Chapter seven
Noctis says "Alright, pretty little lion let's start with you"
The sound of soft footsteps began to fill the air. She sat down next to Noctis. He began circling and saying
"Its name is reinigen. Depending on the teacher and species it can be named atonement, purification, or klenz. In basic terms, it's just a purification method of mana.
There are three levels to this technique. I promise this is the safest and strongest way to break down polluted mana. The first level is meditation and feeling the flow. Most gifted can do this to some degree while sitting. What is required is the specific patterns flowing around your body and the extreme precision it requires. You must get this right because it will allow you to bypass your gift activation.
The second level is called separation that is when you separate your mana into different balls, metaphorically in your mind and body. It's like when someone is sifting for gold. Got to get rid of the light worthless stuff to get to the heavy gold.
The last level is doing the first two With the movements of what you call tai chi you separate all mana in your body into two different pools. With this, you gather the mana from inside you and out in the air and bring it to your heart. You then split it into two pools of pure and polluted mana. You keep the pure mana inside your body and then release the polluted mana into the atmosphere. You then slowly use the moves of tai chi to trickle the pure mana around your body and into your mana heart. The pure mana in your mana focal slowly accumulates and grows in strength and size.
This will not only purify your mana but also make your body more receptive to pure mana. Thus making you sturdier and stronger helping the effects of body-strengthening training. But make sure to slowly trickle in pure mana because too much at one time can damage your heart and body. As the impurities leave the whole amount of mana will decrease but the purer mana is stronger and will affect your body more. This helps with the impurities of the mana, mana manipulation, and body strengthening. This last level is the hardest part.
Most just do it by phases at first. It's not something immediate unless you are a natural user of this technique. It puts a heavy burden on your mind,body and mana. That's why you must train your body to help combat the difficulties of this technique as you slowly increase the amount of mana through it. To be honest, any good gifted should learn how to meditate and move their mana to increase their amount. This is just a better technique and results any ole joe can do.
This technique is slower at accumulating mana but the pureness while make up for the lack of quantity of mana. The only downside to this is that it's extremely dangerous and difficult...…
Well, you are in luck tho! Walk on down here to the Price Is kitty….
I will show you how behind cat door number one…
… awkward silence…
Ok tough crowd… ahem…
To guide someone in this technique one must be a master of this technique and be an S-grade. You can not move the mana properly without activating your gift or separate it to its purest form. If I use the outside mana and move it around in your body as you do the movements you will slowly sense the way mana is in your body. This will even make you gifted.
We beast or mana-inclined beings already know how to do this from us being so close with nature. It's rare to see in humans a natural practitioner of this technique. Some have a version of this technique that is not as efficient. The European royals and the heads of the 5 great companies are some of the natural users and artificial ones also with varying degrees of technique. That's why they are stronger and they are all gifted. Kiera's sister is one such example of those perfect natural mana technique users. She is an extraordinary person. Let me put this into perspective 100% perfect natural mana users are the rarest of the rare. They are the most precious diamond in the world. Not only are they physically stronger, but they have the purest mana you can find. Which makes them even deadlier. If you take an artificial user versus a natural user. 9.9999/10 the natural user would win. So if you ever meet one just don't die. Hahah kidding. But honestly, it truly depends on the person, how early they got their gift, and how pure their technique is. In all reality, talent or genetics and luck are not everything. Hard work will beat out talent any day."
Keira pov:
As Noctis began telling us about the secret technique for purer mana. My heart began to beat faster and faster. It felt like it was about to hop out of my chest. But once he brought up my sister my heart started to seize. The invisible bruise around my body and soul began to quake. The intense pressure from my family and the knowledge of how my sister is so strong from him began to shake my foundation. The thought of not being good enough is eating at my existence. Once I heard his words about a non-natural user can never win against a natural user my heart lept out of my body. It didn't settle in my stomach or stop to collect 200 hundred dollars. It went straight into the deepest pits of despair and hopelessness.
