
I open my eyes, mildly confused, only to realize I am back in my room.
Dang it.
Even after two months, my room is as clean as it gets. The marble floor polished, furnitures dusted, sheets new. I look at my massive bookshelf, carefully examining it, making sure everything is in place. Not only is it clean, but the books I have ordered months ago are there, placed using my method. It must have been Katherine.
I grab the mana crystal and put it in my pocket, moving mana inside. In the process, I try to improve my efficiency, wasting as little as possible.
Once my reserves deplete, I draw mana from the crystal, letting it flood my body. I repeat the process several times. It's amazing how the crystal is still brimming with energy, despite the loss.
Before, I'd have been excited at the prospect of a way to increase my mana faster. Now... it's already worthless.
I take a device that is meant to measure mana.
The screen displays: [100].
This world operates under a single, unbreakable law. Mana is innate, the initial capacity dictates the potential one has, as well as the limit. Once you double your mana pool, you reach a limit that cannot be passed.
At birth, my mana pool was exactly 50.
I've reached my limit.
But this is only the beginning.
Congratulations! You have acquired your first Mana Skill: [Ignition]!
Congratulations! You have acquired your second Mana Skill: [Manipulation]!
Congratulations! You have acquired your third Mana Skill: [Surge]!
See? I just acquired three skills, which I will train, improve and WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!
Being so focused, I only now see the three translucent display screens floating in front of my face, carrying these brief messages.
Seriously, I don't understand anything about this.
“I'm hallucinating. Hallucinating,” I decide, dismissing the screens with my hands as they disappear.
I hear a knock on the door. Recognizing the pattern, I unlock the door.
The person standing at the doorstep is a woman in her late twenties. She is slim with sharp features, and her every move is deliberate and accurate. Her long and thin fingers can create beautiful melodies on various instruments.
My nanny, Katherine. She stands there wordlessly, trying not to show emotion, yet they so obviously reflect in her green eyes.
“Katherine, so exaggerated. It's only been two months,” I say.
“You have thinned, Milord. I prepared a suitable meal if you'd like.”
“I would like that, yes. How long was I sleeping?” We begin walking down the corridor, Katherine two steps behind me.
“About 24 hours, Milord.”
So long, huh?
Sage probably wanted me to use the crystal to make it easier for me, which I stubbornly refused to do.
I have no time to spare so I will do it again, maybe sneak 3 hours a day, and finally deal with my most pestering problem.
Still, I can't neglect training as well since I have plenty to improve. I even got an idea on how to up my mana quality.
“Do I really have time to eat?” I mutter, half joking.
Katherine, with her perfect pitch, seems horrified. “Please don't, Milord. You need nutrients.”
“Just kidding.”
Although it was a joke, Katherine remains by my side and stares intently as I eat, making sure I do not leave a bite.
After that, I go to my office. Originally, it was just my study room, but with all the documents of projects and such stuff, it's barely used for actual studying.
For two hours, I just deal with the work that piled over the time I was away. Even if I have Katherine deal with things, as the one in charge, there is a limit even for a capable proxy. My body moves like a machine, dealing with all the mindless work with extreme efficiency.
The general picture of the situation is that everything goes well and with my approval of increased budget, several businesses could be expanded. It is great seeing my wealth increasing just telling them what to do.
“Hm? What's this?” I frown as I hold an unofficial letter without even a seal. This thing shouldn't have gotten here.
“Milord, that letter was not there just this morning,” Katherine adds.
My office is strictly prohibited from entering. No one can enter without my permission, not even my parents. I had it highly secured with advanced technology and even installed an alarm that reacts to any unauthorized mana signature.
But none of my defenses were activated.
I open the letter. Its content is as such:
[Status] [Achievements] [Shop] [Quests]
Just these words.
“Drop everything you do and find out who sent this. Hire someone to look at this, see if it's a coded message or something.”
I grasp full control over my body through my superhuman technique, letting no emotion seep into my face. My mind races ahead with an absurd thought.
Should I check, just to be sure?
No. There is no way.
“Speaking of letters,” I say, stretching my arms in an attempt to appear casual. “is there anything else for me?”
“The news of your return has spread far, as such, you have been invited to several parties, Milord. Furthermore, Saintess Vania has sent a letter, even going as far as to deliver it in person.” She pauses, observing my reaction.
“I will probably go, regardless of what date or location she set.” I urge her to continue, “Anything else?”
“I'm afraid not.”
She probably knows whose letter I want, but Katherine is smart enough to keep her mouth shut. It's annoying that she can read me, but also more convenient. Still, I won't outright admit it as I have my dignity to preserve.
Moving on, it is that time right now. I have to get moving, getting the first strike in.
That's the last thing I want to do, and I feel like escaping every second now. My muscles itch as they obey the orders I inputted, my heart beating wildly. I sweat a bit. Yet I keep walking, my body a constant proof of rationality overcoming the irrational. A hateful, mechanical body that does as it's told, but never more.
No wonder they were scared of me so much. I am their cold brother that doesn't even smile at them often because I am lazy.
Even when I do, it feels so fake. So insignificant and worthless.
I lurk near the entrance, right at the end of the corridor next to the stairs at the second floor, somewhere I am not seen.
Someone enters, the servants greet them as if on schedule. I hear their reply, “I'm home.”
It's the voice of Juliana, my little sister. She is already 12 this year, so I wonder if I should start scolding her for being too informal with the servants.
“How was your day, Young Miss?” Butler Langley asks.
“Fine. How is my brother?”
I did not expect her to ask that. It'd have been reasonable even if she didn't know I was back. I tense, leaning closer to hear.
Unfortunately, Butler Langely answers honestly, and I don't like how it sounds, “Young Master Percival woke up a few hours ago, ate a meal and stayed in his office ever since. Shall I send someone to call him?”
Seriously, why? I know it's true, but it makes me sound like some machine that only cares about work. Honestly, I prefer to be painted as training fanatic then a workaholic... which I'm neither.
And Julian's reply only makes it worse. “No... never mind.”
The steps become louder as they go up the stairs. Soon, I will be in range. I will go out and say hi.
I will...
“I am pathetic.”
My body moves away, hiding in a close room as Juliana passes by without noticing me, her little feet tracing the floor.
It wasn't an impulse that moved me, and never is. My fear won over me again, and I chose the easy path of escaping again. I see what Sage was getting at.
How pathetic is that? To do it so fucking consciously, to deliberately make every move, every twitch, to know that you surrendered to the fear so thoroughly, leaving no excuses? I hate it.
I walk back to my office, sneaking as to avoid any of the servants, like a thief in my own home.
“Here's some tea, Milord.” Katherine serves me tea, which I discover to taste like one of Sage's herbal teas. It's probably a very healthy tea, then.
“Katherine, go work on the letter.” Leave me alone.
As she closes the door behind her, I look at the words in the letter I scribbled on a piece of paper.
No way, right?
“Status,” I try.
Another translucent display screen appear, and now I can't deny it's real.
[Percival Reinhardt]
Title: Pioneer - Motion Matrix
Age: 18
Gold: 30
[Attributes] (Stat Points: 3)
Terra: 6071
Body: 89
Mana: 100
Phantom: 2
[Mana Skills]
- Ignition (Basic)
- Manipulation (Basic)
- Surge (Basic)
[Superhuman Techniques]
- Motion Matrix (Mundane)
I'll be damned.
That's not normal.