Chapter 70   - The Storm

Dark clouds covered the sky. The roaring sea did not add any reassuring note to the picture. The high tide and winds stirred the waters. Each time a wave crashed on shore it sent a drizzle of cold salty droplets against his skin. Kai didn’t move or show any intention of going back inside.

Dawn had come and passed, but the world remained in a state of semi-darkness. It wasn’t night and it wasn’t day—a world of shadows and dim light somewhere in between. Every few seconds bolts of lightning illuminated the sky for an instant, soon followed by a deep rumble.

It was typhoon season once again. In Greenside, most people had found the sight depressing, preferring to stay indoors and spend the day telling stories, sheltered from the harsh winds. Those who didn’t have the luxury of a choice cursed out loud as they went to work outside. No boats would leave the docks today.

The stormy sea was painted in darker shades of blue, with only a few hints of a cloudy viridian. Kai’s lips curved upwards ever so slightly. It wasn't a cheerful smile nor his mischievous grin. It was the face of someone admiring a work of art.

He always had a fascination for natural phenomena. Their scale and power filled him with a sense of quiet awe. A reminder he was nothing compared to the force nature could unleash. All his problems were insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

The wind violently whistled. It was cold, not enough to bother him. The smell of sea and storm mixed. It had not started to rain yet, but the thunderclouds promised it was a matter of time.

Opening his senses, the mana was raging as much as the sea. His skin tingled against the furious currents of energy. Water mana flooded far beyond shore, overshadowing Earth and Nature, which were forced to fall back inland.

The mana density fluctuated wildly; whatever array rested beneath the estate struggled to maintain a stable environment against the forces of nature.

I’ll need to ask Dora if she needs anything. The greenhouse is going to be fine, but the garden might not.

Amidst the chaos, Kai caught sight of something strange. He furrowed his brows and squinted, even if he wasn’t really using his eyes to see. His loose clothes flapped in the wind. A swarm of white motes with a blue hue passed an inch from his nose, spinning together in tiny hurricanes. It lasted only a moment before he lost sight of them, but his mind had no doubts about what he saw.

Those were Air motes. Dora said it would take me years to see them, but it’s been less than one. Can’t wait to see her face when I tell her this.

He was under no illusion that it was entirely his merit. Without the exceptional circumstances, he would not have been able to take a glimpse at them. The flashes of spinning white motes looked a bit clearer now. With a glance, he confirmed Mana Sense had gained a level. It would probably be a while before he could observe them reliably, but a win was a win.

“If you want to do this, you won’t get a better chance.” Elijah's voice resonated behind him.

Running and Swimming had been stuck at lv99 for the last two weeks. Pumping them full of mana had helped level them faster, but now they hit a roadblock. He needed something to push through the last bottleneck.

Running in extreme weather conditions was worth a shot and Swimming in a stormy sea even more. He was confident Elijah would fish him out if something went wrong. How long he would wait before intervening was another story, but it was a risk he needed to take.

A loud rumble overhead signaled the start. Without a second thought, Kai started Running, wasting no time to activate mana enhancement. Today he had no limitations on mana usage and Nature magic would be of little use.

With another clap of thunder, a heavy downpour started to fall. He was drenched in seconds. Thanks to physical exertion he didn’t feel cold, but running on the sand became even more difficult. His shoes were a hindrance rather than a help. He kicked them off without stopping.

A gust of wind made him stumble and reminded him it wasn’t like any other day.

I guess I’m never getting my shoes back. If they don’t get blown off a few miles at sea, they’ll end up in the jungle.

There was no time to mourn the loss. The winds pushed from all directions following no rhyme or reason. His superhuman strength helped, but his body didn’t weigh much more than an ordinary child.

Okay, I admit I prefer to observe the storm from a safe and dry place. I’m sure Elijah can fish me out of the sky too. Probably…

He glanced over his shoulder to look for the butler. He was nowhere to be seen. Not that he could see much through the curtain of rain. His eyes closed to little more than slits to protect them from rogue drops.

