thump!
thump!
thump!
Terrence's heart pounded faster with each second.
Sweat soaked his forehead, but he didn't stop, even though he knew the risk.
He reached for more mana stones, pushing his body to absorb every drop of energy it could hold.
'Ash Breathing,' he muttered.
His chest rose and fell rapidly as he breathed in intermittent gasps.
The veins in his neck bulged as he strained to maintain his pace.
Across his ribcage, weak electric current traveled through his arteries.
'I'm close... Just one more push, and I'll break through.'
Terrence reached out with trembling hands and scooped another cluster of stones into his palm.
When the mana hit his already overflowing body, he forced himself to contain it.
The pressure built fast, making the pain worse than usual.
'Fuck! Whoever came up with this technique was a goddamn sadist.'
Unlike Impulse Breathing, which was relatively safe, the technique he was using now was older—and far more brutal.
It was designed for faster growth, trading safety for pain and danger during a time when fighters were scarce.
He never wanted to use it. The only benefit was speed, and the hassle wasn't worth the cost.
But three days ago, he realized he grew too comfortable.
The world was too peaceful, and he forgotten how many things could kill him. Even a desperate thief could end his life with a gun pressed to his head.
Before chasing more money, he knew he needed to prioritize his life and safety
crack!
Another stone crumbled into dust.
Suddenly, a sharp pain ripped through his chest, as if he'd been stabbed over and over again.
Terrence dropped to his knees and vomited a thick, black liquid. The stench was foul, like rotting meat.
Spots flecked his vision. He blinked and the world reeled, colors sliding and strobing.
He lay down on the floor and controlled his breathing.
The pain slowly faded, replaced by a sense of freedom—like he had broken free from his mortal shell and stepped into something beyond human.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, fingers numb.
"I actually succeeded," he mubled with a forced laugh.
When he clenched his fist, a white aura flickered around his palm. Just like in his past life, his element was neutral.
He didn't mind. In fact, he welcomed it.
Neutral mana was harder to cultivate, but he planned to horde more resources for himself.
If his plan worked, he would become a mana-born capable of using almost every element.
Wiping the sweat from his face, he put on his white tank top.
No visible change showed in his body, but when he focused, his eyes glowed white again—a clear sign he was truly a Mana Born.
A grin spread across his face. "Nice."
To test his new power, he grabbed a knife and stabbed it into his palm.
The blade only nicked the skin without cutting deep.
Considering how hard he pressed, it was impressive.
'Two million well spent,' he chuckled to himself.
He started recalling what happened on the boulevard and checked his phone.
Emily had sent several messages. He lied about being on a business trip to avoid giving the impression he was ignoring her.
Another message came in. There was a charity ball tonight, and she wanted him to be her date.
'Perfect. If that guy tries to mess with me again, I'll make sure he ends up in the hospital.'
Looking at the clock, he saw it was only 4:00 pm.
There was still time.
He took a bath, cleaned the room, then headed to the balcony.
Effie sat on the sofa, reading a book.
He told her not to disturb him. She obeyed, but her face showed she wanted to hug him.
Noticing her hesitation, he raised his arm slowly.
A bright smile spread across her face.
Without a second thought, she sprang up and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
Their eyes met, and their lips met in a gentle kiss.
After they pulled away, he asked her to go shopping, since he planned to use the balcony to test his abilities.
'Finally alone,'
With some time to himself, he stared down at the river below.
It looked far away, and the people moving there seemed like tiny ants.
When his eyes glowed, his vision tried to zoom in, but at first, everything stayed blurry. He strained, pushing harder, but failed again and again.
The frustration built up, and tears welled in his eyes—not from loneliness, but because using this particular optic ability drained his pupils dry.
After several attempts, the image finally sharpened, zooming in twice as close. It was his current limit.
'Good,' he thought, wiping his tears.
In his past life, it took four months to learn this.
Now, picking it up so quickly made him feel like a super genius—though he knew it was only because he was relearning it.
Next on the list, he tried another ability.
This time, he stepped into a room and closed the curtains to block out the light.
His eyes glowed green, and he could see clearly in complete darkness.
This was a basic survival skill taught in the military and one of the requirements to pass training.
'Now that I think about it, whoever came up with this is a genius.'
If he remembered correctly, most of it was developed by a female Russian scientist.
Unfortunately, he didn't know her real name or face—only her nickname, Silver Rose—which made it hard to track her down.
ding!
His phone buzzed again. This time, it was a text from Anna Ivanov.
She asked if he was ignoring her on purpose.
'Oh, right. I completely forgot about her after I isolated myself.'
Just remembering her figure and pretty face was enough to make him smile.
'Yeah, I still have time. I should at least invite her for coffee downstairs to make up for it.'
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Author's Note
What do you think of the story so far? Any feedback would really help.