After getting back, I train on my own until my head starts to hurt. I keep trying to improve efficiency and create tiny black mana orbs that crumble on their own after a while. They take quite a large amount of mana for their size, and I have to reduce the amount I channel into the mana stone I'm charging, but I think it's worth it.

The last king seemed to recognize the black mana, and he was close with the Absolute of their planet, so it surely is something good or scary. Or even better, both. Even I myself am not sure what it is.

I suspect that it's just something similar to the second stage of Mana upgrade Potency, the Dynamic mana. Or it could be something similar to Lissandra's [Singularity], with its effects limited to mana while requiring huge amounts of mana to use.

Back then, when I created a black dagger from it, I was able to cut the connection between the king's crown and the Saint's healing powers. A connection that I could barely sense and couldn't affect with any of my skills, a connection that had been weakened, though, it was made by an Absolute.

The other thing it did was ignore the king's absorption ability, the sheer density of mana having been enough to avoid the skill.

Then there was the case in the Colony territory where a smaller black orb absorbed an amount of mana that was enough to turn a Mana Channeler ant into a massive bomb, powered by hundreds and thousands of other ants.

And the last case where I was able to create a tiny black mana thing that, through inscriptions for a few seconds, continued to power my skill by dominating the mana of the enemy.

That last part gave me a few ideas on how to finally utilize it and do something I’ve wanted to do ever since I saw Lissandra doing it, the reason I spent months examining the epic Ethercrystal shortsword. Maybe I can finally absorb mana. Not ambient mana like Lissandra did, that much is still impossible, no, maybe I can absorb the mana of attacks made against me.

I will use [Focus], [Redistribution], and [Mana Domain] to that end, and damn, will I need a lot of healing to test it properly and to get a feel for it.

Once again, I will have to rely on Lily and her crown, but it's fine; our silly healer improved a lot in the past few days. She just needed some instruction, and when she got it, the speed of her improvement became staggering, like with Maya, after I gave her my advice or even Kim a long time before.

Most of the time, I thought it was better to leave them on their own to come up with their own ideas, and they did, they really did, but now that I think about it, maybe I shouldn't just end things at that. I myself learned a lot of my skills by observing others. [Disruption] from Hadwin, and [Armament] from Maya, for example, even my [Regalia] came to me from Maya's ideas. Let's just hope they don't get lazy and rely on me too much.

So, should I take this responsibility and try to be a bigger influence on their growth and give them some pointers? I could make them much stronger short term, but it could make them overly reliant. Or would it just be a slight push to further their improvement?

With a sigh, I hold my right arm in front of me and continue drawing inscriptions on it with mana-conductive paint. The paint is extremely expensive and made of dust from pulverized mana stones, iron particles, and other components that are kept secret. The paint needs to be used quickly, and when you channel mana through it, it becomes extremely durable and hard to remove from skin.

It's my first time using it, but I do not hesitate as I draw a mix of circuits and inscriptions on my arms, inspired by my experiments with the black-tipped mana javelin.

Yes, the plan is simple. I will create a black orb that will absorb mana and attacks, and my arm will transfer that mana to me, then I will use [Resonance] to change its frequency in combination with [Redistribution] to make it my own.

As Dennis would say, this is an extremely ghetto way to do it.

Exactly how I like it.

Of course, my arm might explode if I do a poor job while creating the black mana and use too much or too little, but it's something for emergencies. I don't have to use it, but it's better to be prepared.

It could also be useless, as the orb takes a lot of mana to create, so if I can’t absorb more than I used to create it, I will end up with a net loss.

Well, whatever.

I finish the last inscription and send my mana through it, and the lines glow for a moment. I do it again, and this time I use [Resonance] to cut into my skin just under the lines and infuse them with more mana, strengthening the effect.

If I had more time, I would rather prepare a construct, but this is the most I can do at the moment.

I look up at the constant shower of attacks that currently light up the night sky. They are timed to constantly activate a few segments of the barrier, and at this point, they feel more like a psychological attack. The First One is here, and the citizens of the city shudder under the siege. No one seems to be able to sleep, and a lot of people are out on the streets or hiding in bunker-like facilities. It's nearly impossible to find anyone without some amount of armor or a weapon.

I jump from my balcony and land in one of the sitting rooms, and even before I enter, I hear slow, soft music reminding me of tones I used to hear on Earth, unlike any music I've heard here.

For a moment, I listen, and a weird feeling of familiarity and coziness washes over me, and then I enter the room.

Maya is sitting on the couch, holding a violin-like instrument she plays on. She makes mistakes and misses notes, but the music she plays makes me want to ignore those small imperfections.

Tess is there as well, with her eyes closed and a distant smile on her lips. She is sitting near Maya, leaning against her, and even humming along to Maya’s playing.

