"This feels very different. It’s not just that the mana doesn’t feel like it’s here, it’s like the mana in my body is also being stubborn."

The way that the mana felt to Gil was like he was suddenly pulling at something double the weight that it normally was. To him, he understood it as something that came to be because they had removed the ambient mana around them and entirely caused the mana to be isolated.

Within their bodies the mana now had no connection at all to the ambient mana whereas the world has connections to ambient mana aven when they pulled the mana away. It was a difference in density and purity that caused this phenomenon.

"You don’t need your mana right now though, you should be able to use the skill and pull at whatever else might be around? Or maybe you will influence space mana and pull on manas from further away?"

This was a theory that Walker had idly chatted with Gil about.

He believed that they might cause an opposing pressure on the space itself causing there to be a reaction with space mana able to become more fluid and draw in other manas to fill the missing areas that were empty of other manas. But that was still a hard theory to prove since Walker couldn’t easily test that within the world or overall at all.

"I know that we are trying to see if I can even use skills. I can still see better with the passive boosts to my eyes because of archery. I can still feel the potential to advance my class beyond an arcane marksman and maybe specialize it to enhance it. I have been feeling that in my gut that something can still grow and change since I have chance..."

Gil seemed to be trying harder to imagine what he wanted to happen when he used his skill to make a temporary arrow out of mana.

He had drawn in fire mana that he could use as an arrow and he could even imbue that fire arrow on to a normal arrow making it a flaming arrow.

While the skill was nowhere near as powerful as a properly built and specifically made arrow with a set fire type effect, it still could be used to enhance that same arrow or when he did not want to cause a greater focused damage.

The skill was something he had somewhat bypassed and not refined nearly as much as any other arcane marksman would due to the simple joy of him making his own arrows. Let alone the fact that he had so many materials and people to help him make these unique arrows that had greater value and functionality.

"But what if I am trying to pull at what I know and not letting myself pull at what I do not know?"

Now it was everyone else’ s turn to wonder just what Gil was thinking about. However, before Walker could speak up he felt a change around him that made his skin prickle.

It was both the movement of space mana and also the movement of chaotic manas nearby. It was like someone had just directed all the chaotic mana toward them in a rush and wave.

In a single movement, Walker raised his hands and channeled manas to protect them while Su reacted by slamming her shields together one after another making a shield wall around all of them and blocking the sudden influx of chaotic manas.

In Gil’s hands several manas gathered causing a sparking clashing event. Not a true proper form but something outside of the normal form an arrow should take. Like it couldn’t decide what mana to take on. Like the affinity called on wasn’t the question but the very form itself.

"So that’s how chaos works." Gil yanked his hand away and the mana surged away from them just as dramatically as it had attracted to them.

The smoking blackened wounds on Gil’s hand were like he had been bitten b y lightning and darkness while also being frozen or stabbed by wooden splinters. It was a brutal and debilitating wound that Remey and Walker leaped to begin treating.

They had stunned fear on their faces as they realized Gil didn’t even feel the pain he was in. Instead he was just staring at his hand and the sudden changes in mana showing themselves to them everyone around them.

To him, he had just proven theories that Walker had randomly brought up about bigger things,. About what else might be out there in terms of mana or out in what they called the chaotic unknown beyond the outer edges of the elemental planes and places where the smaller elemental planes rested.

He had proven one and knew that many more could potentially take their place in terms of things to study and prove. Or he also had proven multiple but he just didn’t show proof.

"Did you really just do that!" Walker shouted knowing that the wounds were the least of what Gil had done. He knew that Gil had just tempted fate and caused a huge scene out here in the chaos. Who knew what trouble could be attracted.

Then again, he too didn’t know what they were trying to do. It was an experiment and something that he now understood he should have held off trying. He wasn’t powerful enough to handle all of that mana and had just used half of the natural mana within his body to counter all of that chaotic mana rushing at them. He was using more natural mana to help heal the wounds on Gil’s hand.

"If you hadn’t stopped that you would be looking at a stump where your hand used to be Gil. This looks like you tried to entirely destroy yourself between mana. Like putting yourself between a hammer and an anvil but a million times over!" Su was reacting now with bandages after Remey added some healing pastes and forced Gil to drink a few different resistance and healing potions made for him.

"I tried to pull at something we didn’t know. Something we didn’t fully understand to see if it was possible when other manas didn’t block the feeling. It worked. I don’t know how it worked but it did and I have no idea if I can forget that feeling. I was holding something foundational. More than just space. It was like a concept." His breath was heavy while he confusedly looked around.

It was like he couldn’t properly understand the feelings and what he had done. And for all intents and purposes that was entirely true!

"Did you try to pull at chaotic mana?" Walker spoke softly. His mind grasping the very fact that Gil had managed to pull at chaos itself and in reaction the clashing manas nearby reacted and appeared to form what was necessary.

"If you did that, then you could have caused so much more problems for everyone and everything. Chaotic mana is destructive and creative. It doesn’t have rules. You pulled at it and you harmed yourself in second before you were able to end that. It’s not something you and I can mess with right now, or maybe ever."

"Walker, I hurt myself. I can feel my hand returning a bit. But you should understand that I just proved that chaos is a thing beyond what we know. I also proved that mana might just be part of larger aspects. Laws or whatever foundations existence itself uses. That’s something you should understand now."

He let a long sigh out before looking at the others, "I can’t comprehend that or even understand that feeling. So i am letting it go right now. I have to do it so I can focus." Gil slowly seemed to calm down as he did so.

Something about deciding not to pursue that moment and feeling was enough for his body and mind to release the pressure and weight he had just dropped on it. And weight was right, he slumped slightly as if all the wind had been taken out of him.

Everyone realized that Gil had exhausted almost all of his internal mana and seemed to need food and rest more than anything. Walker started to pull everyone away so that they were not here in case anything came looking.

Whether he grasped it or not, the twinkling lights of mana in the distance had started to focus on him and the others. Not following, not harming, just watching.

Silent eyes that had been turned to glance at what had just happened outside of the usual here. Powerful eyes that would keep watching to see just what might happen if there was an accident here when it should not be.

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