Shout out to Lucinda_Hacker for correcting my dumb mistakes!, I really appreciate you!
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With my left foot widened and my right foot crouched slightly in front of , I took a deep breath and chose not to activate any of my skills except for the ones related to the scythe.
*******
Item: Cloak
Rank: Ethereal
Abilities:
• Increses stealth of the user by 70% and any other stealth related skills.
• Increases mana capacity and circulation by 40%
• Increases agility by 50%
• Increases effects of any scythe – related skills by 50%
• Forms a defensive shield automatically when in use.
• Restores depleted mana by 10%
• One – ti teleportation of the user when a life – threatening event occurs.
Remark: This shit is broken!!!
*********
My mind went blank as I stared at the abilities of the Cloak and finally understood why they were so highly sought after. My respect for Kurt also rose a few levels too.
"What are you zoning out for?!". Kurt shouted from the rock seat he was on.
"Ah!, sorry!". I bowed in apology.
Clearing my head of the unnecessary thoughts, I brought out my scythe and placed it in a slanting position in front of .
Infusing mana into my feet, I propelled myself towards a large tree and swung diagonally at it.
A clear slicing sound accompanied by a large thud made its way to my ears as I passed through the obstacle with ease.
With my eyes still closed, I infused a bit of mana into my cloak in order to make the hems flutter, since there was no wind at the mont.
’What are you doing?’. Laura asked deadpan.
’Aura farming’. I replied seriously.
’....I’m not even going to ask anymore’. She replied tiredly.
"Hmmm....."
I was brought back to the present by Kurt’s low hum and I turned around excitedly to recieve my praise.
"Your mana control is horrible and your movents are so stiff and inefficient that it makes wonder how bad your teacher was". Kurt analysed.
My excitent faded and was replaced by a bitter feeling but my determination was stronger than ever.
’Hey!, how can he say that about ?!’.
Laura, on the other hand was nowhere near impressed by his analytical abilities.
’To be fair, you only taught how to circulate one mana elent unit, but I don’t bla you though, since we’ve been in one life threatening event or the other’. I explained
Laura finally cald down after so coaxing and decided on just watching Kurt’s training plan.
"But, I can tell you have enough experience in battle since you don’t make any flashy moves and just go straight for the kill". He continued
I nodded solemnly.
"Although that’s comndable and gives you an edge over other youngsters your age, you still need to learn how to control your strength and attacks".
I sighed and asked, "So, I have to learn how not to kill, intentionally?"
"Not really, you have to learn how to win a fight without causing serious harm, and that’s easier said than done– especially since you learnt the opposite first".
I sat on the newly made tree stomp and sighed heavily, "So, how do I go about this?".
Stroking his braided beard with a serious expression, Kurt spoke, "You’re like a newborn child in a man’s body".
With a wry smile, I thought, ’If only you know how close to the truth you are’.
"And we can use that to our advantage. I’m going to teach you all the basics— mana control, mana manipulation, mana cultivation, everything down to your weapon functions, and that’s going to take alot of ti and effort, so get ready".
I was taken by surprise by the declaration Kurt took on and I asked skeptically, "Are you sure you want to devote all that ti to ?".
Kurt laughed boisterously and answered, "That’s what uncles are for!, and don’t worry, you’re in good hands, I didn’t tell you this but I was a teacher for a few years in Volen, before I quit".
’So that’s why they trusted him!’. I realized.
"Why did you quit?". I asked.
Placing his hand under his chin, Kurt answered, "There was a lot of things that made quit, but the most dominant reason was because of the arrogance of the students and staff".
I nodded in understanding, as a thought crossed my mind, ’I guess rich kids are snobby in all universes’.
"Forget about all that annoying stuff and let’s start your training with Uncle Kurt!, Bwahahaha, I love that na!".
Pulling up by the collar, I realized sothing, ’His mode of speaking changes when he’s serious’.
Patting myself on the back for that amazing discovery, I followed Kurt to the middle of the training ground and waited for further instructions.
"First things first, you’re going to learn how to control mana, from what I saw, your infusion and circulation of mana is instinctive – like you read it in a book or sothing".
