Chapter 329 - Brilliant idea (Patreon)

[Mana Manipulation] with [Perception]

This combination could create something akin to my Mana Wavelength Iris, so this is most likely a pass for now. It could be great, but I already have my trait, which is more than good enough for that.

[Mana Manipulation] with [Tether]

Sounds interesting, but I really like [Tether], and I still think I haven't explored it properly. So, this one is also a pass.

[Mana Manipulation] with [Regalia]

This one sounds the most interesting so far. I will think about it.

[Mana Manipulation] with [Infusion]

This is one to think of, even though I have a suspicion it would create a stronger, but more mana-focused version of [Regalia]. Or maybe allow me to infuse mana more easily? In higher amounts? Something akin to an improved version of [Mana Surge] I used to have?

It's not too enticing.

[Perception] with [Tether]

Also most likely a pass because I want to keep [Tether].

[Perception] with [Regalia]

This one is a straight-up weird combination, and I can imagine a worse skill coming out of it.

[Perception] with [Infusion]

Better [Infusion] maybe, a higher version of it? It could also end up badly.

[Tether] with [Regalia]

Could be interesting, but once again, nope.

[Tether] with [Infusion]

Also nope.

[Regalia] with [Infusion]

And the interesting one again.

So, in the end, it's either [Mana Manipulation] with [Regalia] or [Regalia] with [Infusion]. Both of them sound like good options.

Would the first option make a better controllable version of [Regalia], and the second one a stronger version of it?

Both of the options don't sound that dissimilar from each other either. When I did it before, I gave up [Mana Infusion] and instead got [Infusion]. Could be cool if it would work the same, and I could get [Manipulation] instead of [Mana Manipulation], but unfortunately, I don't think this will happen. I just don't have that kind of talent that Sophie has, in the same way, it's hard for me to do healing. I even tried to get other kinds of Primordial energy, especially the lightning Tess has, but I have failed.

Now that reminds me of something.

Tess combined her [Lightning Armor] and [Lightning Manipulation] and got [Storm Crown]. Could that mean if I combine [Regalia] and [Mana Manipulation], I will get something similar? That could be cool.

At the point I'm at, I can manipulate mana pretty well on my own, and the skill mostly serves to show at what level I am. Losing the skill would, of course, be noticeable, but I believe after a few weeks I could get to the same level even without the skill.

That's what I like about this. With the things I do, I should have a dozen more skills, but for some reason, the system doesn't give them out that easily. It also means I can do some stuff without having the skills, so that's cool.

The system is clearly a mess and very situational and individual, the rules slightly changing from person to person.

Well, let's hope for a similar result Tess had. It might also force me to improve my manipulation of mana without the skill.

“I want to combine [Mana Manipulation] with [Regalia].”

Congratulations, you have successfully combined [Mana Manipulation] and [Regalia]! A new skill has been created.

You have acquired [Mana Crown].

[Mana Crown - lvl 0 > Mana Crown - lvl 9]

I'm sure Tess back then got it to level 2, so at least that's something. But it also irks me a bit. Tess got her crown earlier than I did. Does it mean I'm behind? Is my new skill stronger than her crown? It better be, both me and Tess are competitive when it comes to it.

First, let's check my mana. As I use Mana Cycling, I quickly notice a difference. It's not horrible, but it's there, and it's quite noticeable.

Well, it's time to get back to the grind. Getting a skill back seems nearly impossible, even with the system warning of that during my use of the first skill combination token, but that's fine. Only casuals from other difficulties rely on skills; I will learn it on my own, yup.

Let's check the new skill then.

As it activates, I feel a big chunk of my mana move and then form a halo over my head made of pale blue mana. Gradually, that halo hovering over my head expands a bit and changes shape into a simple crown.

I notice Tess glancing at me as she mouths, “I got it first.”

Tsk.

Focusing on my new skill, I examine it and its effects. So far, from what I can tell, it's a huge empty mana reservoir similar to Tess's skill, where she can also store a lot of lightning.

It's not too dissimilar to the orbs I like to fill with mana or my Primordial energies, but unlike the orbs, the crown's reservoir seems to be massive and for mana only. Of course, the question is how much I can fill it while being able to keep it stable. Unlike the orbs, it's also more stable, so filling it or keeping it up should be easier.

As I examine it more, I notice that controlling my mana seems to be a bit easier now, as if the crown replaces my removed [Mana Manipulation] while active. The same goes for [Regalia], and I'm still able to create armor or weapons quite easily to the same level as before.

More testing is needed to see the difference between old skills and the current one. But there is something that interests me more. I want to see how the crown cooperates with my Mana Wavelength Iris and with black mana.

I activate my eyes, and there is a small difference. It's hard to explain, but it's as if the crown makes controlling them easier. It's something akin to dominating mana and things related to it.

It's not a very big difference, just a tiny bit, and I can't help but be a bit disappointed. But it's fine, my strengthened Mana Circuit already helps with my eyes a lot, and my passives as well. The problem might be a low level of my new skill too. My eyes are a powerful trait so they might require more.

Now then, black mana.

I activate [Focus] and, with the help of [Redistribution] and [Infusion], I fill the pale blue orb with a lot of mana and continue to compress it. It's a bit harder now without [Mana Manipulation], but nothing I wouldn't be able to fix with some training.

When a golf ball sized black orb forms over my palm, I get a bit more attention from group 4, but too curious, I ignore them and continue.

What I notice right away is that [Mana Crown] seems to be reacting to black mana. The crown and black mana are clashing.

Then I get a brilliant idea.

Should I? It could be dangerous. No, I'm sure it WILL be dangerous.

