We were back on the road, traveling along a dirt road on the side of a jungle. I leafed through the leatherbound spellbook, at which everyone took turns ogling. Even though I knew most of the kinetic spell stuff by heart, it was good to check if I had missed a detail. The book detailed several variants of the Basic Kinetic spell. Kinetic Shield spell was a clear formula and the spell was easy to cast. The description detailed a formula for compressing kinetic energy into a barrier that would linger in front of you for a breath before vanishing.

The problem with it was that it was not a continuous spell. I didn’t want to get blasted just because I bungled the timing of the spell once. Did the writers of this book not understand how fast fights happened? Or had they had just so absolute mastery, that they could cast structured magic with a flick of their finger? Even so, I was merely an aspiring magician, and I wouldn’t want to try to block my water spells. 

Now, I had many gifts. My Skills, Attributes and Perks were aligned really nicely. I had talked to Piraka and mother about that buildcraft, and they were both astounded how airtight my build was. I had nothing to compare to really, but apparently my build didn’t have any secondary Attributes; they were all central to what my skillset was trying to do.

Perception and Focus gave me sufficient speed of thought, when combined with my two other magical Attributes, that I could cast Water Bullet with a second or two of preparation. This was when I just used the basic kinetic components with my cultivation.

And I considered myself rather talented at Spellcrafting and structured magic. I just seemed to have a natural knack for it. So I liked to think I was a fast caster.

And I still wouldn’t want to try to time a Kinetic Shield to block a high velocity projectile.

So I needed to turn this spell into a continuous variant. There were a lot of components that I needed to master about the spell. I wanted to be able to manipulate the size, the durability and naturally make it continuous. Since I had the advantage of being able to draw mana from my environment, I could keep the shield spell on me at all times. That was the goal.

Maybe continuous spells were too expensive to cast, if most magicians were like Elder Piraka and couldn’t directly draw atmospheric mana, the math might not math for continuous spells. But mother and Alik were using the ambient mana for their Mana Absorption too, so I wasn’t sure. Maybe that was why it was an Epic Skill?
Oh… the Skill could absorb and use ambient mana! I had kind of taken it for granted, since it was so close to Mana Manipulation. But I had a Unique variant of Mana Manipulation, which was likely a result of my Mythic Skill.

I did need to start with the basic Kinetic Shield first. That would give me the baseline before I started making my own adjustments. I fell into a meditative state and connected with the mana. I mostly ignored the chatter of my companions and fell into that happy place where there was only me and magic. This was how I spent our days of travel. The spellbook was open on the page of the Kinetic Shield, which I cross-referenced as I worked on the formula over and over again.

[Spellcrafting level 15!]

[+1 Mana Flow]

[+2 Magic Power]

Once I got the spell formula down to comfortably cast the spell, I needed to start perfecting it to make it practical.

I kept casting the spell and had Alik throw rocks and sticks at me. Sometimes he would miss and nearly miss Danek in the other cart. He didn’t like that exercise, and decided it would be good for him to walk a bit.

The kinetic barrier was still weak. Even small sticks broke it when thrown hard enough. I needed to make the spell so powerful that a nasty throw of a spear couldn’t break it. That would be my initial benchmark.

My vision for the spell was clear: I wanted a 360-degree eggshell protecting me at all times. Nothing crazy, just something that could survive a point-blank nuclear explosion. Preferably with an added Perk that would make it autonomous, so I wouldn't have to expend attention towards it.

Was that too much to ask? Pfft, let a baby dream.

Gradually, as days passed and we traveled through the narrow jungle paths, I got better and better at casting Kinetic Shield and was almost as adept at it as the Water Bullet. So I started slowly making minor adjustments to the baseline formula of the spell.

Our journey through the island took us deeper into the jungle. Again it was mother’s turn to apply her abilities as a Jungler, and she found us herbs, mushrooms and little critters, which she skinned and cooked over open fire. We had to travel through the night, which Danek’s goons found scary, but everyone else just laughed and told them to trust in me if beasts emerged. To be fair, I doubted anything stronger than a Silverback was going to rush at us through the bushes. Even though the beasts were supposedly stronger here than on our own island, we were still closer to the beach than the heart of the jungle.

In the morning everyone was very tired, but I felt strangely fine. This was the first time I had stayed up all night in this life. I had pulled some long nights under the starry sky before, but this time I had spent the night working on my mana. I think it was the Meditation that kept me so energized. And maybe mana, since it did seem to give overall vigor to people because it interacted with the System. 

“How can it be,” Alik said as he pulled the cart. “That you stay in this meditation of yours all night? Everyone else slept a bit in the cart, taking turns. You didn’t need this.”

“Maybe I slept while you slept,” I said.

“He did not,” mother grumbled. She gave me a dull, annoyed look. Her eyes had big bags on them. “You need to sleep, little gem.”

“I was just too absorbed in learning this new spell mom.”

“Luka…”

“Listen to your mother, son,” father said.

“Fiiiine,” I said. “I’ll sleep soon.”

“Are you not tired at all?” Danek asked.

