fatal blow.


    The next thing Unfi tried was different from all the rest. In fact, it was already something developed enough that all ulmasters should learn. He dissipated his ulma into the air as thing as he could. It filled the room and he could sense all the walls and obstructions. He envisioned the structure of the room and he could see his own body. Picking up a wooden block, empty space in the map that he had formed moved.


    Bringing back his ulma, Unfi opened his eyes. It was hard to read the ulma and actually move according to it unless he blocked out his sense of sight. This method wouldn''t be useful in battle unless his vision was obstructed.


    Walking out of the training hall, he looked just in time to see smoke in the distance. Running there in less than twenty seconds, he found the city on fire in more places than one.


    "Damn Tarban!"


    ---


    Unfi was in an emergency meeting with Munta and the other heads.


    "Worshippers of Tarban are starting to appear." Munta stated directly.


    Everyone grew grim at the sight. If the man started to teach his dastard techniques, then it would only make everyone''s lives harder.


    "I''ll train more people and increase the punishments." Unfi did not need to spare anybody who learned the techniques of Tarban. He had been going light, but now he needed to strengthen his fist. Besides, the guard was in need of more forces.


    "If we find influence of practicing his technique on anybody, we won''t heal them." Trilla said from besides him. He knew she hated them as much as he did himself.


    A few other people stated their plan of actions. No longer would they spare anybody. They needed to show that they will be killed.


    "There is no... Need. What we need to do is find and kill Tarban directly." It was time that everyone had started to take the existance of Tarban more seriously than before.


    Now no longer a dangerous nuisance, Tarban was beginning to actually influence people. He had changed his ways and that was a dangerous thing.


    "All of you can give out your own punishments, but this order takes priority. Assist Unfi in whatever way you can. Unfi, you do whatever you can to find him."


    Unfi didn''t mind the extra work, besides, he had been looking for a long time to give up some of his duties for this specific reason. More than half of the continent was explored and yet, besides a few clues, nothing had been found of Tarban.


    They could only set up a proper exploration team and check the other half properly.


    After a few more topics, the meeting disbanded and everyone began their preparations. Unfi assembled his elite force of 15 and Trilla would accompany him with an extra three advanced healers. The other heads also sent more than a few gangduns and tilmikes along with riders and people experienced in exploration. They had also supplied them enough supplies, whether it be weapons, armor, medical tools, light magic plants, paper, and water containers.


    They could get food anywhere, especially from the huntrow that they would have to inevitably kill when they attack. Water would have to be refilled whenever they could.


    A week later, Unfi would depart and begin their true search for Tarban.


    He would not give up even if it took a year or five, the time did not matter. What mattered was that he would finally conduct a serious search for Tarban. Through his few skirmishes with the man, his ulma use had surpassed everyone by leaps and bounds. Only Unfi could face him directly.

 Chapter 7: Rudimentary Radar

    Recovering from the mentally exhaustive magic exercises, Siul watched the tribes get more and more experienced in the world. No new signs of conflict with the remains of Survivor or his tribe have appeared.


    The world was accelerated a month at a time and the two watched the progress of Gaves'' tribe the most.


    Since the first "war" was fought in the subspace world, another year had passed. The tribes have long recovered and were only making their place in the world deeper everyday.


    Looking at the expanding village, a newly hunted large dinosaur was being skinned and a few workers distributed its meat. Most of it was edible while other parts would be used to make tools or more dinosaur bait. Thin films of mana were utilized around bone knives, enhancing their sharpness to aid in the dissection through the tough hide and skin.


    Tools made entirely out of mana were too weak and inefficient to use at their level. Using a tool covered in mana to enhance its sharpness was a much better and more efficient use.


    The outskirts of the village and, miraculously, the light magic plant was still alive. A person tended to the plant and groomed its leaves while watering the plant. A stack of meat was placed near its base shortly after. Siul was shocked to find that the plant squirmed and seemed to be enjoying the attention it received.


    "Is it actually capable of emotion?" Siul was creeped out by the thought. Never did he think he would come across an emotional plant acting like a needy dog from the way it wagged a leaf.


    Looking back at the people chopping the dinosaur, its skin was handed to a few people that began to process it. The skin would then be used from clothing, armor, and even tiling in roofs.


    Bon flew next to Siul as he idly watched. He looked at the box strangely before asking him a question.


    "Bon, how do you, well, even use mana?" Bon was not an organic being like Siul nor did he have any obvious mana "outlets." Instead, Bon was able to control mana in and out of his body easily from the start.


    "I don''t have a mana pathway, instead I have a sort of mana storage container inside of me. It acts just like the mana pathway you describe, but it doesn''t circulate mana and instead just stores it for my use."


    Siul pondered the information. Mana stored in the loop would constantly saturate the body with every rotation. In this process, a small amount of mana was constantly used, but passively a lot more was collected through various means like the environment or mana produced in the body itself. Storing it the way Bon did, it would always be at maximum capacity and readily available for use.


    He thought of the applications if he was able to make a structure like that in his own body.


    "I have to figure out how to make something like that first..." He lamented before asking Bon another question.


    "You can''t store more mana the more vitalized your, uh, box body gets?."


    "... I am not able to store more mana, but with how much I have right now, mana usage is far from a problem. I don''t passively burn mana into aura either."


    Siul looked at the pros and cons of the two methods. With one, the body got stronger while the other allowed for the storage of large amounts of mana with no waste. For Siul, an organic being, the circulation method is very suitable, but for Bon, it could not benefit from the process the same way Siul did, so storing mana was its best option.


    Looking back at the village tribes, the two could only sigh.


    "It seems like diminishing returns have finally appeared. The current civilization in the world is only utilizing the more basic application of mana like external and internal manipulation, but nothing really close to ''magic.'' The current method they are using resembles that of cultivation." Siul watched a few people practice their sparring.


    "The only reason we are stuck at this point in time was to make sure they would not go extinct, but they can now easily protect themselves. Extinction is not a threat." Bon added in.


    Siul did not oppose the two sides of the magic civilization, but he would have much rather had a wizard world and then one that focused on cultivation at this point. A wizard civilization could discover many useful spells, but he doubted a world of cultivation would have much of anything resembling spells in its beginning stages and even farther. Not only that, but cultivation would undoubtedly take "longer" to nurture as the act of cultivation itself was a long process.


    In the end, the two came to a decision. They would accelerate the world for a dozen years, or two.


    Increasing the acceleration of the world, they watched the land below turn into a blur of colors.


    [A human settlement has reached a population of 10,000! The dynamics of human civilization will only grow more complicated as time goes on.]


    [+1 Achievement]


    ...


    [In the path of magic, the first bottleneck has been broken by a talented genius!]


    [+3 Achievement]


    [The grace period for humans is no longer in effect.]


    ...


    [Humans have formed a governing structure!]


    [+1 Achievement]


    ...


    ...


    They slowed down the world again and in the 34 years that had passed, they had accumulated another 12 achievement.


    "So much?" The potent amount of achievement in those 34 years was enough to surprise them. Thinking about it, though, it made sense. The humans were surprisingly civilized, even more so after the grace period and so it didn''t take long for them to make advancements that could be considered revolutionary.


    They approached the location of Gave''s tribe and found that it had more than quadrupled in population. Now, it truly resembled a town and had strong, outer stone walls.


    The cave held all of the important buildings of the tribe while everyone else lived outside. It was not nearly as dangerous as it was 34 years ago. Many people roamed the streets from men, women, to children, and even a small four legged mammal resembling a combination between cat and lizard that walked around without a care in the world. There was also a larger four legged feathered creature that people walked beside, it looked like an eagle combined with a wolf. A few of the eaglewolves spread their wings and even flew in the skies as they played with each other.


    On the outskirts, what looked to be more tame and stronger legged raptor-like dinosaurs were held in stables. A few workers inside treated them as if they were their most valuable possessions. Alongside the raptors was a more heavy duty mount that was larger and its body was close to the ground. Its skin sagged slightly, but beneath it, a high amount of muscle was still visible. Its whole body had the theme of wide and strong.


    A few paths had been made in the forest and upon following them, the two found that two of paths led to the other two cave tribes and a few others led to settlements in the middle of the forest being protected by strong people.


    All in all, the whole civilization was now truly connected, but it was still in a very rough shape. It had some amount of civility, but there was also the inclusion of strange aspects like the very militaristic feeling the towns gave and the odd sight of seeing this civilizations equivalent to horses and pets. There were also frequent areas or buildings in the towns that gave off the feeling of a fight club. Many people fought whether for fun or training and others would cheer them on.


    From within a large building, there was an orchard of light magic plants that were tended to. Siul was jealous of the mana density inside of it. There was a large hall where people would meditate and in an offshoot, there were a few people actively doing experiments that were hard to tell the purpose of with a glance.


    Just then, in a large wooden building covered in dinosaur skin, Siul saw a familiar face.


    "Is that... The scout?" The man had stayed in Siul''s mind purely because he was almost always at the forefront of protecting the village or doing some strange action with his advanced development of mana.


    Now, the scout had a hardened look and showed off a wise, but stubble beard. A bone sword hung sheathed at his waist and he wore a fashionably practical set of armor. At closer look, the armor was meticulously crafted; most areas had at least a few lairs of a valuable dinosaur skin that he only saw used in small quantities everywhere else.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He walked alongside an old man. The man exuded a sense of deep wisdom, but also a sense of pure joy and fulfillment beneath it. The scout and man toured the city while retrieving a large supply of meat before stopping at a very decorated building.


    The building was small, but the stone columns were filled with depictions of a developing village. Flowers were laid out all around the humble building.


    Walking inside, the scout took off all of his equipment and weapons revealing plain clothing underneath. The old man did the same. They then walked through a stone door and greeted a light magic plant resting peacefully in the middle of the room. A long line of text was laid very neatly on a stone stela.


    The man siphoned some mana from himself before the scout followed suit. Afterwards, they sat the meat beside the plant and kneeled down. They said a few words to the plant before forming an image with their mana. The image was that of a star-shaped fruit with fire burning it.


    After doing so, the two sat solemnly before leaving the building. Siul and Bon continued to watch the two, but theystopped at a lively tavern-like building and drunk their hearts out.


    "What were they doing?" Bon was curious, but it was hard to tell what exactly they were.


    Siul wasn''t sure either, but he gave his guess. "They could be... Mourning the death of someone?" It was the closest thing he could think of. There was nothing sad about the process until the end. There was always a sense of endless solemn and respect while they in the building too.


    They continued to look around the world, noting the significant cultural changes, but it was now that they truly came to their first problem.


    "We can''t speak their language." Not only had they now developed a writing system, but their speaking sounded a little more sophisticated too. There were many things carved in stone or wood and they could no longer guess many things as easily as before.


    They tried to observe a few people practicing mana, but it was now that they realized that it heavily relied on the development of the inner body meaning they couldn''t steal anything just from observing the changes outside their body.


    Just like Siul''s guess, the people really were cultivating and reading a prompt from earlier, a bottleneck had been solved by someone. A bottleneck that Siul hadn''t even encountered yet.


    They were blocked by a wall of language. It was either that they compromised now and tried to learn the language, or just let the world develop some more.


    Looking at their achievement, the two found that they had a total of 27. Just 3 off from being able to purchase the rudimentary radar. They looked at each other with a knowing look.


    They would accelerate the world until they got enough achievement to purchase the radar and then go from there.


    With reluctant hands, the two increased the acceleration, but no prompt had come up. The world was starting to blur with its fast movements. They continued to wait.


    [An evil presence of greed has grown powerful. Concocted from jealousy and desire, Survivor has risen to be a force to be reckoned with. It is up to the world and you to decide who will determine its fate.]


    [+5 achievement]


    They immediately stopped the acceleration upon seeing the achievement they were rewarded with. Siul''s eyes widened at seeing Survivor''s name being mentioned.


    "Evil presence?" He was confused by what the prompt meant.


    "It could mean justa super villain or something equivalent?" Bon noted Survivor''s traits. There was no way Survivor would be able to live in a civilized world normally from what they remembered. They shuddered to think of the developments that the guy had made after... 157 years.


    "How many years passed?" Siul had to look at the timeline again, but his eyes didn''t deceive. It had taken 123 years for them to get even a single prompt to reward achievement, whereas compared to before, they had gotten many.


    Looking below them, it was obvious to see that Gaves'' town had turned into a full blown kingdom-like area.


    "No way..." A little sadness appeared in their hearts. In such a short amount of time, 157 years had passed since the development of magic in the world. The survival of humans was dependent on them and in the end, they had succeeded.


    "How is that guy alive?" Bon remarked a reasonable concern.


    "Is it the result of cultivation? There is no way that the prompt would have mentioned a dead man..." The possibility of increasing his life span in front of him had Siul grinning.


    Houses made out of stone, wood, and dinosaur skin were incredibly common. The hide was in abundance and used to waterproof the roofs of houses. A few formidable looking people patrolled the streets and were met with smiles from the children playing with a ball.


    The closer a building was to the caves, the larger they seemed to get. Floating in and out of a few, they found that some housed big orchards of light magic plants and others were just normal houses.


    To the disappointment of Siul and Bon, there was no castle in sight.


    Following a few roads, there were many developed towns and the other three cave tribes were assimilated into this one unified kingdom.


    Stopping to look at their stock of 32 achievement, though, Siul smiled. The two bought the [Rudimentary Radar] upgrade and felt the pleasant stream of information sprout in their minds.


    They understood the workings of the radar and its uses. In essence, they could pay 1 achievement and describe an item or thing they wanted to find in the world, the radar would then give vague details that would get more useful the more achievement paid.


    With an excess of 2 achievement, they decided that each of them would be able to use the radar once.


    Siul asked first.


    "An item to learn the language faster."


    [There is no such item in the world; refunding achievement.]


    "Hmm, so it can do this too?" Siul was glad at having his achievement refunded. If it went to waste, he would feel very cheated.


    "A method to enter into the world in an accelerated state."


    Just then, a globe appeared in front of Siul along with an area that was covered in a circle.


    [Within a lair of maliciousness, a man full of greed lives in isolation. There exists a book with a particular method you look for, but beware, it is not for the most practical of use.]


    "Oh?" The area shown in front of Siul was large, but it was not the biggest that they have had to search before. He remembered the rush to find the light magic plant.


    "Bon, do you want to help me find this thing?"


    Bon agreed. If they could retrieve the book, then it would make many things easier.


    They flew up in their ghost-like form and headed to the large swath of land shaded in the globe. It was near the edge of the continent that they were on.


    Within the world, there were three continents, but two of them were still yet to be officially explored.


    Using his point, Bon asked the radar. "Where is this book?"


    [A tower of stone, not above the trees. Your item is resting on a bookshelf in the deepest floor of all. It is worn and hidden secretly. It is bound in dark leather and its pages are worn through decades of use.]


    "A stone tower?" Seeing the description, the two felt relieved. If it was hidden carefully underground, then they might have really given up then and there.


    The two set their plan of action. Siul and Bon would go on one side of the shaded region and then practically carpet search the whole region until they found an inconspicuous stone tower.


    It did not take them a long time either as just a few days later, Bon who had made the most progress had found it among a particularly large region of trees that were hundreds of feet high.


    There were almost no signs of human touch in the area other than the somewhat brown stone tower. Bon had nearly passed it if not for the fact it didn''t have leaves and was much wider than the trees around it.


    "This is where the book is?" They remembered that it was hidden secretly.


    Walking inside the tower, they ignored all of the ordinary bookshelves. They soon found themselves gazing at the sky on top of the tower. Throughout it, there had only been ordinary rooms that looked to be recently used. There was not much and so, they explored downward.


    A spiraling stone staircase led far beneath the earth. There were a few offshoots every now and then, but they were not interested in them until they found the book. Finally, the staircase came to an end and a hallway of rooms greeted him.


    They saw a figure wearing gray robes walk in a room with a few glass bottles filled with a dark liquid. Investigating the rooms, there was at least one person in each one making what looked to be a vile concoction. They moved to the end of the hall and took a turn, but there was no bookshelf in sight.


    Wandering around the maze-like structure of the dungeon, though, it wasn''t long until they found their target. A large double door laid at the end of the hall and upon going through it, a small library filled their sights. inside of it, there were a few robed figures reading books on a few tables.


    They ignored the ordinary looking area and looked around until they found an inconspicuous door. Behind it, there was a table and bed along with a half filled bookshelf. On the bookshelf, they found their item.


    "Is that really it?" The book was very thin, but it matched the description perfectly. They would have taken the book at that moment, but a man sleeping on the bed interrupted them.


    They couldn''t physically touch anything while in the observation mode and so, they had to wait until he left to take the book. In the meantime, though, Siul stole a robe from one of the top rooms of the tower and donned it before covering his face with the hood.


    This was to make sure that he blended in as much as possible for the event that if he did somehow get caught, he would still look like one of the people working for the tower.


    After a few hours, the man finally stumbled awake and walked out groggily. The moment the door closed, Siul entered into interaction mode and grabbed the book out of the bookshelf. As he suspected, it really was incredibly worn out and the leather on it was smoothed. There was a faint outline of words, but they had long faded and were no longer readable.


    Just then, the door burst open with the man before yelling at him. With his back turned to him, Siul took this as his cue and entered into observation mode with the book in hand. Although he couldn''t take the book out of the subspace world, it was still possible to put things with him into observation mode like he had done with light magic plants.


    The man was now wearing a robe and appeared confused at the sudden disappearance of the intruder. Siul and Bon did not linger long and flew back to the Gaves'' kingdom.


    Siul excitedly opened it, but he was met with the disappointment of not being able to read it. Foreign lettering and characters filled the pages.


    "Uhh, that''s a problem..." They had come a full circle back to their initial problem. They were at a serious language barrier.


    Accelerating the world just a little bit, he tried to enter into interaction mode, but he was met with the same prompt from before.


    [Interaction mode is unable to be used due to the rate of time acceleration and the lack of a method to ensure the safety and longevity of the owner.]


    "Come on, man. Just a few years... All I need to do is learn the language and you can deny me all you want after that because then I''ll have a method to enter into the world."


