Chapter 110: Heartbeats

Chapter 110: Heartbeats

For one more time, I check our surroundings and the room next to the one I'm in, and then I close my eyes, focusing on the flow of my mana and my body as I sit down.

I cast a glance over the room again, taking in the sparse furniture and worn rug underfoot. It becomes quiet and I stop feeling the cold of the room as I delve deep into myself. Slowly, carefully, I reach out and start deeply inspecting the construct I made before. Now, after some time has passed, I realize even more how terrible and inefficient it is.

When I inspect the construct, I can't help but see its shortcomings glaring back at me. It's like I used a stone tool when a scalpel was needed, making it rough around the edges, the energy moving in jagged jerks rather than smooth waves.

The Reinforcement construct is sucking up around thirty percent of my mana and strengthening my body, amounting to what I would be able to do with 10% instead of 30%.

But hey, it's not like I had a perfect situation while creating it.

Drawing inwards, I anchor my senses to the mana coursing through my veins. It's a familiar sensation, a rippling wave of power beneath my skin. It's not just energy, it's a part of me - a soft, consistent hum, warm like a blanket.

I [Focus] and cautiously make changes to the web of pathways I had created. I examine my bones, into which I etched it, I observe how it flows and once again, with the help of [Mana Manipulation] and [Oscillation], I make changes.

I add a pathway here, and I change a turn there, slowly, carefully feeling my body and my mana while I do so, and the world outside becomes a distant memory.

It's like I'm sculpting a detailed statue out of a coarse block of stone, each chip revealing a new twist to the construct. The process isn't smooth. I stumble and make errors, but each mistake helps me to improve. The pathways start to reflect my adjustments, a bit smoother here, a bit narrower there.

Okay, this pathway should go away - I scratch it with [Oscillation], leaving deep wounds on my muscles and bones. It's painful, it's terribly painful and my mana flares up a few times as I remove the twisted pathway, but I endure it. My body will heal, the pain will disappear, so I [Focus].

I know that every drop of sweat, every gasp of pain, is just a milestone in a way to my goal. The process is painful but also somehow fun, it makes me feel good knowing that I'm improving something, that I am creating something that is mine and the result of all my testing, all my observations.

The result of my hard work.

After what feels like hours, I stop and with a satisfied feeling, check out my construct. The flow is better, the mana flows faster, and, to my current knowledge, it looks amazing.

I know I'll find some mistakes as I improve, but right now, this is the best I can do and I'm happy with that.

The construct's name didn't change, even the effect didn't change, only the efficiency improved. It's still using nearly a third of my mana but instead of feeling like I'm actually using 10% to strengthen my body, it feels like a bit over 20%.

A little, but significant result.

Now then, the second construct, right?

I take a short break, calming my breathing and excitedly beating heart. I calm my curiosity, I dim my impatience and for a minute, just focus on breathing slowly.

Breathe in.

Hold it.

Slow breath out.

Repeat.

I repeat the rhythmic cycle, allowing it to ground me, to anchor me to the present. The steady rhythm sets the pace for my thoughts, calming me. As I breathe, I visualize my goal, the second construct taking shape in my mind.

Finally, I enter an even deeper [Focus] and get to work, using all I learned from my testing, all I learned from watching Lissandra etch the pathways into her body and move her mana. I remembered all I could. I perceived all I could. Yet, I can't understand it all, not yet. But, I'll do what I can.

The amount of kinetic energy I can control reaches the maximum and I grab hold of it. Eh? What now? I didn't think that through.

Eighth heartbeat.

I groan, feeling the pressure of this energy coursing through my body. My heart, being closer to my left arm, sends more energy through it.

Ninth heartbeat.

This is the most kinetic energy I've ever held and I slowly move it to my left arm that is closer to my heart. Not again! I swear, if my left arm explodes again, I'll be pissed off. What the hell is it even? Is my left arm cursed?

Tenth heartbeat.

I use all the energy I can with my upgrade of [Redistribution] to strengthen my endurance and the remaining energy explodes into front of me, destroying the wall in front of me and shaking the house. The roar of the outside wind hits the house even harder and I feel it on my skin. At the same moment, I hear the screams of the people from the room next to the one I'm in.

Oh, I totally forgot about them. Quickly, I check my arm that seems to be fine, thanks to my quick converting of some of the energy into endurance with Symbiotic Transference.

Huhu, not today!

One heartbeat.

The energy starts filling up again. God damn it, okay, it seems like testing can wait. Let's turn off the construct first.

Second heartbeat.

Let's turn off the construct.

Third heartbeat.

I said let's turn off the construct.

Fourth heartbeat.

Fuck.

Fifth heartbeat.

Now I really start to panic. What did I mess up?

Sixth heartbeat.

I release all the kinetic energy through the hole in the wall and think.

"What the hell is happening?" someone from the trio screams from behind the door. I filter him out and it starts again.

First heartbeat.

Why on earth won't it shut down?