The system values my current mana pool at somewhere around ten thousand.
Apparently, that is far above average for a human without a Mana Heart.
I stared at the translucent numbers hovering at the edge of my vision, reading them again just to make sure I was not misinterpreting something. Ten thousand mana. The system did not lie, at least not from what I had seen so far. If anything, it was brutally honest.
Was this the aftereffect of the embodiment?
Maybe.
Mulligan's presence had receded deep into my consciousness, but traces of his influence lingered. My mana flowed more smoothly now, like a river whose path had been carved wider and deeper. It did not surge wildly or resist my intent. It responded.
Still, the mana pool alone was not what unsettled me.
I had gained something far more valuable.
[Permanent Skill Acquired][S Tier Water Magic Proficiency]
The words hovered there, simple and unassuming, yet the weight behind them was immense. Proficiency did not mean raw power. It did not mean destructive spells or overwhelming force.
It meant understanding.
I could feel it when I focused. The way water behaved made sense to me now. Not just as a concept, but as instinct. How pressure built. How flow could be redirected. How even the smallest amount of moisture could be manipulated if approached correctly.
While my mana pool was nowhere near that of Mulligan at his peak as a First Class Wizard, it was still more than enough to work with. Enough to survive. Enough to practice. Enough to stay alive.
Staying in the woods would be easy, even if a few stragglers from the rifts came looking for prey.
That was important, because my body felt terrible.
The embodiment had taken a heavy toll. My muscles ached as if I had run for days without rest. My head throbbed faintly, a dull reminder that my mind was not meant to house multiple lifetimes without consequence. Even breathing felt heavier than usual.
I sat against the trunk of a tree and closed my eyes, letting my mana circulate slowly through my body the way Mulligan once had. Not to heal, but to stabilize.
I could not rely on embodiment casually.
Not yet.
For now, I needed supplies.
And contribution points.
Contribution points could be converted into resources. Food, water, basic gear, and sometimes information. At the moment, my backpack only held enough rations for a few days. That was not acceptable if I planned to move through monster controlled territory.
The woods were quiet, but civilization lay just beyond them.
After resting for a while, I stood and tested my control.
I raised my hand and focused.
Moisture gathered from the air, subtle and slow. A thin stream of water coiled around my fingers, shimmering faintly in the filtered sunlight. I compressed it, increasing its density without increasing volume. The sensation was oddly satisfying.
Control came naturally.
I flicked my wrist, and the water darted forward, slicing cleanly through a fallen branch several meters away.
Clean.
Efficient.
S Tier proficiency was no exaggeration.
I practiced for nearly an hour, careful not to overextend myself. I shaped water into blades, shields, and compact spheres of pressure. I practiced drawing moisture from plants and soil, then releasing it back to avoid damaging the environment too much.
Mulligan's habits guided me without words.
When I was done, I exhaled slowly and checked my phone.
There were only two people I wanted updates from.
My younger sister, Alliah, who was currently in the province.
And my best friend, Gavin.
A police officer. The one who warned me to stay in my apartment when everything started going wrong. The one who had practically dragged me through my early adult years after my parents passed, alongside his mother.
The screen flickered as the phone struggled to find a signal.
No messages from Alliah.
My chest tightened, but I pushed the feeling down. Panic would not help her. If she was alive, she was likely on the move or conserving battery. If she was not…
I refused to finish that thought.
Gavin's messages were there, timestamped several days ago.
A shelter. Southern side of town. Emergency evacuation point.
I frowned.
That area was bad. Even before the rifts fully settled, rumors spread fast. Something intelligent had taken control there. Something undead. Some kind of lich, according to fragmented reports and terrified survivors.
If that was true, then the shelter was likely compromised.
"So they are all dead then?" I muttered.
The easy thing to do was to assume that. To accept it and move on. To focus on my own survival.
But I could not.
Gavin and his mother took care of me when my parents passed. They fed me. They gave me a place to stay. They made sure I finished school when I was ready to give up entirely.
I owed him more than silence.
If he was alive, I had to try.
If he was dead, I needed to know.
I stared at the map on my phone, tracing a rough route through familiar streets now marked by danger warnings and system overlays.
"If things get too dire, I can always pull for another past life," I said quietly.
The words tasted strange.
Once, that would have sounded insane. Now it felt like a calculated risk.
"Yeah. At this point, why not?" I sighed. "Let's try to find Gavin. I can check on Alliah later."
Decision made.
Before heading toward the city proper, I needed supplies.
And that meant monsters.
The grocery store sat at the edge of a residential block, its windows shattered and doors torn from their hinges. The parking lot was littered with abandoned cars and dried blood. Mana residue hung thick in the air.
Perfect.
I moved carefully, keeping my presence low. Three monsters lurked near the entrance. Twisted humanoid shapes with elongated limbs and too many joints. Their eyes glowed faintly red as they sniffed the air.
I raised my hand.
Water condensed instantly, forming thin, nearly invisible threads. With a sharp pull, the threads snapped forward, wrapping around the creatures' necks and limbs. I tightened.
Pressure increased.
Bones cracked.
The monsters collapsed without a sound.
[Contribution Points +18]
Inside the store, more awaited.
I moved methodically. Water blades severed tendons. Pressurized bursts crushed skulls. I avoided unnecessary destruction, preserving as much of the store as possible.
Each kill increased my points.
[Contribution Points +11][Contribution Points +14][Contribution Points +9]
By the time the store was cleared, my backpack was filled with canned goods, bottled water, medical supplies, and batteries. I even found a decent jacket and a pair of sturdy gloves.
I paused near the exit, checking my status.
Mana remaining was stable.
Fatigue was present but manageable.
More importantly, I felt capable.
As I stepped back into the fading daylight, I glanced south.
Toward Gavin.
Toward the shelter.
Toward whatever ruled that area now.
I tightened the straps of my backpack and began walking.