    As much as he didn''t want to actually enter the accelerated world with his real body, it was necessary. There was too much time and things that could happen in the real world if he studied with was no time acceleration. Still, he left his biggest motivation of getting the experience to live in the subspace hidden.


    The prompt slowly disappeared before a new one appeared.


    [... Request accepted. Restriction temporarily removed.]


    [Owner may enter into interaction mode once during acceleration. Max time acceleration. 1,000:1. Upon returning, restrictions will be returned. Owner will be automatically returned after 3 real world days.]


    Siul smiled. He didn''t expect his complaint to work, but he wasn''t going to say anything else to mess up this chance. He turned to Bon. He knew that Bon wouldn''t be able to join him and the box knew it too. Afterall, Bon couldn''t even move itself even if it was an intelligent box.


    "Sorry about this..." Siul wanted to bring Bon with him, but it just wasn''t practical.


    Despite this, Bon did not feel sad either as it knew its own limits. "Are you really sure you want to do this, though? I mean, it will likely take a year or two to even learn the language..." With the time acceleration at 1,000:1, one real life day would be a little more than 3 years in the subspace world.


    "Yes, we need to do this." Still, Siul wasn''t going to enter into the world immediately. He needed to be a little prepared.


    Over the next day, Siul stole a few items of ordinary clothing and also a small sum of currency. The form of currency in the subspace world was of only copper coins. He also discarded the robe in case it was bad to be seen with it.


    He then had to determine where he would actually enter into the world and viably integrate into its society. He looked at his traits and found that although he looked somewhat different, it was not much so. His stature was also short compared to people of the world. All of this meant that he wouldn''t have to worry about his direct appearance that much.


    Eventually, after a lot of thought, Siul determined that he would just enter into the world on the outskirts of a nice town and act like he had lost all memories and language. With magic being in the world, he hoped that the people would chalk it up to a vicious fight or experiment.


    After getting everything ready, Siul went up to his room and slept. He didn''t want to be tired when he would enter into the world.


    The next day, he entered into the subspace crystal with a deep breath. Bon was already waiting for him.


    "Are you ready?"


    "Of course." Siul looked down at the place he would enter.


    The world accelerated and Siul floated down. His heart beat rapidly and he felt short of breath. He focused on [Interaction Mode] and in the next moment, the ground was solid.

 Chapter 8.4: Gukulm Hero

    The fog of battle was still spread out through the air. Unfi looked down with red eyes and clenched fists. The attack ended in failure. When they had arrived, they were only met with traps and useless casualties. Tarban had only become more oily throughout the years. before he was just a dangerous serpent, but now he was harder to catch than a hapcron in the sky.


    Each time Unfi thought that they had finally found Tarban''s lair, he was only met with disappointment. It was like the man had eyes everywhere. No matter what, they were always too late. The arrival only met with grizzly traps and a ravage lair that had nothing but glass flasks and the rustled beds. Each of the bases seemed to be ransacked by a bandit, but the signs of recent residency said something else.


    Back in the capital of Gukulm, the warrior sat at a round table. It was not the first and it would not be the last


    "So. He got away again?"


    Unfi looked down as rage filled themselves in his veins again.


    "Yes... No matter what we do, we are always too late to catch the trail once we see it."


    Munta had a pondering look. Tarban was a menace and his influence, although not having risen much, was still a problem. Much less than Tarban''s existence, but still too dangerous to ignore.


    The room was silent. They had gone over many means of tracking over the years, but they never worked. They would have to do something different. Munta sighed. It could work, but it might also not. He was reluctant not because of the sources needed, but instead the risk of failure, one that may not be so apparent at first.


    "... We will move on to spies."


    Everyone knew of Munta''s intentions. They all had it on their minds, but nobody in the room could be picked for the role. It would be impossible for Unfi, or anyone even remotely close to the inner workings of the kingdom to suit the role.


    The first spy they would use could be a brilliant success... Or a flaming tragedy. There was a third and even a fourth outcome, but nobody dared to state the obvious. To speak of the possibility of the spy being corrupted by Tarban or to bring about mundane and useless results.


    "We need someone from the ulmagi school... This person needs to be talented, but also not connected to us. This matter must be kept a secret amongst this table, understood?"


    Everyone nodded in agreement. Unfi held the ball in his throat. Too many failures, too slick of an enemy. Still, he would get his redemption when the time comes. All he needed was a guaranteed way to know Tarban''s position before the man knew Unfi''s.


    The spy would be a lone agent. It would be impossible to have even a small, remote success rate of killing Tarbon on their own. Tarban was too powerful and old for that.


    "Grolock, you are in charge of finding a suitable candidate. Unfi, you train it and Trilla, make sure he doesn''t kill anyone."


    Shortly after, the meeting was dispersed, Unfi was met with nothing else to do but wait. He thought of the most useful skills a spy would need. Combat was a good factor, but it was not... Necessary. No, it was to hide the truth and remain calm even in the middle of the enemy''s territory. To be able to snoop around undetected.


    A curriculum was forming in his head. It would be good enough. It would take too long to develop the combat skills, but instead he would focus on teaching all the stealth skills he could. Lies were useful, but not Unfi''s strong suit. He was used to fighting his way when something went wrong. Still, it was necessary.


    A year passed by and no one had come to his doorsteps. The meetings continued and the expeditions did not stop. Not once did they discuss the matter again and another year passed by... Nothing.


    Just when he thought that the whole thing had been forgotten, Grolock knocked on his hall''s door. A young man that looked to be 30 years of age was standing confused. Unfi was just as confused before he remembered what Grolock''s appearance meant.


    "This is the one?"


    "Of course it is. Top of the school, excels in ulma control and is a recent stage 2. Perfect for recruitment. He has a good mind and his fighting skills are above the graduation standard. Also, Munta passes a message. ''A talent we are in need of, don''t kill him.''" Grolock patted the man''s back, causing him to stumble forward. However, he caught his feet fast and was standing in the hall''s doors.


    "I''ll be leaving. It''s all up to you for what you do with him." Grolock shut the hall''s door and there was only silence between Unfi and the young man.


    What is your name?" Unfi could not go easy on him.


    The man still looked dazed as he answered. "I''m Hark"


    "Follow me, Hark." Unfi moved farther into the halls. After a few moments, Hark followed.


    The long halls were small in the eyes of an ulmaster and Unfi displayed it so. He dashed across the hall in an instant and Hark was caught by surprise.


    "You need to be able to follow my movements, if above all else."


    "I can''t do that!" Hark spouted incredulously.


    "Yes you can. If you can''t, then I will make you." Perhaps the second most important aspect of a spy was their ability to know when their time was up. When they had messed and were no longer undercover. When death was on the cusp of their neck. To see life''s embrace in the next moment, or death''s blood instead.


    Unfi evaluation of the man was simple. Ignorant. He could tell from Hark''s eyes. His gait. Even the way he talked. It was full of unknowing interest. He doubted that Hark had even left his house since he was born. It was Unfi''s job to temper it out of him.


    Because Hark was a recent graduate from the ulmagi school, he could skip a few lessons in the... Pain department. As a warrior it was important to never flinch and lose focus of a battle, in all, it was a valuable skill in tense situations.


    He would start off by evaluating Hark''s combat and stealth skill. Taking the man to an indoor sparring area, he picked up a wooden sword as Hark did the same.


    "Fight me." Unfi said, commanding.


    "... Really?" He looked reluctant.


    Unfi did not respond and dashed forward. In just a second, he was before Hark and struck his body. His target flew a few feet and stumbled on the ground with stupor. Hark snapped out of it and quickly stood up, now in a combat stance.


    "You should always be ready for battle. It does not matter if the men around you are your enemies, friends, your instructor, or anyone else. The situation can change on a coin''s flip."


    Hark nodded and took a defensive position. Sweat already caked his forehead.


    Unfi dashed forward again. He did not fight with even a quarter of his skill and took it slow. Even then, Hark struggled to comprehend all of Unfi''s movements. With another strike, Hark was sent flying.


    A few more bouts of sparring went about before Unfi had a decent grasp of Hark''s skill. It was a shame that he couldn''t keep the man stuck in his training halls until he had fully matured his sword skills. It was a process that took years and even Unfi couldn''t spend that long for a spy that was supposed to be trained.


    He decided to set a limit for himself, otherwise he might do just that. Keep the man before him, a supposed talent, stuck under his training for a decade or more.


    A year. That was how long he needed to temper the skills of stealth and self preservation in the man. Not only that, he couldn''t spend a long time anyways otherwise he would be too connected with him to not be under the suspicion of Tarban when he would inevitably try to get recruited.


    Moving onward and out into the field outside of the training halls, Unfi instructed Hark to hide and he was... Okay. It was not the best and he had some concept of camouflage and other aspects, but it was nowhere near enough.


    Afterwards, he got onto his least favorite, but necessary part of evaluation. Pain tolerance. It was either they learned to ignore pain early or through battle. Luckily, Hark was ready before he even knew it.


    A couple dozen minutes of torture later and the soft bone in Hark''s mouth was nearly chewed through. After giving the man a few hours of rest, Unfi outlined what he would learn in the next year.


    "Do you know why you have been selected?" Unfi Asked.


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    "Yes, Grolock said I will be a spy."


    Unfi grasped the bridge of his nose. It is only on matters of utmost importance does the man actually divulge more than vague information. Still, it was a good thing to not have to deal with the shock of Hark.


    "Alright, now unfortunately, that earlier session will not be the last. You will also be learning how to become more stealthy while also training your ability to not die in tense circumstances. Your combat ability will go mostly untouched. I will find someone to teach you how to not give yourself away too."


    Hark''s face grimaced before coming to one that of acceptance. It was necessary and all Hark could do was leave the small lump of regret in his heart.


    With that, the lessons began. Unfi taught him methods to distract himself from pain and coping methods as well as basic tolerance. For his stealth skills, they were slowly improved. Hark learned to blend in seamlessly. His breath was as calm as a swaying tree and his body moved like grass.


    The hardest part was improving Hark''s reaction speed. The other two were a simple matter of learning and experiencing, but training reaction speed was a tedious and finicky matter for the teacher. To select the correct exercises and to train him right. It was mostly about training Hark''s muscle memory and to make decisions without hesitance. As an additional exercise, Throughout the day no matter when, Hark would be punished if he was ever ambushed by Unfi and it only got harder as the days came by.


    The floor became Hark''s bedding and time passed in weeks for the both of them. When it only seemed like two months had gone by, a year was already gone and passed.


    Unfi came back from Munta''s office with information in mind. There have been recent rumors that Tarban''s people were recruiting in the capital of Gukulm itself. A bold move and one that would help them accelerate the process. Still, that left the matter of getting Hark to be recruited entirely to him.


    He started with increasing the patrols, forcing the people to become more strained and to lurk in the darker, harder to see places. Afterwards, he sent a few elite to scour the alleyways one by one and after a week had gone by, he finally received some news.


    By now, Hark had been set up with an ordinary job in one of the more rural districts. The recruitment area was near, which was a bonus. Unfi sent him a letter before resting on his chair. Now all he needed to do was wait. Hark had been given instructions to send a letter as stealthily as possible in any way possible. The best way would be the "pet" hapcron he was given, all of which always knew where their birth place was.


    ---


    In the middle of the night, a sharp, chirpish bark rang outside the hall''s doors and Unfi saw a hardened hapcron standing outside. Hidden on its feathered legs was a small letter. Unfi opened the worn out paper and smiled.


    "358 Galn North East of the dark tower. Preparations are complete. Eyes are everywhere within 20 Galn."


    Perfect. The paper was a sign. A chance had presented itself. Tarban''s forces were either reduced, weakened, or whatever made it possible for an attack. It''s Hark''s job to send the signal, but Unfi''s job to move into action.


    It did not take even half a day for Unfi to put together his elite team along with Trilla and her assistants. Over time, he had become extremely experienced in traveling long distances. Besides, speed was of utmost importance. Compared to stage 3 ulmasters, tilmikes traveled much less than them in a day.


    By dawn, Unfi was already more than 20 Galn out of the kingdom. A three day journey was ahead. Along the way, they stopped only to replenish their energy and ulma when necessary. It wasn''t until three nights had passed when they were 20 Galn away from the destination. They feasted. It was not for simple celebration, but to make sure they had all the energy available for the inevitable battle.


    They slept into the night and awoke when the darkness would be at its peak when they arrived. Unfi''s heart beat like never before. The time was near and this would be the closest to Tarban perhaps ever in his life other than that day so long ago. When his small village was nearly destroyed. When the world he knew was as small as just a few Galn.


    He did not let his senses get to his head, though. He could not let his body''s unrest disrupt his thinking. They prepared their ambush on their sprint. Like midnight lightning, they flashed through the trees. No longer counting the Galn, Unfi and the group only ran as fast as they could. Not a word was spoken as their bodies became more invigorated for the battle.


    A big stone tower hidden among the trees. It was wide yet thin. Compared to the forest around it, the tower was but a small trunk in the swath of bark and wood. In the next moment, robed people flooded out from the door and it was then that Unfi knew the time had come. Their dark hoods flitted in the nightly breeze.


    Yells of bravery and hidden anger was apparent between the two sides. Unfi drew his sword and struck the first man. A fountain of blood gushed out as the first victim of the night was claimed.


    Whipping out his hand, a solid sword phantom was released from Unfi''s hand. Like a desperate wolf, it cut and howled through the air until it found its maw on the enemy''s neck. It shattered after cutting to the bone.


    Unfi threw out his bone sword. It cut through to more robed men before he pulled it back the yank of his finger. It was satisfying. He relished in the deaths of Tarban''s disciples. A fury sheathed for more than a century finally unleashed. It was euphoric.


    Just then, the ground rumbled and an explosion of ulma caught Unfi off guard. He leapt away just fast enough to save his skin from more than a few burns. One of his elite was caught in the blast, laying shaking on the ground before losing all control in the next. The man was dead.


    Unfi looked around and spotted him. As sinister as he thought, he gazed on a pair of deathly black robes. Under the cloth, Unfi knew who it was.


    He immediately lunged towards the robes, but his fists only caught air and cloth. Ulma seeped out in waves and in the next, fire erupted right in front of Unfi. He got away with a charred face and hands that were almost incapacitated.


    Tarban stepped out from the tower with his palms pointed towards Unfi. Fire plunged out like the sun itself was being siphoned into the world.


    ''How?'' Unfi thought. Never before had he seen the techniques only thought of in fantasy. Such a sight was completely foreign and his mind blanked. A situation which could almost guarantee death in desperate times on the battlefield.


    A moment later, his mind snapped back into motion like a well greased machine. He jumped out of the fire with even more charred skin. He did not let the stinging burns flinch him. All around him, Tarban''s disciples performed the same miraculous techniques of fire. Some manipulated earth while others manipulated air and water at weaker scales.


    From the side, Tarban gathered ulmt before a deathly energy leaked out. It was like the ulma itself had become corrupted with the sewage of the world. A feeling deep inside of himself told him that he needed to get away from the ulma.


    Unfi pushed into the ground as hard as he could, sending his body rocketing to the side and he landed on a tree''s trunk. He jumped off of it and the deathly ulma clashed with the tree, withering it rapidly. It cracked with the force of the jump and he flew towards Tarban with a wall of phantom swords slashing out.


    Unfi could only keep up his dizzying moves to get away from more small bursts of deathly ulma, but his body was losing more ulma by the second. He reached deep down inside himself and willed the ulma within his core to seep out and flourish within his body. His ordinary strength wouldn''t work and he was not in the advantage to fight a battle of attrition.


    A minute. That''s all he needed. His breath let out a faint blue mist and his eyes felt like they could see the streams of wind itself. The world slowed down and his muscles had unbridled strength. The clash of sword and element was like a symphony to his ears.


    Gripping his sword so tight, it may have welded into his skin, Unfi pushed down into the ground. Boom! A small explosion where feet and ground made contact sounded out. For a second, no, less than a moment, he was rapidly approaching the dastard robes that covered his enemy. Unfi put all of his might into the jump.


    Tarban''s eyes widened before rapidly closing. A wall grew itself around the man and a thin film of ulma bursted out of Tarban. Just when it touched Unfi, Tarban''s brows furrowed and he held in his breath.


    Unfi went for the strike, but Tarban had managed to dodge narrowly in time. How? Unfi knew the reason. It was also the reason why he, himself, had never gotten caught by sneak attacks. Ulma perception. It could receive and feel signals as fast as any muscle or reaction could, but it was also extended from the body.


    Still, it was not without loss as a waterfall of blood poured out of Tarban''s arm. One arm down, one neck to go. He saw the man raise his other palm in the next instant, even in the slowed perception of time did it seem so fast. Ulma gathered fast and before Unfi could blink, a fiery explosion was directly in his face.


    Unfi continued his flight towards the trunk of a tree. His face sensitive from the heat. His hair singed and his eyes all but useful and nearly melted. His vision was gone, but the battle around him was not. He dispersed even more ulma and found Tarban''s position.


    He closed his eyes and felt the ulma around him. He jumped again, another small explosion accompanied. He slashed his sword, but he could not hit Tarban. His ulma was running out. Unfi could feel it. An idea popped into his head.


    It was only two jumps later, did he stop the ulma from being used up in his body and quietly hid the remaining away. His body was riddled with soreness and pain, but still, Unfi could not give up. It was then that he felt Tarban approaching. The ground that no longer held grass sounded out dull footsteps.


    "It was a mistake to ever think you were strong enough. My goals are not for you to understand... No. You can''t understand. I know the truth, something darker than all you filth may think. It is no longer greed or jealousy that lit my path so long ago. No, it is desire." Tarban looked up in solemn and spoke mumly as if in solitude. Like he was preaching of a great apocalypse.


    He could sense the ulma in Tarban gathering towards his palm, but Unfi did not allow it to continue. The last of the ulma in his body was willed so hard, that it came gushing into his arm. The pressure felt like it was going to explode, but Unfi only added more and more ulma into it. It visibly expanded to accommodate. His whole arm was energized. With a punch, Unfi was sure he could split a mountain''s peak


    His fist gripped his bone sword tight enough that the grip nearly cracked. Tarban couldn''t react before the sword had already been thrown and pierced through his neck. Unfi could not see, but he could relish in the thought of seeing Tarban''s face wrinkle and shrivel in pain before death. A nuisance from his life gone. It may have cost him his eyes, but it was worth it.


