The Miracle of Life and Appearance Matters? Ch. 6

-John POV-

Todays the day. Miranda had been coming by the past few weeks for check ups and it was finally time. All my preparations had been made and I'd already found the auction house that I'd be using. Now all that's left was delivering the baby and then my retirement fund will be complete!

-Mc POV-

'Todays the day!'

'….'

'Oh hush your excited too, your just too shy to show it!'

I was going to finally escape this infernal prison they call the womb. And while I can already tell that I'd miss the darkness and warmth I was ready to finally be free! Over the past two months and a few weeks I'd stagnated heavily. Miranda had been rather upset that her cat had died, upset that she wasted money on it anyway. She didn't get a new pet or anything leaving me without a training partner.

I did try a soul illusion on Miranda and the results were… less then ideal. The illusion worked just fine, in fact I'm almost positive it's a guaranteed hit unless the target has soul defenses. However the effects of it were not great, she quickly concluded it was just an extremely pleasant dream shattering the illusion. The illusion breaking apparently causes some kind of effect cause when it broke she woke up right away confused and spooked.

So I fell back on an important auxiliary feature I had in my system… combat logs. Turns out that illusions are also affected by the targets WIL stat, basically your WIL minus the targets WIL for a minimum of 1. I don't know if maybe the prostitute class is focused on WIL or if my stats are just low for this world because the illusion only held her for around 15 seconds. Doing some quick maths we find out that her WIL stat is 81 points. (A/N yes I know that the math is technically wrong, however each of his stat points counts a 2 for a native so his WIL stat, 48, is actually 96.)

Well I hope that the WIL stat helps with going through giving birth, although I imagine VIT is more important. Miranda had entered labor around 30 minutes ago and had promptly rushed to Johns clinic. The moment we arrived he had her lay on the same table as usual but with some slight changes in the form of etched runes running down the sides. The moment she lay down the runes blazed to life and several bright green magic circles covered her body. John the came over and started to cast spells, this was actually the first time I'd seen him chant for a spell. Most of the time he uses the gloves with runes in them and he says nothing at all.

As he cast the spells I could actually feel myself getting squeezed out. Birth felt just a horrible as it's always described, being squeezed through an opening that felt far to small only to immediately be hit by the cold. God the cold, I'd had a close run in with frost bite in my past life and this was far worse, I felt wet too, and kinda like a pool I only felt wet when I was out.

"It's a boy." A man… John said sounding slightly tired.

"Y-yeah well I don't care what it is I'm just happy that it's over!" And that must be Miranda.

Wow it's nice to able to hear again! I still haven't opened my eyes, a little afraid of what I know will be a blinding light. Looking though soul-

"And now I need you to go to sleep for me Miranda.." The circles on the bed shift colors to pink and flare in a flash of light.

"J-John w-hats the meanin…." Miranda began to slur as the circles flashed before passing out.

"Hahah, my ticket to wealth here I come!" John begins to cackle hysterically while looking at me like I'm a pot of gold or something. He picks me up and takes me through a door and into another room. A large magic circle was carved into the ground, the etchings full of what looked like blood. He placed me down in the center of the circle and backtracked his way to the door.

'So this it huh… reborn only to die in some kind of ritual..!'

'….'

'I'm scared too…'

"Waaaaaaaa!" And so with fear plaguing my mind my body responded in kind and began to wail.

"Oh, Great lords of Mana! Spirits of the beyond, head my call! Thine earthly child has talent in thy esoteric arts from an age lost. With his body touched by the primordial elementals themselves. Head my call and bless the child in his endeavors ordained to be great by the elements themselves. [Mana Blessing]!" John began to chant, just by listening to it this seemed to be more of a possession ritual than a sacrificial one. By the time he got to the end of his chant I had realized that I probably wasn't going to die today.

Through soul sense I saw the circle flickering before suddenly solidifying as the last two words of the chant were said. Then came the pain. Ungodly amounts of pain. It felt like my soul was being torn in half.. in a purely instinctive move I demanded my soul sense to look at my soul.

