While I’m not one to struggle with my studies, or be troubled by people, school was never really an enjoyable experience for me. My classmates weren’t particularly interesting, and everything was rather boring. Nothing fun or exciting to be found.

Class here is somewhat different, however. Learning magic in a rather carefree atmosphere—with rather strict limits when you can find them— make for quite the enjoyable experience.

More than that, it’s not a bloody, violent war against someone who won’t hesitate to hurt and kill me and mine. Well, Loekan already has hesitated once, so that’s not entirely true, but he only hesitated because he thought he could use me. That’s going to bite him in the ass.

Eshya is flashing her blade with a passion and speed that’s improving almost with every other swing. She’s using one of the swords we bought from the rebel faction beneath the surface. We’ve become reasonably confident that our property isn’t going to be stolen from us or force the welfare officers to act against us.

Really the welfare officers are most terrifying because we don’t really know for sure what will set them off. There’s the general idea that we need to be good citizens, and play our part, students study, teachers teach, soldiers fight, and so on. It makes sense, but that quiet tension of not knowing where the line is drawn, between acceptable behaviour and unacceptable, is difficult to bear.

That said, we can’t just bury ourselves in the dungeon and forget everything. There’s too much to be gained here, and so we train.

Vii flutters about, tumbling through the air and sending out blades of wind in all directions. Testing her manoeuvrability and accuracy, and also testing the iron will of my stomach.

I’m sitting still, practically meditating as I watch the world through their eyes. Watching the other students nearby, training in their own Skills, I imagine them as threats and try to guess their direction relative to myself, while only seeing them through Vii’s and Eshya’s eyes.

I have two Skills that should work wonderfully together. Tag and Film, and Multi-minds. I can see through another person’s eyes while dividing my mental attention to make use of that information.

In theory it should work perfectly.

Putting theory into practice is… more challenging. The technology and magic behind the support devices and Skills is incredible, and when learning a physical movement or a magical casting, it’s relatively simple. You repeat the action, and you mentally change that action to be closer to your ideal goal.

Seeing the world through another person’s eyes and directing your own actions through those senses is… more complicated. A punch is always the same basic motion but piecing together multiple views and using that to cast is not going so well.

My current idea is to take their visions and shoddily tape them together into a single mental image. This is the foundation of my new Skill that I’ve forcefully developed.

~Eyes of an Empire

Yes. It’s not quite accurate, but I can already see what it might become. I might one day be able to see through the eyes of all my people, seeing all things in my empire.

An invasion of privacy that the intelligence agencies of Earth would be proud of.

I hope to get to the point where I can cast my annihilation magic through everything to land on a specific target beyond sight. To say this could be overpowered would be an understatement. At extremes I could cut through the world and kill someone on the other side.

No, the extremes I could snipe someone across a galaxy. We’re not quite there yet.

The next aspect of this that I need to learn is guiding my bolts, turning them into guided missiles instead. I’ve had… less success in this, the nature of my annihilation bolts is confusing and resists my attempts to guide it beyond first casting. The net variant of the spell is something of a solution, but that only allows me to move the threads of annihilation on preplanned paths, catching people who walk into them.

I’ll have to set that aside while focusing on what seems to work instead.

That means maxing out my mana and getting this new Skill functional. At the moment it’s only a Skill because I forced it into existence, the results are still… imperfect.

I open my eyes.

The warm sunlight shines through the trees, dappling the earth at my feet. Students grunt with effort, many of them exhausted, but working hard rather than resting themselves. Through my eyes I can see Eshya thrusting her sword, her mana gathering into a single point at the very end before returning to her.

Beyond her blade, Alo trains alongside a few of her closer friends. They’re better than expected, and they train with a little more energy than the rest of the class. Most come from the third-grade civilisations but a few are from the second. None from first grade civilisations but Eshya herself.

I look towards the trees between me and Alo, trying to ‘see’ them. To track their motion, through Eshya’s eyes.

The two perspectives slowly blend into one, tapped together— and using the cheap store quality tape not genuine duct tape. I’m getting used to it, but it’s only because I was absolutely hopeless to begin with.

“What are you doing?” Freid asks, stepping over to me. “Have you taken a knock to the head? You’ve been on break for a while now.”

“I’m training.” I say. “A Skill that affects my perception.”

“Oh?” He asks, “It refines your senses? Helps you to focus on particular details?”

I look at him closely, it should be fine to give him this much. I’ve already decided long ago to give him some limited trust, just so that I can learn from his wisdom.

“I can see through another person’s eyes.” I explain. “I’m trying to get used to it, so I can use it in battle.”

“That’s…” He opens his eyes wide, his mouth falling open a little bit as he takes in what I said. I didn’t expect him to be this shocked. “That’s quite something. I’ve not heard… of anything quite the same. I can understand it’s value, keep training.”

“Any advice?” I ask. Seeing the world spin through Vii’s eyes.

“I’ll investigate it. I’ll have something for you by next class.” He says, nodding to himself. “Make the most out of your Skills, you can become someone truly valuable to the Unified States of Mana. Keep it up.”