As the deep, viscous death and tar flooded my eyes. The Sinister thoughts began taking chunks of me, every time their sweet venomous words appeared in my mind. As I was about to fall into myself deeper I felt a strong hand on my shoulder and a paw. Then a bright light filled the void of my vision and sweet words began to tickle my ears. I was thankful for these words were full of….
Jack said
"Don't lose hope. The moment when you do you have already lost. "
Noctis said
"I have watched you for years. You have the potential to surpass your sister in power. You know what? You already have in personality."
Never in my existence have I ever heard genuine nice and encouraging words. I have been told how much of a genius I am by my other peers and teachers but I can see hidden meaning behind them. They just want to be on so-called good terms with me for my father's wealth. The fact that I can not feel any ulterior motive from them, just warms my heart. I couldn't hold back the tears as my vision became clearer. What I saw was a boy and a cat holding on to my shoulders. What a hilarious sight. Haha sounds like a cheesy novel but it's my truth.
"Thank you, let's continue"
I said out loud.
Noctis pov:
As I finished explaining the process of what I'm trying to teach them. They are both sitting in front of me. I place my hand at the center of Keira's back first. I slowly inject my mana into her body. She Yelp in pain but she bears with it. Having someone send their mana through your body is not pleasing at all. If I let my mana run wild or clash with hers too violently I could kill her. I can feel how pure her mana already is. Without the technique, she would eventually feel the mana flow and subconsciously do it. Crazy crazy talent. The Oro have barked up the wrong tree if they allow people like her to grow.
"Keira do you feel the way I'm moving the mana through your body and how there is a heavy and light set of mana.
The fiery red hair girl responded meekly…
"Yes barely...I'm sensing more as u move your mana throughout my body
"Good. I'm now going to slowly draw out my mana. As you meditate to grow your mana try to sense the different types of it. Today was the first step or level in it. As I feel like you have a good grasp of moving mana in your body and sensing the different parts I will teach you how to separate the two. Then we will add the last! Now Jacky poo are you ready?"
"Yes! Can you really make me gifted?"
Jack said in a strong firm voice with a curious tone.
Huff the confidence this boy has. Haha just like his family.
"Can I ever! In your case, you would be considered a semi-natural like Miss Lionheart and your brother! You know I did this same exact thing for your brother before they left to explore border regions on the edge of Kentucky. He was about 8 when I did this for him."
"Wait you awakened an 8-year-old? That's crazy early for any human!"
Jack said loudly
"Well, your brother is something of an anomaly in humans. By the age of 5, he could see mana. He was about to awaken at 6 but your mom asked me to help slow down the gifting. I believe he was able to sense mana so easily is due to the fact that your parents kept taking you guys beyond the Black Veil. Of course, they only took you guys to the city of stars. You guys were more or less safe. Your mom asked me to help him awaken him for his safety. You know the process some have to go through to become gifted. All the trial and error or luck of the draw. Never mind that, Before we start you need to never use that other source of power. "
"What power?" I asked
"Good just promise because it's not good for your body and it turns you into something Mana hates ."
"Alright, I promise" he answered with a knowing look that wasn't the end of it.
Yeah, I won't be mentioning ki to him. It used to be safe before Mana, but I have seen what some humans have turned into when they fall from Mana. I really hope he is blessed by Mana and can not use that energy anymore.
"Now close your eyes and breathe in and out through your mouth slowly. You should be feeling a tingling hot sensation where my hands are. Really focus on that. Let me know once you do so I can circulate it through your body."
The air began to vibrate and sing with a low hum. The mana was swirling around the boy like he was the eye of a little typhoon. The transfigured world began to quake from the movement of Jack's body absorbing the ambient mana.
A bright light began under my hands. The light was not from me but from Jack. I began to worry. I wasn't moving the mana anymore. He was perfectly doing the technique off just a few seconds of me moving his mana. The amount of mana he is absorbing is insane. I have a bad feeling about this. I need to hurry to Keira. I must wrap my mana around my body and tell her too. Crap… no time to tell him. I began to grow in size and weight and dart towards the girl. I basically tackled her to cover the now small girl with my body. By the time I finished covering her, we were surrounded by the light. With what little time I had left I layered my body with as much mana as the atmosphere had left. I was trying my best to protect the girl from the impending explosion of mana. Since she is not part of the Delgado family she can die…..I should have guessed he was blessed by mana from the way his body was chugging the pure mana pool.
