6 Inside the Valley
Colossal mana waves pulsed violently inside the valley, creating ripples along the ground as they surged forth. I was still many miles away from the original source but I was already experiencing the effects.
My skin tingled slightly and I had difficulty breathing. It felt like my lungs weren't working properly and the mana inside me chaotically flowed around. It feels like I'm about to burst open.
The same however could not be said about my horse. It just leisurely soaked in all the mana it could get as if it was sunbathing. In fact, it seemed to enjoy the experience quite a bit.
I could feel how my body slowly gets conditioned to this feeling. My entire being resonated as I slowly adapted to the pure mana leaking from the fissure.
"Not enough..." Since I'm still able to properly think, I didn't push myself enough. This headache is nothing against my resolve.
Walking deeper into the valley, I passed by other unfortunate humans that died here. Only their lifeless body left to tell the tale. Sadly, I couldn't find anything valuable on them aside from some coins and shattered weapons.
As I continued walking further in, the air became thicker and heavier. The mana density increased dramatically and made the world around me vibrate and shake as if the very fabric of reality itself is tearing apart. It was a mysterious sight, seeing the landscape distorted as if the sky was falling upon me.
Nonetheless, I couldn't properly focus on my surroundings as I tried to keep myself together. If I would buckle even a little bit, I'm sure death would follow swiftly.
The thought of dying excited me and I couldn't help but grin. It was a rare feeling that allows me to fully embrace my emotions and I felt truly alive. It reminds me of my final artwork.
How I painted every detail of the scene onto canvas, giving it life whilst dancing with death. I wonder if the humans of my previous world are still celebrating it?
With every step I took, I could feel a portion of my rationality vanish. My emotions amplified as I just wanted to follow them without a second thought. A common symptom of too highly concentrated mana exposure.
Feeling the grasp of reality slip out of my hands, I pulled out a dagger and punctured my hand with it. Blood dripped down my palm and splashed everywhere. The shock set my body on alert as I could regain a little bit of control.
Cutting off the blood flow to my hand by tightly wrapping it, I managed to slow down the blood loss. That should do the trick... For now.
Forcing myself to walk further, I exposed myself to such a high degree of pure mana that even my B-ranked horse winced in pain. It's barely possible to keep myself together.
This should be just the right amount of mana for my body. With this, I can efficiently increase my Mana Synchronisation and other stats although it is quite demanding.
I got into a meditative pose as I focused on keeping my sanity and staying alive. With every wave of mana clashing against my body, I absorbed a small part of it to strengthen itself.
Minutes turned into hours as I kept pushing myself to make up for the time the former owner of this body wasted.
Even after piercing my other hand to regain clarity I still was forced to leave after 3 hours. The trip back was infinitely better as I could feel the pressure diminish.
Approaching the exit, I came across a group of people consisting of 3 girls and 2 guys. They looked exhausted, having trouble proceeding further even though this is only a fraction of what I endured.
Pathetic.
But this will work. I don't know how Embodied Artistry functions so they can serve as lab rats. It's unfortunate that we don't share any emotional bond to improve this new artwork of mine but it will suffice.
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"Finally!" A young man named Alex exclaimed happily once he reached the entrance to the Eldritch Fissures.
It took him and his 4 other companions several hours of waiting to get this opportunity. Meanwhile, he was forced to watch other people easily access it and just skip the line because they are noble.
It frustrates him to no end but there's nothing he can do. Atleast he can now grasp this golden chance to drastically improve his strength.
Who knows, maybe he is very talented in secret and is able to enter the best academy in the whole kingdom: Elite haven.
"Okay guys, you know the plan. We will approach the rift as close as possible and then camp there to maximize the profits. And make sure to not overexert yourself lest you go insane." Alex reminded his teammates.
"Yeah, yeah sure. We won't do anything dangerous we get it already." Replied a girl named Emily. She looks like an average human with her brown hair tied behind and blue eyes.
"Alright. Let's go team Azure Devil!" Exclaimed Alex with excitement as he dashed towards the rift, leaving his team in the dust.
The group wandered through the valley as they enjoyed the pleasant feeling of pure mana washing over them. It feels nice being surrounded by so much mana as it makes everything around seem vibrant and beautiful.
"I thought this was supposed to be dangerous but it feels like a walk in the park," commented the other boy called James.
He had long blondish hair that reaches his shoulders and green eyes. His muscular physique is due to all the physical training he does.
"Yeah, you're right but don't get too overconfident. I heard that even geniuses died here after overestimating their limits." Answered Emily.
James shrugged at her remark "What could possibly happen? I know my limits quite well."
And so, the self proclaimed team "Azure Devil" continued onward as they soon experienced what happens when they expose themself to highly concentrated mana that their body wasn't accustomed to.
The group struggled to breathe as they huffed and puffed, slowing down their pace considerably. Their bodies were unable to take anymore of the intense mana.
"Let's stop here. I can't move on." Suggested Emily whilst trying to catch her breath.
The group nodded in agreement as everyone felt the need to rest. Alex prepared a tent while James started a fire using some wood he found nearby. Now they can reap the benefits.
Everything was going according to plan when suddenly nearby bushes rustled violently.
"Who's there!" Shouted James as he instantly went into a defensive stance.
The group went on high alert as everyone grabbed their weapons. There shouldn't be any animals residing here so that could only mean one thing; Another human.
A figure emerged from the bushes, revealing a young man. His white skin stood out from the whole area and his crimson red eyes looked entrancing.
But more importantly than that, he was bloodied all over his hand, soiling everything he touched.
His eyes contained a hint of inhumanity as he walked up to us with daggers in his hand. The young man before them did not even seem affected by the mana waves as he effortlessly moved towards us.
"Hey! Who are you? Back off!" Yelled James at the potential enemy just to get ignored.
"Shit he screams trouble! Azure Devils, into formation! Let's show him what it means to mess with us." Exclaimed Alex in order to control the situation.
The group of 5 quickly got together with the boys in the frontline and the girls acting as support or spellcasters. All of them have different roles, making them formidable opponents if they ever encounter another threat.
They patiently observed every movement of the unknown foe as he moved closer and closer. They were just about to attack when the young man suddenly spoke out:
"Who in your group is the leader? Who would cause the most chaos if gone?"
Confused, the group didn't know how to act. They all subconsciously looked at Alex, waiting for him to do something. He got them out of a peril many times before so their trust in him is quite high.
"I see..." Spoke the unknown young man as he inspected Alex from top to bottom.
Abruptly, the young man rushed towards them, his daggers held high as he violently slashed at Alex. Although his attacks weren't too fast for them to see, they were unpredictable as they seemingly swung in a random pattern.
Every single slash needed Alex's full attention to block as he couldn't make out any kind of pattern or attack style of them. Because of his misplaced focus, Alex didn't notice until it was too late that the young man swept his leg as he fell to the ground.
A dagger ruthlessly pierced Alex's throat, crushing his vocal cords so he couldn't even mutter his last words.
It was a tormenting sight as he looked at his comrades, begging for help that would never come as they only stood frozen in place with fear in their eyes.