I catch Isabella's eyes, and she brings a finger to her lips and taps the seat next to her. I oblige and sit down, which causes Noodle to slither from the little girl's arms and climb onto me. Used to it already, I send bits of my mana towards him. The white snake is heavier than before and a bit bigger, yet he is still young and really weak. He might have the blood of some ancient beast but he hasn't shown any powers as of yet.

Out of nowhere, he straightens up and quickly leaves my lap, climbing back onto Izzy.

That's when Biscuit appears and floats up onto my lap. I hear him growl quietly, and the white snake seems like he's bowing his head, and only then does Biscuit calm down and woofs at me.

Obeying his order, I pet him.

The sounds of attacks crashing against the barrier mix with Maya's music as our entire group sits there and quietly listens.

Soon the attacks become more frequent and impactful, and the vibrations can be felt. Some people even scream in alarm, and constant waves of mana wash over the city, strengthening the segments of the barriers and activating secondary defenses.

And Maya plays, slowly, gently. Her fingers move more nimbly, and the expression on her face is distant, and she smiles sadly.

I look to the twins, as they lean against each other, exchanging constant messages through their skill. Even now, they don't seem to be back to their normal selves, and out of all of us, seem to be the most worried about what's to come.

Min-Jae, beside them, his eyes on Maya. His original brown and the new yellow eye. The atmosphere around him is different now. He seems more confident, but not in a bad way. Unlike before, when confidence felt forced and fake like a threatened animal raising its hackles to appear bigger. He is calmer now as if the power he just acquired gave him the hope he needed.

Sophie, next to Izzy, is working on multiple mana stones and etching similar inscriptions into each of them. Just from observing them a bit, I know that the stones are meant to work together, probably strengthening the web she constantly layers around herself in preparation for the clash of her [Manipulation] against the First One's [Hive Mind].

Hadwin, sitting near the doors, seems protective, by the way he’s looking around. He is in full armor as he has been these past few days, and I can feel him constantly using his [Strengthening] to make it more durable.

Then there is Tess, her eyes closed as she leans against Maya. Over her head, a [Stormcrown] hovers, creating shadows and crackling quietly as she continues to fill it with a terrifying degree of Primordial lightning.

And Lily, a petite black-haired girl holding a crown in her hands and playing with it, making a few last changes to it and her body. Her hair is longer than before, and there are more changes inside her as well, as per my suggestions. An epic bow is to her left.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

For a moment, I just sit there as well, enjoying the mood of the room and the people surrounding me.

The word (Friends,) sounds in my head, and I look down at Biscuit, who returns my gaze.

“I guess,” I whisper to him.

(Friends,) he repeats.

“I…”

(Friends.) He puts more weight on this word.

“Maybe,” I finally agree with him.

That's when the strongest explosion so far sounds throughout the entire city, and even the tower we are in shakes.

An alarm follows immediately, and Maya stops playing. “That's it, I guess,” she says.

“That's it,” Tess stands up, and her eyes meet the gaze of each of us. “Stay safe, everyone.”

A few more words and awkward hugs are exchanged.

“I will continue as planned then,” I say and activate my skill.

“Nat…” Tess starts, but I do not let her finish. After Lily hands me a crown I immediately put it on my head and activate [Tether].

I appear in front of Myrra, who is surrounded by twelve enforcers. I reach the table and ignore Myrras’ words. There are multiple mana stones filled with mana, fire, poison-like feeling stuff, and other things. They’re all like my mana stone filled with thermal and kinetic energy.

Examining them for a moment, I take my mana stone out as well as a plate made from highly conductive metal.

I place my mana stone in the middle, and around that, I set other mana stones filled by lynthari and humans. The stones I’ve added to mine are as filled as mine or more, and they start to hum quietly, all of that energy in one place is terrifying.

My hand hovers over it and I breathe out, and in. I make last-minute changes to a few lines and activate the thing. The skill, I’ve constantly fed with a trickle of mana to prevent it from disappearing, also activates.

[Tether - lvl 15 > Tether - lvl 16]

[Tether - lvl 16 > Tether - lvl 17]

[Tether - lvl 17 > Tether - lvl 18]

[Tether - lvl 18 > Tether - lvl 19]

Then I feel resistance, a barrier the ants must have set up around the anchor I left behind with the black orb down in the tunnels. [Resonance] activates, and multiple times over, I start changing the frequencies.

[Resonance - lvl 35 > Resonance - lvl 36]

Someone actively fights against me, feeling the danger and the amount of mana I'm trying to transfer.

I consolidate my [Focus] and continue to change frequencies, only to be stopped by them being changed again. The game continues for a while, and I totally shut out Myrra in the background. The world becomes black and white, with mana stones in front of me shining with a brilliant light that hurts my eyes. I feel my head start to hurt, but I push more, and the crown activates, filling me with warm mana.

[Resonance - lvl 36 > Resonance - lvl 37]

The presence is pushing against me, fighting, trying to stop me, and I realize that it's the First One.

A wave of rage washes over me, but I push it to the back of my mind and continue the effort, further activating the crown and healing me.