“I am,” I said. “I wouldn’t mind sleeping, but I don’t need it.”

“This child. So many secrets. So many strange powers,” Alik said.

“Tell me about it,” father said. “Every time I think I’ve seen everything, I get proven wrong.”

“I can do some cool stuff, but I don’t think this is anything special,” I said with a shrug. “It is mostly that this traveling is such a perfect opportunity to train this new spell I am working on, and I don’t want to waste a moment.”

“This kind of drive…” Alik said. “It is needed for a warrior.”

“I don’t know about drive,” I said, rubbing my neck. “The mana here is thicker than back at our island, so I’m just excited to play with it!”

Mother reached out and pinched my cheek. “I want you to take a nap, young man.”

“Oww.. Fine!”

Everyone was really happy when we emerged through the jungle to the other side of the island. Before we took the boat to the next island, we immediately rushed towards a hunting cabin built by the treeline. Everyone slept for a long time, even me. I dreamt of flying through the air and battling fierce dragons. My barrier held through even the hottest dragonfire. It was a great dream.

In the morning I was the first to wake up. So I started working on the barrier spell again. The mana wasn’t quite as thick on the beach as it was inside the jungle, but I was still working out the kinks in the formula, so it was fine. At this point I was finally able to create a sufficiently sized barrier and make it a continuous spell. Unfortunately it was still only a conjured flat plate of kinetic energy. I wanted a full egg shell completely enveloping me. But that would require more practice and more levels.

Once Alik woke, I had him throw stuff at me again, which allowed me to test the strength of the barrier. I was getting better at this, which delighted me greatly.

[Spellcrafting level 16!]

[+1 Mana Flow]

[+2 Magic Power]

I was almost licking at the next total level milestone. I was at 98, so I only needed two more levels for my next Skill Slot. I still wasn’t sure what I wanted. I liked to keep a slot open, just in case I got something juicy. Not having enough slots had almost backfired on me with Mez, but fortunately I had gotten a free slot from the Cultivator Achievement.

However, more Skills meant more levels meant more slots. 

I was considering taking Heightened Senses. It would give me one in both Perception and a new Attribute called Reflex. That would honestly be a really good Attribute if I wanted to fight— and I really did! While my mental stats had my mind working fast, having better reflexes wouldn’t hurt. It would combine with my Perception stat and help me react faster.

Every Jungler and Fisher in our village had an Awareness-based Skill. It seemed to be a necessity for the more adventurous types.

I would likely pick it up, but since Skills required deliberate practice and engagement, I wasn’t really leaving anything on the table by floating an empty Skill Slot. I was training Spellcrafting now and couldn’t conceive of a way to combine it with an awareness Skill.

I continued my work with Alik and we had some light sparring, which was mostly him trying to catch me, as I jumped around with my mana-augmented strength, and tried to trap him in the Water Trap spell. I was getting better at manipulating it, but it was still slow to control that much water mass with precision, since I was pretty much levitating it.

After our morning training, we swam in the ocean, and when everyone woke up, father fished breakfast for us and mother cooked it with some herbs and mushrooms. We ate and made our way to the next island.

During the boat trip to the third island, father caught two fish which made him and the boatsmen really happy. After he emerged from the water, and deftly boarded the rocking boat, he flexed his muscles to mother, which made her giggle. 

I wondered what he would do with his Fisher Class. He had resolved to follow me, and I didn’t know if the further continents had fishing cultures. I would think so, because the world was shaped like an onion— layers of land mass and water in a concentric pattern, like a shooting target. There were many seas, so maybe he could engage in catching bigger and bigger fish with each ocean. I assumed as our journey would take us closer to the pole of this world, the fish would get crazier and crazier.

Father had been curious about Mana Absorption, but hadn’t expressed interest in learning the Skill yet. Neither had Danek, when I asked.

“What would I do with such a Skill?” Danek laughed as he sat next to me on the cart as we made our way to the next village.

“Mother says because the System works with mana, it makes using every Skill better.”

But Danek only shook his head. “What Attributes does it give?”

“Magic Power and Focus,” I said.

“Focus might be useful, but I already get that from Reading, and it will be a secondary Attribute for me. As for the other one, what would I do with that?” Danek said. “Your mother and Alik are both planning to expend multiple Skill Slots to accommodate this Epic Skill of yours. I am not saying isn’t a Skill worth building around. Alik will likely use it in an attempt to discover some kind of magical fighting hybrid Class.”

“Doesn’t he already have a Class?” I asked.

Danek waved a hand. “Hunter is a Basic class. But his Class Evolution will certainly give him new choices if he builds a fighting style around this new Skill.”

“Interesting,” I said. “Class Evolution is every 10 Class levels?”

“Yes,” father said, joining the conversation. “The System is always paying attention to what you do. For example if you are a Fisher with all of your skills perfectly aligned. Say all of your Class-related Skills are going up in a balanced way, you will get a direct upgrade to the Class.”

Danek nodded sagely. “But you have a specialized class, have you not, Jonaka?”

