29 A Pound of Flesh

I pursed my lips and murmured, "Can it though?"

Torix shrugged, "It can, but there’s a distinct reason why Althea doesn't use magic. You are about to discover it."

I raised an eyebrow, "Then why does she have arcane blood?"

Torix shrugged, “Likely, she was born with it.” Torix turned to me before sitting in a chair of black. The dark energy buzzed lightly as he put his fingertips together,

"What kind of magic interests you? Your aura is powerful and with a few levels, you'd be able to beat anyone in hand to hand combat. What's with the sudden urge to learn the arcane arts?"

He snapped his fingers before a chair spawned behind me. As I sat down, I adjusted myself, noticing just how soft these things were,

"Well, there's three things I’m trying to fix." I lifted a finger, "First off, I've gained quite a bit of intelligence, willpower, and perception. I have the leveling perks for them too. This makes for a very potent combination, letting me learn magic with relative ease. That's not something I can neglect, especially not long-term."

Torix tilted his head, "Fair enough."

I raised two fingers, "Second, having no meaningful way of attacking someone at range is one hell of a weakness. If I could get some way of elongating my attacks or something like it, I’d gain a lot of options."

Torix leaned back, crossing his legs, "Hmmm, very true."

I put up my third finger, "And I want to be a badass, fighting sorcerer."

Torix gave me a serious nod, "But of course. The most important reason of all. How else could you be a, what was it...ah yes, a badass fighting sorcerer? That is as good a reason as any."

I frowned, "Come on Torix. You're busting my balls. Why do you have to bust my balls?"

Torix actually laughed a little before waving an arm, "Alright, enough foolishness. I'll show you some of the basics."

Torix stood up before spawning a plume of cerulean shaded mana. It formed a blue fire in his right hand and a spiral of water in his left. He lifted them, "Magic is usually taught with the three forms of magic. Origin, dominion, and augmentation. I’ve spoken of them before. Each of them results in differing outcomes."

He pulled the fire and water together, creating a ball of steam. He clenched his hand, forcing the steam to collapse back into water, "This was the magic of origin. It is used to create something from nothing. In another word - generation. You become the origin of fire, earth, metal, whatever you can imagine, you may project. Elemental magic, summoning, even most high level healing spells are of this class."

He lifted a hand outwards, and a dark, sinister mana ebbed from his fingertips. Torix lifted a rock in the distance. He split the rock into cubes before making the pieces of it spiral like electrons around an atom,

"This is the magic of dominion. By extending your will, you may warp and bend the material and immaterial to your desires. Corruption, mind magic, and telekinesis are all under this branch of magic. Gravitation is as well. Forces that manipulate reside in dominion’s domain."

Torix let the spinning rocks hit the ground as his hand encompassed in a wave of orange energy. Torix smashed that hand into an unmarked wall. The wall thundered out an echo before he grabbed a falling chunk of stone. He crushed it in his palm, "This is augmentation. By using your will, you may build on whatever it is you wish. I've seen augmenters even enhance their eyes and bones, or let their frail, old hands punch through stone."

I turned a hand to him, “And I was augmentation earlier, right? My mana was orange based on that affinity test."

Torix locked his hands behind himself, "Indeed, and the purity of your augmentation is quite high. You must be a believer in the self, one who thinks their fate is in their hands. Hold onto that, for it shall strengthen the augmenting effects you gain. Most people are like that, owning a singular affinity. The more focused a person's personality and actions, the more affinity they have for certain styles."

Torix leaned forward, "I, for instance, have an affinity for dominion magic. While I've practiced origin and augmentation magic as well, dominion comes naturally to me. I remember never creating something as powerful as the monsters I found on fringe worlds. That was when I focused my efforts into dominion magic, eventually even being able to control creatures as powerful as Moloth."

I leaned over Torix’s hands, "All the books you gave me never mentioned all of this. It all seems pretty integral, if you know what I mean. Why didn't any of your books focus on it?"

Torix leaned onto a hand, "I was trying to teach you as much about magic as I could without you actually using any. Blood magic is truly painful, after all, and we may be diving into dark forces here. The arcane arts can be a malevolent journey, should you ever stray from its most obvious paths. I am an example of that. That Yawm of Flesh is as well."

Yawm summoned creatures far stronger than I was. He commanded armies of them, and his underlings far exceeded the might of anything humanity organized. I shivered at the thought of them capturing and using me as a mana battery or worse. Despite what they said to me, I even dwelled on what might happen to Michael and Kelsey.

As if reading my mind, Torix sighed, "Listen, disciple. I know leaving them wasn't easy. I understand that hollow feeling of loss, trust me. You have to swallow it and keep moving forward. Use that emptiness. Don't let yourself be consumed by it."