Shit….. the mana explosion has broken through my barriers…. Damn, he must be loved….. no this must mean he is chosen by mana… I have never seen this rating for a blessed by mana. I feel my skin be scorched by the pure mana…..he is tearing the foundation of this space that his father created.....
Damn, I really hope he doesn't kill us.
Jack pov:
As I'm sitting here trying not to pass out from breathing in and out so much. I began to feel a spark. I know it's not the cat's nails digging into my back but something tangible in my blood, in my skin, even my soul. I can feel every cell vibrating. I can feel a foreign substance residing within my whole body. For some reason, I feel like it's white, blue, and a hint of yellow. I cannot hear anything going on around me. Honestly, what am I doing or where am I? I open my eyes thinking I haven't done a single thing but feel mana inside me but.... As I peered out in front of me the grey walls I have come accustomed to have now been charred black with rock crumbling to dust.
My heart began to quicken and tried to leap out of my chest. I frantically turned my head looking for Noctis and Keira. Then my eyes settled onto a big furry white and red blob. As my eyes came into focus I could see the detail of the once black fur that was now bright white and bleeding profusely with crimson liquid. I began to shake thinking
I stumbled as I stood up too fast. The dirt dust flew off my body as I rushed over toward them saying,
"Are you guys OK?"
Keira responded with a raspy voice of worry.
" Yes I'm fine but I'm worried about Noctis"
As I stared at her she seemed perfectly fine but Noctis did not.
Sadly, Noctis is not able to stand up. He looks at Keira with a smile and then at me. With a wide toothy grin. Fully displaying his razor-sharp teeth that at the tips glowed a deep floral purple. he then says
"What are you looking at boy? I know I'm handsome but I do not like your kind like that…..oh and can one of you take me to the Mana pool before I...…."
The once large black and purple cat poofs into a small grotesque miniature version of itself. Its back still oozes blood from the wound that covered most of its back. As the cat lies on the ground, its dark red blood starts to form a pool under his tiny body. I rush toward the cat. I go to lift the small creature but I can not, it feels like it weighs a ton. A literal ton! As I try once again. Putting everything I have into it. I feel my muscles bulge from my legs to my back due to the strain on my body. As I lift this toddler-sized cat I'm barely able to make a shuffle with his butt dragging along the charred black ground.
After what felt like thirty minutes of dragging a dead baby elephant, I had arrived at the blue and teal glowing pool. As the waves hit the little gray shores. It seemed that the pool grew with every breath of a wave hitting it. I stepped into the water with my foot. It didn't feel wet at all. It felt like I was walking through air not water. I felt like my body was drinking in this air. My body began to glow and feel lighter. As I finally get noctis head to stay above the shoreline. My body had felt like it was full to the brim with mana. I hurriedly got out after getting Noctis in the right position. Half in half out of the water seem ok. I hope that it is...
As I sit out next to the water. Keira sits next to me. She stares at noctis like i do. We go for about twenty minutes before either one of us says anything. She plucks up the courage with her sweet melodic voice.
You know it just hit me who you were. I thought I recognized your name.
I swiveled my head towards her with a stunned look.
Wait you recognize my name? How?
A sweet beautiful laugh filled the air. She said behind a laughing voice
"Haha, I guess you do not pay too much attention to the grade scale rankings. I have stared at your name a few hundred times thinking who you are? You weren't on the gifted rankings so you had to be non-gifted. Mr. Number one on grades. Haha, I still laugh every time I see your name. You are even ahead of a guy whose gift makes him smarter. Hahaha, it kills me every time."
My face starts to turn beet red. My heart starts to quicken. Such a beautiful girl was wondering who I am crazy… shoot I gotta play it cool.