“Yes, sir.” I say lightly, watching him walk away at my back as Vii watches him.

I imagine casting his direction, trying to feel out how I’d direct the attack in relation to my own body. It doesn’t quite feel right.

Sighing, I step away and look at the trees at my back, summoning small fire balls at them. They flash a little, when they hit, or fly past the target. The latter far more common.

I wipe the sweat from my brow, and stare at the dark spots on the trees around me. Only one in ten at best managed to hit, and this is still very close range. I changed position a number of times to ensure that I’m training my new Skill and not simply memorising the trees’ locations through repetition.

“Class is over.” Vii says, fluttering to my side. “How is it going? Did it work? Is it too difficult? I tried doing it a little too, but it was really, crazy weird. I’m already looking through that little figure of mine in the ruins, so I can sort of make it work, but it’s still not easy.”

“The new Skill is sort of working.” I say. My perceptions blending all of our sight into the one jumbled image. “I think I’ll be keeping it active until I’m used to it. Adding a few more people into the mix should help stress test my brain, too.

I could focus on Red, Nel, or some others that I’ve tagged, but my new Skill isn’t about blending together distant images, but those close to me. Eventually I’ll add the vision of those who are a little further beyond that.

Yeah, it’s going to be a few years before this comes naturally, and even then only because the support device and Skill is helping glue the perceptions together, speeding things up.

Conceivably I’ll eventually add hearing, and other senses to the mix. Even the senses that I don’t have, sonar or echolocation with the right people or beasts added to the network.

But that’s enough dreaming.

“More training?” Eshya asks me. Her new sword sheathed at her side.

“I want to visit the lord’s colony tonight, and I have a class a little later,” I say, nodding slowly. “But for now, more training.”

“Good.”

“Do you mind us joining?” Alo says, stepping closer to us with her little group. I notice the wolfish girl that I spoke with for a short time among them, Vice I believe she’s called. She’s much more relaxed, they all are.

“Sure, if you don’t mind me borrowing your eyes for a second.” I say, tapping her shoulder and moving through the group.

“Borrowing our eyes?” Alo asks.

“She can see through other people’s eyes!” The Vice says excitedly. “Sorry, I overheard.”

“It’s fine.” I say borrowing her sight too. I see a few other familiar faces here, but none were with Alo in the underground excursion with us.

“So… how much can we talk about?” I ask the plant girl, looking at her group.

“I told them about the ruins.” Alo says confidently.

“We should all go together.” Vice says, “But the older students don’t want to take so many of us down at once.”

“We’re not good enough fighters.” Alo says shaking her head. “If we all go, they’ll be struggling to babysit us. They won’t be able to help anyone else.”

“Understandable.” I say, nodding my head slowly. “Is this connected to that other meeting that you invited me to? I gave up on it, it seemed the people there were… uninterested in the ruins.”

“Some are, some aren’t.” She says, looking awkwardly aside. It seems there’s something more going on with this, group politics, maybe.

“Training?” Eshya asks.

“Right, yes.” I say nodding my head. “Group training? Is there any Skills in particular that you’re wanting to learn? Something that we need to work into our exercise?”

I start to drone out as everyone lists the Skills they’re working on, discussing the best way to train. Most of my focus is split between my shared sight, and the flows of mana running through me. I’ve been carrying around spare mana and burning through excess to see that my physical connection to my mana form completely smoothed out.

I don’t really have time to waste.

In the end we decide on group battle without any maiming attacks, that would require the aid of a healer. It’s the sort of training that’s normal for our classes, and the sort of thing we’d be doing as soldiers. Unfortunately, as real soldiers we’ll be forced to fight beings much more powerful than ourselves, while they’re trying to kill us, and we’re trying to subdue them.

While it’s awful training for my primary battle techniques, there are times that call for a more measured response. I could do with learning some less lethal techniques properly.

“So, I’ll join your team to make things even?” Alo asks, looking back at her own group of five. Adler is with us and watching but she’s not joining the training, her work here is to look good while standing watch, making sure we don’t do anything ‘beastly’.

“No.” Eshya says firmly, smiling a little. “We have advantage in mana form. Kyra and I are liquid stage, Vii is close to the same.”

Alo looks between us, taken aback.

“How? The… the ruins? But to get that much mana you’d have to eat so much…”

“We have a few tricks.” I say, my jaw stiffening as I catch a glimpse of a figure through the trees. Someone familiar, though I don’t know them by name.

“We’re being watched by a welfare officer. Careful what you say and do.” I send to everyone, adding Alo’s group in on the message, though they can’t properly interact with the group chat feature.

They stiffen, but my lovers don’t respond near as sharply.

“Let’s get to it then.” Eshya says, her tone dry. She’s frustrated, understandably. “Complete suppression of the opposite team without causing lasting damage. Everyone understands?”

A nervous collection of various ‘yes’ responses come from both sides, and the battle begins. No flags wave us to start, battle often comes as a surprise, and we’ve already agreed on terms.

Vice and Alo come for me while Eshya and Vii deal with the rest of their group. They outnumber us by a pair, but that can’t help them much when we’re liquid stage and close to it. I’m going to help Vii cross that line tonight hopefully.

