Essence Wave Book 2 Chapter 3

*** AUTHOR'S NOTE ***

Not super happy with this scene, so I will probably work on it a bit more on the next edit. Major points will stay the same, but I want to see if I can make it more tense and exciting. 

Let me know what you think!

*** AUTHOR'S NOTE ***

“Everyone inside a building!” David bellowed out, then turned to Greg. “Get everyone inside. Even the people manning the watchtowers, though they can wait until it’s closer. Tell them not to push it. Normal lightning can go something like fifteen kilometers from the clouds. Who knows how far Essence lightning can?”

Greg nodded, then rushed off towards the gate, yelling for everyone to get inside.

David Sprinted across the rear of the Town, shooing everyone inside. Several times he had to physically pick someone up and carry them, then command a person in the nearest building to sit on them if necessary.

In less than ten minutes, he’d managed to get just about everyone out of the open and into a building. In that time, though, the storm had nearly reached them, moving far too swiftly for normal clouds. He turned towards the Manor, and started to Run. His large stride ate the distance quickly.

Just before he reached the Manor, a flash of scintillating green slammed into the building. Well, it almost hit the building. A shimmering blue shield, the color of Mana, appeared around the Manor and took the damage. The shockwave from the hit knocked David backwards, even with his high Stats and Skills.

“Holy crap, that would hurt,” he exclaimed as he rolled to his feet. Just as he stood up, he saw the other David, Mr. Smith, running from the Researcher’s Hut towards the nearest Log House. “Dang it.” David Sprinted at the old man, scooping him up in a quick pull before reaching the Log House.

“Whoa!” Mr. Smith yelled, then he stumbled into the building.

“Stay here until the storm is past!” David growled, then he turned to run back to the Manor. A sheet of rain greeted his movement, and then a blinding instant of agony enveloped him. After an eternity, or an instant, he stumbled forward and dropped to his knees.

Urgent flashing of his notifications almost distracted him, but he limped toward his home. He fell inside, lying within the buffer of the building’s durability. For at least a minute, he lay there panting, before the carpenter asked, “You okay sonny?”

“Yeah, I think so,” David said. “Oh, wow, I dropped over two thousand Hit Points. Don’t go outside until the storm passes.”

“That would kill me twice over, Lord Black,” the carpenter said.

“Hey, what’s your name? I’m sorry for not asking sooner,” David asked.

“Blake Trexler, at your service, sir,” Blake nodded at him.

“Great to meet you,” David said. “I’m gonna check my notifications, so if you need me and I don’t respond, just wait a minute.”

“Got it, David,” Blake said. “I’ll just finish up this furniture here for ya.”

David nodded absently, pulling up the notifications.

Congratulations: You have taken more than ninety percent of your hit points in a single hit and survived five times! Your resiliency is a testament to your world, letting you stand tall!

Reward: Gain an extra 10 Hit Points every level, retroactive to all previous levels earned.

Congratulations: You have taken a hit from a Mana Lightning Bolt and survived. The Mana has tempered your Mana Core, and given you a bonus, so you may stand tall!

Reward: 100 Mana

“Well, if you could survive a hit, it’s worth it,” David said. “I got a hundred bonus Mana from the strike that nearly killed me. Of course, my Pain Resistances skill went up two levels, and it’s pretty high already.”

“I would say you should spread the news, but I can barely hear you over the thunder, and you’re only ten feet away,” Blake laughed. “Not that I’d advocate masochism as a way of increasing your strength.”

David laughed back, just laying there. He saw Blake move back to carving another chair. Though it might have been more accurate to call it a throne. It was high backed and a meter wide with a roaring lion carved into it. “One thing about the System I like,” Blake said as he hefted the massive chair with one hand. “I am stronger than I have ever been before.”

“I know I am, but that is more about being superhuman than just being stronger,” David laughed. It took him a minute, but he was able to sit up. A massive boom of thunder shook the building, and a piece of wood fell from the ceiling. A warning popped up in front of David’s eyes.

Warning: A Tier 3 Essence Storm is passing over your Town. Significant damage to structures is possible. Repair and fortify locations with Mana and Energy. Warn your citizens.

“Crap,” David said. “Can you try to put some Mana into the walls, see if it lets you repair the building?”

“Sure can, boss man,” Blake said agreeably, but he gave David a questioning look.

