Mangowo
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Chapter 48: Voracious Manaweaver!
🕑 Added 2024-09-25 00:30:01 +0000 UTC[Evolution complete! I'll be working on interludes next—they're a bit of a bugger to write since I need to go over my usual 2k word count to do them justice. So, if there's no chapter tomorrow, it means I couldn't quite manage to finish it in time.
The first one will be from Cedric’s POV—the mage from Randall—followed by Heralas' next day.
Also, Patreon doesn’t support table formatting, so the [Affinity Chart] might be a tad off. That’s all for now! Happy reading!]
Voracious Manaweaver.
A sleek, shadowy figure, poised with the grace of a predator. Scales shimmered with an eerie smoothness. Veins of mana faintly glowing, pulsing, along my limbs and neck. My neck had stretched ever so slightly, my features now sharper, more refined—dare I say, elegant. Yet the jaw—oh, the jaw—still extended to my throat, a creature both elegant and nightmarish, beauty wrapped in terror.
I flipped the page.
[Description: Evolution centered on absorbing and refining mana. Enhances both fine-tuned mana control and the ability to consume mana-infused material, significantly boosting magical capacity.]
[Stat Bonuses: +2 Intelligence, +2 Will, +2 Durability, +2 Strength per level until next evolution.]
[New Organ: Mana Conduit Vasculature – A highly intricate network of mana-conducting veins spread throughout the body, allowing for extremely fine control over mana manipulation and greatly increasing efficiency.]
[Ability: Mana Devourer – User can consume mana-based objects, creatures, or energy sources to permanently enhance internal mana reserves, capped by current form limitations.]
[Unlocks Mana Core: Basic Monster Core – Enables internal mana storage and channeling for abilities or mana-converting organs.]
[Unlocks one affinity of choice.]
[Skills: Available for acquisition.]
I stared at the book, slack-jawed, when my doppelgänger let out a mad cackle behind me. Of course. What on earth was this tome doing in the Golden Section? The effects far outstripped anything else on this shelf.
An affinity of my own choosing? The ability to devour mana-laden substances? And the best bit—no ‘evolution exclusive’ nonsense. This ability was here to stay, not just a temporary gift to be whisked away with my next transformation.
The sheer lunacy of it all! To be able to permanently expand my mana reserves? Permanently! Absolutely bonkers. Oh, sure, the book said it was limited by my current form, but still—utterly ridiculous. Powerful beyond belief.
Well, decision made, wasn’t it? Not only would I get mana veins, but I’d also keep a dash of my ravenous side. The macro-trophic sac would remain with me, even if Endless Hunger wouldn’t. More than enough for me.
With a sharp snap, I closed the book and clutched it to my chest, shooting a glance at my doppelgänger.
"Guessed again, have you?" I pulled a face, eyebrows raised in exasperation. Honestly, it wasn’t much of a conundrum—she was me, after all. Likely had a good mental rummage through these very pages herself.
She nodded, smug as a cat who’d licked the cream. No surprises there. Of course she knew. And the way she was casually twiddling with those vials told me she was already elbow-deep in concocting that potion.
“But how, exactly, did I manage this... evolution?”
“Oh, come now. You already know. Hunger wears many hats, doesn’t it? Yet it always, somehow, signifies that endless craving. This time, your insatiable thirst for magic nudged you down this path.”
“How does that even—” My question was promptly interrupted by her burst of laughter. Cheeky cow!
“Kidding! Your last little ‘growth spurt’ came from devouring all those valar rats. The system probably thought, 'Blimey, that’s quite the feat!' and kindly presented you with this shiny new option.”
Well, that was more believable. If feelings alone could whip up evolutions, I’d have been sporting mana veins during my very first evolution, given how desperately I crave the stuff. Still, couldn’t help but feel a little bouncy, all things considered.
…
Even if my doppelgänger’s insufferable smirk as she deliberately mixed those ingredients was really grinding my gears.
I squinted at her, a sly grin tugging at the corners of my lips. “You are infuriatingly smug, you know that?”
She raised an eyebrow, the picture of false innocence. “Me? Smug? Heaven forbid. I’m merely basking in the warmth of being right—again.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stifle the chuckle that bubbled up. “It’s hardly impressive when, well, you’re me and it’s a foregone conclusion you already know the answer.”
She shrugged, swirling the liquid in a vial with exaggerated nonchalance. “Knowledge is power, silly. Though I must say, I was almost convinced you’d set your heart on Ashenflame. Thought you fancied yourself a bonfire, did you?”
Ashenflame? Oh, not bloody likely!
“Oh, please,” I scoffed, puffing up indignantly. “As if I’d settle for being a glorified matchstick. I’ve got standards. Picture this: a proper, elegant dragon with impeccable taste. Hmm... You reckon I’ll be able to commission gowns for my dragon form in the future?”
