《Second chance at life》 The Beginning of Evans story *BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP* *SMASH* "Ugh" says Evan Miller, your average depressed college student who was woken by his alarm for another tedious day of mind-numbingly boring classes. Dragging himself out of bed he did his usual routine of showering and brushing his teeth as he prepared himself for the day. Usually, he felt almost useless as if there was nothing to live for. His grades were fine, but he always felt as if he could never live up to the expectations that had surrounded him his whole life. This day was one of his worst as he saw midterms approaching and feared what would happen if he didn¡¯t bring home good grades. Opening his phone he quickly read a chapter from his latest fantasy book and rushed off to class. On his way he quickly grabbed a cup of coffee and started the monotonous journey to his 8:00 am lecture that he was on the verge of failing. While reading the news as he briskly walked to class, he stepped onto one of the many roads that weaved through campus. This was the last thing he remembered before opening his eyes once again to a dark and eerie place with what looked like souls stretching on for endless miles in a single file line spiraling downward into a chasm lit by hellish green flames that hurt him to even look at. Where am I? Evan thought to himself. Looking down he saw his body was as incorporeal as all the other souls around him. Starting to freak out as he thought back to his last moments, he realized that a car must have hit him proving fatal. He began to try and run away from the endless line that stretched in front of him but found his body or what he thought was his body resist his mental commands and continue slowly walking forward keeping pace with the line in front of him. All of a sudden, he heard a loud booming voice that seemed to come from everywhere around him. "WHAT IS THIS I SEE!" Evan began to freak out. What the hell was that, and why did I feel like it was speaking to me? A MORTAL SOUL THAT IS AWARE OF WHERE HE IS Evan had never been deeply religious only going to church on holidays such as Christmas or Easter but in this moment, he prayed to any and every god he could think of begging to save him.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "THOSE YOU PRAY TO CANNOT HELP YOU MORTAL" Evan tried to speak only to find his lips would not move yet somehow, he could still hear himself speaking. "WHO THE ARE YOU AND WHERE THE HELL AM I!" He shouted into the abyss. "HOW PECULIER. YOU CAN ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE WITH ME." Suddenly, seemingly from nowhere a figure adorned in obsidian armor wreathed in those same green flames that hurt him to look appeared before his eyes. Evan felt his mind shudder in this being''s presence and the next time it spoke the booming voice from before was now quieter. "WHY HELLO THERE." The ominous figure said gazing at him like he was some new toy his parents had bought him. "YOU CAN CALL ME XAROS, THE LORD OF LOST SOULS, AND FOR WHERE YOU ARE IS THAT NOT OBVIOUS? YOU ARE IN MY DOMAIN, OR AS YOU UNDERSTAND THE UNDERWORLD" The voice sounded ancient and hurt Evan to even listen to. It sounded like millions of nails scraping across metal. The answer made Evan pause. The underworld? So, I did die. Is this really the afterlife, just eternally walking in a line approaching nothingness? He had to have answers. "So Xaros, is this really what hell looks like? Is there even a way to escape? "NOW NOW YOUNG MORTAL THERE IS NO WAY FOR YOU TO ESCAPE THROUGH YOUR OWN MEANS. HOWEVER, SINCE I AM FEELING GENEROUS AS IT IS RARE SOMEONE IS ACTUALLY AWARE OF THEMSELF ONCE THEY CROSS THE GATE INTO MY DOMAIN, I AM CONSIDERING SETTING YOU FREE. WITH A CAVEAT OF COURSE." Evan considered the implications of what he just heard. So, it has happened before and better, yet this god was even willing to give him another life. But of course, there is a caveat. "What is required for me to have a second chance at life?" Evan asked. ¡°OHH IT IS SIMPLE.¡± Xaros said as he let out a chuckle. ¡°I JUST REUIRE YOU TO ACCEPT MY BLESSING.¡± Evan hesitated for a second. Pondering why this would be the only requirement to have a second chance at life. ¡°So why exactly would I not leap at this opportunity?¡± He asked. ¡°IT IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS YOU MAKE IT SOUND. RECEIVING A BLESSING FROM A DIETY SUCH AS ME WOULD CAUSE YOU TO BE THE TARGET OF MANY. THE WORLD YOU WOULD BE TRANSPORTED TO IS ROUGHT WITH STRIFE.¡± ¡°Even so I will accept your blessing if that means I have a second chance to live.¡± This Evan said in a tone that made Xaros smile. ¡°WELL SO BE IT IN THAT CASE HERE IS MY BLESSING AND I CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT ENTERTAINMENT YOU WILL BRING ME.¡± Following this Evan heard a language he could not quite comprehend but could feel the power within the words being spoken as suddenly the entire underworld shook as if an earthquake had hit it. With this Evan began to feel a hot burning sensation over his skin as if something were being pressed into his skin. As the final words of Xaros¡¯s chant finished Evan saw the world grow black and he felt as if he was being torn into millions of different pieces the last thing, he heard was Xaros saying ¡°goodbye foolish mortal I hope you don¡¯t die immediately.