by A R Chen
5) ??? - ???
6) Turtle – Cost: 75,000 Energy. End evolutions are the World Turtle or Undetermined. Evolution starts out low-powered. Gaining power is easy, just eat! Monster-class being, however, other beings will help you.
7) Slime – Cost: 20,000 Energy. End evolution is Undetermined. Evolution starts out medium-powered. Gaining power is easy, just absorb! Monster-class being, other beings will want to hunt you.
“I see…So the Gravity spell improvement had somehow pushed Turtle and Slime past Elf and Undead, on the list,” Steve gathered. Obviously, this meant that the paths of Turtle and Slime had a positive relation to gravity. That also meant that there had to be other factors more relevant to the top five evolutions, as they hadn’t budged much. Also, Steve assumed Vampire going up in energy cost must mean that it was not very compatible with Gravity-type magic. Well, nothing to do but continue training until morning, Steve thought.
***
Ash was nervous. No, if he was honest with himself, he was scared. It was a restless anxiety, that caused frequent waves of nausea if he didn’t keep his mind off it. The fear rolled around in his stomach, like a never-ending tidal wave of energy.
Today was the big day. The village Left’s own son, the village’s top young mage, was going to undergo his Naming ceremony. Expectations were sky high; everybody in Niti gossiped and speculated about the outcome.
The Naming ceremony was something performed for young mages only. The Elder would customarily perform it, though there were exceptions. Sometimes, a close family member who was a three-star or higher mage would perform it. This was the norm in the entire Empire, to unlock the potential of young mages when they became young adults.
Ash put on his pointy hat with the A insignia emblazoned on it, signifying that he was of the A family. Anyone who wore their hat on a regular basis would appear arrogant in the eyes of the other villagers but this was a serious ceremony, so he had to wear it.
Ash then thought about god Steve. Maybe he would be able to become his disciple or follower and then be able to learn magic from the god himself. He felt that it was all moving too fast. In his mind, it seemed like he had just started learning magic yesterday.
Ash then turned to walk out of his residence. They lived in a relatively nicer home in the more affluent part of the village. The surroundings weren’t bad at all. There were some green trees, a clear pond, and a small garden nearby.
They would be conducting the ceremony in the village center, so Ash started heading there. The ‘village center’ was actually somewhat off-center, because of poor settlement planning in the past. It wasn’t a big problem; it still served its purpose, though some of the villagers that lived on the farther side complained about the longer route.
The whole village was gathered there now, a few thousand people, all standing around, chatting and occasionally glancing at the tall podium in the middle, where the ceremony would be conducted. It was still early, but nobody wanted to miss this occasion.
As Ash came into sight, everyone went silent, aside from the sound of a few babies crying and a few people whispering. Everyone made way for Ash to get through, as they recognized the soon-to-be man. He was famous in the village for his talent, not just because his father was the Left. People recognized his hard work and respected him as a result. That coupled with his talent, made it difficult to not like him.
Ash reached the base of the wooden stairs which led to the top of the podium. Leffer was already patiently waiting for him. The Left and Right were also there, standing off at the side. Nobody spoke as he neared the top; that would only wreck the boy’s concentration at this point. Trying to break the tension with levity was futile, too. Anything said would only make it worse. If Ash fainted during the ceremony, it could be disastrous.
Most of the time, Naming ceremonies were painful. Most children openly wept, as they tried to endure it. The procedure was often agonizing, because the Elder had to reach deep within the child mage, to tug at and enhance their mana veins, since humans generally couldn’t freely manipulate mana.
This was a weakness inherent in humans; they were typically born with small mana veins or none at all and would have to learn and practice working with mana for the rest of their relatively short lives. The only advantage was that once they’d learned to deal with magic, they could potentially channel more, and work together more easily than other races as well. Before that point, however, humans were generally weak.
This was also why two mages were generally better than one. Unless there was a huge disparity in skill, the two mages would have double the resources of a single mage. As humans had little innate magical skill, they learned where the mana veins were located and therefore had an easier time synergizing. Combining energies became extremely easy at the higher levels, if voluntary.
Humans couldn’t change shape; their bodies were soft and weak, and they were practically useless until age fifteen or later. Other races were fundamentally better off in most regards. But, to make up for this power disparity, humans had developed ways of thinking and techniques more advanced than that of other civilizations. They banded together more readily than other races as well. The reason the Empire had survived for so long, in the midst of all the monster nations around them, was due to their sheer will to stay alive as well as their ability to stay together during times of hardship.
That’s what Ash had always been told as a child, that humans needed to work together to survive. He knew the gist of what would happen. The Elder would first tug at his veins, so he would have an idea of what was to come and a moment to brace himself for it. If it wasn’t blinding pain, then he was lucky.
Ash was confident that he would gain a special ability from the Naming today; his mana veins were different from birth. They were the most vibrant and powerful anyone in the village had ever seen, or even heard of. As a child, Ash had realized that he was a little different from the rest of his peers. He was treated better than the rest of his classmates at the small village school that all the children had attended twice a week.