“I can’t for a while still due to my injury,” David responded with a grimace. He quickly checked, and saw he still had a bit over two hours left. His Hit Points were replenishing rapidly, and it would take only another minute or so before he was back to full health. The improvement to my regen Skill plus my bonus regeneration near the City Crystal makes me a monster here.

“Only needs a few hundred Energy and Mana right now,” Blake told David with his hand pressed against the wall. “Uh, I only got about a third of it, though. I spent quite a bit on those tables and chairs. I’ll do my best, though.”

I wonder if the prohibition is only when not using a Skill, David thought, then put his hand palm up in front of his face and summoned a Mana Bolt. It formed without a warning, or even a tingle. He closed his fist, pulling the Mana back, then stood up and walked over to Blake. “I’ve never used this Skill before, so we’ll see how it works.” David put his hand on Blake’s shoulder, and activated A Lord’s Gift. With a thought, he pushed Mana towards the older man, and he felt significant amounts of Mana be siphoned off to change the essence of the Mana being transferred.

After spending two thousand Mana, David stopped. “How much Mana did you receive?” he asked.

“Two hundred and nine,” Blake said, concentrating on the wall and his System notifications. “That was enough.”

“Okay, well I’m up to Novice three in the Skill now. Energy next,” he repeated the process. He didn’t try to change anything, just feeling what the Skill was doing, afraid to hurt Blake if he mucked it up somehow. Another two thousand Energy this time, and Blake reported a gain of two hundred and seventeen.

“That gives me plenty to fix the building,” Blake said with a grin. “Heck, if I can get a top-off sometimes I could get a bunch more furniture done.”

“Maybe sometimes. Do you have the Meditation Skill? It helps improve your Mana and Energy regen rates.”

“Nah, but I can work on that. What’re you going to do now?”

“Time to brave the storm again. I want to check on the Researcher’s Hall and find Colin and Greg.”

Blake looked out the window in the door as multicolored rain and lightning struck all around, “Your funeral, boss man.”

“Close the door behind me,” David said, then pulled it open and Sprinted across the gap. It only took him twelve steps to reach the door of the Researcher’s Hall, and he had to bump the wall to stop. He threw open the door, hurrying inside, and slammed it behind him.

There were fourteen people in there. “David, are you okay?” Michelle asked, standing with Christine and Jessica. All four desks were occupied by people he didn’t recognize immediately, and they were focused on the work. Heck, I remember not realizing time was passing at all last time I did any research.

“Yeah, but the town might not be,” he responded. “I got a notification that the storm is damaging our buildings. Blake was able to repair the Mayor’s Manor, and I’m stuck healing still for another two hours.”

“We can keep this building secure,” Michelle said. “Colin was in the Barracks and Liz was in the Farm.”

“Got it, thanks. I’m headed out again,” David nodded with a relieved smile on his face. “If you have less than two thousand Hit Points, don’t risk the storm. I got hit by a bolt and it dropped me pretty hard.”

“Then I should be fine,” Craig said, stepping up. “I can run to the Log Houses to warn people.”

“Thanks,” David said. “Follow me.” He turned to the door, this time summoning his shield before rushing out into the rain. He kept his arm over his head and turned down the path towards the Barracks. Six steps towards it, another bolt slammed into his shield. It shattered and the rest of the power flowed into him. He collapsed twitching, but recovered fast enough to turn it into a roll.

“Ow, ow, ow,” David whined. He checked his Status quickly while getting back to his feet. “Only a thousand Hit Points worth of damage. Also lost two thousand Mana though. Did my shield attract the hit?” He shook his head and Sprinted the rest of the way, thundering through the stone doors of the Barracks. “Colin, need your help,” he panted.

“What’s up?” Colin said, standing in front of the two dozen students that filled the area. David quickly explained. “Okay, Smith, Greg, Dan, fix this building up. I’ll hit the Farm and get Liz.”

“I’m going to the Market, see who is there,” David said, then looked at his friend. “You may want to get hit. It hurt and did a crapton of damage, but it also buffed my Mana. That goes for everyone,” he raised his voice. “If you have more than two thousand Hit Points, you may want to try to get hit by the lightning. Just, you know, have a healer nearby or something.”

“I can watch over them,” a young woman said. “Uh, sir, I’m Ashely, level three with two healing Skills.”

“Awesome,” David said, then looked over at Colin. “We need to make sure she levels quickly.”

“Every healer, duh,” Colin said. “Race you.”

