User Interface 376 | User #53,217

  - Cultivation

  Total Nodes: 1 Major, 5 Minor

  Available unconstructed Nodes: 0 Major, 0 Minor

  Nodes in progress;

  Right Kidney (Finalised: 100%) (awaiting final consolidation)

  Left Kidney (Finalised: 100%) (awaiting final consolidation)

  Windpipe (Finalised: 100%) (awaiting final consolidation)

  Completed Nodes;

  Heart (Flawless) (100/100)

  Right Lung (B) (24/24)

  Left Lung (B) (25/25)

  Nicolai reached through his body and Soul and grasped at the Nodes, one after the other. With each unfinished Node, he poured his will into them. With a sensation of solidness and settling, the Nodes crystallised, finished.

  With each one a pulse of satisfaction rang through him, body and Soul.

  His mind roved within, ducking into the new Nodes within him. What he found was of great interest to him. The windpipe Node reminded him of the lung Nodes. There was no dark twist within, but instead the same kind of “pulling” piece as were in the lungs, which was clearly designed to help him create a stronger pull on the Aura in the air, sucking more into his lungs. The windpipe Node, then, was there to support the work of his lung Nodes.

  The kidney Nodes were different. They, like his heart Node, had a black twist inside. These black twists were smaller than that in the heart Major Node, but seemed of similar design and intent.

  Sitting there and breathing, Nicolai watched as Aura was pulled into his body, taken into his system, and transformed into Oma.

  The windpipe Node made a surprisingly large difference, as the amount of Aura he drew in seemed almost doubled. This was then taken by not only the heart Node, but also the two kidney Nodes, filtering the Aura from his blood, and it transformed more rapidly than ever into Oma. As before, however, he had the impression that his heart and kidneys could have handled more Aura. They were still operating below their maximum capacity. However, he now knew this was not because of any failure in his lungs Nodes and windpipe Node.

  He had learned that the amount of Aura in the air differed from place to place, after questioning Kleos and Maric. Here, there was not a particularly large amount of Aura. Only if he were in a place with high amounts of Aura, might he then find his heart and kidneys working at maximum capacity as they transformed that Aura into Oma. For now, his lungs and windpipe could only draw so much, because there only was so much.

  However, there was a way to improve this, something he should be capable of now he had completed his chest area. It was a method Kleos had described to him, one that would, at long last, make use of the Quiet Turtle statue he had found in the prison’s storage room.

  Nicolai dug the statue out from where he’d stashed it, set it on the table before him, placed his hands either side of it and fed it a small amount of Oma, and focused.

  Around the statue the Aura began to twist, being pulled in toward it. At the same time, within Nicolai’s system, he began to rotate Oma. He sent it on a circular journey; from heart, to left lung, to windpipe, to right lung, back to heart, then to right kidney, to left kidney, back to heart, and then on to left lung again…

  The Oma, circling through him created a kind of draw, one that connected to the draw around the Quiet Turtle statue. At the same time as this Nicolai moved his Soul Sense, attempting to create a kind of spiritual circulation in the air, struggling to press on the Aura.

  It was not easy, but as he settled into it he found the Aura he breathed growing slightly thicker. He was pulling it from all around him, drawing it through the air. The longer he worked the more the draw increased, the greater the slow rotation of Aura around him grew. It was a task that sucked his attention and forced him to be still, his whole Soul, Soul Sense, and every Node in his system focused on.

  After a time he was interrupted by a Link connection, Beth, which he allowed.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she asked. ‘I can feel it, in the air. You’re… pulling, or something. It’s quite, uh, noisy. I think you might be sending out signs people could notice from some distance.’

  Nicolai stopped immediately, the funnel he’d created dissipating. After telling Beth it was a new technique he’d learned—and then responding to her demand that he share with the fact she couldn't do it until she completed her chest area—he interrogated Kleos. Maric was meanwhile undergoing some kind of slumber which the head’s had said was normal for an undead in his position. Apparently every now and then they needed to rest. The skull’s blue-light eyes were dim and Nicolai had set it quietly in a corner of the room.

  ‘Beth could feel my active Cultivation,’ he began to Kleos. ‘Is that normal?’

  ‘Yep,’ said the head. ‘That’s the main drawback. You can sit still and pull decent amounts of Aura, get your system really going to refill your Nodes… but it’s noticeable. Creates ripples other Cultivators can detect. They can even follow those ripples and the movements of the Aura right back to you. So, best only done if you’re in a place where you’re safe, or you know there’s no one about, or if you’re strong enough not to care. Spiritual Beasts and other things, Mutants and such, can feel it too.’ It gave him a meaningful look. ‘At the same time, you’ll be able to sense others doing the same, if they’re about. Worth paying attention to the ripples in the Aura around you.’

  ‘I always do,’ murmured Nicolai, then he tapped his Mark. He hadn’t yet checked what grade his Nodes were at.

