It had been a month since I acquired the Corporeal Data Creation skill. During this time, I immersed myself in mastering the Terminal and pushing the boundaries of my newfound ability. Through relentless experimentation, I discovered that the largest object I could create was the size of a tennis racket. Any object I let go of would collapse inward and vanish in a flash of bluish-purple light ten seconds later.
Kaelith and Farthington, on the other hand, were… well, I guess you could call it training, though it resembled more of a daily circus act. They spent hours chasing each other around like crazed hyenas before showing up at my door for their bonus pay. I forced them to spar with me every week to gauge their growth, and today marked our final sparring session before Nanik returned.
Ten Minutes Into the Sparring Session…
Kaelith was sprawled limply on the stairs of a makeshift plywood structure, looking like a puppet with its strings cut. Nearby, Farthington lay headfirst in the ground, resembling a defeated ostrich buried in the sand.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead, stepping out of the training grounds. As I stretched, yawning and rolling my shoulders, a familiar flicker caught my eye. The CMD Terminal had activated on its own, text scrolling rapidly across its monochrome display.
[Mansian Mana Production - Level 3]
[Bandwidth increased from 2 -> 3 Terabytes]
[Packet loss decreased from 69% -> 68%]
'Does this mean my mana production increased because of my training?' I wondered, staring at the CMD Terminal's message. I have been pushing my abilities to their limits, constantly using the new skills I acquired and the ones I already had over the past month.
I reflected on the relentless exercises and experiments. 'Maybe a Mansian produces more mana if you consistently use it, similar to how a heart becomes more efficient the more cardio you get.' The thought seemed to click into place, a tentative theory forming in my mind.
'Well, that's just a theory' I mused, smirking slightly at my own internal monologue. 'A Mana Theory.'
'Open CMD' I say in my mind and the terminals show up before me. Checking my skill points, I found that they increased from 2 to 8. 'That must mean that I gain 6 skill points every time I have a major increase in my mana production. I can't really do anything other than increase the stats like Strength, Agility, Intelligence, etc. with the amount I have right now. Should I see what happens if I do?'
Tapping on perception I took a look at how much it cost to increase the stat.
[Cost to Upgrade: 2 SP]
[Current SP: 8]
[Buy?]
[Yes] [No]
'2 SP? I wonder if that's a fixed price or if it changes…'
I tapped yes and my status page changed:
Mansian Mana Production - Level 2
- Bandwidth: 2 TB (Terabytes)
- Packet Loss: 69%
Attributes
- Strength: 3
- Perception: 3
- Endurance: 2
- Charisma: 1
- Intelligence: 3
- Agility: 2
- Luck: 1
Acquired Skills
Developer's Eye - Level 3Trance Creation - Level 2Artificial Life Creation - Level 2Data Tag - Level 1Corporeal Data Creation - Level 2
'I don't really feel any different…'
–
Walking through the hallways of the Shadow Phoenix base to get from the training rooms to the employee quarters, As I turned a corner, I heard the crackle of the front entrance intercom system. A voice, laced with playful arrogance, echoed from the main entry hall.
"Helloooo, anyone there~?"
I quickened my pace and arrived just in time to hear Kaelith, his tone sharp with suspicion, respond, "Who are you?"
"I'm the one in charge here. Who are you?" came the reply, the voice dripping with smug confidence.
Kaelith's eyes narrowed. "I'm an employee that works here. How do I know you're not lying about being in charge?"
"Tell Tokei that I'm here about her next mission, will you?"
The moment the voice reached my ears, I knew who it was. I strode over to where Kaelith was standing, his face contorted in a mixture of confusion and distrust as he hovered near the digital monitor controlling the intercom and front entry.
Kaelith turned to me, his expression serious. "Hey Tokei, there's some sort of scammer outside claiming to be in charge here."
Suppressing a sigh, I flicked my hand dismissively. "Just open the door, Kaelith. He's the one in charge here."
Kaelith turned to open the entryway, but turned back to look at me just as fast, "how do I open the door using the magic plate again?"
Irritated and disappointed, I just pushed him away from the panel, "You know what, just let me do it."
Kaelith watched, eyes wide with curiosity, as I deftly tapped a few buttons on the control panel. With a heavy groan, the metal doors of the base began to part, spilling brilliant sunlight into the dim interior. The sudden contrast made me squint, but it also highlighted the figure standing outside—Nanik.
His black hair, threaded with striking red accents, shimmered in the light, and his volcanic orange eyes glowed as if holding a furnace within. His black buttoned shirt with meticulous orange stitching and gray jeans added an aura of casual elegance to his powerful presence.
Nanik sauntered into the building, a relaxed yet purposeful stride in his step. His gaze locked onto mine, and a familiar smirk tugged at his lips. "So, kiddo, how've ya been while I was away?"
I met his gaze with a cold, measured look, "I've been fine. You're a day early."
His smirk turned into a pout. "Come on, that's no way to treat a guy who's practically your dad…"
"Uh-huh," I responded dryly, my arms crossing defensively over my chest. "Anyway, you were going to update me about the Kyritite shipment that's supposed to leave Trizen tomorrow, but I haven't heard a single word about it all month. We need to intercept it because we can't get our hands on the metal through conventional means. The government's hoarding all of it, and they won't hand over a single piece for any amount of Aero."
Nanik's playful demeanor faded slightly, his eyes softening. "I've got the information, but what's so important that you'd need to resort to a heist for this metal? You never exactly told me why it's so crucial."
A sigh escaped my lips as I relented, "It's for making efficient high-speed processing chips. I need them to finish a project I've spent far too long working on to just abandon."
Nanik's expression shifted to one of understanding. "Well, if that was the case, you could've just said so." His gaze drifted to Kaelith, who had been standing awkwardly nearby, a strained smile plastered on his face as he witnessed our exchange.
"And he's one of the two new members, right? What's his name?" Nanik asked, nodding toward Kaelith.
"That's Kaelith Hudson," I stated plainly. "He appears to be a War Sorcera from the abilities he has. The other new member is Farthington Redsworth who is an Enhancer."
Kaelith, catching Nanik's attention, offered a tentative nod, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. "N-nice to meet you," he stammered, trying to match Nanik's confident demeanor.
Nanik chuckled, a warm, rich sound that seemed to break the tension in the room. "Nice to meet you too, Kaelith. Welcome to the team. I'm sure we'll get along just fine."
Kaelith's smile grew a bit more genuine, the awkwardness melting away as he nodded. Nanik's easygoing nature had a way of putting people at ease, even in the most tense of situations.
As Nanik turned back to me, his expression grew more serious. "Alright, Tokei. Let's get down to business. Call Farthington over to the meeting room near the hangar. We've got a lot to discuss before tomorrow's operation."