The beast was down but not dead, it quickly got back up and stepped away from me. It started to circle. I was still a little shaken from almost dying but I knew that I could run out of mana at any second. And if I did, all I would have was the small amount of mana left in the runes. Those would only buy me a few seconds at most.

I quickly checked my back pocket. I had stashed some batteries in my back pocket in case Scrap wasn't nearby to power my spells. Scrap was thankfully on my shoulder but it couldn't hurt to be prepared. I gripped my staff. I wasn't however prepared to fight a fast monster. I probably would do better against a bigger stronger foe than this leopard. My only combat spell was the flamethrower formation. And I was surrounded by highly flammable trees. 

The cat suddenly struck out. The air shield thankfully blocked the blow. I could tell that it only barely held, the rips in the shield having to be filled with extra air that my staff thankfully provided. I needed a plan and I needed it fast. I was panicking a bit when Scrap sent a calming feeling to me.

I took a deep breath. “Ok I have two options Shield or flamethrower,” I thought. One blocks or contains the other burns and destroys, what can I do? Then it struck me. I pointed my staff at the leopard as circled me. I waited until it stuck.

The moment its claws started to scrape along the side. I willed the wall to form onto the beast. The wall quickly wrapped the leopard tightly in its grasp. I knew that it wouldn't hold long. Already the wall was beginning to strain. My staff poured out more and more air that streamed over to the wall hardening and repairing what was damaged. 

I instructed the wall to create a funnel to the beast. I lowered my staff into the funnel, before activating/casting the rune formation for flamethrower. The fire poured down the funnel straight into the leopard. I heard it wail in agony but I didn't stop. I wouldn't be its meal.

I kept pouring my mana into the formation tell I started to get woozy. I dropped to my knees. Looking up at what was left of the leopard I was speechless. there was barely anything left but ashes and a weird-looking stone I couldn't quite make out what type. I was slowly drifting into unconsciousness my last action was to activate the cloak before being knocked out.

I woke up sometime later. The soft light of the morning streamed into my face. My mind slowly began to adjust to the sound of the forest. I must have slept the whole rest of the day and night. I felt a weight on my stomach. I looked and found scrap standing there in a defensive way. Now that I was looking around, I found that I was somewhere different. I sent Scrap a questioning feeling. He looked at me, and I could sense the joy radiating off of him. He scuddled over to my face before hugging my neck. “Ya I like you too buddy, But where are we?” I said. Scrap pointed behind me as I stood. He had climbed to my shoulder. 

Turning around I found the clearing I was in before. Scrap must have dragged me over to the woods and protected me all this time. Looking at the pile of ashes in the clearing I was able to make out a stone. I made my way over to the ashes and slowly touched the stone.

I picked it up and I recognized it. The monster we called echoes held these same stones inside them when they died. Not only that but I recognized this from the book. It was called useless to modern man. But in the book, it was called mana stone. 

Mana stones were stones capable of holding a great amount of mana, they were functionally a battery for mana.  According to the book, they were formed when an animal acquired the ability to use mana. The mana coalesced inside the creature creating a stone that mutated the creature giving it new features and powers. The leopard must have been one of these mana beastes. I hadn't made the connection before because I had never seen any. They were considered useless and left to rot when someone strong enough could kill a creature that had one. 

I stored the mana stone inside my storage rune. I would need to integrate it into my staff at a later time. Right now I needed to get back to the orphanage. If I had slept through the day and today was what I thought it was. Then I was going to be kicked out today. Left to make my own way.

I ran back towards the gate. On the way, I found only a few things of interest. I had been so focused on testing the new staff that I hadn't paid attention to any of the things surrounding me. But now that I was done testing I noticed the rusted cars and beaten old roads that had been overrun with plants. 

I even found a little storage van full of old steel plates and rods. I think the reason it hadn't been found was that it was off the main road and it was dangerous to scavenge here. I filled even more of my storage rune with the van's content before continuing my way towards the gate.

I came to the gate just as I had before, this time I was entering and not exiting. I thought nothing of the difference because I was confident in my cloak's ability to Hide me. I was crossing the border between the city and outside when an alarm began to blare. I bolted at full speed towards the orphanage.  “How had they caught me?” I didn't understand when I noticed that the guards were all huddled around a room just to the side of the gate. 

“False alarm, Whatever it was it's gone.” then I understood it must be heat sensitive they assumed that something like a bird flew through the gate. And that's what caused the alarm. The people who first built the wall must have built-in infrared cameras in fear of echoes that could do what I had just done. Fortunately, the floods were still a week or two away. Meaning the guards didn't even bother to check. 

I had made my way to the orphanage door where I de-cloaked “huh” and walked in. standing just on the other side was Miss C. “Well Alex it looks like your time to leave has come at last,” she said. “Grab your things and meet me back here,” I made me into the sleeping room. All the kids were looking at me. “Are you really leaving?” I looked over to see the same little boy who asked about food. “Ya buddy I am,” I said before going to my bed.

I grabbed the meager Items that I had above the hatch, which mostly consisted of clothes and tools. I made a show of putting them in my cloak. But actually, I was just absorbing them into the storage rune when they were out of sight.

I momentarily debated whether or not I should come back later for the stuff in the cellar. But I decided I would just get it. Without a second thought, I pushed the bed out of the way before hopping into the cellar. I absorbed everything before anyone could see, all except Bomb and the GGs which I put into my pouch before they were seen.

I climbed back up only to be greeted by the faces of shocked orphans. I grinned “You think I would show you guys all my stuff?” I made my way to the front door where I found Miss C standing there with some jerky. “This is all I can do for you, good luck,” she said while handing me the jerky.

I took it and walked out the door. Turning around I looked up to the place I had called home for 18 years. I was finally free. I turned and started munching on the jerky it didn't have much value anyways and I was hungry. I hadn't eaten since yesterday. I knew what I needed to do. I needed a base and there was an entire forest to make one in.

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