Chapter 9: The Gap

Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The Gap

Jared stared at the number.

760.

’Seven hundred and sixty.’

’Sixty was already more than half of everything I have. Just as a rounding error.’

His knees felt weak again, and this time it had nothing to do with the mana drain.

"That’s not fair," he whispered.

"He was a teenager. Same as me. How exactly was he at 760?"

[Practice. Level ups. Maybe Genetics. A pushy family. Choose whichever helps you sleep.]

Jared sat down ,his hands hung between his knees. The yard had gone quiet, the wind was dead, and in the stillness the gap felt enormous.

’I’m a level 1 hospital aid in a body that used to be something of a prodigy. Everyone’s going to expect the old Jared. They’ll wonder why I’m so weak. They’ll...’

[Are you spiraling?]

"."

[You are spiraling. I can tell. You’re doing the thing with your jaw.]

"I’m not doing anything with my jaw."

[It’s very expressive. I can tell you aren’t taking this too well. ]

Jared lifted his head. He glared at the panel.

"Are you making fun of me right now?"

[Gently.]

"At a time like this?"

[Especially at a time like this. Look at you. Slumped back, whispering numbers to yourself like a man at a funeral for his own ambitions. It’s adorable.]

"You’re a terrible system."

[I’m an excellent system. You’re terrible audience.]

He opened his mouth to argue, and then he stopped.

Something was clicking into place at the back of his mind. He didn’t know what it was at first. It was small, almost silly.

"Wait," he said slowly.

[Oh no.]

"I can use my beasts’ abilities without summoning them."

[ correct.]

"In my regular state. I don’t have to drop the gem. I can just use their traits."

[To an extent. With your current bond, it’s a trickle. But yes.]

"So I could use the abilities of any of them. Not only the Ground Dragon." He sat up straight. "Think about it. If somebody sees me doing something strange, like freezing a table or shooting a blast of light, I don’t have to explain. I can just say it was a transmutation."

"The Ground Dragon changes elements. People know that. Jared was already rather famous before I came along. So if I use something else, I just lie and say it’s the dragon. They’ll never know the difference."

The system was silent for a second.

[That’s actually clever.]

"Thank you."

[I’m disappointed.]

"What?"

[I was hoping you’d cry a little longer. You’re no fun.]

Jared grinned. It spread across his face, slow and wide. ’There it is.’ It wasn’t a solution to the mana gap. But it was a plank, a single sturdy board he could stand on while he figured out the rest.

"I just have to play it right," he murmured.

[You do. Please mess it up. At least a little. I’d hate to lose my entertainment.]

He stood. His legs wobbled, then steadied. He rolled his shoulders and drew a long breath. The next move was obvious. He could test the theory right now. Try a different beast’s ability, see if it worked.

But he stopped himself.

’Don’t be hasty. This is a good idea. That doesn’t mean I should rush it.’

It was the kind of thought a younger Jared, the hospital one, would have rolled his eyes at. The kind of thought a more careful man had learned the hard way. He wanted to start slow. He wanted to understand the basics before he started playing with fire, or light, or whatever else was in that pouch.

’Ground Dragon first. She’s the one everyone knows. She’s safe. If something goes wrong, I’ll know how to fix it.’

He stepped back into the center of the ring and planted his feet. The memories offered a stance, and he let his body fall into it. Feet wide. Knees bent. One arm extended forward, palm open. The other tucked tight against his ribs. It felt strange and familiar at the same time, like wearing someone else’s coat that happened to fit.

[That’s the old Jared’s form. Nice. He used to do that in the mornings. The neighbors thought it was a religious ceremony.]

"It’s not a ceremony."

[It had incense, as I recall.]

"It did not."

"I’m trying to focus here by the way."

[Of course you are.]

He closed his eyes and reached for the bond. A warm pulse answered somewhere in the pouch, patient and low. He gathered it in his chest, and a faint trickle of heat began to build behind his palm, a little spark of energy waiting for permission.

Then, just before he could let it go, a thought stopped him cold.

’Wait.’

His eyes flew open. The spark fizzled and died.

"System."

[Yes?]

