“Have other humans advanced so far in their mana integration?” Noctarus asked, studying me again with that intense, nearly hungry look after seating himself again.

  Could he be hungry? Was the feel of a fresh new soul like the smell of grilled hamburgers to a necromancer? Nasty. I sincerely hoped not. The constant stress of sitting in the presence of such a powerful boss while pretending to chat calmly was starting to weigh on me.

  But I kept it up and shrugged. “I have no idea. Until two minutes ago, I hadn’t consciously sensed mana before.”

  “Right. I hope for the chance to test a few other humans once we have an agreement in place. These kind of studies are a rare opportunity for me. Usually I deal with the dead or dying. Healthy souls are such a treat.”

  “I bet. So now that you sensed my soul, what’s the next step in developing mana manipulation?”

  “Meditation.”

  “I meditate best after dessert.” I pulled a donut from my inventory and bit a huge chunk. The lie gave me a chance to do something with my hands, and eating donuts always helped me relax, and I needed that just then.

  Noctarus’s eyes widened in delight. “You have holiday confections?”

  “We call them donuts. One of my favorite varieties.”

  “I have not seen holiday confections since before our world integrated and the dark times came.”

  That was depressing. I pulled a simple honey-glazed donut from my inventory and offered it. Paul would have to compensate me with a dozen boxes after this extreme sacrifice for the good of intergalactic negotiations. He didn’t need to know I could also now make my own.

  Noctarus took it with a look of wonder that nearly made me laugh. Then again, if I hadn’t seen donuts in months or years while my planet was being systematically destroyed, I’d probably react the same way. He took a tentative bite, then moaned like a zombie in ecstasy. It was actually really disturbing.

  He took his time with the donut, savoring it like the last meal he’d ever see again. Thankfully he stopped moaning after the first couple bites. When he finished, he closed his eyes, breathing deep, as if to suck up the last vestiges of sugary sweetness from the air. It would have been a great chance to launch a sneak attack, but I resisted the urge. Fighting in his office was still a last resort option.

  “Thank you, Lucas! That was a princely treat.”

  “I like a man who appreciates a good donut. Back on Earth, we usually called them cops.”

  “They sound like sages of culinary wisdom.”

  “They were versatile. So, mana manipulation?” The donut had helped calm my nerves and I felt better prepared to deal with another lesson from the boss who could probably snuff out my life with a thought.

  “Right.” Noctarus took one last deep breath, then focused. “You can sense mana and your soul is deeply integrated with it, so you have a very solid foundation. The next step is to meditate, focusing on your pool of mana and your connection to the ambient mana all around. Once you sense that connection, envision that mana like a tangible thing, something you can touch and control.”

  That made sense. I’d already controlled a lot of things with my mind, from triggering spells, to that time I altered the shape of Soulrend. I quickly banished the thought of my lost sword, closed my eyes partway, and focused on my mana pool.

  It had grown to 122 tier-1 points, giving me a huge pool to draw upon that rarely ran out. That well of magical strength, centered in my heart, filled me with a kind of power I’d never felt before waking up mostly naked in that glade a week ago.

  As wondrous and literally magical as it was, I hadn’t really explored it, though. I just used it. Now I focused on it, allowing my mind to settle into it, feeling its depth and the coiled magical power infusing it. That power trickled out through my body, strengthening me. For the first time I sensed how my mana helped me draw upon my superhuman stats.

  Huh. I hadn’t considered how my Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Wisdom, and all of my second stats actually worked. Cyrus had said a lot of my Intelligence stat was used to fuel my mana somehow, as well as learn, manage, and cast my spells. Now, as I wondered how my physical body, which still looked mostly like I had back on Earth, could contain so much power, I realized it had to be in part thanks to my mana pool.

  “Congratulations, Lucas! For proving you’re not just an adrenaline junkie addicted to battle, you gain the new ability: Meditation, level 1. Plus 1 to Mana Sense.”

  “Meditation. Ability. Common. Through self reflection and insight you gain true self mastery. Plus 5% to Wisdom per level of this ability.”

  Wow. Two new abilities in a matter of minutes. Maybe I’d been missing out on some growth opportunities in my mad dash to fight more monsters. I was going to need to fight like crazy in this stage too, but I needed to make time for mental training also. That boost to Wisdom could become huge if I leveled up my Meditation. Was Wisdom somehow involved in mana and spells, or did the stat just benefit from my new abilities? I had no idea.

  I opened my eyes fully to see Noctarus sitting as still as death in his chair, watching me. I triggered Spellseer’s Gaze and the room again deepened with vibrant life. Thin wisps of black mana floated around Noctarus, but he wasn’t using any against me.

  “I find it easiest to reflect with my eyes closed,” he said.

  “I’m trying to figure it out still.” He had to know I didn’t trust him enough to fully close my eyes. I’d already given away too much when I gawked at the sight of mana for the first time. I couldn’t keep sharing so much.

  “Take your time.”