She cackled, setting the vial down and folding her arms. “Oh, ‘class’, is it? As if gnawing on mana-soaked rocks and energy sources is the pinnacle of sophistication. Truly, a fine display of high society.”
“Oi, don’t knock it 'til you’ve given it a go,” I fired back with a grin. “Besides, I’d keep myself in tip-top condition—teeth polished, scales gleaming. Stealth already makes me quite the graceful creature!”
She leaned in, “And here I thought you preferred things a bit on the messy side. What was it you said when you tore through those Valar Rats? I’m certain you wouldn’t have cleaned yourself since that little escapade…”
I smirked, shaking my head. “One time.” Then, visions of that spider encounter and those bug-monsters flashed in my mind. “Alright, maybe a few more. But in my defence, I haven’t exactly had the time—or the luxury—for a proper scrub down.”
Honestly, I hated mess. Always had. Even now, the thought of being a grimy dragon, sticky sap still clinging to me, sent shivers down my spine. I was a walking disaster. I probably had enough muck under my claws and scales to plant a bloody garden.
Oh, I really should’ve asked Barn for a deep clean before he left...
“Anyway, enough of that. Just pick one of these.”
I blinked, eyeing the colourful array of tubes she’d suddenly produced from nowhere. Reds, blues, greens, yellows—she had the whole rainbow lined up. Twelve of them, to be exact.
“What are they?” I asked, counting them up.
“Forgot already? Your affinities.”
“Ahh, right! The choice!” I clapped my hands together, before a frown crept across my face. “But why twelve? I thought there were only ten affinities… Or are there advanced ones in the mix?”
She shook her head, lips quirking. “Nope. All of these are base affinities.”
“I’ve... never come across anything beyond the usual ten.”
Fire, water, earth, air, lightning, nature, ice, metal, light, and dark.
Those were the only ones they’d ever drilled into us. Sure, there were advanced versions—like Fire’s advanced form, Inferno. And there were some fancy combinations too, like Fire and Earth forming a Magma affinity. Though combinations were quite rare, what with multiple affinities being rather uncommon. They existed, of course, even triple affinities. That vile bitch Elise was a dual affinity mage, and the very thought of her left a bitter taste in my mouth.
But one day—one day—I’d have my revenge on her.
Bah!
“What are these other affinities, then? New base ones I’ve never heard of? Some thrilling new discovery? NEW MAGIC?!”
She grinned. “Better than me telling you—why not see for yourself?” And, as if by magic, a parchment appeared in her hand and she passed it to me.
Fire
Water
Earth
Air
Lightning
Nature
Ice
Metal
Light
Dark
Chaos
Spirit
The affinities lay before me in a neat little row, and just a glance was enough to confirm it. Two new ones, staring me right in the face.
Spirit... and Chaos?
"Chaos is an affinity too?" I muttered, incredulous.
"Indeed," she replied. "Though I wouldn't recommend it, unless you've got an organ to convert mana into Chaos. The natural conversion of mana to Chaos mana? Doesn’t exist. No matter how strong your affinity is. Same goes for Spirit.”
I raised an eyebrow. Barn ran on Chaos, didn’t he? So it was just another form of mana, then. Strange. For every other affinity, having just the affinity meant you could convert ambient mana straight into your preferred flavour—fire mages could pull it from their cores and turn it to fire mana, no faffing about with external matrix fiddling. But Chaos? Spirit? Apparently not so simple.
It seemed both would be useless to me if I couldn’t naturally convert ambient mana into them. What’s the point in that? Unless I found a place teeming with those specific mana types, I’d be as good as a fish out of water. And the only place I knew Chaos existed was the bloody Netherworld.
Lovely.
Wait… “If Chaos mana only exists in the Netherworld, what about Spirit mana? Does that come from some other realm governed by Parda too?”
She shrugged, nonchalant as ever. “Well, I wouldn’t know. I only deal with things related to you and your dragon biology, nothing beyond that.”
Fair enough. Made sense, considering the system had made her that way. Still, my eyes drifted back to the parchment. “At least tell me their strengths and weaknesses. You know, like how Fire’s weak to Water and Earth, but Water is strong against Fire and Earth.”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh! You want a strengths and weaknesses chart?”
“YES!” I exclaimed.
"That I can do." She snatched the parchment from my hands and, with a flourish, pulled a pen out of thin air and began scribbling. Moments later, she proudly presented her work to me.