    The mist of war dissipated as his elite quickly shrunk the number of disciples that became slow and fearful after their leader''s death. Unfi panted hard and his breath was ragged. His body ravaged from the inside. It had been strengthened too much to handle the ulma that pulsed in it, not to mention his arm that was limp and numb.


    The battlefield became clear to all but Unfi who had lost his sight. 11 out of the 20 elite were dead, one of Trilla''s assistants was caught in a pillar of flame and succumbed to death mid-battle. The losses were large, but it compensated for the death of Tarban. What were a few dozen years of training elite disciples when Tarban was killed?


    The night passed as everyone recovered before they explored Tarban''s towers. The tower itself held the dense living quarters while deep underground there were only a few valuables left. They ransacked the place of any books and valuables before Unfi suddenly remembered an important matter.


    ''Where is Hark?'' The group looked for the spy for the next day, but they could not even find a speck of him other than his name being mentioned on a few papers as the author. In the end, they could only assume he was killed by Tarban or in the midst of battle. Afterall, the man''s ability to fight was good... But beside Tarban it was as good as a child''s.


    Unfi breathed out with a sense of loss. It was unlike him. A him that had lived nearly a century and a half to be sad at the death of a new disciple. Still, Hark was a promising young man. More than once had he thought of training the kid into an elite after the mission was over.


    The group packed everything that was remaining and set off back home with the head and body of Tarban in tow. Something shivered along Unfi''s back and he couldn''t shake away the feeling of something amiss.


    ---


    A celebration. A festival. A holiday. It could be called anything, but Unfi couldn''t keep his thoughts off the corner of his mind. It laid there inconspicuously, but it was like an impossible itch. It blared to him that something was wrong, but he just didn''t know what.


    The streets of Gukulm were filled with festivities. People danced while others made a fortune off of the jolly mood. Tarban''s death, the death of a menace, a villain, had come true.


    People celebrated Unfi and he relished in the feeling. He gave into himself. He solved the problem. From its roots. It was only now did he feel...


    Unfi felt a pat on his back, he turned around and saw Munta smiling softly.


    "Looks like you really are a hero now!"


    Unfi grinned before lightly punching his old friend in the gut.


    "Haha! Yes..."


    Although wincing, Munta replied by punching Unfi even harder.


    The two of them laughed in pain before fully joining the festival. Tarban''s death was something to be celebrated. They walked around the city of Gukulm, giving generous smiles to all those that passed.


    The day was one of rest. A day free from Tarban''s presence.


    Soon, though, the days came to pass. The city settled down. All good things must come to pass and by then, everyone seemed lost. What were they supposed to worry about then? Most walked along through life as normal as usual, but some rose from the shadows. Tarban was gone, but they were not.


    Deep underground, a meeting was met once again.


    "Haha, congratulations Unfi. That kid though... It is not good to hear of his untimely... Death." Grolock was happy with a smile, but deep underneath, it was hard to accept the loss of a bright ulmagi graduate.


    The room was grim. Everyone there expected the bright Hark to join them, but it seemed like the world would not allow for it.


    "It is unfortunate, but we must move on." Unfi could only silently regret each time he thought of Hark, but there was no changing the past.


    "Now we must think of the future. With... Tarban gone." Unfi felt... Empty. The words came out of his mouth like bricks. Perhaps the most out of all people in the world, all that time and anger spent at Tarban was gone. He didn''t know what it was like to live without it.


    With Unfi''s words, everyone''s eyes shifted towards Munta before drifting to a jovial man in extravagant clothing. He wore a tailor made hat that had feathers sticking out of it.


    "Head of transportation. I hear that you have already made significant progress on a vessel that can sail the water that surrounds our land?"


    "Yes, it is a large thing, a behemoth of a structure that requires a hundred men to man its functions. With enough ulmasters on board, we would also be able to deal with the pesky leviathans that plague those waters too." He spoke of cheery grimness. He was serious, but also joyful. His words contracted from his high and happy voice.


    Just then, a presence was felt outside the door. All members noticed it immediately. The figure knocked on the door and wriggled the handle before sighing. Unfi manipulated a tendril of ulma to insert a key and unlocked the door.

 Chapter 9: Entering The World

    The world did not blur nor did it feel any different. But he knew that only a day would pass outside of the crystal. Bon would be unchanged. The world would be the same as he knew. But he himself would not.


    He would be older. He felt himself become anxious, but he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.


    ''It''s necessary. I''m the only one out of the two of us that can do it.'' Bon couldn''t move on his own, yet. Bon also wouldn''t be able to integrate into the world''s civilization easily either. In the end, Bon was an intelligent glass box. In the subspace world itself, Bon held no power other than mana manipulation, but everyone in the subspace world had that.


    In the future, Siul knew that it would be possible for Bon to acquire means to move, but that time was not now. getting out of his thoughts, he found that the air was very pure. So pure, that he felt like his lungs were burning.


    It was then that he remembered that too much oxygen was also not good.


    A thin film cover of mana covered his mouth and nose. It was a filter to breath in less oxygen, but it was all he needed.


    It was like being on the top of a large mountain deprived of air, but all he could do was get used to the feeling until he found a better alternative.


    Leaning on a tree, breathing and feeling around himself, he made sure that he was healthy.


    After adjusting for a few more moments, he stood up and followed along the path he had identified before entering into the world. Greenery filled the sides and the trees around him tall, rough, and armed to survive in the world with their spiky, tough bark. The shrubbery was as sharp as spikes too, he made sure to avoid them. The grass, though, was the very opposite of hard and cushioned underneath his shoes. They were rubbery to the touch.


    Before long, he had found a sign, but he could not read its letters. Shortly after, he saw the walls of the town and quickened his pace. When he could see the guards, his heart beat faster again, but he still tried to maintain his composure.


    Putting on his best impression of a dazed man, he walked without purpose and looked to be mindlessly wandering around. Approaching the gate, a guard walked to him and questioned.


    To Siul, it was just sounds coming out of the man''s mouth. He could not understand the words.


    Siul pointed to himself and quietly spoke gibbering english.


    The guards took his arms and tied them with a strong rope. He didn''t struggle and followed them into the town. A few people stopped to look at the curious arrest, but all quickly lost interest.


    They approach a medium-sized building. On top of it, there was the symbol of a sword and the simplified image of the raptor dinosaur''s head behind it.


    Inside of the building, there were similarly dressed guards that gave some small talk before letting his two captors resume their duties. Going through a door, Siul was now in a room filled with a few stone cells that were only outfitted with a bed, a hole for waste, and a window looking into the hall. Siul found it reasonable as bars of any material likely wouldn''t be a good choice to hold mana users. Even plain walls were pushing it.


    He was put into a cell as the guards mumbled something. The whole time, the guards had tried to talk to him, but Siul could only shrug or shake his head questioningly. Laying on the bed, he found it surprisingly comfortable and the room was a cozy warm temperature. Despite having just woken up a few hours ago, Siul could already feel himself drifting to sleep...


    He woke up to a few knocks on a metal plate right outside his cell''s door. Looking around himself in a stupor, he was shocked to find that he had actually fallen asleep. He didn''t find himself just taking naps anywhere.


    A guard that he did not know the face of was peeking through the window and trying to talk to him, but Siul really couldn''t understand anything.


    Next to the guard, hidden by the cell wall, another spoke to the guard as if confirming something before the two left. A few minutes passed by and they returned to open his cell. His hands were tied up before escorting him to a different room.


    Inside of the room, there were only two chairs and a table.


    Sitting down, Siul looked at the man who was also taking his seat from across the table. He spoke, but quickly stopped and took out a piece of paper with a symbol on it before pointing towards it. Siul understood what he was trying to ask. Did he know it?


    Siul shook his head no and the man sighed before pulling out a few more symbols. Siul didn''t know what most of them were except for the symbol of the building he was currently in.


    After a few more minutes of the questioning, the man stood up and pointed to Siul to remain on the chair before walking out. Waiting patiently, he found himself fiddling with a strand of mana. There was nothing else he could do in the boring room.


    The door opened and a big guy with a large beard walked in and sat on the end of the table. The previous man grabbed another chair and sat on it.


    The bearded man pointed to himself and spoke very clearly.


    "Hagm."


    He then pointed to Siul. He hesitated. It would be what he will be called in the world. He thought of giving out his own name, but something about it didn''t strike something right inside of him. He was in a different world. Why not let himself have some fun? In the end, though, he didn''t want to get too unfamiliar. and he opted for his last name.


    "Hark."


    The bearded man manipulated a cloud of mana and pointed towards it.


    "Ulma."


    "Ulma?" It was nice to know what the world called mana and it would be best for him to call it that way too.


    The man nodded before pointing to all three of them in the room and spoke a word before making three stick figures and saying the same word. Siul thought for a few seconds before that it either meant human or person.


    Siul nodded in understanding.


    After going through a few more words such as wood, chair, hair, and just about every type of thing present in the room, the little lesson came to an end and Siul was escorted back to his cell. He could only sigh as the door was shut and locked.


    Sitting on the bed, Siul found that he had nothing better to do other than practice his... ulma manipulation.


    He manipulated a few spheres on his hands before adding more. Compared to when he had first started to exercise, he had improved by a lot and was not on what he called level 3. The first level was forming a separate, static sphere on each of the tips of his fingers. The second level was then spinning each of the spheres in different directions. Level 3 was composed of then forming a secondary shell on top of each spinning spear and making the shell itself spin as well. Right now, he could only form three shells before it was too much.


    Straining his mind, he maintained the three shells and after a minute of withstanding it, he moved on to forming the fourth shell. His focus was split, but he concentrated on the shell as hard as he could. Just as it formed, he lost his focus and the spheres dissipated.


    Now with a minor headache, Siul let his mind rest as he laid on the bed, thinking of what he would do in the downtime. No matter what he thought, though, nothing seemed to relieve his boredom. Doing a few easy warmup exercises, his mind was fatigued and he laid on the bed before falling asleep.


    He woke up again to more banging on the plate. The guards were back and escorted him to a different room. This room was, if only, slightly more furnished than the last and still inside the guard building. Now, in addition to the bed, there was a desk and a small bathroom with a toilet.


    Still, though, there was not much he could do except for... Well, nothing. There was nothing he could do with his new desk. They didn''t even supply him with paper or anything. It was there for the sake of being there. At the very least, though, it did have a chair to go with it.


    A week passed ordinarily as he spent each day focusing on nothing but ulma exercises and eating the simple meaty meals they supplied.


    He woke up to his door being opened and a scholarly woman entering into his cell. Beside her, there was a small cart filled with various objects and materials. There were also a few books and she held a particularly large one herself.


    She spoke to him, but Siul repeated his usual action and tilted his head. She looked confused before looking back at the guard. Understanding slowly washed over her face and at a glance, Siul could tell her face was getting red. With fury.


    She stood still for another second before closing the door and storming off to where he assumed was the head of the place. He could hear her yelling all the way from his cell.


    A guard still frozen stood still at his cell''s door, still a little shaken and pale from the sudden outburst. He looked towards Siul and just gave a reassuring smile before running off. Some time passed and the commotion died down as he heard a few voices talking with the woman before coming to what seemed to be a consensus. He heard her huff before walking back into his cell.


    Looking at her with a little apprehension, he found that she had put on a gentle face. Much different than what he thought she would look like before causing the ruckus earlier. Dragging the cart and a chair farther into the room, she set up a black-board like wall and assembled her own desk in only a minute.


    She lifted objects that looked much too heavy with barely any effort and in only another half minute, she had set everything up. She pointed to Siul and spoke, but he still couldn''t understand the world''s language. She sighed as he knew that she realized he truly did not know the language.


    The woman pointed to herself. "Halva."


    Seeing the similar situation, Siul pointed to himself. "Hark."


    The entire teaching process was stale as she pointed to various objects in the room before speaking their names. Siul would then have to repeat the names and ever so often, they would review. It was hard to make it any less boring, but to Siul, it was better than sitting in the room trying to find something to do.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    He knew a few words from his interactions with the guards, but that was it. He learned the words for the wall, floor, ceiling, tile, bed, toilet, mirror, and about everything in the room again. She didn''t stop until Siul could name anything at a glance. Throughout this, she passed before she changed subjects.


    Siul groaned in his mind as he saw what was coming. grammar. It was about impossible to have a language without any structure. First came the way of using certain words equivalent to ''the,'' ''a,'' ''to,'' and more.


    His mind already felt like he was thinking in loops and spirals by the time his teacher spoke the first full sentence that he understood. She pointed at the bed and said the equivalent of ''The bed.''


    By the time he was able to form his own basic sentences like, "I am sitting on the bed." Siul felt like his mind was burning and about to give out after what felt like five grueling hours of language. It was now that he was reminded of how he had to drop out of even the basic introductory language class to Karthen in his college because of the headaches it caused.


    Luckily, it was not long after that his new teacher decided to leave. The last thing she taught him was the common way to say "hello" and "goodbye."


    He laid on the bed and after an hour of letting his brain rest, he felt like he recovered and did a few basic and easy mana exercises before falling asleep. This world strangely met his preferred sleeping temperature way too much. It was like he was a lizard in its natural habit and he enjoyed it to a great extent.


    The next month followed the same formula and schedule. He would wake up and be taught by Halva for a few hours before resting, practice his mana control, and then fall asleep. The days were agonizingly slow, but also fast. It was like he was back in highschool again.


    However, the month of constant teaching had done wonders. Near the third week, he could study on his own when reading text written by Halva. He had also been given papers to write on in his free time.


    "Hark, give me your homework."


    He groaned as he handed the pieces of paper. It didn''t take long for her to actively start giving him piles of papers to work on as well. He didn''t even have enough time to practice mana towards the later weeks.


    A stack of seven papers were handed to Siul as she gave him some exercises to do whilst she graded it. After a dozen minutes, she put the papers down and began reviewing what he had learned.


    "You know the basic grammar well enough and you can speak conversationally... Somewhat." She rubbed her chin before speaking again. "Hark, it''s time we get you outside and teach you how things work."


    Siul had already developed enough of an understanding of the language to comprehend what Halva says after a few moments. Apart from trouble regarding lesser used words and the finer details of the language like verbs, adjectives, sentence structures, and more. He shivered as even his dreams were becoming corrupted with forcing him to retain everything she taught.


    If she wanted to, Halva could stop teaching him right then and there and just send him directly into the city. He would be able to learn everything else naturally through immersion.


    "Really?" He had grown tired of the cell ever since his third day inside of it. Even with his unusual advantage of being able to sleep his free time away easily, the walls were plain and stale. The air was stagnant, and the smell was nothing to talk about. Every few days, someone would come through and it would be a coinflip to know if they were crazy or not.


    "Yes, you can even manipulate ulma well and after another month of my teaching, we will have enough time to get you enrolled into the ulmagi school."


    Halva had taught Siul many things about the world whether directly or indirectly. From how to introduce himself, to people''s feats of using ulma and the various species of dinosaurs and animals that were collectively called huntrow. There was also a sub distinction called Trows, which were domesticated huntrows. He also learned that the town he was in is called Tuk and the kingdom he was in is called Gukulm.


    Ulmagi school is an advanced education that people good at using, or interested in exploring ulma more could enroll in. It was clear from the start that Siul wanted to practice mana as much as he could and apart from his "memory loss," he now had a good grasp of the language and even "subconsciously," remembered how to do everything that was required to complete primary schooling.


    Most people in Gukulm complete their primary schooling at the age of twelve and anyone twelve or above could enroll into the ulmagi school. It was never too late to nurture the development of ulma afterall.


    Half of the people that don''t enroll into an ulmagi school immediately after primary school end up doing it in the next 10 years according to shoddy statistics. At his age of 28, he was a little late, but it was nothing too unusual and he would enter into a specialized course designed for adults over the age of 20.


    Halva left the cell in a hurry before coming back a few minutes later with a grin.


    "Alright, we got permission. Now, it is important that you do not go away from me, or you will actually get arrested and serve time." Regarding serving time, that was one of the more minor repercussions of breaking the law. The society took on a more hands on approach like, say, amputating fingers and hands.


    Most minor offenses like littering or having a brawl out in the open city served time, while consistent and repeat offenders of minor crimes would have a finger cut off. Crimes like killing without the agreement of a duel or some other mutually agreed upon condition meant cutting off three fingers and serving three years of time.


    "Now follow me."


    After a month of being locked in the cell, it was refreshing to see the actual sunlight of the world again. Fake or not, it felt real and supplied the world with energy so to Siul, it did not matter.


    He walked out of the Guards'' station and saw the bustle of people. It was a nice sight that he was desperate to see. In his little home out in the middle of nowhere in the real world, he had entertainment and more recently, the focus of the subspace world, but with nothing to do other than study, he wanted a little liveliness around him.


    The street was made out of flat bricks and if not, then it was flat dirt. There was a shop selling hides while another was selling clothing. The whole street did not have many houses. Besides, most people simply lived in their two story shops with the first floor being the store itself while the second story was the living space. Some people even lived in the small attic of a small building if they did not have a second floor.


    Halva pulled a copper coin out of her pocket. It was inscribed with the star shaped fruit and on the other side, there was a man sitting on a bone throne. Siul pulled out his own pocket of coins. Luckily, in the midst of his stay in the cell, his belongings had been returned. He cycled between his three sets of clothing while his small bag of coins just laid in a corner the whole time.


    "This is a dalma. Ten dalmas make a gamma and fifty dalmas make a talma. This is just to measure the amount we have and there are no other special coins."


    "Why is that?" Siul wondered why there was only one type of coin. Although the coins were fingernail sized and unusually hard, it was still tedious when using a lot of them to buy something.


    "Copper is abundant, that is why the king is not afraid to distribute them because you can''t make a higher valued coin or item out of copper coins. Every other metal is too useful to make into a coin and risk people forging them."


    "What if someone finds copper underground?"


    "A copper coin is worth how much its materials are made of, that means selling, or forging, copper coins will net you the same amount either way... Well, forging might get you a few more, but who would go through the extra trouble for some loose change?"


    Siul found it reasonable. That meant that even if somebody found a vein of copper, it wouldn''t be forged or not, because they would still have the same value and worth.


