Chapter 73 - The Joy of Testing
Groggily walking into his living room, Kai gathered Nature mana in his hand with used practice. He stopped by the windowsill in front of a delicate plant with jade leaves. It remained in the same ceramic pot it had been first planted two months ago. Its three silver flowers were slowly closing now that the moons left space to the sun.
He took a moment to clear his mind from sleep and released the spell on the moon lily. The leaves shone with renewed luster while the silver petals released a faint glow. He was glad to see it was doing fine. For the last two days, he had been forbidden to use any magic and had to skip his morning ritual.
The little sprout had not grown much in height after the first month. That wasn’t to say it hadn’t changed. His daily spells were focused on a different aspect. Using Mana Sense, the moon lily shone like a beacon.
Almost orange grade. Another week should do it.
Kai added a pinch of an alchemic fertilizer he kept by the window. He had brewed it himself following the recipe Dora provided. With a pulse of Earth magic, the dirt gently stirred bringing the substance to the roots of the lily. To conclude the routine, he condensed a sprinkle of water over the plant.
I have to admit this was a neat idea to train my main affinities. Water mana feels slightly easier to control.
He had taken a few peeks with Mana Sense when he thought his teachers weren’t looking. The elemental Water particles looked more distinct. Without pushing his skills and jumping in the sea, it was hard to say by how much, but he felt optimistic. He couldn’t wait to carry more tests.
First, he had the morning training to get through. Dora had told him he could take one more day off, but it was an all-or-nothing deal. The chance to play with his new skills and elemental magic was worth the hassle of dealing with Elijah.
There were a few aches in his body when he stretched. Dora agreed that if he could brew a potion himself, he would be allowed to use it. With the only caveat that he wasn’t allowed to use his mana skills.
No one ever lost a chance to come up with more training excuses at the estate. Without using even Mana Sense, it had been a struggle, but he made up quality by using half a dozen weak red-tier healing potions. After the contract he made with the merfolk, the process was ingrained in his bones.
The tide was fair, short rhythmic waves swept the shore. Sitting down on the sand, Kai controlled his breathing to meditate. In a few heartbeats the world became clearer and his mind sharper. His burning anticipation settled down. Opening his senses, the swirling motes of mana appeared around him.
His lips curled up lightly. Perceiving Water mana had never been hard for him, but the change was undeniable. The blue motes stood out till the edge of his vision. Manifesting his desires, the aligned mana began flowing towards him. When he was sure they would continue orbiting around him, he divided his attention into a smaller group. A dozen motes at a time, Kai began replenishing his reserves.
Yep, it’s definitely easier than I remember.
When he passed to Earth, instead of suggestions, Kai needed to give orders to make the motes listen, wrestling against them for control. Earth was a stubborn element that only respected strength. It had always given him more problems than Water. Now the difference was abyssal.
Moving on to Nature, the vibrant green particles remained the easiest to control. Its motes found home in his body without effort. It was the only element he had a skill for, so it wasn’t a fair comparison.
I’m pretty sure my affinity for Water surpassed Nature. Hopefully, Virya has a way to check without going through another ritual.
He couldn’t wait to take the Water Magic skill. Unfortunately, his plans had been thwarted. The chances he was going to ditch Blessed Swimmer were now slim. Unless the skill turned out to be a total dud, it was there to stay much longer than anticipated. It was all up to how fast he could crack Steady Runner and uncover all its secrets.
Skills:
- Meditation (lv75>80)
- Herbology (lv74>80)
- Awareness (lv71>74)
- Acting (lv56>58)
- Swordsmanship (lv45>55)
- Mana Sense (lv54>57)
- Mana Manipulation (lv27>32)
- Inspect (lv20>22)
- Alchemy (lv19>21)
- Empower (lv16>20)
- Runes (lv7>10)
- Nature Magic (lv1>6)
- Steady Runner (lv1)
- Blessed Swimmer (lv1)
Kai proudly looked over his status. Most of his skills were now orange grade, the red that once dominated the screen was reduced to only five lines. In a few more years there would be none left.
