Chapter 8 Keeping the Promise (2)
***
After clearing my mind out.
I went outside the apartment.
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Though before I went off outside, I had things to do.
I saw a note stapled with magnets from the refrigerator in the kitchen.
[Leon-oppa, if you need a pair of clothes. There's one from the chairs across the table.]
That's what the note stated.
Above the refrigerator rested a black picture frame. It was covered in dust.
My eyes were dragged away into the people on that photo.
There was a pink-haired girl dressed in a white sailor school uniform. Posing cutely with both of her hands with a peace sign.
And next to her was a guy.
It was a dark-haired guy about the same age as her, though albeit much taller than her.
He was suited in a white coat paired with a black t-shirt in his chest, and wore a blue jean to his lower body.
He was patting her head gently with his right hand.
They both smiled cheerfully in the image.
Although, it shouldn't have been my business to peek to other people's past. I was curious.
The note unlike the frame, was new.
So I came to the chair as the note stated.
I found a white coat, a black t-shirt and a blue jean that was lying down in the chair.
Coincidence? I don't think so.
Thus, I took this chance to change my clothes.
My previous garment, worn down and tattered. And also smelled quite putrid.
I threw it in the trashcan without a second thought.
I also took this chance to see myself in a mirror. In the restroom, within the mirror reflections.
I saw myself resembling to the guy in the picture. However, I had a white hair.
There were also small differences in our eyes and nose.
So I thought to myself.
The words she said that day.
"You remind me of someone at first glance."
It echoed in my mind.
'Maybe she missed her brother?'
There were not enough clues, so I concluded the answer might be that.
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Back to the present.
I was greeted by a rush of cold air when I got outside the apartment building.
The apartment itself was quite towering, it was approximately ten-storeys tall.
Its walls were painted in sky blue giving it a lively appearance.
I pulled my head down.
I rubbed my chin. What should I do today?
"Status."
«—System—»
[Side Quest: Learn a mana breathing technique.]
I stared at the hologram for a brief moment.
Then an idea resurfaced into my mind.
"Todays quest will be going to a library."
In truth, I had to get stronger first.
The resolution I made that I'd save the city.
Starts first by getting stronger because in return, I'd fight enemies with powerful abilities.
In the game "Hero's Fate", the most popular and easiest way to get stronger.
Would be killing beast and traveling outside underground cities.
But there's also another way, though slower and more crude. It would serve crucially useful for your body.
That's training yourself.
"How should I do it?"
'This is a dilemma.'
I furrowed my eyebrows.
A dilemma in fact. I only knew how to train the hero's character in the game.
Because it only implemented a click function to train. I used an auto clicker to just get pass by easily.
Now unlike the game, this was reality now.
The problem was, performing the required actions.
Still, I have a rough idea how they work.
That's why going to the library might give me the answers I'm looking for.
"Let's go."
With the conclusion I made.
I pushed my feet and marched on.
***
"Hopefully, I'll get the answers I'm looking for."
A red-bricked building came into my view. White pillars were situated around its corners.
In the front of the library was a rotating glass door. Its edges were coated in white radiant alloy.
Four-glass windows were lodged in the exterior of the walls from left to right. Just next to the front entrance.
People would go in and go out as the glass door kept rotating.
A warm breeze brushed against my body, making me feel cozy.
It must be from the entrance where hot air escaped and made its way to me.
I tilted my head sideways, my eyes glancing to the left.
There was a parking lot. Two parking lot areas.
On the surface was asphalt painted with white stripes. They were rendered out in forty-five degree angle.
A small yellow concrete was embedded into each parking space.
A streetlight was positioned to the center.
Along them, multiple mana vehicles were parked in the parking lot.
They ranged from a motorcycle to an suv to a big truck.
I raised my head.
A streak of bright light pierced through my eyes.
The sky was bright. The pressure around the artificial sun kept fluctuating as always.
'A day must have passed.'
'So I was unconscious around for a day...'
'Come to think of it, I've never known that girls name.'
"Not that it matters."
Aside from it, I had more important matters I needed to attend.
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I lowered my head, my eyes pulled downwards.
There it is, below the first row of the bookshelves.
"Standard Mana Breathing Technique."
That was the title of the book itself.
I gently grabbed the book with my right hand.
The book at a glance looked gloomy, perhaps because it was coated in dust.
I wiped the dust off by shaking it up erratically.
"Cough..cough..."
The dust floated in the air, then was inhaled into my throat, making me cough.
I looked at it again.
At first, the cover color seemed to be gray, but now it was white.
