Alex’s fingers traced the pattern he’d drawn on the large sheet of paper in front of him. The ink had barely dried, and he thought through the process before him.
Mark and Sam talked quietly while seated on stools by the larger table to the side of the office, and Olivia paced back and forth on the other side of his desk.
“Shame Sarah couldn’t make it,” Mark said. “She’s been working a lot lately.”
Alex nodded but didn’t look up from the ritual schematic. “Yeah, she said that work with her client has turned into something more involved than they originally thought. But, she seems more excited about that than sitting in on meetings.”
“So, what’s the plan this time?” Olivia asked.
“It’s one of the rituals from the advanced ritual manual that Eura gave me. It’s actually a utility ritual that’s used in combination with some of the body-tempering rituals that are in there. It’s used to draw in mana from the surroundings and into whoever is in the central node.”
“Bleh, mages,” Mark said while winking at Sam, who bumped his shoulder.
Valtherion chose that moment to fly from his perched spot and land on Alex’s shoulders. As he passed over Mark and Sam, he let his tail flick out and tapped Mark on the back of the head.
“It’s actually meant specifically for people who aren’t mages.” Alex interrupted him before he could start chasing the small dragon-to-be around the office space.
“Really?” Mark asked, rubbing the back of his head where the tail had made contact.
“It’s meant to pull in more mana for the person but also to continually power the ritual for body-tempering warriors who might have lower mana reserves. I guess some of the body tempering rituals can last a long time and you have to stay in them as long as possible.”
“Sounds challenging,” Olivia said, though her interest seemed piqued.
“I’ll save you the details for now,” he said while shaking his head and returning his focus to his present trial.
The memory of his success with the Alarm Ritual flickered through his mind. He knew it was a small victory, and the one in front of him would be twice as great if it worked. He couldn’t shake the gnawing fear that it would be harder or that he’d fail in some way.
‘You must push through adversity to reach new heights.’
One of the sayings Eura had passed along to him in their discussion of warriors and leaders from each different world.
He knew the risk was dangerous to push things and that he should be taking them as slow as possible, but after his recent loss and the words from Eura’s example of a warrior who had reached the peak of power… Alex felt the desire to push past his own limits.
He firmed his resolve and looked to his friends and let them know his plans. “I’m going to push harder this time,” he said. His voice was firm, and he set his mind on the task. “I need to see how far I can go. Sam, I’ll need some healing from you, but I won’t push as far as that first time.”
Olivia looked concerned, and he held up a hand placatingly.
“Look, there has to be a balance. I know that there are limits to these things, but I have to explore how far I can push. I’ll do my best to be safe, but it means a lot that you’re all here to support me. Alright?”
There were tentative nods all around, and Sam stood from his stool to come and sit in the large leather chair that Alex normally sat in. It put the teenager behind him and within arm’s reach, waiting for the moment he needed healing.
Alex closed his eyes to center himself and push away the last bits of his self-doubt. Opening them, he activated [Parallel Mind], then splitting his focus activated [Ritual Insight] and the Heavenly Eye, just as he’d done before.
The same surge of power coursed through him as the skills activated and his brain began to absorb the information and analyze the ritual at the same time.
As the skills bounced off one another, Alex pushed slightly harder on the outward pressure with his ocular enhancement. Their synergy intensified, and he felt the knowledge come faster from both directions.
He tore the sheet away and let his years of practice with art take over and drew the new schematic as quickly as possible.
Both skills continued to cycle from one to the other, the influx of information coming at a dizzying rate. His eyebrows drew together in stubborn concentration, and he felt a cold sweat begin to run down his back as he struggled to keep pace.
He drew the ritual again, though he felt a need for change before it was even completed, tearing the sheet away and letting the improved version pour from him. Each iteration of the schematic was more refined and complex than the one before it. The physical strain of his intense focus manifested in trembling fingers and aching in the muscles between his shoulder blades and neck.
Just as he began to wonder if he should stop, he saw a blue screen appear in his vision. It was almost enough to break his concentration, but he clamped down fervently on both skills and saw the words on the screen just before they were dismissed from his mind.
You gain: Title - Journeyman Ritual Knowledge
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
You gain: Title - Gifted Mage
Congratulations Awakened. You have leveled up!
You have 3 Free Points to distribute.
