This core will forever be fascinating, Lev thought to himself, lovingly gazing at the Equalizer. Even after weeks of relentless pulsing, it continued to teach him more and more. The armor covering his body now was so much stronger than before; it always made him smile.
Of course, the strength was very divided. Resistance to outside influences aside, its durability had also seen a significant increase. The main benefit, however, was the mana conductivity.
It hadn’t improved by that much, overall. No, it was the armor’s composition that could simply take more abuse now. And Lev planned to use that. No part of the armor was going to be left untapped.
That would come later. For a while now, he’d been mentally preparing to finally finish the puzzle left behind by The Dreamer, Jimmy. And what a puzzle it was.
Inside Stargazer’s haft were seven runes. Arrayed in a line and thoroughly unassuming, it had taken a long time for Lev to even find one of them. By sheer luck, he had also managed to locate the last rune first.
After a month of testing, slowed down primarily by how much mana it used, he finally knew the solution. It was both simple and mind-bogglingly complex. Without his new Mana Regulation skill, he had no hopes of completing it anytime soon.
Letting his armor soak up damage in the background, he pondered his approach amidst periodic waves. If he didn’t pry open Stargazer’s secret today, it would likely take a long while for him to have a full pool and enough time on hand to try again. The future was shaping up to be a chaotic mess.
Here goes nothing.
With a deep inhale, he closed his eyes and sent a tendril of mana inside Stargazer’s pole. Her mana conductivity was so ridiculous that the tendril moved at the speed of thought. Lev was never going to get tired of that.
Finding the first rune was easy. Near the base of the pole, it just sat there and easily accepted the mana. A tiny buffer was filled, and then came the harder part of the puzzle. Lev had to constantly keep the rune filled to a certain level. Both Stargazer and the subsequent puzzle would try to disrupt that, something he had to prevent.
For the initial step, maintaining a constant level was easy. The second rune required more mana to fill its buffer, and with Mana Regulation, it was also easily maintained. The third and fourth required more effort. Lev had to finally exert himself to not mess up the flow.
The fifth rune began by taking a small yet noticeable chunk of his mana. Brows furrowed, he gently guided the mana into the rune to top it off. Then he assigned a portion of his willpower to the second half, the task to keep the rune’s buffer filled and constant.
While the sixth rune was vastly more challenging, Lev’s mind was already planning for the final one. Where the sixth used a decent chunk of his mana, the seventh required a staggering fourth of his pool to even fill up. The ensuing stream required was also similarly huge.
When all but the last were done, he opened his eyes. It was risky, though he was reasonably certain that nothing would go wrong. Pushing his Mana Perception, he looked inside Stargazer, noting just how much mana he was manipulating. It was comparable to several of his full pools back when he was a level 250 Adept.
Yeah, my class is the epitome of balance, he snickered to himself. He loved having so much power, all for him to use freely.
Steeling himself, he sent a burst of mana inside Stargazer. It was carefully guided, rebounding off the walls opposite the line of runes. None of the previous flow was disrupted beyond a few close calls. The buffers remained tranquil, so Lev focused on the final rune.
Mana Regulation pulled its weight there. His mind processed the final rune’s behavior within instants. Willpower constantly flexed to not mess up the flow going into the last piece of the puzzle.
For seconds, he made minor adjustments. The rune’s capacity was filled a little more, pushing the confines of what was acceptable for the puzzle. That afforded the constant flow a bit more leeway. After a whole ten seconds of dumping mana into the rune, which was another tenth of his pool, the whole thing finally clicked. There was a pop, and a new rune was transmitted directly into Lev’s mind.
At first, he was confused. So much effort for a single rune? Then he actually scanned the reward, his face going blank as the functions of the runes registered.
Connection
That was all. Simple, elegant, and to the point. No secondary functions, no complex formation requirement, no detailed calculations. The rune straight up afforded him a wireless connection.
… What?
That didn’t make sense. A rune that could chain formations to anywhere within his manipulation range was far too strong. What could he not do with it? Traps that could be divided across hundreds of meters, basic automation, installing several functions in one construct, and so much more. The possibilities were literally endless.
Hell, it completely derailed the plans he had for his armor. Initially, Lev wanted to enchant it with a heavier focus on spellcasting. A more potent flow of lightning and fire would improve his two signature moves quite a bit.
Now, with Connection, his high Perception, and class levels, he could create something akin to automatic adaptation. With the Connection rune triggering based on what was absorbed by Porous Constitution, the armor could feasibly have several specific defensive formations.
Not that he had the runes to deal with each element individually. For lightning, he could increase heat tolerance and durability. For fire, he could go all-in on heat resistance. For blunt elements, he could overload parts of the defenses that focused on durability. It wasn’t going to be anything ridiculous; only a good starting point.
