[ Location: Vivan's Bedroom ][ Date: Late April 1985 ]
"Explosion," I muttered, wiping soot off my face.
Smoke rose from the desk.
My latest attempt at a Four Symbols Seal had just detonated like a cheap firecracker, scorching my eyebrows.
"Again," I ordered.
Two Shadow Clones standing by the window sighed in unison.
"Boss," Clone 1 said, rubbing his temples. "We've been at this for six hours. The ink isn't the problem. You're trying to write a Chakra-based Technique using Magic as an ink while powering it with Psionic Spirit energy. It's like trying to run a engine on a juice."
"It has to work," I snapped, dipping my quill into a mixture of basilisk venom and ink. "I saw the scroll and memorized the theory. It's just...."
I tried again.
I focused my Magic Core and pushed the energy into the paper, tracing the complex spiral pattern.
Fizz. Spark.
The paper curled up and turned to ash.
"Dammit!" I slammed my hand on the desk.
I had the knowledge.
But the Energy systems were fighting each other.
Magic was fluid.
Chakra was molded.
Psionics was raw force.
Trying to mix them is Impossible or it will take lot of time.
'I can kill Pennywise physically. But I can't keep him dead. If I want to seal a cosmic entity, I need to seal him until I am powerful enough.'
I slumped back in my chair.
"System," I whispered. "Is there a patch for this? A converter? I'm having an issue here."
Ding!
A massive gold window appeared.
[ SYSTEM ALERT: ENERGY INCOMPATIBILITY DETECTED ]
[ Analysis: User possesses three distinct energy sources (Magic Core, Psionic Spirit, Chakra Network). ]
[ Result: Efficiency Loss (40%). Conflict Risk (High). ]
[ PROPOSAL: ENERGY UNIFICATION PROTOCOL ]
[ Effect: Merges all current and future energy systems into a singlar, universal source. ]
[ Benefits: ]
Universal Compatibility: Cast spells, use jutsu, and exert Telekinesis using a single pool.
Potency Increase: All outputs boosted by 50%.
Passive Reinforcement: Energy naturally reinforces physical tissues (Muscle/Bone density).
Naming Rights: User may name the new energy source.
[ COST: 5,000 POINTS. ]
I stared at the number.
5,000.
I checked my balance.
[ Current Points: 5,682 ]
It was almost everything I had earned from saving Shikamaru, killing the Basilisk, and farming fear.
It was my entire fortune.
"That is extortion," I whispered. "That is highway robbery."
Clone 2 leaned over my shoulder. "Yeah, but imagine no more switching modes and no more lag and look at the physical boost. We could now punch a Demodog in the face without breaking our hand."
I looked at the calendar. June 7th.
That was the deadline I set for myself.
The day I would end the Clown.
If I kept failing like this, I wouldn't be ready.
"Fine," I gritted my teeth. "Do it and take my money, you greedy System."
I pressed [ PURCHASE ].
[ Transaction Complete. Remaining Balance: 682 Points. ][ Initiating Fusion... ]
It didn't hurt rather it felt like... clarity.
The warm hum of my Magic Core, the electric buzz of my Psionics, and the dense weight of my Chakra ( Which I got unknowingly , when I was in naruto world)—they all rushed toward my center.
They swirled, collided, and melted together.
It felt like a star igniting in my chest. A white, pure light flooded my veins, soaking into my muscles, my bones, my skin.
[ Energy System Merged. ][ Please Name Your New Energy Source: ]
I thought about it.
Something cool and fundamental.
"Aether," I said. "Call it Aether."
[ Designation Confirmed: AETHER. ][ Current Aether Pool: 2000/2000. ]
I opened my eyes.
The room looked sharper.
I felt... lighter. Denser.
I picked up the quill and didn't think about "Magic" or "Chakra." I just thought about Ink.
Than drew the seal.
The ink glowed with a steady, pulsating silver light.
It hummed with power, stable and perfect.
"Oh," I grinned, holding up the paper. "That is worth every penny."
[ Location: Frostwell Home Gym ][ Date: May 1985 - The Montage ]
The next few weeks were a blur of sweat, ink, and clones.
The Shadow Clone exploit combined with Aether turned me into a grinding machine.
6:00 AM: Wake up. Create 4 Clones.
