A technomancer's journey in an apocalyptic world

"So this is where you all were forced to work Professor Anndrais?"

Anndrais nodded as he spoke, "Yes these mysterious crystals were what we mined which the 'Pig King' and his army used them rather extensively to increase their strength."

"I see", as Ryan touched it he could feel the mana trapped inside it.

"Mana Crystals extremely low Grade."

Ryan turned towards the speaker before he spoke, "Mana Crystals? What are they Dasyra?"

"Sometimes the wild Mana gathers around in place especially in some caves and forms this Mana Crystals, there are many theories and speculations but no one has ever found the real reason, though it is a shame this one is ruined."

"How so?", Professor Anndrais could not help but ask out as he moved his hand over the crystal.

"Simple, look over there do you see the black marks over there, it indicates that the Mana stored inside is being slowly leaking."

Her eyes full of sympathy fell on Anndrais as she spoke, "There are methods and tools to mine them correctly but since it was not followed the crystal lodes are damaged badly and is leaking, within a month it would be all gone."

Anndrias sighed at that as he spoke, "We were forced to work so hard to gather them yet hours upon hours spend to even get a small chunk, I will gather others to mine it out so that we can use it.

Dasyra looked at him confused before she spoke with alarm, "Do not tell me you are planning to consume it."

As Anndrais nodded Dasyra spoke in a hurried tone, "Please don't this crystals are only meant for created of weapons, armours and in some case certain potion, but if you take it raw you will not only get heavily addicted to it but you will suffer extreme pain and even death is not possible."

Anndrais looked alarmed at that as he spoke, "But, they were using it a lot and they were growing strong upon using it."

"It is true that by directly using the crystals you grow strong but at the end of the day the harm caused by it is not worth though you should be grateful that it was only low grade otherwise you would have been burying you after you suffered a slow agonizing death."

Anndrais paled even more as Dasyra continued, "Your females were used so much by this mongrels, yet none of them is pregnant have you ever wondered why?"

As Anndrais shook his head Dasyra continued to speak, "Simple consuming it turns you sterile.", she frowned for a moment before she spoke, "I think you all should get yourselves checked after all you all were forced to mine, who knows what harm you might have to suffer."

Anndrais muttered some excuse as he quickly left, Dasyra then bowed in front of Ryan as she spoke, "Sorry Your Holiness for being so familiar with you, Her Holiness has asked me to find an escort you to her."

Ryan rubbed the bridge of his nose for a moment before he spoke with a sigh, "Then please escort me to Lady Ylerias's place."

'Ugh do I have to hear His Holiness every day till I die, this was funny for the first few times, but now it is so damn annoying.'

A few minutes later Ryan stood in front of Lady Ylerias he spoke, "I wish humbly convey my heartfelt apologizes for what the incident on behalf of my sister and I."

Ylerias looked at him for a moment before she spoke with a sigh, "Let bygones are bygones but I hope you would pay more attention now, and will not cause similar problems in the future, remember you are no longer a child but an apostle."

Ryan nodded at that as Ylerias continued, "However that does not mean you should break your sister's foot."

Ryan blushed at that as he spoke, "That was an accident I was angry with her and I misjudged my strength when I stomped her foot."

Ylerias simply shook her head as she spoke, "You have to restrain yourself otherwise in the future you might end up causing some serious problem, always remember you are no longer human anymore."

Ryan frowned at that as he spoke, "What do you mean? Do the humans of your world not have any magic in them?"

"Of course they have, but you will know more as time progresses, but enough of that I heard that you were about to create some machines so I hope you would not mind if I conduct your lessons while I watch you work."

Ryan nodded as he began leading Ylerias while limping with the help of his crutch.

"Yesterday I was teaching you about perks and skills right?"

Ryan nodded as he spoke, "Yes Lady Ylerias."

"Well there is something that I learned recently, due to decrease in our tier, we have become incredibly weaker, and with our weakness, many skills that we possessed have become useless, Maralyn who had treated you would have fixed you within seconds has been unable to heal you even after a couple of days, do you understand how much valuable skills are no accessible to us because of the loss of our tier."

"Will regain them after you reach your tier?"

Ylerias nodded at that as she spoke, "Yes we would, but can you guess what happened to our perks?"

Ryan gained a contemplative look on his face before he spoke, "If I am not wrong you have not lost your perks."

"Splendid, we have not lost them true some of them are a chore to handle now as our bodies are no longer as strong as they used to be, but they are there without losing even an iota of their strength."

They walked for a moment without saying any word to each other when suddenly Ryan remembered a question that he needed to ask, "Ah I forgot something, what about the 'Circle'?"

"' Circle' huh, well the first thing you need to know about the Circle is that only a few normal people have the honour of gaining Circles, they are extremely rare for them as they are seen as blessings of the Gods which they receive upon reaching the threshold, even getting one circle is a great honour for them, unlike us who receive one every time we reach a threshold."

A flicker of a smug smile went passed Ylerias face which was noticed by Ryan, 'Damn that woman has some serious pride, well who wouldn't be if they are their Goddess's right hand.'

"Can you show me?"

Ylerias face especially when seeing the shiny expectant eyes off Ryan as she spoke with a soft voice, "I wish I could Ryan, but it seems they are locked at the moment, I believe if I were to regain my level I would be able to use them."

"Aw, I so wanted to see one."

"Did you not get one when you reached Tier 10."

Ryan nodded at that as he spoke, "Well I got a choice but I have yet to pick one, they are all good as such I am taking time to see which one I should pick."

Ylerias raised one of her elegant eyebrows as she spoke, "Whoever you Goddess or God is, seems to pamper you a lot, most of the times we do not get a choice and getting one upon reaching the first threshold is unheard of."

Ryan simply smiled as he spoke, "I would not mind getting pampered even more."

Ylerias snorted at that as the duo walked silently towards the destination which was coincidently at the heart of the Mana Crystal mine.

Ryan then began to work his magic, while Ylerias sat on a chair that had been brought by one of her subordinates, her eyes narrowed as she watched every movement of Ryan like a hawk after its prey.

'Interesting very interesting, he is creating machines that even magi-crafters would have to spend ages to learn, he is using runes, alchemy and many esoteric arts yet he knows nothing of them, he is simply moving his hand as a ghostly image is forming which then is solidifying to create the real stuff, very interesting, but still, I cannot think or discern who is his patron God or Goddess is, he has so many different abilities from different Deities it is impossible to discern whose apostle he really is. Maybe if I keep my eye out and I will learn about it eventually.'