The Convergent Path (Reincarnation/LitRPG)

The night passed without incident, though Fin slept lightly, waking at every shift in the electromagnetic field surrounding his small camp. Each disturbance in the field sent a ripple through his consciousness, like a pebble dropped in still water.

By the time dawn crept over the eastern ridge, turning the sky to pale copper streaked with ribbons of gold, he had already packed his bedroll and doused the remnants of his fire. The mountain air bit at his exposed skin as he shouldered his pack, significantly colder now that he'd gained elevation.

He thought back to the comfortable hoodies back on Earth, simple cotton comforts that seemed remarkably advanced compared to the rough-spun fabrics of this world. Perhaps a luxury, but a practical one. He'd have to look into getting a seamstress to try to make him a few, assuming he could explain the concept properly. But for now, he needed to focus. The Elemental Imprinting waited for no one.

His muscles ached with a dull throb, but Convergent Equilibrium was already working to ease the discomfort. He adjusted his stance, scanning the terrain ahead.

The trail narrowed here, threading between two sheer rock faces where centuries of rainfall had carved a passage barely wide enough for a single person. The stone walls rose fifteen meters on either side, their surfaces etched with thin veins of ore that glimmered when they caught the light at certain angles.

Beyond lay steeper slopes, dotted with scrubby vegetation clinging stubbornly to the increasingly barren mountainside. Tough, gnarled shrubs with waxy leaves designed to retain moisture, and patches of blue-gray lichen that could survive the elemental saturation that would kill most plants. The peak loomed above, distant and wreathed in clouds, taunting him with its seeming closeness.

"Two days in, five to go," he murmured to himself, his breath fogging in the cold. The elemental hum of the mountain had grown stronger overnight, a subtle vibration that resonated in his bones. He could almost taste the different elemental energies suspended in the air.

Fin closed his eyes briefly, centering himself. His electromagnetic perception swept outward in a sphere around him. Nothing dangerous lurked nearby, though a cluster of small signatures, probably cliff hares or stone mice, huddled in a crevice twenty meters to his left. Their tiny bodies gave off faint electromagnetic pulses, like miniature heartbeats against the mountain's greater rhythm.

With a final adjustment to his pack straps, he started forward, his pace deliberate but steady. The path grew steeper with each hour, loose scree giving way beneath his boots, forcing him to test each step before committing his weight. Sweat gathered between his shoulder blades despite the chill air, and he regulated his breathing with practiced discipline.

By mid-morning, he'd entered a region where massive boulders stood balanced precariously, as if some ancient giant had arranged them in a moment of idle play before abandoning them to the mountain's whims. Some were smooth and rounded, weathered by time, while others remained jagged, their edges sharp enough to cut an unwary climber.

Fin paused to drink from his water flask, his keen eyes scanning the strange rock formation. Something about them felt... deliberate. Artificial. His electromagnetic perception prickled with warning, the fields around the boulders subtly warped, as if they were more than mere stone. The natural fields of the mountain flowed around objects in predictable patterns, but these were distorted, redirected by an outside force.

He uncorked his water flask and took a careful sip, letting the cold liquid soothe his throat while maintaining his awareness of his surroundings.

He stepped cautiously forward, one hand falling to his tantō's hilt. A flicker of movement caught his eye, a figure darting between two distant rocks. Too large to be an animal, too purposeful to be a shadow.

"Who's there?" he called, his voice steady despite the sudden tension coiling in his muscles. Fin reached for his mana, letting a small current build beneath his skin, ready to be released if necessary. Not enough to be visible, just enough to be ready.

Silence answered him, broken only by the whisper of wind across stone. Then a laugh echoed from somewhere among the boulders, light and mocking. The sound bounced off the rocks, making it difficult to pinpoint the source.

"Not bad, first-year," came a voice, masculine and haughty. "Most don't notice the trap until it's sprung."

Jaren. The voice sparked immediate recognition, along with a flash of irritation.

The blonde second-year emerged from behind a massive stone pillar, his face twisted in anger. Fin hadn't seen the boy since Instructor Mara had expelled him from her course. Behind him came two more students, their expressions similarly contemptuous. All three had swords in their hands. Jaren's screamed of extravagant wealth, gold inlay on the hilt, gemstones that resonated with stored mana, and runes etched into the blade that glowed faintly with power.

"Hello, little lightning bug." He gestured around at the boulder field. "Like this arrangement? My little welcome gift. The stones are balanced just so… one wrong step and they come tumbling down."

Fin's perception confirmed the danger, subtle vibrations ran through the field, connecting the stones in a deadly network. Disturb one, and a cascade would follow, crushing anything in their path. A crude but effective trap, likely set up early that morning while he slept.

