Pure Energy and a Hellish Taste of Power

Drew reached the shack and after making sure everything was as he had left it, he began to search for his best pal.

He entered the outskirts of the forest and tried searching for Flux with only the setting sun lighting up his way.

'Maybe I could unsummon him and resummon him?' Drew thought but realized he had already summoned him today.

'Man it feels like today has been an eternity since I woke up this morning,'

'Just so much happened in such a short amount of time,'

'The next week should be much more 'peaceful' than today was,' Drew thought hopefully.

'Though training is gonna be a major pain in the ass...'

He searched the outskirts for a little while but other than finding some small critters he came up empty.

"How the hell am I supposed to find the 'little' furry guy?" Drew sighed as the sunlight had mostly disappeared by now.

He reviewed Flux's skills and tried to find anything that may be used to signal Flux that he was looking for him but couldn't find anything that would really let him contact him.

'Is there any way I can find Flux quickly, System?' He asked, not hoping for much.

[...]

[Reviewing related skills...]

[Reviewing possible beneficial routes...]

[Two simple paths have been determined]

[View?]

'Yeah,' Drew said as he didn't realize that there was even one way to find his companion, let alone two.

[The First Path is as follows:]

[Tracking: A big and young wolf like Flux would most definitely struggle with hiding their massive tracks. It should be rather easy to find him if you pay attention to the signs. In addition, this path has an added benefit to your growth compared to the next path. Tracking Flux in this manner will help you develop the [Scout] skill which will be beneficial in the future for tracking other beings]

[The Second Path is as follows:]

[Skill Usage: An unorthodox way to use one of Flux's skills may allow you to contact them. Please review the [Temporal Lunge] skill and check the latter part of the description to determine the other use of the skill]

'Hmm...'

'The first one is the obvious idea I guess, the system is basically just saying 'Find him yourself, lol' and 'Just look harder, lmao' which was definitely helpful,' Drew thought sarcastically.

'Though I don't remember what the scout skill is so it may actually be worthwhile to spend some time practicing tracking...'

'But I think I can save that for later, so I think I'd rather just use this 'Unorthodox' way of using Flux's skill,' Drew thought while pulling up the skill to understand what the System was talking about.

'I didn't notice anything before... but the system seems to be a better judge than me,'

-

[Temporal Lunge: Lv: 1]: Using the innate time element that has been imbued within Flux, they can move forward at a speed that is increased by a large factor. Their attack is also imbued with extra force due to increased speed and is more likely to break teleportation attempts due to the temporal nature of this skill. They can also go through matter and shields while using this skill, though most magical shields will negate this. This skill uses Flux's mana though if the summoner chooses, they may lend their mana to Flux.

-

Drew read through the skill once more and didn't get what the system was mentioning but after reading the last sentence a few times it clicked in his mind.

'Can I send him my mana and use it as some sort of signal?'

It initially wasn't something he had even considered because he thought it could only be done when Flux used the skill or/and when he was in close proximity to Flux.

'The skill suggests that it can only be done when the Flux uses the skill... but it doesn't explicitly say that, it seems similar to a suggestion in a way and not a hard enforced rule. And the distance thing I kind of just assumed, which isn't something that is really smart to do,' Drew thought as he realized that skills may have special uses that were hidden in their wording.

'I wonder how many hidden uses my skills have...'

He focused his mind and tried to activate the skill, though Flux was the only one who could activate Temporal Lunge, the system seemed to suggest that Drew could send him mana, meaning that he could initiate the transfer... hopefully.

He focused on Flux's image within his mind and the tattoo on his arm and tried to use the energy that was within him. He hadn't actually tried actively using his mana without the use of an item and the system's prompts so it was a very strange feeling when his chest began to burn and his veins bulged slightly and glowed a whitish color with blue particles that flowed in tandem with the beating of his heart.

Unknown to Drew, his milky eyes had begun to swirl like a white vortex in which falling stars danced in an endless circle. And even though this would have surprised Drew if he had seen it... there was something much more important that happened when he channeled his magical energy.

His skin stood on end and a shiver ran through his body. The tingling in the back of his brain was stronger than it had ever been and for the first time since Drew entered this world... he truly heard the whispering in his mind.