    "Also, because copper can conduct ulma quite easily, anything other than coins that are made out of would be even less likely to be made into forged coins. This is because tools using copper naturally cost more, this means anything with copper inside of it is worth selling it as it is and not reforging."


    "Then can''t people just use a copper coin to make an ulma tool?"


    "No, because all legal copper coins are mixed with a few other metals to make alloyed copper that reduces its conductivity. This means that anyone can recognize an illegal tool made out of forged copper coins and report it. It is also a good way to make sure someone did a good job... Forging or not." Halva pulled out a second coin and pushed Siul into an inconspicuous alley. "Have you learned to how apply mana onto other objects?"


    Siul sent out a strand of ulma. He could manipulate it and practice it, but he never applied mana to anything but his body.


    "No."


    "Well, it''s simple for this exercise. All you have to do is send your ulma into the coin. Think of it like how you retrieve your ulma when you''ve been manipulating it externally. This time, you will just be retrieving it somewhere else."


    Siul nodded and picked up a coin. He sent out a strand of mana and touched the coin. Remembering the feeling of bringing it inside his body, he tried to send the mana into the coin and in the next moment, it really did go inside the coin. The strange thing was, however, that it felt like his mana was right in place inside the coin. It wasn''t on the same scale as his own body, but it was like filling an empty container.


    "Now do it with this coin." She handed the other coin to him.


    He took the coin and did the same thing. This time, though, it felt like there was a slight sense of rejection and the container that the coin provided was smaller.


    "This is the alloyed Coin." From Halva''s description, the less conductive coin, the legal one, was the one he was just handed.


    "Correct."


    From the exercise, there was a stark difference between copper and the alloyed copper. He really would feel cheated if he bought a tool made out of copper coins with how awkward it felt.


    Walking along the street, Siul noted the names of the animals he now knew. The cat lizard is a lazl while the wolfbird is a hapcron. The raptor creature is a tilmike and lower, wider and muscly creature is a gangdun.


    Small gangs of large bird-like animals flew around with cheery squawking chirps, coexisting almost perfectly with the city.


    As they walked through the street, Halva guided Siul in and out of various shops. She also instructed him on what was acceptable or not. Fighting was popular, but it could not be done in places not meant for fighting. Other than that, the parties involved in a fight had to mutually agree to it. After that, though, as long as it was agreed upon, anything was fair ground.


    It was also illegal to waste water, meat, and most everything else was common sense for a person like Siul.


    "Waste water?"


    "Yes, fresh water rivers are far and between. We have wells, but not enough to sustain the city. The caravans that travel to the lake around a hundred galn away can only carry so much too. It is only safe for them because they do not make much of a fuss."


    "Why not... Just move near the lake?"


    "Oh no, we can''t do that. We may have risen in power over the past hundred years, but we have already learned that huntrow won''t give up their source of water without a vicious... Fight. Also, it is a common gathering place for large huntrow in general. The normal rivers cannot sustain the huntrows that are as high as the skies themselves. So, all water is to be cherished."


    "Wasting meat is also a taboo, not as necessary as water, but more of a matter of respect. The meat hunted by a strong warrior or ulmaster is to be cherished because a strong person risked his life to procure it. Not eating it is... Fine, but throwing it away is too much of an insult and you can be jailed for it. If the ulmaster is esteemed, then you can even lose a finger or two."


    "What if I can not eat all of it? Or it starts to spoil and rot before I eat it?"


    "Then it is fine to throw it away because you have shown respect by filling your stomach. No one will eat rotting meat, so that should be disposed of properly." She laughed. Siul looked strange. The rule was double sided and seemed more like just a rule of etiquette more than anything.


    "Nevertheless, in formal environments, it really is illegal to throw it away before eating your fill, so keep that in mind."


    Siul found it weird, but then he thought of something that made it worse.


    "What if the food is poisoned?" If it was required to eat, then it was only doom waiting to happen.


    "Well, ulma makes our bodies healthy and less affected by more and more poisons. There are not many poisons in the world that can do more than itch a stage 3 ulmaster. If you can prove that poison is in the food, then the person who poisoned it, if found, will be killed on the spot. If it is not spotted and death somehow happens, then that just means you weren''t strong enough." Halva shrugged at the weird rules of the kingdom. There was not much she, as an individual could do. Besides, she herself was already a stage two ulmaster, so she didn''t care in the first place.


    After all, it was not possible to poison ulma or find a natural poison strong enough to even kill a stage 2 ulmaster. On his deathbed, the great first king of Gukulm was only on the verge of stage two and he was only killed because he was attacked by Tarban. What else could have happened when attacked by the man himself? Halva shook her head.


    This was also one of the countless reasons that the majority of people do end up eventually learning ulma whether or not they end up going to the ulmagi school or not.


    Soon enough, they ended up in a tavern. "As you can see, people come to places like this to... Relax, socialize, or just a place to sleep in. You can also get some good food here. It''s also one of the few types of places that the laws relax quite a bit."


    Siul saw a few people smack each other in a brawl as Halva was greeted by an acquaintence. Siul tried to parse through all the people talking, but it was fruitless.


    They took a seat and Halva ordered a few things off the menu as they took a seat at a table. A few arrogant looking men approached.


    "On a date with your new boyfriend, eh?" They were evidently drunk and Halva only showed an annoyed expression.


    "He''s a student, and I am teaching him how society works. unlike what you mucks may think it does."


    "Same thing. Boyfriend? Student? The same thing, right?" They ignored her and continued to press.


    "You better lay off." Halva was getting pissed now. Siul backed into a corner as the conflict continued.


    "You can try to lay off all those fine young ulmasters! Hahaha." The group of people around him erupted into quiet laughter.


    That was the breaking point. ''Uh, oh.'' Siul saw Halva stand up and crack her knuckles. The scholarly and gentle image that she had nurtured in Siul''s mind was cracking.


    "You''re going to regret this."


    "Nothing more to regret than finding out some juicy secrets, he!"


    In one moment, Halva''s fists blurred and made contact with the man''s face. He was sent across the tavern and slid off the wall with a comedic groan. By the time that the man was sent across the room, Halva had already punched his accomplices in the gut, making them all fall to the floor.


    After the whole instant conflict had settled down, the bartender sighed and walked over.


    "Destruction of two tables. A finw of... 10 talma." Halva ticked and coughed up 10 cloth bags of coins before sitting down with a huff. She suddenly realized that Siul was with her all along.


    "Damn..." She always tried hard not to reveal this side of herself to students, but in one way or another, something always set her off. She didn''t know what she was thinking walking into Ristvan''s Tavern in the first place. "Those low lifes are only jealous because they can''t get near someone like me!"


    "Ha...?"


    Halva leaned in close to Siul. "You didn''t see anything. I am a friendly teacher, got that?"


    Siul nodded furiously.


    Halva leaned back as their food was served to them on plates. Looking at the plates as large as his torso, Siul really did forget what had happened for a second as his stomach quivered in fear. There was no way he could finish even half of one plate, let alone the two that he had ordered for himself.


    He picked up the meat and took a large bite. His stomach rumbled. This would be the first time he could gorge himself on meat in a month. After the first bite was taken, he couldn''t stop and it wasn''t long until half of the mountain of meat was gone. He looked over to Halva, but he saw her three plates were already gone, licked clean even. She wiped her mouth with a napkin.


    "Huh?" He looked at his own half eaten plate partnered with one still full.


    "Do you want my other plate?" Siul knew that he could never finish the two on his own, so he pushed the second to Halva.


    "Sure." She smiled again, but did not touch it.


    Siul looked down to take a few more bites and when he looked up, Halva was wiping a napkin on her mouth, but in front of her, a third of the mountain was gone. Now he knew that his eyes weren''t deceiving him. The woman in front of him wasn''t human.


    He struggled to finish his own plate, but he managed. They walked out of the tavern and Siul himself could barely take a few steps. In the end, Siul ended up back in his cell at the guards'' station before immediately falling asleep upon laying down on his bed in a food coma.

 Chapter 10: Enrollment

    Two months passed as Siul continued to explore the town of Tuk. The place was friendly and it didn''t take long for him to be able to go in and out of the guard station whenever he wanted. Still, he dared not use his saved up money much.


    His lessons with Halva were composed mostly of just telling her what he knew and what he was struggling with. The next lessons would then be structured around teaching him what he was unsure about.


    With his knowledge, most schooling besides history and ulma classes couldn''t even touch upon the knowledge he knew and so, there was no better way to put his time to use than learning more about the language and mana.


    The problem was, however, that Siul needed to both have the mana skills and the ability to even comprehend the book he had stolen to use it. Even though he could read and write in the language, he needed to develop his mana manipulation and attend the ulmagi schools so that he could understand the higher concepts about mana that he world used.


    The door to his cell opened and Halva walked through.


    "Today is your last day and you will be enrolled in a week when the ulmagi school starts its new years of students." Although time was short, he had quickly befriended the teacher despite her... More hidden unruly characteristics.


    However, the fact that he could learn the language in two months was largely because of her help and he had a lot of appreciation. Besides, this would not be the last she would be teaching him. This was because she had recently revealed that she worked at the ulmagi school, but it was currently on its four month long preparation and vacation period.


    By now, he could easily understand people. It was more than enough to live in the world easily.


    Other than getting more used to the language, though, he didn''t really have much to improve upon. The rest could only be learned through immersion and some self study. That was why, for the day, Halva decided to celebrate his "graduating."


    Walking into the tavern, he ignored the people tauntingly whistling and ordered a large plate of meat. It was only a week ago that he found out why the people of the world could consume such large quantities of food.


    Being a stage 2 ulmaster meant that the organs were essentially supercharged by ulma. Their body''s energy could be used at an extreme rate and it was only counteracted by their bodies could also store a lot more raw energy at the same time. With the organs being supercharged, food was also digested and consumed at an extreme rate.


    After stage 2 ulmasters, Siul also learned of the stage 3 ulmasters from Halva. She herself wasn''t that far from the threshold.


    He sighed as he heard an already drunken Halva spend quite a large sum paying for everybody''s drinks.


    A few days later, Siul reached the capital city, Gukulm, alongside Halva. The city itself wasn''t that large compared to what he had seen and he estimated that it had a population of a little more than 20,000. Compared to Tuk, which was only in the range of 5,000s, it was a large difference.


    People walked around the streets, but almost everybody save for kids had more ulma than him.


    "Am I really that weak?"


    "You just noticed? The amount of ulma you have is really quite pahetic. But your ulma control is good."


    They reached the outskirts of the ulmagi school. It was outside Gukulm and rested in the forest just outside of its walls. The area was large and looked to be about a tenth of the size of the city itself.


    The logistics of enrolling weren''t complicated either. All he had to do was pay a fee every month and he would be enrolled for the month''s duration. Every year there were only a few hundred new people and so, although busy on the first day, it could immediately start on the second day.


    This was the sole reason that he had not spent much money since he learned of the ulmagi school. If he held onto his money, he would be able to get through the first six months of school and by then, he would have found a source of income.


    The two entered the building and parted ways. Siul continued to walk forward and into a line leading to the front desk. The doors to the school had opened no more than ten minutes before and a line was still formed.


    From small twelve year olds to a man that looked in his 30s, the people older than a teen were a large minority. Less than 13 of them were "old" and Siul was the 2nd oldest.


    Still, the registration was fast. All they would have to do was state their name, answer a few questions, and send ulma into a crystal before heading further into the building.


    By the time Siul reached the front, another 50 people had lined up behind him. The man in front of him started to question.


    "First name?"


    "Hark."


    The man was silent as if trying to remember something.


    "... Do you have any family members?"


    "No, they are dead."


    He showed an expression of understanding. "Sorry about that."


    "No worries."


    "Current Occupation?"


    "None"


    "What are your goals?"


    "To advance my ulma studies."


    "How old are you?"


    "twenty-eight."


    "What is the purpose of studying ulma?"


    Siul stopped and hesitated before speaking.


    "To improve our understanding to... Develop new technologies and techniques."


    The man took a second to write down all of his answers.


    "Alright, the fee will be two talma."


    Siul took out two bags and handed them to the man.


    "Just go past here and someone will escort you to your room."


    Siul followed the man''s instructions and went forward through a pair of doors. Another line of people greeted his eyes. The line moved only a little slower with about three people working to move the students. Siul avoided his eyes at the familiar figure.


    "Well isn''t this a coincidence!" Halva approached Siul and handed him a piece of wood carved with the numbers "3-211."


    When he first saw the numbers of the world, it was hard not to say that he was relieved that it still shared the same structure as the base ten system that he knew well. Numbers were identified and made with two templates. Five were made with one, while four were made with the other. Each was made distinct by modifying the template with a line. It was also possible to make the numbers all the way up to 100 in a single number character, but it was compact and hard to read.


    "Follow me." Halva walked and Siul followed. They passed through a number of buildings.


    "Is it really necessary to guide people to their rooms?"


    She showed him a strange look.


    "Look at this place. It''s huge! In the end, us professors will have to end up escorting them anyway. So, instead of having to find you guys scrambling around, it''s easier to just bring you to it directly."


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "What about a map?"


    "Not every is good at reading a map... It''s just the way it works. Maybe a few of you can, but it barely makes a difference." She shrugged and they soon reached what looked to be a large field of stacked rectangles. There were a total of 6 rectangles with each having 4 stories. On top of the buildings, there was a large slanted roof.


    Each floor of one of the rectangles'' longer sides could hold 100 people, that meant a total of 4,800 people could live in the place. He knew at a glance that the place had the highest density of humans in the world.


    "The first three buildings are for stage 1 ulmasters, the other three are for stage 2 and 3 ulmasters."


    "There are way too many rooms..." The amount of people that the buildings could house were a few thousand, but there was nowhere near that many people in the ulmagi school.


    "That is to prepare for future growth. The schools tried to keep as many people with the first 50 rooms to reduce the commute time. Some even jump straight off the floors too!"


    Quite frankly, Siul was exceedingly surprised to find that this human civilization was so modernized. So much so, that he felt comfortable in the world. He had been through the same process once, so doing it a second time would be easy.


    She patted him hard on the back, making him stumble. "Now go and settle in your room, I''ve got more people to move."


    She disappeared before Siul could even turn his head. According to his wooden token, he walked to the third building''s second floor and found his room with the number eleven sketched into the wall beside the door.


    Inside of the room, he found that it was only a little less blank than his humble home cell. There was a bed, a desk, a few candles, an empty bookshelf, an empty drawer, a mirror, and a small bathroom with a toilet


    Taking off his bag with all of his belongings, he hid away his money as safely as he could. He did not have much to himself and so, he walked out of the room and watched the various people moving in.


    These people would be at the ulmagi school for the next four years. They were bringing clothing, blankets, personal items, and in some cases, entire pieces of furniture.


    Getting enough of people watching, he decided to walk around the campus. Beside the couple buildings where classes would be held, there were a few large buildings dedicated solely to cultivation. Other than that, there were combat halls and research labs.


    Finding that there was not else he could do, though, he went back to his room and retired for the day. Having gotten to the city of Gukulm after a whole day of traveling, he was tired and his eyes closed.


    Siul woke up to a loud bell sounding out. Sitting up, he noticed the foreign pamphlet of paper sitting on the desk. Picking it up, he found that it was the schedule for the next month.


    The first introductory class would start a little after the bell of dawn rang.


    Pocketing the pamphlet, Siul walked down into the campus and found where he was supposed to be after some small trouble. Walking inside, there were many people fillings its seats and he found his own seat to sit on. He waited another dozen minutes until the class started.


    Throughout the whole thing, Siul found it to be very boring. It mostly consisted of introducing the professors and addressing the students into the school. The spokesman, who was the assistant principal, also stated the purpose of the school which was, "To teach the new generation the importance of development of ulma."


    Once the class ended, the next one was combat assessment. Siul did not score the highest, but he was still good enough with a third place ranking. The third class was then the ulma assessment. He was near rock bottom with his only saving grace being above average control. And then came the final class of the day which was meant to divide the people according to their age and ulma stage into groups. Siul was put into the mature stage 1 group which only had him and two other people. After getting into his group, his group professor explained the curriculum for the first year.


    Because he was older, and therefore the capacity and style he learned in was different, their experience would be made up of a few classes and a lot of self-study with some field classes and exercises sprinkled throughout. The library and cultivation halls would become the places he needed to frequent the most.


    Still, the first year would mostly be him raising his mana cultivation and his basic understanding of mana. Sometime during either the second or third year, he would need to reach the threshold to become a stage 2 ulmaster.


    Becoming a stage 3 ulmaster while still in school was a distant dream and so, Siul decided that when he graduated he would do one of two things. Leave the subspace world or explore into the wilderness to the same location as the tower that he stole from.


    With the classes for the day ending, Siul wanted to try out the cultivation hall. Going into the large building, he passed the empty front desk and stood in front of a door with the number "23" on it. He walked inside and four light magic plants sitting happily greeted him. Upon seeing him sit down in the room, the plants increased their brightness and the mana they emitted increased by two times.


    It was more effective than the area that he and Bon previously cultivated in.


    Focusing in on himself, he tested out mana circulation. Despite him having learned how to use mana, he had used the mana circulation technique much. He instead practiced his control of mana.


    With the amount of mana in the room, he could consciously pull it in and at the same time, circulate his mana pathway.


    Taking hold of the pathway, he increased the speed of mana inside and found that, different from before, he could accelerate it by three times with relative ease. But if he were to go any faster, it would put strain on his mind and give him a headache.


    The mana within him was used up at a rapid pace, but it was immediately recovered by the ambient mana released. The process felt like every part of his body was being massaged and rejuvenated.


    He could only stop when the plants suddenly dimmed and began to release next to no mana. Looking at them, he could detect that the mana inside of them was almost completely depleted and their leaves were drooping.


    Leaving the room, a woman sitting at the front desk questioned.


    "What room did you come from?"


    "23."


    Without saying anything and with only a glance, an idle man got to work and disappeared behind a set of doors.


    "Where is he going?"


    "To feed the plants." She said simply. Before he could ask for more detail she answered again. "The plant''s ulma doesn''t come from just anywhere. They make a lot of ulma from what they eat and also require some time to recharge."