’Spot on, once again’. I pondered.
"But that’s going to change today. Your first task is to push that boulder with as little mana as possible". He gestured.
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, but I didn’t ask any questions and just made my way to the large boulder that rested close by.
Infusing mana into my hands, legs and back, I tried lifting it only to be stopped by Kurt’s loud voice.
"Circulate the mana internally!, it’s more efficient and reduces the net amount of mana loss!".
Nodding, I tried the technique Laura taught but inwardly I was a bit scared that my mana circulation would be as slow as before.
Taking a deep breath with my hands still under the boulder, I closed my eyes and tried sensing the surrounding mana.
Thanks to my newly made cloak, circulation of mana was way easier compared to last ti.
Absorbing up to forty mana units after a few minutes—which was a massive boost from the snail’s pace at which I was absorbing mana recently, It felt like I had a sudden surge of strength and I slowly lifted the boulder with surprise apparent on my face.
"It’s so much easier!". I scread excitedly
"Bwahaha, of course it is!". Kurt replied.
Laura butted in excitedly as well, "Good, good, now I have one less thing to worry about~".
I smiled in response and lifted the boulder above my head and threw it to the far side of the field.
I heard a small sound of impact and turned to Kurt who had a proud smile on his face.
Walking towards , he spoke, "You’re a genius, kiddo!, but don’t let that small achievent get to your head, we still have alot to do and I have alot to teach you as well". He warned.
I nodded solemnly and he continued, "You used forty mana units — which for a normal F ranked is considered impressive, but i don’t train normal people, so you’re going to use ten mana units to lift that boulder".
Pointing to a much larger boulder, Kurt continued, "You obviously can’t do that today or even in a week, but we’re going to keep coming here, everyday till you lift it with ten units, understand?"
I nodded seriously as I ignored the dread that was growing in my heart.
Drawing out a training plan that would span out till the next year, Kurt asked, "Are you going to the festival next two weeks?".
"Festival?". I asked confusedly.
"Ah!, I forget you’re not from around here. Every end of the month, we have a thanksgiving festival that we use as an avenue to appreciate the goddess Uriel for keeping us alive". Kurt explained as he casually uprooted two tree stumps and placed them next to .
Sitting down on one of them and gesturing I do the sa, he continued, "Y’see this town is a very peaceful one now, but it wasn’t always like this. A few years ago, wars were a common place here, battles were constantly being fought and people were constantly dying".
A look of lancholy showed on his face as he recalled what I imagined to be a terrible past.
"And it wasn’t just humans that fought and killed people indiscriminately; goblins, wyverns and even skrodians constantly invaded this town and looted our resources".
"Until ’he’ ca".
Respect was apparent on Kurt’s face as he reached this point.
"I can still rember his aloof yellow eyes and blue hair that always seed to move without any wind."
I remained silent as I listened to his tale and the look of utter respect made even more curious as to who this person was.
"He wasn’t so knight in shining armor like you’d expect, but he inadvertently fixed all our problems while he was fulfilling the purpose he ca here in the first place."
"He didn’t co solely for you guys?". I asked confusedly.
Kurt smiled and answered, "I would be dissapointed if he did"
I was even more confused at his response and couldn’t help but ask again, "Why is that?".
"I despise people who like to play the hero, over my long life, I have co to learn alot of things, one of them being that those who shine the brightest, cast the largest shadows."
I understood part of what he was saying and remained silent in order for him to continue.
Taking the hint, Kurt continued, "He was a young kid; said he was sent by the Belvedans to retrieve a relic that was suspected to be here".
’That’s the king’s family na, right?’. I contemplated.
"We were in the middle of a crisis so we didn’t have any ti to attend to him, but he didn’t care about us and investigated the whereabouts of the relic anyway".
"Strangely enough, the relic was the source of our problems all along".
Drawing sothing on the ground, I asked, "Could you elaborate?".
"Sure, the relic was buried in the center of our town and sohow managed to send out a signal for it’s escape to any living being, making them more prone to violence more than normal".
"It was sentient?". I asked
Kurt nodded in response, "It was what they called a primal relic and is also what solidified the Belvedans in the position they are today".