I peered up, "I think you’re misunderstanding something. They chose to spit in my face. They’ll deal with the consequences.”

Torix leaned back, "Ah, so that’s how it is then? Would you prefer I called my minions back then? I had a few overseeing them just in case any eldritch happened to wander by."

Trying not to care but failing, I frowned, “If you could, just leave something overlooking them. It doesn’t have to be much.”

Torix nodded, "Of course. Now, to continue with mana types. The most vital aspect is learning your affinity, then trying to work within it. The easiest method for finding your affinity is taking an emptied mana crystal and siphoning mana through it. Depending on what comes out, that may determine your natural generation.”

I raised my brow, “What about the mana someone can tolerate? Would you run a test where you throw some raw mana on me to see if I can handle it or something?”

Torix turned up while grabbing his chin, “Hah. What a novel idea. I suppose we could. We already know your mana type, but if you're willing to perform the research, I’m willing to help. That being said, I’ll need a piece of you."

I grabbed my arm out, "Why not just throw it in and see what happens?"

Torix shook his head, "The reason is simple - the consequences therein. Most likely, your body will reject another being's mana. If you aren't compatible with the mana, it can create horrific side effects."

I lowered my arm, "Then that’s why the rip in dimensions was so dangerous."

Torix scoffed, "Dangerous? That was paramount to suicide. You lived through it, but count yourself lucky. Dabbling further in that nonsense will get you stripped into finite particles."

My armor wriggled across my skin, "Eh, we'll see. Couldn't I just give you some hair?"

"Hair is keratin strands squeezed out through follicles. What we need is tissue that is still alive. Some blood will work but flesh would be better."

I sighed before clasping my hand into a fist. I banged my helmet a few times, keeping my neck strut. After a few strikes, I peeled the loosened armor away from my arm. Squirming tendrils writhed from the wounded edges, healing me. Before the wound closed, I dug the sharpened points of my gauntlet into my arm. Quick and decisive, I ripped out some meat from my forearm.

It still hurt, though nowhere near the amount I expected. My brow furrowed, but I remained poised. I only let out a slight grimace before Torix guffawed,

"Disgusting, yet excellent. Tell me, what is your Pain Tolerance at?"

I checked my status screen, "Ninety four."

Torix’s eyes flared, "No wonder that was rather anticlimactic. You weren't exaggerating about that old skill of yours, were you?"

"Yeah, Agony was, well, agonizing."

Torix lifted the bloodied flesh with telekinesis, "Duly noted." The necromancer lifted a hand, inducing a wave of mana like a tropical ocean’s water. The mana fell into the patch of me, but the absorption slowed to a snail’s pace seconds after. Torix’s eyes flared white,

"And here I was doubtful that you'd have any talent for origin mana. It would seem that you have a slight inkling for it. That is...Unexpected."

I shrugged, "Well, I'm not really an airy type. I didn’t think I’d have any talent for it either."

Torix leaned back, “Hm...Let’s proceed.”

Torix then created a stream of writhing black mana. Its purity and strength far exceeded the previous flow. The lich doused that torrent into the flesh. The mana seeped straight in before Torix gasped. His eyes flared a bright white,

"Your affinity for dominion is..Remarkable. I could’ve sworn you carried a singular affinity before. What’s going on here?"

I pursed my lips while raising my brow, “What’s the big deal?”

Torix gawked as more dominion energy seeped into the hunk of meat, "User's of dominion magic are often those that put their every effort into control. They plan out their actions whilst abusing every detail and piece of knowledge they have at their disposal. They don't desire control over themselves either. They desire control over their environments."

I crossed my arms, “Maybe this is because of the portal? This dark mana seems similar to the energy there."

Torix narrowed his eyes, "What? That energy is nothing like dominion. That portal carried deforming, volatile energies that warped and took over whatever it touched. Well, everything aside from that armor of yours. On the other hand, dominion never consumes, it merely controls."

I tapped a finger against my forearm, "I have no idea then. I know I didn’t have this before the warp, and now I do. Call it obvious, but I think the two are correlated."

Torix nodded, "Perhaps. It's impossible to say without more information. Your next affinity will determine whether or not that is the case."

A vibrant steam of orange mana floated from Torix’s hand before he guided the stream into the skin. The mana cackled and arced bits of energy before Torix leaned back into his chair,

"It was most certainly the portal. You have an excellent affinity for augmentation mana as well. That confirms it."

I raised a hand but kept my arms crossed, “I mean, we still don’t know if I can produce the mana yet.”

Torix grabbed his arm rests, "Each style of magic is guided by certain personalities. An excellent affinity in one oftentimes means a poor affinity in the other. Origin, for example, requires a loose, carefree individual. In order to originate, you must allow the magic itself to breathe and grow. This means relinquishing control, something the other two types of personalities struggle with."