Alo moves in with a blunted spear, thrusting at my side while Vice rushes at me leaning in for a tackle.

Eshya is throwing herself into another pair, nudging and shoving them with a practice sword, tripping them up with carefully placed strikes.

Vii is flying overhead, harassing the last of them and throwing a few smaller attacks here and there to trip up those that Eshya and I are facing.

I stumble through the motions of wrestling that I’ve still got stuck in my old Skills list. Fumbling the motions as I throw aside Alo’s spear and try to twist out of Vice’s tackle. I might be stronger, but that doesn’t mean that I can break out of her grasp.

Higher mana density makes for a higher strength, and as I struggle in her arms, I can feel her grip slipping. I push, and squeeze to try and break out, but Alo moves around thrusting her spear at my joints.

I stumble as Eshya knocks her pair to the ground, and Vii finishes with her battle. They both turn to help me, and the battle ends quickly after.

It seems I’ve let myself grow complacent in terms of non-lethal fighting techniques.

The exercise finishes and we start up a new one. I’m constantly watching everything through all perspectives but rather than helping me, it’s been a massive distraction. Which is the exact reason why I need to do it. I’ll get used to it, and it’s best that I do this while my opponents aren’t trying to kill me.

After an hour’s work, we get to the point where we’re tired and covered in sweat.

The welfare officer is still standing there, looking over us.

No, not us.

Alo and her group.

Vice.

“I almost had you!” Vice shouts, “You’re just too strong. I’ll catch up to you.”

“I’m sure you will.” I say, trying to keep my expression neutral as the welfare officer approaches.

“He’s got a collar.” Adler messages me.

“Don’t fight. See what he does. Collars don’t affect us.” I send to my group, excluding Alo and her people.

“Excuse me.” The tall man says, placing a hand on Vices shoulder, the silver liquid seeping in through her clothes and into her flesh.

I pay attention to my tag Skill, but it still seems to be working without problem. So long as it doesn’t break. So long as she’s not taken off world.

“Ah, hello. Is there a problem?” Alo asks, turning to face the welfare officer.

“No, I’ve got what I came here for.” He says, facing Vice and giving her an order. “Come.”

“Huh?” Vice asks, her legs working without her mind telling them to. “What’s happening? What’s… what are you doing to me?”

“Uh, excuse me!” Alo says, racing around to get ahead of the pair and holding out her arms to stop them. “What’s going on, where are you taking Vice?”

“This beast has shown signs of undue aggression.” The welfare officer says. “Competitiveness, and an eager attitude towards fighting. The beast will be taken to a nearby location and given assistance, you have no reason to worry, or concern yourself.”

“No reason to… she’s not… She’s not a beast, what are you doing?!” She asks, standing in front of him. “She hasn’t done anything wrong. She hasn’t hurt anyone, why?”

The welfare officer doesn’t reply, calmly observing her without making any moves.

“Vice, you’re staying with us.” She says. “I’m going to go find another welfare officer and we’ll see what they have to say. This big oaf is making a mistake.”

She takes Vice by the arm and pulls her away from the welfare officer.

She tries to, at least.

Her friend resists. Pulling to get closer to the welfare officer, all while looking twice as confused as her friend. Alo builds herself up to pull Vice away, and the welfare officer touches her shoulder, placing a silver liquid orb on her.

“Stop.” He orders. “Follow me.”

“Wait, what?” Alo asks, her breathing getting heavier as she’s forced to follow the man. “What are you doing? This isn’t right!”

The welfare officer glances back at us, but when he sees none of us making a move to leave, he takes the pair away.

“Kyra?”

“Patience.” I say.

Tear his arms from the shoulders. Sharpen the bones, and stab him, over and over. Strangle him with his own guts, stab him with his own bones, choke him with his own flesh, drown him in his own blood.

“Patience.” I say, more to myself than them. “They’re tagged. We’ll get them back.”

Looking between the confused three that remain, frozen in indecision and shock, I wait for the welfare officer to leave.

“So… what do you three want to do?” I ask. “Are you going to keep your head down and survive, or are you going to risk everything to go help your friends?”

They turned their shocked gaze back to me. They have no answer, not right now.

As much as I’d like to, I’m not rushing into another prison break. We have too much on our plates as it is, and Alo and Vice offer relatively little in terms of battle strength. They’re not going to help in our war, so I’d rather not free them from their cages to just to throw them into battle.

That said, I am going to save them.

“We are going to save them.” Adler says, stepping closer to me her eyes still following the welfare officer beyond sight.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Skills & Stats

~Mana Form:

Current mana density: 3847 units

~Mana distribution:

Category Current Max. Defence 0% 99% Offense 0% 97% Mana Sense 0% 100% Recovery 86% 86% Gluttony 0% 89% Misc. 0% 97% Efficiency 86% 100%

~Favourited Skills:

-Tag and Film

-Trapping

-Mana surge movement

-Annihilation defence

-Annihilation flame burst

-Annihilation net

-Eyes of an Empire