But I really want to try.

“I will be right back,” I quickly tell the others and then push myself far away.

When I land, it's as before, the darkness lit by beautiful bright stars only and with a giant purple nebula on a third of the sky. Under that night sky, I dominate a small amount of black mana in a way I have learned on the 5th floor, with cooperation from the duplicate. It's harder to do it outside of my body, as inside it my passives and circuits help, but I even activate my eyes and do so.

Then, slowly, carefully, I send that dominated small part of mana into the crown.

In a blink, the blue crown hovering over my head turns pitch black.

Then I start losing control over it. At first gradually, but it keeps getting harder to control faster and faster.

Giving it my all, I fight against it.

[Mana Crown - lvl 9 > Mana Crown - lvl 10]

[Mana Crown - lvl 11 > Mana Crown - lvl 12]

[Mana Crown - lvl 12 > Mana Crown - lvl 13]

[Mana Crown - lvl 13 > Mana Crown - lvl 14]

[Mana Crown - lvl 14 > Mana Crown - lvl 15]

But no matter how much I try, how much pressure my construct or passives work against it, the crown turned black judges me not worthy of controlling it yet. The black crown reaches into my body and even though my attempts starts absorbing my mana, once again slowly, but then quicker.

[Mana Crown - lvl 15 > Mana Crown - lvl 16]

It slows for a moment but then speeds up again and when I decide to try to cancel the skill, it refuses to listen, akin to how black mana behaves, just much more strong-willed now.

My body's mana is gone, all of that big mana pool taken against my will by this unholy abomination over my head.

With nearly suicidal fascination, I watch as it even reaches into my Mana Reservoir and starts emptying that as well.

How the fuck is this even possible.

So interesting.

I quickly tie an anchor to a mana orb, shoot it towards where the others are and then fly further away from them, even teleporting through anchors multiple times.

When I stop, I'm really far away and most of my mana from the reservoir is gone, but finally, I'm able to remove the crown from my head and throw it away.

[Mana Crown - lvl 16 > Mana Crown - lvl 17]

It tries to reach me, to take the rest of my mana from my reservoir, but I move further away, and it seems like the crown can't move on its own. It just hovers there eerily, slowly spinning. The connection it had to me disappears and as if unable to keep its properties without me, it finally stops, not having any mana close to touch.

Damn, what a terrifying thing.

I love it.

The way it absorbs mana is scary and it doesn't even feel like its real power, just a side effect created by its combination with black mana.

Well, I can observe it a bit longer. If it's like black orbs, it will start crumbling after a while when unable to absorb more mana. Well, with as much as it did absorb, it will take a while, but…

The black crown in quick succession shifts its colors. From black to pale blue to darker. Streaks of light blue appear, quickly joined by purple streaks. Then the crown turns bright white.

And as terror-struck as fascinated, I watch it all happen.

Then I teleport away as quickly as I can.

Landing back near group 4 that throws questions at me, I turn in the direction where the crown is. We are far away, right? I flew plenty.

A bright white light appears on the horizon. At first, it is the size of a fireplace, then it quickly becomes larger as the crown releases all the mana it has collected, unable to maintain its shape without its connection to me.

There is no way it will reach us, right?

The light becomes brighter and I check my mana stat.

Mana (Stage 1/3 - Vast Mana): 1015 + 1015

Then I think of Mana Reservoir passive that triples that mana.

I reach into said Mana Reservoir and move the rest of my mana, creating a pointy barrier in front of us that should allow only part of the explosion to hit us and redirect the rest by sides of the camp.

“I might need help here,” I call to others.

There must be something in my voice because immediately they join to my effects. Everyone who can adds to it, creating barriers of their own or using skills that could be helpful. Sophie even shows manipulation of the earth and from in front of us a sizable mass of rocks forms a wall she further strengthens with her web.

The horizon turns bright white and then a light flashes, lighting the huge area around and turning the night into the brightest day. Every stone, every piece of the cliff looks like someone is shining on it with the brightest flashlight.

Then the heat follows and even from as far as we are the heat wave clashes against us, a huge chunk of it hitting the rock wall Sophie created and heating up the stone. The shockwave follows next and I feel pressure against my barrier and pieces of the wall tear off, some weaker barriers made by others flickering.

Following is the sound of the explosion, a deafening roar.

Mana Radiation hits us, something akin to what I felt down in the Veil Ignition Station where the cracked core was. Not nearly as strong and not dangerous to any of us here, but it's there and I can feel it in the air.

Lastly, with Mana Radiation arrives a weak disrupting field attempting to disrupt mana that hovers nearby. It's weak and barely noticeable, but with my experience disrupting mana, I can sense it.

Gradually, the light and the heat disappear and we lower our barriers after checking if it's safe.

We were so far away, yet this happened. Could I do that on my own, by compressing mana into an orb? I don't think so. I wouldn't be able to keep that much mana under my control or collect it as quickly.

Could I do that with the help of items, some epic mana stones I would fill? Probably yes, but I would need help with the creation of an item similar to how the Craft Guild on the 4th floor helped me create the ant obliterator. But even then it did not have such effects. There was Mana Radiation, but even weaker than this already weak emission and there was no disruptive wave following. Something akin to an EMP.

And this is not even what it's meant for, just a side effect of losing control of a combination of two either incompatible things or highly compatible ones.

I love it.

“Who wants to check the epicenter of the explosion?” I turn to group 4.

Huh, why such expressions? Aren't they curious?

***

Author's note: Hey! A small change. I changed Tess´ [Stormcrown] to [Storm Crown].

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