Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After waking up, I decided I'd go and get myself healed instead of going to the park immediately. Though I wanted to at least go there before night in case I could see Maria again.

So I entered the long, long waiting line for the free healer. I could have probably paid, but I'd rather wait than pay, not that I had anything to spend my time on anyway.

In the line I started getting bored.

"Open, Pied."

Welcome back. [Swordfighting] or [Special Mana Training]

I got intrigued by the new option, so of course I picked that one.

I blinked and I was in a new white room.

In front of me was a blue mana potion. I then saw the screen on the left side of my field of vision.

Use Flash: 0/1000

One thousand times!

"Piid, no way in hell one mana potion is enough!"

I used Flash twice and then felt completely drained. I drank the mana potion and felt full again. Then I used Flash again twice and felt drained.

"I already feel like shit, I can't do this a thousand times! Send me back!"

But I got no response. I drank the potion and waited a few minutes. But still no response.

"So you're really not gonna let me leave until I do it a thousand times! I'm not your fucking slave!"

But no response.

So I slowly did the Flash and drank the potions.

The feeling was worth noting: It was like I had these 'cores' inside my body I had never been aware of. And everytime I drained them and refilled them, I could feel them more and more. A new sensation.

Use Flash: 46/1000

Even after 46 uses, I was in pain and exhaustion. I collapsed for five minutes. Then went back to using Flash. It felt like I was doing something I shouldn't do to my body.

Use Flash: 128/1000

It felt like the cores in my body were burning.

"Aren't these expensive?"

For a moment I took a break and studied the blue mana potion. It looked pure. And it completely replenished my mana. It also tasted sweet, like the obsidian ball I ate.

Use Flash: 250/1000

Eventually the pain stopped, and I only felt the burning sensation in my cores.

But the most important part, was that I could now use 3 Flashes before being completely drained. So that meant my mana capacity must have increased.

My eyes also hurt even though I covered them with my hand and looked away from the Flash.

Use Flash: 511/1000

I was now up to 5 Flash before I was completely drained. And the burning sensation had increased tenfold. I was too tired to stand up, so I was sitting on my butt while doing it. Also forgot to mention, the mana potion would appear right after I had finished the previous, and go on top of the wooden table in front of me in the white room. And I would throw the empty flask in the corner of the room. Right now that corner was overflowing with expensive empty mana potions.

"I would rather have sold those, Piid…"

I drank another mana potion, and suddenly…

"Huh?"

I could do 21 Flashes in a row instead of 5.

"This is weird?"

Use Flash: 789/1000

After that unexpected occurrence, it got a lot easier to do the flashes, but I still felt like my entire body was burning and I was so exhausted. It felt like 6 hours had passed.

Also, now I could do 50 flashes instead of 21 in a row before I had no mana left.

This was some extreme training.

Use Flash: 999/1000

"Finally! Yo, Piid, will you let me take a mana potion with me? Can you just generate one for me now?"

No response, as always.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then. Flash!"

Congratulations. You have completed [Special Mana Training]

I blinked, and there I was, back in the line. It was as if 8 hours hadn't passed. Nothing had changed. Except I immediately collapsed.

"H-Hello…" While my eyes were closed I heard a shy, feminine voice.

I opened my eyes. I saw that I was laying on a sofa in a small room. And that I was shirtless. Then in front of me I saw the most beautiful blonde elf.

My eyes went wide open.

"Oh, hey, you're awake. Ehm.. I'm Luna."

She seemed flustered.

"H-Hello… I'm Jack." I said in a rough voice. My body felt so heavy.

"I healed your chest and arm wounds. Though because the injuries weren't fresh, it'll leave scars. But it won't affect your mobility and muscles. Also, you seem to have collapsed from mana exhaustion. That happens to me a lot. Are you also an adventurer?"

"Oh, ehm, not really. But I was battling a couple of goblins and they really roughed me up." I pointed to my sword. I had had it on me all time, except for when I was home I'd hide it.

"All by yourself, eh?" she said and smiled suspiciously.

"The thing is, actually," she said, "I'm an adventurer, but no parties will accept me. And you seem to be solo, so I was wondering…"

"Oh, that's be great," I said. "I'd love to form a party."

"Oh really!"

"Yeah, the thing is though I haven't registered yet. Which guild are you in?"

"I'm in the Odin Guild."

"Well, I guess I'll register. When's the next time you're free?"

"In about 2 days, I'm really busy here."

"Oh yeah, thank you for healing me by the way."

"Oh, just doing my job, haha."

