Luck be Damned

21

^^ Cursed Object, Stage Three ^^

— Alice —

Needless to say, I got my ass handed to me so thoroughly that I couldn't even be angry about it. While I could visually follow him, with the Scrying Eye, I couldn't keep up physically, and so it was the irritating problem of reflexes and motor response not syncing properly.

By the end of the hour, I had learned even more than I had by watching the replay of his attack on my 'Shade', (his name for my Mist Golems, I wasn't sure I liked it, too dark and brooding,) so I chalked it up to a win.

Now with the Breakfast Hour upon me, I decided to spend it making improvements. My eyes and brain couldn't process speed as fast as Adrian's could, obviously. Why? Because his brain and nervous system was comprised of Crystallized Mana, which transmitted information at 99.9% of the actual speed of light, versus the human speed of only 120 miles per hour, 5.6 Million times slower. But, creating Mana Crystals inside my body could end badly, considering Mana was a particle that I wasn't familiar enough with to screw with, so instead I focused on what I could do.

First, My bones and skin gained a permanent inscription of my kinetic energy absorption Barrier Sigil, -the focal points being my joints,- and special exceptions being made for my future growth, so that I could properly grow to my full adult height. Then, I placed a variant of the Dragon Sigil from my magical boots onto all of my interior socket-joints; this would lighten my body and also allow me to control the Spatial Location (aka Point of Gravity) of my body, powered by the kinetic energy I gathered just by moving and breathing. This would mean that I could walk or fly even within a vacuum... provided I wasn't dead at the time.

Next, the mana that flowed out of my Mana Core and into the Dark Heart was redirected, flowing instead throughout my various Organ Systems, starting with my Nervous and Circulatory systems, because of the starting point being my heart.

'Using my heartbeat as a simple medium to push magic through my body constantly, and my nervous system to monitor and affect all the other systems by proxy, I will gain a full knowledge and control of my entire body, and all its systems and processes. The Renal and Immune systems, located in the Kidneys and Lymph Nodes respectively, are some of the most important Organ Systems, because they are responsible for removing Poisons and Pathogens from the body, and sending them to the Integumentary System, or the Exocrine System... Also known as the Skin. Lastly, of course, the Endocrine System, which controls Hormones, And is responsible for Puberty; this one irritates me, but is irreplaceable, as it also contains the Adrenal Glands, and will be largely responsible for my soon-to-be Buxom Figure. Once I've finished regulating my hormones to my liking there, I'll burn off what I don't need for Emotional Energy. This continuous purification will greatly increase the strength of my body and, of course, speed up my training so that I can be ready for whatever this world throws at me. Time is approximately 7:15... I will begin Phase One.' I set the research journal down, and sat in a meditative stance.

Redirecting Mana was simple; it already flowed through me, but it was random, dispersed into many chaotic pathways that didn't really have any set destination. Creating a smooth, orderly set of paths and highways that followed my Veins and Arteries and Nervous System was theoretically easy, but practically insane, as the various paths didn't show any sign of wanting to follow orders. Still, I wrangled them to the pathways I'd set, and attached them to my muscles, organs, ligaments, tendons, and bones, and then sat still to let the changes go through me.

I'd expected pain, and had properly relaxed in preparation for it, but instead, it was a peaceful feeling, not unlike your muscles relaxing beneath your skin. A natural movement.