[Resonance - lvl 37 > Resonance - lvl 38]

Finally, I get a step ahead, and before the frequency changes can stop me, I activate my skill once again.

[Tether - lvl 19 > Tether - lvl 20]

The plate with the stones disappears, and a moment later, I feel an attempt to exploit the lingering connection and send the stones back, but it's something I’ve already anticipated.

Somewhere on the other side, the set of inscriptions I prepared for this case activates and disrupts the efforts, and another wave destroys the connection.

Then there is quiet, a terrifying quiet.

I return to the room, and a short blast of kinetic energy destroys the window, and I leave and get on top of the building.

The amount of mana that I feel from behind the barrier almost makes me vomit. It's the First One, absorbing as much mana as he can through the relay that leads here the entire way from the Colony territory. He is doing it to get as much as he can before the connection cuts off.

I look towards where the territory is.

[You have defeated Worker ant - lvl 71]

[You have defeated Flame Legion ant - lvl 119]

[You have defeated Gravity ant - lvl 101]

[You have defeated Gravity ant - lvl 79]

[You have defeated Gravity ant - lvl 93]

[You have defeated Ant warrior - lvl 60]

[You have defeated Worker ant - lvl 81]

[You have defeated Worker ant - lvl 68]

...

The notifications continue to ring constantly, line of text after line of text, nearly all of the ants at 100 or lower, the weaker ants left behind in the safety of the Colony to fuel their attack effort through a set of relays.

[Lvl 190 > Lvl 191]

[Lvl 191 > Lvl 192]

[Lvl 192 > Lvl 193]

[Lvl 193 > Lvl 194]

My lynthari, human joint attack continues to give me and everyone else involved, including the few members of group 4 who were able to fill weaker mana stones.

The lights appear far away on the horizon against the shadow of the giant anthills, and even the clouds in the sky are bathed from below in multi-hued light. Orange mixed with blue, yellow, gold, and green.

Before the set of relays feeding the First One with mana from the Colony cuts off, he harnesses all he can connect to. Simultaneously, he throws it against the city barriers, causing them to immediately crash and crumble under the force. A green attack crashes against the city like a wave, destroying buildings and killing thousands of people in the area.

The barrier tries to reactivate again, but the wave locates its sources and obliterates them, and then slowly particles of mana from what used to be the barrier start falling from the sky.

And the notifications continue.

[Lvl 198 > Lvl 199]

[Lvl 199 > Lvl 200]

[Lvl 200 > Lvl 201]

[Lvl 201 > Lvl 202]

Congratulations, you have completed a side quest. You can now pick your second trait. Please remember that humans are limited to three traits in total. Choose carefully.

Your traits are based on your performance up until now within the tutorial.

Mana-Responsive Musculature

Enhances the user's muscular strength in direct correlation with their mana levels. The greater the mana, the more pronounced the physical strength, enabling the user to perform impressive physical feats that go beyond ordinary capabilities. This enhancement adapts to the user's mana levels, making it highly effective in various scenarios that demand physical prowess, from combat to challenging physical tasks.

Mana-Dependent Regeneration

This trait enables the user's body to utilize their personal mana reserves to accelerate the natural healing process. Unlike standard healing, which is typically constant, this regeneration rate dynamically scales with the user's available mana. When the user's mana levels are high, the healing is significantly faster, but it slows as mana diminishes.

Arcane Skeletal Framework

Alters the user's skeletal structure to efficiently conduct and store various forms of energy, including mana. This not only strengthens the bones, making them more durable and resistant to damage but also creates an internal energy reservoir. This reservoir provides a steady supply of energy, augmenting their magical capabilities.

Compact Mana Heart

Transforms the user's heart into an organ capable of sustaining and compressing mana. This modification enhances the effectiveness of all mana-based abilities and reduces the physical and magical exhaustion typically associated with high-level spellcasting. The heart's ability to compress mana allows for more efficient and potent use of magical powers.

Mana Wavelength Iris

This trait endows the user with the ability to perceive a vast spectrum of mana wavelengths, far beyond normal capabilities. It sharpens the user's ability to detect even the most nuanced mana fluctuations, providing an unparalleled awareness of magical currents and energies. This leads to refined insight into the flow of mana.

Energetic Dispersion Dermis

The user's skin gains the ability to diffuse a wide range of incoming energies, including kinetic, thermal, and magical attacks. It acts as a protective barrier, effectively spreading the impact of these energies across its surface to significantly minimize damage. This trait is especially effective against concentrated mana attacks, providing a passive defense mechanism that can be crucial in magical combat.

Mana Echo Chamber

Converts the user's chest cavity into a chamber that resonates with ambient mana, storing it until the user chooses to release it. This stored mana can be unleashed in powerful bursts, useful for amplifying the impact of spells, creating sudden protective shields, or as a burst of energy in critical situations. The Mana Echo Chamber is particularly valuable for spellcasters who need an extra reserve of energy during intense magical confrontations.