I expected a boring trip, but to my surprise, shortly after entering the tunnels, I got a slew of notifications. The noise around the bus suggested something similar had happened all around. Why now? This hadn't happened before during the previous trip.

Mana Orb Rank Increase

Mana Orb Rank Increase

Mana Orb Rank Increase

Mana Orb Rank Increase

Mana Orb Rank Increase

Mana Orb Rank Increase

"So from the sounds, that means everyone's mana orbs just ranked up then? Does anyone have any guesses? This didn't happen last time we passed through," I said, worried about any potential implications. I didn't think changes to this kind of place were likely to be a good thing for us.

"I can't speak for everyone, but considering my own did, I imagine the answer is yes," Elody replied.

"Any idea why?" I asked, turning toward Elody.

"Only guesses, and most of them things best not to dwell on," she sighed as she replied. "It's possible this is just being caused by our departure from a world with such a weak mana flow. But considering this didn't happen within the Arena, I'm not confident that that's the answer."

"What she doesn't want to say is that chaotic space can have very potent pockets of ambient mana, but it also shouldn't be possible for us to be affected by it on the highways. Gramps has used them before some impressive boosts, so maybe we just don't look this gifthorse in the mouth," Connie explained, some of the life in her voice had returned.

"Yep, and there isn't anything we can do about that now, so strap in, I'm going to kick the bus into high gear. I don't know exactly what's going on, but we've got the mana to get our asses out of here a little faster. I have no intention of dying to a random chaotic space horror today! I've got an ex-wife for that!" Timon called from the driver's seat. Somehow, his voice still had no real note of fear in it.

That left me with two real options for the rest of the trip. I could sit here trying to make awkward small talk, doing my best to fight off the creeping anxiety, or the much more interesting sounding idea. I could instead spend the time working through my new mana orb magic. Plus, there was the potential for some more experience back in the archives, so it was probably a good idea that I spent some of what I currently had from the last Arena floor.

Starting with the life orb, I was now going to have to make the choice I had put off earlier. Eternal Body or Eternal Soul? Both of these were fifth tier, but I honestly still had no idea which I should take.

Mana Orb ~Life (3)~ -Fifth Tier- Eternal Body (0) Requirements: Regeneration (25) Eternal Body allows the host to specialize the life orb towards ailments of the body. Only one mana skill in the fifth tier may be chosen.

Mana Orb ~Life (3)~ -Fifth Tier- Eternal Soul (0) Requirements: Soul Regeneration (25) Eternal Soul allows the host to specialize the life orb towards ailments of the soul. Only one mana skill in the fifth tier may be chosen.

The more I considered, the more I again decided to put that decision off. There was a new fifth-tier mana skill I could consider instead. Something I had actually been hoping to unlock at some point.

Mana Orb ~Life (3)~ -Fifth Tier- Greater Regeneration (0) Requirements: Regeneration (25) Greater Regeneration again builds on the previous Regeneration skills. Given time, Greater Regeneration is able to regrow entire lost limbs. The amount of body lost directly affects the speed at which it regenerates and the mana required. Greater Regeneration is not able to heal a person with greater than 25% loss of body without other secondary measures. Further ranks decrease regeneration time.

With the skill points to spare again at the moment, I invested the full ranks into Greater Regeneration and went back and maxed out the tier one and two spells as well. Between my healing and shielding abilities, I was growing more confident in my own strength in a fight. My performance in the Arena had helped to greatly bolster that confidence.

Sadly, though, my shield orb hadn't ranked up again. So instead, I moved on to imbuing. It had finally reached the second tier.

Mana Orb ~Imbuing (2)~ -Fourth Tier- Mana Bond (0) Requirements: Core Projection (15) The host is able to select a designated object using Core Projection. Once selected, the object will begin to form a permanent bond with the mana orb. The time it takes for the bond to become active varies greatly based on the object chosen. Only one object may be chosen. Further ranks strengthen the bond.

Mana Orb ~Imbuing (2)~ -Fourth Tier- Mana Well (0) Requirements: Core Projection (20) Mana Bond (10) The host is able to establish a Mana Well within the bonded object. They can use this as a mana reservoir that can be drawn from for their own needs. This does not naturally regenerate and will require the host to refill it when used. Further ranks increase the size of the Mana Well.