Fire
Strong Against: Nature, Ice
Weak Against: Water, Earth
Water
Strong Against: Fire, Earth
Weak Against: Lightning, Ice
Earth
Strong Against: Fire, Lightning
Weak Against: Water, Air
Air
Strong Against: Earth, Metal
Weak Against: Ice, Lightning
Lightning
Strong Against: Water, Air
Weak Against: Earth, Metal
Nature
Strong Against: Water, Earth
Weak Against: Fire, Ice
Ice
Strong Against: Air, Nature
Weak Against: Fire, Lightning
Metal
Strong Against: Lightning, Earth
Weak Against: Nature, Fire
Light
Strong Against: Dark
Weak Against: Chaos, Nature
Dark
Strong Against: Light
Weak Against: Fire, Lightning
Chaos
Strong Against: Metal
Weak Against: Light
Spirit
Strong Against: Lightning
Weak Against: Dark
Ah, I knew the base ones well enough, so my eyes skipped straight to the bottom. Ah-ha! Chaos didn’t play nice with Light, and Spirit had a bone to pick with Dark. Still, I had no clue how they actually worked or what sort of spells I could fling about with them.
Barn had some sort of disintegration magic, but I wasn’t about to assume I’d get anything similar. Anyway, it seemed I’d have to choose from the ten affinities I knew. Chaos and Spirit weren’t exactly calling to me, although, there was a niggling thought – what if, one day, I could craft some fancy mana-to-Chaos or Spirit conversion organ? A whole new school of magic, entirely by me! The mere thought sent a delightful shudder through my bones. Ah, well, that’s a future worry. If it ever comes about.
Still, curiosity got the better of me. “Do advanced versions of these exist? Or mixed versions, like Chaos and Spirit thrown in with other elements?”
She gave a half-hearted shrug. “Probably, but I haven’t the foggiest. Maybe when you get to that level, the system will give me the lowdown too.”
Fair enough.
“So, what’s it going to be?” she asked, gesturing towards the glass tubes once more.
Time to think. There was only one magic path I really knew—Winter Salamander’s path. Light magic. Illusions. And even that, I’d only had a nibble at, just the basics. Every affinity had its strengths and weaknesses, no real downside to picking one over another.
But there was always one path that had captivated me. One so elusive, so out of reach, that I hadn’t even dared dream of ever using it. The affinity of energy and speed, the most unruly, rarest of them all.
Lightning.
I grabbed the vial that shimmered with a violet hue. My doppelgänger grinned, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Before I could blink, she snatched it from my hand and gleefully dunked it into the beaker. The solution bubbled furiously, changing from pure white to a deep, electric purple. Once again, it toyed with my vision – claws, slitted eyes, flickering and vanishing in the liquid. She stopped swirling, but the potion never did, buzzing with a restless energy.
She handed me the beaker.
But just as I was about to take it, my gaze wandered back to those rainbow-coloured tomes.
“You can have a look, if you fancy,” my doppelgänger said, nonchalantly.
I shook my head, a wry smile tugging at my lips. “If the potion’s ready, those books are nothing more than a tease. No sense torturing myself, knowing I won’t be getting my claws on what’s inside. Just spill the beans – I’d rather not sully my mood leafing through them, all the while wishing for the unattainable.”
She shrugged. “If you insist. All four are about sun or light, more or less. First two are pretty much identical as the last time – bit of a stat boost, with an extra organ thrown in for good measure. The last pair... well, I suspect they were a result of your, ah, voracious appetite.”
Oh, I could already picture all the ways it could be gloriously overpowered. Part of me itched to dive into those tomes, but… not today. So, I tore my eyes away, grinned cheekily at my double, and lunged forward, scooping her up into an unceremonious hug.
She yelped, surprised, before relaxing into it with a smile, squeezing me back.
“Looks like it’ll be a while before I see you again,” I murmured, a strange numbness creeping over me. It hadn’t been long, but there was this bizarre bond between us – something familiar and oddly comforting about her presence, like this place was wrapping itself around my memories.
“You know,” she whispered conspiratorially, “time flows differently outside. You could stay a bit longer, if you like.”
We pulled apart, and with a mischievous grin, she grabbed a few extra vials off the shelf, waiting for my response.
I glanced at the beaker, my evolution potion for a moment, before meeting her grin with one of my own.
“What sort of experiment are we cooking up, then?”
“Fischer esterification?”
A lovely ester with a fruity smell? Hell yeah!
Comments
Amelgar
hmm... maybe Jade's 'sun' doesn't have anything to do with the evolutions if Barn took it...?
MangOwO
Bit of a brainfart there. Creating a balanced type system is a nightmare, honestly. Shadow’s just an advanced form of Dark Affinity (so that part still holds). Not sure why I tossed it in where I did, lemme fix that.
Marc Savage
Whats the shadow listed in light?
MangOwO
I reckon I could’ve worded that a bit more clearly. This system is more about offensive interactions, much like Pokémon’s 'super effective'/'not very effective' mechanics. The focus is on how strong or weak a type is against another, rather than looking at it from a defensive angle. In short, every element has something it's strong against and something it’s weak towards.
Skia Elafris
Also a number of the elements don't have strengths and weaknesses matching up (e.g. spirit is weak against dark but dark is not strong against spirit)?
Skia Elafris
I suspect she did eat some Mana cores to get this evolution.