I bet he is hidden in the shadow under the heavy rain. No shot he misses the chance to watch as I make a fool of myself.

The image of Elijah comfortably resting on a cozy armchair with a cup of warm tea in hand flashed into his mind. The butler stared at the drops flowing down the glass window and wondered if his student would survive the day. Then he shrugged and dunked a biscuit in his tea.

No, he wouldn’t do that. Probably…

Banishing any stray thought from his mind, Kai focused on his task. Everything else was out of his hands.

If I don’t gain the last level, it will all be for nothing.

Occasionally a larger wave washed over his bare feet and ankles. He ignored it and kept pushing forward. After reaching the end of the bay, he turned back and continued without pauses. The wind kept blowing faster, he had to be conscious of the position of his body and continuously adjust to avoid falling. Lowering his body to push through a strong gust and standing up when the wind pushed him forward.

A blinking light appeared in the corner of his vision.

I did it! That was easier than I thought.

*Ding*

New skill added to the Archive! Balance (lv1) – Standing on two feet, on one hand or three fingers, falling is not an option.

Damn, the spirits!

Distracted by the notifications, Kai didn’t properly brace himself and lost his footing. The speed he was running was compounded by the wind, his body skidded on the sand for several meters before coming to a stop in a heap of limbs.

“Ouch.”

May the spirits be blessed for a thousand years to come!

Getting back up, he spat a mouthful of sand. Several areas on his body were going to sport a bruise, but everything seemed to be working correctly. He may not weigh like an adult, but he was more durable than one, his high Constitution wasn’t for show.

Without wasting a breath, he resumed his run. Carefully controlling how the skill distributed his mana and adding Empower when that wasn’t enough.

I’m not getting back inside till I get that stupid 100th level!

One more lap was completed. Kai turned around and continued.

Two laps.

Three laps.

Fueling two skills, his reserve of mana was starting to dwindle. He deeply wished his affinity for Air was stronger. Maybe he should have taken Water, but Nature magic had felt too wondrous at the time.

Funny how getting thrashed by a storm changes your perspectives.

Speaking of which, the tempest showed no sign of abating, and he was not going to throw in the towel first. He had lost count of how long he had been Running. His mana reserves were nearing 50%. Lower than that the side effects would start manifesting.

I won’t give up.

A blinking light shone like a beacon of salvation in the right corner of his eye. He didn’t dare celebrate before having confirmation.

*Ding*

Running has reached lv100! Requisites for skill evolution met, congratulations!

Without any more strength left, Kai flopped down on the sand. His limbs felt like jelly, and he was heaving for air. None of that could sour his euphoria. Even better, there was at least one option to evolve the skill to Orange.

“I WON!” Kai screamed at the sky.

Amidst the exhaustion, he felt the sudden urge to laugh and obliged. He must have looked crazy, but Kai was starting to think he needed to be a bit mad to reach the peak.

The idea Elijah would make fun of him didn’t stop him, the drops of rain that fell down his throat did. Turning to one side, he started coughing on the wet sand. His body still screaming for oxygen didn’t help.

Despite nearly suffocating, the smile didn’t leave his lips for one second.

Let’s see what I got.

Running (lv100) ➔

As you reach the final milestone, you are presented with three choices to continue your journey toward new heights:

Enchanted Running (lv1)

Enchanted Sprint (lv1)

Steady Runner (lv1)

He was surprised to see three choices, but he was in no hurry. There was one more skill to go. Trying to drag his body upright he flopped down in a sitting position. Kai realized his mana had fallen below the threshold.

Thinking again, I could use some rest first.

Shielding his eyes with a hand, he saw he wasn’t far from Dora’s garden. A green glow appeared to be illuminating the plants, but amidst the downpour, he couldn’t be sure. He stood up with no little effort and walked towards the alchemist’s house. Before he had the chance to knock, the door opened from the inside.

