Chapter 28: Gains

Someone began cheering, then another, and another. More people join but there were a few who remained in contemplative silence before being woken up and cheering along with the others.

All these people are cheering for me. They are supporting me. Why do I have to be scared of performing in front of them?

I move off to the side joining Mom who wore a proud smile.

With the music and dancing part of the Lojyo over, it wasn't long before people came up to show their crafts. Some have made a devotion to Myrou, others are showing their newest inventions, best wares, and projects made to show off their skill. I realized this is more than just a show and tell. It's a business opportunity to advertise. It's a place to get to know my neighbors, and it's a place to simply have fun and enjoy life with others. People have always accepted me not as just someone who lives in the same village but also as part of their close-knit community.

Everyone takes care of each other here and supports each other. When disaster struck everyone chipped in. It wasn't for profit, no one expected to be paid. No one complained and tried to get out of the work. The Lojyo is more than just a party, It's a time for bonding.

After the events of the gathering, everyone then started moving towards the Lojyo bathing area. The bath oils were passed and shared among everyone else. Everyone socialized and more than one came up to me because of my tails. I even got compliments. This is what it means to be in a community. Everyone supporting each other without discrimination.

Myrou warmly smiled upon me as we bathed. Her statue standing in the middle of the bathing area on a pillar with water pouring out of a jug she held and onto her shoulder.

The next morning I contemplate my future again. What profession fits me? What do I want to do? It was a question I pondered for days. Not to mention, I have several general skill slots I should probably fill.

The class issue was something for years later, for now, I should choose a craft. Jewelry or tailoring? Both? I'll just try them both. But before that, there is something I need to do. I went to the enchanter.

"Hello again, What brought you here? Looking for a gift for your unborn sisters?"

Actually, that's a good idea. I nod.

"What would you like then? Do you have something in mind?" The enchanter smiles.

"But I don't have money, and I don't think my parents have any spare money at the moment"

With the construction of the new house and the money being saved up for the twin's Kyhosa I don't think any could be saved up for lavish enchanted items. I only came here to get a breakthrough in my Sense Mana.

"Hmm, You did a good job on enchanting that lightning silk, I could give you a discount."

"I'll take it, but I still need money, I'll go ask my parents"

"Please do," The enchanter said with a nod.

I walk out and contemplate some things. Normally clothes are bad Kyholo gifts, not to mention I shouldn't outdo my parents in their Kyhosa. I could give them an enchanted dress that changes shape to always fit them, but there are several problems with that. Still, There's an idea I can't shake off.

I arrive home where mom and dad are talking over a bunch of new tools.

"Momara, Do you have anything in mind for the Kyhosa?" I ask them

"We are still months away, we have plenty of time to think," Dad said.

Mom rubbed her belly in thought.

"But you want to give them a Kyhosa equal to what you gave me right? You were talking about it last night"

Kyhosa's are almost always made by the parents, why? Because of tradition, but last year a Kyhosa was made by the mother and older sister. The father had died during the storm and to not have only one Kyhosa the sister made the second. The Kyhosa is given by the family or in cases where none are alive then the next of kin or adoptive parents.

"That is right," Mom admitted. I may be very young, too young for many but I had the skills.

"Aly, no. No using your cursed skill" Dad caught on.

"You could at least hear me out" I pout.

"Fine" Dad relented with a sigh. "But the answer is still no"

And so I gave my idea. Explaining exactly what I was planning.

There was a long silence after.

"No, You can't just endanger your future evolutions like this Aly!" Dad was the one who broke that silence.

"It's already ruined, This much probably won't be too bad as long as I don't get the skill to level one hundred I should be fine" I argued.

Level one-hundred seems to be a big milestone and thus very influential in evolutions That's my limit.

"Kanato's right, You shouldn't do this, You don't even need to make a Kyholo gift at your age. Even if you've chosen your craft now it'll take a long time before you can make something masterful." Mom says. Although there was doubt in her voice on the last point.

"But it does satisfy your [Perfectionists Eye] Doesn't it? It does for me" I can see both my parents wince at that. I could tell that they both have been struggling to come up with something.

"No means no, and that's final. No more talk of this, Aly" Dad says.

I really like the idea so I'll still try my best, there is no way they can pull off another nexus gem Kyhosa incident again. This will eat them up from the inside if I know my parents right. If I am going to do this then I'll need to be sneaky. I'll need to be able to Weave mana at a distance. I must honestly thank some of my evolutions for ideas.

"Fine," I said and left.

I go to my room and Meditate, Instead of focusing to expand my aura I try to move it. I try to move it so I am no longer in the center. I focus on moving the center to a meter in front of me. I shrink my aura to make it easier to focus on a much smaller aura just two meters out.

Ting! Sense Mana has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Sense Mana will now continue leveling past level 110!

I felt my perception sphere shift successfully.

I'm not done yet. This is going to be a breakthrough day.

Next few breakthroughs I already know what to do.

I grabbed some lightning element drifting by, moving it closer to me, and started weaving. I regretted choosing lightning element as I felt the shock inside of me. The element felt slippery like the element didn't want to be weaved. I focused harder, shrinking my view. It was a lot harder than I thought.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 100!

There's still more where that's coming. I'm not sure if I could do this one without my bond or race, Also my Kyhosa bonus should help tons with this one.

