Chapter 39
This is a fictional story by realTensai
The sound of crackling branches and leaves drowned Alvis' staggered breathing as he ran through the mystic forest. The air was alive, filled with mana, infusing Alvis with strength with every breath he took. His body was carried by the morning wind and the forest invited him to an unknown land. Ancient trees reached skywards, their gnarled branches intertwining like antique storytellers sharing tales from ages past. They had probably even seen the great war over the Mana Forest. Okay, this might be a bit too old. Still, Alvis knew no matter how often he would respawn, he would never reach their age.
Following the sea, Alvis explored the Mana Forest. More than once did he see animals that could only have been mana beasts. At first, they made his heart skip, though he quickly found out they were harmless. With this concern out of the way, his mind became one with nature and every unnecessary thought vanished.
Notification: Daily Quest Run [10km/10km] completed!
- Push-ups [100/100]
- Sit-ups [100/100]
- Squats [100/100]
All daily quests have been completed!
Alvis lowered his pace and came to a halt. The pop-up notification was the signal he needed. With his mind now focused on his system, it opened up.
Get your reward.
Reward: Random loot box
Open? Yes/No
Alvis crossed his fingers and prayed for something good before clicking yes.
Please, no bandaids!
Reward: 3 Ability Points!
Let's go!
A smile formed on Alvis' face and he raised his fist in a victorious pose. However, he immediately glanced around, making sure no one saw his embarrassing celebration.
Safe is safe.
He didn't waste more time and opened up his system again.
Level 3: Trial Of Insanity
Mission: Survive
STATS
Name: Alvis Silva
Level: 10
Class: Mage
HP: 180
MP: 250
-----
Strength: 14
Agility: 14
Health: 13
Sense: 12
Intelligence: 18
----
Available Ability Points: 3
Skills
Skill slot: 4/7
[Passive]
Evasion Lvl. 1
[Active]
Advanced Mana Manipulation Lvl. 3
Assassin's Eye Lvl. 2
Mastermind Lvl. 8
Inventory
Bandaids
Daily Quests
- Push-ups [100/100]
- Sit-ups [100/100]
- Squats [100/100]
- Run [10km/10km]
Alvis grabbed his chin and stroked his nonexistent beard. He stared at his stats, his brain working hard. Of course, he could just distribute them randomly, but getting ability points was difficult. He would get them like every three times out of a random loot box. And because they were directly correlated to his battle power, Alvis wouldn't make a rash decision.
Last time, he gave his intelligence, health, and agility one ability point. By increasing his intelligence, his mana had also increased, which surprised Alvis at first, though it made sense after thinking about it. After all, it was his intelligence that mattered the most for his spell-casting.
Strength and sense had come away empty-handed, so Alvis gave them each an ability point. As soon as he did that, his vision widened, letting him see tiny insects that were dozens of meters away. Alvis held his ears as the loud sound of animals hiding in bushes entered his ears. New scents penetrated his nostrils, just adding to the sensory overload. Alvis stumbled with a frown on his face before his mind adapted to the new world he felt.
A-Amazing.
He looked at the tree next to him, and an idea struck him. With a smug smile, he clenched his fist and punched the timeworn tree. A loud bang made birds fly away and a leaves shower rained down on Alvis. The crack in the tree made him puff his chest out. He wouldn't have been able to do that before.
Good.
Sunrays made Alvis' skin tickle, though they told him he had to go back to the hotel. The other students would wake up soon and would have their breakfast. Alvis would get into trouble if he wouldn't be there.
I will just keep the last ability point for now.
With his daily quests finished, he now went back. Because he had run alongside the sea while making his way through this unknown forest, all he had to do to get to the hotel was follow the sea again. A simple method to not getting lost.
I should probably jog.
——
"Yoo, this food is crazy good!"
"It's just regular breakfast, Dane."
"I know, but they got special spices or some."
Dane was the manifestation of gluttony as he ate everything that fit on his plate. Alvis didn't hold back either. He had to make up the calories he had just burned, yet he was nothing compared to Dane.
"Everyone listen," Ms. Myth said at the end of the table. "I will distribute our activity plan for the class trip now."
The students kept eating while the sheets went around. As soon as Alvis got one, he stopped what he was doing and skimmed over it. The activities on all the other days didn't matter, but how their last day would look was crucial. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth and was soon followed by a cheeky grin after seeing they had free time on that day. He turned his head to where Lia was sitting, only to see that she was doing the same. They looked at each other, smiling.
This is perfect!
His heart pounded, filled with excitement. The last day would be his highlight.
He still looked at the other days, even if they seemed like filler compared to what awaited him on the last.
"Hehehehe~. You see that, Ness?"
"Haha, of course, Joel! Today is gonna be a great day."
They licked their lips while giggling like wannabe villains. The smile on Alvis' face vanished as he immediately understood what they were up to. He didn't even have to look at the plan again to realize it.
After the city tour, the class would go to the beach. The heaven for guys like Joel and Ness.
——
It was still early in the morning when the class left the hotel. Awaniko was big, so if they wanted to explore the city, this was the least they had to do. Using their bus, they made their way to the city. The young elf who had welcomed them at the hotel would be their guide. His name was Finriel.
