Experiment or Experience; Pain

Manley was so confident that his plan would work, he told his people to get the crews ready to start building. This is when he learned that he jumped the gun and didn't have many people. His operation relied so much on him that he never bothered to hire people to manage his business properly. He then had to hire an accountant because he had Rosie doing that job, who was just as inexperience as him and thought nothing of it. He had to hire a marketing team, buyout a delivery company that could help with logistics, and hire proper management that can not only help train Rosie but manage other branches as his business expanded.

All of this work kept him so busy that he didn't even notice that the President was stalling to make him sweat. The next meeting, the man tried renegotiating, but Manley was so pissed off by his own blunder and the work he did to fix it that he raised his price. The President tried to diffuse the situation, but Manley insisted, and they moved on to testing.

At a local children's hospital for the terminally ill, Manley administered his cure-all pill to a dying little girl. The pill was able to save her life, but a lot of the damage was already done.

"Miraculous! This medicine Mr. Hill is going to save many lives. I just wish we could've gotten it to her sooner." The President hung his head after looking at the now alive but crippled little girl.

"We couldn't have because you chose to delay, but I have a fix for this too or did you forget about my other pill." Manley then administered the miracle pill to the little girl, who started to get out of bed. The hospital staff rushed to brace her, but she stood on her own.

"This…this might have just earned you the Nobel peace prize," said President Roosevelt.

"Just get me my land and money, I couldn't care less for the recognition."

Manley then had his people move in and start working before the deed was even rendered. They cleared out some land and others began construction, while more land was being cleared. It was another month before he had a cabin in the woods, which he brought Val over to live with him.

Now that the construction was handled by other people and a city planner was involved, he switched his focus to his true goal. Manley could finally begin leveling his growth skill.

Deep in the woods away from the construction, close to where his cabin was built as to not bother his wife. Although as a city girl she was still complaining about the isolation. Val was pregnant with Manley's second child. He was able to take care of the finances, but he wasn't there for the birth of his daughter, he was on the research team during this period. The girl was named Valley, although his wife insisted on pronouncing it Val-lay, Manley didn't. His name was given to him by his parents, and he didn't see the need to continue with the confusion into the next generation.

Deep in the woods Manley laid his hands on a freshly planted tree. He took a deep breath before pouring as much mana as he could into his growth magic skill. He could feel the mana rush out of him as the tree grew more solid in his hand. After his mana bottomed out, he was resting his hand on the trunk of a large tree.

GROWTH BASIC LV7 Gained

GROWTH BASIC LV7 Accelerate growth of tissue mana cost-10%

"Yes! Progress," said Manley.

He went back to his cabin, to wait for his mana to regenerate. As he got home a surprise was waiting for him. There were three government agents waiting to speak to him on the front stoop.

"Well, how can I help you gentlemen. Hopefully you're not going to tell me you've taken my wife and child hostage," said Manley. Deep down he was hoping they would do just that, to give him an excuse, but he wasn't strong enough for such a challenge yet.

"Nothing like that Doctor Hill, we're here to deliver your documents, as well as a formal invitation from the President." The agent in the middle handed him a stack of papers.

"Invitation?" asked Manley.

Another agent stepped forward. "Yes Doctor Hill, the President would like to formally thank you and take a picture with you on his own two feet.

"Ah, a photo opp. I already have two hundred million that I am about to sink into building a city in the mountains." Manley looked through the papers as he spoke, identifying the invitation, he looked at the date. "July 2nd, my birthday, what a coincidence. Does he like odd numbers or does fifteen just sound better?"

"I wouldn't know what the President's intentions are, good Doctor." The men then walked up to shake Manley's hand one by one before leaving. They had to walk back to their car because there has yet to be a road built.

Manley walked into his cabin to see his wife taking care of the baby. He walked up to her and rubbed his daughter's head. Manley was conflicted, although he cared for his new family, he couldn't be sure why he was doing this. The things he had planned will surely put his family in danger, though he rationalize that the real danger is years off from now.

"Man, I was thinking, if you're building a city, why not make it a place our people can settle. Maybe…I don't know, some place that's just ours," said Val.

"Our people? Oh…I see what you mean, but I don't think a city full of poor people would be very successful." Looking at the expression on his wife's face, Manley didn't think she was happy with that.

"What would your father think, if he heard you talking like that?" asked Val.

"You know my dad?"

"Yes Man, a lot has happened since you've been away, you didn't bother to ask. I know you're busy with—"

"I can allow our people to settle here but only the ones that contribute to building the city and their immediate family. If they work construction or have able bodied men willing to work, get them here. You can organize it, with the help of your brother and my dad."