¡± This was said in a tone that lacked the usual booming nature it had before now sounding almost intrigued. And then everything went dark. Reincarnated Darkness. An all-consuming darkness that seemed to confuse his very perception of reality. Evan felt himself moving through the darkness as if he was a fish swimming through water rapidly approaching something. All of a sudden, a bright light filled his eyes, and he felt his senses come back to him. The first thing he saw, however, was fire. A fire that burned so badly it stung his pupils to even look at, made his skin dry out. The issue was the fire was just merely passing over his head aimed far off in the distance. Evan freaked out, turning to run away he found his body didn''t want to move with him as he felt nauseas. This caused him to fall to the ground which he found to be extremely muddy. As his head cleared, and he registered everything around him his eyes widened. Two massive armies surrounded him, one dressed flying banners of blue and white while the other side supported the colors gold and red. He saw the bodies of thousands littering the ground all around him. Objects of all kinds were flying overhead. He spotted those same flames burn bodies to ash leaving not even bones in their wake. He heard screams from people hit by highly pressurized jets of water that cut through steel with ease. He felt the wind whipping around him and gathered above one figure standing over the army draped in blue and white armor. This phenomenon gradually increased in power as lighting began to strike the ground and the figure who he could now see was dressed in robes colored similarly to the rest of the army in blue and white the only distinction was the forces of nature surrounding him. Lighting seemed to gather around him exponentially until all that could be seen of this man was the blinding white of thousands of bolts of lightning. All of a sudden, the world seemed to stop for a second as if time itself was holding its breath waiting for the outcome of this storm. All Evan heard was a crackling noise as the world went white. It felt like eternity passed before he could see and hear again and what he saw shocked him to his core. Devastation was the only word that would come to mind at that moment as he saw what remained of the opposing force. The fight however was still not over soldiers remained from the other side and they were prepared to go down to the last man. What followed Evan could only describe as a massacre. He saw multiple people in full plate armor move faster than his eyes could track sprinting at the remaining survivors from the red and gold army. The remaining few still put up a fight as superhuman soldiers from both sides clashed he saw flames wrap around one soldier''s sword instantly cauterizing any wounds inflicted with is. This man was dressed in ornate armor with patterns that seemed to glow. He saw them briefly brighten as his movement speed increased dramatically as he got behind his opponent and swung downwards with his sword that appeared to almost be larger than him. The other soldier barely moves in time and instead of the giant sword cutting him from head to crotch he loses an arm instead. The winner of this fight becomes quickly apparent to Evan as dozens of blows are exchanged in only seconds. The red and gold soldier started taking more and more wounds as he¡¯s on the defensive only able to swing his sword to parry his opponents. The fight that Evan thought would be over in mere moments due to the soldier¡¯s blood loss ends up lasting for a few more minutes as hundreds of blows are exchanged. Evan could now believe what he was seeing or how these people were able to harness nature itself to call a storm upon their foes. He then heard voices behind him shouting. ¡°Hey over here I see a survivor although he isn¡¯t dressed in the revolutions colors!¡± Turning around Evan saw a squad of 6 people approaching him all covered in blood staining the once pristine white and blue robes and armor. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me I¡¯m not with the other army I just appeared here.¡± Shouted Evan as he frantically backed up hoping to appear as non-threatening with his hands in the air. He waited for a few moments heart rapidly beating in his chest as the group of soldiers paused for a moment. ¡°Jack, check his level, he might not be lying as strange as it sounds.¡± This was said by one of the two figures in robes. Upon looking closer at the soldiers Evan noticed that each uniform also had an insignia of a tornado on it and that amongst the group 2 of them were female. ¡°Charlie you aren¡¯t kidding, he¡¯s level 1 I don¡¯t even know how he would have managed to survive if he had been here since the conflict started.¡± This was said by the man in front of the group carrying a large shield. Evan was lost in thought for a second. What do they mean by level he wondered and how could they tell his by just a glance. His thoughts were interrupted as the soldier he assumed was Jack shouted again. ¡°Hey, you, what¡¯s your name and why are you here.¡± Evan paused momentarily considering what he should say. After a brief pause, he decided to be honest and hope for the best. ¡°I died and found myself in the underworld talking to Xaros who told me if I accepted his blessing then he would reincarnate me into a different world. I agreed and everything went black and when I woke up, I found myself in the middle of this battlefield. Also, what do you mean by level?¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. There was a pause as the group considered his words for a few seconds. ¡°So, you are one of the reborn.¡± Said one of the girls, the one who spoke up was dressed like Charlie in robes. ¡°Yeah, Ana what are you talking about? Have you heard of this happening before?¡± Jack asked this with a confused expression on his face. ¡°Reborn are people who are given a second chance at life by one of the various deities the most common are from Grace, the goddess of life, and Renewal, the goddess of redemption, however most come from minor deities and Xaros has only ever done this once to my knowledge and they created the Eternal empire over 10,000 years ago. One thing that is common amongst all of them though is they all bring about tremendous change whether that is through new technology breakthroughs in magic study, great peace, war, and many other historical events.¡± The last statement was made with an air of gravitas to it, signifying to her party members how influential individuals such as him have been in the past. This gave the group another pauses as the implications of what they could potentially be dealing with sunk in. After a brief delay Jack said ¡°to answer your final question why are confused about level do you not know how to access the system interface? If you don¡¯t know how simple think status and it should appear.¡± In response Evan instantly mentally said status. Quickly a screen appeared before his eyes causing him to jump slightly not expecting this.
Name Evan Miller
Level 1 - 0/100
Class none
Strength 7
Agility 8
Endurance 9
Constitution 5
Intelligence 13
wisdom 11
Skills Mana sight- level 1
Blessing Xaros, Lord of the Underworld
This was much very different than anything Evan could have ever expected. Looking at the bottom he saw his blessing for Xaros and wished he could better tell what it did. As soon as he thought that more information became available to him.
Xaros''s Blessing Few have ever received the enigmatic Lord of the Underworlds blessing. Those that have all achieved great things or returned to their patrons embrace trying. This blessing modifies the recipient''s spells so that they can deal damage to the soul similarly to Xaros''s soul flames. While the soul damage is minimal overtime it can build up.
Just as he finished reading it one of the people who hadn''t spoken up yet asked "why are you covered in that strange tattoo?" Mana "What tattoo?" Evan asked hesitantly, almost fearing the answer. To answer this someone, he hadn¡¯t heard yet spoke up. The second girl in the group who wore heavy plate armor and carried a spear and shield decided to pull out a mirror, where she got it from, he had no clue, and said ¡°here look for yourself.¡± Evan¡¯s reflection shocked him. Looking back at him through the mirror was someone he could barely recognize as himself. To start with his eyes had changed and not in a small way. They had shifted from a murky brown that had matched his hair to a bright green that seemed to dance around constantly shifting as if his eyes contained Xeros¡¯s green flames and in the center of it all his pupils had become black. Evan couldn¡¯t even think about how to describe them. They were pitch black, blacker than the midnight sky. His pupils were dark they seemed to absorb light. There was also an indescribable depth to them as if they were the abys that he had seen in the underworld, almost bottomless with no end in sight. As he stared at the complete change in his eyes appearance the girl holding the mirror asked if he had noticed his arms. As if broken from a stupor Evan looked down and was speechless yet again. His hands looked as if he had tattooed bones on them to look skeletal, yet the rest of his arm was filled with runes and diagrams he couldn¡¯t even begin to comprehend yet he could feel power running through them. As he focused on that power, he noticed that same power thrummed within his chest and a thin sheen of it almost like a mist covered everything around him. He realized he recognized this power to be like what he saw the warrior from earlier using on his armor to increase his movements and ignite his sword on fire. He could feel the power within him begging to be released and as he focused on it, willing it to move towards his palm, he felt a slight drain from the center of his chest as a thin flame appeared in the air over his palm flickering slightly in the wind. He noticed that the power he had sensed in the air seemed to shy away from this flame that danced eerily in his palm. The flame itself was a light green almost seeming like a pale imitation of the flames in the underworld, the flames that now danced in his eyes. Evan lost himself within these flames, barely aware of the shouting surrounding him. ¡°EVAN NO!¡± The voices shouted around him, but he didn¡¯t care so he focused on the flames and the power within him. He was finally broken from his concentration when he was slammed into the ground. Coming to his senses he realized his body was covered in sweat and it was Jack that had tackled him to the ground. ¡°Evan, stop it stop channeling mana!