The design itself was substandard, it only had an oversized text from the upper center.
Swoosh—!
I flipped open the book, my finger rummaging around the pages.
Thankfully, the pages wasn't dirty.
I sat down, my back leaned into the bookshelves.
A grey chandelier was firmly wedged in the ceiling.
Ivory ceramic tiles filled the surface.
From left to right, white-cream wooden bookshelves filled my vision.
'There's no people, so let's do it right here.'
I positioned my legs into a lotus position.
Recalling the instructions in the first page.
[Find a quiet place and settle down comfortably. The next step involves feeling everything around you.]
[When you sense something around in you, gather it, but slowly throughout your heart.]
[But remember, no one must disturb you, or you could end up with mana deviation.]
"...Feel yourself?"
"Well, let's get right to it."
I closed my eyes.
I slowed my breathing.
'Just relax yourself.'
Darkness surrounded everything around me.
Instead of unease, I felt a sense of peace settling down.
A feeling of detaching oneself from its biological senses.
'...?'
Then, I felt something.
A faint feeling of something around me.
Together, they materialized around me.
More kept appearing, one after another.
'Is this mana...?'
I definitely closed my eyes, yet I could quietly sense that they had colors.
The spectrum of colors which wasn't visible to the human eye itself.
'The book said to gather mana around my heart right...?'
'What if, I accumulated them throughout my whole body...?'
A daring challenge for me, who hadn't even known the basics.
Yet my instincts screamed at me to do it.
It felt like it was only right to do it.
So I did it, I let my instincts win.
'...Not like I had a choice anyway.'
Mana around me began swirling. It pierced through inside my skins.
My blood vessels expanded, blood began rushing wildly.
I felt a surge of pain reside throughout my muscles.
My muscles kept twitching involuntarily.
The veins around me pulsated back and forth.
"Kugh...!!"
I gritted my teeth and bit my lips.
Blood gushed out from my lips.
"Just a little more...!"
Mana burst through my meridians. They began traveling any untrodden meridians within me.
It began stirring my body temperature to the maximum.
"This is it...!"
Then, I felt them weakening, eventually coming to a stop.
Slowly settling around my body.
My body temperature returned back to normal.
I opened my eyes.
Sweat rained down out of my skin.
A filthy smell instatly poured to my nose.
"What the hell...?"
"Really..?"
Black filth coated my skin. It smelled sour, like I hadn't shower in ages.
«—System—»
[Quest Complete!]
«—System—»
[Distributing Quest Rewards…]
Putting that aside, I eagerly stared at the hologram.
Joy filled my heart.
I couldn't wait to anticipate what I'd get around this time.
[You have received 40 EXP.]
[You have leveled up!]
[Distributing status points randomly.]
"...Tch."
[You have obtained the ability "Eye of the Sage"]
"I take my words back."
[In addition, you have also obtained "Standard Mana Breathing Technique".]
[Please check their details.]
"Eye of the Sage."
I enthusiastically shouted.
«—Eye of the Sage—»
[The ability to appraise anything.]
[Misc: Can't appraise a being more powerful than you.]
'Sweet.'
I needed that anyways. How about the mana breathing technique?
"Standard Mana Breathing Technique."
«—Standard Mana Breathing Technique—»
[The ability to gather mana and use it efficiently]
[Growth type ability, can be evolved up by consistently using it.]
"Hmmm..."
Aside from these things, I checked my status.
[??? (★) Lv. 4 (EXP 0/50)]
[Class: Hero]
[STR: 13/20]
[AGI: 12/20]
[END: 14/20]
[INT: 11/20]
[Mana: 140/140]
[Skills: Metamorphosis Lv. 1 , Eye of the Sage Lv. 1, Standard... Lv. 1]
[Fragments: ???]
"So abilities with long names are shortened out."
BOOM!
Out of nowhere.
An explosion echoed in the ceiling.
I pulled my gaze upwards.
My excitement was short-lived.
Because I had forgotten about one important thing.
"Hah... how could I forget about this?"
That's right, these guys.
"The revolutionaries..."
The first event out of all.
『Test, 1, 2, 3. Alright, let's do this. 』
『Kuhaha...!』
『...Under the orders of our master!』
A voice resonated throughout the whole library.
It must have come from the speakers within the library.
Judging by the voice, they must be taking control of this whole place.
『No one may get out of this building...!』
'Hero's Fate, the game really lives up to its nature.'
I stumbled back to my feet.
'...Sigh.'
I inwardly let out a sigh.
Why do I have to deal with this people?