Extra's Ascent

Aldrich summoned his mana from its resting place and guided it through his veins for physical reinforcement.

His body responded to the influx of energy, each fibre of his being strengthening under the surge of power.

His thoughts, however, were consumed not by the process itself but by the thoughts of how Dwayne Aldaman had come about developing this technique.

It came to him as an idea inspired by something as simple as watching a fire burn.

He had observed how fire burned, not just in the flames but in everything around them.

From there he discovered that fire was not inherently dangerous in the flames themselves, but in the way it affected everything nearby.

This revelation had puzzled a lot and raised questions well.

Why was it that the danger did not just stem from the fire itself, but from what surrounded it?

Dwayne had questioned the same thing.

His natural curiosity led him to test his hypothesis, and with time, he proved it.

Yet, Dwayne's point was not that fire itself was harmless.

That would be absurd.

Anyone with a basic understanding of fire knew that putting a hand into a flame could result in losing that hand, or worse, the flesh peeling away, exposing the bone beneath.

No, the point Dwayne had made was subtle but profound.

The tasking danger of fire lay in its proximity, in how the heat radiated outward from its core.

A fire's heat didn't stop at the flames; it spread outward, impacting everything around it.

Dwayne tested this theory by setting something on fire and testing the effects on his hand.

At first, nothing happened.

His hand remained unscathed, safely outside the immediate area of the fire.

But as he moved closer, the heat intensified.

When his hand was about three inches from the fire, the heat became undeniable.

The air around the flames warped with intensity, making him realize that fire's danger extended far beyond the visible flames themselves.

This, Dwayne had explained, was how he came up with the concept of mana skin, a magical art that functioned similarly to the way heat from fire radiated out.

Just as the heat of a forest fire could extend for miles, a concentration of mana could create a barrier that shielded the body from harm.

It wasn't just about a protective layer of magic; it was about controlling the mana's flow and using it to form a defence that could deflect, absorb, and withstand attacks.

The concept was simple enough in theory.

By expanding mana, one could create a skin, an external layer that could protect against physical attacks.

A mana skin that could resist a thrown object even deflects a bullet.

The durability of this mana skin depended on how much mana was used to create it.

With Dwayne's overwhelming mana reserve, he could create a skin that could take the brunt of nearly anything.

But for Aldrich, it was a different story.

'I am not Dwayne Aldaman,' Aldrich thought, his reflective shortcoming pulling him back to his current situation.

'My mana reserve may be S-ranked, but exactly how much mana I have is still uncertain.'

Just having an S-ranked mana reserve was an impressive feat.

It meant that Aldrich could perform high-level mana techniques for extended periods.

But that didn't mean his mana pool was the same size as someone like Dante Pendragon or Dwayne Aldaman.

There have been no tests to prove it is.

Even if they both held S-rank reserves, the size and capacity of their mana could differ greatly.

The thought flickered across Aldrich's mind, but it quickly faded.

It wasn't the time for such distractions.

He had more pressing concerns at the moment.

He was falling, and that should be his main priority, not something else.

He pushed aside his thoughts of mana capacity and focused on the task at hand.

Forming the mana skin was a delicate process.

It began with an overflow of mana, much like water poured into an already full tank.

The mana in his veins surged, and the excess began to spill out, as his body's natural defences kicked in to expel it through his pores.

Aldrich didn't allow his body's reaction to take over completely, though.

He directed the mana flowing out from his pores and shaped it with his will.

The excess mana spread over his body, gradually forming the protective layer he sought.

It was a complex process, one that Dwayne had broken down into steps Aldrich could follow.

As the mana skin began to form, Aldrich felt the surrounding air grow colder, more intense, his body bracing itself for the inevitable fall.

His destination was clear: the forest below. He could already see it, the ground rushing up to meet him.

Yet, despite his growing fear, Aldrich felt a flicker of reassurance.

His mana skin was almost fully formed, he now had the protection he needed.

But Aldrich wasn't relying solely on the mana skin to protect him.

He needed to slow his descent, and he was about to attempt a risky manoeuvre.

Aldrich activated his clairvoyance, the skill allowing him to see clearly through the disorienting rush of wind and motion.

His vision changed, and his eyes took on a clover-shaped pattern as his clairvoyance kicked in.

Now, he could see everything with precision.

The moment came.

Others had already fallen before him, their bodies enveloped in bright light and vanishing from the sky.

They were the unlucky ones who could not think of a way to escape the fall.

Their failure had doomed them, their social lives at Eldora Institute were as good as over.

Aldrich wouldn't make the same mistake.

As Aldrich approached the forest, the trees below him grew clearer.

His speed was too much to handle in a straight fall, but he had the advantage of foresight.

His clairvoyance provided him with the needed visual awareness of his surroundings, guiding his every move.

He was falling fast, but he had time to adjust.

He hit the first tree with a thud, his body jarring from the impact.

The mana skin helped absorb much of the shock, but the impact still rattled his bones.

He tumbled down the branches of the tree, bouncing off the bark and slamming into surrounding trees, his body rolling like a ragdoll.

It wasn't as painful as he'd expected, which meant the mana skin was working.

But it wasn't enough. He wasn't out of the woods yet.

Aldrich's heart raced.

He had to do more.

He was still descending too quickly, and the branches were too far apart for him to slow down.

He needed to act fast.

With desperation fueling him, Aldrich stretched out his hand, channelling mana through his palm as he reached for the next tree.

He latched onto the bark, but the sheer speed of his descent caused his hand to slip right off.

The bark peeled away under his grip, and for a brief moment, he was left falling again.

Without hesitation, he twisted his body midair, launching himself toward another tree.

His hand reached out again, and this time, he managed to latch on, but it wasn't enough to stop his fall completely.

He was pulled off once more.

Frustration started to rise, but Aldrich remained calm.

He wasn't panicking, and that was key.

With renewed determination, he repeated the process, jumping from one tree to the next, each movement helping to slow his descent just a little more.

By the time he neared the ground, Aldrich had already devised a new plan.

His body was still hurtling toward the forest floor, but he had learned from his previous attempts.

When he reached the next tree, he didn't try to steady himself.

Instead, he threw himself off deliberately, allowing the momentum to carry him through the air.

Suspended in midair, Aldrich twisted his body.

His legs shot upward as he executed a flip.

The wind rushed around him as he completed a second flip, and then a third.

With the final twist, he aimed himself downward, accelerating his descent until he crashed into the ground.