"I'm just climbing the mountain," Fin said evenly, his eyes never leaving Jaren's face. "Same as you."

"Not the same," one of Jaren's companions countered, a stocky girl with cropped hair and a scar running along her jawline. Taysa, if Fin remembered correctly. Another second-year with a reputation for following Jaren like a shadow. "This climb is for those who've earned it. Not charity cases."

The third student, a lean boy with darting eyes and nervous hands, snickered. "Heard you cheated your way through the entrance exams."

Fin kept his expression neutral.

Jaren smiled smugly, face filled with satisfaction. "The Academy has traditions for a reason. First-years stay below. They prepare. They learn their place." His hand rose, a subtle gesture that sent a tremor through one of the nearby boulders. "Consider this your first lesson."

A stone shifted with a grinding noise, dislodging smaller rocks that clattered down the slope toward Fin. He could feel Jaren's skill reaching for the other boulders, preparing to trigger a larger slide.

"Impressive control," Fin commented, seemingly unperturbed as he sidestepped the minor rockfall. Pebbles bounced harmlessly past his boots, leaving small divots in the dusty trail. "But isn't this a bit... obvious? Three against one little ole first-year." He shrugged, deliberately casual. "The headmaster did say this was a test."

Jaren's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that bullying a first-year might not impress the Elementals." Fin took another step forward, his stance relaxed but ready. "I thought this climb was about proving yourself worthy, not ganging up on someone you see as weaker."

A flicker of uncertainty crossed the faces of Jaren and his companions. Most students viewed the Elemental Imprinting as semi-mystical, a process where Elementals judged worthiness. Fin wasn't sure how much of that was true, but it served his purpose to remind them of it now.

The momentary hesitation was all Fin needed. He darted forward, faster than any of them anticipated. Convergent Equilibrium boosting his speed far beyond what a typical year-one should be capable of.

He drew his tanto in one fluid motion, pivoting toward Jaren. The second-year's eyes widened, but he was already reacting too slowly, caught off-guard by the sudden assault. Fin drove the hilt of his tanto directly into Jaren's temple with calculated force, enough to incapacitate without causing permanent damage.

The blonde student crumpled instantly, eyes rolling back as consciousness fled. His control over the stones vanished with his awareness, the tendrils of earth mana dissipating like smoke in wind.

The other two were stunned, their expressions shifting from smugness to shock in the span of a heartbeat. They'd expected an easy victory, not this calculated counterattack. Their hesitation cost them dearly as Fin circulated lightning mana around his hands, the energy crackling just beneath his skin, invisible but potent.

He stepped between them, palming each of their heads with a quick, practiced movement. A precise jolt of electricity, not enough to burn, but perfectly calibrated to disrupt normal brain function temporarily, coursed through his palms. Both students dropped like sandbags, their weapons clattering against the stony ground.

Ding.

The familiar chime of the System echoed in Fin's mind.

The system announcement reminded him of the reason why he was climbing the mountain, his need to advance beyond the limitations of Tier One. The tantalizing promise of power, locked beyond a threshold he had yet to cross.

Fin took one last look at the fallen students before moving on. He didn't bother binding them or taking their weapons, that would only escalate the situation when they eventually woke. Better to be long gone by then, putting as much distance as possible between himself and their wounded pride.

He continued upward, the encounter with Jaren fading but not forgotten. He would have to watch out for any other students looking to knock out some competition. The Academy formally discouraged interfering with other climbers, but that didn't stop the more ambitious, or ruthless, students from trying. He had hoped that he wouldn't have to fight other students, but he wouldn't hesitate to defend himself.

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The mountain grew more challenging with each passing hour, the air thinner, the slopes more treacherous. Fin found himself using his hands more frequently, scrambling over sections where the trail all but disappeared, marked only by subtle signs left by previous climbers, a cairn of small stones here, a faded blaze mark on a boulder there.

By midday, the vegetation had thinned to almost nothing, giving way to bare stone and occasional patches of hardy alpine moss. The sun beat down with surprising intensity despite the chill air, and Fin was glad for the light cloak that protected his neck from burning.

The higher he climbed, the more he could feel the mountain's elemental energies intensifying around him. Mana flowed more freely here, less constrained by the mundane world below. It manifested in subtle ways, flickers of light at the corner of his vision, sudden shifts in temperature, stones that seemed to hum with inner resonance.

A sharp cry from above drew his attention. Against the clear blue sky, a lightning hawk circled, its wingspan impressive even from this distance. The creature's body crackled with electrical energy that registered clearly in Fin's perception, a Tier Two beast, dangerous but unlikely to attack something as large as a human unless provoked.