¡± Jack shouted this in Evans ear as he noticed his surroundings for the first time since he started focusing on this power, what he now assumed to be mana, and realized everyone in the group had drawn their weapons along with Ana and Charlie having created constructs of fire and wind mana respectively. Once they noticed he had stopped channeling mana Charlie spoke up. ¡°Evan what the hell was that flame I thought you didn¡¯t know anything about magic and that flame seemed to pull at my soul just by being near to it. It was not enough to be painful and I recon even if I had touched it directly it would not have harmed me much but to wield something like that as a level one is terrifying. It also was draining your mana at an insane rate almost depleting your core.¡± Evan took a second to process everything that just happened before finally responding. ¡°I think that was the effect of my blessing from Xeros in the description it said that any magic I used would have slight soul damaging properties. I did not know what I was doing, but when I saw the tattoos on my arms, I saw this power within them that you claim is mana. Once I knew what to look for, I sensed mana all around us and within myself and just willed it to travel to my hand. I did this purely on instinct and suddenly the flame appeared.¡± Ana and Charlie both appeared excited by what he had said, especially Ana. The way she looked at him after he explained his sudden use of mana made him feel like a test subject in a lab. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to study your flame later Evan¡± said Ana quickly after his explanation I feel I can improve my own flame to add aspects of the one you just used. ¡°Before any testing is done, we need to report to the commander. You know the laws, anyone with magical talent must be reported so they can be taken to the academy. At this Ana briefly mumbled under her breath that she just needed a few hours for him to regenerate all his lost mana so she could study his flames.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Jack ignored this, picking Evan and himself off the muddy ground. ¡°Evan we are going to our commander¡¯s tent to report your appearance and to request a brief leave from the army so we can guide you to the capitols academy.¡± Before Evan could ask any of the millions of questions that came to mind when Jack mentioned the academy Jack started walking towards the main body of the army with a firm hand locked on Evan¡¯s shoulder forcing him to walk with him. The rest of the group followed behind them forming a circle around Evan with him and Jack in the front, The woman with the mirror behind Evan and two other people Evan hadn¡¯t spoken with dressed in armor like the woman¡¯s on either side of him. Finally, Ana and Charlie were standing in the back of this formation. They quickly made their way to the camp, and it was as they approached the army¡¯s fortifications that the rest of the group decided to introduce themselves. First the woman introduced herself as Sarah Strongheart and the two warriors identified themselves as twins named Jacob and Thomas Thatcher. As the twins finished their introductions the group finally reached the military cap and began moving towards the large tents in the back. They approached the largest one and the guards on either side of its entrance stepped forward asking what their business is with the commander. Jack spoke up saying ¡°Jack Heart reporting. We were sent out to find any survivors and found this guy.¡± At this proclamation Jack shoved Evan forward and continued speaking ¡°We identified him as Evan Miller, and I can guarantee the commander will want to see him.¡± The guards looked at each other then stepped back opening the flaps of the tent and ushering them inside. Evan watched all of this transpire nervously not sure what his fate will be or how the commander will react to the information Jack is about to tell him. Trip to the Capital pt 1 Entering the tent Evan felt a pressure descend upon him instantly making his knees buckle. It took a few seconds for him to gain his composure and adjust himself to deal with the presence. Immediately he noticed the somewhat baren interior with one large desk centered in the room covered in a map with figurines in different colors and sizes. Upon closer inspection he noticed a smaller piece colored red and gold toppled over. He assumed it represented the army that had just been defeated. Even more eye catching, however, were statues of creatures dotted around the map including some he recognized such as a few dragons and even a couple hydras. ¡°Who have you brought me.¡± Evan instantly stopped examining the map and focused on where the deep gravelly voice was coming from. He did not know how he had missed this person before as they stood at a domineering 6¡¯3 at least and built like a professional football player. Peaking from around his back was a giant war axe made of pitch-black metal. As the candlelight reflected off its surface Evan could see flecks of rust. No, not rust, he realized, it was blood. Staring now at the axe he felt as if it was a wild beast waiting to tear him apart. ¡°We found him in the middle of the battlefield confused and disoriented sir.¡± Jack answered brining Evan¡¯s wandering gaze back to the grizzly bear of a man. ¡°Once questioned we discovered him to have been transported to the world as a chosen of Xaros.¡± Hearing this the man grinned slightly gazing down on Evan¡¯s relatively small form as if he was a prime cut of meat. ¡°A chosen you say. It has been a while since I last heard of one from Xaros appearing, yet it is fitting for him to appear in the midst of our battle.