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Mana Orb ~Imbuing (2)~ -Fourth Tier- Mana Battery (0) Requirements: Core Projection (25) Mana Bond (20) Mana Well (5) Mana Battery allows the host to use the bonded object's internal Mana Well as a mana source for things beyond themselves. Doing so reduces the efficiency of the mana transfer. Further ranks increase the efficiency of the mana transfer.

Mana Orb ~Imbuing (2)~ -Fourth Tier- Mana Array (0) Requirements: Core Projection (35) Mana Bond (30) The host is able to establish a Mana Array within the bonded object. This array is able to begin capturing ambient mana around it, slowly recharging itself without the need for the host to use their own mana. Further ranks increase the speed of the array.

The first mana skill itself would likely have been much more impressive had I not already bonded the tools. It was the three that followed it up that really wowed me. Each of those was something I had wanted. Though in the case of the Mana Battery, I hadn't really put the want into those exact words yet. My tool crafting had a requirement for it, but I wasn't sure this would be a viable way to meet that requirement, but I had a feeling Cecile could use it.

These skills would combine together to give me even further mana regeneration, which in turn helped my class path. That meant I spent less time thinking about these before investing the ranks than I had the life orb. Two new mana skills appeared in the fifth tier, but I couldn't unlock either of them for use just yet.

Mana Orb ~Imbuing (2)~ -Fifth Tier- Mana Attunement (0) Requirements: Core Projection (35) Mana Bond (35) Mana Array (35) The host is able to attune the Imbuing Orb to a mana flow of their choice. This choice is permanent. Doing so greatly increases the ability of bonded objects while in that mana flow. Further ranks increase performance while exposed to the attuned mana flow.

Mana Orb ~Imbuing (2)~ -Fifth Tier- Mana Amplification (0) Requirements: Core Projection (35) Mana Bond (35) Mana Array (35) Mana Attunement (25) Mana Amplification allows the host to imbue a single amplification point, which will begin generating more of the attuned mana flow. This point must be within the existing mana flow. Further ranks increase the rate of attuned mana generation.

I wanted, no, I needed both of those. This was an answer to another problem we were facing. We needed a faster mana flow growth. The farm needed to grow faster, and this was the first potential path so far. Assuming all imbuing orbs have the potential, I was going to have to find a way to use the ones we had in our supplies toward this end. Even if it wasted them in the long run, it could save us in the short run.

I pulled up a chat window, unsure if it would even work, but tried anyway.

>Dave: Corey or Karlinovo, are you able to read this message?

>Corey: Yes.

>Karlinovo: Surprisingly, also yes. Whatever this bond we have going is something I need to study. I wasn't entirely aware it was possible.

>Dave: Go for it, but for now, I need a favor.

>Karlinovo: What's that?

>Dave: In the garage, we have most of our collected mana orbs. You may have already thought of this, but I just unlocked some skills within the imbuing orb that I think, if we could get unlocked on all of our existing orbs would greatly benefit our mana flow problem.

>Karlinovo: I hadn't started down that road of thought just yet, but yes, I do know what you are talking about. I'll take a look at them and see what has already been unlocked and what hasn't. It's entirely possible we may be locked out of some of them for those choices, but you are onto something here.

>Dave: Perfect, thank you.

>Karlinovo: All I request is no betrayal as repayment.

>Dave: I can manage that.

>Maud: But can I? Mauahahahaha :)

I was pretty sure Karlinovo would know that was a joke, but I closed out the window either way. What we needed was more mana orb types. There had to be other kinds that could further aid us here. Were there any focused purely on mana generation? That clinched it on some books I wanted to get hold of.

Mana Orb Rank Increase

Okay, that was getting worrying. Sure, it meant my shield orb had also gained a rank, but it also meant this ambient mana pocket was huge, and still leaking into the highway. Even if this wasn't an issue on this trip, there were implications for future problems. Hopefully, there were some answers in Smithtown.

Of the mana orbs that most affect mana flows, ambient mana, and other mana fields, the most sought after, especially by factions without access to stronger mana flows yet are any of the typed mana generating orbs. The problem with these orbs, though, is that you need access to ambient sources of their mana type to further rank them up. This can create a feedback problem where factions are forced to keep these orbs off planet at great cost to themselves until points where they are no longer as useful as they were meant to be when attained. Still, the right orb can be nearly invaluable.

Mana Orbs, Mana Types, Mana Fields by Henjen Klank

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