Surviving The Myriad Worlds (A Multiplanar LitRPG)

"Place your hands on the affinity alembic."

Dante did and gasped as he felt a yank on something deep inside of him, not unlike the pulling sensation when he was dead. And it was acting on his aura. It was being drawn into the device and he felt like he was surrending an integral part of his being.

"Oh, you have aura control?" Noted Nelim, peering into the crystal ball. "That will make this much easier. Feed your aura into the device and relinquish it."

"This feels wrong. Are you sure this won't hurt me?"

"Yes?" Nelim said like it was obvious, looking at Dante as if he was an idiot. "Aura is just aspected mana generated from your body's natural mana regeneration. You can't steal it anymore then you could permanently reduce the blood in your body. Granted, it's not the most pleasant of feelings, but is not harmful."

Feeling a little reassured, Dante yielded to the pulling sensation and grimaced as a chunk of his aura — or mana as he had just learned — was pulled from his control. It entered into the crystal ball, becoming visible to the naked eye as wisps of cloudy white light. His mana was drawn to the center where it became stretched like a thread into the tube jutting out of the side of the crystal.

"Hmm, that's odd." Said Nelim, crouching and looking at the alembic with a critical eye. "I've met newborns with mana less malleable than yours. It's almost like you just acquired it. Well, at least it means this will be easier than I thought. I might not have to close shop today."

The guess was closer to the truth than he might have liked and Dante drew on his new experiences with [Inscrutable]. "Is that a problem?"

"No. Unusual, is all. Especially considering your aspect situation here. I have never seen this white color, though it appears to be multi-aspected. Oh, you can remove your hands and aura from the device now."

He did so with haste, glad to get away from that thing.

"What does mana normally look like?"

"It depends. Most people have no aspect and their mana is as clear as a mountain stream. Others? Any imaginable color, really. There are so many types and new ones are discovered all the time. The strength of the aspect complicates things. Minor aspects would show as mostly clear while completely aspected mana would shine like the sun. Yours appears to be a little above average. Now be quiet, I need concentration for this next part."

Dante nodded and Nelim took a deep breath, then clapped his hands together. When he drew them apart, a magical circle formed between his palms. It expanded to about the size of a dinner plate, where it halted. The circle was as complex as any he had seen and had several sub-circles located throughout. After a second deep breath, Nelim moved one hand and the other tensed with the effort of holding the circle steady. With his free hand, Nelim reached out to one of the sub-circles and rotated it.

The thread of mana isolated in the crystal ball began to unravel, first becoming two equally sized pieces, then four. They quickly became uncountable. It was slow, but color crept into the strands, becoming more vivid as the strands grew smaller. By the time Nelim ceased casting, the crystal was strewn with what had to be tens of thousands of strands about a hairs width size of all colors imaginable.

Dante noticed that Ren had stopped browsing and wandered over to peer at the display. She had accumulated various odds and ends, which she clutched under one arm. She studied the multicolored threads with keen eyes.

"This is impossible," she said flatly.

Great, another thing that is going to make me stand out. I hope this one is useful at least.

Dante tried to see what had caught her eye so and it came to him almost immediately. "There are too many colors, right?"

"Precisely." Said Ren, turning her gaze on him. It was different from the looks she had given him before as if she was studying an interesting specimen. "You seem to have just about every aspect in your mana. I recognize the five elements, shadow, light, healing, time, and more — All are present. Until now, the most I've heard of was five aspects and that was a special case, a conscious result of careful breeding over generations. Incredibly, you are equally suited for all of them. It's unnatural."

Dante's spirit rose. That sounded good. Very good.

"This means that I can cast all types of magic, right?"

"As long as you have the corresponding [Ability], yes."

Perhaps this is my special system given power that fiction has promised me?

"But," Ren continued, "Your affinity for each is incredibly weak. It would take a dedicated effort to make use of any of them. Very unusual."

Dante swallowed his disappointment, a bitter pill he was all too used to. That was more like what he was used to. Still, he had to know.

"If I were to pursue magic anyway, what should I expect?"

"You would struggle to cast any meaningful magic. Nothing that would threaten those on the same level. With practice, you might be able to heal a scratch or light a candle." Ren paused, noticing Dantes's crestfallen expression. "Chin up, at least you've got versatility."

It was hard not to feel disappointed, but Ren was right. No doors had been closed to him, he just had to work harder than most to unlock them. Besides, Ren had only said he would struggle to cast powerful spells. Given enough hard work, Dante felt that he could manage somethingmuseful. He was sure that he had the determination. Besides, there was still one avenue open to him.

"Nelim, about that magic tome. Do you have anything about enchanting? Or perhaps some basic spells? Apparently, it doesn't matter what kind."

The merchant grinned widely, showing all of his teeth. "I have just the thing."

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Nelim turned to unlock the display case containing the tomes and Dante leaned over to whisper to Pauwna. "I presume you have a plan for this book? I can't read, so it's worthless to me at the moment."

"Simple. I'll read it with you and teach you the letters."

Dante turned to give her his full attention, stunned. "Are you sure? I mean, I would be very grateful, but that is a lot to ask of you."

Pauwna shrugged. "I am interested in it anyway. Never had the chance to pursue such things in my youth. Besides, the ability to read is very important. Information is power."

"Thank you," Dante said sincerely. Out of everything she had done for him, except for when she had saved his life, he was thankful for this the most. A fact she seemed aware of, given her pleased expression.

I owe her quite a bit.