David laughed, then they both Sprinted out the door. David pushed Energy into Vanguard’s Charge, blurring forward. Three lightning bolts flashed down from the sky, smashing into the ground behind him. The Mana spread around, shocking into his legs. They locked up, and he tumbled.

A feeling of warning echoed into his Status, and a red ring formed on the front of the Market. He hurriedly summoned his Shield, using every bit of Mana he’d recharged, and leapt to the roof. A second later, a massive blast sent him hurtling to the ground, two thousand Mana and a thousand Hit Points missing. Heh, can’t spend Mana or Energy to fix the buildings, so I’ll just spend them to keep the buildings whole. Of course, it hurts more this way, but hey, training for Pain Resistance.

He rolled to his feet, vaguely smoking, and waved to Colin as he Ran past. Colin gave him a thumbs up before vanishing in a sheet of water. David laughed, then walked into the Market. Inside there were twenty people, most just sitting against the walls. Two were browsing, Emily and Josiah were discussing something next to the center Market pillar, so David moved to join them.

“Did you receive the warning?” Josiah asked once David reached them.

“Yeah,” David said, relieved. “So the Market is fine.”

“Yes, sir,” Josiah said, then gestured at the kiosk. “Emily found a solution to the problem, and we were discussing how to implement it.”

“There is an Essence lightning rod in the store under town improvements. Its description mentioned preventing damage in Mana or Energy storms,” Emily explained.

“Sounds perfect,” David said. “What’s the catch?”

“It has to be installed on top of the Mayor’s Manor, directly above the City Crystal,” Josiah stated bluntly.

“I’ll put it up,” David said. “I’ve been hit three times. I will need to spend some time meditating first. Need Mana and Hit Points to be maxed before trying it.”

“Yeah, no dying on us,” Emily said with a grin. “I don’t want to have to listen to ol’ grumpy here lament about being in charge more than I do now.”

David laughed while shaking his head, “Yup, can’t inconvenience ol’ grumpy.”

“If that name spreads I’ll kill both of you,” Josiah grumbled, though David thought he saw a smile under his frown.

David just laughed harder, then sat down against the rear wall of the Market. Another boom of thunder crashed nearby, and one of the people sitting with their hands on the wall cried out. Fast as I can, David thought as he dove into his core cave. His consciousness seemed to materialize on the flat floor of the hemispherical metaphorical area inside his chest, looking up at the balls of Energy and Mana that filled the center. The Mana core was noticeably dimmer, less than a quarter full.

Surrounding the outer edges, he saw the runic symbols that represented his Skills. Most of them were glowing slightly, signifying that he could meditate on them and get a small boost to their growth. “No time now,” he said to himself, then focused on manipulating the streams of Mana that flowed in while activating Health Regeneration. By pulling on the Mana, he could speed up the rate of his reserves filling around ten percent. It wasn’t amazing, but anything would reduce the total amount of time he needed to wait before stopping the damage to his town.

His Mana refilled before his Hit Points did. He stared up at the Health Regeneration Skill rune. It’d grown vastly more complex with the evolution, and the way the Energy flowed had changed drastically. “I wonder if I could help Colin evolve his Miniscule version up to Minor now,” David mused to himself. “I wish I could figure out how to use Mana to do the same thing, though. Healing spells are a thing, so it should be possible to cast one on yourself, but I haven’t seen anything like it. Should I try to walk a Way and see if I could get that? Water or Nature Mage could be options, or Mage two. Those weren’t my goal, though. Maybe pop out and see if anyone in the building knows a healing spell?”

With a shrug, he brought his consciousness back to his body. “Uh, does anyone here know a healing spell or have a healing ability?” he called out.

“I have one called Triage that reduces injuries and stops bleeding,” a young man answered, walking over. “But it doesn’t increase Hit Points. I got a new Way when I received Triage, but I don’t have enough Essence to even get halfway yet, sorry.”

“That is great to know, uh,” David paused.

“Spencer,” he said.

“Thanks, Spencer,” David nodded at him with a huge grin. “Josiah, after the storm, we need to get Spencer here and Ashley, and any other people who want to be healers to a higher level. Let’s prioritize that for a few days.”

“Be good to have more medics,” Josiah said.

“Uh, I’m hoping to be more like a paladin from D&D,” Spencer said. “You know, sword and shield, fight on the frontline, but still able to heal and smite my enemies, kinda thing.”

