A Waking Day - Math Arnottir

I checked the clock on my phone, I think I missed a day of school but... I just want to relax since I'm back.

It took me a while for me to believe that I was back so I slept for a day. I must've been exhausted even though I was supposed to be sleeping. Maybe it was mental exhaustion... that'd make sense.

I've gotten a lot of texts from Beatrice and Mikael so I decided to respond to them saying that I was sick and forgot to tell the school about it.

I forced myself out of my bed, my body felt sore for some reason.

I checked myself in the mirror and of course, nothing had changed, so I wonder why I was sore, to begin with.

It'd be best now though to give myself a Mana Core.

I get back onto the bed and sit in a meditative stance, putting the tips of my fingers together.

I slowly begin to breathe in and out, inhale, then exhale.

Slowly collect the mana in the air and collect it in my solar plexus before lowering it toward my urethra.

By imagining what the core would look like, it made the process simpler, plus it seems that I managed to gain some mana from making an official contract with Freyja that had been spilling out from my body without noticing it, but luckily since I had nothing open in my room I could recollect the mana and put it back into myself.

I'm not sure what it's supposed to mean but my core is a different color than what I'd think it should be.

The core is yellow colored and it's in the First Stage, which is just the base Mana Core. I'll have to ask about this since I'm not too knowledgeable on mana due to my lack of it.

I took a deep breath once more, spreading the Mana Core throughout my body but it was way easier than before, and I was right because when I remember my time with the serpent, my Mana Core then was blue rather than yellow.

It didn't matter since it was way easier to spread across my nervous system and muscles.

I didn't reach the 2nd Stage that time, but having my Inner System completed early is a massive step forward for me, and the fact that I'm finally back, in reality, confirmed it.

After I was finished with my meditation, I went to my door.

I was hesitating, I was scared that whatever was on the other side wasn't the reality that I wanted, the place that I wanted, that I would never see my friends again, still stuck in that fucker's hell. I don't know why I'm back, I'm assuming that I managed to do what he wanted, so this has to be real. I have to go through it.

I opened the door, greeted by my dorm's hallway before making my way to the first floor. No one was there at the moment but there were remnants of people who were.

Each step shook me as I exited the dorm, sitting down on a bench just outside and pointing towards a forest, wind blowing past.

When I took a breath in, my voice shook, tears streaming down my face. I flopped down on my side on the bench, breaking out in hysterics, hands over my eyes.

I felt relief come across my entire being.

But fear that I would go back eventually, but this moment of reprieve is enough for me right now.

The curse was broken, and I was free.

I decided to take another day of rest, telling the school that I was sick this time so I wouldn't be marked absent from the classes.

After the second day, I went to Freyja.

*****

"So... the curse is gone?" She asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"I think so... or at least the part that limits me."

"How'd you do it, or... how'd it happen?"

I shrugged, "I dunno, I talked to the guy and it gave me what I need. You can see that I have a Mana Core and everything, look." I pointed to it.

"Yeah, I noticed. Is that why you were missing for a couple of days?"

"Yeah, I was making the Mana Core and stuff."

She sighed, "Alright, I'll believe you, but I'll have you know that I'm aware you're bullshitting."

"Hm?"

"Like, the half-truth stuff. It's pretty obvious. Plus I can feel your emotions from the contract."

"Well... I figured you'd see through it but..." I shrugged, "Does it matter?"

She also shrugged, "No, if you can't explain it, you don't have to."

"So you knew why I couldn't tell you?"

She nodded.

Couldn't help but be annoyed by that but I'll move on.

When I got back into classes, we started doing physical education. Essentially just letting people do the basics or push themselves farther from their limits.

It seems that Melamir has been hanging around Mikael more, kind of predicted, and Xue and her have been fighting a lot more while Amile sat on the back burner, just kind of watching the chaos happen whilst Beatrice sat quietly by herself next to Mikael.

I decided to participate in the physical activities now since I won't be straight up hospitalized by attempting it anymore, trying to build up some sort of endurance, plus the Inner System helps boost progress.

"What are you doing?" Mikael ran over to me, worried since I was panting like a dog ready to vomit my intestines out due to overwork. "You good?"

"I'm fine... I just... I wanted to try... one more time." I shook my head to keep myself fully conscious, sweat dripping from my hair.

Beatrice also ran over to me asking along the way, "What if you get hospitalized again?"

"I should be fine... I just... it sucks... being this incapable," The emotions that welled up inside me started to spill out a bit, "Being... so fucking useless all the time... it fucking sucks y'know? So... no matter what happens, I don't give a damn anymore, I'll keep trying. I'm aiming for that fucking competition!"

""You are!?""

"It's the only way to prove myself that it wasn't all useless in the end. That... I'm actually worth something."

Melamir thought it was only right that she came in with her two sense, now, of all times, "Huh!? What is this guy talking about!?"

"Mel," Mikael seems to have a pet name for her now.

"What does this powerless fool thinks he could do!? HAH!" She pressed her finger against my forehead, "You have nothing and you will get nothing!"

"MEL!"

She clicked her tongue, and walked away, mostly everyone ignored what had just happened, except for someone quite surprising, Amile.

