The smell of fried eggs danced up my nose. Like a resurrecting corpse, my body slowly rose as I took in the wonderful aroma of the morning air. My eyes shot open. "That catgirl!" I flung the covers off of me and breathed a sigh of relief. "No, catgirl." I stretched and touched the canvas covering the top of the wagon.
Barrels towered all around me, which made me feel entirely secure. No one could harm me behind this fortress of barrels and sacks. "I wonder what they even need all these supplies for." The wagon overflowed with supplies, and it was a big wagon.
"Come get some tea and eggs, my friends!" The eloquent speech pattern was easy to listen to but very strange for a barbarian orc. I slipped my shoes on and hopped out of the wagon. Everyone was here, including the catgirl, who was finally wearing clothes, thankfully. Her short and scruffy orange hair was kind of cute; it fitted her somehow.
Everyone seemed to be very awake, besides the dark elf rogue, who slumped and ate her fried eggs slowly. "Morning, guys!" I announced. Ferin smiled and waved with a mouth full of eggs. The orc politely bowed his head in respect and took a sip of his tea. The knight was deep in thought. Her eyes were distant as if looking in the distance for unseen danger.
I sat down on the makeshift bench next to her. She noticed me sit down and flashed me a polite smile. "Good morrow, Newcomer." Her formality was striking. She had an accent that sounded like a true knight from the middle ages.
"Would you fancy a cup of tea?" The orc brandished a delicate piece of china. His massive hand dwarfed the teacup in its grasp. "I'd love some." Gratefully, I nodded as he poured me a cup. The tea was a quaint stream that trickled into the base of the glass. The aroma tickled my nostrils with the sensation of sage and blueberries.
I took the cup from him and smiled. "It smells great, Franky. Thank you!" Once the tea touched my tongue, an orchestra of flavors played an outstanding performance in my mouth. The sage played its part in conducting the show, while the blueberries had their section solo. There was a less prominent supporting flavor, however.
'This might be the best tea I've ever had.' I must have indicated my enjoyment somehow because Franky was grinning from ear to ear. "I'm glad you enjoy it." He packed away his empty teacup in a knapsack beside him.
"I taste the sage and blueberries, but the other thing I'm not sure. What is it?" I took another sip of the brew, and my body began to tingle. A wave of relief radiated inside me. The stiff neck I got sleeping in the wagon faded away. "Amazing." I muttered in awe.
Rejuvenated bonus acquired.
+5 Stamina for 24 hours.
"I just infused it with a dash of Mana." He pulled a giant ax and began to wipe it with a cloth. My jaw fell agape. "Will this give me mana, perhaps?" I stared at the orc until he met my hopeful eyes. He chuckled as he cleaned his ax. "Gods, no."
Franky met my eyes again. "Lady Lana was going to brief you today on that topic." He gestured towards the knight, who once again wondered through her thoughts. She noticed we were talking about her and snapped out of it. "Ah, the mana problem." She thoughtfully rubbed her chin. "Ah, there should be an entry you can read in your stat menu. Just click the mana window."
"What?" I shouted. My face was red with frustration.
I raised my voice. "Well, I don't recall—" The party began to stare at me, who was yelling at nothing. I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Sorry, I just got a sassy system. So, I open it like this?" I pulled open the stat screen again.
Name: Jason
Human
Level: 1
XP: 0
Skills:
Acrobatics Level 1
Fishing Level 1
Recovery Level 1
Abilities:
Fish Whisperer
Special skill: null
HP: 100/100
No Mana acquired
Stamina: 50/50
"Surely enough, there is a window there. I tapped it, and a new screen appeared.
No Mana acquired.
Humans do not possess mana naturally as other races do. For a human to obtain mana would mean they have to acquire one or more of the following.
Mana cores
God fruit
Mana Ritual
Spirit symbiosis
Spirit blossoms
The acquisition of too much Mana may result in death and or autodetonation.
As an entity of free will, you assume all responsibility for the pursuit of such powers.
"Autodetonation.." I mumbled.
///
"Do you think the boss will be back soon, Joshua?" My co-worker's voice was a low whisper. We were cleaning the study of our mysterious master, whose room was dimly lit and ghastly. Candles flickered and danced, casting shadows on the towering bookcases.
"How should I know? I just get paid to clean, not make the boss's schedule." The feather duster gently glided across the desk. A faint glow caught my eye. On the desk was a flawless topaz gem, which hummed quietly. 'Probably best to ignore it.' I avoided the gem as I finished the desk. I glanced over at my co-worker and sighed. "Stop messing around and come polish the bottom of his chair legs."
"Okay, boss." He spat. The shuffling of his lazy feet annoyed me. Once he finally came over, I stepped back and let him do his work. Before he kneeled, he began to stare at the desk. A look of mischief gleamed in his eye. He picked it up to show it to me, and it vibrated loudly in his palm. "What the hell is this?" He gawked at the stone in his hand.
"Hey, just put it down already, idiot." I snapped.
"Curiosity is a dangerous habit." The words seem to soak into my very soul. It was a deep and pleasant voice, yet it hid a killing intent. My knees began to shake uncontrollably, and it seemed he was shocked as well.
"Who's there?" My co-worker squeaked.