Fighting raged underneath her feet and the door burst open.
“My lady, we have to leave,” the guard said, a pale expression coloring his face.
“Help me get my armor on,” Sumi said, dismissing them. She was an outpost lord. She had needed to carve out her position in life. She would meet these people without fear.
***
“What do you think?” one trader asked the other as they sipped drinks from a window, looking out over Twilight Outpost.
“Haven’t the leaders supported them? Of course the alliance will win. I wonder if we will see some of the special teams?” The second laughed.
The two of them continued to drink even as Twilight Outpost turned into a chaotic battlefield within the outpost lady’s manor.
“Did you give them that thing?” the second trader asked after a few seconds.
“It will give them an edge if they need it,” the first said.
“It is up to them now.”
“To lower taxes and proper roads!” The first raised his glass.
“Don’t you want to head to the higher realms?”
“Ah, with time. Why is there a rush? I want to make sure that my family is safe. Helping the intelligence department is the easiest way. Looks good for promotion,” the first said, as if a sage who had seen the rise and fall of nations.
“You and your promotion.” The second rolled his eyes.
Suddenly there were a series of spells launched from the sieged tower and the manor lit up with destructive light.
“Looks like the lady has woken up.”
***
Lukas worked his jaw, trying to get back his hearing. The lightning bolt that had come from the sky had left him partly blind and deaf.
The Twilight guards had protected their eyes at the last moment and were attacking with gusto. A woman appeared behind them, wearing black armor and cloak with red accents. Guards surrounded her.
Lukas got to his feet, looking around for his squad. He found Simone. Her neck was at an odd angle, her eyes glassy as she looked off into the dirt.
Lukas hissed as he grabbed the bottle on his hip.
A flare shot up from within the castle.
==========
King’s Hill City has taken control over Twilight Outpost!
==========
The Twilight guards all looked around, screens filling their vision, and the Vermire soldiers attacked.
Lukas pulled out the potion and drank it.
Power filled his body.
==========
You have consumed: Berserker’s Rage
Increase your Strength and Agility by 30% for three minutes. Fall into a weakened state for one hour.
==========
He wasn’t the only one as others poured the potions down their throats.
Lukas let out a yell but he could only hear humming as he raised his shield and moved forward with the rest of his squad.
They clashed with the Twilight guards directly, losing their outpost defender buff and now dealing with the organized berserker Vermire guards working together. They were quickly being pushed back.
“For Vermire!” Lukas yelled.
The guards repeated his yell, pushing on. If they didn’t kill the guards and Lady Sumi, then they would die.
Mages had taken a different potion and were buffing the Vermire forces, going all-out, not looking to conserve their mana as they fired curses and attacks at Lady Sumi. Her guard were defending her with their lives, but she had walked out too far; there was no escape backward.
Lady Sumi pulled out spell scrolls, using them to throw the Vermire forces back.
The wounded used healing solutions from Alva Healing House to recover. Even if they weren’t in the best state, they were able to rejoin the fight.
They broke through the guards in the courtyard and hit the guards around Lady Sumi.
She was yelling out and casting her magic, her face a picture of rage.
Lukas blocked a Twilight guard’s attack while Vax stabbed forward with his spear. The two of them worked together to take him down as the guards were whittled down. There were too many of the Vermire guards for the Twilight guards to work together.
Suddenly, mana filled the area.
An explosion went off and Lukas found he was sent flying again. He hit a rock and tumbled, finding his feet, his body battered and bruised.
Lady Sumi was chanting and casting spells. She had pulled out a spell scroll that was stronger than the spell scroll Simone had used to break open the gate.
Lukas’s sword had been lost in the fight. He grabbed the climbing pick and threw it with all his strength. It hit Lady Sumi and the power of her spells backlashed at her all at once. Lukas had a bloody grin on his face as the Silence spell on his second pick ran out of charge.
Lady Sumi coughed blood, the mana in her body tearing her apart. She dropped to the ground, collapsing in a heap.
The other Twilight guards collapsed as well. Tombstones filled the courtyard.
“What the hell?” Vax asked.
Lukas helped him to his feet, holding his shield ready.
The Vermire guards stood up, confused.
***
Valter was looking over his maps as he felt a pain coming from his mana channels.
He grunted, fighting to stand. He heard people collapsing outside of his tent. The pain ran into his head and a tombstone appeared above his head.
***
“No wonder they were willing to do anything for her.” Aditya looked out of his manor and at the camp. It was the dark of night but things weren’t calm over at the attacking camp.
“She was a ruthless ruler. Her guards would follow her into the afterlife, making them fight for her. Many of the Twilight guards were family members, so they would die in order to protect their family members and her life.” Evernight snorted and shook her head.