I nonchalantly say
"Yes, Nico Collins. He used to come up to me and say I was cheating. I honestly wasn't. Since I didn't have a gift I spent my time studying. I'm not that smart. I'm just a loner and worked hard for it.
She giggles and says
"Don't sell yourself short. It takes genius level of intelligence to take in the info and then use it. That's amazing in itself. "
I feel hot right now. I feel like my face is beyond the color red. I clear my voice
"You are the second person to tell me that. "
She asked quickly
"Who was the first? "
I said
"Rein Wolfgang"
She looked grim for a second. She said
"My father said he is the best gifted prospect to ever exist. A dual elemental gift of fire and wind. Genius above all geniuses. Is he truly that terrifying ?"
I sat there for a moment thinking only if you knew the handsome bastard had two more elements and maybe their higher forms. What a lucky bastard to be recognized by her father. One of the wealthiest men in the world.
I sighed
"Yeah and more. I honestly wouldn't want to face him in a battle. Even if I was an S-rank with mana level or higher….. I'm just lucky that he chose me. I truly could have died in that place without him"
We sat in silence for a while more staring out at the lake of mana. My mind went back to a dark place… I began to ache once more.
Keira began to speak.
"Hey, if you do not mind but how did you lose the necklace?"
"It happened one day at my first orphanage. It was about one month before I went to that other orphanage. I was simply playing with it. At the time I thought everyone could see it and no one cared, but apparently not. I had just wanted to see the picture on the inside. Then a boy named Leon foust, he was our head boy at that time. That day he happened to look at me. He saw that I had something and was looking at it but the moment it disappeared, he freaked out. He came running to me. He pushed me down and tried to rip it off my neck. It wouldn't break he choked me until I passed out. I never saw him or it again. I heard he got enough money from pawning it. The shop owner never told me the price he pawned it off for. I have no clue why a 14-year-old boy would go and do with the money. The oro breathing down our necks and being underage is not a good combo.
I'm beyond lucky and grateful to have found it. I'm beyond thankful for you and your family. I couldn't have ever imagined awakening and getting a powerful tool is beyond me."
" I'm glad that father did find it. It has been beyond beneficial for me too. I just want you to know I do not want that necklace back. To wear a creepy cat that is always watching is too much,"
she said while elbowing me playfully
"You sure you do not want to wear a crazy killing cat?"
We both laughed at that terrible joke. Our laughter soon died down. We sat in more silence. After a minute or so Kiera started speaking.
"So what are you going to do now that you are a gifted?"
I sat there thinking a minute about the implications of her question. In a Society where power rules, thinking that a gift will make your life whole and complete. Is a flat-out lie. If you don't have a gift at least you are trash. Even trash has a place in this world. But if your gift is useless and you are weak. You are useless trash. That's worst then not having a gift. There are laws to protect the giftless but gifted its shark infested water.
I replied meekly
"I don't want to tell anyone yet but it's beyond hard to keep it quiet about me being gifted. Luckily the silver lining to this, now I have the standing to find my family. I had my grandfather look for them but now I can contribute to it. At the end of it, my main goal is to learn my gift and grow stronger. It will take everything I have learned and gained to survive our school. It's basically survival of the strongest."
"Haha, I wish I could have kept it quiet also. That's the ideal situation, but there is one problem. People with high mana sensitivity can sense mana or if their gift is a sensing one they can sense your mana"
I sigh. With that knowledge I have.. I think I can do it but I've been debating about to…..I said with uncertainty
"If I'm able to learn the mana suppressant technique, I can go to school without much problems."
"Buhagaha that's a great joke…wait you not joking ."
"No im not"
I said a little irritated
The silence became deafening between us.
Cough "awwwwwwwkwaarrrd"
Came out of nowhere from Noctis
Cough cough awkkkkkk cough
"So silent I'm having a hairball from the awkwardness. Cough agggg"
I yelled at the cat
"Shut up and heal you oversized rodent"
Keira just laughs and says
"That takes literally years to learn and to master! That one fixes one problem. It also only lasts for 20 minutes!! You know, Mr. Valenstine can sense if you have a gift or not once your mana technique ends. That's just if you learn it. That doesn't include how to wield your gift."
