novelraw Chapter 55 : Two Currents
Chapter 55 : Two Currents
I was sitting by the tree again, forcing mana through my veins in slow, steady breaths. This time, though, it felt… different.
Two streams pulsed inside me. One blue, one green. The blue was steady and heavy, like water through stone pipes. The green was lighter, fresher—like wind brushing leaves. Keeping them moving together was like trying to walk with one foot in water and the other on air.
[ Dual Core Synchronization: 3% ]
I clenched my teeth. I can handle this. I just need balance.
“Rooga.”
I flinched. Mama stood at the edge of the room, her eyes sharp, arms folded.
“I’ve been watching you.”
I swallowed. “W-watching me?”
She stepped closer, her gaze unblinking. “Your mana flow. It’s changed.”
I froze.
Her voice softened slightly, but the edge remained. “Rooga… your flow doesn’t look like mine. It doesn’t even look like a human’s anymore. It feels… split.”
I tried to keep calm, but my chest tightened.
“Did someone teach you this?” she pressed. “Or… did something happen?”
The HUD blinked faintly:
[Warning: Concealment Difficult – Selene Valemont has high mana perception.]
I clenched my fists. She’d notice eventually anyway. Lying would just hurt her more.
“…It was Maori,” I whispered.
Mama blinked. “Maori?”
I nodded, pointing toward the tree. The goddess in her chibi form sat perched on a branch, swinging her legs, munching on something that looked like glowing leaves. She waved cheerfully.
“Hi, scary flame mama!”
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Mama’s eye twitched. “…You gave my son… what?”
Maori hopped down, brushing her dress. “Relax! His human mana was gross, so I gave him a proper core—an elf’s. Now he has two! Better for me, better for him. Win-win!”
Mama’s face went pale. “Two… cores? That’s… impossible. A body can barely handle one, much less—”
She stopped, her eyes darting back to me.
I bit my lip. “…But I can handle it, Mama. I swear. It’s hard, but I can do it. Please trust me.”
Her hands trembled. For a moment, I thought she would lash out—at Maori, or even at me. But then she pulled me into her arms, holding me so tight I couldn’t breathe.
“Rooga…” Her voice cracked. “…you’re going to kill me with worry one day.”
Maori tilted her head, utterly unfazed. “Nope. He’ll kill everyone else first. Hehehe~”
Mama’s glare shot like a blade, but Maori just giggled.
And I stood there, caught between my mother’s fear… and my goddess’s smug grin.
I sat cross-legged in the grass again, trying to sync my breathing. Blue mana surged steady through one side of my chest, while green mana pulsed lively on the other.
[ Dual Core Synchronization: 6% ]
It wasn’t easy. Balancing them felt like juggling two wild animals. But I could feel the difference already.
I raised my hand, shaping an Aqua Ball. Normally, the sphere would form soft and shimmering, like a floating bubble of water.
This time… it roared to life.
The sphere pulsed with raw power, rippling violently. My eyes widened as I felt the green mana weaving into it—making it denser, heavier, and far more aggressive than I intended.
“Whoa—!”
Before I could dispel it, the Aqua Ball burst forward, smashing into the base of the tree with a loud crack. Bark splintered, and leaves shook loose in a spray.
I froze.
The HUD flickered.
[Aqua Ball – Strength Boosted by Green Mana: +300%]
[Warning: Spell Output Exceeds User Control]
From above me, a shriek pierced the air.
“CARETAAAKERRR!!”
Maori dropped down from the branches, her eyes blazing. She stomped her tiny foot so hard the ground actually trembled.
“You—you—you blasted IDIOT! You hurt my tree! My beautiful, perfect, goddess-body tree!”
I held up my hands. “W-wait, it was an accident! I didn’t think the spell would—”
She poked me in the forehead so hard I almost fell over. “No excuses! You’re supposed to nurture me, not blast me like some fire mage going crazy”
I winced, rubbing my head. “Sorry, sorry! I’ll fix it, I promise—”
The HUD blinked faintly:
[New Skill Path Available: Mana Control – Dual Core Synchronization]
[Requirement: Mastery of balancing dual mana flow]
I sucked in a deep breath. So this was the trade-off. More power… but harder control.
Maori crossed her arms, cheeks puffed. “Hmph. From now on, no training near the tree unless I say so. One more slip-up, and I’m taking back your green core!”
My heart skipped. “Y-you can do that?!”
Her smirk widened. “Hehehe. Wanna test me?”
I swallowed hard, shaking my head furiously. “No ma’am.”
“Good!” She nodded proudly, then suddenly climbed onto my shoulder, poking my cheek again. “But… since you did make me stronger, I’ll forgive you this time. Don’t let it happen again, caretaker.”
I groaned. “…This is going to be a nightmare.”