"Really, but what about the baby and you? You will be out here by yourself; I can't be out here and do all—"

"Don't worry about me, I have research to do, and I will come see you when I have time. It's not like you will be far, as for the baby, just hire a nanny, we're rich."

Manley spent a lot more time than he would like to reassure his wife, encouraging her to take on this project. The city was just a way for him to force either Roger or Rosie into politics, so he could have some influence without having to be in charge of anything. With a city of people already loyal to him, he would be protected if someday mutants were discovered and especially, he was discovered to be a mutant.

Getting Val to take charge of the project was a way to get her off his back. She complained constantly, but not just due to the pregnancy. She wanted to do more now that she was married to an influential man, she wanted him to spend more time with her, and most importantly, she doesn't understand why he changed so much. Keeping her distracted, is for the best.

He learned that his parents came to visit him while he was away, and Roger then introduced them to a then first-time pregnant Val. They spent a lot of time together, because his mother wanted to get to know her daughter in law. He didn't care enough to ask but he now knew why his parents put pressure on him to get married. He thought they just heard about him having a child from Roger.

After things settled down, Manley headed back into the woods to continue his experiments. He found an even smaller tree, its roots barely in the ground. Starting the same process over, he injected mana into the skill then pushed it to the limit. This tree grew into a tower of foliage much faster, before he knew it, he was looking up as a giant tree took shape.

GROWTH ADVANCE LV1 Gained

GROWTH ADVANCE LV1 Accelerates growth mana cost-30%

"Finally! Now for the fun part." Manley sat down on a log and waited for his mana to regenerate. As he was waiting, he had a thought, he then got up and collected a bunch of saplings. He gathered them together, then buried them in the same hole so that they were touching. After recovering his mana, Manley started to grow the saplings quickly enough that they grew into each other.

After the small trees became one amalgamation, he then pushed them to grow to about his height while standing. Manley standing at 177cm circled around the twisted tree, like a hydra with many heads, the tree with its fat trunk was very intimidating.

GROWTH ADVANCE LV2 Gained

BOTANY LV3 Gained

"Spooky, now for the real test." Manley got to work on something he has been attempting for a long time. Manley has been looking for a way to imbue mana into an object, in the hopes of enchanting them to with unique special effects. With its own mana, the object could act independently of his own mana pool. If he could create something that could heal him without using up his own mana, it could save his life.

Manley placed his hand on the tree, then imbued mana manipulation. He injected his own mana into the process using his own mana manipulation skill. As the mana settled in, he then used the growth skill on it. As the mana began to grow, the tree started shrinking. Realizing that the tree was consuming its own mass to build mana, he then imbued it with the regeneration skill, which stabilized the process.

MANA SUBSTITUTE ADVANCE LV5 Gained

"It worked, now for the next part." He then layered all of his magic skills on the tree, proceeded to test it. He took out a knife, cut his hand, then place it on the tree. His injury started to visible heal, even better the tree was using its own mana to complete the process.

"Nice, plus it can contain more mana than me, although how does that work. This tree is not smarter than—"

SNARL! THUMP!

Manley was suddenly hit hard from the back and tackled to the ground. He felt rows of sharp knives dig into his left shoulder as a weight pressed on top of him. He struggled to reach up, remove the knives and defend himself but his hand touched the snout of an animal instead.

The creature started ripping into him more vigorously, he could feel its clawed feet digging into his back. Failing to overpower the creature, Manley could only desperately heal himself.

BRAWLING ADVANCE LV4 Gained

Finding his meat to hard to tear open, the creature released him. Manley rolled, then scrambled to back away from the thing. His back met the tree he was working on, he stopped to get a good look at the creature. A giant wolf like monster, with a broad chest, and furious eyes, stalked him.

The monster jumped in again, he threw his hand up to stop it, only to ended up with both his right forearm and previously injured left shoulder in its mouth. The monster, struggled to bite down, while scratching up his thigh with its back legs, as it struggled to get purchase and leverage.

BRAWLING ADVANCE LV5 Gained

The creature couldn't get a good bite with both Manley's forearm and shoulder in its mouth, but it continued to cause injury. Manley was in so much pain, he would often forget to breath, then suddenly gasp for breath as the pain intensifies. The only thing keeping him alive was the healing he was receiving from the tree, as he couldn't think straight enough to heal himself.

The tree was burning so much mass just trying to maintain the healing, it consumed the blood and flesh of Manley that came in contact with its trunk. After what felt like hours of torment, the creature finally gave up and ran away.