"True, I haven't thought that far. It's just an idea. I would have to be quick in learning it… Maybe I can miss a week or two of school to train on the technique and figure out whatever gift I have. I don't know. I just do not know what to do about it. I do not want to be thrust into that viper pit just getting my gift. "
"I know Everyone starts like this. It sucks to be new with a gift but it's not bad. I believe your gift will be extraordinary." She said
"Not everyone starts the same. Someone rich and powerful starts way ahead of an orphan like me. Not all education is equal, you have the five powers and their heirs with the best tutors in the world. Say I bust my butt and surpass them with my knowledge. I have been trying to get a gift since I was 10! I'm fifteen now! The majority of people have had their gift for 3 plus years or more! Then add that stupid Omitrex. It puts people into a category by predicting their final gift level and then they are discriminated against by it! But that is the least of my worries. I just….. I just do not want labels anymore. I went from giftless to wasted-of-space gifted."
" I get…. That. You can just ignore the label. I'm just saying you can not use that technique forever. Then people can feel your mana so you are going to have to tell the school. You know if they…"
"I know I said solemnly. No one is better than me at Mana theory. I have been working my butts off for this moment. It's now time to put my knowledge into practice. I can do it. I will not let a label or anyone tear me down. I will not even let them have that chance."
I heard a rough coughing noise from the pool in front of me.
Noctis began to speak with a hoarse raspy voice.
"Sweeeet. Training arc just started. You are a whole lot more confident and a tiny bit less whiny than I remember. "
A forced chuckle left his mouth and then he continued.
"Honestly you two are worrying about things for nothing. Honestly, you guys think I can't teach you how to block some peeping toms from looking at your mana level and gifts? What do you guys take me as? A one-trick pony? Well I'm not a pony but a cat so you are double wrong"
Another pain-filled chuckle left his mouth.
"Man, it's such a curse to be this funny when I'm in pain. Boy in all seriousness I have never seen that level of gifting like that! What is wrong with you and your family? Your mana boy….It's so pure. Your body is doing the damn technique without me! Your cursed family!"
A smile full of pride crept across my face and I said
"What about my cursed family?"
"Don't smirk like it's a good thing! Just a bunch of freaks."
He began to come out of the pool with the blue mana dripping from his black-soaked fur. The strips of purple down his sides seemed to glow from the mana dripping down them. He had returned to his normal 5-foot-tall stature. His confidence oozed out as he walked closer to us.
He began to speak with confidence again.
"I'm talking about your brother. He has a similar situation to his body naturally taking in more mana. But it's nothing like yours my boy! Each breath you breathe, a fragment of pure mana is added to your mana level. I guess being blessed by mana is not enough."
"Blessed by mana?" I said questioning
"Yes, boy. Blessed by the very thing in your veins and the air you breathe. The conciseness of mana sometimes blesses the people that use it to some degree. Its blessing varies from the amount of mana and boosts to the actual gift itself. It's actually quite an honor. It means mana has high hopes for you to achieve high levels of itself. Jack, I can teach you how to hide your gift and mana level. It's simply the same thing as the mana hiding technique, but the level of this technique is your government's rating as S in difficulty. "
Keira began to speak.
" I'm not trying to be a negative Nancy but if you are the world's best teacher it will still take time to learn."
With a grin still plastered on his face. Noctis began to say
"I'm sorry I forgot to mention this. I guess cat got my tongue. Hehehe this pocket space has a 10-to-1 time exchange. So every ten minutes here is one minute out there. So you guys have been in here for about an hour or so. That means it's been six minutes since you entered. Do not worry you will return to the same spot you left."
I stared at the cat with a stunned face. The pocket space that the academy has is a 3-1 ratio. Let's not start the cost of it. I stayed flabbergasted for at least a minute. He stared back at Keira and me with a grin so wide I could count all of his teeth.
"So what now" I said
Notices responds with
"Someone cue the training montage!"
End of chapter 7