Clone 1 & 2 (The Nerds): Sealing Practice. They sat at the desk, churning out tags like a factory. Paralysis Seals, Containment Barriers, Explosive Tags. Their experience would transfer to me instantly.
Clone 3 (The Wizard): Spell Mastery. Practicing the fluidity of Aether manipulation.
Clone 4 (The Battery): Meditation. Expanding the Aether pool limit.
The Real Me (The Jock): Physical Training.
Since clones don't transfer muscle mass, I had to do the heavy lifting myself.
"Add more," I grunted, my muscles burning in a good way.
Clone 3, pausing his spellwork, used Telekinesis to add two 45-pound plates to the bar.
I pushed. My veins bulged. The Aether inside me responded to the strain, flooding into the torn muscle fibers and knitting them back together denser, stronger.
'That's the secret. Aether doesn't just power spells; it accelerates biological adaptation.'
I sat up and walked to the heavy punching bag and coated my fist in Aether.
SMASH.
The bag didn't swing. It exploded. Sand poured onto the floor. The steel chain snapped like a twig.
"Oops," I rubbed my knuckles. "Durability test: Passed. Knuckles didn't even bruise."
When I finally dispelled the clones, the mental fatigue hit me like a truck, but my body felt incredible.
[ System Notice: Physical Stats Updated via Clone Feedback. ]
Strength: 28 -> 35 (You can flip a small car with your bare hands).
Agility: 35 -> 42 (Your eyes can track bullets. Your body can almost dodge them).
Vitality: 40 -> 45 (Bones are denser than concrete).
Flexibility: Enhanced. (You can do a split. Weird flex, but okay).
12:00 PM: School. I sat through history class while actively reading Advanced Fuinjutsu inside my head using Memory Recall.
I got an A+ on a test I didn't study for.
4:00 PM: Social Maintenance. I met with Max and El at the Arcade and spend time with them and bought them pizza. I needed them happy.
El noticed I felt "different."
"You feel... solid," she said, squeezing my arm. "Like a rock."
Max: "Did you grow another inch? Stop doing that. It's annoying."
8:00 PM: The Night Shift. I went to the woods and tested the seals.
I sealed a squirrel inside a scroll. Then released it. The squirrel was confused but unharmed. I sealed a boulder. Easy.
Then, I tried something harder. I tried to seal energy. So I cast a Lumos ball and tried to seal the light into the paper.
It worked and the paper glowed like a flashlight.
[ System Notice: Fuinjutsu Proficiency Increased. ][ Current Mastery: Level 5 ]
[ Location: Vivan's Bedroom ][ Date: June 6th, 1985 - The Night Before ]
My room was covered in paper. Hundreds of tags hung from the ceiling, taped to the walls, stacked on the desk.
I picked up a large, heavy scroll I had crafted myself.
The ink was mixed with Basilisk Venom and Phoenix Tears (for stability).
This was it.
The Cage.
I walked to my calendar and circled the date.
June 7th.
"Tomorrow," I whispered to the empty room. "Tomorrow, we go fishing."
I checked my status one last time.
[ User: Vivan Frostwell ][ Energy: Aether ]
[ Stats: Strength 35, Agility 42, Spirit 130. ]
[ ACTIVE SKILLS ]
Psionics: Telekinesis (MAX), Remote Viewing (Lvl 5), Psionic Synergy (Lvl 1).
Ninjutsu/Sealing: Fuinjutsu (Master), Shadow Clone, Energy Control (Lvl 3).
Mental: Occlumency (Lvl 5), Illusion (Lvl 3), Telepathy (Lvl 2), Memory Reading (Lvl 2), Observe (Lvl 1).
Magic/Special: Aether Manipulation (Lvl 3), Metamorphmagus, Animagus (Phoenix), Apparition (Lvl 1).
Dimensional: Portal Manipulation (Lvl 1).
[ PASSIVE SKILLS ]
Magical Resistance (Lvl 1), Venom Resistance (Max), Parseltongue, Chakra Affinities (Fire/Water/Lightning).
I was broke. As I only had 682 points to my name.
But I had never felt richer or stronger.
"Come on, Pennywise," I said, turning off the light with a casual flick of Aether. "I built a house just for you."
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Basic Seals (like Paralysis) work with brute force, but Complex Seals (like the dimensional cage needed for Pennywise) require the stability of Aether.
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