Torix wisped dominion mana over his head, a looming cloud of black, “Then there is the magic of dominion. In a sense, this is the polar opposite of origin. Dominion users want control of their environment and the people around them. They do not blame nor hate themselves after they make a mistake. They find fault in the situation and those around them. This gives them the drive and desire to change and warp the world around them."

I pointed at the cloud, "Ok. This makes sense so far."

Torix swirled the dark cloud, "Indeed. Augmentation users are different from both. Instead of focusing on the external, they look inward. They wish for control, but unless that control is of themselves, then it lacks any meaning. They are an interesting case study. They will often be the most afflicted with guilt or self loathing out of the three mana types."

Torix leaned his hands onto the chair, "Of course, most people fall between these three different types, or in other realms altogether. I had you pinned as an augmenter, so finding such a strong affinity with dominion was surprising. This gives us plenty to work with as far as magic is concerned."

I narrowed my eyes while pursing my lips, "So, uh...How do you turn your mana into different colors?"

Torix pinched the bridge of his nose, "It is no color change. It is a total conversion."

He released a stream of dense, colorless mana from his hand, "Notice the lack of direction in this mana’s current state. This means the mana is unguided and pure. The more mana, the more unstable it becomes."

The mana swirled into a compact ball before changing into a light blue, then a vibrant cyan. The mana pulsed in his hand, as if it were struggling to escape from his clutches, "This is converting it into origin."

The ball turned black, the edges rippling. The mana's trembling form eventually pulled outwards, like it was crawling into everything around him. "This is dominion."

The ball turned a vibrant orange, arcs of electricity rippling from it. This mana circled around the central point, a misty ball spiraling like a top. "And this is augmentation."

Torix pulled the mana back within himself, "It's simple really. You must focus on what you want and nothing else to produce a type of mana. That focus, resolve, even determination is what changes the mana. I shouldn't have to spell out what each desire is for each mana, now should I?"

I raised my hand, "Well, origin is the desire for creation, dominion is the desire for control, and augmentation is the desire for discipline. Hell, if I took it a bit further, I'd imagine some attributes help a lot with certain mana types."

"As for desires, you hit the mark aptly. For attributes, that isn’t quite the case. The magic oriented attributes assist with all the different types of magic, regardless of your affinity. Still, having excellent strength would help tremendously with using your augmentation, for example. Dexterity allows for finer use of dominion magics. Even origin is amplified by charisma, allowing you to control whatever it is you create.”

I stood, "Alright, then do you have any tips on how I'd work on my augmentation?"

With an edge of disappointment in his voice, Torix coughed into a hand, "Ahem...Perhaps you should rethink your primary magical typing? Why not work on dominion magic instead? I have a few common breakthroughs I can share with you."

I punched forward into the air, "But I mean, augmentation will weave into my fighting style without me really having to adjust to the magic. It seems a lot more natural to use too."

Torix crumbled back into his chair, "Bah. Of course. I chose a simple minded soldier as a disciple. Fine. Go learn how to convert your mana then weave it into your style. I'll be here creating the ritual."

I patted Torix's shoulder, "I'll learn some dominion magic when we get Kessiah off world. We need you working on the ritual, not teaching a newcomer how to use basic magics."

Torix considered what I said before he straightened himself up, "I suppose so...Good luck then."

I turned and walked away, "You too."

"Oh, I don't need luck for something like this." Torix leaned towards the wall and began carving with a dark blot of mana on his hand, "I only need some time."

I ran off toward an unused portion of the quarry before creating another red stream of mana from my hand. This cooling energy carried no real intent or anything behind it. I just wanted a stream of magic, and boom, it arrived. This time, I tried controlling it, making it turn orange and let out the sparks from earlier. Nothing happened. After a few minutes of thinking about it, I tried out a different approach.

I aimed for control of myself as I summoned the mana. While willing the energy out, I remembered my history. I sifted through my past, focusing on regrets and mistakes. They stuck out, like missing bricks in a wall. What if I tried discovering Baldag-Ruhl's plot before killing Alfred? Torix may still have his son by his side. What if I handled the situation with Kelsey and Michael in a different way? Maybe we could still be friends, albeit at a distance.

This sinking feeling of regret molded in my chest before taking form in my palm. The lightly red mana turned into a reddish orange, more like blood soaked fire than thin red wine. Arcs of orange lightning rippled from the mass, like glowing sparks given life. They ebbed out from my hand and into my arm. My palm burned as I pressed more and more energy into my limb.