Mentally, Alex grappled with the torrent of magical theory and practical applications flooding his mind. It was like trying to drink water from a fire hose. The volume of it all threatened to overwhelm him, but he felt a feral grin spread across his face as his mind processed the titles he’d gained and the potential payoff from his gamble to push harder.
“Alex?” Olivia’s voice sounded distant and laced with concern.
Trying to cut the skills off, he realized it wasn’t possible. Not with a serious amount of backlash to his mind.
“Sam, heal him.” A panicked voice called.
He barely registered it, pouring every ounce of Willpower into maintaining control over the spiraling skills. The surrounding room faded, his entire being focused on the dance of mana and knowledge in his mind.
There was a critical choice to be made and Alex felt a sense of fate weigh on him. The skills teetered on the edge of chaos and threatened to slip and break beyond his control, regardless of his effort. He strained and knew that he had to make a decision.
Did he back off and let the skills end, taking the mental backlash that would accompany it? He felt that the effect would be immensely painful and potentially crippling, even beyond what Sam could heal.
Or did he push through? He could risk it for a chance of a greater understanding and attempt to ride out the storm of mana and information. Though if he wasn’t able to hold on, there was an escalating sense of risk.
The world narrowed to a pinpoint, and all sounds faded from Alex’s mind. He felt like he was standing in the eye of a storm. Nothing existed but the ritual and its possibilities. There was more than one notification to pop up as he continued, though his mind couldn’t register the words, even as they floated in front of his vision.
The effort was monumental, and his hand continued to fly across the paper, recreating the schematic with a level of intricacy that bordered on the impossible.
There was a point where he had to stop attempting to keep up with the flooding knowledge and progression of the two skills. Any processes of his body and mind not focused on holding the two skills in place threatened catastrophe.
The memory of Eura’s words echoed through his mind again and with gritted teeth, Alex made his choice. He pushed harder against the skills, holding them in their place. One side of his mind pushed inward on the [Ritual Insight] skill, slowing its use. The other pushed onward, analyzing what he could from the ever-changing ritual pattern.
As as the skills tapered to an end, a surge of comprehension washed over him, and he registered the System notifications that filled his vision.
One of them, the last to appear, stood out above all the rest.
You gain: Title - Adept Ritual Knowledge
Congratulations Awakened. You have leveled up!
You have 3 Free Points to distribute.
You gain: Title - Expert Ritual Knowledge
The thought barely formed before his body gave out. He felt himself falling, but the sensation was distant.
Suddenly, he realized Sam wasn’t behind him anymore. The young healer was beside him, breathing heavily, tears on his face, and swaying from side to side. Follow current novels on novel✶fire.net
Alex’s mind struggled to right itself.
He struggled to piece together his surroundings.
I’m on the floor now?
He didn’t remember falling but couldn’t feel the hardwood beneath himself.
Mark and Olivia’s worried faces swam into view above him, blocked by floating blue windows. Their lips moved, but he couldn’t make out their words.
Darkness crept in at the edges of his vision.
Despite the bone-deep exhaustion, a part of Alex knew he’d survive this. His mind and core felt whole, only his mind felt exhausted to a point he didn’t realize was possible. It wasn’t the same sense of crippling backlash that he’d feared if the skills had ended prematurely- he was certain that would have killed him.
A very far-off and faint sense of triumph washed over him.
As the darkness overtook him, he reflected on his actions. The strain had been immense, but the knowledge he had gained felt monumental. He’d pushed beyond what he thought possible, and while the consequences were severe, they weren’t as dire as they could have been.
The only bit of regret he felt was that his friends were worried about him and he couldn’t put their minds at ease until he woke up.
Just as the darkness consumed him entirely, a System message appeared crystal clear before his consciousness.
Alex felt like a bucket of cold water was splashed over his consciousness. But as he did the mental equivalent of sitting bolt upright, his vision stayed black. Before he could react further, another message materialized:
Processing course of action…
Diverting resources to solution…
System deemed to transport awakened anomaly to Integration leader, Overseer Istreal, for final judgment.
Panic gripped him as he felt his mind being pulled through the surrounding blackness. There was a sickening feeling as he realized his consciousness and something more were being pulled away from his body and Earth.
No longer feeling triumphant or ready to embrace the darkness, he tried to call out to his friends. Nothing came of it, and Alex could only surrender as he was drawn into the void.