It was considered a gift to be able to attend school. Ash was able to go and study whenever he wanted since he had the most latent potential. He was also given the best food and instruction, as well as the unique opportunity to learn magic straight from the village Elder himself. When Steve had appeared near their village, he was naturally given the opportunity to follow him around.
Ash remembered what the Elder had told him. “Make sure you do not waste this opportunity. We, as humans, are not able to make contact with the other races of the continent anymore. Take this chance to learn from god Steve and improve your own magic. I hope you’ll be able to become a 7-star mage in your lifetime,” Leffer had said gravely, the night Steve appeared. They were both very aware that their village was minuscule and insignificant when compared to the rest of the continent, much less the world. The talent that Ash possessed meant that the village had an opportunity to become a Town or, if lucky, a City within two generations.
Ash knew that Leffer hoped that he would be able to send Ash to the Capital to learn magic from the best in the Empire. Thus, he never grew cocky or conceited over his advantage in his small village. There were much grander plans in motion than being the best village mage and Ash had been terribly aware of that for as long as he could remember.
The Elder came up to him and placed his wrinkled hands over Ash’s. Energy filled the air as the Naming began. By now, the whispering of the crowd had stopped and the kids had all been silenced. It was considered taboo to disrupt a Naming ceremony in any way. A split-second lapse of concentration could mean the difference between life and death since Ash was so powerful already. Any mistake would ripple through his powerful mana veins and be amplified several times over. Any misstep in the Naming would smash Niti’s chances of becoming a Town.
Power accumulated in the air and the crowd held its breath, then—
“Stop the ceremony!” Steve’s loud voice rang out acros
s the village center.
Chapter 15
A few minutes earlier…
“It’s about time,” Bonnie said, shaking Steve from his training. “Go over to the village center, it’s not too far from here. You’ll unlock an evolution if you perform the Naming.”
How do I perform the Naming? Steve wondered to Bonnie. Wait…What even is a Naming, really?
He had started floating over, as he obviously wanted to unlock the evolution but so far, Bonnie hadn’t made what he needed to do at all clear.
“It’s easy! Just take some of his mana and replace it with your Energy! Fill him until he almost pops. You’ll feel it, don’t worry,” Bonnie replied happily. That was reassuring. Then she added, “If you don’t, it’s only a human. No big deal!”
Steve was now hesitant; he had nothing against humans, as he knew he had been one in his memories. Bonnie’s way of thinking lacked any respect for human life. Steve eventually decided to go along with the plan. Bonnie hadn’t really led him astray before. Sure, she was being vague, but it was fine. Besides, without much other counsel, he couldn’t help but be influenced by her advice.
As he approached, he saw the sea of villagers and realized they were already starting the ceremony. He had yelled, probably loudly.
Everyone startled and turned their attention to him. Steve wasn’t sure what to say in this situation, so he just continued floating towards the podium. He hadn’t ever had so many eyes on him before, and with his omnidirectional vision, he couldn’t even look away as he floated above their heads. All the attention made him feel anxious—anyone would be, right? There were at least a few thousand Nitians focused on him right now. He had never been a good public speaker back at the academy; in fact he was more the quiet, laidback cadet stereotype.
“Let me Name Ash!” Steve addressed to the crowd, rather than directing it to the Elder.
Leffer looked extremely confused right about now, though Ash was even more so. Steve had made this dramatic entrance…just to name him? To be Named by a god, it was an unheard-of opportunity.
Leffer looked at Ash. “It’s your awakening, young man,” he said with expectation clear on his face. They were still touching hands, about to start the ceremony. Ash was still shocked and hesitated for a whole two seconds.
“I’ll accept god Steve’s offer, I believe in him,” Ash responded. He had seen too many wonders not to believe. In fact, he was starting to believe that god Steve could do anything. “Please do not take it as a slight, Elder.”
Steve was thrilled when he heard this, as it meant he would be able to unlock his next evolution. The villagers on the other hand, began to buzz with speculation about why this was happening and what it might mean.
The Cult of Steve immediately knelt and mumbled praise for this blessing from their god. Rumors of Steve’s divine appearance, coupled with his magical prowess, fabulous wealth, and generosity, had been circulating the village almost since his arrival. For a few dozen of the villagers, their interest and reverence had coalesced into open worship, when he had singlehandedly defeated the invading mages.
Leffer nodded to Ash and took a step back, as Steve hovered onto the podium before the thousands of assembled villagers.
It was a magnificent view for Steve, with his omnidirectional vision. It was also a magnificent view for the villagers, who once again became reverently hushed in preparation for the Naming.
Okay, Bonnie, I want to be sure I understand. I take some of his mana and replace it with my Energy until the kid is full. Right? Steve couldn’t afford to mess up here. Ash was beloved by the villagers, for both his attitude and aptitude. If he messed up, he’d probably be forced out of the village by a mob of thousands of angry villagers. He doubted he could fight that many people at once and he wouldn’t even want to try. Plus, he liked Ash more and more, as time went on.
“Yes!” Bonnie replied.
Steve moved closer, until he would have nearly been nose-to-nose with Ash, at least if Steve had such a feature. Ash stood as still as he was able, hands trembling slightly, and eyes closed. He seemed prepared, so Steve began the ceremony.