  He seemed willing to wait, and the night was still young, so I resisted the usual urge to head out and go hunting. This was important. I focused on the mana circling me.

  The air glowed softly with ambient mana, and as I focused on it with my new Mana Sense, I felt it flowing into me with every breath, pooling in my lungs, and seeping into my heart to feed my pool. Mana flowed like invisible clouds against my skin, available for me to absorb when needed.

  I activated Energy Ward. Now that Soul Feed could replenish uses, I no longer worried about losing the vital spell. My defensive aura barrier sprang to life around me, invisible to anyone else, and immensely comforting.

  Noctarus still started in surprise. “May I ask what you’re doing? I sense active magic.”

  His senses were really good. “Sorry. Nothing to worry about. I want to feel how my pools refresh, so I needed to spend a bit of mana. You’re just sensing a defensive spell. It won’t harm you.” Not unless he attacked. Activating Energy Ward also gave me the excuse to have a bit more protection around me.

  He looked like he wanted to ask more, but held his peace. Good. Just knowing I had a defensive spell was enough. I wouldn’t share the specifics.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Casting Energy Ward only consumed a tiny bit of mana. Usually I didn’t even notice the effect on my mana pool until monsters started attacking it. This time I was focused on my pool though, and I sensed the mana flow out of me to fuel the spell.

  To my Spellseer’s Gaze, Energy Ward glowed with vibrant golden light, far brighter than ever. Mana that had been bubbling over my skin or pooling near my heart poured into my pool, instantly refilling it.

  I’d never really focused on that process before. So interesting. Could I feel it more like a tangible thing? Noctarus had suggested I could manipulate it. Concentrating on the mana floating over my fingers, I imagined it like cotton candy, so soft it was hard to feel against the skin. I slowly closed my fingers around specs of mana, imagining its soft, thready texture.

  Nothing. I could see it, but felt nothing. So I tried again, slowly rolling my hands, closing and opening my fingers around mana, willing the bits of ambient power to respond.

  I lost track of time as I focused, the room slowly fading around me as I settled deeper and deeper into the process. I didn’t block out Noctarus, but he remained still as death, so did not distract me much. Without Spellseer’s Gaze to help me focus, I doubted I could have concentrated so hard. With it, I could see the mana. It was right there, so I would move it.

  Finally, I felt the first flicker of something as I made a beckoning gesture, willing the mana to respond like specs of dirt in a pool, responding to the flow of current I made with my hand. Three softly glowing grains of mana responded, flowing after my fingers. I barely suppressed a gasp as I tried to touch them, but again felt nothing.

  I must have made some kind of sound or move, though because Noctarus started from his own deep meditation and glanced sharply at me. “What? Did you fall asleep, or something? It’s not unusual when first beginning meditation.”

  I forced calm on my face, trying to project a sense of bored exhaustion. If I could trust him, I would have loved to share the incredible moment, but the more he knew about me, the more advantage that knowledge might give him in our eventual clash. “Just stretching a bit. I’m not used to sitting still so long.”

  Actually, that was totally true. I felt wrung out. Sitting still and meditating was slowly adding to my earlier tension. I needed to move, to go hunt something.

  Text flashed in my vision as Eva said, “Congratulations, Lucas! For leveraging fledgling new abilities and concentrating harder than anyone ever imagined you could, you’ve managed to control mana outside of a system-gifted spell or ability. You gain the new ability Mana Manipulation. Plus 2 to Meditation. Plus 1 to Mana Sense.”

  “Mana Manipulation. Ability. Uncommon. Mana is a tool you can now control independently. For each level of this ability, you gain 10% improvement in your ability to feel and control mana as pure force. Due to your Spellseer’s Gaze, you start this ability at level 3.”

  “Congratulations, Lucas! Another first. For being the first human from Earth to unlock Mana Manipulation, you gain the title Merlin.”

  “Merlin. Only a tiny percentage of all people in the multiverse have stepped beyond system-gifted spells and abilities. You have opened the gate to accessing realms of power not open to most.”

  “Plus 5 to Intelligence.”

  “Plus 5 to Wisdom.”

  “Plus 10 levels to all existing direct mana-focused abilities.”

  “Start all new direct mana-focused abilities at level 5.”

  Whoa! That was huge. The levels settled over my soul like an energizing bath, and suddenly my mind felt sharper, my thoughts crisper, and my mana pool felt so much clearer. Another announcement surprised me.

  “Congratulations, Lucas! Your Magical Resistance has topped 100. For reaching this important milestone with your first resistance, you receive a platinum Shackleton loot box.”

  Nice. I was eager to open it and see what I got, but not while Noctarus was watching. What did it mean to get that resistance to 100? It couldn’t mean 100%. It had been high before, but I’d still been hurt by magic plenty of times. How high did it have to go to make me immune to magical attacks? Was that even possible? All good questions for Cyrus.