The hawk's feathers shimmered with a metallic gleam, evolving to both channel and resist the electrical energy it generated. Its beak was hooked and sharp, capable of tearing through the tough hide of the stone armadillos that comprised most of its diet. Fin had read about these creatures in the Academy's bestiary but seeing one in flight was entirely different from studying diagrams in a dusty tome.

He watched it soar for a moment, admiring its deadly grace, before continuing his climb. According to his mental map, he'd need to find shelter before nightfall. The higher elevations weren't just colder; they exposed travelers to elemental energies that grew more intense as one approached the peak.

A narrow ledge appeared ahead, widening into a small plateau that offered a view of the valley below. Fin stepped onto it, taking a moment to catch his breath and orient himself. From here, he could see how far he'd come, the Academy's spires were tiny specks in the distance, the base camp completely invisible beneath the tree line. The forest that had seemed so vast when he'd first arrived now appeared as merely a green carpet draped over the foothills.

The plateau held the remains of an old fire pit, stones arranged in a circle with the center blackened from previous climbers' fires. Not surprising, any defensible position on this route would see regular use. The smooth, flat stones around the pit showed signs of having been used as seats, worn down by generations of Academy students during their own pilgrimages up the mountain.

He set down his pack, deciding this would serve for his midday meal. The plateau was sheltered from the worst of the wind by a small overhang, and its position gave him clear sightlines in all directions, no one could approach without being seen. After the encounter with Jaren, such tactical considerations seemed prudent.

As he retrieved some dried fruit and another strip of jerky from his provisions, a faint disturbance in his electromagnetic field alerted him to movement nearby. It wasn't human, the signature was too small, too compact, but it was approaching his position with deliberate intent, moving directly toward him rather than passing by.

Fin's hand moved to his tanto, eyes scanning the edge of the plateau. He expanded his electromagnetic sense, trying to get a better read on the approaching entity. For a moment, nothing moved. Then the silence was broken by a sound he did not expect to hear.

Meow!

Sauntering around the corner came a pure black kitten, its fur glossy in the midday sun. However, this kitten came with a surprising addition, a pair of falcon-like wings folded neatly against its sides, feathers the same midnight black as its coat. The creature moved with the casual confidence of all felines, seemingly unconcerned by Fin's presence.

Fin frowned, concentrating. He watched as the kitten slowly walked towards him almost nonchalantly, tail held high, whiskers twitching as it scented the air. What was a cat, let alone a kitten, doing this far up the mountain? He hadn't read anything about a species that looked like a cat with wings in any bestiary. Most flying creatures at this elevation were either birds or dragon related.

The kitten approached without hesitation, rubbing against his legs before starring pointedly at the jerky in his hand and meowing again. Its eyes were striking, amber with vertical pupils that seemed to hold unusual intelligence.

Just like cats back on Earth, Fin thought as he smiled, throwing a piece of jerky to the kitten, who happily chomped down on it with sharp little teeth. Whatever its origins, some behaviors appeared to be universal across worlds.

"What are you doing out here?" Fin asked, watching the kitten chew on the jerky. His electromagnetic sense detected a small but concentrated mana core within the creature, definitely not an ordinary animal, but not immediately threatening either.

The kitten paused in its meal to look at Fin before almost appearing to shrug, then going back to happily eating. The casual gesture was so human-like that Fin couldn't help but chuckle.

"Little asshole," Fin said before turning to check his supplies, making sure he had enough water for the next leg of his journey.

The kitten finished its meal and stared at Fin as he repacked his supplies and shouldered his satchel. Its unflinching gaze followed his every movement with feline intensity.

Fin noticed it watching him and rose to his feet. "Sorry little buddy, but I need to be on my way. Have to climb higher before nightfall." The light was still good, but the mountain's weather could change rapidly. Being caught in the open after dark was a risk he preferred not to take.

The kitten tilted his head before meowing insistently. It extended a paw toward the fire pit, then toward the cliff edge. Fin looked confused as the kitten made the motion again, more deliberately this time.

"You want to show me something?" Fin asked, curiosity overcoming his initial caution. The kitten's behavior was too specific to be random.

The kitten nodded in what might have been affirmation, then walked toward the far side of the plateau, where a crack in the mountain face formed a narrow passage Fin hadn't noticed before. The crevice was partially obscured by shadows, easy to miss unless you knew where to look.

Caution warred with curiosity. Following strange creatures into unknown passages wasn't generally advisable, especially on a mountain known for its magical anomalies and hidden dangers. But this could genuinely be interesting, perhaps even advantageous. He needed to make sure he didn't miss his chance to find an Elemental to Imprint on him, the primary goal of his climb. Time spent on diversions was time not spent ascending.

The kitten meowed one more time, more insistently, before it disappeared between the crack. The sound echoed slightly, suggesting the passage extended some distance into the mountain.