Steve focused intently and located Ash’s mana veins. They ran evenly throughout his entire body, besides the core. His core seemed like it was the source of all of Ash’s magic, as it was the largest mana pool within the body. Steve began absorbing Ash’s mana, siphoning slowly, since he didn’t want to mess up the ceremony by rushing.
Ash tensed up and released a groan through his clenched teeth. He was growing visibly weaker as his mana waned away. When Steve had siphoned a bit over half of Ash’s mana, he concluded that, though there wasn’t a lot of mana within Ash, the quality was high. The mana’s purity and the fact that it was spread through his body on a regular basis, must have made it easy for Ash to access and utilize it.
Is this why Ash is considered so talented in Niti? Steve wondered as he continued to drain the rest of Ash’s mana. Ash fell heavily to his knees with a thud. He was sweating and looked a sickly pale. Ash thrust his arms out to prevent himself from completely falling over, as his breathing became heavy and erratic.
“Easy, Steve,” Bonnie warned. “You need to make sure he still has some left when you break through and open his veins, otherwise the amount of energy he will need to take in will be more than he can absorb.”
Steve noticed there was only a sliver of pure mana left in Ash’s core; the rest which had been spread throughout his body was gone, almost as if it had never been there. Steve immediately stopped his absorption. Just out of a morbid curiosity, he glanced at his energy numbers. It read:
Current Energy – 5,600
Max Energy – 10,326
He had gained nearly three hundred energy from the slow absorption of Ash’s pure mana. Steve then focused on his own light energy storage and tried to inject it into Ash, a simple inversion of what he had been doing so far. It didn’t work.
The light that he was trying to inject was blocked by Ash’s firm mana veins. The boy’s body seemed to reject Steve’s pure light energy, completely stalling Steve’s attempt to fuse energies. He tried for another few seconds, before he became genuinely worried about what was happening.
“Push harder, Steve!” Bonnie was right there with him and offered advice without being asked. “You have to force your way in, through his mana veins to unlock his true potential.”
Steve focused all his attention onto Ash. The young man was now on his knees, folded over and cradling his stomach. Steve lowered himself so that he was nearly in contact with Ash once more and reinitiated the link. He increased the amount of energy he was transferring to Ash and forced it into his body with a new intensity. Steve was forcing so much energy into the air that it surrounded Ash and slowly began to seep in through his pores. It wasn’t a direct link, with this intermediary step.
This was starting to work, but he needed more of the energy to make it into Ash’s core—he had to make sure there was no other path it could take, besides into Ash. Steve expelled an even larger mass of energy, slowly forming a glowing circle of light around Ash. He then compacted it into a shell which enclosed the hunched-over mage, entirely. Then Steve condensed the energy within the shell and pressed it inward.
Ash screamed and slumped entirely to the floor; his limbs thrashed erratically but he didn’t try to get away nor seem to resist. On the contrary, Steve felt him go rigid as he forced himself to remain still, as if preparing to receive the energy.
Steve pressed on; he added even more energy, then compacted it once more. After repeating this process many times, the energy around Ash was so pure, it glowed with a brilliant yellow light. Then the light enveloping Ash’s midsection turned completely white. He braced himself, then pushed one final time. Steve felt Ash’s mana veins shift and open, allowing his energy to stream in, through his pores and into a second magic core.
Steve checked on Ash; he was surprised to find he had passed out and was lying in the fetal position on the podium. The
mana veins were now fusing together with Steve’s own pure light energy. Steve made sure the last of the energy reached Ash’s core, then finally stopped.
A stunned silence reigned in the village center.
Steve checked his energy reserves.
Current Energy – 4,600
Max Energy – 12,324
Congratulations, Bonnie cheered. You have unlocked an evolution!
1) Changeling – Cost: 250,000 Energy. End evolution is Undetermined. Evolution starts out based on Energy, attitude, and Elemental aptitudes.
2) Deity – Cost: 120,000 Energy. End evolution is Undetermined. Evolution starts out extremely high-powered. Will be hunted by all Celestial beings.
3) Vampire – Cost: 8,000 Energy. End evolutions are the Legendary Vampire or Undetermined. Evolution starts out extremely low-powered. Will receive help from the current Vampire clan.
4) Dragon – Cost: 50,000 Energy. End evolution is the Dragon God. Evolution starts out medium-powered but gaining energy and consolidating it is difficult. Will receive help from the current Dragon race.
5) ??? – ???
6) Turtle – Cost: 75,000 Energy. End evolutions are the World Turtle or Undetermined. Evolution starts out low-powered. Gaining power is easy, just eat! Monster-class being, however, other beings will help you.
7) Slime – Cost: 20,000 Energy. End evolution is Undetermined. Evolution starts out medium-powered. Gaining power is easy, just absorb! Monster-class being, other beings will want to hunt you.
***
Mottle mumbled about as he walked, his eyes downcast. He knew his father didn't care about him, or what he did. His father made it clear to him that he was useless, even if he didn't outright say it to his face.
Honestly, Mottle found that this treatment was even worse. The constant subtext of ‘You’re worthless’ was there whenever his father praised his brother. Being the second child was the worst.
