Posted by Aker had thought long and hard about how he would allocate his skill points after leveling up. His first thought was to put all of his skill points on strength. For Aker having strength meant security, it meant the ability to fight back and it meant life.
After he had an opportunity to evaluate the entire situation he was still convinced that having more strength would be preferable but he couldn’t ignore his other attributes. He thought back to the battles he fought and one attribute stood out more than any of them, even more than strength, speed! The faster he moved the less likely he was to get hit. The faster he moved the easier it was for him to dominate his opponent. He couldn’t ignore increasing his speed with this skill boost, in fact, he should probably consider increasing his speed every skill boost no matter what.
With that thought Aker had decided that he was going to give three points to strength and two points to agility. A few hours after deciding on how he was going to allocate his points Aker had a nagging feeling that wouldn’t go away. After he decided how he was going to allocate his points he couldn’t stop asking himself one question over and over, what is mana?
He understood all of the other skills and to be honest, they were amazing. He had already felt the benefits of all of his skill increases, the very breath he is taking can be attributed to the skills. Without the skill increases could he fight in the arena against forty-five Kulga and survive? Could he face off against beast after beast and force them into submission? Could he in just a matter of weeks become so proficient in fighting, battle planning, medicine, cooking and practice? Impossible….there was no doubting that his movements were faster, his understanding better, his healing was alarming and his strength was triple what it should be.
He could account for the benefits of each of the skills, except for one. He had already allocated a single point to mana and he did see something hit his skin and disappear following the activation however, that was all there was to it. As far as Aker could tell there was no benefit, there was no increase to his strength, battle ability, hell, it didn’t even seem to make him a better cook. Nothing. There was nothing to show for it.
He understood all of that and the most important thing for Aker right now was battle strength. He needed to be stronger every day. He needed to outgrow his enemy, he had to be faster. He had to be stronger. He couldn’t get injured and wear down. This was his reality and still….still why were all of the skills so amazing? Why did he see such improvement from those four other skills and not from this mana? If it isn’t just as good then why would it be there?
There it was! That was the question that was plaguing Aker….the question that couldn’t allow him to concentrate. He dwelled on that question second after second, he wanted to forget but he couldn’t let it go. His instincts were telling him that he couldn’t just ignore whatever mana was.
So upon reaching level 5 just as he was about to call out agility again he found his focus and mind on mana as the word blurted from his mouth. He almost couldn’t believe that he had done it but after a fraction of a seconds thoughts he felt at ease with his decision. His mind, body and soul suddenly felt like they had aligned and the decision to add a point was like a cup of cool water to a thirsty man in a desert. He had moved from the scorching sun into a shaded oasis with the utterance of mana and so after checking his new skill points felt excited.
Having reached a new level, putting points towards his skills and finally after two weeks of barely scraping by fight after fight with anticipation growing day after, finally achieving his goal Akers body gave way to world of dreams as he curled up on his beast blood stain.
As Aker slept small particles of five different colors entered Akers body. Aker hadn’t noticed that over the last couple of weeks these particles would hit his skin and disappear but tonight they seemed to be more interested in the boy than ever before as they collided and disappeared.
The five different colors of the particles that were drawn to Aker were green, red, yellow, grey and blue. Unless Aker was completely focused on these particles he would never notice them. Slowly more and more particles were drawn to Aker and just like their predecessors disappeared upon making contact with Akers skin.
After several hours a black substance was pushed out of Akers body covering his entire body. The black substance was slightly sticky and more than anything grimy. It was more of a mud and oil mixed together that had rotten fish mixed in. The stench was horrendous, enough to cause a strong warrior to run away holding their nose.
The sticky, oily black substance continued to seep out of Akers skin for several hours until Aker couldn’t be seen underneath it. Unbelievable as this was occurring Aker slept despite the cries and screams coming from the prisoners in the cells downwind of where Aker was sleeping.
After the muddy and oily mixture was exposed to the air it began hardening around Aker as he laid on the floor almost creating a cocoon.
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The next morning as Vance walked up to the cell he noticed that he didn’t notice anything. Normally when Vance was within 5-10 meters of Akers cell he could hear the sound of Aker practicing his routine. Aker would sweep his legs, jump through the air, bounce of the walls and attack with his knifes. Vance had been enthralled with Aker’s growth as his skill with a knife was extreme beginner or low end intermediate. For a young boy to reach the low end intermediate knife stage after only a couple of weeks was beyond genius. If word was to get out to some of the schools and sect they would go mad with envy. There might even be a few who would take the risk and break him out of The Pit.
