Chapter 250: Roots

-

-

-

-

-

AN: Got some editing suggestions? Suggest it on the Google Docs here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jmUy2uVeJ7_5K3ILeSmgYSRxbGjNmJFw2hxJ1szDdTc/edit?usp=sharing

____________________________________________________________________________

We fly over to Temple Island, and I place my Eyewraps and Library on the Mana Arc. I weave substitute eyewraps of dark mana and watch as my evolving items absorb a significant amount of the mana flowing through the Mana Arc.

“Interesting,” I mutter.

“Indeed,” Kayafe responds.

There seems to be a maximum amount of mana that can be burned during the evolution process. To my [Sense Magic], the items glow brightly as the magic swells to capacity and grows the magic frameworks. It stops burning miasma now that it is getting a healthy diet of mana, but what does Kayafe see?

“Did you get any new breakthroughs? What are you seeing with your [Sense Divinity]?” I ask, my tails dancing excitedly.

“The divinity is restructuring and growing the magic framework.”

“Restructuring? I suppose that shouldn’t be too surprising; the magic and divinity need to mix and fuse to form the framework.”

“Given the rate of the framework growth, how long do you estimate this will take?” Kayafe asks.

“I have no idea,” I answer with a shrug. “I don’t know what the final framework will look like.”

We continue watching for the next hour, but nothing else changes. With nothing new to learn, we visit Safyr, who notices our approach and adopts a majestic and dignified pose.

“You have reached heights of knowledge beyond anything even Dragons have achieved,” she compliments. “I suppose you want to ask about the Legendary points?”

I nod.

“Never in my life have I seen such a world message, so I don’t know anything about it. If there is anyone who has, it would be the Elder Dragon.” Safyr speaks the title with venom in her tone.

“What has he done to earn your ire?” Kayafe asks.

“He’s a shameful coward! He may be the oldest Dragon, but he has not answered any call, nor does he engage in any fight he isn’t sure he can win. Choosing favorable battles is one thing, but he isn’t even willing to fight for anything! Anytime a Dragon challenges his territory, he runs away! I bet he’s hiding in some crevice deep in the earth by now, having been driven from the surface. I wouldn’t waste my time with him if I were you.”

“Well, since you haven’t heard about Skills reaching level one thousand before, can you give me advice on my Legendary points?” I say, a little nervous about Safyr's sour mood. “I have three of them now: discovering how to cure Cursed Skills, which is an intellectual feat; evolving magic items to Legendary tier, which is a feat involving items; and leveling [Sense Magic] to one thousand, which is a Skill feat.”

“An interesting dilemma you have. They are all good Legendary points, but you still have Cursed Skills you need to cure. You don’t want to use them for curing when a less valuable point could be used.”

I nod. That is exactly my problem. Safyr has said before that not all Legendary points are equal, so I need to be wise with what I have.

“Normally, I’d say to use two on your Race, since it is more powerful than your Classes,” Safyr says. “However, there must be a minimum wait of one year between racial evolutions.”

“There does?!” This is news to me, but that does also explain why I had an evolution at the age of one. If my birth is considered a type of evolution or something of that sort, then that would be the soonest I’d have been eligible for an evolution opportunity. Most people don’t yet have any achievements to fuel evolution, but I did.

“Yes, don’t interrupt me,” Safyr growls. “None of your Classes are at a high enough tier to be worth spending a point on; plus, you can level them up easily now, so any points spent would just be a waste. So the question is, which one should be used to cure a Cursed Skill? My suggestion would be to save your intellectual feat point for your Class as it is closest to the mind and your Skill feat point for your Race, and to use your item improvement feat point for curing your Skill. This assumes that your Skill feat point can’t be used on [Sense Magic], of course. If you succeed in your trial, that will be another item-crafting-related feat, so your current one is less valuable.”

“I agree with Safyr’s assessment,” Kayafe says. “Unfortunately, you recently evolved, and your Classes aren’t ready, so unless you can further improve [Sense Magic], there isn’t anything for you to spend your points on outside of Cursed Skills.”

I guess this means that the only chance of me curing [Astral Projection] anytime soon will be when I evolve one of my Classes. I was already planning to do that anyway, but now that I have the points, I should make that a priority. I don’t want to drain too much of my anima accidentally.

“Well then, I have nothing important going on for a few days, so this is my only opportunity to improve my Classes until all the craziness has died down.”

“Before you leave, tell me what you’ve learned,” Safyr says.

I explain all I’ve learned, putting Safyr back into a good mood.

“I would… no one would have thought that anima plays such an important role in mana, but how does it affect Vitality? Or does it? Vitality is non-elemental, isn’t it? So that means it has no anima?” Safyr asks.

“It does, actually.” I correct her. “I haven't had the breakthrough long enough to study every new thing, so I don’t know how it affects Vitality yet, but this has shown me new possibilities. Reserved mana, however, does not hold anima; it is the only form of mana that is truly non-elemental.”