"Mel..." Her voice almost came out as a growl, "Should someone who got caught and beat down by Goblins be speaking shit to someone who was competent enough to avoid such a thing, and even more so, came up with an effective way to take care of them without direct conflict?"

"Who do you think you're talking to President!?"

"He's a G-Rank no less, and you're what, an S-Rank?"

"I ran out of mana!"

"You got cocky and ran out of mana due to your overconfidence. One cannot grow until they realize their own faults, and it's clear he understands more than anyone."

"Why are you even defending this welp!?" Melamir pointed to me.

Amile left it with a sigh, shaking her head in disapproval before leaving, but making sure she had the last word, "If you were as weak as him, would you not put in the effort, or would you give up before you could reach the finish line? Anyone would've given up by now, at least he's trying."

Beatrice patted me on the back, "That is what is most important, okay?"

"I already understood that, please stop patting my back."

After we were done with classes, I headed straight to Freyja, who seemed to be speaking to three people. One of them was the Elf Princess, Alya, another was the Dragonkin girl, Farah, and the last one was the Princess's bodyguard, Ruwa, who was the first that noticed me.

Alya had long blonde hair that reached her thigh, reasonably tall, almost being as tall as her companion Farah, who was almost as tall as Freyja in height, being 6'2".

Farah was a tall girl with short red hair and two horns poking out from the sides which curled to her cheeks, a long scaly tail attached to her behind.

The smallest of the three, Ruwa, had short black hair with jewels and ornaments attached to her ears, eyes showing the color of the moon, looking as if she was blind, but on the contrary, she could probably see more than what she gives on, though she's probably not better than me in this aspect.

I bowed to the group, Farah nervously and clumsily giving a curtsy before waving at me.

The Princess bowed in turn whilst Ruwa ignored me.

"Freyja," I paused for a response and she motioned for me.

I walked over to her, "What do you need?"

"How far are you on the weapons I asked for?"

"Hm... we can see to that later, for now, I'll give you the daggers and such you asked for."

I nodded as she grabbed a belt that had multiple holsters on it.

"You can attach this anywhere on your body, I recommend the legs and or back of the waist."

"Can I detach it separately? So I can have one for my leg and another for my waist?"

She nodded, "I'll give you everything else you need."

Freyja placed it on a table, placing the knives within their holsters.

She pointed to one holster that looked like it was for a weapon, "That is for," She stopped, pointing it to herself, "Put it wherever."

The others didn't seem to see. Seems she wants to keep this a secret, can't blame her.

"We'll begin your training today."

"Okay."

"Um..." Alya spoke up, "Who is this?"

Freyja motioned to me, "This is,"

"Ah!" I looked at the Princess, turning myself toward her, "I'm Math, Math Arnottir."

Ruwa leaned to the Princess's ear, whispering to her before stepping back. The Princess's eyes waned at my presence before forcing out an, "I see."

Farah smirked, "Hey! M-Mathe!" She bit her tongue trying to say my name, stopping herself and retreating into her own mental shell before talking again. "M-Math... how much can you eat!"

"I'm sorry?"

"If you can eat a lot, you're my friend!" Her cheeks were flushed but she kept going, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Um... is that a challenge?"

"K-kinda!"

I shrugged, "I don't mind it, let's do it now!"

Freyja nodded with a smile.

"I'll come as well."

We all headed out to the nearest restaurant.

Farah and I sat across from each other on a table, the other surrounding us in separate seats.

The restaurant owner came up to us with concern in her eyes, "A-are you sure you want to do the challenge?"

I nodded to her with a smirk on my face, "Of course."

Farah puffed her cheeks out, bringing both arms in, "I'm ready!"

"O-okay." The owner ran off as if to get out of some sort of blast radius.

"If anything, I'm concerned about who's paying." I looked to the others.

Alya pointed to herself, "I have plenty of cash, it should be fine. Plus, she eats a lot when we go out all the time, I'm used to it."

"O-okay... I'll take that offer since I'm a bit hungry."

A myriad of bowls and plates filled with food are put on our table. I could see Freyja in my peripheral drooling a bit.

First bowl, nothing, second, nothing, still nothing. I could keep going actually.

At some point, we had gone through at least 30 plates and 13 bowls, all stacked onto each other, sometimes moved out of the way to be cleaned by staff. At a certain point, Farah began struggling but to be honest, I can still go.

I've always been able to eat a lot but I feel like this is significantly more compared to a few days ago.

She gave up at 40 plates and 20 bowls whilst I kept going, being the epic and cool eater individual I was.

At some point, Freyja had stolen a couple of plates for herself.

After I was done, I found Farah on her hands and knees.

"MASTER!" She declared.

"Umm... no?" I chuckled.

"O, food God! Bestow upon me grace!"

"You're crazy."

Ruwa had been ignoring me this whole time so this was the first time I'd hear her talk, "No... you're crazy, insane even, I..." She was legitimately baffled at how much I ate.

The Princess seemed to have a concerned smile on her face, not bothering to ask further.

After I and Freyja separated from the Princess's group, we went straight back to her Blackmithy to train.

Halfway through the forest, she stopped, spinning around to look at me, "Let's start now."