Father smiled. “That’s right. Because I have the Evolved Spear-fishing skill from the basic Spear Mastery, and very high Swimming, my class is Tide Harpooner.”

“So that is why you were able to become so proficient,” Danek said.

“Yes,” father said proudly.

“Are you considering this new Skill?” Danek asked.

My father’s face grew serious. “I don’t know. Frankly, I don’t know what to do in the future. As you might have heard, we are leaving the archipelago to provide Luka and our unborn child with a better future.”

“So I have gathered,” Danek said. He fell into a contemplative silence after that.

Alik turned to look at the conversation too, but said nothing.

“I value my pride as a Fisher,” father said. “But if Luka’s journey takes him inland, what will I do?”

“Well,” Danek said, rubbing his chin. “If you are truly arranging your life around Luka, you will have to ask what is the best choice for that.”

Father looked at me.

I shrugged. “I want to learn magic, father. I think in doing so, especially if Danek sticks along, we will be very rich. You don’t have to do anything.”

Danek smiled smugly and all of the other people in the convoy looked at me a little shocked.

“What?” I asked.

“Little gem, you said that so casually,” mother said. “That Danek will join us and that we will be rich. We don’t even know what awaits us beyond the archipelago.”

“The Little God is confident,” Alik said. “This I like. I told him that undue humility will only invite conflict. I am glad he listens to this lowly servant.”

“You should be trying to use the mana you're absorbing to empower your leg and back muscles as you pull,” I said, glaring at him.

“Yes, master. This one should not have spoken without permission,” Alik said and grinned playfully.

The others laughed and I shot a tiny water bullet at him.

In this manner a few weeks passed as we traveled from island to island, sleeping in different villages. I got a lot of good practice in, and I was ready to take my kinetic barrier spell to the next level. First my barrier could withstand light punches, but soon I had Alik throwing spears at me.

It was still not enough to compete in the tournament, but a definite improvement.

As we traveled from village to village, and I infused potions, Danek’s cart got heavier and heavier until it required either Alik or father pulling it, while Danek’s goons helped.

Father succeeded in his fishing without fail to reward all of the boatsmen, and even the weather favored us. Mother forced me to sleep when my training was extended, but overall I was extremely pleased, especially with my advancement in Spellcrafting. On a starry night before the day we were to enter Aligapa, the capital of the archipelago, I also gained a level in my Mana Manipulation, which wasn’t a surprise, considering how much I was using it.

[Mana Manipulation II level 23!]

[+2 Mana Flow]

[+1 Magic Power]

Our final stretch towards Aligapa took us from the beach of the main island to the thick of the jungle. The jungle here was rich with life. Flowered vines wrapped around thick trees with bright bark. Little red monkeys watched us from between luxurious leaves of leathery green, and colorful birds ate even more colorful insects, which they plucked from the rich, black earth. The dirt path leading to the capital was smooth and well-compacted, with carved blocks of stone lining both sides.

Soon, we arrived at an outpost with a few tents in a fenced area. Twenty or so warriors stood around sharpening swords and sparring with training weapons. Two guys seemed to be preparing lunch in a cauldron over an open fire. All wore padded leather and chainmail Some even had plated pauldrons. I hadn’t seen this much metal before. Aligapa was surely rich. Their gear was painted with white and red, and their swords were well polished.

The soldiers gave us a few looks and got back to what they were doing. One of them approached us and asked what our business was in their city. Father and Danek were talking with them and told them Alik and I were here for the tournament. The captain nodded and started assembling a crew to escort us.

Six of the warriors surrounded our carts and we ventured down the jungle road. “They look well equipped,” Danek said.

“Yeah,” I said, looking at the metal weapon and armor. Back in our village, metal of any kind was rare. “I wonder what kind of monsters are in the forest. The mana here is thicker than back home.”

“They can’t be too strong,” Alik said. “Look at that short one. He must be my age.”

The warrior Alik gestured at was indeed shorter and slighter of build than the rest of the men around us. They were all hooded and wore a helmet, but I got the distinct feeling the short one was scowling at Alik. Before anything happened, the leader at the front said. “Ignore the peasants. Focus on the mission.” 

The short one nodded.

Naturally, I scanned everyone with my Mana Sight. I wanted to see if they had enchanted weapons or something else that might interest me. Unfortunately no flaming blades hidden in the scabbards, but the short guard had a lot of mana emanating from somewhere. I inspected closer and found a round shape glowing in their pocket. It was some kind of magical item that was certain. I spent most of the journey trying to observe it closer because it had a distinct pattern, as if the item was indeed enchanted. I tried to recreate the enchantment with a spell formula, but it was impossible with my current abilities.

Sometimes the short guard would turn to look at me, but didn’t respond to my staring.

The journey was going swimmingly, until suddenly we heard a screech from the jungle.

The warriors immediately tensed up and drew their weapons. 

“Get on top of the carts,” the captain told us.

Then he stepped in front of the warriors and braced a tower shield against the road.

“Incoming!” the leader of the guards yelled. “V-formation!”

I turned my Mana Sight to the direction the guards made their formation and saw something large and rich in mana approach us. 

This was going to be interesting.