“So it may be possible to create hyper essence Vitality. We are left with more questions than answers. What is Vitality’s place in the four aspects of life if it is influenced by anima? Or does the anima influence it in other ways? Questions I hope will be answered in time.”

“Perhaps,” I sigh. “I have a lot to study, and I think it’s more important to study magical beings and the Calamity Egg in addition to everything going on.”

“You should slow down, then. Return to your roots and remember why you are doing all of this in the first place,” Safyr says sagely.

I’m not sure what Safyr is talking about. My roots are here, and I’ve barely left.

“What do you mean by that?” I ask.

“You’ve been so focused on fulfilling obligations outside of the Nexus that your focus here is waning, Alysara. Although, I suppose that is because this place is too small for you. Still, it is nice once in a while to retract into your den and forget the outside world for some time. Anyway, I’ll be asleep for the next day; I finally have a worthy evolution. You may go now.”

Did Safyr get a good evolution because of me? Why not sooner? Or maybe she had an evolution already and wanted it to be stronger. Is that why she wanted to learn from me all this time?

Whatever the case, I return home to prepare for my expedition back into the Dungeon.

“Now that I think about it, no Legendaries, other than Urolon and Lin, have shown up yet; I thought we’d get a lot more,” Kayafe says.

“Maybe they haven’t arrived yet; this world is really big,” I reply while retrieving my Dryad’s Grace staff.

“I think Safyr might be filtering them out for you. Many might not have anything worthy to trade. It’s probably the case that, until now, the only Legendary beings with anything worth trading had already met someone who mastered [Sense Mana], but now they will have a good reason to seek you out. What do you plan on asking for if they come to you?”

“Hmm,” I hum.

I haven’t put much thought into it. I can always ask for materials, but I can’t benefit from that much until I get [Astral Projection] under control. I suppose I should ask for training on my less developed Skills. Safyr helped power-level my Mana Toxicity Tolerance, so other powerful beings should be able to help me.

“Breakthrough for breakthrough, I guess. I have other Skills I need to level up too,” I answer.

Just then, my parents enter my shop. I have my clone lead them into my storage room, where Kayafe and I are preparing for our Dungeon dive.

“We’re so proud of you, Aly!” They pull me into a group hug.

“Uhg! Why do you always want to crush me?” I gasp while pulling back my head and trying to breathe.

“You got more world announcements! We want to celebrate!” Mom says.

“You can hug normally!” I complain but still return the hug in a more gentle manner.

“We couldn’t really celebrate the other times because there was always a crisis going on. But now that there isn’t, we have to make up for the times we missed,” Dad says with a grin.

“We must properly celebrate at the Lojyo, too; you have to show off your new items!” Mom says once they break our hug.

“They haven’t finished evolving,” I say, dousing their expectations while pursing my lips and looking off to the side. “They will likely take a few days before they are finished. That’s why I am wearing this.” I point to my substitute eyewraps.

“Legendary items take an incredibly long time to make or evolve,” Kayafe explains.

My parents turn their attention to her and finally notice our preparations: my staff, armor, and other enchanted equipment.

“You’re going into the Dungeon?” Mom asks.

“Yes, this is the only time I can in the near future,” I answer honestly.

“Aly,” Dad places a hand on my shoulder. “There is a reason why we don’t work after second bath. It’s unhealthy to work so much. You need to live life and connect with our community.”

“We really worry about you, Aly,” Mom adds, the concern evident in her tone. “When was the last time you stopped working? Including your clones.”

“That isn’t an issue,” I say. “It’s not like my other minds are working all day. I’ve been touring other lands and seeing other cultures. Even now, I am attending a music hall in faraway lands.”

“We are not talking about taking breaks from work, Aly,” Dad says. “Other than the Lojyo, what other social gatherings have you been to? That is the problem. You have been so focused on your work that you are ignoring our community. It is unhealthy.”

I had to think about that. Perhaps they are right in that sense. In my free time, I mostly study mana or ways to improve my airship business. Now that I think about it, my work and my hobbies are basically the same. The only reason I am doing anything else with the clone in the Human lands is because I have nothing better to do with it. No wonder Mom and Dad are worried.

“I... I’m sorry,” I meekly say.

“And what about finding someone you love, Aly?” Mom asks. “When I was your age, we were already talking about getting married. Your cousin married at seventeen; that’s only half a year older than you are now. Speaking of, you are going to attend your niece’s Kyholo. Do you have a gift picked out?” Mom is not asking; she is telling me to go.

“I can quickly make something,” I say, a little embarrassed.

Mom and Dad just sigh. “Do you even know when it is?” Mom says exasperatedly.

I scratch the back of my head, not knowing what to say.

“It’s a week from now!”

“S-sorry…” I droop my ears and tails in shame.