"Mhm," Finriel cleared his throat, turning the attention to him. Smiling, he started his guide. "Welcome to the heavenly city of Awaniko, where magic and reality intertwine to create an extraordinary experience. Our city tour will immerse you in the beauty and enchantment that defines this unique place. Let's begin our journey!"
His professionalism made Alvis blink his eyes multiple times, especially because Finriel couldn't be more than a few years older than him. Though his aura and appearance made him seem like a veteran. Interested, Alvis leaned in closer, wanting to hear what this guy would tell him.
"Before we get to our first destination, I will give you a brief history lesson. I know, I know it's boring, but I will keep it short and try to make it at least a bit fun."
The class couldn't even start bleating as Finriel skillfully addressed their concerns. A pro move indeed.
"What do you already know about Awaniko?"
The students whispered to each other before gathering the courage to raise their hands. Alvis also knew some facts about Awaniko, though he would let his classmates answer.
"Yes, the dwarf with the blue shirt."
"Back then, Awaniko was the first city the dwarves took over in their conquest of the Mana Forest."
Alvis grimaced, not sure if this was the first thing Lin should have mentioned.
"Haha, that is right. It was also the first city the elves had won back. What more do you know?"
Now Lin was the one grimacing.
"Yes, the girl with the lynx's ears."
"Awaniko has the Tekka temple and the great Riagra Falls," Ulmi said.
"That is right. Your teacher has told me you will visit the Riagra Falls later on your trip, so we won't see them today. But we will go to the Tekka temple. We won't go in because you will also do that another day, but seeing it from the outside should be a great experience in itself."
Alvis still had their activity plan in mind, so he already knew that.
They kept talking about the stuff they already knew and before they realized it; they had reached their first destination.
"Here we are at our first stop. The Mana Spire Square."
The class got off the bus and stood before awe-inspiring towers. Their extravagant architecture made them look like enormous white crystals. Yet it was the high mana density condensed within them that made them special. It stirred up the mana inside Alvis, making him touch his solar plexus.
"These are the towering spires that mark the heart of Awaniko. These structures serve as conduits for the mana that flows through the city, infusing it with its mystical ambiance. Take a moment to feel the magic that envelops this place."
Alvis nodded, now understanding the cause of his reaction. They channeled the mana that emitted from the Mana Forest with those towers. No wonder his mana reacted. However, a question arose.
"Why do you even store the mana?" Alvis asked.
He had never seen something like that before, so his curiosity took over.
"Good question. The sheer amount of mana coming from the Mana Forest is too great of an energy source to be just ignored. With those towers, we can store the mana and use it as the energy supply for the entire city. It's a rather new invention, but its influence has already changed our city forever."
"Wow, this is amazing! These towers can absorb ambient mana and convert it to energy using the Mana Forest as a never-exhausting natural resource. This is like a glitch that can only work in Awaniko. Who is the genius mind behind that?"
"Oh, it's Sir Zweistein."
All the excitement Alvis had built up vanished in an instant, and he clicked his tongue. The image of a naughty girl laughing while holding her head up high made a shiver run down his spine.
Of course, it was you, Elise.
"Isn't Mr. Zweistein your mentor?" Sekki asked.
"Yes," Alvis answered. "Unfortunately."
Sekki only looked at him puzzled but didn't comment on it further.
They took a few pictures of the towers and then continued their tour.
They went to the next sights worth seeing and at each of them, Finriel gave them an explanation. Their tour flew by and after their last stop, they went to the beach.
"We are here!"
The sun glazed upon them as they entered the sand field. The vast ocean stretched across the horizon, making for a beautiful sight. Yet Alvis closed his eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the salty freshness carried by a gentle breeze.
"Woooaaahhhh!!!"
Leaping off with a sprint, Tristan and Dane battled over who would get into the water first. The loud splash caused by them simultaneously jumping in was the kick-off for the class' beach fun. The other guys followed and Alvis would have been the next one to jump in, yet a comment by two of his classmates made him stop.
"Ohhhh, there they are! — The girls finished changing!!"
"I can't wait to see Lia!"
Alvis' body froze as he heard Joel saying that. Only imagining how the two of them would arouse themselves by looking at Lia made his mana wreak havoc. He bit his tongue and, by clenching his fist, he tried his best to suppress the urge to punch them in their faces.
"There she is!"
…
"… Hey, hey, hey…. this isn't what I have signed up for!"
Alvis' lips curled up into a relieved smile, his mana and rage calming down as soon as he saw her. She had destroyed all of their illusions. Instead of wearing a bikini, Lia wore a cute burkini swimsuit.
Way to go!
He turned around, his mind now at peace. The sea invited him to swim and he wouldn't say no.
But once again, Alvis couldn't move. Cold sweat ran down his forehead as a familiar feeling overcame him. It was as if the world around him changed and the gravity increased only for him. Killing intent aimed at his heart caused it to stop for a second.
Yet everything was over in the next instance.
Coughing, Alvis tried to calm down. With choppy breaths, he got the oxygen he needed to not lose consciousness. He swung his head left to right, but he couldn't pinpoint their location. But even with the meager oxygen supply to his brain, he knew what had happened.
An assassin!
It was only the second day, yet they had already noticed him. He had thought he would be safe, but this just now was a warning. A warning for Alvis to never let his guard down.