’A primal relic, huh...sure hope I don’t et anyone who has his hands on that’.
’Scaredy cat’. Laura jabbed
’Yeah, yeah, call what you want, but I’d rather not be in the presence of soone who wields so ancient weapon and could kill unintentionally. I choose life’. I retorted.
’Whatever, I don’t think you’d be much of a threat to the extent of soone trying to kill you with a weapon of that caliber’.
’I don’t know if I should take that as a consolation or a jab at my pride’. I remarked.
Laura chuckled as Kurt continued.
"He eventually managed to get the relic and contain it, which in turn stopped the rampage of beasts and people all together".
Kurt’s concluding story brought out of the banter I was having with Laura and I hurriedly nodded to show I listened.
’You see what you’ve done?!’. I complained.
’Don’t bla for not being able to concentrate when you’re being told sothing!’. Laura rebutted.
I couldn’t co up with a coback and I chose to remain silent.
"So are ya coming or what?" Kurt asked.
I nodded in response, "I’m definitely coming, but the thing is, I don’t know where it’s going to hold"
Although I had been in this place for more than a month, I barely left the inn and on the occasions that I left, It was either into the forests — where I would encounter life ending scenarios, or the boutique for Laura’s shopping sprees.
"Perfect !, I’ll co pick you up when it’s ti, so let’s get back to the training!"
Settling the festival discussion, I began what I presud to be the longest training session I would have as I tried lifting the boulder that he pointed out.
At first, it was extrely difficult to lift the boulder without using the sa amount of mana units I used for the last boulder.
But after thirty more trials, I had managed to use thirty nine mana units to lift the boulder slightly above my head, but not the sa level as before.
Nodding his head, Kurt comnded, "Your growth is steady and if you manage to keep up the pace like this, we should be done with the first segnt before the end of next month".
Laying on the dry ground due to exhaustion, I spoke, "I’m not as talented as you think, it’s the cloak that’s responsible for most of the work".
"Silly kid!, okay then, take off your cloak and try lifting it once more".
Although I was tired and Laura couldn’t heal due to the dissociation tir becoming closer and closer, I still managed to stand up and walk to the boulder without my cloak.
’Don’t throw out your back, old man’. Laura jabbed as she laughed.
My mouth twitched in annoyance but I chose not to give her the satisfaction of a response and calmly made my way to the boulder.
This ti, I chose to open my eyes and check if I could circulate mana without seeing the elents.
I failed.
’Tsk, guess I’m not that talented yet’. I reflected.
Getting over the dissappointnt quickly, I closed my eyes and almost imdiately I could see more than a hundred different colored mana elents floating about in the air and was secretly excited.
’This ti I can see blue, yellow and red!’. I relayed excitedly.
’Aweso!, your cultivation rate must have been forcibly reduced because of the cloak!, that’s why you can percieve more elents now’. Laura analysed.
’You said before that treasures could help reduce my cultivation rate right?, so does this count as a treasure?’. I asked
’I guess so, I’m no longer in sync with your system but I think using my divinity must’ve ssed up it’s configuration’. Laura answered.
Clearing up a few more things, I circulated mana from my arms to my heart, back and legs continually at an increasingly faster rate and rooted my feet to the ground just in case.
"Huuuppp!"
Holding my breath, I lifted the boulder slowly and eventually managed to lift it above my head but it couldn’t hold it as high as I did when I had the cloak.
"Y’see kid!, your body adapted to the heightened circulation speed that the cloak forced on you and made it permanent!".
Slapping my back while laughing – which almost caused my heart to fly out by the way, Kurt explained a few more cultivation technicalities for a few hours before he suggested I follow him ho.
"Your house?". I asked.
Kurt nodded, "My wife is ho and I can tell you haven’t eaten a good al in a while, and besides I’ll need to teach you intensively, so it’s more convenient for ".
Averting his gaze as he spoke, I could see the slight apprehension in his eyes as he listed out reasons.
Laughing lightly, I agreed to co with him and we made our way to his ho.
Any typos?!, tell in the comnts!(writing on a phone is hard 😮💨)
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