Chapter 56 - Enough! (Patreon)

Jiran pulled himself through the air with Forcing. He landed directly in front of the man running closest to him and threw the children and woman into his arms. He didn’t bother waiting to see if the man caught or abandoned them to save himself. There was no time.

Jiran crouched, observing the huge tier five beast just long enough to confirm the angle of its throw. Mana blasted through his legs, empowering them far beyond the strength of muscle alone. The ground cracked when he jumped, a torrent of wind screeched in his ears. Dual Minds roared into overdrive as he called upon his mana.

Coating formed a two-meter-long blade of mana as thick as his leg. He left the center of the blade hollow while the back edge had a long slit allowing air to reach the empty interior. Gas Manipulation flooded hydrogen and oxygen into the blade.

The beast grunted as it released, sending the tree directly toward the largest clump of fleeing imperials. Jiran hurtled through the air, his path intersecting just close enough to pull off what he had planned. A single spark detonated the flowing gases. A gout of flames erupted from the slit along the back of the blade, propelling both him and the weapon forward at incredible speeds.

The moment before his flaming blade impacted the tree, Jiran released a scream filled to bursting with rage and Wind Manipulation. As the tree was sheared in two, both ends were sent careening to either side of the group by the howling gale pouring from his mouth. Amidst intense snaps and cracks of density-packed wood, the two halves crashed into the ground scattering dirt, roots, and burnt foliage.

Fifteen percent mana left after converting the last of my few bites of breakfast. Aura has about the same. Lenton told me never to let it run out completely again, better not use it anymore just to be safe.

The shrieker’s glowing eyes alighted on another tree and the vines wrapped all around its arm stretched to grab it. The sounds of tearing and snapping filled the air as the trunk broke free from the ground.

No more of that. Good luck throwing trees when you can’t see!

Jiran cupped his hands together and created another Coating, but this time it only covered his palms. He used a quick application of Light Manipulation to layer his coating, all to reflect and enhance what came next. A full five percent of his mana went into the follow-up shaping of Light Manipulation. The equivalent of a million lumens of directed light blasted the Sapling Shrieker in the face. Simultaneously, the coating protecting Jiran’s hands shattered and his skin combusted from the intense heat.

They both screamed in pain.

The beast dropped its newest projectile while Jiran used another two percent of his mana in a knee-jerk Restoration. The Shrieker proved its name wasn’t just for show as its scream continued to escalate. Jiran stuffed his ears with Coatings and they immediately began to crack and fail as he resumed his mad dash away from the monster’s territory.

At the last second, his aura alerted him to a wave of thick roots that erupted from the ground. Jiran jumped, avoiding the field of writhing feelers that spawned beneath him. But he was not the only target. Two dozen roots reached all the way into the rear ranks of the retreating civilians.

Three people were caught and lifted into the air. As they were bound, tiny radicles sprouted from bulbs all across the roots and dug into their bodies. They grew at an alarming rate into a web of brown tentacles that wormed their way through skin and bone with equal ease. It happened so fast, they didn’t even have time to scream before they were ripped to pieces.

[Citizens rescued 0/11]

Jiran pulled himself through the air and over the field of undulating death with Forcing. He landed on the far side, legs already pumping in a mad sprint. With only seven percent of his mana left, he used another one percent to create a sturdy Wind Manipulation, pushing the slowest runners from behind without upsetting their balance.

Another ear-splitting scream caused the group to stumble in pain and confusion as more roots burrowed through the ground.

Three simultaneous shapings tore at his dwindling mana but he couldn’t have cared less. True Origin of Water and Ice combined to stop the limbs from breaking through the ground while Metal Manipulation created a wide slab of hardened stone that slashed directly into the soil, severing the beast’s control over its extended roots.

He did not waste the few moments his gamble bought them. He ran to the laggard of the group—the old woman—and grabbed her under his arm like a sack of potatoes before sprinting after the others. The Shrieker's angry screams died off a moment later, replaced by a deep territorial roar that shook the entire forest. As the survivors’ bones vibrated inside their bodies, a second roar sounded from the south in contention to the claim of dominance.

Jiran glanced back to see the Sapling Shrieker’s head turned in the direction of the second roar. Four massive bats were fast approaching above the tree line. Fangs protruded a meter out of their mouths dripping a bright yellow fluid. Their dark wings flapped in a blur that filled the air with a bone-rattling buzz. The shrieker turned toward the new threats, the measly sustenance of lower-tier humans no longer a priority.

This place is a death trap. There’s no way these people didn't know how dangerous these woods are either. Even if they are refugees from somewhere else, every area in the empire with beasts above the third tier is well-marked. Whoever is leading this group better have a damn good explanation.

