The morning sun filtered through the cracks in the cabin's wooden walls, casting a warm, golden light over the room. The group woke slowly, their bodies still weary from the previous day's work but their spirits lifted by the progress they had made.
After a quick breakfast of berries and a few edible roots, Victor laid out the plan for the day. "We'll split up again," he said.
"Lily and I will scout the area further, look for more potentially useful resources, and gather food and water. Sam, Walter, Ethan, and AJ will stay here and continue working on the resources we've gathered."
Sam nodded thoughtfully. "I'll start preparing the Ravager meat for lunch. We need to double check that it's safe to eat."
Victor turned to Walter and Ethan. "You two should work on the shield," he said. "We'll need it sooner rather than later."
Walter nodded calmly but with determination. "I'll get it done," he said.
With their tasks assigned, the group set to work. Victor and Lily ventured out into the forest, their movements cautious but purposeful. The morning air was cool and crisp, and the forest was alive with the sounds of birds and rustling leaves. They moved carefully, their eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of danger.
---
Back at the cabin, Sam, Walter, and AJ began their work. Sam started by preparing the Ravager meat, cutting it into manageable pieces and setting it over the fire to cook. The meat was tough and sinewy, with a faint metallic sheen, but it smelled surprisingly good as it sizzled in the pan.
"If this is edible," Sam muttered to himself, "it could be the best meal we've had so far. We'll need the protein if we're going to keep up our strength too."
Whilst the meat cooked, Sam turned his attention to the Firethorn berry extract. The mixture had cooled overnight, and he carefully strained it through a piece of cloth, separating the liquid from the pulp.
The resulting liquid was a deep, reddish-black, and it had a sharp, penetrating smell. "Oh boy," Sam said cautiously. "This might still be a bit too much. Not sure that we can keep it."
AJ, meanwhile, was busy experimenting with the resources they had gathered. He approached the small chunk of mana-infused mineral they had found in the rocky area, his amorphous form rippling with curiosity.
For AJ, absorbing and replicating materials had become easier over time, but it was still a deeply intricate process—one that required focus, patience, and an intimate understanding of the object's structure.
He extended a tendril towards the mineral, his form shimmering as he made contact. The moment his slimy body touched the crystal, he felt a surge of energy—a rush of mana that flowed into him like a current.
This mineral was far more energy dense than the others he had absorbed up to this point. It began to dissolve as AJ's body absorbed it. The sensation was familiar now, almost comforting, like drinking warm honey. The mana within the mineral spread through his form, filling him with a faint, glowing energy.
As it dissolved, AJ focused on understanding its structure. His body worked like a living laboratory, analysing its composition, focusing on the patterns made by the mana within it.
The mana was intertwined with its physical structure, giving it a unique resonance that AJ could sense deep within himself. It was as if the mineral had a kind of "memory," a blueprint that AJ needed to decipher.
The process was still slow and meticulous, but it was easier now than it had been when he had first tried using his abilities. AJ's form pulsed and rippled as he worked, his body glowing faintly with the absorbed mana.
He could feel the energy coursing through him, but it was less chaotic. His growing familiarity with the materials he absorbed allowed him to channel the energy more efficiently, shaping it into the same structure he had just absorbed. It was like rebuilding a puzzle from memory, but this time, he knew where most of the pieces went.
AJ concentrated, his form shifting and flowing as he attempted to influence the mana within him. The energy still resisted his efforts at first, slipping through his grasp like water, but AJ was persistent.
He focused on the memory of the mineral's structure, the way the mana was interlaced in the material and how it felt in his mind. Slowly, painstakingly, he began to shape the mana, guiding it into the same patterns he had absorbed.
AJ's form shimmered and pulsed with effort. This time, it felt less like a struggle and more like a dance—a careful, deliberate movement of energy and form. Finally, after roughly two hours or to AJ what felt like an eternity, a small, glowing crystal began to emerge from his body.
It was an exact replica of the mineral he had absorbed, its surface shimmering with the same faint, mana-infused glow. AJ's form rippled with satisfaction as he released the crystal, letting it fall into Sam's waiting hands.
Sam picked it up, his eyes wide with excitement. "It worked," he said with awe.
Ethan looked over when he heard Sam's excited outburst. "Wow, that really is a powerful ability," he said with similar awe.
Walter, who had been quietly working on the shield with Ethan, looked up from his task. "That's good news," he said calmly and approvingly. "We'll need all the resources we can get if we're going to survive out here."
---
By midday, Victor and Lily returned to the cabin, their arms laden with fresh supplies. They had found another small stream, closer to the cabin this time, and had gathered more edible plants and berries. Lily had also managed to snare a small rabbit, which she added to the pile of food.
"It's not much," she said apologetically, "but it's better than nothing."
The group gathered around the fire to eat, their spirits lifted by the smell of the cooking Ravager meat. The meat was tough and gamey, but it was edible, and the group devoured it eagerly. "Not bad," Ethan said, his mouth full. "Tastes like chicken, if chicken had scales and tried to kill you."