Dad places a hand on Mom’s back. “She knows now; let’s not dwell on it.” She then looks toward me. “So, do you have anyone catching your eye?”

“No,” I say bluntly.

“What about Kayafe? Some prefer the company of those similar to themselves.”

I shake my head. “I’m just letting her live here until she can get an income of her own. Speaking of… Kayafe, you have been looking for a source of income, right? You should have no problems with your abilities.”

It’s Kayafe’s turn to look embarrassed.

“Um… well, Aly, you see… I traveled with my companions for a long time, and right after that, I led my people for decades until we found the Nexus. It wasn’t long after that when I sacrificed myself to make the Mana Arc, so…” Kayafe trails off.

In other words, she’s never had a job before.

My lips press into a line before it turns into a sigh. “I suppose I could hire you to make mana silk or airships.”

“Thank you…” Kayafe says bashfully.

“You’re really not interested in anyone? You haven’t even been seeking any partners during your mating seasons?” Mom asks. “I know you’re a late bloomer, but surely you're old enough now.”

“Those are distracting, so I use a spell to ignore them,” I say curtly.

“Well, that certainly explains a lot.” To my and my parent’s surprise, it is Kayafe who speaks up on this matter. “Alysara, it is important to have those for your mental development! How are you supposed to develop romantic interests if you ignore these ‘distracting feelings’! Do you even know the type of person you are interested in? I thought it was weird that an Heirloom Progenitor wasn’t interested in starting a family, but this explains it.”

“Kayafe’s right. Mating seasons are a part of life, a part of being an adult,” Dad says.

“Do we really have to talk about this now?” I say, my face feeling hot.

“If not now, then when?” Mom says.

“Well, I’ve been so busy with the airships, trading, skill improvement, and everything else that I just can’t afford the time!” I say, trying to find some means to escape this embarrassing situation.

“Alysara, this is why we are worried. Your work and ambitions, even your hobbies, are consuming your life; there’s no time left for relationships,” Mom says.

“Aly, you are forbidden from preventing your mating seasons,” Dad says, hands on hips.

“Besides, you are missing out on adult fun,” Kayafe adds.

“Alright! I get it!” I say, wishing this will end. “What did you mean about that Heirloom Progenitor thing, Kayafe?” I ask to get the topic directly off me and onto anything else.

“The Heirloom tier requires the desire to pass it on. It means that, at least subconsciously, you must have a desire for children.”

I have to think way back on that. I was five years old when I got the Heirloom evolution. I was so young that it could only have been due to influence from my past life. But my memories were still dormant back then; did they still have that much impact on me? I did want to start a family in my previous life, but I was infertile. I guess it was imprinted on my soul, and being so young, I had yet to fully develop into my own person. So, did the echo of regret from my past life influence this one? And what about now? Do I still want children? I really haven’t given it any thought.

Now that I think about it, I did act more like a third parent than a big sister to Yafe and Yafel, even making sure they did their chores. Then there’s Lotis and Kyhana, my apprentices. I do enjoy teaching them. Have I been subconsciously mothering others?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Safyr POV:

Water Empress Mana Tyrant Dragon:
(Legendary)
You have watched over and learned from the Saintess of Mana and Magic and stepped onto a path rarely tread by your kind. Your witness of a near-transcendent skill and your eagerness to learn will evolve your sight of mana far beyond what most can ever hope to achieve. Although you won’t be able to sense magic, you will be able to perceive all you have learned of mana. Your vision will be as gentle or oppressive as you wish, able to go entirely unnoticed or able to crush the vision of your opponents so that all your enemies will fear the Mana Tyrant.

As soon as Safyr regained consciousness, she saw her surroundings, even before she opened her eyes. She could now sense the mana around her rather than see it with her eyes, much like her [Sense Soul].

So this is what Alysara experiences. Safyr muses, feeling the impressions, the very identity of the mana around her. It makes her old vision seem crude and cloudy like she had been blind to mana all along. The mana is alive, for lack of a better word.

She can sense the entirety of the Nexus and far, far more, even feeling the perceptive area around the storm wardens and anyone else who shares [Sense Mana]. Perceptive fields can interfere with each other if one is significantly stronger, so Safyr lowers her perceptive pressure. It feels like squinting her eyes, but at least she won’t disturb Alysara’s perception, nor anyone else’s.

She should be able to raise her perceptive pressure so much that she can distract and blind others now as a new dimension of combat, but she hasn’t trained with it at all. Perhaps she should ask Alysara for perceptive sparring. If anything, she will learn the difference between her and Alysara’s perceptive power, though she can’t help but admit she is curious to know what it’s like to be hit with the full force of her perceptive pressure; feeling such strength will help her gauge its usefulness in battle. But before that, she should hunt some leviathans to test her new strength and powers.

Safyr opens her eyes, stands up, and stretches out her wings, taking off into the skies as she begins her hunt.