¡± Evan got a sinking feeling that the next words the commander said only deepened. ¡°Did you discover any sort of magical potential? If so, you are to transport him directly to the academy for training and an education. If he is anything like other champions, especially those chosen from more powerful deities like Xaros then our kingdom would greatly benefit from his loyalty.¡± Despite the promise of studying at a magical academy Evan could not help but have conflicted emotions. He wanted to better understand the power given to him and how he could harness it, but what would this nation expect of him in return he couldn¡¯t help wondering. Jack spoke up, ¡°immediately sir we will head out at first light. He is currently level 1 and despite having just arrived in this world showed an aptitude for magic as well as a truly frightening affinity.¡± ¡°No that will not do. You will leave now and, on the way, have the mages in your party see if they can train and level him some.¡± Heart beating fast Evan realized that any sort of rest was out of the question, and he¡¯d immediately be forced to depart the military camp despite having just arrived there. The other members in the group gave positive affirmations to this command and after saluting made way to leave the tent. Evan followed them out struggling to keep up as they made their way through the army towards a field where he could see horses grazing. Jack quickly motioned over one of the handlers and after a brief explanation of their mission from the commander 6 horses were saddled. Jack received the largest of the mounts and effortlessly picked Evan up, placing him in the saddle behind him while telling him to hang on. More handlers gave the members of the group packs with rations and supplies in them as well as an extra sword that Evan quickly realized was for him. After everything was securely strapped to the horses the group set off. After traveling for a couple hours, the group slowed down and dismounted setting up camp. Evan was helped down by Ana, the fire mage, and as his feet touched the ground, he noticed his legs were sore in place that he didn¡¯t even know had muscles. Waving him over, Jack said they were two weeks from the academy, that was situated in the middle of the capital, if they had minimal delays. Following this Jack handed Evan the sword that had been packed for him and showed him how to properly hold it along with demonstrating a few basic moves. As the sky darkened, and food was being prepared Jack left Evan with a few drills telling him to practice until supper was ready. Concentrating, Evan found himself entering a state of peace as he sloppily swung the sword around. Occasionally between drills he would pause to think if everything that had happened was real or if he was dreaming while in a coma motionless on a hospital bed with family surrounding him. He would dismiss those thoughts despite them being more realistic than the strange world he had found himself in. Harder and harder he pushed himself as his breath came in shallow leaving his lungs burning for air. Even the pain was pushed aside as he entered a trance-like state repeating the same motions over and over making minor adjustments as he focused on the form Jack had shown him. He began to feel his motions becoming faster and more self-assured with each swing until he heard a chime within his head. Congratulations you have learned ¨C Swordsmanship (novice) (This skill makes minor improvements on your form) Congratulations you have raised- Endurance by 1 Congratulations you have raised- Agility by 1 He could immediately feel a slight change within his body as his lungs no longer felt on the edge of collapsing while his movements and balance also felt marginally better. It wasn¡¯t a huge improvement but still he appreciated it, nonetheless. The novice tag next to Swordsmanship confused him as his only other skill, Mana Sight, had a level next to it. He didn¡¯t have long to think about what the difference as he heard footsteps approach him from behind and he immediately put his sword between him and the noise.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I see you likely gained the Swordsmanship skill and raised a few of your attributes.¡± Seeing it was Jacob he relaxed his stance and wondered how long the twin had been observing his practice. Without even acknowledging the sword pointing at him he added, ¡°it is impressive you gained the skill so fast. It seems you have talent in magic and physical combat.¡± The last part was said with such a faint hint of jealousy that Evan thought he imagined it. ¡°Anyways Jack sent me to inform you that food is ready.¡± With that Jacob turned around and walked back to the camp not even looking back to see if Evan was following. When Evan got to the small circle of tents, he could hear the group chatting about possible monsters Evan could kill on the trip to gain some experience and levels with the hope of pushing him to level ten and the first-class selection. Ana and Charlie discussed ways to train his magical status and capabilities while Jack and Sarah discussed different drills and exercises for his physical status and skills. The twins mostly talked between themselves while occasionally making jokes that would make everyone else briefly laugh before it was back to the discussion on training. Evan looked hesitantly at the bowl of unidentified stew that was placed in front of him, but the hearty aroma shattered any doubts he might have had about it. Taking a bite, he found it to be quite simple, consisting of some kind of meat and what he