It mirrored Agony in its entirety, trading vitality for energy. All those weeks of wielding Agony granted me a close understanding of my health regen and where its limits were. Cranking the mana’s power up, the orange radiated into my arm, a liquid and palpable power. I siphoned until I hit an equilibrium. The drain on me ached more than I remembered. By now, I drew a large portion of my total health each minute.

Blazing through my blood and bones reminded me of Agony, but the feeling wasn't entirely unwelcome. It reminded me of BloodHollow and my triumphs there, that urgency both familiar and homey. I slept for a month with Agony keeping the bats away. In a twisted reversal, the discomfort signalled protection and safety to me by then.

Using that feeling, I found my threshold for my health regeneration matched my mana usage. After a few minutes, the feeling faded. The mana poured from my palm like a wild, blazing torrent. At that point, I tried pulling the mana into my arm.

My hand shook as a bead of sweat poured from my head. The torrent flattened in my hand before coming into my arm. A skill notification came up.

Skill Unlocked! Augmentation | Level 1 - Why fight with many when you may fight with one? +1% increased ease of generating augmentation mana.

Skill Unlocked! Augmentation Manipulation | Level 1 - Empower and embolden yourself so that none may stand against you. +1% increased ease of manipulating augmentation mana.

I gripped my hand, the power incredible and welcome. The pouring torrent of mana began sparking from my hand before another skill notification appeared.

Skill Unlocked! Surge | Level 1 - You wield your mind, and it wields your body. Now you’ve taken the next step, using the mind for physical ferver. In this, you turn your spirit into might. +1% to the effects of augmentation internalization.

My health depleted far faster as another message appeared.

Mythical Skill Interaction | A Boundless Storm promotes the skill Surge into Unending Tempest. Synergy between two skills amplified.

Unending Tempest | Level 1 - Pain is fleeting, but victory is forever. +1% to the effects of augmentation internalization. +1% to the effects of A Boundless Storm during augmentation internalization.

The energy and vitality kept mounting and building in my palm. Strength flooded every fiber of my being, but the energy consumption burned my body away. It was like dipping my arm into a pit of magma. I stopped the stream before looking at my hand. The armor looked fine, so I pulled it off my fingers. Struggling to keep it off, I inspected the skin underneath.

It wasn’t pretty.

Blots of blood were leaking out of my fingertips, like the flesh in my hand disintegrated. The nerves and control of the limb lessened, the nerves fried from the energy. I retained feeling via the metal wires lingering in my hand. Those strands stayed fine, surging with strength. After waiting a few minutes, the blood disappeared and sensation returned to the skin and muscles. With Blood Magic, using augmentation would be risky business.

Of course, if I learned to handle it without letting it destroy me, its potential was limitless. Getting to that point was the real challenge. With that in mind, I ran another round of experiments. I produced as small a stream as possible from a finger tip. I figured just having the buff on at all times would be a tremendous increase in my effectiveness. This was because of the skill Unending Tempest.

It amplified the effects of A Boundless Storm when assimilating augmentation mana, but it never mentioned how much energy I needed to actually absorb. I kept that amount as low as I could, hoping I garnered the maximum benefits possible. This exercise of control also stopped the augmentation mana from running wild, giving me something to work at. Sitting cross legged on the ground, I hopped up and tried moving around. I ran into a problem immediately.

This whole magic thing was easier said than done. Finding the right balance was like balancing on a tightrope. That was too easy. Magic and moving reminded me of playing darts while on a unicycle. If walking with magic proved difficult, then using A Boundless Storm with sorcery far exceeded my abilities. Even if it seemed impossible, this absurd challenge gave me a goal, a condition I thrived under.

As I had before, I struggled through the process, one step at a time. Over and over, I tackled the mana while moving. It took me hours of working at it to walk. It took a day to run. Two days later, I overdid it. I drained mana until my bones gelatinized. My arm broke from lifting it, not even needing to hit anything. That accident illustrated a gruesome reality. If I died from overusing augmentation, my goopy remains would be turned into Torix's worst underling ever. I couldn't even be a zombie or a skeleton. I'd be a goopy slime.

However, that stress and the discomfort focused my efforts. Three days into this struggle, I activated A Boundless Storm. The clarity of the skill washed over me when it flicked on, helping me progress in my mana manipulation. Still in that deep concentration, I honed in on throwing punches as I wielded mana. From being, someone tapped my shoulder. I jumped, utterly unaware of my surroundings.

I turned and shouted, “Who the hell is that?”

I turned around, finding Althea leaning over my shoulder. She grabbed her arms from behind,

"Want to spar again?"

I raised my brow, “Really now?” I stood up, reaching out with my arms, "Alright, sure. What's got you smiling though?"

Mysterious and grinning, Althea narrowed her eyes, "You'll have to find out when you lose."

Rolling my shoulders, I grinned, "Nice confidence there. I look forward to breaking it."