Mana Star System: Soul Rebirth 5 5 A New Title

A week had pa.s.sed since Donis began the greatest struggle of any babies life, probably ever. Constantly trying to pinch himself with the sharpest nails he had ever felt! They were like daggers, clawing through his soft skin. It was torture to be self inflicting so much pain. He had started to doubt his immense mental prowess to make the perfect choice every time. His faith had yet to be shattered, as if by some dumb luck, his pain resistance leveled up!

'By Einstein's moustache, I'm a genius!' proclaimed Donis triumphantly. 'I'm so DONE pinching myself. It's almost not worth it, pinching myself while eating, gurgling, p.o.o.ping and trying to breathe perfectly the entire time,' Donis said, painfully reliving his baby pinching h.e.l.l.

Donis had been practising his breathing non-stop the entire time, but it was yet to level up. He thought the breathing would level up first as it's such a constant process. He had been doing it so long that it had become almost second nature to breathe that way. With the [Pain Resistance 2/50] being out of the way, he could fully concentrate on his breathing. He began noticing that while he focused on it, his mind became a little bit sharper.

'Maybe I had been doing it wrong this entire time? I've been almost entirely focusing on the physical sensation of the pinches, that I've not put much thought into active breathing. Eh.. I've not much better to do,' said Donis, mentally shrugging.

Over the course of the next month, Donis had been focusing entirely on the process of focused breathing. The air entering his lungs, flowing down his trachea, into his lungs, expanding his belly while keeping his chest perfectly still. This borderline insane focus over the course of the entire month, had managed to proc the legendary notification!

-[Breathing Training 2/10] has Leveled Up!-

Immediately, as if a light fog had lifted from his mind, Donis became more aware.

'Yes! Finally, I can stop concentrating on this stupid training. In, out, in, out. My mind was holding on for it's dear life,' whinged Donis. 'Though, I have to say it's effects are noticeable. Once I have the means, I want to find out how the breathing clears my mind like this. The SYSTEM probably has something for me to buy,' Donis taunted. A silence filled his mind. 'Quiet for once.. I guess you're not that great after all,' Donis said filling with a sense of victory.

Attaining such fine results yielded a great boost to Donis's confidence. He became a proud baby warrior, ready to conquer the evil system. Yet the next few months flew by with no progress outside of [Pain Resistance 2/50] reaching the next level. He had already turned six months old, and yet the [Immune System 1/20] had yet to level up once.

With the strength of a six months old, Donis began crawling around the house, constantly making his parents worry. Consistently crawling towards dangerous objects, like the s.h.i.+ny sword. His parents had made a makes.h.i.+ft cage to withstand the suicidal powers of a crawling baby. His mother developing a sixth sense for Donis's adventures, always within a moments reach had stopped him from nearly knocking the sword on top of himself. Korrin on the other hand would laugh at the antics of the babe, knowing it was pure wonder for the child.

In these months Donis had gotten to know his entire family. He had four sisters, and he was the only boy. Clearly their parents favourite, Donis's siblings had become slightly jealous of all the attention he was getting. Not jealous enough to not play with the baby, obviously, much to Donis's dismay.

From oldest to youngest, his sisters were Karina, Suzy, Priscilla, and Rosa. All the girls had dark hair like their mother, but Priscilla had a beautiful golden hue to her hair, just like her mother's favourite flower. Donis had the same dark hair like his sisters, but it didn't take away from his cute green eyes. The green eyes were a trademark of the Laurent household. Everyone, including Korrin, had deep, earthy green eyes.

Donis had fought a rough battle with the girls, with their constant cooing, pa.s.sing him around and the incessant need to play with toys. He knew he had to put up the act for now, he was a baby and he wasn't going to reveal himself as an adult in a babies body. Throughout his tumultuous play time, Donis never stopped focusing on his breathing, or his pinching. Showing the true discipline every baby should strive for!

Korrin finis.h.i.+ng up his work outside in the smithy and Morissa cooking up dinner, Donis thought he'd have another quiet day of training. Over dinner something was being discussed, but Donis was left out of the loop. He had picked up a few words here and there like "Home," "Bad," "Good," and the ever so frequent "Don't touch that!" but it wasn't enough to piece together the conversation. He only realised something was different when they dressed him up in warm clothing. It then struck. He was leaving the house!

This was his first time in his entire life as a baby where he left the house, if you don't include being born in the hospital. This was his chance, he could possibly come into contact with some germs, and maybe even get the forbidden Level Up! It was too soon to celebrate for Donis, but his hopes were sky high.

