Without the daggers, I only needed to focus on leveling my spells and mana control. Which wasn't that hard, I just needed to cast any of my spells, cancel it, then recast. Doing this for the past four days, I could only cast 20 each day before I had to rest and refill my mana reserves, despite that I was proud of my progress.
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Race: Half-Elf
Class: Sage LVL 3
Available Skill Points: 3
Available Spells: Blessings - Enhance Speed Tier 1 LVL5, Enhance Defense Tier 1 LVL 5
Curses- Reduce Speed Tier 1 LVL 3, Reduce Defense Tier 1 LVL 3
Available Spells: Mana Control Tier 1 LVL 3, Weapon Mastery LVL 1, Staff Mastery LVL 1
Active Blessings/Curses:
Acute Mind (Permanent)
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Skill points are used at the Crystal, but I have no idea for what, people forget what they see when they leave the Crystal. Therefore, a lot of people don't know what they're working so hard for, losing motivation to level their class. Crystals, unless rented by other large cities, where found at the Capital, Willowlane.
So, if I wanted to use the Crystal, I had to go to the city where the Elven Queen was. Garbhan suggested that I max out all spells and skills that I have, so I minimize the risks that come with many trips.
Since, the initial day Garbhan trained me, I've picked up a routine of waking up, help feed the horses, start watering the garden, then come back for breakfast. Then I proceed to train, first focusing on blessings, then leveling curses. When I'm unable to cast any more spells, I wander along the forest on the path that Garbhan showed me was the safest.
The forest was peaceful during the day, and I felt that my mana refreshed faster while I was here. Although I recently found myself getting bored, since I was in an 11-year-olds body now, I found I always needed to busy myself. Coming to my favorite place to rest, a lake that branches a little off the path Garbhan showed me that's sincere and calming, I sit thinking about things to do.
In this world, I assume skills are earned by completing certain actions or getting a valid understanding of you were trying to accomplish. Your class level increases the more skills and spells you level as well. I need to figure out how to get some skills to level my sage class faster. I remember my dad mention about sensing mana signatures and decided to go for that.
I figure that if all things in this world have mana, and I know what mana is now, I should be able to find just about anyone. I sit in the lotus position, since it seems appropriate in this situation, then decide to just experiment, and try something else based on those results.
Closing my eyes to focus, I allow my mana to flow throughout my body like I'm about to cast spells, and just thinly let out my mana for it to let me know if it makes contact with other mana sources. I do feel, something touches my mana, a massive mana signature at the bottom of the lake I'm next to.
[Unlocked Skill: Mana Sense- While mana flow is active, you can sense any surrounding mana signatures. Passive- Your mana sense range increases by 2 meters.]
I can't celebrate though, as the waters of the lake become unsettled, and I know that whatever I felt in the lake is coming up. From what I felt, I knew that whatever was coming up, was definitely the most powerful thing I've encountered yet.
All I can do is rise to my feet as from the waters a creature arises with the upper body of a beautiful woman with green hair and pale skin, that had the lower body of a fish, the fins on her back spread like wings as she hovers over the waters.
Opening her green eyes, she looks at me with curiosity. "A Half-Elf, capable of perceiving my presence?
Very interesting indeed. Well, halfling, you have my attention, speak your intentions with no falsehoods."
I knew that if I fought here her, I was definitely dead. I had no offensive spells or any weapons. The phrase that accurately expressions my current situation could be found on my old world, 'I got caught lacking'.
Nervously, I answer, "I was just practicing how to sense mana and found yours by coincidence. Didn't mean to bother you."
Hearing this she smiles and comes towards me, wrapping her fish tail around my waist and runs her webbed hand down the side of my face.
"Oh, a coincidence you say. It's funny cause you speak the truth, and I can see you have no idea who I am, or you would have tried to flee immediately."
She leans in close to me and whispers in my ear, "Want to find out?"
It's safe to assume that either a yes or no would lead to a gruesome death.
I decide to decline to answer the question. "Oh, it's getting late, and I know you're a busy.... yes, so sorry for bothering you, I'll be just on my way now. Don't want to keep the Elven Queen waiting for too long, might get executed."
She begins to laugh wholeheartedly, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
"Ah halfling, you're handsome and funny. I'm beginning to like you. I know that entire sentence was a lie, even about me being busy. Having no one know where you current are, is a problem halfling, be a shame if I were to..." She trails off as she nudges me towards the surface of the lake.
I panic as I know she's stronger than me and I have no way to escape her grasp.
"Wait!" I scream, terrified of my fate in the water. She pauses what she's doing and gives me a devilish smile, " Yes?"
The memories of being taken advantage of is fresh on my mind, but my parents telling me to prioritize living is also there.
I decide if I need to serve this fish woman, possibly for my entire life, just to live another day, I will do what I have to. "You don't have to kill me, what do you want, I can do whatever you need?"
"Pleading for your life halfling? Good choice, when I was weak like you, I had to do the same many a time to those stronger. Helped me live to be what I am today. Unfortunately for you what I want right now is this "
She throws me into the lake, where I fall in, thrashing about. She jumps in after me wrapping her fish tail around my leg dragging me down with her. I vainly struggle to fight her grip but she's too strong for me, who can barely do five pushups. As the surface gets further and further away, moments from blacking out, I can only think that I barely lasted a week from separating from my parents.