I looked out the window of my cabin as the zeppelin rose into the air. The town of Gobble gradually shrank beneath me, forcing a melancholic sigh out of me.
It was my home for a few days, and I had gotten a bit used to the place. It would be a long, long time before I returned. Gobble was not part of my plans, after all. There was nothing for me there.
I took one last look at the disappearing town of Gobble before heading out of my cabin.
...
"A meal, please," I said to the lady at the counter. "I'll have the chef's recommendation."
I then found a table to sit at and made myself comfortable. I was still wrapped in a long, flowing cloak. It made me look slightly suspicious, but since this ship was protected by a rather powerful wizard, all was fine.
The people were confident that any attempts I made would be countered.
While I waited for my meal, I closed my eyes and sensed the mana around me. It was growing denser by the minute.
In perhaps half an hour, we would've risen into the Atmospheric Mana Layer. There, our trip will be void of turbulence and storms. The conditions would be perfect for flight, allowing us to travel 3000 kilometres in about 22 hours.
I would then commence my evolution.
This meal was simply to calm my nerves and fill my stomach up for lunch.
After about twenty minutes of meditation, I heard a voice speak to me,
"Here is your order, sir," The waitress placed two plates on my table, "E ranked steak, with mana-filled corn and potatoes as a side. As well as a quiche, freshly made and our company speciality."
"Thank you," I nodded politely and the waitress left.
I then began to eat, not minding the curious stare of the waitress who just served me. I made sure as much of my skin was covered, therefore avoiding the likelihood that someone would scream "Monster!" and have me killed.
The meal was pleasant. The chef had cooked it rare, as if they were aware of my state. Especially since it was E ranked meat, it would have been a bit tougher than usual if it was well done. Only those with a high enough rank could properly dine on high ranking food.
I was pleased by this development, especially after I noticed that it was steak.
Flavours aplenty assaulted my mouth as the meat practically melted on my tongue. It didn't take much effort for the me to chew it down into bits that I could swallow.
I had a taste of the sides, and indeed, there was quite a bit of mana stored in them. Not as much as the ones that I had picked out and eaten over the course of the week, but it was good enough.
The higher quality mana products likely went to more wealthier and more important passengers.
Like the people just a table or two away from me. They were dressed lavishly, and from what I could see hanging on their necks, they had access to mana technology. A step above steam tech.
They were of the high class.
I made sure to keep a low profile. Any dealings with anyone at all had a high chance of spelling my doom.
I quickly finished my food and moved on with the quiche. The cheese and the egg that they used were unfamiliar to me, but it tasted wonderful. Exotic, even.
I wondered which beast's eggs and milk they used for the ingredients. I had a few guesses, but it was likely that it was a detail that I did not know about.
I did not delve into the food of this world that much, after all.
"I should explore the culinary world more," I told myself. This experience reminded me that this book was a world now.
It wasn't a simple story line anymore, but a living, breathing world.
With these thoughts in my mind, I signalled the waitress for my bill. I silently made my payment and left the dining area, with only a few gazes locked on to me.
Let's hope they don't try and find trouble. I already noticed that the high ranking wizard of this ship was monitoring me.
When I returned to my room, that monitoring stopped. It seemed like the wizard didn't see me as a threat given that seemed weak and docile.
I heaved a sigh of relief. These situations, although subtle, were quite nerve-wracking.
Shaking my head to rid myself of these thoughts, I sat down in the lotus position and began meditating. There were only a few minutes left before the zeppelin ascended into the Atmospheric Mana Layer.
...
Entering the Atmospheric Mana Layer while I was a Lesser Human put me on cloud nine. Mana rushed into my body at a rate I initially thought impossible. Every breath I took sucked in a dense amount of mana each time.
I could feel myself getting stronger once again.
I loved this feeling.
But I knew I couldn't bask in it for long. I had to start my evolution now.
Thus, I began coating my entire body with dense and viscous mana. I used to the overflowing properties of being in the Atmospheric Mana Layer to coat every single part of my being, leaving not a single organ behind.
I wasn't as adept at manipulating mana, so simply making it overflow was the only way I could do this.
I made sure to coat my spirit as well. Given that I had the special ability to use both physical and spiritual mana, I was sure to grow much stronger than others with every evolution.
When I was done coating myself in mana, I then triggered its ability of enhancement.
Whoooooom—
A low hum emanated from my body as the mana on my skin and inside me rapidly vibrated. The mana I wielded was being brought to life. I could feel my physical body and spirit suddenly gain a burst of energy.
It felt like I was a Human once again.
And indeed, just as I was allowing the mana to enhance my body, I could feel the different parts of my body changing. My skin was slowly returning to its fair, opaque hue. My organs were increasing in ability. And my muscles were growing thicker each moment.
But it was a slow, slow process.