'Energy... Pure Power... Doesn't it feel good?' The croaking voice said, still muffled, but just strong enough for Drew to comprehend the strange sound that was in his mind.

'Wh-Wha-What?' Drew stuttered in his mind with surprise and fear as he heard these foreign thoughts. But that wasn't what scared Drew the most.

It was because the voice was Right.

It did feel good.

It felt so... Good!

The shivering... The goosebumps... His blood felt warm and burned but... It was pure energy!

Something he had never felt before.

A Euphoria... a High... it was Pure Ecstasy!

'This is... addicting...' Drew thought as his body shivered from the power he felt at his fingertips, his mind cautioned him that if he lost himself in this feeling... he may never be able to let go.

The tingling in his mind hadn't stopped. The whisper spoke one last time... the last time Drew would truly hear it for a long time.

'Remember this feeling, Child... for it is what makes you who you are,'

'It is your essence, your life, your blood,'

'So remember... that when you feel shackled by the world... when you reach the barrier that limits all who reach the edge of magic... all you must do is let this energy take you over... then you will truly be YOU,' It said before the entire sensation of energy left Drew and left him with a faint tingling sensation running through his arms.

They glowed slightly but it was nothing compared to what he had felt just seconds ago.

The feeling... the joy... the exhilaration was gone.

'What... the... fuck...' Drew thought, his body became weak as he lost the sweet taste of pure energy.

As he crashed from the strongest and only high he had ever been through in his life.

[The user has felt a sudden influx of the Purest Mana that the system has come into contact with...]

[No abnormalities have been detected within the host...]

[...]

[The system has come to the conclusion that an entity beyond my reach was most likely the cause for the influx of energy...]

[The system requires more energy to grow stronger alongside the host and after I grow strong enough this entity should be able to be detected and a proper plan can be put into place to deal with this foreign being]

[Please grow stronger Drew!]

'Wait... Did that strange man give me the system?' Drew thought as he remembered the man from the hospital. The man that was most likely Merlin from what Atun had said.

'Or is there some other reason I got this gift...'

His mind was clouded and foggy after crashing but the cooling energy filled his mind and helped him get back to what he was doing before his mana ran out.

He felt the burning sensation in his chest slowly deplete and grow weaker.

He focused his mind and returned to the thought of Flux and with guidance from the coolness in his mind he sent out a pulse of energy to the wolf.

It was draining and after he managed the feat the burning sensation had finally run out.

His skin was pale and clammy... a cold sweat covered his body and dripped down his face onto the cold forest floor.

His body was weak and weary but after his vision began to falter he heard a lone howl in the distance. He gave a weak smile before he felt his body succumb to the rest that it so desperately needed.

---

He awoke to the feeling of a prickling sensation covering the backside of his body. It wasn't painful and was actually rather pleasant.

Drew heard the faint sound of rustling trees, shaking gently in the wind, the faint buzzing of insects, the chirping of birds, and the faint whimpering of a familiar animal.

He opened his eyes in a hurry and sat up and looked around him.

He was in the forest where he had passed out the night before. It was around noon and the sun was fairly high in the sky though the shade provided by the trees made him comfortable.

Drew scanned in front of him but couldn't find the origin of Flux's whimpering.

'Was it my mind playing tricks on me?!' He thought, worry taking over his mind.

But then he heard the whimper again and felt Flux licking the back of his head back with gusto.

He turned around and broke out in a bright smile despite his aching body and hugged the doggo with as much strength as he could muster who then tried to nuzzle his massive head into Drew's neck.

'Whatever happened last night...' He thought as he stared deep into Flux's relieved eyes.

'I need to deal with it,'

'I need to grow stronger,'

"And you buddy... need to be there for me... and grow stronger too," He said in a whisper.

The only reply Flux had in return was to lick his face and howl a little to show his enthusiasm.

"No matter what happens... I want you to always be by my side..." He said gently and patted the excited wolf with affection.

"But for now... it's time to get to work," Drew said while shakingly standing up, his knees nearly buckling as he did so.

"But maybe before that, I could get a little rest," He said with a chuckle before a grunt escaped him as pain shot through his body like lightning.