thought were potatoes. He decided against asking about the contents of the bowl, reasoning that all that mattered was the taste and he didn¡¯t want his impression of it ruined over odd ingredients. After everyone had a second serving of stew people began retiring for the night, starting with the twins who shared a tent followed by Ana and Charlie. Sarah stayed for a little while longer despite never really saying much and departing for her tent without a word. Jack stroking the fair some asked a few questions here and there about Earth and what Evan¡¯s life was like before the accident. Evan shared some of his best memories from home reminiscing about things he used to do with his family and friends. The longer he shared the more somber the mood grew as he realized how little he had appreciated his life on Earth. Realizing Evan¡¯s emotional state Jack quickly shifted the topic to ask about the technology Evan described using. Jack couldn¡¯t seem to wrap his mind around the instantaneous communication phones provided as well as things such as the internet or how generally peaceful life was for the average person. This discussion lasted for a while longer until Jack stood up to relocate to his tent and sleep, suggesting Evan do the same. Sitting around the fire for a while longer until he was sure that everyone was out cold, Evan snuck back to the area he had trained in earlier. This time, however, his focus was not on the blade but magic. Evan was fascinated by the possibilities and potential of mana and sought to gain a better understanding of it. Sitting cross legged like he had observed Ana and Charlie doing earlier, he thought back to the feeling of the flame he had created. With Mana Sight he had been observing the ambient mana and the way its flavor for a lack of a better word shifted around certain objects and through the air. He had been waiting to use his flame throughout the entire day as its presence felt oddly comforting to him despite the eerie feeling it had given the others. Heading the warning he had received earlier when he had overdrawn on his mana Evan slowly pulled some of the mana from the center of his chest through pathways finally exiting atop his raised pointer finger. With the use of mana, he felt a slight drain on his core and noticed his tattoos had begun to softly glow. His concentration shattered as he began to think of himself as a human nightlight while chuckling softly. Once he stopped laughing, he went searching for some twigs and branches hoping to see how his flame would react to organic material. After a sizeable pile had been collected, he resumed his cross-legged position and drew forth a small flame. Slowly he moved it closer to the pile but once it finally was able to touch a piece of wood a strange phenomenon occurred. The flame began to rapidly spread across the wood despite it being relatively fresh and therefore harder to burn. As he observed his odd flame, he noticed that there was no smoke and instead of burning the twigs and branches began to wither as if rapidly ageing. Evan also began to feel energy entering him while his tattoos glowed brighter and brighter as the amount of energy he received increased. He could not tell exactly what form of energy he was receiving but his body felt invigorated and noticed some of the blisters that had formed during his training with the sword disappeared. Evan observed that the tattoos were glowing brightly, visible even through the clothes he was wearing. He attempted to put out the flames with no success until he tried exerting his will over the mana. At first it refused to yield but Evan did not relent believing since it was his mana that had originally created it, even if it was not reliant on his mana anymore, that he should be able to enact his will on it. A few minutes passed as sweat poured down Evan¡¯s head and he felt a headache start to form but he did waver. Finally, as the fire died out, he collapsed. Faintly he registered a chiming noise informing him of his progress. Congratulations you have raised- Wisdom by 1 Congratulations you have raised- Intelligence by 1 Though his body was in peak condition, and he had plenty of mana left, his mind felt exhausted. He slowly got up and examined the pile of wood he had set on fire. The pieces touched by the flame had shrunk, and the stick he initially used appeared so brittle that it would crumble to dust with a single touch. Evan just sat there for a while, both amazed and fearful of the power that his Xaros had bestowed upon him. Once he had finished contemplating his new life and how much it differentiated from his life on Earth, he snuck back to the tents quietly entering his and quickly drifting off to sleep excited for what he would be able to do in the future. Unbeknownst to sleeping group, a pair of intelligent lizard-like eyes that faintly glowed green watched from just beyond the tree line with the owner pondering whether it should send a few tests to determine if the new chosen was worthy enough to live. It would not make the tests impossible, just improbable because it required strength and potential amongst those that shared an affinity with it. Smiling as it left the small camp behind wondering how to properly challenge its occupants without too many dying. When the group woke up the next morning and prepared for the road, they failed to notice a section of the forest near their tents that appeared to have had the life sucked out of it.