“Now, it means that her forces have been cut from within.” Aditya got another message through his sound transmission device and turned to the map nearby, putting a cross through another outpost.
“Well, it looks like the Beast Mountain Range will be undergoing a number of changes tonight.”
***
Deep within Alva Dungeon on the Earth floor, Erik opened his eyes. A flame flashed in the depths as his blue eyes now had hints of brown and red in them.
Erik turned his vision inward. Earth mana was being dissolved in his mana channels. His gaunt body started to fill out, the Earth mana increasing his recovery rate, acting as a tonic to him. Instead of having to tirelessly draw the pure mana from the Earth attribute, the two separated out naturally, the pure mana blasting through his nearly clotted mana channels. It followed his cultivation path without Erik applying conscious thought, becoming thicker and denser as it reached his dantian. The mist within gathered slowly before combining into a single pure drop of mana.
Erik cleared his throat and coughed for a few minutes, recovering quickly.
“You okay in there?” Egbert asked.
Erik made to stand but he felt a stabbing pain in his stomach. He quickly looked into his body.
Five drops of mana were trembling, fighting against one another.
If I don’t deal with them, then they could break free. The pressure of the Earth-affinity mana is forcing them to remain in my dantian. If I leave, then they could run free and destroy my Mana Gathering Cultivation.
Erik grit his teeth as he sat down, connecting his mana gates in his hands and his legs.
His mana gates opened, glowing a swirling red and brown as streams of mana were drawn into Erik’s body.
If I was to alter one of the drops like the Earth mana, attract the others, could that work?
Erik focused on one of the drops. It shivered and then started to slowly turn from a slight bluish hue to a brown coloration. He circulated his mana, drawing it inward.
The outside pressure and the attraction force—Erik felt a greater control over both.
A drop was drawn forward. It resisted as it hovered just out of reach of the brown Earth-affinity drop.
Erik lost track of time as he focused on the two drops.
It lost the fight and it was drawn in. The first drop grew larger, its light-brown color turning a deeper brown.
Erik pulled in another drop. It took less time than before.
The mana that was being drawn in held hints of other affinity mana. There was no such thing as pure Earth mana; even the dungeon cores only processed the mana that passed through them. They didn’t revert them to some true pure state.
Erik started to use his control over Fire. His mana gates turned red as it refined out more of the impurities as it was drawn in.
Erik concentrated, compressing and drawing in the next drop. It combined easier than the first and the second. He looked at the last mana drop.
He took a breath, calming himself. The power contained within his body was much higher than before. His body had been refined with Fire mana, then compressed, broken down and reformed with the Earth mana. His control over mana had reached another level. Pain was easily ignored and his life force was stronger than ever before. Erik felt removed from the situation, as if he were looking at someone else’s body.
His entire body had changed, nourished by the power of Earth.
The last mana drop was combined.
Mana rushed in toward Erik’s body. He hungrily drew it in, circulating it through his mana channels, refining it with his Fire Body as his Earth Soul drew it in, compressing it easily.
Within his dantian, the brown cleared from his core. A clear core remained; a sphere of brown and a blue flame appeared within it, orbiting within his core.
Threads of other affinities created ribbons through the clear area of his core.
A mana drop condensed within Erik’s core. It dropped off the inside of the core and dropped into the middle of the sphere.
Erik felt as if an explosion went off within his body. He let out a cry. It felt like molten metal was pouring out of his dantian. Erik collapsed backward. Cracks seemed to spread from his mana gates. His mana channels stretched out like roots of a tree growing through the ground, threading through his muscles, transforming from channels into veins.
Erik glowed from within as mana was fused into the very cells of his body, transforming him inside and out.
The mana veins reached up to his skull and Erik lost his battle with consciousness.
The Earth floor shook as Erik was undergoing massive changes within his body. It felt as if a monster were being born at the center of the floor.
Erik slowly opened his eyes. His blue eyes shone, with flecks of brown and blue deep within. He felt that he had changed completely.
“Damn that Rugrat,” Erik muttered, feeling that he had kept something hidden.
Erik felt that his control over mana had reached an unfathomable level. The area around him came under his domain. Even passively, he was drawing the mana in, bending it to his will without conscious thought. His mana channels had transformed into mana veins. His entire body thirsted for mana. He could exercise his will anywhere within his domain, increasing the speed of his casting. He looked to his side, where Gilly rested.
Even without touching her, he could scan her body with his Simple Organic Scan. He could see the changes happening within her body. Feeling his gaze upon her, she opened her eyes. There was an intelligence and pride within those eyes.
“You’ve worked hard.” He smiled and patted her nose.
She let out a pleased snort, preening with the attention.
Erik felt her share an emotion and image with him.
“Is food the only treats you like?” Erik muttered.
She cooed slightly.