    "How did it know I was in the room?"


    "They''ve been trained."


    The answer confused Siul.


    "Trained?"


    "Yeah, the things aren''t very smart, but it''s easy to teach them to increase their output as long as you give em'' food."


    He couldn''t believe his ears. The light magic plants had at least some form of intelligence.


    "Huh." He walked back to his room in thought. His body was stronger, but the revelation distracted him even more.


    He knew that it was easy for any animal to have even a speck of intelligence, but he had never heard of a plant having to, at the very last, a small extent of intelligence resembling an animal''s before. He had to wait a few moments to let the information settle.


    He let the day pass and laid on his bed...


    The next day began with the bell of dawn tolled. Looking at the schedule, the first class would be his only one for the next week.


    ---


    In nearly the blink of an eye, five months had passed. To Siul, it felt like he was in college again. Most of his time was spent either studying history in the library, meditating in the cultivation hall, or on the rare occasion, sparring in the combat halls. He had already mastered the finesse he needed to reach the threshold to become a stage 2 ulmaster. All he needed to do now was build up his mana.


    The classes were mostly on the applications of ulma and would usually go over a few techniques. With him having gone to about 15 classes, it was enough to say that he learned quite a bit, but he learned most of what he knew in the library. Still, the techniques taught were mostly for improving control and if not, then it was an exercise to increase the familiarity with certain movements of mana. To make it more natural, like using a limb.


    Walking out of the cultivation hall, he walked back to his room and started to think. Combined with the tuition of going to the ulmagi school, he also needed to pay for basic necessities which, in all, had drained his money faster than he would have liked. He needed to think of a way to earn something, or he''ll be broke before he knew it.


    His mind naturally wandered to hunting huntrow, but it was dangerous. There was also the option of introducing advanced knowledge into the world and using it to make a living. With what he knew and the development of the world, even the more basic concepts of physics, or even chemistry itself would be revolutionary. But still, he didn''t want to involve himself in the world too much and become a prominent figure in the spotlight. It was not in his plans. He couldn''t forget what he was actually in the world for.


    Sitting down, he thought of asking Halva before dismissing it. Her behavior was becoming more and more clockwork as she shed the skin and desire of wanting to be seen as gentle. She taught a combat class, then meditated before trying to drag a few people to a tavern and get black out drunk. Hanging out with her was not for the faint of heart and she earned her living off of teaching. He doubted scrubbing any information off of her would help.


    Just then, he thought of a different idea. Keeping in mind that he had to make good money without putting himself in danger or causing too much influence, he thought of a simple contraption. A bike. It was simple and a form of transportation. Running consumes a lot of energy and just a bike, in general, might be popular among kids.


    To make a bike, though, he would have to get some help. He was no smith and there was certainly still no industrialization in this world of ulmasters. This was where Halva came in handy. She often frequented a well known smith, that although skilled, was not too big on his luck.


    Whistling his way into the building full of the clangs and high pitched collision of metal on metal, it did not take long for the man to greet him.


    "Hey Hark. How''s Halva doing?"


    "Just fine, Kai. Still won''t stop her habits, though. Anyways I got something good to show you."


    Siul pulled out a piece of paper. On it, there was an old bike design. Chains with gears and actual wheels. far more primitive than the hover models, but it was reliable and basic.


    "Oh?" Looking at it, Kai could roughly guess what the contraption was supposed to do. "This is a form of mechanical transport?"


    "Yeah. I was looking for your help to make this."


    "Hmm..." Kai rubbed his stubbed beard and thought for a few seconds. "Alright." He found the design interesting and other than making swords, armors, gears, nails, and all of that, he could put his skills to use and make something new.


    The materials required for the prototype of the bike did not really require much as long as it was able to move. The base was made out of sturdy wood and the wheels were metal with a thick tire of huntrow skin. The chains and gear were similarly made with metals while the handles were bone.


    It took a day to make and by the end of it, they had a somewhat working bike. Many parts could be polished, but it was just a test to see if it could work out. Siul watched Kai hop on the bike and press his feet on the pedal. The bike moved forwards before he tilted over and fell with a grunt.


    With a scraped face, he gave thumb upwards.


    "It uh... Requires some balance, but all things considered. It works!" Kai stood up and patted off the dust. "Say, how''d you come up with this?"


    "I dunno, I was just looking at some gears and stuff before suddenly thinking, why not!" Siul pulled out his prepared excuse.


    Over the next few days, they sourced a few more materials to make the bikes and ended up with three variations. one for kids, the other for ordinary stage 1 folk, and the last made out of the strongest and most affordable materials they could find to accommodate for stage 2 ulmasters and above. They weren''t really expecting anyone over the age of 12 to take interest, though, so they didn''t have their hopes too high.


    Siul managed to work up a deal so that he would assemble the bikes and receive a 30% pay cut. The costs of the materials, manufacturing parts, and selling of bikes were all obstacles. It was only through a few tricky loops of logic that he secured his share.


    The prices of the bikes would also still have to be determined. It was harder to make than a table, but they wanted to sell it to a lot of people, so it wasn''t a luxury item either.


    In the end, they came up with 4 talma for the small kid bike, 6 talma for the stage 1 bike, and 10 talma for the stage 2 and above bike. In the world, it was possible to buy an ordinary loaf of bread with just one dalma. Tool prices were measured in gamma, while furniture and bigger things in talma. Common furniture such as tables would cost 2 - 3 talma and buying a house would cost around 100 - 200 talma.


    A month quickly passed as Siul and Kai worked full time to mass produce the new products and after a few rough days, their thoughts came true. Kids went to the shop with their parents dragged behind them and begged them to buy it. It sold quite well and only when a hundred had been sold did it die down. This gave Siul a decently large amount of talma and he would still get some more as the sales trickled in over the next few years.


    The appearance of the bike itself was not that unusual as the civilization had already started to dabble in gears and mechanical works. Clocks were already in their prototype stages and nearly everything that involved something mechanical was more complicated than a bike. In the eyes of many, it was just another interesting and fun byproduct of advancement.


    Its simple and effective nature did attract some professors from the ulmagi school, but after a round of questioning, Siul managed to push the attention on Kai after barely making it through. The excuse of sudden inspiration for a man like Kai in this era of the world was... Too useful. It surprised him greatly at how easily they accepted it.


    With brilliant minds like Munta or Unfi the swordmaster, there were still quite a few from the grace period that were still alive.


    Relishing in his hidden wealth, he found himself not needing to worry about money for potentially the rest of his stay in the world. He didn''t need much and food in the world was incredibly cheap. He had no attachment to belongings or furniture and besides a particularly warm blanket, he treasured nothing else but his own life. He had to remember that he was not invincible just because he could go in and out of the world at will.


    Sitting himself down in the cultivation hall, he sucked in the mana that the light magic plants released and concentrated on his mana path. There was still much he had to do and making money was just a short problem he needed to solve.

 Chapter 11: Graduation

    2 years passed quickly and in that time, not much had happened. The few field exercises they did not mostly focused on self defense, or surviving out in the huntrow wilderness. Still, he learned a lot and found himself gradually becoming more and more used to the world. He knew how to navigate and talk in it like he had been there his whole life.


    Despite him having a great time within these years, though, they were filled with little action and a lot of cultivation. He will be entering his third year next month.


    Walking out from his room, Siul was brimming with energy. He looked to be younger and he exuberated a youth that he had once thought he lost. Going through the snaking halls, he entered the cultivation hall.


    Today was the day. He was going to advance. Never did he think that he would be as excited then, but it didn''t matter because it was now happening.


    Calming his heart, he took a meditative position before closing off all senses of the outside world. He focused on himself and looked at his mana pathway. He knew the familiar shape by heart and memory, but today he would have to change it. It would take on both a simpler and more complex form that could be more effective at processing and storing mana.


    Taking control of the path, he did not accelerate it, but instead he held a firm grasp. He prepared himself before willing the pathway out of its comfortable crevice.


    His mind and body wailed in pain. It was like a bone was being broken for each movement of the path. It was now that he no longer regretted the classes he had to take starting from his second year. He shivered in fear, almost losing control. In essence, the class was training pain tolerance to make ulmasters get used to the pain of advancing.


    He hated it then and even moments before starting his process, but now he understood. If not for training, he would have lost control in the first second.


    The insides of his body felt like magma was coursing through it. He continued to morph his mana path into a smaller, more compact shape. Before long, it had taken the shape of a small perfect circle in the center of his being. It was only half filled. He then took control of the remaining mana and formed a hollow sphere within the middle of the mana circle.


    He hardened the sphere, giving it more and more physical shape; once he had done it to the best of his ability, he stretched a portion of the mana path to create a vein and connected the two. The pain of his mana pathway reduced significantly and the mana circulated like lightning. With each rotation, it no longer strengthened his body,but it was able to reach a pure state in only a couple of seconds. Compared to before, the mana could be processed into a much purer form. After it was done circulating, the mana would then be stored inside the mana sphere.


    The advancement, though, was still not finished. He took note of the position of each of his organs and formed a smaller sphere inside each before stretching a vein towards them. With each of the spheres formed and connected, they were filled with mana and supported the organs with mana. Like he had observed from Halva, they were now "supercharged."


    This, however, was not the true purpose of the technique. Everytime the spheres in his body filled up entirely, he would need to release it inside of his body so that it could saturate it with extremely pure mana. This would strengthen the body even farther and during a fight, the ulma could be used to give a direct temporary strength boost. This would use up the mana and it would barely affect his cultivation, but it was better than losing his life.


    He brought in mana from the air around him and accelerated his ulma pathway. Now with a much simpler shape, he could accelerate at a reduced cost for focus. Now, however, a different problem arose. His rate of absorbing ulma was at its limit. He did not yet know of a solution to solve this.


    Depleting the mana in the room faster than before, he left the building and searched out Halva.


    "Ha! Look at this." Siul let out a burst of mana from his body.


    "So, you advanced, eh?" She grinned as she rested her wooden sword on her shoulders. In the next moment, though, it made contact with Siul''s stomach.


    "No way... You couldn''t have...!" He sat up in surprise, coughing. Halva had never been this strong.


    "Haha! you''ve got a long way to go. I, too, am now stage 3!" Halva laughed vehemently, as if she were a great evil.


    Siul knew that Halva was considered a prodigy, reaching stage three at the age of 35. Do not mention her regular habits of outright ignoring her cultivation for days at a time too. Siul could only sulk in ever thinking that he wouldn''t take her taunts any longer.


    It was also now, that he realized that he had lost a bet with her. She had reached stage 3 before he even reached stage 2. A frown grew on his face and he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was strong as a mountain and he knew that he would be unable to move it.


    She dragged him off to Dim''s tavern and when he woke up the next day, he had a head splitting hangover and knew not of anything that happened even with his newly enhanced body.


    "What do they serve in there?" Siul knew that he was right in never accompanying her to the place that many of which said was only for the heaviest of drinkers. He meditated and circulated his mana for an hour until he reduced the hangover enough to walk around.


    He walked through the ulmagi school. The history of the world was incredibly bland as it had been artificially "accelerated" in terms of advancement, but there were still some interesting things happening. Throughout the halls there were a few paintings and sculptures that depicted figures that were well known in their fields. These were people like Trilla, the head of medical knowledge, Unfi the swordmaster, Munta the genius, or the owner of the biggest caravan, Garin.


    The few short wars were fought with Tarban and the conflicts had kept the people of Gukulm mostly on a straight path with few internal conflicts. All in all, though, a lot of periods of the world were still peaceful and Tarban only did an attack every five years or so. Usually large, but not bad enough to not be able to rebuild in the next five years.


    After Gukulm''s death, Munta took over and he really was a true genius. Siul found that he could be considered the baby of the grace period. With his new ideas flourishing, he was not good at just manipulating mana, but researching and learning things about the world in general. He took a firm grasp of the kingdom and built up his trust and respect through improving the lives of everyone and advancing the world.


    Even at the moment, Munta was still ruling at the age of 128. This only made Siul hopeful, though, as he found that even now his lifespan had improved well.


    With nothing else to do but purely focus on his mana studies, he found himself signed up on the advance group to prepare their lives to be at the forefront of mana development.


    After a month of his third year, he was put under the apprenticeship of Tark. A veteran in the research circles.


    The first lesson started rather abruptly.


    "Do you know what the true purpose of a researcher is?" He gave an inquiring furrow of his brows.


    "To know more?" It was obvious. A researcher researched things.


    "Yes, that is right, but it is not just to know more. It is about fulfilling your inner desire to know more. It is important to not want what others want, but what you want. This is my philosophy and under my tutelage, I expect you to act the same."


    Tark was currently testing the properties of mana within materials and its aftereffects. It was a minor project and mainly took a lot of time to get the materials and record the results.


    It did not take long and with Siul at his side, the man completed the project in only a few weeks. However, the results were subpar at best. According to what was previously known, all materials have a certain passive mana capacity. When an ulmaster adds ulma to it, it "overfills" the material. It will just spill out when it is no longer controlled. Still, some materials did show effects to have been either weakened or slightly strengthened when overfilled so it was not completely fruitless.


    Siul continued to work under Tark and over the course of a year, Siul grew more used and more experienced with using the research method. Contrary to what he thought, he did like conducting experiments, if it was about mana, that is. Throughout the year, Siul and Tark only managed to complete a single major paper and that was the effect of mana on living organisms.


    It was a six month long ordeal that outlined the effects of forcing mana in various animals and plants alongside other factors such as draining mana, feeding mana filled food to animals, and the ways in which light magic plants produce mana. The paper''s results formed what was essentially a comprehensive outline about a lot of what was currently known about the relationship between mana and life with many interesting observations they had made which opened the path for a few extra paths to research.


    Tark was rewarded with a large sum of money and Siul even got his own large portion. Now, he truly did not need to worry about money any longer. If he wished to do so, he could live comfortably in this world for 30 years before he would even feel a dent on his stash. With not much more planned to do, Siul knew that he still had a few years that he could burn out and improve himself so he decided to stay for the last year of ulmagi school before he moved on forward with what he had to do.


    He made sure to get his daily mana meditation session, but progress had slowed significantly. The next stage of being an ulmaster required him to get a large amount of ulma that could create mass amounts of mana veins and spheres in his body. He could only do this all at once as if anybody were to go through the process one every now and then, it would incompatible with the other processes of the body and disrupt the natural flow and state of the body. It would eventually risk organ failure, seizures, sudden brain aneurysms, blood clots, and all sorts of other bodily conditions. It was tried and tested, nobody denied it.


    Not long after the paper was put out, his third year ended and he spent his four month long "vacation" dedicating all of his time reading the rest of the books in the library and inside the mana cultivation hall. The books were mostly biographies or lists of personal insights from other esteemed alumni while others went over in extreme detail over specific exercises with mana. The few that excited Siul the most were the ones about actual techniques or attacks that could be done with mana.


    Things like a book titled "Ulma string and its uses." The title was simple, but the book outlined in detailed ways to reinforce a mana string, or tendril, to be able to carry objects, while other parts of the book excitedly stated its use to... Strangled people.


    There was also a useful tip in the book which stated to form knots in the mana string to hold objects so that he would only have to keep his focus on sustaining the string instead of the action like holding something or strangling somebody. The author really liked the idea of strangling.


    Other than that, there were techniques like solidifying mana outside the body to form useful tools. This method was only applicable to stage 2 ulmasters and above. Stage 1 didn''t have nearly enough mana for that and even stage 2 ulmasters could only form hollow tools. Solid objects were hard even for stage 3 ulmasters.


    When he ran out of books to read, Siul decided that he would finally brush up his sword skills, but he could only get a few weeks of practice before school started. By now, the school didn''t really have anything to teach to the fourth year students, so he would have to self study papers and conduct research himself to graduate.


    As a dedicated student, he found himself well above the line of all the others with only a few somehow surpassing even him. He did not do both, though, as the attention was on them, but he still found some of his peers and students from lower years asking for advice.


    He was not one for denying help if it didn''t bother his own progress and he became a sort of unconventional professor. He didn''t mind the teaching and even occasionally welcomed it. It was a popular saying that teaching others also taught oneself. He was able to work out the many kinks in his understanding through deciphering it in an easier way to teach and understand for others. In all, it only served to help and strengthen what he knew.


    Walking inside one of the student labs, he had a few plant samples stored away. The last year would be dedicated to him making his own thesis and he wouldn''t feel right for doing something subpar. Also, the subject had been brewing in his mind since the last major paper he had worked on with Tark.


    He may not want attention on himself but... It was not bad every now and then as long as he didn''t affect the course of the world, right? Siul nodded his head and got to work.


    Taking out the plants, he put them on a table and dug out a few purplish crystals somewhat glowing with a blue undertone from their plots. He then refilled them with mana. The crystals could store mana for an extended period of time and its overflow spill rate was very slow. It was ideal for this particular part of the experiment.


    Taking note of the changes of the 20 plants in front of him, he put them back in their own sealed containers before taking out a batch of five. Four were finished and one was left to complete. The mana within the plant was small, but it was there nonetheless. Just like how everything else had mana inside of it.


    If it was farther away from human civilization, then it might not have any mana, but the closer it got, it would be inevitable for it to absorb some passively even if it did not instinctively know how to. This isn''t counting for the miniscule amount of mana that all life naturally generates too.


    Siul lifted his hand and touched a leaf before closing his eyes. He blocked out every sense of the world save for mana. He extended a tendril of control into the plant and filled it with mana. It resisted, but it was too weak to stop him.


    For every second that passed, it was becoming healthier and looked like it was coming back from a drought. It looked to have magnitudes more vitality than before even though it was perfectly healthy even then. Siul controlled the mana so that it would spill out and moved onto the next step.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    He did not let the plant consume the mana, however. Instead, he controlled the mana inside of it. Plants did not naturally have mana pathways, but in his observations with the light magic plant, he found that those plants did have one in it.


    Controlling the tendril of mana through the plant, copying it to be similar to the light magic plant with only a few modifications, he made a loop before solidifying it. He then cycled mana into the pathway very carefully so that it would take on the signature of the plant and not his own. Once the plant''s signature was on the mana, he couldn''t control it. He let the plant''s mana saturate the pathway and fully turn it into the plant''s own. The whole process had taken two days.