"Mana is tied to the application of my skills, right?"

[That’s correct. Every ability costs mana. Every use drains it. Just like I explained earlier. Do you listen, or do you just nod?

"So the more powerful the skill, the more mana it takes."

[Roughly. Yes.]

Jared’s stomach turned slowly over.

"Then that means I’m not really using SSS Rank beasts yet."

[Bingo.]

He stared. "That was fast."

[You’re quick when you’re upset.]

"I summoned an SSS Rank Ground Dragon. It turned fire into wind. It took half my mana. And you’re telling me that wasn’t even the real thing?"

[It was a sample. A taster. A little appetizer.]

He rubbed his temple. His headache was building again. "So the beasts have the potential to be S rank. Or maybe SS. And the SSS part is a promise, not a reality."

[No.]

"No?"

[You’re wrong.]

"I’m in the wrong? Explain."

[Spectacularly. The beasts are already on that level. They’re SSS Rank. The rank isn’t a promise. It’s a measurement. They are, right now, as strong as they were when you picked them out of that basin.]

"Then what’s the problem?"

[You.]

"Me?"

[You just have to get your mana count up to par. The beasts are ready. You aren’t.]

Jared let out a long breath.

"Okay," he said. "How much?"

[How much what?]

"How much mana?"

[I’m not a mind reader, Rex. How much what, for what?]

"Don’t call me Rex."

[Then be specific.]

He clenched his jaw. "How much would I need on my mana gauge to unleash at least a standard SSS Rank attack?"

[Ah. That question.] The panel flickered. [Let me calculate]

[About 100,000.]

Jared stared at it.

"Say that again."

[100,000. Give or take. According to my calculations.]

It wasn’t the answer he’d expected. It wasn’t the answer he wanted. His brain tried to process the number and gave up halfway through, like a stuck door.

"For one attack?" he asked weakly.

[One attack.]

"100,000?"

[Yes.]

"I have 49 right now."

[I’m aware.]

"That’s... that’s more than 2,000x what I have."

[2,040x, to be precise.]

[Hehe]

He sank down against the weapon rack again. A strange, hysterical laugh bubbled up in his chest, and he swallowed it before it could escape.

"This seems impossible," he whispered.

[It does. That’s what makes it fun.]

"It’s not fun. It’s not fun." He repeated.

"It’s really not fun".

[Agree to disagree.]

He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. After a moment, he spoke again, quieter.

"Beast points will help me evolve my mana. Right? Among other things."

[Correct.]

"And those points come from slaying beasts."

[Also correct.]

"So I have to go out and kill things."

[You have to go out and be useful, yes. Killing things is part of the package.]

Jared lowered his hands and stared at the dirt. A line of ants marched past his boot, carrying a crumb. He watched them for a moment.

"I guess I should get to that," he said at last. "This isn’t going to be as easy as I thought."

The system laughed.

[Oh, please.]

"What?"

[You think you’ve got it hard? You have ten SSS Rank beasts, a name that opens doors, a house with a training yard, and a girl who cooks you roast potatoes. Please. The rich always have it easy.]

"That’s not what I..."

[Besides, there’s potions.]

Jared froze.

"Potions?"

[To help with this kind of thing. It’s one of the perks of coming from a wealthy family. Hold on.]

The panel flashed. A faint scan rolled across it, and a new line of text slid into view. [Quick analysis. Searching the property. Oh, would you look at that. There are two vials at home. In your room, actually. In the drawer under the desk.]

"Two vials."

[Two.]

"I don’t think I really understand," he said slowly.

[You do. And you will.]

"That’s not an explanation."

[It’s isn’t?]

"System."

[Fine. There are ways to temporarily increase the mana output of beast masters. Potions, mostly. They’re expensive. They’re rare. You happen to have two. They’re temporary, okay? Don’t get excited.]

Jared stood up.

He didn’t realize he’d done it until he was already on his feet. His heart was pounding again, but it was a different kind of pounding now.

’Temporary. That’s enough. That’s more than I had a minute ago.’

He looked at the panel, glowing patiently and he took a slow breath.

"I’m listening," he said.