Pyramid of Power [Progressive LitRPG]

Chapter 30: *NOTIFICATION*

Ryker

Every time I thought I had things well in hand, they threw me another curveball. I gazed at the text in front of me and pondered how intrusive this could be in a fight; then, it winked out of existence. I looked to Ruby for some kind of explanation, and she did not disappoint.

"While you were unconscious for the last three days, your body was adapting to the introduction of vital energy and the changes I made to your nervous system. During that time, I spent many hours learning as much as I could about the Vren. It turns out they know far more about vital energy than anyone in the empire but in a more instinctual manner. Silvar explained to me that when someone cultivates vital energy, their body slowly diffuses it to their entire body evenly, resulting in a steady increase across the board. This is a very inefficient method that the Vren teach their young to avoid."

At that point, Silvar stepped forward and took over. "Indeed, it is quite upsetting to know that all of the billions that have entered the Pyramid to this point have done so with next to no understanding of the power they wield. It's like giving a baby from your world a handgun and expecting them to survive the wilds alone." Silvar looked over at Ruby and asked, "Did I get it right?" Ruby gave Silvar two thumbs up and smiled excitedly. "Anyways, the toaster has been giving me lessons on your history so I can understand your odd human way of speaking."

Ruby let out an indignant whine. "Heyyyyyyy! Don't call me that, you crusty old worm!"

Silvar suppressed a smirk and continued his explanation. "Like I was saying, we Vren have been teaching our young for millennia not to allow the vital energy they absorb to do whatever it wants but to control it. With your vital energy and mana under your control you will be far superior to the common rable."

I raised one eyebrow and said, "Mana? Like the stuff in video games back home?" Silvar gave me a hard stare before responding in an irritated tone, "NO. Not like in your video games back home. What you perceive as me talking to you is not that at all. I am transmitting my thoughts directly into your brain, and you are taking those thoughts and interpreting them into words you can comprehend. So, no, it is not some kind of made-up mumbo jumbo from your ball of dirt. It is the stuff that the universe is made of. It courses through everything and everyone. Without it, nothing could exist. Nothing could live. The imperial dunce cap-wearing fools decided a long time ago to start calling mana by VITAL ENERGY. The two are energy but that is the extent of your similarity. We use vital energy to grow and improve but mana is used to manipulate the fabric of our reality. Now that you have been awakened your body will create its own. Now don't you dare forget the difference or i'll poke a hole in your heart just for the fun of it."

I nodded my head vigorously as I thought back to Silvar's pilgrimage through my chest. I let out an uncontrollable shudder as a phantom pain flitted through my chest. Silvar gave me one more grumpy glare then continued. "Like I was saying, we Vren have learned to take all the vital energy we absorb and store it within ourselves before directing it precisely where we want it for advancement. Everyone else just lets it run loose in their bodies, and whatever isn't absorbed simply floats around in their veins until they use it all up. This technique usually takes roughly 30 years to become proficient in its practice, but fortunately for you, I have no peer when it comes to controlling these energies, and I have enlisted the aid of your pet A.I. to automate the entire process."

Ruby stomped up with her arms crossed, not hiding how unamused she was with Silvar's unflattering words towards her. She let out one more harumph then said, "Yeah... I have to admit it was a pretty good idea. Instead of you mastering the use of vital energy." She made sure to put an exaggerated emphasis on the words while staring Silvar in the face. "We created a shortcut for you. Alone, the two of you would have never been able to accomplish the feat, and you would have spent the next 30 years sitting in a cave humming to yourself while the worm chanted mantras in your ear. But alas, I am here, so with Silvar's help, we mapped out a set of pathways that will allow a direct flow of vital energy from your core to the part of the body we want to empower. This leads us back to the notification window." Ruby snapped her fingers again, and the window reappeared, but this time it had more information present.