[STT] Chapter 95: High Endurance (Patreon)

"Yes," Ben said.

For one thing, she didn't need to know how right she was, that his body was close to breaking, and that the only reason he was still alive was because he had skills holding it together. For another, Bobby knew how to read her face, and she didn't look convinced in the slightest.

"Let me explain something to you. The pill makes your body open to your own mana, that's what tempers it. The problem however is that your mana is too much and will go everywhere at once, which means it will affect your brain, heart, or many other vital organs. Do you think you can resist that? Bobby, write down as refused. Reasoning: certain death."

Bobby did as he was told. Every pill taken in this room went in the log. Who took it, what grade, what tier they were, and what happened after. In all his time as her assistant, not a single Tier 2 had taken in a third grade tempering pill. Even if a Tier 3 took it, they only took it if their mana was a really dominant part of their essence allocation.

"Then test me," Benjamin asked.

Bobby stopped writing, his hand hovering over the ledger. That... was unexpected. Even he was not that brave.

"What?" Lady Vanessa frowned. She looked at the boy for a moment. Bobby honestly expected her to send him off, but she nodded instead. "Okay, lie down on the bed."

The boy did so, lying on his stomach, and Lady Vanessa walked to him, putting a hand flat on his chest. "Pull all of your mana in  here, under my hand, and keep it there, don't let it move no matter what I do. Got it?"

Bobby realized what she was trying to do, and could only shake his head in pity for the boy.

She'd done this to him in his first year here. Her reasoning had been that so he'd know what mana did under pain and how it moved to protect its host. Or more so, how the person in question protected themselves. Since he'd be watching it happen to other people for the rest of his career, it would be necessary.

It had felt as if someone drove a nail through his shoulder, and his mana had scattered before he'd even registered the pain.

Bobby had been really embarrassed about it.

"Got it."

The moment the boy agreed, Vanessa's hand lit up, and her other hand shot up and a needle of ice flew off her fingers, right into his arm. The boy did not send mana to defend himself reactively, his eyes tracking her every move while his mana congregated to his chest under her palm.

Impressive.

It was impressive, if Bobby was being honest. He couldn't do that. He watched as his mentor looked over the boy, her eyes focused, her expression intense, and then she used one of her skills to stimulate his mana. Bobby's mana flared before he reigned it under control, but he'd already been expecting it.

Ben's mana did not move an inch.

Bobby leaned forward.

How was he managing that?

Lady Vanessa seemed to slow down, taking her time, and her eyes narrowed. "You really are an odd one, aren't you?"

"Can I take the pill now?" Ben asked, and he sounded... excited?

Lady Vanessa sighed. "Fine. You can try. But if I say it is enough, you stop, understand? I will not let you die on my watch."

"I'm fine with that."

"If anything goes wrong, I'm going to pull you out.  If that is to happen, you will likely not be able to walk for a while, and after you get back on your feet, you will start at first grade like a normal person."

Bobby blinked. He thought she would outright refuse, but she seemed to trust the boy. He supposed she knew what she was doing. She was a [Physician], after all. Still, he couldn't help but be a little concerned. "My lady, are you sure?"

"Gerald might have gone senile, but he isn't cruel. At least I don't think he is. He must have seen something in the boy, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

###

Ben POV

When he took the pill, Ben was surprised at how neutral it tasted. It went down easy, and it had no particular aftertaste. He expected some kind of burning sensation as the mana went haywire, but nothing of the sort happened.

Mana rose as his pulse did, and [Focus] kicked in before he even realized much like when Vanessa had stabbed him with that needle all so suddenly. Seriously, who would do such a thing?

Blood rushed in his ears, and he felt the pressure of mana rise all around him. His body felt raw, he had no other way of describing it. It felt as though his sensory receptors had gone into overdrive. He was way too sensitive. He could feel every fiber of the bed, the air brushing against his skin, and last but not the least, the mana moving inside him.

It was a lot more than he had before.

With the pill making him so receptive to it, he could see that more than ever now.

It was overwhelming.

[Focus] helped him keep it under control, but it was so much worse than he'd thought. To distract his mind, he used most of his other skills, like [Mana Shaping] and [Warforged] to help, and while they helped, it was nowhere near enough.

The pill was not a joke, it was serious business, and his body was struggling.

Why do I do this to myself?

He didn't know.

He wanted to grow strong, but was that it? What even pushed him to these extremes? Was it the fear of being left behind, or the desire to be the best? Was it the fear of being powerless, or the thrill of being powerful? Or was it something else entirely?

He was so out of it, he didn't even realize he'd reached a new level in [Focus], until his mind stopped its spiraling and he regained control of his mana. It took a while, but the pain had subsided, and he could breathe normally.

He opened his eyes, and found Vanessa and Bobby staring at him.

"You look like you've been through hell," Bobby said.

"I feel like it too."

"You held on," Lady Vanessa said, impressed. "I've never seen anyone do that on their first try. Most people end up crippled for a while. You were in pain, I know you were, but you held it together. I'm impressed."

"Thanks."

"Can you get up?"

Ben tried, and found his body was still a bit sore, but it was manageable. He stood up, and stretched, and for the first time in so long, actually felt the stretching do something to his muscles.

It was a weird feeling.

"I think I can."

"Good. Now, let me check you up, and then you can go."

She used her [Examine Body] skill again, and her expression grew thoughtful. "Hmm. I can see why Gerald wanted you to do this. The change is significant. You absorbed the mana better than I thought it would, and your body is already adapting. It's still a mess, though, and you will need to work on this for a while to see any more benefit. You should've gotten a few levels due to the effort of doing this for the first time, so congratulations, I guess."

Ben checked his notifications, and found that he'd gotten a few levels. And two of his skills hit the threshold to evolve.

[Focus Lvl 17 > Lvl 18]

[Mana Manipulation Lvl 18 > Lvl 20]

[Regeneration Lvl 19 > Lvl 20]

[Mana Shaping Lvl 4 > Lvl 6]

[Warforged Lvl 14 > Lvl 15]

Congratulations! [Mana Manipulation] has reached the pinnacle of its current rank.

Evolution Requirements met. You have four paths you can walk forward in. Do you wish to proceed?

Congratulations! [Regeneration] has reached the pinnacle of its current rank.

Evolution Requirements met. You have four paths you can walk forward in. Do you wish to proceed?

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