*Ding*

{Desire to see soul confirmed; activating [Soul Sight] sub skill)

Oh, how I would regret that decision.

*Ding*

{Detected host is undergoing [Mana Blessing] ritual}

{Host stats begin to grow +3 each stat}

{Host stats begin to grow +3 each stat}

{Host stats begin to grow +3 each stat}

{Detected active eye skill being used, detected skill [Voids Blessing] sub skill [##%#%#], detected sight related title}

{Fusing skill with eyes}

{Error [Mana Blessing] ritual has priority}

{Override granted}

{Skill [Mana Sight] granted in priority override}

{Fusing skills [Mana Sight], and [Soul Sight] with support from vision related title and [Voids Blessing] sub skill [#%$&@&]}

{Error body underdeveloped…. Solution; evolving hosts right eye into [Crystalized Mana Eye]}

{Awakening energy reduced by 35%}

{New eye skill [Voids Judgment] created and fused into hosts right eye}

{Ritual continuing…. Title granted [Mana Blessed] associated skill [Mana Body Forge] developed}

{Insufficient energy to continue greater awakening….searching….solution found}

{For having related records skill [Mages Mind] is gained}

{For having related records title [Mana Prodigy] is gained; associated skill [Surgical Mana Control] is gained}

{For having related records title [Mana Well] is gained}

{Awakening energy at 25% starting soul bind awakening….error soul bound items detected…error •#%$&@• override}

{Energy being diverted…. soul bound weapon [Void Glaive] gains property [Form Change] based on users desire}

{Awakening energy at 15%}

{Energy being diverted….. soul bound weapon [Magia Aeterna] gains property [Energy Bank] and sub ability [Knowledge Siphon] based on users desires}

{Awakening Energy at 1%…. Speeding up awakening of [Void Glaive]…. Time skipped <5 years>}

{Awakening [Void Glaive]…. no danger to host detected….. awakening begins now}

I finally passed out.

-John POV-

"Finally it's over.." I was nearly seeing double from mana exhaustion, but I'd done it; the [Mana Blessing] ritual was complete. The child had awakened a type of staff, the ghostly image of the awakened weapon floating above his head.

"Hmm… a martial type. Was hoping for a mage type… they would sell better." It was truly unfortunate that he was a martial type… a mage type mana blessed at his age may have gone for up to 400 gold. However even as a martial type the fact his blessed element is death or some kind of sub element of death still puts his price in the 350 range. Enough money for me to retire peacefully.

With the ritual finished I had work to do, the auction in the capital starts in a month I should arrive just on time if I hurry. I pick up the child and rush outside, as I leave the room I hear the cleansing enchantments get to work removing all evidence that a mana ritual was performed. I move to the carriage I had prepared earlier that week, carrying only the essentials and some keepsakes for my new life I put the baby in an especially enchanted cradle and began my journey.

According to my research the awakening will put the child into a coma like state for anywhere from 20-35 days. Hopefully he stays asleep till the auction, and if he does wake up the enchantments should take care of it. And so exiting the town I'd lived in for the past 27 years I began the journey to the capital and my new life…

-Mc POV-

'W-what the fuck happened…'

'…..'

'Yeah, I know we went through a ritual but after that… I passed out?'

I started to open my eyes to take a look around—

"Waaaaaaaa!" I shut my eyes as fast as possible.. it was like a flash bang went off in my face. What the fuck was that?!

*Ding*

{Hosts right eye has evolved into a [Crystallized Mana Eye] and been fused with the skill [Voids Judgment] opening the hosts right eye will automatically activate the effects of [Mana Sight], [Soul Sight], and allow the use of [Voids Sentencing]}

'Ok so one of those effects makes me see blinding white light?'

{Answering… host is seeing energy of the light element in close proximity}

'So if open my left eye will this still happen?'

