For a time, Ashen didn't notice any change. His days passed with the mechanical act of regenerating mana, infusing it into his body in the form of billions of threads, and finally invoking Somatic Autonomy.
Like a perpetual engine, he repeated the process until his mind emptied, his thoughts lagged, and all he had left was that one goal.
Let my body become pleasant to mana.
But the intent behind it did not stay constant. As Ashen entered this state of selflessness, it continued to evolve, adding different shades and complexity to his initial order.
Let my body grow welcoming to mana.
Let my body be kind to mana.
Let my body greet mana as a friend.
The dots on the mischievous spear never stopped growing, even in his current state. The simple action of carving a dot when the sun first hit his face had become instinctive.
Yet still, his intent never stopped deepening.
Let my body live in harmony with mana.
Let my body attune to mana.
Let my body resonate with mana.
All of it kept accumulating. Breath after breath, day after day, month after month… and finally, the intent combined into a single whole.
Let my body become a home for mana.
Once that happened, it seemed that the final piece had finally snapped into place.
The air around him gently changed. Thin blue streaks of luminescence danced on the surface of his skin. And bit by bit, they grew more numerous until the surface of his skin developed a slight corona glow.
The same light seemed to invade his eyes next, making them flash with quick threads of azure.
Even his hair rose and drifted upwards on its own.
When he breathed in, the light went with the breath like an eager child rushing to meet its mother after a long separation.
Yes, this light was mana.
It clung to him, as if hugging a dear friend it found particularly pleasant, jigging on his shoulders, poking his arms, and mischievously tickling his fingertips.
Somatic Autonomy slowed down until it came to a stop, for it had finally done its job.
And with it, so did Ashen's trance break.
'What's… this?'
Seeing himself being surrounded by blue light that unceasingly caressed every part of his body, he was dumbfounded for a moment, but not for long.
Because even the system had something to say,
[You have gained an Extra Skill.]
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Mana-kissed
Mana finds this body agreeable. It flows through it with ease, responding more readily and causing less strain.
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The description may have sounded simple. Perhaps even a bit underwhelming. But Ashen did not dare to dismiss it.
He could currently feel the changes in himself and how his mana technique was behaving.
Everything had suddenly become a hundred times easier. What once took conscious effort now required only a thought, and what once needed a thought responded without even that, after an initial prompting.
Furthermore, he could feel the strain in his heart lessening to a great degree. That meant that he could probably compress more mana now.
Yet, the system didn't seem to be done with the surprises.
Over years of countless uses, Somatic Autonomy had climbed until the Masterful stage as Ashen learned to use it without the system's assistance, just like dreamweaving.
But just like dreamweaving, it remained stuck at the Masterful+ stage no matter what he did.
Though it looked like it was simply a question of accumulation, because after two decades, the wall to the next realm had finally broken.
[Somatic Autonomy ↑ (Zenith-)]
The moment Ashen saw the name of the mastery, he immediately understood what he had done, as well as the requirements to reach where he arrived.
'It is to thoroughly and utterly master a skill. Just as the title describes, one has to reach the zenith of mastery.'
But he knew that he truly did not reach it. Otherwise, that minus besides the word would be a plus instead.
'I always thought the first skill to break through would be my oldest one, Dreamweaving though…'
That could only be explained by the fact that he had somewhat neglected the skill since he became stuck here.
It wasn't so much as he didn't find a way to make it useful… It's just the temptation of immersing himself in dreams was simply too overpowering, so he never dared to think too long about it anymore. Since the moment he relaxed, he knew he would be crushed by the ever-present rock.
Just like now, the act of just remembering the presence of that skill made his brain tingle increasingly, urging him to just have a taste. Just one dream. One good memory and that will be all…
Ashen, for the first time, did not dismiss it immediately.
"..."
Even the chant that never left his subconsciousness halted for a moment, as if it too was watching him silently, awaiting his decision.
Crack—
The stalemate was broken by a light appearing on the back of his hand. Ashen looked at it and immediately knew what it was. He could never forget it. After all, it also marked the moment he signed his life away and became no different from a slave to these Serravallian dwellers.
It was the sign of the contract binding him to this continent; the one that would act on his heart and shatter it the moment he decided to leave and never come back.
'Come to think of it… that contract would have lasted twenty years before it expired.'
Eighteen years living under a rock, and the two years before that. Twenty in total. The math was sound, and the contract expired as it had fulfilled its function.
But it still didn't make sense to Ashen.
He was sure the contract would get renewed one way or another before it expired.
So what did this mean…?
'No, I'm sure there's a mistake somewhere. Edward would never make such a basic error.'
No matter how fair and impartial he was, his teacher was still a Serravallian at the end of the day. Just look at the torture he made him endure without blinking for the sake of Seravelle.
So what did the cracking of the symbol, and then its dissolution into motes of mana, mean?
'I'm free.'
Ashen was only putting up with everything and did not actively look for ways to break the contract because he knew that sooner or later, even Esperra wouldn't be spared.
But the moment the contract broke its hold, he felt like invisible shackles that even he didn't know existed had finally snapped.
'I'm free.'
A weight was lifted off his shoulders, even if he did not plan to go back, now he at least had the option of taking his people and never setting foot again in this blighted continent.
'I'm free…'
Yet, all the euphoria was shattered the moment he remembered where he was and what was holding him down.
The rock was, ultimately, much more cruel than the slave contract. Unlike that agreement, it didn't seem to be going anywhere after all.
…even if he waited two decades more.
He smiled hollowly.
"How cruel… to grant me a taste of freedom, only to remind me that I remain the furthest thing from it."