Enchanting blueprints now derailed, he focused on the second test for today instead. Getting a bit further away from the core, Lev debated about how to begin. Since there was no actual method to it, he just shrugged his shoulders and dove into his memories.
Monsters could famously imbue madness into their aura, causing fear, confusion, and other adverse effects. Humans, too, could intimidate others by infusing emotions into their auras.
What became an actual issue was when the aura clashed with his skills. A level difference too high, such as when he had faced the Stormfury, could easily suppress skills. Another example was the Goliath’s disruption, as it even corroded the willpower in his barriers.
To that end, he wanted to test how his newly empowered armor fared against such tactics. Recreating the Stormfury’s or Goliath’s aura was impossible. The next best thing was his own, and Monarch knew he had enough bottled memories to infuse into his aura.
Releasing his full presence would’ve been a concerning prospect if not for the two extremely strong people outside. Firming his resolve, he searched inwards, peering into the edges of his mind where all the traumas were stored.
Dangerous… Lev thought with a gulp. It was so easy to get lost in the extreme emotions. He was already regretting even starting to explore that side of himself.
The first memory that jumped out to him was the battle with the Windstrider Warg. The sheer hopelessness, the dying struggle, the unfairness of it all.
Lev allowed those feelings to wash over him. Gradually, he released his aura from its constantly concealed state. It was so easy. Mana joined in, and so did willpower. Combined with his aura, the surrounding hundreds of meters were suffocated by his presence.
Then, as easily as breathing, he also let the anger he was feeling seep into the combination.
****
“How many have you brought?” Drakys asked Aurora, both of them giving Lev space as he worked on his armor.
“Seven Epic mana crystals, one Epic core with enhanced properties of durability. Not enough for more than one powered armor.”
“Aiming for Superior?” the Exalted questioned.
“This time, for sure. It will likely require all of the crystals, which blows. How much will The Dreamer charge, you think?”
Drakys didn’t have to think for long. “If it’s the same design, he likely won’t ask for compensation. Just bring him enough materials to craft the best possible version of the armor.”
Aurora sighed to herself, exasperated. “You crafters just refuse to make sense.”
“We don’t have whole houses to run,” Drakys quipped. “Besides, the progress is worth way more than any material possessions. A well-made product is especially priceless for someone like him.”
“Oh yes, mighty Exalted,” Aurora mockingly bowed. “Too far above us, mere nobles, to be involved in our affairs.”
Drakys didn’t reply and merely gave her a side-eye. Sarcasm aside, she wasn’t exactly wrong.
Inside the Goliath’s corpse, Lev was starting to use a lot of mana. He probably hadn’t intended to show it to the noblewoman, though she got to witness his massive pool regardless. Aurora’s brows kept rising as Lev truly tapped into his mana reserves, though before he could use all of it, the flow cut off.
“Never seen Jimmy test someone so thoroughly by using only two metrics,” Drakys mused out loud, much to the confusion of Aurora.
When Lev didn’t do anything for another few seconds, Aurora spoke again. “How’s Jimmy related to Lev?”
Drakys opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. He could feel it very clearly. Lev was once again about to do something ridiculous.
Aurora tilted her head at his silence, then abruptly turned towards the corpse. No longer did Lev’s willpower mute his aura. It surged out in a wave, unbridled and empowered by mana. Her face went rigid at the sheer depth of his presence, one that accurately showed her the vastness of his mana pool.
Then Lev’s aura morphed even further. Drakys and Aurora appeared behind him in a flash, concerned and ready to act. Except, Lev was… fine. He inhaled ragged, wheezing breaths. Like an unhinged maniac, his aura pulsed with rage. It felt akin to the rattling of chains, the bound human begging for release.
But he did not let the anger consume him. Instead, he turned towards the newcomers. Calm, cold eyes regarded them, at odds with the rest of the expression on his face. Lev’s facial muscles were tight, several veins pulsing on his forehead. Rage rolled off him in waves, but his gaze remained steady, showing that he was still in control.
“I’m just testing,” he almost snapped at them. “Give me a few moments.”
Drakys, for once, was at a loss for words. Aurora fared worse, eyes wide and spine tingling at the threat in front of her. It took conscious effort for her not to attack Lev on sight.
Either could tell that Lev was too overtaken by fascination to talk further. The barrier mage raised an arm in front of him. He opened and closed a fist several times. Then, like it was no big deal, he sent his affected willpower into the barrier armor’s limb.
The effect was immediate, and also not something he should be using. Auras were the gateway to one’s soul. To willingly subject yourself to intense emotions was like dunking it in acid. There would be no pain, only an epic backlash.