"What the hell?" Fin said as he followed, squeezing sideways through the narrow opening. His pack scraped against the stone walls, and he had to duck to avoid hitting his head on a low protrusion.

The passage twisted deep into the mountain, occasionally so narrow that Fin had to turn sideways to squeeze through. The air grew curiously warmer rather than colder, contrary to what he would have expected moving into the mountain's core. A faint green phosphorescence clung to the walls, providing just enough light to see without need for a torch or mana light.

The glow came from patches of luminescent fungi, their caps no larger than his thumbnail but numerous enough to line the entire passage. They pulsed softly with light, seeming to respond to his presence as he passed. Another magical variant, adapted to the mountain's unique properties.

The kitten moved ahead, sometimes pausing to lick its wings or wait for him to catch up when the passage became particularly challenging. It showed no hesitation at forks in the path, always choosing with confident certainty.

After what felt like ten minutes of walking, the passage widened dramatically, opening into a vast underground cavern. Fin stopped at the threshold, awestruck by what lay before him.

The cavern stretched at least fifty meters across, its ceiling lost in shadows above. But what commanded attention was the pool at its center, perfectly circular, its surface mirror-smooth and emitting a soft blue glow that illuminated the entire chamber. Around the pool's edge grew crystalline formations that resembled plants, translucent structures that captured and refracted the water's light into prismatic patterns across the cavern walls.

The air here was heavy with elemental energy, so dense that Fin could almost see it shimmering before his eyes. It felt like standing in an electrical storm, but without the danger, a constant pressure against his skin, energizing rather than threatening.

"What is this place?" Fin asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper. The chamber had the hushed quality of a temple or sacred space, demanding reverence from those who entered.

The kitten paced around the pool, its movements deliberate as it gestured toward Fin and then the pool with a paw. Fin got the impression that it wanted him to drink from the glowing water.

He approached the pool cautiously, crouching at its edge. The water appeared normal despite its glow, but his senses told him it was saturated with elemental power. Each ripple caused by his movement sent patterns of light dancing across the crystal growths, creating a mesmerizing display.

With one last glance at the kitten, who sat watching him with those intelligent amber eyes, Fin made his decision. He cupped his hands and dipped them into the glowing water. It felt cool against his skin, tingling with energy but causing no harm. He raised it to his lips and drank.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened.

Then a surge of mana exploded within his core, racing along his nerves, flooding his senses with power. The sensation was both painful and exhilarating, like being struck by lightning and doused in ice water simultaneously. He felt the quality of his core change on an instinctive level, becoming more defined, more crystalline in structure. His mana felt stronger, more connected to him, responding with greater alacrity to his will.

Images flashed through his mind: the mountain's peak wreathed in pure elemental energy; creatures of all tiers roaming its slopes; students climbing, struggling, failing or succeeding; and deeper, older memories, the mountain's formation, the first mages to discover its power, the founding of the Academy. He saw battles fought with elemental fury, treaties signed in rooms of living stone, discoveries that changed the course of history.

As quickly as it came, the vision receded, leaving Fin gasping on his hands and knees beside the pool. The overwhelming connection faded, but something remained, a deeper awareness, a subtle enhancement to his perception that felt both natural and wildly powerful. His electromagnetic sense had expanded, becoming more precise, more nuanced in its feedback.

Suddenly Fin felt the room spin before blacking out, consciousness slipping away like water through cupped hands.

**

Fin suddenly shot awake, his heart pounding. He scanned his environment, noticing he was back around the firepit as if no time had passed from when he'd first sat down here. The jerky was still in his hand, untouched. He turned to look for the crack in the mountain face but was shocked to see that it was completely gone, the rock wall smooth and unbroken where the passage had been.

The only reason that he knew it wasn't a dream was because he actually felt the quality of his mana change.

He activated Thunderfang and lightning burst around his hand instantly, without the usual delay. The energy responded to his call with eager speed, jumping to his fingertips without the resistance he normally encountered. The lightning was so bright it almost appeared white instead of its normal blue, crackling with increased potency.

Fin canceled the skill before standing and dusting himself off. What had happened? Was it real? The cavern, the pool, the strange kitten with wings, it all seemed too fantastic to be true, yet the evidence of changed mana couldn't be denied.

He would try to find answers about what happened back at the Academy, but for now, he needed to resume his climb. The sun had moved only slightly in the sky, suggesting that whatever had transpired, little actual time had passed.

He squared his shoulders and pressed onward, a new determination in his stride. Whatever mystery the mountain had shown him, it had granted him strength as well. He looked forward to the day he would finally evolve to Tier Two, a day that now seemed closer than ever before