Inhuman

With his practically infinite mana heart, there was nothing stopping him from amassing more mana. And he did just that, day in and day out. But Zack was a simple man. In the past, he justified all the power he gained with the simple reason of survival.

When he first received talents from the system, he embraced them out of necessity for survival in the tower. Then came the cloning ability, with its quasi-immortal nature, which he justified as essential for navigating the unpredictable challenges fate threw his way. But this infinite mana… what justification could he possibly offer? None. And that's what troubled him.

With each increase in power, he felt his humanity slipping away. He could rationalize sacrificing parts of himself for survival in the past. But now, without a clear purpose? He feared losing himself to his own strength, morphing into a creature driven solely by the pursuit of power.

Every passing day, he sensed his body growing stronger, nourished by the immense mana within him. Watching his mana points soar and his physique develop to the point where sleep became unnecessary and appetite vanished, he couldn't shake the creeping sensation of losing himself to something inhuman.

His ties to humanity dwindled, maintained only by his basic habits of eating and sleeping. And amidst this struggle, Fannie's companionship served as his anchor, preserving his sanity. He grew so powerful that he began to question the need for further advancement. "What's the point of becoming even stronger than this?"

But now, with his sigil finally completed, the decision he had been avoiding loomed before him. He had to choose whether to advance to level 3 or not. Feeling overwhelmed, he sought solace in Fannie's company.

In the tranquil artificial garden of Zack's floor, they sat together on a bench, surrounded by the serene beauty of blooming flowers. Zack broached the topic, "Fannie, you've probably noticed the significant increase in my mana over the past few years." Fannie nodded, well aware of the changes, as Zack had also increased the mana in the clone that nurtured Fannie's body during her meditation.

"If I were like other wizards, I might have been thrilled with this increase, but for me, it's been tough to accept," Zack admitted, falling into silence. "It feels surreal, too easy, like there's nothing I've had to sacrifice."

"Is that why you've been feeling anxious?" Fannie inquired.

"Mhmm," Zack affirmed.

"Are there any side effects?" Fannie pressed.

"No, that's the thing. There are no sacrifices, no significant effort required," Zack replied.

Turning fully towards Zack, Fannie gently held his face in her hands and directed his gaze to hers. "Teacher, how can you be so arrogant as to think you're strong enough already? What if one day, a being stronger than you attacks me? Wouldn't you regret not having just a bit more strength to protect me?" Fannie's eyes bore into his, filled with intensity. "Every time you go out to fight, I'm left feeling powerless. Your enemies are far beyond my abilities, and all I can do is trust that you'll win. But what if... what if you don't? Do you know how helpless I feel then? For you to dismiss a way to increase your strength so easily... it's arrogance."

As Fannie spoke, her voice gradually weakened, trembling until she eventually broke into sobs. Releasing her hold on Zack's face, she bowed her head in anguish. Seeing her distress, Zack's heart ached, and he pulled her into a comforting embrace.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way," Zack apologized, gently patting Fannie's back.

Once Fannie had calmed down, she spoke embarrassedly, "No, it's me who's been too insensitive. I understand that receiving such immense power without a cost must have left you feeling lost. And I'm not as worried about you going out now, knowing you have your cloning ability. But what I want to say is that becoming stronger is always a good thing. You can become strong enough to protect the people you care about. For me, it would be a relief if you became so strong that I didn't have to worry about you fighting."

Zack lapsed into silence, his mind grappling with Fannie's words. "What if one day someone stronger than me tried to harm Fannie? Would I regret not having increased my strength, even if it meant sacrificing my life?" he pondered inwardly. Sighing, he acknowledged, "You're right, Fannie. Thanks. Now that I have a reason, it'll be easier to accept this strength. But that's not the only reason why I've been feeling uneasy."

Fannie chimed in, "I know, is it because you're afraid of losing your humanity, isn't it?" She always found it curious how Zack insisted on sleeping at least once a week and eating three times a day. But now, hearing his concerns, she could piece together what was troubling him. "Becoming stronger, whether as a wizard or a magic knight, inherently diverges from the path of ordinary people. It's inevitable that you'll become different as you grow stronger. Some might start to see themselves as gods and view others as insignificant. They wouldn't hesitate to harm people as they please. Others might lose sight of why they wanted strength in the first place, or become obsessed with power or longevity, willing to sacrifice anything, even innocent lives." 

Fannie paused, lifting her head from Zack's chest to meet his gaze earnestly. "But you, teacher, have managed to avoid all of that. You've been doing well. Have faith in yourself. And if not, have faith in me. I'll make sure to give you a wake-up slap if you start losing your senses." With a small fist and a threatening tone, Fannie emphasized her point.

Fannie tried her best to muster up a menacing expression, but with her still-damp lashes, teary eyes, and rosy cheeks from earlier, she ended up looking even more adorable.

Zack couldn't help it; he burst into laughter, starting with a small chuckle that quickly escalated into full-blown guffaws. Seeing Fannie's genuine concern for him filled him with warmth. "You're right. How could I forget that I've got you? Even when I doubt myself, I know I can count on you to steer me straight." He affectionately tousled Fannie's hair, earning a playful yelp and a mock glare from her.

