End of the Ruin

"How do you feel?" Senior Loki.

I looked at my body while standing up. I certainly felt different. My connection to nature that I'm always using seems to have strangely decreased but at the same feels like it's gotten stronger. Also, I can feel mana coursing through me.

Loki senior commented, "The idea behind this training style is simple. Mana control. This training will allow you to use mana in new in interesting ways. You have your own storage of it, can cast spells, and affect the environments mana. Your body's strength should have also changed to allow a connection between the mind and the environment. I am anxious to know what you think. Don't worry I won't read your thoughts this time. I'll keep my eyes shut."

I nodded. "I am interested too."

S.L.A.D. Statistics

[Scanning Current Body Condition]

Name: Loki Frost Hammer

Species: Human (Giant Tribes)

Titles: Titan Prince, Devious Hand

Age: 6

Class: Mana Controller

Rating: 7.02

Soul level: 2.4

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Mana: 51.9/51.9

Strength: 0.80

Constitution: 1.22

Dexterity: 0.86

Intelligence: 1.73

Wisdom: 1.46

————————

Status: N/A

Elemental Affinity: Nature, Lightning, Ice,

Two Unknown Affinities.

Blessings: Unknown Goddess (S.L.A.D.)

Skills:

Earth Sciences, Ambidextrous, Widuz-Language, Multi-thought, Memory Sharing, Trap maker, Schemer, Alcoholic, Good Delegator.

Weapon proficiencies- Blade Practitioner (Sword, Axe, Claw), Pierce Practitioner (Spear, Dagger, Throwing Knife), Hammer Apprentice

(New!) Mana Controller Innate Ability: Mana's Language- The innate ability to sense, communicate, and control mana directly in your area of influence using your own personal mana. This includes any mana network like nature's language.

(New!) Mana Body:

(New!) Aura of Mana (30 feet/5 Minutes per 1 hour)- Expanding your mana reinforcement and linking it to the ambient mana in your surroundings allows you to cast mana techniques on the environment in the range of the aura. Different reinforcements will boost certain techniques.

(New!) Mana skills- Warmth, Cold Breeze, Static Field, Frostbite, CryoStorm, Magnetic Shield,

Reinforcements- Ice Bone (7%), Lightning Body v1 (26%-6%total required)

(New!) Mana Hive Mind:

(New!) Tranquil-Occult Chain (30 feet)- The Tranquility-Rage chain has changed so that the tranquility portion is linked to your innate mana as well as your soul essence. The rage portion has become a type of blank Spell Chain that is linked to the surrounding environments mana instead of your heart. This connection allows you to link to any being in the environment and use a mixture of your mana and the environments mana to cast Occult like abilities on their body.

(New!) Chain skills: Chain of Life (Mend, Sense Life, Scalpel, Inject)

(New!) Knowledge of Mana:

Alchemy Hand- Purify, Combine, Separate, Disinfect, Heat, Freeze, Magnify, Current, Mage Hand

(New!) Known Spells (Max 4)-

Crafting Skills:

Potions- Minor Healing potion, Healing poultice, Freezing Brew, Fire Proof Beer, Dissolving Potion, Soap, Lotion, Shampoo, Conditioner, Antibiotics, Stimulants, Anticoagulants, Steriods, Opiods,

Forgemaster- Hammer of Will

Oils, Heat Treating, Alloys, Casting, Welding, Forging, Magical Metals, Mana Refining (80-90%), Spirit Imbuing, Rune Smithing, Bodily Modification, Pseudo Soul Creation, Sealing

Contracts:

Muninn the Three Eyed Raven (Rank 1)

Fenrir the Dark Wolf (Rank 2)

[End diagnostic]

Well fuck. It's a lot for sure. It seems that rather than training styles, my body and soul are optimizing themselves with mana. Three different categories with one being the body which covers control of elements Internally and externally.

The second category is clearly having to do with occultic studies. Controlling minds and bodies using nature's connection. Loki used my Tranquility-Rage chain as a catalyst to allow me to cast some form of occultic spells without having to store them. Looking at the Gemstone near my heart, I am very excited.

Loki Senior really did some good work. From what I can see, my body naturally has control of the elements as long as my aura is being used. By using my own mana in conjunction with the ambient mana in nature, I can cast all sorts of elemental spells from the druids list of spells to the arcane caster list of spells having to do with elements. Casting occultic spells is the same as long as I have a type of chain related to that spell but it looks like I can't multi cast them unless I put them as a learned spell. It looks like this effect is carried out through nature's language but there is a specific range I have to be in to use them, which I am sure is not as long as their original from what I read. On the plus side, my Life school spells were usually touch range now I can do them at a distance and to multiple targets. I am wondering something though, my Life school spells turned into a chain. What if I come up with a chain that has to do with madness, would I get a chain of madness?

In any case, there are pros and cons but in essence I have built a new homebrew class from a multiclass.

(I really hope someone gets that reference)

[From what I can tell, yes. Loki has made a spectacular training class for you. Besides spells having to do with pure mana manipulation, you can likely use all elemental abilities and occultic like abilities without having to store their spell. There are some benefits and some draw backs to this though as you can see with how you might have a specific time window to use these spells or range compromises. And although its slight you do use mana for your aura.]