    Siul was happy with the result. He put the plant with the four other similar plants and wiped off a drop of sweat.


    ---


    Siul held a paper in his hands. It was promising in more ways than one. It was a field full of untapped gems. His hands were caked in sweat, but he held the stack of papers with a strand of mana to prevent it from getting dirtied.


    He walked into the office.


    "Hello there Hark."


    "Hey Frivall, I have finished my thesis."


    "Hmm, alright." She took the stack of papers and skimmed over a few pages. Her eyes slightly brightened before setting them to the side.


    "Very well, I am certain you will rank high."


    "Thank you, ma''am."


    "No worries."


    With that, Siul walked out of the office and once the door closed, he breathed out a sigh of relief. Something about her always made him nervous. His mind wandered into the corners of that dark, red room. That''s right, she was the one to teach the pain tolerance classes. He shivered and ran off. Behind her peaceful mask, he knew that there was something truly wrong with her.


    Over the next few days, he was anxious, but he waited it out. Still, never did he expect himself to be worried over some papers.


    Just as he walked out of the cultivation hall the woman at the front desk stopped him.


    "You''ve got somethin''."


    He stopped and walked to the front of the desk curiously.


    "What is it?"


    She dug under her desk and pulled out a small pamphlet.


    "One of your professors stopped by. Told me to give you this. Congratulations by the way, you did quite well."


    Taking the pamphlet he found that it detailed what would be happening such as when he would receive his medal and monetary reward. On the last page, though, there was a "Superb" rating along with the schedule for the presentations. After the next week, people would fill in the seats of the large amphitheater and watch the people presenting as well as their own until everyone had finished. This would be continuous from dawn to dusk with a day of rest every few days until it ended. Siul would be one of the last to present.


    During this time, there would be delicious food served over breaks and once it was all over, the graduation ceremony would officially start over the next two days. The first day would be a large banquet and party while the second would be the true graduation. Everyone would receive a lavish white medal insignia of a gukulm fruit and also have their name inscribed on the stone monolith of graduates


    Resting for the week, the time soon came. Siul took his seat as he wondered how long this would go on. The presentation would be about simply showing off or explaining their thesis. Each would take around 20 minutes. With the student body of the fourth year students being 358, it would take 120 hours. The presentable time period each day would be about 8 hours and so, if it all went well it would take 14 - 20 days to fully present everything. With days of rest included, it would be 19 - 25 days.


    Siul slumped in his seat, the next... Month would be a slog.


    As he thought, many of the early people presented extremely minor subjects or reinforced the understanding of a theory or observation by simply doing the same thing, but larger. The presentations began branching out from the 8th day and by the 15th, Siul was finally getting engaged in what people were presenting. Different from what he thought, many people only lasted 10 minutes on the stage and so, his time was already close.


    Finally, though, came the day that he would present. He, along with two others.


    The first one was about the state of mana within the world and how it has affected the current materials and animals. It really did have a lot of information inside of it and just about every material associated with mana was tested extensively and experimented with. Even creating a few new useful applications for them had been done. Still, that was somehow not the main point of it and it left on a note of what could happen to the living beings in the world becoming more fantastical and new materials popping up over time.


    The second was about the transformation of mana through external factors and how it changes properties. It outlined a clear detail of the property of signatures in mana along with a few tests that showcased a tool that would create a small fire after putting a large amount of mana in it. It did not have to be efficient and was only a proof of concept. It, too, left on an open note for the possibility of using ulma to make fire, water, and other simple elements.


    It then became Siul''s turn and he walked onto the stage with a cart of his prepared materials in tow before talking.


    "Throughout our studies of ulma, we know that it has introduced a fundamental change in our bodies. Strengthening the skin, bone, and every part of us. It clears our mind and it is what allowed the people 140 years ago to establish a foundation in the world. Now, however, as we have been learning more and more, it is no longer purely about strengthening ourselves, but instead to increase our study and knowledge of ulma. To be able to use it for more than just strengthening the individual."


    Siul gave his opening speech. Over the past month, he had revised it very carefully. Even if it did not affect many people, he wanted to get the point across to not just cultivate oneself. He wanted people to develop things like spells too. The second presentation of the day had greatly increased his hopes and he had to revise what he thought of the world. Maybe it really was going to go on the path of wizardry? If not, then it would at least have some elements and that was enough for Siul.


    He manipulated mana to pick up one of the potted plants. It was a small tree, only a few feet high. On one of its leaves, there was an oval shaped fruit of vibrant purple color.


    "You may see this plant as the hattim tree and it doesn''t get any bigger than this. It can only bear a few fruits each season. But you may feel and see something different. Its whole body is vibrant and much healthier than anything you could see in the world."


    The people in the audience immediately detected that, although not much compared to them, there was a significantly increased amount of ulma inside of it compared to everything else. But that was not the point, there was something else, something familiar.


    "You can see that it has much more ulma than any other plant. For this batch of plants, I have not given or supplied the ulma to plant except for the beginning of the observation. Then, how does it have so much? Well, the answer is inside of ourselves. Siul took a second to catch a breath. "The beginning of an ulmaster is when they have taken control of their ulma pathway. Once they do, it is like a switch is flipped and their whole body energizes and sucks up ulma like a sponge."


    He pointed to the plant and made a large cloud of pre produced signatureless mana around it. In the next moment it was like it had become a vacuum and the mana was quickly absorbed.


    "What I have done is give this plant an artificially made ulma pathway before it to control it. From there, I have watched its progress... Would you believe that this plant was just a tiny seed a year ago? It is as big and healthy as one that has been take care of for five!"


    Everyone gave curious murmurs. However, it was a useful discovery, but one too tedious to commercially use.


    "The point that I have made is not that giving a plant an ulma pathway is conventionally useful now, but that it opens the possibility for so much more. Think bigger. What if we were to artificially create a pathway in say... A tilmike or hapcron? The animals already ''have'' a pathway, but it is now possible to teach them and advance them further than just stage 1. We have evidence that we can actively interfere with their pathways and advance them artificially."


    Siul gave a few more examples of the various plants that he had experimented with before moving on and taking a small lazl out of its cage.


    "This... Everyone. Is a stage 2 ulmaster." Siul heard people in the audience give a small chuckle as he set it on the ground and let it run around. It zapped across the stage in seconds and with a tendril of mana, he instructed it to perform a few tricks.


    "It can see ulma just as we do and it can even externally use ulma to an extent. Not only that... It is smarter as well. The only limitation of its ulma is the size of its body. It was able to advance to stage 2 in under a year because it has less ''space'' to fill."


    After a few more topics and interesting points he had recorded, the presentation ended shortly after and the amphitheater was emptied. Some people came down onto the stage to pet the lazl and talked with him about the experience. For the ordinary man, a pet stage 2 ulmaster may seem scary, but for ulmasters themselves it was very useful.


    A stage 2 tilmike would naturally be much faster than a normal one and it may even be able to serve as the personal mounts of stage 3 ulmasters, let alone the possibility of stage 3 tilmikes, gangduns, hapcrons... Any animal. They could accompany an ulmaster and were even smarter than their weaker counterparts. Much more useful than a plant.


    All of the extra details were outlined in his thesis and it would be stored in the library to be observed by underclassmen or people visiting to read. He felt a touch of fulfillment in having something permanent, that was, until he remembered that the period of time was but a drop in the bucket for the future that it held.


    With a head down, he soon reasoned with himself and it did not take away any of the accomplishment he felt. He wandered around campus and the city as the day passed. He let himself rest and enjoyed the sights. The city felt like a well working machine. Everything had a purpose. With the small amount of people in the world, it was hard to imagine how they had reached this level without it.


    Before long, though, he retreated to his room and succumbed to sleep.


    ---


    Siul woke up the next day and was already heading towards the venue. Already there was half of the fourth year student body and most of the professors. He took a seat and over the next hour the remaining people came. An old looking man stepped on the stage. Siul knew who it was at a glance even though he had never met him. It was impossible not to know. His face was all over in paintings and statues.


    It was Munta, the genius and king of Gukulm.


    "Over your four years of study, you have become powerful, you have become smart, and most importantly, you have learned what it is to be an ulmaster. It is not to rule with power, but to rule what you know. You can go out and make your own name in the ulmagi field. Discover what you want, but do not lose your vision. It is on this day that you should relish, the day that you are free from our top instructors and can walk the same level. It is up to you to decide what is next. Now, it is time to feast for your sake." Munta walked off the stage.


    Siul picked up a piece of bread stuffed with meat and vegetables. The mix of flavors compliment each other well. He looked around and it was not long before he saw Halva drinking wine like beer. He could only sigh in his heart and look away from the sight. To think that she completely lost the demeanor she tried to convince people of. Now she truly embraced her... Unruly nature.


    The selection of food in the world was still restricted to just the raw ingredients with the exception of bread. Other than the fruits, vegetables, and savory meats of huntrows, there was only bread that was still somewhat of a luxury. Soups and stews were common, but there was still yet to be something such as chocolate or cake.


    The day passed in a flash as he conversed with a few acquaintances over the years. He would never see them again over the next few days. Thinking of it, a blanket of sadness encompassed his mind. He remembered. Siul was not in the ulmagi school to make friends or advance the world, no, he was there so that he could understand the book.


    After a certain point, all of these characters would fade away from memory, to be blank faces with their personality forgotten. His eyes washed over everyone in the area. He stopped a tear from forming before making himself relaxed and finding fun in the mood. He basked in the mood. He let himself dance and joke with the people he knew. He let himself drink with Halva and he let himself talk philosophically with Tark. It would be a disservice to himself to not let himself have fun with these people that he came to know over the years.


    However, all good things must come to an end and the feast passes. The food was gone and night was in its climax. A day of fun washed over by weary and happy eyes in the night. Drunkenly, Siul walked up the stairs and opened his door. The next day would truly be the last in ulmagi school before he began to prepare for his journey to the tower that he had raided before.


    The next day, he walked with a slight hangover. It fixed itself slowly and he was feeling better by the second. Ulma''s energizing properties on the body were put to use.


    The deep, echoing sound of the bell rang. After cleaning himself up, he walked out of the door and headed to the school''s plaza. Colorful trees and bushes decorated it. Large, stone slabs paved a circular area in the middle and 400 chairs were lined up.


    In front of the chairs there was a temporary, finely decorated wooden stage. Taking his own seat and he waited as more people arrived. Soon enough, everybody had made it and the ceremony was beginning.


    From the sides, bone flutes, wooden xylophones, lyres, and a few horns were put forth. They erupted into sound which disturbed even the trees. From the front Munta pointed his hand upward and a strand of mana held a mass of blossomed petals painting a cloud of color above. It suddenly accelerated as the music took on a solemn tone. The petals dropped down on each individual.


    The music became more intense as Munta began to speak.


    "I have said as much yesterday as much I would have today, but that is not truly all. With graduation comes a duty. Your path to knowledge is not over, nor will it ever be. Throughout my years, I have come to understand this very well. There is a wealth of knowledge so large that even I cannot fathom comprehending. You must succeed in my place for my inevitable step into death and it is, too, your job to teach others in my place. If you do not teach, then fight. If you don''t fight, then lead in your desires! It is impossible for me to come up with everything and so, you must create what you need to create. Just like ulma the same technique can be used in many other methods. Do not think you have reached the peak or the skies or what worlds both above or below to the North and South or the East and West. There is no true limit. with that, I bid you all to a life of fulfillment."


    The song bursted into its full climax as the drums shook the earth. The flutes brought them to the sky and the horns pulled them back. The xylophones painted reason into the world and they all merged to form a horizon in front of their minds. With a burst, the world erupted with civilization as the instruments rapidly slowed to a soothing and calm song.


    The professors manipulated mana and brought each student a package wrapped in large leaves. Siul knew that the medal insignia was inside.


    After everyone had received their medals, the song was put to an end. Munta spoke again.


    "A medal of certification. let this not tell you that you have graduated, but let it be remembered by these words. That there is no end. That you must lead where your heart takes you. That there is no end to your duty to know more." Munta walked off the stage and disappeared behind a tornado of leaves and petals.


    Siul could feel his heart beating fast, he did not think that such a ceremony would turn out like this. It was exhilarating and he could not deny that he wasn''t greatly affected by the speech. Gears turned and it felt like he had been brought out of a lake of syrup in his mind.


    With the event at an end, everybody dispersed and the next most popular spot was the stone monolith. Going through the names, it took Siul a while to find his name inscribed and filled with gold along with all the others. Some were marble while some were crystals, others were copper, iron, or any other material.


    Any student could request to have their names filled with a material or way of their choice as long as it was possible. The cost would also have to be paid for the more expensive materials as well.


    His hands drifted to the wrapped package in his hands, but he stopped himself. After admiring the monolith enough, he headed to his room and then opened the wrap. Setting aside the large leaves, a big metal plaque along with a smaller insignia of a star shaped fruit was held in his hand. A small paper fell down. Siul grabbed it and opened it up.


    [Meet with Grolock]


    Seeing the words, Siul was confused. He knew who Grolock was. The man was the principal of the school. It was also not that hard to meet him as he practically lived in his office too. Dropping off his items in his room, he navigated through the ulmagi school as he thought of what he could have done wrong. he found door of the office.


    With a knock, a tall, burly man almost taller than the already large door itself opened it with a smile.


    " Come inside, Hark."


    Siul nodded and sat on a chair.


    "Did I do something wrong?" Afterall, the last time he was here, it was for accidentally blowing up a lab with Tark.


    "No, no... In fact, it is good. Something I''m sure that you will like."


    Siul tilted his head. "What is it?"


    "You have been selected." Grolock took a sip out of a cup of hot, steaming tea. "By me."


    "Selected? For what?"


    "You must not speak of this matter with anyone. No matter what, no matter the circumstance. Do you understand?"


    Siul narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly. "I understand..."


    "I will say this once and you can choose to agree. If you do not, pretend this never happened."


    "You are going to be trained as a spy." Grolock did not say anything as he watched Siul''s face grow even more confused before suddenly, understanding hit.


    Siul knew of Tarban. He had connected the dots and concluded that it was Genius 1, or Survivor, long ago. Somehow, the man had managed to never die even in his more bold attacks. There was always a lingering tension and it was two years ago when he had struck again with waves upon waves of dinosaurs, huntrow, on the smaller towns. He was never drafted nor were any of the students and it was over in less than a day but towns like Tuk... They were gone.


    Still, Siul found the prospect... Exciting. Even if it was not in his own world being a spy could be unanimously agreed on to be cool. Of course, he knew of the risks, but he had a trump card. He could exit out of the world at any time. He took a deep breath.


    "I agree."


    "Alright. Follow me." Grolock stood up, his lumbering body towering over Siul. They walked out of the school and into Gukulm.


    "Where are we going?"


    "Ha, you''ll see." He smirked.


    Soon enough they were in front of a large, wooden building. Almost as large as the school''s main building itself. All it took were a few glances and the words in front of the door only reinforced what he thought it was.


    "You... Young man, are going to be specially trained by Unfi himself."


    Before Siul could say anything, the man knocked on the door and Siul couldn''t help himself but keep his mouth shut. His heart beat fast. never did he think that he would meet Unfi of all people. The job was supposed to be in and out of the world, learning mana, but now he would actually be meeting potentially the second, maybe even the, strongest man in the world.


    The door opened and a man''s figure emerged.


    "This is the one?" Unfi raised his eyebrows in suspicion. Siul could understand. Despite his skill, his somewhat skinny and lanky body was deceiving.


    "Of course it is. Top of the school, excels in ulma control and has been stage 2 for a while now. Perfect for the job. He has a good mind and his fighting skills are above the graduation standard. Also, Munta passes a message. ''A talent we are in need of, don''t kill him.''" Grolock Siul hard on the back, causing him to stumble forward. With experience, Siul got back on his footing but then he found himself standing in the building. He heard a slam behind him and turned around to see the doors closed.


    He looked back towards Unfi as if he were a rabbit in front of a lion.


    What is your name?" Unfi could not go easy on him.


    Siul stood, dazed. Everything was happening too fast. "I''m Hark."


    "Follow me, Hark." Unfi moved farther into the halls. He moved fast, but looked more relaxed, as if he were taking a nap. Siul ran after, but he had trouble catching up. He was suddenly starting to regret agreeing, but he would not let himself ruin this valuable opportunity.

 Chapter 12: Recruit

    Siul walked out from the training basked in sweat seasoned by pain. His body was sore and numb to the core. However, an excitement filled him. One that he had not much of in the past year. It was the last two weeks of his training and he would no longer have to cross swords with that demon in disguise.


    He had learned everything the world knew about stealth, which was albeit not much compared to what he already knew from his days in the ARG Battle Center. Still, he did learn the more intricate parts and hands on experience from a century old expert.


    He thought of Unfi and couldn''t help but cower. If the man ever caught him looking depressed, then he would be given a beating so bad, he really did have better things to worry about.


    The worst thing about it, though, were the intense pain tolerance and survival lessons. The former was self-explanatory and the latter was just the former in disguise. Every other day, he would have to navigate through a jungle of swords, rocks, or anything that Unfi could get his devious hands on. He also had to retrieve something securely. Most of the time, the very thing he had to retrieve would break before he was even ten feet away.


    Other times, he would get attacked randomly throughout the day. He could never let his guard down. Every month or so, he would even be attacked in his sleep! The survival training was not "survival" in the wilderness, but instead surviving in enemy territory, escaping with an object, or preserving his own life once discovered.


    He groaned and chuckled almost hysterically. His body moved much faster and with more discipline than ever before even in the condition he was in.


    Walking in his room that was entirely bland save for a bed, a comfortable blanket, his savings, and walls made of a bamboo-like material, he jumped with practiced grace and landed snuggly on the bed. In the next few seconds, his mind entered into a deep sleep.


    He woke up to a knock on the door. Strange. There was never a knock on the door. Siul was cautious as he got up with a wooden sword prepared. He twisted the handle and pulled open the door. An unfamiliar figure revealed itself.


    "... Who are you?" Siul asked strangely. He had never seen the man in his life.


    The man grinned and spoke in response.