{No}

And so I began to tentatively open my left eye. I was in a box? It looked like a wooden box with magic circles carved into it glowing in a white-gold color. All of sudden the box jolted and then started to shake. In a small amount of panic I had forgotten my soul sense which I immediately used now. '[Soul Sense]'

'….'

'Yeah I know nothing happened!' Must be these fucking runes, some kind of barrier maybe? As I was beginning to think of why my soul sense wasn't working the box stopped shaking just as suddenly as it started.

*Pssshhh*

As the walls of the box began to fold down my soul sense finally got a look outside. A nice wooden floor with bright lighting and standing next to the box, and by proxy me, a beautiful girl wearing a suit. I open my left eye a little more to get better look around.

I'm on a stage of some kind, a packed room full of chairs in front of me with what look like royal boxes up near the roof. The crowd, despite being relatively packed are all dressed extremely well. Compared to John, Miranda and the people in the market these people are ridiculously over dressed… nobles perhaps?

"And finally item 001 and tonight's finale" Her voice was amplified despite not using a mic of any kind, magic probably. Also did she just call me an item?

"A mana blessed child, testing shows that he's blessed by the tier two element 'Soul' and awakened a martial type weapon." She had a bright grin on her face while explaining my good points… am I being sold?

"Bidding starts at 50 gold" Holy shit I am being sold, or more accurately auctioned.

"75 gold!"

"75 hah, 100 gold!"

"125!"

"155!"

"190!"

"375…" Finally after around 30 seconds of bidding a deep voice sounded out from one of the royal boxes.

"350 gold from box 7! Going once! Going twice! ….. Sold to the gentleman in box 7 for 350 gold!" With a huge smile on her face and a glimmer in her eye the auctioneer loudly announces that I've been sold…

*Psssshh*

The walls of the box begin to slowly fold up again. I'm still frozen in shock at being sold as an item the moment I wake up, still reeling from the ritual mind you. The box jolts and begins to shake again. And, after about a minute and a half, the box stops shaking.

*Pssshhh*

The box opens up and I see a kind looking old man looking down at me. Through soul sense I 'see' John behind me, I also see a very unstable flickering signature in one of the rooms corners.

"Thank you for your patronage Mr. Umbras." Says John, seriously if your gonna kiss his ass maybe don't look at him like he's a walking money bag. Actually let's see how Johns feeling right now.

'[Soul Appraisal]'

==================================

Name: John Dathmin

Level: 79

Age: 67

Class: Medical Mage

Previous Classes: Civilian, Mage Apprentice, Rune Mage Acolyte.

Feeling: Joyful, Greedy, Envious.

Soul Purity: Grey

==================================

Well that's new… previous classes.

"No problem Mr. Dathmin its a worthwhile purchase after all" Well at least this old guy seems pretty nice. I'm still upset I was sold but it looks like it could be worse.

"Well I'll be on my way then Mr. Umbras." And with that John walked out the door. Well looks like it's just me and the old man no—

'What the fuck!' After John left 5 men popped out of nowhere or 4 men did 1 of them, also the shortest one, came from the spot with the flickering soul.

"You gotta get better newbie! Your concealment was unsteady and far too brittle!" One of the 4 sneaky boys started to admonish the guy who had a flickering soul.

"Silence!" The old man mumbled just under his breathe. His expression turned ice cold as he turned to one of the men. "3, you follow Mr. Dathmin and cut off that loose end."

"Aye sir!" And with that '3' flickered and disappeared only a small dark blue magic circle appearing around his boots before he was gone.

"And as for you little one, I welcome you as the newest recruit of the Shadow Tower." And now his expression was back to that of a kindly old man.. '[Soul Appraisal]'

==================================

Name: Toby Umbras

Level: 296

Age: 176

Class: Shadow Shaman

Previous Classes: Civilian, Assassin Apprentice, Assassin, Shadow Assassin, Master Shadow Assassin, Arcane Assassin, Trained Shinobi, Shadow Spirit.

Feeling: Emotional, Happy.

Soul Purity: Light Black

==================================

Why did I tempt fate?