"Well I guess I'll see you in two days at the Odin Guild. At what time should we meet?"

"Let's just meet at the front in the morning. I'm really looking forward to seeing you again!"

"Me too."

I got up, put on my clothes, then shook her hand goodbye. She blushed. It was so soft, just like Maria.

When I left, I realized how amazing that situation was, and how lucky I was to have met such a beautiful elf.

As I was walking aimlessly, my heart started beating faster and faster. I couldn't wait to meet her again. Finally something exciting in my life was happening. All that lifetime spent alone in school and at work. It felt like, with Piid and now this my life was finally beginning.

"Oh, Maria."

I remembered her and went over to the park where I saw her last time.

When I got there it was filled with cute couples being romantic, but I couldn't spot her so I just sat down.

I was too tired to go into Piid again. And my body felt like it was on fire.

I stayed for about an hour, but I didn't spot her. Probably because this isn't the usual time she would be here. It made me sad that I didn't see her again. She was really so beautiful and feminine.

Eventually I started feeling weird being alone surrounded by all those couples.

There were still a couple of hours until it was night, but I was still feeling sleepy right now. Probably because the hours I spent in Piid wasn't the same as outside.

I couldn't go home yet, so I decided to laze around at the public library.

And that's where I spottted the cutest girl I had ever seen.

"Hello, how may I help you today?" she said while smiling at me. I went to the reception and spotted this blonde girl wearing a ponytail and with huge boobs. Her name tag said Emma Brightness.

I didn't really have anything to say, I just walked up to her automatically because she was so pretty.

"Ehmm, do you have any books on Piid?"

"Piid, what's that?"

Oh shit. I ran my mouth.

"Ehm, kinda hard to explain, nevermind though."

"Wait, now I'm curious, hehe."

"Sorry, it's a secret, I just ran my mouth a little. Do you have any books on mana capacity in the body, just like how it works?"

"Oh yeah, I have a really good one, and I could even tell you a little on what I know about the subject based on my immense research. That is, if you tell me more about Piid."

She said and shot me a cheeky look.

"Okay, after you tell me, I'll tell you what the first two letters of Piid means."

"Wow, not fair! But okay."

We sat down at some sofas and she started talking.

"There's a lot of theories on how the body stores mana, but the one I think is most reasonable is the theory of 'mana cores'. In your body you have cores of mana spaced throughout, and it is these that determine how much mana you can store. I think that the higher your level the more mana you can store, or the bigger you body, but you can't directly change the sizes of those mana cores."

"That's not true," I said.

"What?"

"That's not true, I've done it. I could even tell you how to do it."

"What? no way! I don't believe you. Tell me!"

"Eh eh, either I'll tell you the Piid, or this. You choose."

"I wanna know both!" she said excited and leaned over. I could see her boobs bounce as she leaned.

"Sorry, no can do. Maybe next time. Now, which one do you wanna know?"

"Ehh, you're so mean. I gues Piid."

"Okay: The first two letters of Piid stand for "Personalized Instant…""

"What? Personalized Instant? What could that even mean?"

"It's really exciting, I'll tell you. But that's it for today, I've gotta run."

And so I went out. Was too stupid what I did. But it sure was exciting talking to Emma. And I learned that my feelings about how mana worked was correct.

After lazing about in the city for a few hours, I went home. I hid the sword and sheathe where I also had hid the bloody torn clothes I didn't want my mother to see. Then I went in and had dinner with her.

While we were eating, the door was slammed open with a loud bang.

"You piece of shit! You cockroach!"

It appeared father was home.

He stormed straight to me.

"Guess what, Jack! I heard there was an attack at your warehouse and it had burned down, so I ran over there to find you. And then I learned that you quit your job days ago!"

Immediately I thought: Was it because of Piid and the obsidian ball I stole? Then some relief washed over me that no one had any idea it was me. And I was also happy that that place was burned down.

"Whaaaat!" My mom screamed. She was in shock.

"I just quit my job, can you two stop being dramatic. I already found a new job: I help a healer find herbs."

"Really?" my mom said, "is that why you came home injured?"

"Yeah, but that was only one time, so don't worry."

"Wait if it was a healer, why didn't you just have her heal you?"

"Well I did today, but at the time she had run out of mana, it's all. Now, I'm really tired so I'll go to sleep—"

"Wait a minute," my father blocked me. "Hand over the money you made then."

"I don't have it yet. The healer will pay me at the end of the month."

In my mind, at the end of the month I was no longer living in this fucking place.

I passed him and went to bed.