“I’m working on something to unlock your bloodline. I need time, though,” Erik said.
She huffed and laid her head down away from him.
“Fine, fine! Food it is,” Erik said, complaining.
Gilly brightened and nudged him before she put her head in his lap.
He sighed and patted her and gave her scratches. Her hide was much stronger than before. If Erik hadn’t undergone his latest Body Cultivation, then her hide would have stripped off a layer of skin just petting her.
Erik pulled up the angry notifications that were waiting for him. They streamed down in front of him.
“Well, damn.”
==========
Quest: Body Cultivation 3
==========
The path cultivating one’s body is not easy. To stand at the top, one must forge their own path forward.
==========
Requirements:
Reach Body Like Diamond Level
==========
Rewards:
+12 to Strength
+12 to Agility
+12 to Stamina
+20 to Stamina Regeneration
+10,000,000 EXP
==========
==========
Your personal efforts have increased your base stats!
==========
Stamina +6
Strength +6
Agility +6
Stamina Regeneration +6
Mana Pool +4
==========
==========
Title: Earth Soul
==========
You have tempered your body with Earth. Earth has become a part of you, making your body take on some of its characteristics. You have gained:
==========
Legendary Earth resistance.
Legendary Recovery Ability.
Increased control over Earth Mana.
Physical attacks contain Earth attribute.
Can completely purify the Earth attribute in Mana.
==========
==========
Quest: Body Cultivation 4
==========
The path cultivating one’s body is not easy. To stand at the top, one must forge their own path forward.
==========
Requirements:
Unlock your bloodline
==========
Rewards:
+24 to Strength
+24 to Agility
+24 to Stamina
+40 to Stamina Regeneration
+100,000,000 EXP
==========
==========
You have opened another Mana gate!
==========
+1 to Mana Regeneration
==========
==========
Quest Updated: Opening the Fourteen Gates
==========
Congratulations! You have opened your fourteenth Mana gate.
==========
Requirements: Clear all of your fourteen gates (14/14)
==========
Rewards: +1 to Mana Regeneration base stat
Undergo Mana Body Rebirth
1,400,000 EXP
==========
==========
Title: Blessed by Mana
==========
You have become closer to Mana, exerting a greater control over it.
==========
The strength of your spells has increased by 60%. Your Mana Regeneration has increased by 60%.
Can create a Mana domain.
(Replaces Mana Emperor)
==========
==========
Title: Mana Reborn
==========
Your body has undergone a deep transformation, bringing you closer to Mana, reborn with greater power and control over its forces.
==========
Mana channels are transformed into mana veins. Your mana sense and control increases greatly.
You can now convert Stamina into mana and vice versa.
==========
==========
Quest Completed: Mana Cultivation 1
==========
The path cultivating one’s mana is not easy. To stand at the top, one must forge their own path forward.
====
======
Requirements:
Compress your Mana Core
==========
Rewards:
+15 to Mana
+15 to Mana Regeneration
+10% mana capacity
+10,000,000 EXP
==========
==========
Quest: Mana Cultivation 2
==========
The path cultivating one’s mana is not easy. To stand at the top, one must forge their own path forward.
==========
Requirements:
Reach Vapor Mana Core
==========
Rewards:
+20 to Mana
+20 to Mana Regeneration
+50,000,000 EXP
==========
==========
Name: Erik West
==========
Level: 59
==========
Race: Human
==========
Titles:
From the Grave II
Blessed By Mana
Dungeon Master III
Reverse Alchemist
Poison Body
Fire Body
City Lord
Earth Soul
Mana Reborn
==========
Strength: (Base 54) +41
==========
950
==========
Agility: (Base 47) +72
==========
654
==========
Stamina: (Base 57) +25
==========
1230
==========
Mana: (Base 27) +79
==========
1166
==========
Mana Regeneration (Base 30) +61
73.80/s
==========
Stamina Regeneration: (Base 67) +59
26.20/s
==========
==========
You have reached Level 59
==========
When you sleep next, you will be able to increase your attributes by: 5 points.
==========
==========
2,448,136/86,100,000 EXP till you reach Level 60
==========
“So I got the title Earth Soul for Body Cultivation, Mana Blessed for Mana Gathering Cultivation. Then, with compressing my core, I unlocked the requirements to get the Mana Gathering Cultivation quests. What the hell is with this mana core?”
Erik felt a little lost. Some of his stats had nearly doubled. Though unlike when he put stat points into his character sheet from leveling up, there was no disassociation with the power he felt in his body. He looked into his body. There was now two circulator systems within his body: mana and blood flowed through his body, the two systems complementing one another. His dual cultivation changes had transformed his body. Erik reached out with his hand and the mana in the area stopped, unable to move, the area around him under his complete control.
The Fifth Realm Page 73