The others chuckled at his remarks as they ate. Victor's expression grew serious. "We're doing pretty well," he said steadily, "but we need to keep pushing forward. I think we should seriously continue trying to sense the mana in the air and make attempts at controlling it."
Sam nodded thoughtfully. "I could be wrong, but the mana core from the Ravager might be able to help us there," he said. "If we can sense the mana within it and use that as a reference, we might be able to sense the mana around us."
After lunch, the group gathered in a circle around the mana core, which Sam placed in the centre of the room. The core pulsed faintly, its translucent surface shimmering with an otherworldly light.
"Close your eyes," Sam instructed calmly but firmly. "Focus on the core. Try to feel the energy radiating from it. That's mana. Once you can sense it, try to extend your awareness outward, into the air around you."
Lily took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax. At first, there was nothing—just the faint crackle of the fire and the sound of her own breathing. But as she focused, she began to feel it. A faint, tingling sensation in the air. It was subtle, but it was there.
"I feel it," Lily said with awe. "It's like… a faint hum in the air."
Ethan nodded, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Yeah, I feel it too," he said. "It's weird, but… kind of cool."
Lily closed her eyes, her focus narrowing on the core. The hum grew louder, more distinct, until it felt like a steady vibration in her chest. She could feel the mana radiating from the core, a warm, pulsating energy that seemed to fill the room. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced—alive, almost, in a way that defied explanation.
As she focused, she began to extend her awareness outward, into the air around her. At first, it was like groping in the dark, her mind reaching for something she couldn't quite grasp. But then, slowly, she began to sense it—the mana in the air.
It was faint, almost imperceptible, but it was there. She could feel it as a series of gentle waves, like the ocean lapping against the shore. The waves crashed into her, one after another, each one carrying a faint pulse of energy.
The sensation was strange but not unpleasant. The mana felt alive, almost sentient, as if it were testing her, probing her awareness. Small amounts of the energy were absorbed into her body, filling her with a warm, tingling sensation.
But the majority of the waves bounced off, dissipating into the air around her. It was as if her body wasn't yet attuned to the energy, like a radio trying to tune into a distant station.
Lily's brow furrowed as she concentrated, trying to hold onto the sensation. The waves of mana continued to crash into her, each one a little stronger than the last.
She could feel the energy swirling around her, a chaotic, pulsating force that seemed to defy control. But she was determined. If she could just focus a little harder, she might be able to absorb more of it.
As the minutes passed, the sensation grew stronger. The waves of mana no longer felt like random pulses—they had a rhythm, a pattern that she could almost predict. She began to synchronise her breathing with the waves, inhaling as they crashed into her and exhaling as they receded.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, she felt her body absorbing more of the energy. It was a small amount, barely noticeable, but it was progress.
When she finally opened her eyes, the room seemed brighter, more alive. The fire crackled in the hearth, its light casting flickering shadows on the walls. The others were still deep in concentration, their faces tense with effort. Lily glanced at Sam, who was watching her curiously.
"What does it feel like?" he asked quietly.
"It's like… waves," she replied. "Gentle, pulsating waves. They crash into you, and some of the energy gets absorbed, but most of it bounces off. It's strange, but… kind of beautiful."
Sam smiled thoughtfully. "That's a good way to describe it."
Lily nodded, her mind still reeling from the experience. She could still faintly feel the hum of mana in the air. It was a strange, magical sensation, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
---
Whilst the group had been focusing on their meditation and trying to sense mana, AJ instead continued his efforts of absorbing and reproducing the various precious materials the group had gathered.
When he absorbed the Nightshade Caps, he could immediately sense the fibrous, organic structure of the mushrooms. The mana within them was softer, more fluid, and it flowed through him like a gentle current.
Replicating them was much easier as he had done it a few times already, and within a handful of minutes, a small, glowing mushroom emerged from his form.
The Ravager scales were the most challenging. Their metallic structure was rigid and unforgiving, and the mana within them was tightly bound, almost locked away. However, AJ was determined.
He put a lot of effort into breaking down the scale, methodically breaking down each chain locking it in its current form whilst simultaneously memorising the patterns.
It took so long to break down the scales that he grew bored. He decided that he would try replicating the bits of the scale he had broken down in an attempt to restore it.
Though it wasn't smooth at first, after a couple of attempts he managed to make it work. He could break down and reconstruct the outer layer of the shell relatively quickly, each cycle of breaking down and rebuilding taking about ten minutes.
He continued the same process for the rest of the scale. He slowly but surely made progress, breaking it down and rebuilding it layer by layer.
By the time the others were done meditating he had finally managed to entirely break down and replicate the entire scale, taking by far the longest amount of time to reproduce a material thus far.
AJ had made significant progress and the others weren't slacking either. They were all able to sense the mana around them. Although they couldn't manipulate it yet, just being able to sense it gave them an incredible survival tool to add to their arsenal.
Being able to sense mana wasn't only going to be helpful when it came to them manipulating it for themselves. They would also be capable of sensing strong sources of mana that could be extremely dangerous monsters or highly valuable resources.