Still, Aurora could admire the effort. To be able to manipulate one’s aura with such finesse belied just how much Lev had practiced with it. Not everyone could reach that level of proficiency.
She could only watch with morbid fascination as the barrier mage punched empty air. His fist rocked forward, producing a loud shockwave. Pleasant surprise cut through his aura for a split second before he turned it up a notch.
Willpower augmented his entire armor. Lev jumped over the two spectators, landing on the grass a few dozen meters away from the corpse. A pale blue shield formed in front of it. It was enchanted aggressively, even the runes showing signs of tampering from his affected state.
Then he kicked it hard enough to disintegrate the whole thing. All of that with raw physical strength.
****
Lev couldn’t really tell what he was doing. When he had allowed himself to be affected to his core, it wasn’t exactly a smart decision. So, in that state, when he noticed the additional effects produced by his willpower, the technical side of him had taken over.
Shield after shield formed in front of him. Kicks and punches rained on them, none of the constructs surviving for more than a second. So high was his current physical strength, Lev was certain he could beat down a third-threshold monster with just his fists.
It was intoxicating. His mental manipulation produced far more strength than it usually did. He wanted even more of it.
Searching his being, he left the Chaos encounters all alone. Those would be dealt with later. Ignoring the hound and the rift he had explored with friends, he went further into the past. There, he eventually reached the fated day when life had given him a cruel reminder. The time he had dove down from a window of the Central Spire, holding a dying Beatrice in his arms.
Some part of him was aware of how he quickly burned through willpower. The same part tried to stop him, to pull him back from the brink. But Lev was no longer in control of himself. He wanted an outlet, and his skills obeyed.
In front of him, a wall took form. A massive durability rune was carved on it. He smiled. There was finally a good way to deal with all these pent-up emotions.
****
Even Aurora could easily tell when the boy was about to hurt himself. His aura, which was already pulsing with anger and grief, turned into something sinister. It wasn’t hard to guess his thoughts, for the way he gazed at the barrier wall with a manic smile told her enough.
Right as she was about to move in to knock Lev out of it, Drakys put a hand on her shoulder.
“What are you doing!?” she cried out, looking between the Exalted and the barrier mage. “He’s about to fracture his soul, don’t be absurd. This is not the time.”
“Watch, and let him learn.”
She couldn’t retort. The sheer audacity of simply letting a Master mangle his soul like so rendered her speechless. Even worse, she couldn’t disobey the Runic Warlord himself. That would have consequences.
In horror, she watched as the boy started leaking mana out of every pore. Yet, contrary to her expectations, not a single drop was wasted. All of it was channeled through the converters on his glaive, transformed into fire and lightning.
Lev didn’t grab his weapon, though. A crazed giggle left him as he walked towards the wall with slow steps, and then exploded into motion. His fist crashed into it hard enough to overpower the river of mana coursing through the durability rune. The wall bent and returned to its initial state before the next attack landed.
Again and again, Lev hammered the construct, each strike stronger than the last. More and more mana was infused into his moves, turning the land around the wall into a charred crater. Flames and crackling shockwaves decimated everything around him.
Drakys held the construct up for the barrier mage, allowing him to continue without pause even as the ground beneath him was destroyed. Lev didn’t notice any of that, his aura morphing even further as he retreated into himself. By now, even Aurora could read him like a book.
A desperate dive, the insurmountable threat behind him, the dying embers in his arms. Every twitch of his body screamed his defiance, loudly proclaiming that he wasn’t weak anymore. It was as much a challenge as it was meant to reassure himself, the cry of a man forced to thrive in a cruel world.
The stress on his armor eventually became too much, however. With one last punch, the protection covering his limb exploded. The fleshy arm underneath took the brunt of the rebound, audibly popping and twisting in ten different places.
Drakys teleported in front of the boy then. Aurora remained rooted on the spot. She just watched as Lev returned to his senses and wiped the blood dripping from his nose. A few words were exchanged between Lev and Drakys, the latter confirming his safety and healing the arm.
Then the barrier mage just… walked off the backlash. Only mild discomfort showed on his face as he flew back into Goliath’s body, off to rebuild his damaged armor.
Just… what did I just witness? Aurora asked herself, staring at Drakys for answers. The Exalted kept up his confident face on until Lev was out of sight. The moment he was gone, she and Drakys shared a look, both of them equally lost.
No one, and she meant absolutely no one, could do that so freely with their aura. Whenever Masters allowed rage to overcome them, they attacked teammates and friends alike. If grief overwhelmed them, they sometimes attempted to take their own lives, often succeeding. Lev, however, had made both of those emotions kneel to his will. Not even Hakim, the strongest human that defied imagination, could replicate what Lev had just done.