"Sweetie, where did you put my jacket?" said Korrin, quickly running around the study. "I told you, it's under the chair, where you dropped it the other night and never bothered to pick it up, LIKE I ASKED," retorted Morissa. "Thanks sweetie!" The family was going out into town to pick up some necessities. The Laurents owned no horses, but the town wasn't too far away to have a family stroll.

Donis's eyes were like high powered lasers, scanning anything and everything whilst on their walk. Scarcely taking in any actual information about the scenery. He just about knew that they lived at the corner of a lush forest. Any other information escaped him, except when the town came into view after their brief 5 minute walk. His eyes open wide, and his hands pointing towards to the town as if they were trying to grab it. Gurgling happily, Donis failed to notice that his mother was shedding light tears from the absolute cuteness of it all.

The town centre had been filled with spa.r.s.ely placed wooden houses, populated by an a.s.sortment of varying kiosks, travellers and locals. The alleyways were slightly darker, but still had some small kiosks selling veg. There were also rough looking children in their makes.h.i.+ft gangs hanging about, being a general nuisance in the more secluded crevices of their respective alleyways.

Korrin telling Morissa to take the kids and shop for food while he went to confer with his local Rune Forgers. With a betrayed expression on her face, she ushered the kids along with her. Donis's sisters were no better than other ruffians, loud, annoying and filled with a never ending wonder for their surroundings. Morissa had her hands full with attempting to stop the girls from touching too many things, that she failed to notice Donis who was placed on the ground momentarily, had crawled away.

Donis stared down into his reflection. He had finally got to see his face. He looked like an egg. Mentally scoffing he knew he couldn't tell babies apart. From what he could remember, even in his previous life, he just couldn't see the appeal of a baby. They all looked like overcooked eggs. 'Now or never, Donis, you can do this,' he mentally psyched himself up before c.o.c.king his head back.

Splas.h.!.+ Morissa suddenly aware of the sound of water splas.h.i.+ng, frantically looked around. 'Where is Donis?!' mentally screamed Morissa. Her heart pounded fiercely Throwing her head around scanning every possible nook and cranny before finally seeing her missing son, face first into a puddle, drinking. Drinking the mud water. The cogs in her mind turning. 'He's just like his father, why are all men so stupid' Morissa angrily exhaled, the image of her perfect baby boy slightly wavering.

Donis gulping every mouthful of the dirt water, feeling each and every glob of dirt and an extra sharp pebble fill his senses. He retched and retched but swallowed everything. He couldn't possibly give up this chance to get sick. He knew it was stupid, and disgusting and painful but it would have been even more painful to sit in boredom for the next chance to possibly pa.s.s someone else who was sick enough to affect him.

After a nauseous second, Morissa kicked into gear and scooped him up, scolding him every step of the way back to his sisters. The sisters hadn't missed this, they were in tears rolling around the marketplace-like main street. Embarra.s.sed Morissa hushed them all along trying to find Korrin as all of their shopping had been well finished.

He was sitting down merrily with another Rune Forger discussing their latest projects and the like, filling their bellies with laugher. The fellow Forgers face had sunken as a shadow towered behind Korrin. As if an unnatural cold had pa.s.sed over Korrin, he was forced to turn around, his mouth agape, tears welling in his eyes.

His wife holding Donis covered head to toe in mud, clearly muddying up her beautiful dress, while the girls had been red faced from laughing so hard. Stifling a laugh he said his goodbyes and offered to carry Donis. Without even an answer Donis had been handed over.

Their trip this time filled with an ever growing laughter at the antics of their youngest, seemed shorter than before. Donis didn't mind as all he thought about was the potential of this trip. He wasn't sure if there was a time before his body began digesting the filth that would begin levelling up the [Immune System], but he still waited expectantly.

After putting away all the shopping, Morissa took out a basin to wash the mud-beast off. All the girls pitching in help, changing the water multiple times until Morissa had been satisfied. The unthinkable happened. Donis vomited in the now crystal clear basin.

Morissa brought to frustration, tears trickling down, while Donis beamed with happiness. The almighty, the magnificent, the n.o.ble notification finally reared it's mythical head.

-[Immune System 1/20] Level Up! [Side-Quest: Level Up all [Body Category] Skills Once] Complete. Reward: [50SP + t.i.tle: Body Of Mind]