Master Of None

”Good, now you can worry about the problem we have been thinking about since we got here. We haven’t even done an in depth exploration of the area because that is growing and we have no idea what will happen when the bridge fully forms.” Alma’s slight attitude was mostly due to worry.

She and everyone who had been there for the past hours handling the growing number of attracted lightning eater lizards along with a few other monsters who were trying to hunt one another in this mana dense area were worried.

They innately sensed the fact that the area was full of mana and that it was a beacon to any monster nearby. This was due to the uniqueness of a naturally formed elemental rune which had a multiple fused affinity set. If it was just one rune there was a chance that it would not attract so many monsters.

The thing was, it was also receiving plenty of mana from the bridge to the elemental planes slowly opening. The tiny bridge was only tiny in the sense that none of them could move inside and outside of it if they desired. However, it was still easily allowing larger amounts of mana to flow through and in to the rune which was right next to it.

”I understand the worries. If there is a balance right now because of the manas in the elemental planes and the manas here, what happens if one of the elemental planes shifts entirely and the manas coming through become just fire, just light, or just water? Or what happens if the bridge opens faster and more fully and the naturally formed lightning rune can’t handle the influx?”

They saw that Walker was perfectly understanding their worries and the potential that this could cause many more issues for them and everyone else. Especially with the fact that there was a focus on the manas which could go out of control.

”Walker, the environment here is perfect for that lightning rune. Even I can sense that without trying to learn anything or meditate near it. What happens if a lot of mana that doesn’t get balances is forced right next to it? We’ve never seen or heard what happens to a naturally formed elemental rune that breaks down.” This word for Gil was the greatest.

In his mind, he knew how much mana was contained in naturally formed runes. He had seen the efforts to make them and seen the length of time that would have been needed for the manas to gather if there were not elemental spirits or the growth of the world working on it naturally. However, he also understood that this much mana leaving order and becoming chaotic would surely be a danger to more than just nature.

”I seem to know what might happen.” Pausing for a moment as Walker contemplated this, Walker spoke with more firmness. ”The witch born race did not say that they saw it themselves but that they were alive when the world suddenly changed. It was also clear that they saw the aftermath of when the naturally formed rune in the chaotic ancient world had failed and broken down.”

Ama had stopped focusing causing some of the plants she controlled to wilt, but that was fine since many of those with their group had begun to move and explore. Her eyes were centered on Walker as she heard what her fear was said out loud.

”There is a high chance that all that naturally condensed mana will explode outwards and try to reach balance another way. It won’t be able to make any individual runes right away and will run rampant in this land. Whether that means water and fight causing massive amounts of steam, earth being broken avert, light becoming blinding… it could even mean that any monster with a bit of sensitivity for mana nearby is harmed. Or people.”

While this was mostly theory, Walker could say in his mind that this would be even more dangerous than what he was letting on. There could be an entirely more dangerous reaction that could cause instability throughout the world for a time. These were very dense manas that could unbalance manas for a great distance, if not greater than just the Sigil continent.

”So I will try and do something about it.” Gil raised an eyebrow at this. He wasn’t sure what Walker thought he would be able to do here other than siphon away mana as the bridge opened properly.

”How will you know what the elemental planes it might shift to will be? Will you go there from another bridge?” Since Alma knew that distances within the elemental planes were extreme and that when Walker had been there before he had the helping hands of unseen true sages and embodiments of manas themselves, she also knew that the dangers he would face could mean he didn’t reach the spot on the opposite end of the forming bridge for months or even years potentially.

”Well, I can sense the manas running through the bridge even at that size. So, what if I use the manas to open it faster so that the lightning rune will help handle the manas as they slowly shift in the elemental planes? Actually, it would be opening it before they shift at all so that when they do the area is stable and no influx of one mana can break the rune here.”

His idea was simple in words but was much tougher to accomplish in reality. Just because he wanted to do this so that there would be safety in the area, however, he also wanted to use all of his strength to help the world along properly.

It wasn’t arrogance telling him this, it was a resonance in who he was. All his titles, Internal manas, and even the fact that he was an Origin race member now told him he could achieve this.

”I’ll have the others live to patrol and document the area. Gil can help you after I set up a dome of vines with a smaller hole to help curb some manas.” While it would not do much and she knew this, Alma was still going to use vines to protect the two who she knew would risk a lot doing something foolish like this.

Even calling it foolish was both an under and never statement. Who else would have the ability to try this other than Walker? Then again, why wouldn’t he be able to do anything in this situation? It was an aspect of the world they had not explored properly.

Any study in to the bridges to the elemental planes themselves had been more or less on hold due to the potential dangers. The manas flowing from them and the locations were studied, but the bridges and how they formed at a closer level were not yet studied because of the risks associated with testing anything revolving around it.

He didn’t waste time and he didn’t tell Gil what to do to help. Gil had an idea though. Since he could draw in natural mana using the high elven dagger technique and he had the skills to manipulate mana in to arrowheads for arcane arrows, Gil felt that he could help.

It wasn’t that he would have a major connection but he could take every single arrow he hadn’t added mana to and use them as a method to hold some mana. Even a. Little would take away the excess mana which would be pouring out everywhere.

Basically, he was playing a small part in removing stress from Walker while he worked. And he would get arrows out of it that might be refined later in to lightning arrows. Not a bad deal.

On the other hand, Walker was letting his kids run wildly. He’d said he would handle this but he wasn’t sure he would actually be able to do that.

As he reached out his mana senses to and channeled natural mana, he felt immediate resistance. The larger amount of manas coming from the small yet growing bridge to the elemental planes told him the true might of mana. He’d never tried to manipulate a literal bridge to the elemental plane before.

He was about to try and enforce his own will on the very aspect linking the world and the elemental planes. Basically playing with an aspect of existence that had once been broken.

If he succeeded he’d avoid potential danger. If he failed he could cause a much worse danger than what he was going to be at risk for if he did nothing.

The only question Walker could ask himself was if he truly had the mentality to do so.

Not that this thought lingered before he reached out and allowed himself to come in to contact with all the manas associated with the bridge to the elemental planes. His mind was overwhelmed immediately.

.…

….

….

Please say no to piracy! Don’t take part in crime! Don’t patronize thieves!

Drop those golden tickets!