Before they could exchange any more words, Nelim returned and placed a thick book on the countertop with a heavy thud. "This is Mur's Fundamentals of the Arcane, a must-read for any aspiring mage. It covers all the fundamentals of spell casting and even has a few spells for each major discipline — including enchanting. Plus, it's thick enough too to be a weapon in an emergency. All yours for three silver."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Dante asked pointedly.

Nelim's face formed an 'O' and he held up one finger, walked into the back room, and returned with two rolled-up scrolls of paper which he placed on the book. "Here, an extra scroll for showing me something unusual today. And since you were so interested in enchanting," Nelim placed a bag on the book which was cracked open to reveal various crystals and powders, "Some basic starter supplies. For a moderate fee of course."

"How much?"

"An extra five coppers. The enchantments aren't meant to be very powerful, suited for tricks more than anything else."

"I'll take it," said Dante, placing the three silvers and five bronze on the counter. The coins disappeared up Nelim's sleeve.

Dante slipped his purchases into his bag. "Thanks, Nelim, for the ritual and book."

"Of course, it's my pleasure. All I ask is that you think of my emporium the next time you require anything arcane. Now," Nelim turned to Ren and his smile turned slightly flirtatious, "What can I do for you, my fine lady? You must be a mage of some renown, given your earlier words. How was my selection?"

"Better than I expected," Ren allowed. "I noticed that you never asked him for a mages license."

Nelim's smile turned strained. "How astute of you! May I know if I have the pleasure of talking to an inspector from the academy?" He cast an accusatory side eye at Pauwna, who shrugged.

"You do not, I am simply a mage who is concerned for the sanctity of her craft."

"In that case, I can assure you that my selection is not amongst their banned works. Simply those that can set folks on a path to the Academy."

"I see. That is very good. Now that trifle is out of the way, I would like to purchase these."

Ren placed a large bundle of bottled powders, scrolls, and potions.

Nelim gazed at them with a blank look, then said with a slight smirk: "Your mage's license, if you would?"

Dante and Pauwna waited by the door as Ren finished her purchases, which took a while. Nelim was very thorough and fetched a dusty device from the back to check the license, which seemed to be a card made from platinum. After that grueling process, Ren stored her purchases and joined them at the door. She studied him for a few moments while he shifted uncomfortably.

"Just who are you?" Ren asked, that clinical look from before reentering her eyes. "Are you some kind of runaway experiment? Some foreign prince of a vaunted bloodline? I refuse to believe that mana of yours was anything less than manufactured."

Dante had been afraid that something like this was going to happen for a while. He had so many mysteries surrounding him that it was inevitable. At least with Ren, he had a card to play.

"I would rather not talk about it," Dante replied, shifting uncomfortably. "It's a painful memory and would be pointless anyway. Impossible to replicate."

"I see," She said slowly and then sighed. "I won't press, I sense that I've already caused you some offense. Besides, you've earned that much trust at least."

An awkward silence descended upon them as they exited to the street outside. Dante tried to think of a conversation topic to break the deadlock. He eyed the remaining items bundled in her arms.

"What's all that for?"

"I lost my old casting implement, a staff I received when I graduated from the academy, and I need to craft a new one. This," Ren hefted her filled bag, "will work quite nicely in making the replacement. Your friend, Pauwna, had a few obscure ingredients I thought would struggle to find. What a nice shop, if only it wasn't in such an isolated location."

"I will let Nelim know of your words."

"Please do. With that, I will bid both of you a good night. Try not to have too much fun, we go to the royal palace tomorrow."

With a small wave, Ren departed back towards the central city in roughly the direction Dante remembered that Svōl and the others had headed. Leaving the two of them together. Alone.

Well, except for our mysterious watchers.

"I can't quite make my mind up about her," Dante said while staring after Ren. "I thought she was a friend, especially after our stranding together. Then she goes and does something like that."

Pauwna offered him her hand again and he took it. She began to lead him through the crowd, deeper into the outskirts of the city. "Ren is conflicted. She is an … enthusiastic student of her academy and the Empire. Recent events have seen some of such ideals in practice."

"Your doing?"

Pauwna looked back at him, the low light made her eyes gleam like that of a predatory cat. "I am told that knowing me can be quite illuminating. She had questions, I had answers."

I forget sometimes that she is a rebel and actively looking to take down the Empire. Ren must be one of her targets for conversion. Wait, is that the only reason she is going so far for me? To make another rebel? She did seem quite interested in the system. That can't be correct.

Can it?

"You have other purchases, right?"

Dante snapped back to attention, pushing such paranoid thoughts aside for the moment. "I do, but I hardly have anything left after our deal with our friend."

"Don't worry, I know just the place."

She changed their course, moving into a dingy alley. The crowd soon died out save for the occasional lone traveler, who would often take one look at that and turn into a different street. Dante noted that, opposed to the main thoroughfares, these people were almost always nonhuman. The looks that they gave him had him moving closer to Pauwna. They were not friendly, full of hunger and anger. These gazes grew angrier when they saw the uniform, contrary to what Dante had seen up until now. Pauwna seemed to have a moderating factor, calming tempers when they realized that she was not Sūnsian.

Eventually, they arrived at a staircase that descended below street leveling and ended in a solid wall of darkness. There was something about the passageway that gave him pause. A sixth sense that had served him well in his less savory past. Dante suddenly became hyper aware that he had no idea how to make it back to the palace, was in obviously dangerous territory, and was alone with Pauwna.

"Just a little further, we are almost there."

Pauwna released his hand and walked with pause into the darkness. After a moment, Dante followed her.