Figuring it out - Part 4

Okay, I know how I came here to learn and train this "Copycat" ability I got. But I managed to get through the first step easily. I now do have a bit of trouble with the fact that I know I can copy things. But in fact, I have no clue how to actually use this ability that I copied. Like how do I even activate this "Ice ability" I copied? I am not even a magic user originally. I was a fighter like every other F ranker. So I never had to think about how I should use an ability. Okay, I don't even really know how to fight well, it has been at least three years since I have tried to fight something. I was getting hurt so much while trying to focus on trying that I became a real liability. Drake was the one to tell me that it might be better if I focused on collecting instead of fighting. Which did help me since I still get hurt but not scarily hurt as much anymore. I am not even sure how much mana I use while copying an ability. Nor do I know how much mana I use even training this ability. Will I just lose the copied ability disappear when my mana is gone? Like I have seen the ice ability used before but I have seen people use it differently. Also in general abilities just get used differently by each person.

I go to sit down in some of the dirt. I am glad it hasn't rained in a bit, since otherwise my pants would have been covered in dirt. But I just want to focus on trying to do something with the ice. I can probably not do anything grand so I should probably do something small. That way I don't get my hopes up too much. If I am even completely honest, I don't think I will be able to do anything. But hey, trying couldn't hurt to do. The only thing that would've been wasted would have been my time. As I close my eyes I just try to focus and make something of ice appear in my hand. I probably was sitting there for around five minutes and about to give up as I felt it. I felt something cold inside my hand.

As I opened my hand I notice a small round ball that seemed to have formed in it. It was of course not completely round but it was around the size of a marble. But you could kind of see the grip of my fingers in it. But I did it, I managed to actually use the ice ability I copied. It was in fact not a fluke like I was thinking it was. I still don't why exactly this has happened to me, but if I am honest right now. I am not going to question it too much yet. Because I might be daring something to like make me weak again. However, something that might get in the way, later on, is the fact I might not always be able to take my time to learn it. Like I can't store abilities yet, so I can't really keep abilities and use them later after I know how to use them. But I try and calm my mind again to focus and form another one. Like I know that forming these small marbles of ice won't be useful in combat but it could be used to train myself. As I open my hand after about 5 minutes again, I notice that I formed another slightly larger marble. And I did this over and over again, the time it takes to form these marbles shortening slightly each time. If I could upgrade this "Copycat" ability in the future. What might I be able to do? I wonder as I let my hopes up for just a moment. But I go too much ahead of myself as I don't even know it can upgrade.

I think in total I am training this ability for about thirty minutes as the coldness from my hand disappears. I honestly feel disappointed as I read the message that popped up in front of me.

The ability "Ice magic' is no longer copied

I am disappointed, to say the least after it popped up. Like I was seemingly making progress with this training but yet at the same time, it felt like nothing. But that was not surprising since my mana level was so low. It was too low for spells but yet I have no clue how to get it up more. I hope that this training is helping with that too. But another thing I noticed immediately was the exhaustion I felt while I was getting up. Like how do magic ability users do this all so well? Like they don't seem so tired after using magic. Is it because they have so much more mana than I have? But I can't rest for today just yet, I did tell both myself and my siblings that I would do some physical training. But I am not planning on doing that inside this forest. I personally don't think my training schedule fits inside a forest. But I probably should go towards the northern park. Which is a bit further but the path is actually paved there which makes running a bit easier.

As I am walking out of the forest I already try and form some excuses in my head. If people were to see me come out of the forest I might get a question thrown my way. Because people don't really go inside the forest. Which makes it a good training spot so people don't spot you. But people might get suspicious when you go in there or out of it. So the excuse I already have in my head was that I was running inside the forest. I might not like running on uneven roads but it does make for a good excuse still. I can also claim that I wanted some quiet time and that this was the only place I could think of. But of course, I was already worrying about nothing. The place seemed abandoned again, I am really suspecting it because of what happened in the dungeon incident today. But if I come here again to train, I really need to find a better excuse.