I push out a large and dense blob of beauty mana and started to work with it. Being so much concentrated essence it was a little bit easier than the lightning mana.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 110!

If these two were already this hard my next goal probably isn't possible at my current level so now I must practice.

I went to the island for extra safety so I don't get busted by my parents and start working on getting levels of both action and knowledge.

Turns out, Mana Weaving works by squeezing mana in long lines until they stick. Perhaps it's some form of pseudo-chemical reaction? Sort of like making a molecule chain, but for mana instead? Through several hours of experimentation, I managed to weave not just silk, but cloth too. However, that was very mana intensive and I had to tap into my Kyhosa reserves, thankfully my manipulation transformed my mana so I could get enough elemental mana the more I worked with it. Still, I got action levels for them. Repetitive use, normal use, a lot at once, and for a long time before I ran out of mana. Four action levels and up to four knowledge levels on both.

To review knowledge levels. Mana Likes to bunch up. You can condense it to a "water" state. At this stage, once it is intensified enough it can manifest more physically. This is how spells are made, also why the more airy essences take more mana to manifest as a spell; you have to condense it more or intensify it more. Condensing it further into the "solid" state causes the mana to appear physically without the need to intensify it, although you can if you want to. By condensing the mana in long strands instead of one big block you can make mana silk. If you condense it even further, well, I'm not sure what happens but I think it can form non-mana elements like metals or gasses.

My [Mana Manipulation] is now at eighty-three, I gained twenty-six levels and I am sitting at three square meters of beauty cloth and cloth of various elemental mana. Not to mention the spindles of silk wrapped around a branch.

One last breakthrough to accomplish. I focus on my mana. My mana reserves, the mana that held my mana signature. This was the key breakthrough I needed. I stretched my palm out and began pushing my mana out as dense as I could make it before further condensing it and weaving my mana into strands of silk. It felt weird, Like trying to form a sandcastle with sloppy wet mud. Instead of neat long strands of mana silk, all I got was little fibers, more akin to lint. I was going to need a lot denser unique mana to do this.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 120!

I did it!... or not? I checked my breakthrough but I only got unique mana manipulation, not weaving, perhaps that was why it was extra hard? I try again, luckily the mana is transformed and since it's my own I don't actually lose any. In the end, while I no longer made lint I made tiny broken fibers.

This breakthrough was way above what I should be doing. Luckily, there is something that produces oceans of mana, and I am a little acquainted with it.

As I was about to head home I realized I forgot something. My [Sense Mana] sphere was not my [Mana Manipulation] one. They both have their own spheres of influence. And if I am going to need to [Manipulate Mana] at a distance I'll need to get another breakthrough.

I sit back down and refocus, shrinking both my spheres down and focusing on moving my manipulation sphere. Beads of sweat soon formed and I was breathing hard. This one too seemed to be just over my abilities. It was even hard for my [Sense Mana] and that skill is higher level, but I'd done it before, I know how to do it! With a final mental heave, I shifted my manipulation sphere.

Ting! Mana Manipulation has met the requirements for a breakthrough. Mana Manipulation will now continue leveling past level 130!

Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 111!Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 112!Ting! Sense Mana has obtained level 113!

Sense Mana: You have opened your mind to one of the energies that fuels this world. You can now sense mana in its raw form.…11th Breakthrough: You've learned to move your area of mana sensing, Allowing you to scout ahead, and eventually view remotely.

Sense Mana: 10/10…11th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)

Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 61!…Ting! Manipulate Mana has obtained level 90!

Manipulate Mana: You have managed to reach out to the ambient mana and manipulate them. This will help you master the ways of manipulating mana outside of you.1st Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate elements. This will help you master doing so2nd Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate essence. This will help you master doing so3rd Breakthrough: You have learned to expand your area of control. This will help you master doing so4th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate small amounts of mana. This will help you master doing so5th Breakthrough: You have learned how to manipulate large amounts of mana. This will help you master doing so6th Breakthrough: You have transformed an element into an essence. This will help you master doing so7th Breakthrough: You've learned to weave mana. This will help you spin fabric of pure mana.8th Breakthrough: You've learned how to cast spells, this will help you cast ever more powerful spells in the future.9th Breakthrough: You've learned to Enchant items. This will help you create and attach magical effects onto things.10th Breakthrough: You've learned to weave elemental mana. This will help you spin fabric of pure elemental mana.11th Breakthrough: You've learned to weave essence mana. This will help you spin fabric of pure essence.12th Breakthrough: You have managed to move your area of control. Allowing you to manipulate mana from a distance.13th You have learned how to manipulate unique mana. This will help you master doing so

Manipulate Mana: 10/101st Breakthrough: 10/102nd Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)3rd Breakthrough: 6/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 4/5)4th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)5th Breakthrough: 10/106th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)7th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)8th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)9th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)10th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)11th Breakthrough: 8/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 4/5)12th Breakthrough: 3/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 2/5)13th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 1/5 Knowledge 3/5)

I don't think I've ever had gains like this before. Still, It will be close. I may have [Mana Manipulation] at level ninety-six or higher by the end of this.

I went home, arriving a little late for after-work baths. Mom was waiting for me, I gave a small lie about where I was and what I was doing, practicing my music.