[Chapter 23: Increasing applications of magic]
After all this time, reinforcement finally decided to level. Makes sense because despite it’s applications being entirely physical it was ultimately a magic skill that uses the constant flow of my mana as I cycle it through myself to increase my physical strength. And since meditation involves so much control over mana I probably improved my ability to control that subconscious flow. Come to think of it, meditation is probably a good way to increase circulation and manipulation as well. Quite the handy skill this is indeed, I think I’ll play with it for a while longer.
Just sitting there in meditation is a surprisingly intoxicating experience. With all the mana moving around it is easy to get lost in the feeling. Nevertheless, I have other things to do, first of all I am going find out if I can increase my measly mp pool. Despite Int being my highest stat by a long shot I barely have more mp than hp. If that’s normal I doubt anyone would use magic, I don’t believe in linear warrior quadratic mage but there should be something to even it out. And if that’s the case then I will find that something.
Actually I already have a pretty good idea of something that will probably work. Imitating fantasy novels has worked before so I’ll see if there’s some truth to what I’ve read.
Still in meditation for the extra mp regen it grants me, I begin directing mp to well up in the more saturated area in my center. While that part already is the most mana dense, it is more akin to a saucer than a bowl, so while it is clearly the centerpiece of my mana flow, it is unusable for storage, but what if it held more mana. Changing it up I direct the overfilled center to condense into a point, forcing past the resistance. Based on my "totally real, definitely not just taken from fifty or so novels" calculations, this should either work as planned or create a black hole ending all life on the whatever this place is. But I can’t be the first person to try this and reality’s still kicking, so chances are looking good.
Siphoning every last bit of mana not necessary to keep meditation going into the dense blob that is fighting increasingly hard against my control still isn’t enough for it but I kept meditation up for a reason. What quickly turned into a game of attrition is starting to become rather painful as the mana fights back harder the more I try to condense it, proverbially fueling the flames by shoving as much mana as possible in it isn’t helping either. But as I manage to get it down to a tiny size unbecoming of the couple hundred mp points shoved into it, the thing finally settles down taking the place of where the center used to be.
I can feel it in me as it settles into my chest as my normal mana flow resumes, where the fuzzy pile of mana at my center used to be now lies the hard and distinctly spherical result of my efforts. Despite it’s relative density it doesn’t feel like a obtrusive lump, but instead a heart, no, a core.
[Obtained skill]
[Basic mana core| lv: 1]
[Mp is increased by 5%]
I knew there had to be some way to improve my mp though this only gives a couple of points right now. Just another thing to improve in meditation. Not now though, I really need to get other stuff done, I still haven’t read most of my books I stole and should get on that.
Picking up a book on alchemy and sitting down on chair over by a wall mounted torch, I begin reading taking in the magically superimposed english that allows me to actually read this thing. I need to go through this as quickly as possible because I get a headache from looking at these for too long. Mimicking the described technique for mashing herbs using a mortar and pestle with my free hand I feel another familiar sensation rear it’s head making me attempt to improve the technique using its patented methodical approach making me try an assortment of things, trying to reach an improvement.
I take a deep breath.
"You know what, I’m sick of this, making me think this way and that, I don’t need your help to think. I’ll figure out how to think good even without your help!" I screamed to nothing in particular.
I’m not sure what caused this outburst, was it building up over time without me noticing, or was it the one-two punch of both the superimposed words and the thought correction? But not wanting the vast nothingness I proclaimed at to think I’m a coward so I guess that I’m actually doing this, let’s take the reins back in my own hands.
To beat the thought correction I will need to be able to manually think the way it wants me. How ever will I manage this, the same way I always do, imitate it till I make it. I just need to incite it to correct my thoughts and imitate what it does to me. And no, this isn’t cheating since I can’t really learn it any other way, so there.
In order to incite the correction I read books just like what started this whole thing. Honestly it is super helpful in getting me away from constantly wanting to train magic, spite really is a powerful motivator. There is plenty of really useful information in all these pages and it’s nice to be mentally motivated enough to get down and read them. On another note the excessive reading and thinking gave me a skill.
[Obtained skill]
[Able mind| lv: 1]
[+1 int]
A drop in the bucket really, but it brings the stat up to 20 which is nice. Very little progress was made on the mental correction front sadly. But I am starting to understand the basis of it all so I know it’s possible. Then again this is literally changing the way I naturally think, it was always meant to be a long term plan.