I just decide to walk towards the park as I realised I wasn't starting from home to there. The park is in actuality not that far away from the science centre. And it is not like I am going to the park nearby my apartment. Which is quite a bit further and not too fun to run in. It is a pretty old park that the city has decided not to upkeep a lot anymore. And since I am already tired right now I don't want to tire myself out by running on a bad road. As I arrive at the park it is actually quite a bit busy right now. As I already ran a lot today I don't want to punish myself further with another one-hour run but I don't want to scrap it completely. I also still have to do the plank today so my posture gets better. I hate doing it but that doesn't mean it doesn't help me. But I only started doing it when my siblings added it to my routine. It has helped me but they did it in a way that pointed it out in a bad way. Which was not the way I would've liked to be reminded of my bad posture.

I have been doing it for quite a while now but none of my exercises seems to have done anything for me. Like I have been training for quite a bit now without many changes. But starting the first exercise. My run, I know I already ran today but I really need to get better at it. But I barely made it out of the portal in time this morning. If I was just a bit slower I would've been stuck there and probably be dead. And running now would mean I wouldn't be running for my life. I quickly start my thirty-minute run to train my stamina. But by the way, I run you would think I only started running a couple of weeks ago. Yet I have started running years ago. Like probably from the start of my long and tiresome delving journey. But there is this long rumour among delvers. The fact is that if you get activated as an F rank, you are doomed to be as weak as you are at that point. You can't move up at all anymore. This has technically not been proven but it is kind of seen as a fact over the years now.

But as I started running again I can't help but be reminded of this morning. Because just like this morning it seemed easier to do somehow. But this time I can't blame it on the adrenaline. Like running somehow seems easier again. The fact that this is happening to me is quite ridiculous but it might have to do with my new ability. But as I continue to run my mind starts to drift. Like why did that monster spare me? I was probably the easiest target there or was that the reason why? Why did it choose to kill four people inside the cave? Was I only spared because no one was there to receive its message? Why did it say that it didn't want to kill me because I was weak like I should've been an easy target? It all doesn't add up in my head.

At a certain point, I realised that I was so deep in thought that I ran longer than the thirty minutes I set out for myself. Which is a surprise in of itself. I normally am exhausted after running for thirty minutes yet I didn't feel that much more tired before I ran. However, I shouldn't waste all my energy on running since I still have some other exercises to do.

With how less tired I feel after my run, I think I might challenge myself with the plank. If it gets too difficult while I am doing it I can just drop myself on the ground. No harm no foul with that. It might be able to help my posture a bit and I am not planning on skipping it yet. I know that I shouldn't overdo it with this either but I don't feel the immediate pain from it. The pain still came from it of course, but it still hurts less than normal. I still hate doing it but at least I feel a bit less pain from it.

Honestly, for once in like years, I feel that this will make a difference for once. It hasn't been making one for like five years why am I feeling hopeful now? I am probably still getting my hopes up now that I have gotten this "Copycat" ability. I am still thinking about how I got this ability, could it have been the stone that I had found in the temple? But that still doesn't explain the fact that neither Lake nor Kiara saw it. They went into the temple before I did and I assume they searched the top floor too. And let's be honest that altar was hard to miss. With the stone laying on top of it, it seems too obvious for them to win. But it was there, I wouldn't have taken off my glove and forgotten it if I didn't want to feel it in my hand.

The plank like the running seemed easier today. Which I personally will never complain about. But those were not the only things that seemed easier today. My lunges and sit ups went fairy easy too. And it is not like I just do like a certain amount in one minute. I tend to do these exercises for at least 10 minutes. My strength might have increased when I got this ability. But that would mean that my normal strength stat was even more pathetic. The one exercise that still went pretty badly were the push ups. I am probably doing something wrong but honestly I don't care enough about push ups for it.

I might have an idea of how I could test out my powers without too many issues. If I were to do some F ranked portals I could find something useful I could sell. It would give me a reason to get to the science centre where I will probably find someone with an ability I can copy. Also if I see any healers I can try and copy that if that is possible. Because if I was able to heal myself even with just a little bit after I got myself hurt. I might be less trouble to people inside portals. Also, I may be weak but I usually just get hurt in F ranked portals never close to death. But as I look at my phone I realise I might be pushing the time a bit. Since I still need to get dinner.

End Figuring it out - Part 4

Complete

You got a character card

Name: Alexander Nosteada

Ability: Lava ability

Class: Sorcerer

Date of birth: 03/29/1987

Age: 36

Nationality: American

Hair style: Brown hair, fringe up

Eye colour: Brown eyes

Likes: Spicy food, Chess, Photography

Dislikes: Cemeteries, Horror movies, Mild food