"I suppose I'll be leaning on you a lot more from now on," Zack teased, flashing a mischievous grin. "Just promise me one thing: don't go kicking the bucket before I do."

"Hmph, it's not clear who will go first," Fannie retorted, pouting. "You might exhaust all your talent while my advancement speed becomes faster. You might end up relying on me in the future."

In the middle of the advancement room, Zack chuckled, reminiscing about their banter. As he tore his gaze away from his status window, he reaffirmed his resolve. 'That's right. I don't have to fear becoming stronger. I just need to trust myself and Fannie to keep my humanity intact.'

Zack closed his eyes, diving deep into the recesses of his mana heart. No matter how many times he ventured in, the sight never failed to leave him awestruck. Thousands of immense orbs of light floated in a serene dance, each one housing an infinity-shaped mana within its transparent form. Most orbs held a mere fraction of their size in mana, but four in the center were different—they were completely filled with the boundless energy, stretching to match the size of their vessels. The scale of these orbs, standing hundreds, perhaps even thousands of kilometers tall, spoke volumes about the sheer power contained within. The circulation of mana within the infinity mana shape resembled the tranquil ebb and flow of an ocean—calm yet imposing. These spheres of light were his mana cores.

As Zack's gaze swept beyond the central cluster, he beheld a vast expanse of softly glowing blue particles stretching out into the distance. To call it a "sea" was an understatement; it was more like an endless ocean, its shimmering depths unfathomable to the eye. Each particle emitted a gentle radiance, casting a breathtaking glow reminiscent of the most precious diamonds. This sea of particles served as his temporary mana storage, a reservoir of power waiting to be tapped into.

Seeing the sheer magnitude of his millions of mana points, Zack knew that any conventional mana gathering formations wouldn't come close to satisfying his appetite for mana during his advancement. So, Drawing upon the infinite mana heart property bestowed upon him by his [Infinity Mana Well], he decided to transfer mana from some of his clones directly into his mana heart. This way, during the advancement process, he could draw upon this internal reserve rather than relying on external sources.

"Heh, would you look at that? Millions of mana particles at my disposal," Zack chuckled, feeling rather pleased with his ingenious solution.

"Alright, time to get down to business," he said, reigning in his excitement. Shifting his focus back to one of his largest mana cores, he began the intricate process of shaping his speed sigil. As the intricate pattern took form, a substantial amount of mana was drawn from the core, fueling the creation of the sigil. Once stabilized, Zack carefully embedded the sigil into the heart of the mana core, precisely at the intersection of the swirling infinity mana.

BZZZZ!

A low buzz filled the air as the sigil settled, causing the mana core to tremble in response. As the trembling spread, the rotation of the magic circles surrounding the core gradually slowed to a stop, revealing their intricate designs beneath the golden forcefield. With the cessation of the magic circles' motion, the sigil's trembling subsided as well.

Then, with a resounding Ka-Cha!, the gears of the sigil sprang to life once more, spinning faster and faster. Its rapid rotation began to influence the flow of the infinity mana, accelerating its previously languid circulation. Soon, the sigil whirled with such intensity that it sparked with lightning, each bolt striking the magic circles and infusing them with a vibrant neon blue hue.

Sizzle!

Upon closer inspection, Zack noticed more than just a change in color; intricate abstract engravings began to materialize on the sections where the lightning had struck the magic circles. As the circles transformed into a vibrant blue, they resumed their rotation, once again forming the protective forcefield—but this time, it glowed with a mesmerizing azure hue instead of the usual golden glow.

Ding!

With both the sigil and the forcefield spinning at their maximum speeds, the air was filled with the melodious chime of bells as an invisible wave emanated from the mana core, rippling outwards through Zack's entire mana heart and beyond, coursing through his body.

A peculiar substance began to coalesce from all corners of his body, drawn inexorably towards the mana heart. Initially minuscule and undetectable even to his heightened perception, these particles gradually merged within the mana heart, forming into a soft, ethereal glow. This luminous mass then began to move with purpose, converging towards the central blue mana core, guided by an unseen force.

"Not good!" Zack exclaimed, his brow furrowing in concern. Upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't just the white particles being drawn towards the blue core; all of the surrounding mana cores were being pulled in as well. He had initially planned to relocate the other cores far away, but a nagging feeling tugged at him, suggesting that doing so might cause him to miss out on something profoundly beneficial.

Using his limited knowledge of physics, Zack maneuvered the surrounding mana cores to create a perpendicular force to counteract the pull of the blue mana core. With nothing in his mana heart to impede their movement once set in motion, the cores settled into a balanced orbit around the central blue core, resembling planets orbiting a sun.

With the crisis averted, Zack turned his attention back to the sigil, watching as it continued to absorb the remaining white particles from his body until none were left. But just as he thought the process was complete, he felt a sudden, immense presence stirring within his mind, centered between his brows. It descended swiftly, traversing down through his face, neck, and chest until it merged seamlessly with his mana heart.

Upon its arrival, Zack beheld a massive white ball of light composed of countless particles. Its magnitude dwarfed all previous manifestations of white particles, radiating a brilliance that rivaled the combined glow of its counterparts. As the sphere hesitated at the threshold of the sigil, Zack could sense its struggle to fit within the confines of the glyph.

Plop!