Yes, the limiting factor is mainly mana cost. Most of my abilities cost a certain amount of mana. At some point I will be tired or outright pass out from using too much mana just like an arcane caster.

[you use a lot less mana since the main idea behind this class was synchronizing your personal mana and environmental mana so you just have to be careful but you also have a shorter range with these spells. Only your pure mana controlled spells are long range. All your elemental spells and Occultic abilities are medium range]

Yes but I have a feeling they will grow with range overtime and I am perfectly fine with that distance. In fact, I am glad we were able to consolidate all this. At least I have a lot of abilities and a training technique that I can follow.

"So what do you think" Loki Senior asked.

"I think you were successful. For two of your schools of magic, I have complete control over those spells and can cast them at will for up to thirty feet. For the final school, I have access to spell slots to cast them. I also have strengthen versions of my past techniques. The only downside to all this is that I have to use my personal mana for a lot of it."

Loki senior laughed, "Well there is always costs with these sorts of things. I'd like to have you demonstrate your new abilities but we have more work to do. You'll have to figure it out yourself later."

I nodded and listened.

"okay hold still this might hurt a bit." Before I could say anything, Loki flipped his hand and the golden river of fate came right through me.

I felt extremely cold for a second before my vision dimmed a bit. All I saw was motes of green grey light around me. It was very eerie.

"No wonder you didn't unlock your affinity early. Your affinity was decay."

I heard what he was saying but all I could see was the Ice chains and the bed I was on slowly rotting away. It shocked me to no end.

"What's is this?" I screamed. As I did, a fourth sigil appeared on my back depicting a wilting tree.

Loki senior smiled. "The element of decay is rare but is not evil. There's a difference between rotting and decay. It's an advanced attribute that has to do with time. Specifically, times forward motion. People who have this attribute are usually very forward thinking and planners."

"So my attribute was not fate?"

Loki senior actually laughed for a moment at my comment. He was very serious and hadn't really showed any outstanding facial movements with his face to depict his emotions but this statement got a chuckle out of him.

"Fate is one of the supreme attributes that is formed from both space and time. It is the ultimate representation of order and fate's subversion is the ultimate representation of chaos. Had you been born with either attribute, you would have likely been a rank 8 at the very least at birth."

He was right. Such a power is way beyond me.

"Don't look so glum though. Decay is a fine attribute and an advanced one along the lines of holy which is an advanced light attribute. It can evolve further as well if you study time and decay. In fact, all your attributes have charms of time and space in them. I'm sure you'll get many surprises searching in that direction."

I was very confused on this whole study thing. How does one study something to evolve your attributes.

Loki senior clearly read my mind because he nodded to my question as if he was expecting it. "You know how will drives man and your imagination is what allows you to construct spells. If you can imagine, learn, or observe another intended use for your mana in the bounds of your attribute and you have met the required strength threshold of your soul to handle it, your soul will automatically convert the attribute to accommodate this new use. As you do this over time, your attribute will change. If you have more than one attribute, you might split one into two in order to merge with another or even outright merge attributes. It's whatever you make of it."

This conversation with Senior Loki is a lot to think about. I'll have to write a lot when I get back just to organize my thoughts. At least I have somewhat of a goal now. Protecting my family and getting stronger. Breaking free of the shackles of fate. I wonder if that's what the Goddess meant that my fate is what I make it so that I could change things how I want.

Walking around the icy wasteland for a bit I gathered my thought. I then looked at the stalwart Loki Senior, "So was that all you had to teach me?"

Loki senior smiled again as he sat on the chair, "Knowledge of my power and my skills will automatically be imprinted to you as you grow. You can use them to add to your own or forget them entirely if you wish. I have also Included a devised manual for your new training style that will be imprinted in your memories. With that, I will have taught you everything you need to guide you on your own path but it is you who must walk it."

I looked at Loki senior who seems to have grown older in my short time here. "So this is it?"

Loki senior laughed, "what were you expecting to be here a while?"

I shook my head, "no but I was expecting you to tell me why we look similar, and how I sense such familiarity to you. Our shared fate not withstanding. As we discussed before, I can guess a few things but hearing it from you is the only definitive proof I'll get".

Loki smiled brightly. He seems to be smiling more since I got here.

"I am smiling more because I have no qualms with leaving everything to you. As for your question, a magician never reveals his secrets."

Where have I heard that before?

"Now then", Senior Loki said. He clapped his hands and a door appeared.

"Walk through and you'll leave with my inheritance. Use it wisely."

I got up and nodded. I checked to make sure Leviateinn was strapped tightly to my back.

I turned and looked at Senior Loki one more time. He was smiling brightly like he had in his snow mannequin.

"Good bye Loki Odinson." I waved at him gently.

He waved back at me and I turned around to push the door open.

"Okay onward onto my adventure."

As I was walking through the door I heard something ominous come from Loki senior's mouth, "Beware the south."

Before I cold turn to respond the door closed on me.