  When I triggered Spellseer’s Gaze, the colors of the room around me seemed even deeper than before. The feel of the mana floating around my skin was even more pronounced. I also sensed it drifting nearby and instinctively understood the mana density of the area was sufficient to keep up with my regeneration capacity. I reached out with my fingers, willing the specs of mana glowing brightly in the air nearby to respond.

  They did, dropping onto my skin like drops of dew condensed out of thin air. I really wanted to see how much more I could do with them, but Noctarus was already frowning in my direction. Could he sense me moving mana already?

  “I think I feel something shifting a bit,” I breathed.

  Noctarus snorted. “How by all that’s unholy can you advance so quickly? I sense it too. You are definitely affecting the mana around yourself. It took me 2 years of diligent effort to advance that far.”

  That seemed like a long time. Was he just bad at mana when he started out, or was my experience that far from the norm? At least it seemed he couldn’t see what I was doing with the mana. Interesting. The advances to my new mana abilities from that new Merlin title were huge! And I sensed I was barely glimpsing the potential those new abilities offered. I didn’t have 2 years to study, so it was a good thing Cyrus had a crash course available.

  “You said your world was integrated very recently,” I said to the scowling necromancer.

  “Yes.”

  “Did you meet people who received special bonuses for doing something first?”

  He leaned back, his scowl fading to a thoughtful expression. “Ah. I should have guessed. You are all so new to this, no one has delved into the deeper truths yet. You are focused on survival and mastering the basics.”

  “Pretty much. Your training unlocked some doors for me, and the system gave me a bit of a push to help me get started.”

  “I always heard the forerunners who integrated first received enormous advantages. I see the legends were not exaggerations. You are barely a week old in the multiverse, yet your soul is powerful and you’ve progressed in an hour more than many do in months of training. Simply fascinating.”

  He was taking all this surprisingly well. Good thing I hadn’t revealed the full extend of my gains. He’d said most of his human passions had been erased by the path of the necromancer, but was that all of it? The more he thought about it, the more delighted he seemed. I was giving him far more than I understood in these chats. I’d take that risk. He’d given me an opportunity for incredible growth too.

  Noctarus held up a finger and added, “Be warned, though. I have also heard that the early advantages and benefits faded very quickly. Do not expect your growth to remain so accelerated.”

  That didn’t surprise me. Later levels always got harder. That seemed a universal truth. “Thanks for the warning.”

  “I am pleased our first training session has proven so successful for you. I hope you now see that my good faith is genuine.”

  “It’s been a lot more useful than I expected, honestly.”

  He smiled but did not admit that it was useful for him too. If only I knew his true purpose. He rose and faced me, assuming a more rigid, formal stance.

  “Please take my proposal back to your councils and consider it. I will send an envoy to your settlement tomorrow at noon to receive your answer. If your people are amenable, we will set up a committee to iron out the final details.”

  That was a no brainer. He was letting me go after sharing a ton of information. No matter what came of it, tonight was well worth the time.

  “I will share your offer with them, although I do not promise what our answer will be.”

  “Understood. I am glad you turned out to be a reasonable man, Lucas.” A warning tone crept into his voice. “I wish to work together, but know that I lack time to hesitate. If your council agrees to work with me, we can all benefit immensely. If we do not reach an agreement tomorrow, I will take the resources I need in whatever way I must.”

  I met his dead-eyed stare, my tension returning as I fought a renewed flash of anger. He’d played the gracious host and shared important training with me, but he was far from a benevolent teacher.

  “Like I said, I’ll share your offer. Don’t do anything rash, Noctarus, or I will stop you.”

  That made him smile that dead-eyed smile of his. He wasn’t worried about me in the slightest. What tricks did he have up his sleeve? I needed to find out, or I could end up as one of his zombies in a few days.

  He snatched up his tea cup. “Then here’s to a fruitful relationship.”

  I pulled another tankard of ale from my inventory and clinked with his delicate little cup, trying to keep my expression cordial. After we drained our glasses, Noctarus strode to his desk and pulled a tiny wooden box from a drawer. Opening it, he withdrew 3 small potion vials.

  Identify kicked in immediately. “Wolfsbane. Conceals all scent from werewolves. Reduces their ability to see or hear you by 50%.”

  “Please take this gift as another token of good faith, and an apology that I cannot simply teleport you back to your people. You have proven yourself resourceful. With the wolfsbane to assist, I expect you will be able to avoid the trap Alpha has no doubt already laid along your path.”

  Good reminder. I’d escaped my first clash with Alpha miraculously well, but he could easily be out there, hunting me, eager for round two.

  “Thanks.” I took the potions.

  “I hope to receive positive news from my envoy tomorrow. If not, the next time we meet, I will be forced to kill you. Until then, stay safe, Lucas.”

  Somehow the weird farewell didn’t sound as schizophrenic as it should have. “It’s been an eye-opening night.”

  Another female zombie opened the door and gestured me to follow. I moved one of the wolfsbane potions to a hotlist spot and triggered it. I felt . . . nothing. Hopefully it worked, or I might end up walking straight into a boss battle.