Jiran was about to set the old woman down but noticed she was unconscious. For over an hour, the group ran in silence, only broken by the sounds of heavy breathing and the occasional sob of relief or loss. When the woods finally opened to hilly terrain, several of the survivors collapsed to their knees in exhaustion. Jiran carefully laid the old woman down before sitting beside her with his forehead resting in his palms.

[Quest complete!]

[Building Trust: Rescue the imperial citizens from certain death]

[Citizens rescued: 11/15]

[Rewards: Interface Map]

Four people died and you’re giving me a reward?

Whatever mental manipulation the system was going for, it failed. Bile rose in Jiran’s throat as a furious scowl marred his features. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply in an effort to soothe his rage. Except all he saw were more notifications. After watching three people being ripped to bloody pulp, seeing the abundant gains was a slap to the face.

Strength: + 1.2

Agility: + 1.3

Endurance: + 1.4

Durability: + 1.6

Wisdom: + 1.1

Intelligence: + 1.5

Gas Manipulation: + 1

Light Manipulation: + 1

Forcing: + 1

Restoration: + 1

Further upgrades delayed due to lack of density

The man Jiran threw the kids at stumbled over to him and dropped to his knees. “Thank you, thank you.” He mumbled around sobs as his tears watered the land. More people followed him and soon, the entire group was gathered around Jiran. Most placed their foreheads to the ground as they piled praise and adoration onto his shoulders. Jiran allowed their heartfelt gratitude to flow through him, using it to shake off the mental strain of the three he failed to protect.

He stood and dipped his head to them. “You’re welcome. May we thrive,” He choked out the last words, overwhelmed by the rampant emotions of the group. He had never truly saved anyone before and been shown such gratitude in return. The experience stole his breath and only his clamped jaw kept his tears at bay.

“May we thrive,” They responded in kind.

“Please, Sir. Take this necklace! It’s a family heirloom and very valuable.” A woman pushed a chain of gold toward him. Suddenly, he was beset from all sides once more by offers of gifts. One man even swore to give his two daughters to Jiran as wives. When he saw the hopeful looks on the two young girls' faces, something inside him snapped.

“Enough! I will not accept any gifts from you other than a meal. Besides, should we not be focused first on mourning those lost, lest their memories turn to dust?”

Who would have thought all of Mom’s preaching would come in handy one day? First, we say our goodbyes, then I find out what possessed them to enter that forest.

Cries of assent swept through the group and they split apart to prepare a meal of parting for those lost. Jiran breathed a sigh of relief at the dodged bullet of wives he had no interest in and moved to join the men in preparing the ceremonial fire. When it was lit, Jiran stood with the others as they each breathed deeply of the smoke, refusing to cough as it burned within them.

A man Jiran now knew as the leader led the prayer. “Four breaths, four deaths. Great Mother, Great Voice, let these be the last we mourn this day. Their mana has returned to Madra’s soil to enrich those who come after.” Jiran’s lungs ached as the fumes washed out the memory of the three, as was proper.

Relief spread through him after the short ceremony was completed. A little voice that clung to his memories of Earth told him it was all crap but he ignored it. This was Madra, and even if he didn’t believe, there was power in forgiving himself and moving on. He ate sparingly of the prepared meal, knowing they needed it more than he did.

Jiran approached their leader, “Why was your group in those woods? The markings should have been clear.”

“We ‘ad no choice or we surely would never ‘ave entered. Our village ‘ad seven tier four warriors just last season. To a man, they went north to fight the graymin. An imperial crier came calling for ‘elp, promised riches and glory to all that joined the army, those fools ate it up. They left us. With our strongest gone, we did fine till two weeks ago when a pack o’ tier four volvests decided our village was their new ‘unting grounds. We packed up and left ‘afore they killed us all. Two of them pursued us into the woods only to be killed by that damnable tree. We would’ve joined them for sure if not for you, son. Now, we make feet to Solorin, do you know if she still stands?”

Unbelievable. I was right. It would have been a breeze to kill the tier fours chasing them but I wasn’t given the quest until a tier five was involved.

Jiran did his best to keep the anger from his voice as he answered the man. “Yes, I just came from there this morning. If you run the rest of the day, you should make it. Though the hills are far less dangerous than the woods so you should be safe to take your time.”

The man nodded along with Jiran’s words, no doubt already knowing as much.

“I can see in your eyes you’re ready to away and I won’t let a single soul in this group try ta ‘old you back from whatever’s you gotta do. But please, at least tell us your name ‘afore you go.”

“Jiran of Feylon,” He answered with pride, feeling that spreading Samris’s name with his good deeds was just a single step toward paying the man back for saving his life.

“Jiran of Feylon, we will never forget you. May you thrive under the Mother, the Fathers’, and the emperors’ guidance."