Feeling in a celebratory mood, he summoned one more window.
- Race: Human
- Grade: Orange ★
- Next enhancement ➔ 95,023/100,000 XP
His smile grew wider.
Just five thousand more and I’m there.
Most people took till their thirties and forties to reach Orange ★★, he was going to get there at 8 years old. Even on the mainland, that wasn’t common. It gave him a weird feeling. Two years ago, he would have never thought this was possible. That he could do this.
It was a topic he often pondered. He had come to the realization there was a crucial component to his success - mana. Almost all his orange-tier skills were built upon his mastery of the mystical energy. Without that, he would have been lucky to have three skills at that grade, probably less.
The only reason he managed to learn Inspect was because of how he used Keen Eye together with Mana Sense. As for the evolutions for Running and Swimming, they all heavily relied upon his Mana Manipulation. Most red skills couldn’t be evolved otherwise. After they reached the peak, they would get stuck there for years.
A ton of hard work and opportunities were also important, but a talent for mana was essential. It was the key that gave access to every other opportunity. If he hadn’t gained Mana Sense on his second birthday, his life would have looked very different.
This realization put into perspective the other people of the archipelago. The Kai of a year ago deserved a good kick. He had been so foolish and full of himself. Even with all his advantages, upgrading his race was a struggle. For an ordinary child to remain motivated through the slow slog was a feat worthy of praise. The person who came to the estate two years ago would not have been able to do that.
The rich get richer and everyone else has to make do with scraps.
A year and two weeks ago he advanced to Orange. Now he was close to another enhancement. The amount of XP he amassed was more than he obtained during the previous seven years of his life. It was going to be a long while before he could equal this number. Without the doubling of his skill slots and a drastic increase in his attributes, it would have never been possible.
There had been a lot of shuffling in his status, but all the low-hanging fruit had been picked. The idea of keeping a slot for rotating a low-level skill felt ridiculous. He didn’t have time to train the ones he had, adding one more to the mix would hinder him as much as it helped.
He shook his head, what a foolish idea. As if he could afford to spare even one skill slot. Noticing Elijah’s shadow on the sand, Kai stood up. For once the butler waited for him to finish instead of rudely interrupting.
“Are you ready to get back into it?”
That is strange, it almost sounded like a real question.
He gave the man a long look.
“Is that concern that I hear? I’m so touched you are worrying about me.” He said, Acting with dramatic disbelief.
Elijah's features hardened. “Start running.” His voice back to a more comfortable icy tone.
“Yes, sir.” Kai winked at the butler, who raised his eyes to the heavens.
He started moving his legs with no hesitation, afraid Elijah would come up with some more devious training if given the time. His teachers were another crucial piece that helped him reach where he was today. He felt grateful for the help he received—even to Elijah. He couldn’t deny that his methods, while unorthodox, worked effectively.
Maybe in a couple more years, I’ll consider telling him.
His body sprung forward with speed. After two days of rest, his legs craved being put to the test.
Time to see how it works.
Steady Runner activated the moment he started moving. He innately knew he could channel mana in the skill, but Dora instilled in him a rigorous mindset. To conduct proper testing, he needed to see what it did in its passive state, so he would not confuse it with its active effects.
“I’m going to test my new skill,” Kai announced to the empty air. Elijah would hear him.
In the last months, they had already gone through the most common evolutions for Running and Swimming. According to the butler, he already had all the information needed to make his choice. They weren’t crucial skills like Mana Sense, so it was up to him to decide.
With his focus on Steady Runner, Kai began his tests. Running at different speeds, making impractical steps and random jumps. His plan was to pick up the responses of the skill under unexpected circumstances.
No matter what he did, his feet always found a firm spot on the ground. Even when he tried jumping between the rocks, jutting from the sea at the end of the bay, he never lost his balance.