“Come on in, hurry!”

Before he could speak a word, Dora had pulled him inside and thrown a blanket over him.

“I’m fine.” Kai tried to say, freeing himself from the woolen blanket.

“What were you thinking?” Dora paced back and forth, shaking her head.

“It worked…” Kai muttered under his breath.

A glance from the alchemist was all it took to lower his gaze.

“Here,” Dora softened her tone and offered him a cup of tea. “It might have worked, but there was no need for this. I’ll have a few words with Elijah later. How could he suggest something so stupid.”

Now that the adrenaline had left his body, Kai started to feel cold and exhausted. He warmed his hands around the cup and took a sip. Dora had been extra generous with the honey.

“I didn’t make any progress in two weeks.” He didn’t know why he was defending the butler, but ultimately it was his choice.

“Two. Weeks…” Dora gave him a long look. “People consider themselves lucky if they can overcome the last hurdle in a few months.”

Her yellow eyes bore down on him. This time Kai didn’t back down. He had not known how much longer it usually took, but he would have made the same decision regardless.

“How am I going to catch up to the youths of the continent if I don’t do at least this much?” His eyes met the woman’s gaze.

After a few tense seconds, Dora broke the stalemate. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Yes,” Kai answered with conviction.

The plump woman sighed. “I doubt a few words will change your mind but remember there is a difference between taking calculated risks and being reckless. Everyone thinks they’ll stop in time, but before they know it, they take bigger and bigger risks.”

With that, she left. Kai started to feel bad. His proud posture slumped. In the heat of the moment, he showed no doubts, but he didn’t feel as sure as he let on.

I don’t know what I want, but I want the freedom to choose when I find out.

He could figure the rest out later. Dora had raised some good points, but now wasn’t the time for doubts. Sitting cross-legged on the floor to not drip on the furniture, Kai focused on replenishing his reserves.

Inside the house, the mana appeared calmer. The only hint that something might be off was the predominance of the Water motes over the others. It was perfect for his next step.

He thought of trying to use elemental magic to evolve Running, but it wasn’t feasible. The best element would have been Air, but he was nowhere near good enough to try that. Earth might have worked if he was willing to dedicate a lot of time and patience to one task. But then what? His elemental reserves were limited. It was going to be years before he could make use of it properly. Too much hassle for something he might not even use.

Swimming was a different story. The best element was obvious, and even without the skill for it, he had gotten quite good. Even if he failed today, experimenting in extreme conditions would get him a lot closer to his goal.

Falling into Meditation, streams of blue motes began to form around his body. He understood their flow and desires. One small batch after the other, they started joining his mana channels, while more were absorbed by proximity.

Kai took it slowly to get some rest, but the higher Water mana made him finish in record time.

“I see you are planning to go out there once more.”

Kai froze in the spot upon hearing Dora’s voice. He was already preparing some excuse, but when he turned around there was no judgement or anger on her face. She seemed… sad.

Guilt hit him like a brick in the stomach.

It’s too late to back off now.

“I’ll be careful, I promise.” He knew it wasn’t enough, but it was the best he could do.

“Then you should take this first.”

Kai noticed a familiar glass in her hand. A potion.

“Thank you…”

Once more words didn’t feel enough.

Taking it in his hands, he noticed it didn’t look like one of her usual sludges. Mana Sense revealed it was an orange-tier potion. His eyes widened slightly at the sight and moved back to Dora, but her expression was unreadable.

“Thank you.” He repeated and downed the glass.

The potion had a pleasant herbal aroma, he could feel it flowing down his throat and warming up his body. In moments, his exhausted muscles felt rejuvenated and touching over his bruises didn’t hurt him anymore.

“Wait five minutes, before jumping in. The potion still needs to take full effect.”

Kai nodded. Before he could change his mind, he opened the door and stepped outside into the storm.

Time for round two.