  User Interface 376 | User #53,217

  - Cultivation

  Total Nodes: 1 Major, 5 Minor

  Total Oma: 228

  Available unconstructed Nodes: 7 Major, 0 Minor

  Nodes in progress;

  Completed Nodes;

  Heart (Flawless) (100/100)

  Right Lung (B) (24/24)

  Left Lung (B) (25/25)

  Right Kidney (B) (15/26)

  Left Kidney (B) (15/26)

  Windpipe (A) (16/27)

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Nicolai’s eyes were fixed on a single letter: A.

  Satisfaction poured through him at the sight of it. The lowest level of A was only a difference of a single point from the highest level of B, but even so, he was very pleased. This confirmed his Natural Aptitude was somewhere in the A region. Less pleasing, he’d noted that his progress at improving his Nodes was already slowing, but overall he didn’t think his rate of increase was too slow, and suspected that he could still improve his methods further. Based on his understanding, if he could bring a Minor Node up to 33 Oma, that would mean they were flawless, S tier. That was his goal, and the closer his Aptitude was to that number, the easier his future aims would become.

  The next item that drew his eye was that of his available unconstructed Nodes.

  There were now 7 Nodes available for construction, and all of them were Major Nodes. With the completion of his chest area his heart Node was supported, and strong enough to push out through his body to begin construction of Major nodes.

  The diagram on the right showed new points of light, the points of potential. At his brain stem; in his stomach; on the lower portion of his spine; and in each of his hands and feet, they shone.

  ‘Does the creation of Major Nodes differ from Minor?’ he asked Kleos.

  ‘It does,’ spoke the head, before launching into its standard lecturing tone.

  It transpired that building a Major Node was quite a complex process. Kleos said that most Cultivators, at least those of his race and other “normal” Cultivators, would not do any building of Major Nodes for quite some time. As these types would typically just “clear” their Nodes, which were already there, they didn’t need to.

  Kleos had said before that it was common for Cultivators to tear down these naturally formed Nodes in order to form better ones. But the head said that they wouldn’t do that to Major Nodes until they were near the end of the clearing stage, their internal system largely complete.

  ‘With a weak Soul, and no brain Major Node, building Nodes is not easy. Major Nodes are significantly harder than Minor Nodes. At your current stage… I would say that the vast majority of Cultivators will simply be unable to build a Major Node. It will be beyond them. Only those who are unusually skilled, possess unusually high aptitude, or ideally, both, have even a chance at success. The best way, of course, is to have Symbiotes that will help one with Node building. Like your Small Silver Ant, though that’s one of the weaker and less helpful types.

  Nicolai eyed the head. ‘So I tick those boxes, in your opinion?’

  Kleos gave a lopsided smile. ‘I think you do, funnily enough. Lucky for you. But I’m not certain. As I said… it is not easy. Don’t get your hopes up. Plus, I assume you’ll be practising outside of your body, first?’

  Nicolai nodded.

  ‘Good. That’s very good. Because the main Major Node you want to try and build right now, is a brain Major Node. Having a Node blow up in there… would not be good.’

  ‘I was intending to develop a hand Major Node, first,’ said Nicolai, frowning. That would significantly improve his abilities with the Grasping Finger, Repulsive Grasp, and any other hand type Symbiotes he found. He currently spent a lot of Oma on their use, simply because he had to keep them out there and active.

  ‘Well, sure. If you have the crystals, I guess. But trust me, a brain Major Node makes a big difference. It will improve your Soul, giving your Soul Sense greater range. I shouldn’t have to tell you why that’s a good thing. It will also make building all future Nodes significantly easier, once that’s done… building Major Nodes will no longer be such a challenge.’

  ‘You’re at what’s considered a bit of a bottleneck,’ the head continued, ‘one that exists for those who have to clear their Nodes rather than build them, too. Clearing is difficult, though not quite so hard as building. Its common for people to try and clear the brain major Node as quick as they can, but usually it takes time due to the difficulty—most are forced to take the slow route rather than the more difficult fast. If you can get past that bottleneck and complete a brain Node, it’ll be smooth sailing from hereon out. Just depends if you are capable of doing it, if everything you’ve got is enough that you’re able to complete a Major Node the quick way… or not. If not, your only choice will be the slow route.’

  Nicolai nodded. ‘I have a lot of crystals,’ he said, glancing over his stock. He really did. They’d been building up, and up, since he’d sent first Jo, Perro, and Azure, and then John and Cait, into the prison, and he’d also gained more from trading and killing. He’d been busy, and it had paid off. Kleos had told him that the Major Node should take about five times as many crystals as a minor; if that was true, then he had enough crystals to make about six Major Nodes.

  ‘Here’s what I’m thinking…’ he continued, ‘I’ll build a test major Node first, outside of myself like that first time I had to practise making a minor Node. To see if I can. If I can do that, then I’ll go ahead and make a hand major Node. If I get it wrong I should be able to survive my hand exploding. Then, once I know I can build a major Node inside myself, I’ll create the brain Node. That’s how it is, right? If I can build one, I should be able to build them all.’