Pushing the limits, he purposely stepped on a slippery algae-covered rock. Predictably the skill didn’t protect him from his own stupidity. He splashed right into the sea.
By the time he finished his first lap, he had gained a good grasp on the skill.
It’s handy, but also kinda boring.
“Time for the active part.”
Pumping mana into Steady Runner, he was relieved to notice his speed increasing. Testing its limits, the skill could accept roughly the same amount of mana as before the evolution; the boost was similar too. He repeated the same tests another time.
Despite the increased speed, his feet always found a steady grip on the sand. He also repeated his jumps between the rocks. It felt slightly dangerous dashing over the precarious terrain. He kept his hands and mana ready to avoid cracking his skull on a rock in case he tripped.
He worried for nothing. Steady Runner did one thing, but it did it really well. Seeing the rock he slipped on before, Kai went for it. He slowed slightly and readied a water spell to turn the surface of the sea temporarily solid. Choosing an angle with no dangerous rocks nearby, he jumped.
Here we go. Elijah certainly can’t complain I’m not zealous.
As he stepped on the algae, his foot didn’t slip as expected. Steady Runner suddenly increased the drain on his mana, finding a grip on the slimy surface. Not prepared for that to happen, Kai scrambled to adjust his path. He would have ended up falling again if he didn’t have the perfect tool to regain his balance.
Back on shore, he analyzed what happened.
Is it possible? I mean, of course, it is. I’m a genius, that’s exactly what I expected to happen.
A few more tests later he had confirmation. The skill made a grip where there was none. Even better, the active mana consumption was low. It might not be the most glamorous skill, but it had been the optimal choice. He could still gain more speed with Empower, but he couldn’t do what Steady Runner did.
With a satisfied expression, Kai ran back to the estate thinking of all the potential applications. There, a strange sight awaited him.
“Are those my chairs?” He asked Elijah. The butler stood in front of a pair of wooden chairs that used to be in his living room. The smile on the man’s face was worrying.
“Tell me: how do you expect to test a balance skill on flat ground with no hindrance?”
Kai shrugged, seeing where this was going. It was hard to keep your balance while carrying large unwieldy objects.
But why does it have to be my chairs?
Knowing there was no point complaining, he picked a chair with each hand.
“Not like that. That defeats the purpose.” With a smirk, Elijah instructed him how to properly carry them. One in front of his face with the legs resting on his shoulders and the other in his left hand, so he would be unbalanced.
“Now, you can start running. Make sure to go as fast as possible. And don’t drop them, you won’t get new ones if they break. Do one lap, after that we’ll move to the jungle outskirts.”
Kai silently cursed. The most infuriating part was that his devious suggestions actually made
sense.
***
An hour later, Kai rested sprawled on his remaining good chair. The splintered remains, of what used to be its sister pair, laid on the sand a few feet from him. Steady Runner did wonders to keep him on his feet, but that didn’t include protecting his cargo. He had to cut his losses. Luckily, he lived alone.
He didn’t think it was possible to get such a good grasp of a skill in just a few hours. The skill had even leveled once, and the stupid butler noticed. It was undeniable that his methods were effective. But, damn, was he annoying. Tonight, he would see that infuriating grin in his nightmare.
Steady Runner had proven much more interesting than he imagined. After Elijah was sure there was nothing more to gain by juggling with the chairs, they tested the limits of his mana grip. Kai had been thinking too small. If he was running fast enough, he could find a grip on a vertical surface. It only worked for a couple steps, but it was enough to perform gravity-defying maneuvers and easily climb trees.
Elijah told him running up a wall wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities if he pushed the skill to Yellow. And the surprises weren’t even finished. He hadn’t realized it at first, but the skill also greatly improved his endurance. Which meant Elijah could push him even more.
“Get up. We still have a skill to test, don’t we?”
Elijah smiled. Kai groaned.