OM KEKAR Training Centers, 11^th May 2145

It was a spacious room with metallic plates all over the wall, on each corner there was an embedded mana stone, and in the middle of the room, there was a bipedal droid wrapped with a kind of advanced silicone material that worked as the training dummy.

Done observing his surroundings, Angus could feel the mana in the environment quite dense, resulting in his clear head and replenishing his tired body. He then takes out the black and white stick from his jacket, and to his shock, the stick grows a little and the aura seems more lustrous than before. “Last time I checked the MP of the stick is nearly zero, maybe lack of Mana makes it grow smaller.”

Taking out the Mana potions he previously bought, “Use it.”

The blue hue could be seen engulfing the stick, and after a while, Angus checked the stick information again.

…

The low-grade Mana potions are not too stable, they cannot even fill half of the MP. But I could use it for now.

Angus then tries to synchronize his Mana with the stick, it is unconventional and unsafe to carry a Chaos Object when you are weak, it will attract many eyes, so it is better to store them in a NEX-Card so they can enter their spatial space easily and summon them when needed. But as the price of those NEX-Cards was astronomical, as for Angus he just had one, that NEX-Card was given to him after graduating from the fellowship program.

After a while, a bead of sweat could be seen on Angus’s forehead.

…

Arrrgggghhhhh…

…

Why… why you won’t enter the spatial space!

Limp down, Angus sat on the cold metal floor. “What the hell is this Chaos Object, why it is so weird and hard to synchronize.”

Angus was hopeless, he had no clue regarding his Chaos Object, and when his right hand grabbed the stick.

Click!

The stick transformed into a bracelet on Angus’s wrist.

The hell! Shocked Angus. The sudden transformation took him by surprise, and he stared at the bracelet in disbelief.

“What just happened?” Angus muttered to himself, examining the newly formed accessory. The bracelet was made of mysterious metals, and adorned with an intricate pattern that seemed to glow faintly. It emanated a peculiar energy that Angus could not quite comprehend.

His mind raced with questions “Is this transforming Chaos Object? Not a weapon kind a Chaos Object?” Angus curiously touched the bracelet. But to his relief, it remains unchanged, firmly clasped around his wrist.

Angus decided to take a moment to collect himself. He closed his eyes, focusing his thoughts and Mana. Slowly, he reached Mana, Body, Mind, and Spirit were in a synchronized state. He then again taps into the peculiar energy that the bracelet emitted.

The warm feeling could be felt engulfing Angus, his consciousness was clearer than ever. He now could feel a little bit of connection with the spiritual space of the bracelet, he sensed a faint response from the bracelet. It was as if a door had opened, granting him access to a realm he had never encountered before.

Angus stood up from the cold metal floor and slowly opened his eyes, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. With a swing of his right arm, the bracelet transformed into a black and white stick on his hands, and a surge of energy coursed through his body. The 6 feet long quarterstaff manifested as the cerulean glow aura pulsated with power and the faint crackling sound hinted at the raw energy contained within.

Angus marveled at the sight before him. The quarterstaff felt light yet sturdy in his grip as if it were an extension of his own being. He could sense the dormant power within it, wanting to be unleashed.

Angus began to experiment with the staff. He twirled it through the air, feeling the weight shift effortlessly with each movement. The crackling sound intensified as he swung the staff, leaving traces of light in its wake.

He could feel the staff resonating with his Mana as if they were becoming one. It responded to his thoughts and intentions, its power amplifying its own.

“Good stuff!”

Excite, Angus wanted to hit the droid in the center of the room. He was curious about the damage that could be dealt to the dummy droid.

As Angus walked, he could feel his energy sapped away from him, his breathing was irregular.

He took a quick glance at his status and found out that his Mana was depleting at a quick pace, he was on quarter on his maximum Mana already.

As to his visions, the quarterstaff now began to shrink in length at a rapid pace also.

“Dammit!”

Grint his teeth, Angus shouts out loud.

“Dammit! Why are you also keep shrinking!”

Angus’s excitement quickly turned into frustration as he realized his Mana was depleting at an alarming rate, feeling a mix of confusion and annoyance. Angus tried to regain control over the situation. He closed his eyes, steadying his breathing, focusing his mind. He tried to regulate the Mana flow to reestablish again the connection between him, the staff, and the Mana around them. This technique was mandatory taught by the NHTF in their fellowship programs. Gradually, he felt the drain on his mana slow down.

Opening his eyes, Angus observed the now shorter quarterstaff in his hands. It was far from its original length; it had stabilized at a dagger-length size now. Its cerulean glow intensity had diminished, and there was no crackled energy sound.

Angus realized that his Chaos Object, in its current form, had its limitations. Perhaps it was not meant to sustain its full power indefinitely, especially when wielded by someone whose Mana reserves and control were not yet fully developed.

Maintaining the current dagger length was a bit hard for Angus. In less than five minutes, Angus Mana left 10% and the Chaos Object Mana left 5%.

“I need to train better next time” Angus commanded his staff to transform back into the bracelet form. Taking out the Mana potions from his bag, Angus gulped it down in one mouth.

The conditions for awakened beings or an object that could transformed are recorded, but that was a special case where it would not want to enter into a NEX-Card, even the space inside NEX-Card help nurture their growth some NEXRUPIKA choose to stay beside their partner.

Feeling his mana steadily replenished, Angus claps his cheeks and shouts “All right, round two!” While walking to the dummy droid.

***

As Angus finished his training session, he left the Mana training room. His haggard and disheveled hair look makes him pitiful to look at. As he made his way to the reception area. Susi, with a warm smile, greeted him as he approached the counter.

“Hi there! How was your training?” She asked cheerfully.

Angus smiled back and replied, “It was quite challenging, but I’m making progress.”

Susi leaned forward, curious to hear more. “That is great to hear! If you need any assistance or have any questions, feel free to ask.”

Angus nodded appreciatively. “Actually, I could use some guidance on accommodation. I am new to this area, and I am not familiar with the options available.”

Susi then opened her visual map of the area and pointed to various locations. “We have a few nearby inns and guesthouses that cater to trainees like yourself. They offered affordable and comfortable rooms and amenities suited for new Adventurers. Here are some options you can consider.” While sharing the pointer into Angus scanner terminal.

Angus received the shared map from Susi. “Thank you. I will check them out and see which one suits me best. Anyhow, do you have any recommendations for local food? I would love to experience the culinary delight of this area.”

A sparkle of excitement appeared in Susi’s eyes. “Oh, definitely! This region is known for its diverse cuisine. There is a cozy restaurant just a few blocks away that serves traditional dishes with a modern twist. It is a popular spot among locals and visitors alike. You should give it a try.”

Angus’s stomach rumbled at the mention of food, and he chuckled. “That sounds fantastic. I will make sure to visit the restaurant. Anything in particular that I should have not missed?”

Susi pondered for a moment before answering. “Well, their specialty dish is a dish called ‘Dragonfire Noodles.’ It is a spicy noodle dish with a unique blend of flavors. It is quite popular, but be warned, it can be quite fiery! If you are up for a challenge, it is definitely worth a try.”

Angus grinned at the thought of trying the Dragonfire Noodles. “Sounds like my kind of dish. I will make sure to prepare myself for the heat. Thank you for the recommendations.”

Susi smiled warmly. “You are welcome! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, do not hesitate to ask. Enjoy your stay and your meal!”

With a nod of gratitude, Angus bid farewell to Susi and headed out to explore the accommodations and satisfy his hunger with the tantalizing promise of Dragonfire Noodles, eager to immerse himself in the local experience.

***