“May you thrive,” Jiran responded with a wave as he left the group behind. The suns climbed to their zenith as he sprinted across hills. He steered well clear of the forest’s edge as he searched for his next meal, moving ever closer to home.

. . .

Back in the group, the woman who offered Jiran the jeweled necklace ducked behind a hill for privacy. The rest of the villagers were too distracted to notice as they whispered in hushed, reverent tones about the remarkable power of their savior.

She took out an expensive scroll case from her bag and pricked a finger, drawing blood. A wipe spread crimson fluid along runic symbols that wound around the scroll case. The runes lit up, bathing the area around her in a soft sanguine glow before the case opened with a soft hiss of released air.

After removing a delicate scroll, she hastily scribbled several sentences, again with her blood. She stuffed the scroll back in the case and sealed it before fidgeting nervously while glancing in the direction of the group. With a pop of displaced air, the woman vanished into thin air, taking the case and any evidence of her existence with her.

. . .

Jiran located lunch before long. Another tier three scavenger which brought him one step closer to fulfilling the basic requirement to ascend beyond the third tier.

EXP: + 1

It was this very requirement that kept ninety percent of the population in the third tier. How many were born in each generation willing to risk life and limb killing beasts of an equal tier just for a chance at more power? For the average citizen, life was too good, too easy, and too safe, to risk it. Yet many did take the risk. In groups of five, they fought, methodically hunting until one hundred beasts had been slain.

There was no cheating the system, any help from a higher-tier ascender would invalidate the kill and the rules were quite strict. Even the lightest buff or shared meal before a hunt could render a life-and-death struggle bereft of rewards.

While he ate, Jiran studied his new map and found himself begrudgingly impressed with its features. Not only could he zoom in closely to places he had been but he was also able to place markers, notes, and there was even a fog that receded the more he explored.

He stood and stretched, squaring his shoulders in preparation for whatever divine punishment awaited him. "You’re a real piece of shit for not giving me that quest before a tier five was involved. You clearly have plans for me but I’m not interested in being manipulated like a piece on a game board. Especially after what you did today. Constantly trying to get me to restart the timer, charging off to lands unknown before checking on my family after so many seasons… I don’t know if you represent the system as a whole or why you’re doing all this, but whatever you are, at least I know you don’t give a shit about us humans.”

"I bet there’s tons of things I don’t understand, and for all I know, I’m whining at a god or Madra herself but I don’t care. If you ever want my help, you’re going to have to either fully communicate with me or stop being a dick.”

Jiran waited a moment for the wrath of an angry god to blast him into ionized particles. When there was no response to his tirade other than the wind gently blowing his hair, he cracked his neck and resumed his run west. He hadn’t been expecting a reply, but he was confident whatever was pushing these quests on him was listening.

As his legs blurred across the terrain, he directed his attention to his manabody.

It’s barely recharged from the fight and it’s been hours. I can feel it leaching off my mana but it’s so slow. At this rate, it could take a week or longer to be full again. Is this how people feel when they have to wait for their density to convert to mana? No wonder Lenton and Samris freaked out when he found out what I could do. Well, if there’s a way to do it with density to mana, there’s probably a way to do mana to aura.

Jiran honed in on the sensations of his mana draining out of him. Similar to mana moving toward an injury, it flowed like the capillary action of water climbing a cloth. After his mana leached out of his manapool and reached the innermost layers of his skin, it twisted in a way he couldn’t perceive before vanishing and reappearing outside of his body and inside his aura.

His first test was to control the process by reigning back on his mana just as it reached his skin. He then pushed it forward, allowing the absorption before stopping it again. After repeating this several dozen times, he felt like he was starting to get a feel for what was happening.

The mana is changing. It’s almost like it's turning into an element and losing its ability to become anything else. Then, once that change occurs, it just gets sucked into my aura. I need a bigger splash. Something to move the obscurement enough that I can actually see the change.

Jiran clamped down on the mana inside his body and condensed it with all his effort before smacking it against the inside of his skin. Most of the mana was rejected and started a feedback loop that gathered in force until it kicked him in the gut, eliciting a grunt of pain. However, a thick stream of mana broke through and successfully passed into his manabody.

Oh, that was easier than I thought. I just have to condense and push it. Still can’t see what’s happening but that pushed nearly six hours of passive regeneration into my aura.

Jiran repeated the same process again, however this time the feedback was so strong that he stopped running. The third time, he puked acid and bile onto the ground, taking minor satisfaction that his lunch had already been converted so none of the density was wasted. The fourth time he charged his aura, he rolled in a fetal position on the ground for several minutes before he recovered.

Wow this is awful. It’s definitely faster though. Six more times should do it. Maybe a little break first though.