    "You are starting your mission and I am going to help. Follow me." He began to walk and in the middle of the large combat hall, Unfi stood there.


    "We have found evidence of Tarban''s forces beginning to recruit in Gukulm. My elite will get you settled until we find a location where you can be recruited."


    Siul took on a serious expression. This was not training.


    "Follow him, he will get you settled on an ordinary job in the middle district. be average and do not hole up inside the house. Make yourself look like a perfect target to be recruited."


    The man beside him moved and Siul followed. Soon, they arrived in the spacious, but still slightly cramped middle district. It was where most people lived and it was hard for Unfi to keep track of everything going on here.


    They came upon a small, humble house that looked to have better days a few years ago. It had few windows and four rooms. One was the bathroom, the other a bedroom, and the last ordinary one, a kitchen. Above, there was a small attic.


    "Your job will be working with the tailor down the street. You will start tomorrow and when you get there, tell him your name. In your off time, wander around and visit a few taverns or the... Huntell District. Pretend you are bored or down in life, it might do something to reinforce your story. Also, take care of Tellia nd if you can, take her with you."


    Looking forward, he was about to comment on the house''s small size, but he saw that the man was already long gone. He looked to the side and saw one of the combat hall''s hapcrons. She gave a mix between a chirp and a bark before opening the door on her own and walking inside. He sighed and followed.


    The house was largely devoid of much. There was a rocking chair alongside a normal chair, bed, a desk with a few clothes piled on top, and a drawer in the bedroom. The kitchen had a stone carved stove with a few wooden countertops and cabinets.


    Looking at his own combat trainee clothing, he quickly discarded it for the somewhat scratchy cloth. He looked around some more, but the attic held nothing and the bathroom was ordinary with a toilet that connected to a large pit underneath.


    "There isn''t much to work with..." With nothing else to do, Siul decided to get to work immediately. With some of the funds he had brought, he explored the area and took note of the alleyways and buildings. A map was forming in his head.


    Despite him having spent nearly five years in the world, he had done little to explore. He knew the ulmagi school campus like the back of his hand, the same was for the combat hall and the now ruined town of Tuk, but that was all. He had never really thought of exploring Gukulm much, partly because he never needed to.


    He approached an inconspicuous tavern and entered it. It was as lively and ordinary as every other one and there was a small conflict every hour or so. he sat down and ate some food before leaving shortly after.


    The streets were bathed in a nightly afterglow and the candles in windows painted a feeling that Siul just couldn''t quite describe. Laughs and snores filled the streets as he continued to walk. Soon enough, a darkened sign appeared above the street.


    [Huntell District]


    Siul had only ever heard of the place as rumors on the school''s campus and he would finally have the opportunity to explore it himself. From what he heard, it could be compared as a mix between a red light district and an entertainment district. There were certainly lewd things going on, but gambling, fighting rings, and whatever kind of game that people could come up with took precedence here.


    He entered and the area full of life immediately met him. It was full of cheers, yells, and a trace of sorrow. Siul did not worry. As long as someone was a stage 2 ulmaster or even a stage 1 ulmaster, all they needed was combat skills and the courage to fight a few huntrow and they could make a living. Of course, Huntrow were not just prey to be hunted with their dangerous nature, but that did not reduce its demand any further. However, this lifestyle had a limit and more experienced people found much better places to put their skills.


    He passed by a few people playing a game with thinly carved plates of wood. It was a popular game called "Gukta." The objective was to get certain combinations of wood plates, some would have a higher or lower value. Whoever had the highest amount of points at the end of each round consisting of 12 turns, then they would win. It was similar to the poker games of the real world.


    He continued to walk and entered a stone carved building. Inside, there was the rough celebration and the sweaty steam of a fight just won. There was a ring in the middle of the crowd of people and inside were two people, one was standing with a smile and hands up while the other was unconscious on the floor. A few people pulled the unconscious man out of the ring safely and transported him to a stretcher where a Trilla certified doctor began healing him. There were a few other people laying on beds a small distance away.


    "Are you all ready?!" An announcer yelled.


    The people got louder as a response.


    "It is the fight you all have been waiting for. The grand fight of the year!" He spoke with emphasis. "No rules, no death, match between..." He dragged his last words.


    "The stage 3 grand champion, Elvar. aaaand the underdog of the year... HALVA!"


    Siul joined the crowd, but his face went pale at the last word.


    ''Halva!?'' He thought to himself, utterly confused, but not surprised.


    "Haha!" Halva jumped into the ring and a large, bulky man also entered.


    "You are good fighter."


    "Don''t sweat it big guy! Save the compliments for after the fight! I. Am. Going. To. Beat. You." She hopped on her heels and put her fists up. Her hair tied into a ponytail and she wore the bare minimum of clothing for maximum flexibility.


    "Nooooow, the match will start in three..." The announcer spoke quietly."Two." He said in a louder voice."One" The announcer was practically yelling his lungs out now. "Registra!" The people roared in anticipation.


    Halva turned into a blur and her body was behind Elvar in the next moment. Siul could swear he saw lingering after images. Siul detected that a large amount of ulma was being put into her fist. The direction she was punching? Towards him. Everybody in the suspected path parted ways and in the next moment, Elvar''s body was sent flying through the crowd, miraculously touching no one.


    He got up and swiped away the blood in his nose. A faint amount of mana sealed it.


    "Very, very good!" He chuckled and walked back towards the fighting ring. The announcer''s excited voice was drowned out. His lumbering body brushed right past Siul and he could feel the mass amount of potential strength inside of the man. His feet practically crushed the ground underneath.


    "Don''t underestimate me."


    The man raised his arms and swung into the ground. A burst faint vein like mana spiraled out. Halva jumped right before it was going to make contact with her. It was all not well, though, as the mana pulsed and hardened before rising up like a net. it caught her.


    She broke it easily, but the mana veins underneath were getting stronger with each pulse. Halva gathered more mana in her arms and counterattacked with a punch.


    Elvar blocked it with one arm, but not before a burst of foreign mana was sent into it. The attack failed, however, as Elvar had put up an internal mana shield to block it.


    "Not so easy." He grabbed her arms and she had to react fast.


    Halva gathered a burst of mana at her feet and front flipped in the next moment before kicking right on Elvar''s face. The action caused him to flinch and momentarily let go, allowing her to escape. Elvar backed up and his face scrunched. Blood poured rapidly out of micro cuts before he sealed them with mana. He could only chuckle and grin. "Nice one."


    The man disappeared in the next second. Halva seemed to turn a moment after, but she was too late and Elvar was already behind her with a fist full of charged mana. He punched forward.


    Halva''s back arched and she was sent flying into the crowd that had managed to form a path just in time. Her body made contact with the wall and she slid down, coughing.


    "So fast?" She muttered, shocked.


    "One!" The announcer counted. Two more counts without action, or five more counts without making it back to the ring and she would lose.


    "Two!" Her hand moved and she stood up. Mana dispersed through her body, sealing up the scratches and wounds. Mana unconsciously spread in her body and accelerated the making of adrenaline. Her heart beat fast. She stepped in the ring. The world slowed. The man in front of her. Gone.


    Her eyes widened as she intuitively sensed what to do next. She fell to the floor as fast as she could before rolling and stood up. Elvar was behind where she previously stood. Halva''s breath remained calm and the sweat became glitter in the ring.


    The world became quiet and she breathed out. She widened her eyes and sent a burst of mana to her legs and eyes. The world was still in front of her as she circled around Elvar. She saw his eyes trace her body, but his own body was too slow to move. She swiped her legs and felled the behemoth in front of her.


    With his body still catching air, she pounced at his back as she saw the mana in his body become faster in the still world. He was also increasing the strength of his body. He became less like a statue and moved more fluidly with every second. His body touched the floor and he flashed behind her.


    She slid to the right, dodging his fist and twirled around to roundhouse kick him in the stomach. She winced as her leg felt like kicking the strongest object in the world, but he still slid back some. Reacting quickly, she ducked and slid underneath his legs before jumping up again and kicking his head.


    "Haha, still too early for you..." His voice was deep and he was gone once again. The world collapsed around Halva and her body was on the ground. She gave consistent breaths as her mind spiraled. She couldn''t move and slipped into unconsciousness. The fight was over.


    "Well, folks! That was an exhilarating battle! With the underdog Halva defeated, Elvar remains the four time grand champion of the Huntell district''s special annual Warrior''s Gauntlet!"


    Siul could only shake his head as he headed to the medical station.


    "May I help? I''m a friend." The doctor smiled and nodded. Siul set his hand on the doctor''s back and filtered away his signature before sending it to the doctor. With more mana, she can use up more mana for the treatment. After doing so for half an hour, Halva was healthy enough to wake up the next day as healthy as new and he left.


    The night was already long and so, he decided to head back to the house before retiring. When he woke up, he found that there was a small bag of four talma on the desk.


    Grabbing the money, he walked outside of the house and onto the streets once again. Children played and a few people on wagons passed all the while everyone moved with confidence and harmony. Everynow and then, he would even see someone riding a bike around the city.


    Arriving at the tailor''s shop, he walked inside and a man greeted him.


    "What kind of clothing would you be looking for?"


    "I am here for other business. I am Hark."


    The man nodded. "Follow me this way. I am Jil and today will be your first day of working. You will mostly be greeting the customers, but you also need to be able to know what they want before they even know what they want."


    They walked through into the back area of the shop where many shelves, racks, and boxes of clothing were held.


    "How is there so much?"


    "We work with many hobbyist tailors around the city. Anybody who sends it to us first gets the quality checked before getting paid a certain amount depending on the clothing, its complexity, style, and current trends. If anybody buys the clothes, then the provider will get another pay cut. You see, not many people are actually that good at managing, have the reputation, or want to actually set up a store. For a lot, it''s a hobby, and then we turn that hobby into a profit. Of course, we also make our higher quality in house goods too."


    Jil rummaged through a box before fishing out a uniform similar to the one he was currently wearing. It was a pair of blue formal pants and shirt commonly used as well as a strange robe made out of black strips of hide connected at the hood. The front was open and the suit would be entirely visible.


    "Wear this."


    Siul put the clothing on and remarked at its surprisingly comfortable feeling. It was better than the scratchy clothing he was wearing, even if it was a little tighter.


    "Now, we need to get you ready to greet people. First thing you want to do is treat all new customers like they are the biggest pile of talma in the world. Even if they are rude, it cannot be easily told if some are wealthy or not. The second thing is, act courteous no matter the circumstance. Third, learn what type of clothing they want and need as soon as possible without rushing. Make ''friends'' with them if you can to improve your relationship."


    Siul groaned inwardly as he realized that he would have to actually learn how to greet people if they didn''t find out where Tarban was recruiting fast enough. He could only beg in his heart for them to hurry up.


    He heard the shop''s front door open and his employer walked out. "Watch me. Follow me. Learn from me."


    ---


    Siul bowed down to a customer. "What would you like, esteemed sir?" He could tell from the man''s clothing that he must be part of a decentary sized caravan. However, all he was greeted with was an envelope before walking away and browsing the store''s catalog of goods on his own.


    Confused, Siul took it and in clear words, there was [Hark] scribbled on it.


    "What is that?" Jil asked from behind.


    "Some mail for me?" Siul was unsure


    "Ah, then it seems that your time here is done."


    "Huh?" Jil didn''t give him the space to resist and he was pushed out of the store.


    It was a short one and a half week, but he still got along with the man rather well. The door was shut securely and Siul decided not to push the matter further. He walked back to his humble house with the envelope in hand. Once he closed the door, he opened the letter.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    [Head to the Delianne Tavern. There will be a discreet recruitment round. Get on your recruiter''s good side.]


    Siul put the note down. They finally figured out where he would need to go. He put the letter in the stone furnace and burned it before heading out once again. He made sure to get the comfortably resting Tellia to come with him.


    Delianne Tavern was also in the Huntell District, although it was not the most popular one. Arriving in the Huntell district, though, it seemed more quiet than before. The closer he got to the tavern''s location, the more the area became mum and pale. He told Tellia to wait a short distance outside.


    Entering into the Delianne Taver, it was much calmer than the last time he had been there. People talked and ordered food, but there was not even an ounce of conflict boiling. A rare and practically impossible occasion for a place like the tavern.


    He ordered a plate of meat as he fidgeted with a strand of mana and stared at the table. He didn''t know exactly what would happen, that was, until a large bald man approached.


    "You look pretty down, eh?"


    Siul couldn''t help but feel complimented. He had spent a lot of time each day making his face appear ragged and desperate. Although it was rare for anyone to be struggling in these times, it still happened.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "Sorry to point it out, but, well, look at you."


    "You trying to start some trouble?" Siul tried to look angry.


    "No, no. Of course not. But I will say this once." The man looked around before looking back at Siul. "I can help you."


    "How so? I graduated from the ulmagi school, what can you do that isn''t already better than what I have..." Siul said in a sulking manner.


    "Everyone has, even I have. What I am saying is, I can give you an opportunity better than anything you might have ever had."


    "You are so sure?"


    The man cupped his hand over his finger and in the next second, a small flame spouted above it. A small amount of red, powdery substance laid on top of it.


    "Impossible..." Siul widened his eyes and whispered in genuine surprise.


    The man let go of the flame and it dispersed into a small cloud of aura. "It is not so... But the best of opportunities come with a risk."


    Siul knew what was coming.


    "Really? I can learn how to create flames?" He purposely ignored the last part and besides, he really was excited by the possibility. He already knew of the risk that he needed to take.


    "Yes, you can. But what I say next... If you don''t agree then we will have no choice but to... You get it."


    Siul nodded.


    "Follow me." The man began to move.


    Siul followed him outside the tavern and into a small alley. In the corner of his vision, Siul could discern red splatters hidden by gravel.


    "We work for Tarban, and you will soon join its ranks." Siul knew that no matter what he said it was either join or death.


    "I agree."


    "Perfect. I am Gilvern and you are..."


    "I am Hark."


    "Alright, now, you just need to follow this man here." Gilvern gave a gesture and a robed man emerged from the shadows.


    "Wait, can I bring my hapcron with me? I don''t know what I''ll do without her... If she just gets abandoned then..."


    Gilvern thought for a few seconds before rescinding. "Fine, bring your trow, but nothing else."


    Siul nodded, thankful.


    Gilvern didn''t say anything else and headed back into the tavern. Siul whistled loudly and a few moments later, Tellia landed swiftly next to him.


    The man in front of Siul began to walk and he followed. After enough time of going through the dark streets, they approached a few wagons driven by tilmikes. On the wagon there were already two other people.


    After stepping inside of it, he heard a yell and the wagon came to life with its movements. The smooth stone roads made for a comfortable ride.


    The other two inside the wagon did not speak and the night was silent apart from the steps of the tilmike and the grinding of wood and stone. The wagon came to a stop and the man driving spoke before he heard the large wooden doors of Gukulm''s gate creak open. The ground became rough and they were now on dirt paths.


    ---


    Five days passed and most of it was spent sitting, eating, or hoping for the wagon to stop to relieve oneself.


    "I spy... Something green."


    "Is it a fera bush?"


    "No."


    "Oh! That Tilmike''s horn."


    "No."


    "My coin pouch?"


    Siul shook his head. "No, but it is on the wagon."


    Gerald and Til thought long and hard before Til glanced towards Siul''s feet.


    "That leaf!"


    Correct."


    "Ha!"


    Siul could only chuckle. It had been too long since he had played a game like this and to think that he would be doing this while on the way to an enemy''s base...


    There was nothing else they could do. The days passed by and it only took a little bit of talking to break the ice. They had no other entertainment.


    Til picked up a leaf from a pile and set it down.


    "Damn, roll to restart."


    Gerald took out a pyramid shaped dice.


    "Fruit." Siul said passively.


    "Sword!" Til spoke excitedly.


    "Book." Gerals threw up the dice and caught it in a small cup before letting it roll out onto the wood seat next to him.


    "... It''s throne." Gerald sighed and threw up the dice and caught it in the cup before letting it roll out again.


    "Sword."


    "Shit!" Til took up her piece of wood carved to a sword and moved it to a circle in the middle of the board.


    Just then, the tilmikes stopped. The three looked out in front and saw a small tower still being built in front of them.


    "We have arrived."


    Siul stood up and stretched his limbs as he jumped out of the wagon. A few others from behind also came to a stop. The still ground felt foreign to him and he could still feel the constant movement of the wagon.


    The door to the tower opened and they were pushed in before they could even speak. Getting back on their feet, they were escorted up the tower and they were each forced into a room as they went by.


    Passing by a door, Til was pushed in one, then Gerald, and finally Siul and Tellia into his own room. The door shut behind them and he looked around the room. There was only a bed, a desk, and a small wooden chest. In the chest, there were five pairs of robes. On the desk, though, there was a much more interesting work out leather bound book with bright white words.


    Tellia yawned impassively and curled up in the most comfortable corner she could find. Siul honestly didn''t know if the hapcron was lazy or not, but he definitely knew that it was uncannily smart. Even if it did not seem so.


    Putting the matter aside, he picked up the book and read the title. [Basics of Ulmurgy].


    ''This is it!'' He knew just from the title that this was one of the things that he had been looking for. It also confirmed that he would, indeed, not know much about what the book he had stolen was about. It would be a different type of ulma control, or a more advanced usage, than he was used to.


    He did not hesitate to open its wrinkled pages and began to read. For every page he read, the more excited he grew. He read into the night and with a fulfilled breath, he closed the book altogether. He wanted more.


    Ulmurgy was indeed nothing like what an ulmaster did. If an ulmaster was a master of internal manipulation, then ulmurgy practitioners relied on external manipulation. Even the way they used attacks was held outside the body. This, however, presented a great two piece puzzle that could be connected together perfectly and complement each other. Siul thought of what would happen if someone was a stage 3 ulmaster as well as a master of ulmurgy.


    The crux of ulmurgy was the mana crystal. Ulmurgy practitioners would use it to impart special properties on mana that passed through it.


    The book explains that mana has a hidden malleable nature where it can take on the properties of simple elements such as fire and water. To give the mana a "nature," though, it had to be basked in the elements for either a long time, or very forcefully. For fire this can mean putting it over a fire for a long time or throwing the mana crystal into lava for a year before retrieving it.