“Either way, we need you leveled up to five at least,” Josiah said.

David looked around the rest of the group, but no one else spoke up. He checked his Status, eh, only down five hundred, still got a bit more than twenty-five hundred. Mana’s full, let’s do this. “Okay, Josiah. Do you have the lightning rod?”

“Yes, sir,” Josiah said, then put his hand out to his side. A four meter long, ten centimeter thick pole made of a glimmering coppery metal appeared in his hand. Josiah grunted and turned towards it, getting his other hand on it before he dropped it.

David stepped forward and took it from his hands, straining slightly to lift it. “Holy heck, Batman, this thing is heavy,” he said while hefting it. “Alright. Just got to cross the street, climb to the roof, and set it in place, right?”

“Yes, but don’t die. It’ll probably be attracting every lightning bolt at it, so move quickly,’ Josiah said.

David started to move to the door, then paused. He set one end of the rod down and yelled out, “Everyone not currently fixing the building, gather on me.”

A few seconds of shuffling had a small crowd surrounding him, and he mentally reached out and selected them all with A Leader’s Due, his new skill. “Okay, I have no idea how this will work, but I’m going to borrow a bunch of your stats for a little bit,” he explained.

“Will it hurt?” A young man asked.

“No idea, but I hope not,” David said with a grimace. “I’ll release the stats as soon as I can. Ready?”

Silence greeted him for a second then Josiah said, “Just get on with it, son.” Several others laughed, and David nodded. With a bit of mental effort, he activated his new Skill. A string of Essence formed at his heart and shot out to Josiah’s, then a dozen more extended to the others. Something pulled back across the strings, and everyone but Josiah dropped to their knees.

“Are you okay?” David asked, shocked.

“Yeah,” Spencer said, slowly lowering himself to the floor. “But my Strength dropped to twenty, and so did my Constitution. So tired now.”

“Okay, I’ll hurry,” David said, then quickly checked his status. Huh, My Strength only went up by forty eight, so four per person, not the twenty per person I would have expected. Gotta hurry, the Skill doesn’t feel stable.

David rushed to the door. While the extra stats weren’t as much as he was hoping for, they did make a difference in how easy it was to hold the lightning rod and move with it. He threw the door open and looked at the dozen steps he’d have to take, then shook his head. Run, Sprint, Vanguard’s Charge up! He thought, stepping forward and then immediately activating all three Skills.

His Mana and Energy dropped predigously, draining a thousand in five steps. Blue lightning slammed to the ground, missing the pole by centimeters. The air discharge flew into it, but David ignored the burning as he leapt upwards, targeting his Charge at the roof of the Mayor’s Manor. The ground under his feet exploded, rock shattering at the force he put into it.

He soared to the peak of the Manor, clearing it by a meter, and started to come down when a red-gold bolt connected him to the roof and the heavens. The rod shot into the tiles, somehow merging into the structure and extending downward through the rafters to connect to the City Crystal.

David was blown across the roof, skidding on the secondary peak at the rear of the building, and tumbled to the ground. More flashing notifications and the pain suffusing his being let him know he was still alive.

Warning: Hit Points are below borrowed stat limit! Increase Hit Points before returning stats or suffer severe injuries!

Congratulations: You have taken a hit from an Energy Bolt and lived. You Energy Core has been tempered, allowing you to stand tall!

Reward: 100 Energy

”Well, almost dying pays off,” David laughed, rolling over and looking at the sky. Another bolt struck the copper lightning rod that seemed to stretch another dozen meters into the sky. One after another, any strike that would have hit anywhere close was diverted to the protective thing. The lightning was bright enough to be seen through the drenching, multicolored rain.

After thirty seconds, the warning dropped off, and David was able to sit up. Another ten seconds passed before Liz found him, and together with Colin drug him into the Manor. Healing Nature Mana flowed out of Liz as she cast a spell, and David’s aches soothed.

At least for another ten seconds, then agony floored him again. “What happened?” Liz exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders.

“I guess my Skill only lasted a minute, and has quite a backlash,” David gasped, all three of his resources down into double digits. “I’ll be fine in a bit, and hopefully the Skill will stop being so harsh to use once it levels up a bit. Got to Novice three in a single use.”

“What Skill?” Colin asked.

David described it.

“That’s awesome,” Colin grinned at him, then stuck his hand out for a fist bump. He had to hold it there for nearly a minute before David could pick his hand up and bump back.