Infinite Regeneration: Crash-Test Dummy Reincarnated as a Human

The clerk returned not long after, moving with measured steps, a healer in tow. The healer's robes were white and plain, like the clerks', save for a faint green highlight on the head-covering. The subtle luminescence traced the curve of the fabric, a simple but distinct mark of her skill.

"This is our best Mana Regenerator," the clerk said, bowing slightly as she gestured to the woman behind her. "Healer Thyra."

Thyra inclined her head in return, half-bowing, the motion precise. "Greetings, Hunter Axel. The Chieftain has already tasked me with your preparation."

I nodded.

"Please. Follow me. I can better attend to you in the Rune Chamber," she said, motioning toward a corridor that disappeared around a corner.

I rose, looking back to Horus, who nodded back in understanding. "I shall wait here, then."

We walked. Ward after ward passed by, rows of stone beds lined with hovering sigils, clerks moving methodically between them. Each chamber seemed longer than the last, as though the Hall itself stretched on, endless. The hum of Mana was constant, a soft vibration underfoot, interlacing with the rhythm of my heartbeat.

Eventually, after turning another corner, we faced massive double doors. The same Black sandstone, carved with precise geometric patterns, lined the surface; the grooves glowed faintly with Mana. They exuded a quiet, undeniable authority, as though the stone itself knew the weight of what lay beyond.

Thyra pushed them open, and we stepped inside.

The chamber was cubical, vast. Black tiles covered floor, walls, and ceiling, each separated by thin lines that glowed gold with a steady pulse. Nothing else occupied the room; no furniture, no apparatus, no tools. The symmetry was perfect. It reminded me of Eidolon's Matrix, back when I had studied it, constructed of sterile white tiles—except here, the glowing lines lent it life. The precision was unnerving. A place like this shouldn't exist beneath a Wildling city, let alone one carved from stone and sand. It seemed more mechanical, more deliberate than anything I had imagined in this underground world.

"This is the Rune Chamber," Thyra said, spreading her hands to encompass the room. "The Mana Density here can be adjusted to almost one hundred times that of the outside world. However, we will only require a density of five times to expedite your recovery. Any more, and our bodies would collapse under the pressure."

Her words made me pause. My mind churned with questions, and the words came out before I knew it, "How does Mana Density relate to the speed of my Mana regenerating? Will you be using a skill? Or will the density itself accelerate my natural regeneration?"

Thyra offered a small, knowing smile. "A bit of both, Hunter Axel. But I am afraid that is about all the information I can divulge about this Chamber at this point in time. We are, after all, pressed for time… are we not?"

We were indeed. I let the questions fall into the back of my mind, mentally filing them away for later. "So? What should I do?" I asked.

"Take a seat, anywhere you like, and I shall begin your recovery. It shouldn't be long---an hour, at most."

I lowered myself cross-legged against the back wall. The black tiles under my hands were cool to the touch, but the warmth of the gold lining seemed to reach through, similar to how it felt to sit beside a campfire in the cold of the night.

Thyra stepped forward, raising both hands, palms facing downward, hovering just above my head.

"Let us begin."

I swallowed in anticipation.

"Mana Bloom," she intoned.

The air shifted. A bright green light emanated from her palms, bathing me in a warm radiance. It was not merely illumination. My skin felt as though it had pores that were previously dormant suddenly awakening, drawing in the thick, dense Mana swirling in the chamber. I inhaled, and it flowed into me—not air, but Mana, heavy and alive.

I glanced at her eyes behind the slitted cloth covering. They were closed, furrowed in concentration. I chose not to interrupt. Instead, I let my Second Awareness observe, noting the flow and the pull of the energy.

Opening my Status, I was able to watch the Mana Statistic tick up far more rapidly than it had before. Mana Regeneration wasn't a quick thing at all. Before, it had felt relatively faster because I had almost none of it. But now, with nearly 10 times the stores, and a nigh-unchanged regeneration rate, save for the slight improvements to it during my Ascension to the Silver Rank, it wasn't nearly as fast as I would've liked it to be.

And it seemed I wasn't the only one that held that sentiment, seeing as how they had healers and chambers dedicated to this exact purpose.

Time passed without my awareness. I had no need to measure it. The golden lines of the chamber pulsed steadily, the room thrummed softly, and my Mana surged. What normally would have taken five to six hours was condensed into a single, uninterrupted hour of concentrated energy.

When it was done, I opened my eyes fully, letting the green glow recede. My Status read full. My body hummed with vitality. It was remarkable, almost intoxicating, to feel such replenishment with such efficiency.

Thyra stepped back, her hands lowering. "It is complete."

I was already formulating several ways in which I could abuse the functions of this chamber in combination with my gift. But that would require revealing the truth of my gift, as well as permission to use this chamber freely...

...A thought for another time.

We retraced our steps to the ward where Horus had waited. His expression was a mixture of relief and unease, but I then realized something was amiss. Several clerks had gathered around him, their stances tight, their eyes flitting between the doors and me.

Thyra's voice cut through the tension. "What's happened?"

The clerk who had first led me spoke, urgency threading her tone. "The crowd outside…" she said, her eyes narrowing, "they grow more defiant with every chant. You cannot hide here forever, Hunter Axel. The Hall of Restoration is sacred, but I'm not sure that will stop them from forcing entry for much longer."

I felt the heat rise in my chest. My jaw tightened. "I. Am. Not. Hiding."

The clerks recoiled slightly at the intensity, unsure how to respond.

[The Skill [Unease I] has been upgraded to [Unease II].]

My own eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected upgrade.

Thyra stepped forward, her posture commanding, her voice low but firm. "Hunter Axel. We have treated you fairly. Your threat is unwarranted."

I shook my head, lifting my palms slightly. "I… did not mean to threaten. Your statement angered me, that is all."

The clerk hesitated, then swallowed. Her voice was timid, questioning. "T-Then… why do you not accept?"

I looked toward Thyra. She was calm, patient, but I knew her understanding was complete. She sighed, "He prepares for a hunt… with the Chieftain."

A ripple of gasps passed through the clerks. But the clerk from before replied unflinchingly, having understood what my thought process had been, "Hunter Axel… you realize you can schedule their Challenges for another day, don't you? Acceptance need not mean a duel right here and now..."

I tilted my head, expression flat, then looked back to Horus, deadpan.

The guy scratched his head shamelessly, "I...may have forgotten to mention it after your...revelation..."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing in exasperation.

This absolute buffoon. What did I expect, honestly? He agreed to a year's enslavement over an eating contest, after all.

I hefted my axe from off the wall. "We're leaving. Now."

Horus shuffled to his feet in a rush, hurriedly adjusting the sword on his back, and straightening his leather tunic. He bowed to the many clerks, then to Thyra, and finally followed.

I waved a hand back at the Healer, "Thank You."

She nodded back, expression hidden by her headpiece once more.

The doors of the Hall of Restoration slid open with a soft groan, and we spilled out into the bustling street. A massive crowd had gathered, the crowd of bronze-ranked youths huddled at the very center. They stiffened at my emergence, shouts faltering for the briefest moment before rising again, louder this time. Voices clanged against each other, a chaotic tide of anger and defiance.

I stepped forward slowly, letting my gaze sweep over each of the youth's faces. Many stared back in disdain, a few in excitement, as if they were just happy to be here. I let them continue for a few seconds, listening to the rising wave of demands and accusations of cowardice.

Then I raised a hand, long and deliberate, and the entire street quieted, youths and all. A grin crept across my face.

"Before I accept your challenges...Tell me," I said, voice carrying clear as my grin widened, "What will be the stakes?"