  ‘That’s right,’ said Kleos. ‘Here’s what you need to do…’

  Nicolai listened as the head explained. It transpired that the main complexity of Major Nodes was the layers. With a Minor Node, there was only one layer; its external shell. With a Major Node, he was supposed to create five layers.

  His first step was to remove the minor Node he’d built in his hand as a temporary measure. This required him to sort of “cut away” the Node in his Soul, and then draw on the Oma within it. As his Nodes were full, he was unable to hold onto that Oma; unable to even keep it moving within his body, as his body struggled to hold onto any Oma outside of his Nodes. In the end he found it best to simply vent it, and the Oma formed a slow mist around his palm as he took the Node apart.

  Once the job was done he extended a hand, dug his other into a bag of crystals, and got started.

  Oma was poured from through his body, pooled in his palm, formed into a strand and was sown into the start of the Major Node, just like when he’d practised making a Minor. Floating around the creation forming on his palm was the activated Small Silver Ant, which, for now, he’d directed to focus on speeding up the process. He did his best to reclaim the Oma from the air as he worked, going quick as he could to catch at it before it dissipated, but most of it faded. After that he drew on the crystals.

  Time slid by. The first layer was complete. He left a small gap at its top, working on the second layer within. This, Kleos had told him, was the only way to do it. It couldn’t go out from a central point. It had to be done from the outside in.

  Gradually the second layer formed. Now, he found the strain of the task increasing, pushing beyond what he was used to with a minor Node.

  Time continued to spin away, along with Oma fed into the creation.

  Nicolai began the process only using his own mind, his own will, and with the Small Silver Ant speeding the process rather than taking some of the load.

  It was as he slipped into the 3rd layer, that he felt himself approaching his limit. The half-formed Major Node, the densified Oma it was formed off, was buzzing and shaking. His mind and his will were approaching their limit.

  Threat Analysis, Cyberwarfare, he spoke, and the Modules merged with him, the small pieces of his spirit that were held by them joining his attempt.

  The shaking of the Oma firmed, and, together, they pushed onwards. Oma wound endlessly, the shape growing denser and tighter and firm, a spiritual spring under ever more pressure.

  He next struggled at the moment where he was halfway through the third layer. He felt, once again, the limit.

  He commanded the Small Silver Ant, and its focus shifted from speeding his progress. Now, it moved to focus on the strands of Oma, and he felt his mental strain decrease by a fair margin as it took some of the load.

  Nicolai pressed on, and completed the third layer and began forming the fourth. The Small Silver Ant had a good effect, and he didn’t encounter trouble until he was reaching towards the halfway point of the fourth layer

  Now, his options were running dry. He pulled on everything within him. The Mask and Thrill, but not the Dark. The Mask came, and it gave what aid it was capable of. The Thrill showed no interest because this was not a fight.

  Nicolai’s teeth gritted as his focus intensified, razor sharp. The world faded around him and he knew he was vulnerable because Threat Analysis was too busy aiding him to keep watch.

  He got a little bit further. Perhaps two thirds of the fourth layer was complete.

  With a sensation like the bottom of his stomach had just dropped out, a spine tingling, sweat making, feeling like one might have when seeing an oncoming car sudden swerve towards them, Nicolai felt and heard the moment where his will and everything else failed.

  He threw the crystal across the room and dove for cover, grabbing Kleos as he went.

  The explosion was a simple, solid, bone-deep thump that sent a wave of force through the room, smashing wooden furniture into pieces. It was fortunate Nicolai had moved to an empty room for this, rather than being where he’d kept his things.

  The force picked him up and threw him into a wall, but Nicolai controlled himself with the Pegasi ring and broke his fall with his arms, catching himself, pressing off and landing on the ground.

  Immediately he drew on the Oma in the air, which was rapidly dissipating. He pulled it towards himself, sucked it into his lungs, and refilled his Nodes. His Nodes were full in moments and he began the process of forming a new Major Node on his palm while he kept drawing on the Oma in the air.

  He disliked the idea of wasting it. Most of it would be wasted but, while it was still here in the air, he ought to try and take as much as possible and put it into his next attempt.

  Nicolai had felt something important when forming the first attempt, the first practise Node. He had felt that he was close, but not quite there.

  He knew how much easier it was to build a Node inside his body. Quite a bit easier. But with him failing just as he was two thirds through the fourth layer, the entirety of the fifth layer to go… he didn’t think he was there. If he tried to build it inside himself now, he reckoned he would fail somewhere towards the end of the fifth layer.

  But if he could reach the start of the fifth layer, that would be a confirmation. If he could get to that point, he believed that with the increased ease of building it inside of himself, he would be able to finish.

  Like everything, this came down to practise. He was now more ready for the difficulty he’d experienced in the final stages. And, if he could bring the Thrill in, gain its assistance, too, then he felt sure he could reach the fifth layer. It was just a matter of… mental framing.

  Hours passed as once more Nicolai bore down on the process.

  SamSpeeds :D very super cool!