    Because of the natural movement of mana in the world, though, it is very rare for mana to acquire a nature and even if it did, it would dissipate into aura before anyone found it, so that meant it has to be made artificially.


    For the basics of ulmurgy, it is simply making mana pass through a natured mana crystal. What the nature in the mana crystal does is essentially pollute the mana and impart some of the nature on it, this also means that the mana crystals can run out of nature as well.


    Later stages of ulmurgy include carving mana pathways into the mana crystal so that when mana passes through it, it can be spread out or modified in special ways. Another more technical use would be grinding a natured mana crystal into a powder and using that to make various kinds of light "spell" balls. This answered his question of how Gilvern managed to make a fire as well.


    With the book nearly finished, although he had learned a lot, he would have to give a more comprehensive read when he could. With tired eyes, Siul fell back on his bed.


    ---


    In Siul''s opinion, ulmurgy was interesting, but compared to what he thought it was before, it could still only be called a branch off of an ulmaster. Just being a stage 1, or even better, a stage 2 ulmaster, could magnify a practitioner by magnitudes in power. An in body mana battery and a stronger body in general are only additional factors. The main takeaway is the body''s increased willingness to control and use mana. When dealing with unstable "natures" it is of the utmost importance that control is the best it can be.


    This fact became very known to Siul after only a few months and it was the reason that the forces of Tarban tried to recruit only stage 2 ulmasters and if they were desperate, stage 1 ulmasters. A few of the people recruited even continue to focus on cultivation until they become stage 3 before fully focusing on ulmurgy.


    Siul knew that this wasn''t an option for him and so, he could ignore the few of his peers that chose the smart choice of waiting it out until stage 3.


    With a charred face, though, he meditated in the dedicated, healing use only, light magic plant chamber. Over the past few months, he had become very accustomed in techniques that heal oneself.


    From delicately controlling mana through the body and accelerating specific processes of the body, it was a hard and mind consuming task that required as much focus as possible for beginners.


    Walking out of the room, the stale air of the dungeon basked him and hit his still sensitive face. He could smell a trace of tangy substance. It meant that a lot of people were using fire mana crystals that day.


    Working under Turban was a lot like working a full time job. For nearly half the full day, he would have to produce items and materials according to demands and people would make sure he stayed on task. In the few hours he got to himself, he would use it to improve his understanding of ulmurgy and then sleep.


    Everynow and then, new people would arrive to make up for... Unfortunate losses in the midst of spell ball production or mishaps. Walking into the lab, Gerald and Til greeted him.


    "Made any progress yet?"


    "No, but we have managed to mix fire and water powder to create a steam spell bomb. Though a delicate process, everyone knows how to make it and it''s not even that useful." Gerald sat down his tools as he took a break.


    "That''s fine, as long as we know how to do one thing, we may be able to find a use to do it in something else." After quickly showing his brilliance in researching, Siul was moved to the research and development department as a head researcher and after a request, he was able to get Gerald and Til saved from combat training and be put into his group.


    It was best to work with people that not only he knew, but could get along with. He shivered from their short accounts of combat training. From half of their body getting burnt to nearly being crushed by stone, if they had a lapse in attention, then there was a good chance they could die. The death rate of training was 15%.


    Siul doubted its effectiveness at both training and retaining valuable forces, but he knew that Tarban would need those that are not only loyal, but can also do many things that others would find unfavorable.


    "We have an order of twenty jet stream crystals for the next week." Til said from the side.


    Siul groaned. mana crystal carving was a tedious matter and even he had a 50% fail rate, not to mention his assistants. Each crystal took a few hours to carve as well.


    The jet stream crystal itself wasn''t too complex of a pathway, but it is mostly involved in delicately making highly reinforced and miniscule pathways that mana would be compressed into before being outputted as the element.


    Making small pathways was already hard enough, but making them durable too? Siul took a spherical mana crystal from a box resting in the corner and got to work.


    The first thing he had to do was put his focus around the entire crystal to keep the pathway from dissipating and then he had to navigate his senses through it. The beginning of creating a usable mana crystal involved creating a vein without a premade mana pathway already inside. Creating it was always the hardest part.


    From there, he would have to stretch it. The smaller the pathway got, the more focus he had to use to maintain it too. It would also undoubtedly mean it would create a lot of pressure when mana passed through it in large amounts, which was necessary, but too much and no miniscule mana path that anyone could make would withstand it. That meant he had to create a few structures to relieve it.


    The jet stream "effect" left a lot of extra space and so, at the beginning of the pathway, he created four wide veins and led to the side of the crystal. At the place where they connect with the mini pathway, he created a double sided "door" where one side would only open after enough pressure was applied and the other would open with just a thought. The big veins led to a big storage vein to preserve the mana that would have been wasted.


    The longer the mana was left inside the crystal, the more polluted with the nature it would get and so, that meant that the second attack would be more fiery. Storing it inside the crystal also allowed its user to activate the jet stream crystal easier.


    With the mana crystal nearly finished, he moved his senses to the jet stream vein pathway and began to reinforce it by thickening its walls until it was about the same size as the large veins leading out to the storage area.


    With everything finished, all that was left was to leave the mana path in a preserved state which could easily be done by dipping the mana crystal in liquified mana and soft forge the pathway into it by saturation.


    Picking it up, he walked out from the lab and moved towards the middle of the dungeon where the mana pool laid. It was maintained by everyone and it didn''t matter who used it as long as no one was too greedy with it in their own time. He dipped the crystal inside and let the pure mana saturate the crystal. Although it didn''t have a nature yet, it would be put into the production process and be divided up into whatever type of natured crystal they needed.


    With the place''s position on the other side of the continent from Gukulm, they had a large area that they could move in rather safely. To the far north, hundreds of Galn away, there was a large freshwater lake that got to extremely cold temperatures. It was perfect for making water natured crystals.


    To the east, there was a volcano and its use was self explanatory for crystals. Wind was tricker and few were made by setting batches of mana crystals in mana sterile environments and only putting them out during windy days or storms while making sure no water made contact with them.


    Finally, there was earth which was made even less and nobody even really knew how exactly it was made most of the time.


    The traditional method for the earth crystal was simply storing them deep down beneath, but this would often produce impure, mixed nature crystals consisting mostly of fire with little earth. The two elements naturally had different inherent properties. Where fire was fiery and vicious, earth was slow and aloof. Their mixed crystals were treated as junk.


    The mixed crystals, though, could be treated and nature can be moved, but it was a tiring and time consuming process that was used as punishment for not meeting the quota. The crystals would also be less effective after treatment.


    His mana pathway still ached in remembrance of the punishment. He had to process the natured mana through his own body and separate the natures into two mana crystals.


    Siul had an inkling that it was pressure that made earth crystals, or at least contributed, but that was all he could think of. Unlike the other three simple natures, earth did not "create" actual earth. Instead, it greatly increased the mana''s ability to interact with the earth, or ground. If before, digging was like, well, digging through earth, then with earth nature, it would be like digging through something even softer than butter that could then be manipulated.


    So, in all, there were very few earth mana crystals and they were mostly just treated as a blank filter to transform somebody''s mana to have the ability to manipulate earth better.


    Taking the crystal out of the mana pool, he stopped focusing on it and was relieved that the pathway did not dissipate before bringing it back to the lab and placed it down on a separate box.


    "Damn!" Gerald shouted in frustration from the side. A few strands of aura left form the mana crystal.


    "Remain calm. The angrier you get, the harder it will be."


    "... Alright."


    Siul looked at the few fire natured mana crystals that he got as part of his salary. A desire welled up inside of him, but he was already determined to not mess with the development of the world too much. Guns were too significant even for him.


    With no doubt, he knew that a new revolution was soon to come if ulmurgy ever spreads and develops more.


    ---


    Siul worked on a special fire mana crystal that he treated dearly. It was a passion project that would make fiery mana bloom into a flower-like shape once mana was inputted. He even brushed up on his crystal carving skills to carve the mana crystal itself to aid in its construction.


    He was not one for spell balls and didn''t really care for them. In the face of natured mana crystals, spell balls were very mundane and simple, but practical use. At the moment.


    Siul knew a lot of the potential spell balls had and that was precisely the reason he tried to ignore it and only work with it secretly. He already knew a lot of what they could achieve. He was worried if he worked with the stuff too much, he might clue people in on how to make hot weapons.


    Things like powdered fuses or simple ''lighter" spells didn''t excite him. If he wanted to learn spells, he wanted to learn the juicy stuff. But sadly, there was no such thing yet.


    A knock sounded on the lab''s door.


    "I''ll get it..." Til said with a dragging voice. It was, afterall, rare for them to complete an order fast enough to have more than two days to spare. They had spent more than a healthy amount of time in the lab working on the mana crystals.


    "Ah!" The handle was turned before Til could reach for it and a squad of four soldiers burst into the room. Til was apprehended before she could say anything else.


    Siul had already dashed to the other side of the room and was holding five fire bloom mana crystals.


    "Get any closer and all of you will go to flame!" The four stopped and looked at eachother. The one in front sent a mana signal to the other three and before Siul could react, the four of them pulled out three water mana crystals each and sprayed them towards Siul.


    He activated the fire bloom mana crystals and the room erupted into a steamy bath of air. He blinked and two of the soldiers were already reaching for him. He lunged past them and towards the door, another person was guarding it. Seeing that he was out of the options, he dashed under the desk table and pulled out a particularly large fire mana crystal.


    "Stop! We''ll all die in an explosion if I activate this!" The squad stopped as they recognized the familiar shape. It was, afterall, one of his own inventions, and a particularly dangerous one at that.


    Though simple and it had been thought of before, he took the design and just optimized it to a great extent.


    Siul had already filled the mana crystal''s storage with potent mana and it could go off with only a thought. A stream of mana would turn it into flame and then reroute itself back into the crystal where it would then ignite the mana in the reinforced vein walls.


    "... Hark. You need to come with us."


    "And why should I? There is no way I will survive after you guys take me wherever you need to." He clenched the fire crystal hard and the four flinched ever so slightly.


    One of them gestured with his hands, trying to reason with Siul.


    "There is no guarantee. You could be rewarded for your cooperation."


    "Is a life of torture and imprisonment better than death?"


    Loud footsteps sounded from outside the opened door and in the next second, an imposing figure presented himself.


    "Hello Hark."


    "Apologies for our failure to quickly capture him, Tarban."


    "Ha, no worries." Before Siul could react, Tarban had already secretly extended a tendril of mana and broke the mana crystal''s pathways that lead to the potent storage areas in the mana crystals. He then dashed in front of Siul and took the crystal out of his hands.


    "Interesting, but useless when tampered with." He threw the crystal aside and one of the soldiers leaped and grabbed it in a panic before landing on his stomach.


    "I am sorry, Tarban. Pardon my rudeness, but may I ask, have I done anything bad to contract the attention such as your grace?" Siul wanted to lick the man''s shoes then and there, but decided not to as he inwardly cringed at the thought.


    "Oh! no, no. But more so my curiosity... Hark." He creased his forehead. "Stand up." He said in a demanding tone.


    Siul could do nothing but obey. "Is my, uhh, life in danger?"


    "No, of course not. But it may be if you continue asking... Hark." Tarban narrowed his eyes.


    Siul could only obey Tarban and slowly stood up.


    Now follow me. You cannot harm me in any way. Don''t even try." Siul nodded and let his hands be tied by a strong rope.


    They walked through the corridors, past the place that he had called "home" for the last year. They went past the labs, past the mana pool and through the valued personnel housing. Finally, they approached a pair of double doors and it was opened to reveal the library.


    Tarban did not stop walking as they continued past all of the ordinary books, up a short incline of stairs and through an inconspicuous door. They walked through to reveal a small room with nothing but a desk, two chairs, a bed, a few chests, and on one side of the wall, a bookshelf half filled.


    "Does anything strike you as... Familiar, Hark? Or is that even your name, Watcher of our world?" He said as if revealing the greatest mystery in the world.


    Beads of sweat began to pour down Siul''s face as he smiled.


    "Surprised, right? I would be in your place, but considering the inconsistencies you have made, maybe not much so." Tarban sat on a chair and instructed Siul to sit on the other.


    He sat down and was silent as he thought about what to say. He thought about impromptu in some stupid story, but he knew that it would never go by in the eyes of Tarban and would only get his head sliced off in the next moment. Not only that, he just couldn''t bring himself to.


    He took a deep breath before letting it out and spoke.


    "How did you know?" Siul was curious and he knew that Tarban wanted answers. Going by his behavior for the time that he knew him while in the world, the man had sobered up and calmed down greatly. He had long learned both how to work with others and keep himself in a position of power. For as long as Tarban was curious, Siul was guaranteed to live.


    "For so many years, I... We noticed nothing. At first I was just a young and damn ignorant man. I thought nothing of it for many years afterward... Then I began to learn. I investigated getting back at Gukulm, but soon I started to notice a few inconsistencies that just don''t make sense. Hell, even before I was alive, the signs were showing." Tarban chuckled.


    "Was it the light magic plant?" Siul knew that there was no sweet talking out of it and he came outright.


    ¡°Somewhat, but a big question of why haven''t we, the humans, gone extinct sooner popped into my mind one day. I compiled all of what I knew about the world and found that at a certain point, a long time ago, no dangerous huntrow were anywhere near any tribe until one year, something clicked. That was the first sign of your existence. The light magic plant was the second. But can you guess the third and the others after that?" Tarban smiled, as if relishing in outsmarting and discovering Siul.


    Siul thought of what he did that could have impacted the world and he found it quickly. He let out a solemn grunt.


    "Haaa. It''s my signature ain''t it? That''s what gave it away... Also, shortly after appearing directly in front of you, an ambitious talent on par with those from the ''click'' as you call it was recruited in your ranks. It was only a matter of time." It all made sense and he was too careless. He should have thought about it sooner, but it wasn''t until he learned more about mana did he find that he even had a special "signature" unique to him at all.


    "Could you imagine my surprise when I walked into my dungeon to find you all people?"


    They both broke into a hearty laugh and Siul looked at the menu window in front of him and focused on [Observation Mode].


    Looking down at his chest, he found a spear of mana sticking through his body. Siul walked back and it slid out of his incorporeal form.


    "I know you can still see me, watcher. This isn''t the end. Tell me, is the reason you watch over this world not to learn?" Tarban had a darkened face and gave a grunt in annoyance.


    Siul didn''t dare to go back into the world and could only sigh in relief at choosing the right time to leave.


    "You''re back!" Bon yelled from a corner of the world.


    "Yes, I am... I might have also made a few enemies." He looked back at where Tarban''s figure used to be. He was now somewhere in the compound, nowhere to be seen. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and flew back to his room.


    He paused as he saw Gerald''s room door open. He peeked inside and couldn''t help but look away for a second. Tarban''s soldiers had already decapitated the man and ransacked his room. They were now heading out and his room was next. He had to move fast.


    Flying into his own room, Siul saw that Tellia was already wide awake and alert, smartly hiding on the roof right above the doorway. He entered into interaction mode and grabbed the worn out [Basics of Ulmurgy] as well as two relatively new, blank titled books. He then grabbed one of his robes and Tellia before pulling himself back into observation mode.


    Tellia chirped rapidly in confusion before trying her best to calm down.


    "It''s alright, you''ll be fine." Siul flew back to Gukulm and stopped in front of Unfi''s combat hall. Ripping out a piece of paper from one of the books, he wrote a small letter before attaching it to Tellia.


    "Good luck, Tellia... This is the last you''ll be seeing of me." He rubbed his hands right above hapcron''s ear and she melted into his hand. Before long, he had to back away and look solemnly at the hapcron that understood. She stood on the ground despite being in a ghost form and hardened a determined look in her eyes.


    Siul released his mana tendril from her and he watched as she walked up to Unfi''s combat hall and gave a loud, chirping bark.


    Bon watched, confused at everything that was happening rapidly. Just what Siul did in the few years that he was inside?


    Siul put his hands in the pockets of his gray robe and simply said, "Just watch."


    They observed as Unfi opened the door and gave a smirk at the sight of seeing Tellia. He brought the still somewhat solemn hapcron inside and they watched him read the note before the plan was set into motion.

 Future of the Story (Dont Worry)

    So, I really did not want to have to make this notice, however, it has been too long with no updates. First, I would like to say that I love this story and I can see the potential it has, however, I feel as if I have just taken a bite too big for me to chew as my first serious fiction. This fiction is inspired off of a few eastern novels I read a year ago, I call them sandbox novels (I don''t know the actual term for the genre), with my favorite being a novel called Shepharding Humanity. After spending a lot of effort trying to find english novels of a similiar genre on any site, I finally gave up and decided to write one myself as I had been sort of trying to find something to seriously write for a long time before that already. However, as I have mentioned before, this is my first fiction and I really underestimated the scale which, when looking at it, makes me feel overwhelmed. From the different worlds, cultures, characters, power systems, developing the real world, developing the main character(s), etc. I just haven''t planned it out enough to where I can just go and write a new chapter like nothing for a story like this. I would like to say this here and now, but from writing the first chapter all the way to chapter 12... I haven''t really planned anything. I have ideas for how to develop the story, but I haven''t actually planned or developed much.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    So, on to the main problem is that I have sort of not only written myself into a corner (Mainly the power system(s), but I do have a few ideas rolling around), but every time I open a chapter and try to write in it, it just feels like a slog because I just don''t know what to write (Yes, I have arcs and stuff loosely planned, but it is a matter of translating what I want to write into actual words) and it has been ongoing for the last 2 months. So, after much deliberation, I have decided that I will keep this novel on the dreaded hiatus until I feel confident enough to continue it or actually rewrite it.


    This novel, though, has been holding me back as whenever I try to brainstorm new ideas for a fiction, my mind just keeps going back to this, but as said before, this novel is just too big of a bite for me right now. So, I do not have any plans on abandoning it, but I will just sort of let it sit in the background until I, A: have dissolved it into smaller, more digestible pieces (I don''t really know how to do this yet), or B: Feel confident enough on tackling the novel again and seeing how it goes from there. In the meantime, though, I will work on other stories and whenever I feel like actually putting one out for people to see, it does not mean that I have totally forgotten about this fic, I just want a lil'' more practice. :)