Chapter 5 - Embrace
Sorin stripped and got into the shower. Scrubbing all the bodily fluids off of himself. He looked down at his left hand where his silver ring sat on his finger. This little object he didn't even notice half of the time, as he had worn it for a decade and a half. It had chips in it from his party trick of using it as a bottle opener. It was bought by his wife, and it meant the world to him. So few relationships survive military due to a whole host of reasons, but his Brittanie was a force of nature.
If anyone could survive and keep their 5-year-old son alive it was her. He felt himself beginning to crack under the pressure now being away from any people in a confined space. Sorin knew he had to feel. He had to manage his emotions, or he wouldn't be able to get what he needed to done in order to find a way home.
The hot water cascaded off of him helping his mind and spirit soothe. As he just closed his eyes and breathed to relax his mind and let everything settle, he noticed a different feeling around him. Even with his eyes closed he could still see the blinking blue light. He opened it and gasped.
Congratulations!
You have received full body Infusion.
Previous injuries and maladies have been cured and corrected.
Overall rating 5/10
Your body rating determines how strong, fast, dexterous,
Sorin dismissed the box only for another to take its place.
Name: Sorin Ekart
Path: Pyromancer
AP: 13/320
Body: 5/10
Mind: 10/10
Spirit: 16/
Abilities:
2. Minor fire manipulation (a) - can, to a small degree manipulate fire aether in your immediate vicinity. This skill does not possess enough power to bypass another's NAF. (Natural Aether Field)
Sorin dismissed the screen and went back to that feeling of the heat. He remembered a lot of the meditation manuals and even the cultivation fantasy novels required visualization. So Sorin began to imagine the heat as tiny points of red light around him. He could see them in a stream from the spout hitting his skin which he made a cooler shade of red. He began categorizing different types of heat all around him. He noticed everything had a different color to it. He could see everything in this room through now what resembled thermal imaging.
*Bleep*
A chirp sounded in his mind sharply and startled him knocking him out of his trance.
He saw the blue light once again and opened it.
Congratulations!
You have taken a step on the Pyromancer path.
You have obtained the skill Minor Fire sense
Using your connection to fire, you may see everything according to temperature. Removes basic camouflage advantage Cannot pierce greater forms of camouflage or stealthing.
Sorin closed the notification and felt in his mind the ability to bring it back using his connection to heat he had discovered. He noticed it came much quicker and he was able to shut off the water and go to his clothes without even opening his eyes. A screen popped up unbidden at the left of his vision in red.
Warning!
Aether under 10!
AP: 9/320
Sorin stopped his ability immediately and a new factor revealed itself. Though he could still sense the heat all around him and sense where cold pockets where he couldn't see or feel in detail like when his new sense skill was active, but it took mana to use. Aether he didn't fully understand how it replenished but theorized.
Sorin filed those thoughts away as he put on what appeared to be white linen pants and shirt with a belt that resembled a GI belt from a traditional martial art gym. Next to the clothing was a pair of shoes that resembled slippers but had cloth sinches that hooked into a groove to stay tight. It was simple yet effective. These however, were black.
He was about to leave the room when the warning crossed through his mind.
Sorin held his hand before him and took off his ring taking the lace from one of his boots from his army uniform, slipped one end through the ring and tied the ends together. He flipped his trouser pocket inside out and tied the ring to his pocket tightly then folded his pocket back in.
It was time to embrace the philosophy of the eternal student he learned about when he studied martial arts in his time in the Marine Corps. It had already paid off and he was about to push his new path to limit. Not only would his experience in learning, training, and growing come into play, but so would his reading and gaming.
"Oh....I'm absolutely going to break this fucking system to get home."
With a breath, Sorin left the shower room and walked down the hall and up the stairs.
Where Laxric was speaking to another person, who was wearing a silky black outfit unlike the crappy linen white one Sorin was wearing. As he broke the top of the stairs they turned to him.
Laxric was the first to speak.
"Took you long enough conscript."
Sorin closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. "I was once a recruit for the Marine Corps and I was cool with that, as I had signed up for it. Now I'm forced to go back to that status. Whatever....let them try their stupid games. I've been here before as stupid as it is. Might as well learn the ropes to take all I can from these people."
Sorin remained silent. Not even giving these two the satisfaction of a reaction.
Laxric turned to his counterpart a man slightly taller and bigger than himself. "Better already than how he started out. I think this one has potential but will need significant military experience retrained as according to the system he was in his universe's military for a while and Emperor knows how primitive that will be."
The man snorted and raised his voice toward Sorin.
"Come conscript!
The man turned and walked away. Sorin followed. Absorbing everything constantly looking for any and all advantages.
The man approached another dark door further down the hall. He opened it and gestured inward.
"Take a seat and remain silent. Speak to none of the others in this room. When the Orientation officer enters you will follow all commands from them. It would be in your best interest to do as told when told. I heard how Laxric crushed you. The officer makes him and I feel as you did against Laxric. In other words....you will die."
Sorin nodded.
"Thanks for the warning."
Sorin walked in and saw a large amphitheater with what looked like around 200 people already filled in and others coming in from different entrances like him. Looking around he saw different types of people straight out of the rest of the books and mythology he had read.
Dwarves with their beards, Elves with their ears, Scale people with fin like ears he guessed were probably going to be like some merfolk, ugly ass things with pig like faces he assumed were going to be ogres, orcs, or hobgoblins of sorts who really knew as those changed based off your author. You had insect winged elven looking things Sorin figured either fairy or pixie but who really knew. At this point he started looking for werewolves and vampires he saw a few people he figured might be vampires based off how pale they were, but who knew?
Nobody spoke, rather just looked around then filed in and sat. Sorin sat down toward the top of the amphitheater at the end and began to wait.