With the silence that seemed to indicate the end of the world to Vance he couldn’t help but let his mind wonder to the tragedies that had befalen his disciple. Did that bastard have someone kill the boy in his cell? Did he take him away without letting him the guard know?
As Vance’s mind began racing over all of the different possibilities he took off in a sprint towards Akers cell. As he approached he peeked his head past the edge and through the bars leaning forward as if getting there even a tenth of a second faster could make a difference.
Vance after rushing over and running the different catastrophic scenarios through his mind paused for a micro second just as his eyes were about tot take in the whole of the cell. What if Aker…..what if there was something he didn’t want to see? No…he had to look!
Vance’s eyes swept the entire room and just as he expected he didn’t see Aker. His heart dropped and he fell to his knees. No one but Vance was allowed to walk Aker out of his cell so if he wasn’t in there that can only mean that there was something nefarious at work. Vance felt as if though his soul had been sucked out and the life that the boy had given him had been destroyed. He had sworn an oath to the boy that they would share the same fate….if one dies they both die!
Vance had already considered it many times, what he would do if Vance died in while fighting in The Pit. If that was to happen he would honor his oath and charge after that bastard Blane with the hope that he could exchange life for a life. There chances of that being successful were infinity small but if there was a chance and he was going to die anyways, why wouldn’t he die trying at revenge. At least then he could die knowing he had never given up even until the end.
As Vance’s heart and soul were being crushed he could hear the ever faint sound of cracking coming from Akers cell. Forgetting his misery and focusing on the sound Vance was able to make out a black mass where Aker normally slept. As Vance looked at this mass he suddenly had a crazy, insane, unbelievable thought.
As fast as he could move Vance stood up, opened the cell door and fired into the cell standing right before the shell. Staring down Vance reached out his hand and touched the shell. Pulling his hand back while rubbing his fingers together examining the black mass on his fingers as he did so the air of death and despair disappeared to be replaced with utter elation.
Standing and waiting Vance shook as he stared down. He couldn’t stop the excitement from overtaking him and he could barely contain himself. How was this possible? He had never heard of anything like this even in the grandest of myths. It was unbelievable, not Doctor Life & Death, not Mavis, and not Sampson would believe it even if he guaranteed it with his very own life.
As Vance was pondering over the impossibility of what he was seeing the shell began cracking all over. Pieces of the shell fell onto the floor and broke apart having dried out completely. As Aker woke up and stretched just as he did every morning the shell was falling apart piece by piece until he was standing up nothing left of the shell on him.
Vance who stood by without saying a word watched the entire sequence. After seeing Aker having broken the shell off the last little bit of doubt on Vance was now gone.
There was no other way to put it, even if no one believed it. Even if it was impossible. Even if it was a miracle of miracles the facts were right before him.
Aker had just reached Body Conditioning Level 1 Skin.
The reason Vance was so shocked, the reason no one would believe it is not because this boy was at Body Conditioning Level 1, that was as common as fly’s on a cow.
No the reason Aker reaching Level 1 Skin is because he didn’t use a catalyst.
Their are five levels of Body Conditioning:
Level 1 Skin
Level 2 Muscles
Level 3 Organs
Level 4 Bones
Level 5 Blood
People could not naturally move through these five levels. Once a person created their Source Core they could naturally pull in a law but until then they required pills, herbs, and potions to inject the laws into their body.
There was never even a legend or a myth of a person being able to reach the Level 1 all on their own because it was just that unbelievable.
As Vance stared at Aker and saw his glowing skin full of vitality he couldn’t help but notice all of the previous cuts and scars had disappeared. Despite the fact that he was trapped in this hell hole he looked alive his vitality flowing.
As everyone knows breaking through the first level is the equivalent of a rebirth. Instantly the vitality, strength, and agility of the person would increase significantly. The pores on the skin open up allowing a person to pull more oxygen into the body thus providing more fuel.
With each step of the Body Conditioning the Magic Fighters strength grows tremendously, each step setting the foundation for the next.
Of course Vance had planned to put him on the path of a magic fighter but that was going to be when he was older. Most people started on the path around the age of twelve. Not that there were not stories about kids the age of Aker starting out but the first five levels are incredibly expensive.
As Vance was pondering over how he would change Aker’s routines and what he needed to do now he couldn’t help but stop and wonder “are all Emperor Candidates this amazing?”