Extensive investigation of DNA, government records, and available ancestry information has yielded no unifying or common denominator that could link individuals who underwent forced mana awakenings. Claims suggesting higher incidence rates among specific groups or ethnicities are entirely fabricated and demonstrably false. Our findings indicate that those who experienced forced mana awakenings were affected in a manner consistent with randomness, with no identifiable hereditary or demographic pattern.

  A key indicator supporting this conclusion is that even when individuals were in close physical proximity—such as within the same household or even the same room—the effect did not manifest across multiple family members, such as between parent and child or among siblings. Notably, documented cases include instances where only one individual from a set of identical twins, triplets, or higher-order multiples was affected. This strongly suggests that a common genetic factor is not at play.

  More intriguingly, the forced mana awakening predominantly affected humans, along with a small number of high-intelligence primates. This observation alone warrants further study, as it may offer insight into the underlying mechanisms of mana interaction with biological systems. Furthermore, the absence of cases involving pregnant individuals is a significant finding, the explanation for which should by now be self-evident.

  — Extract from a lecture by Dr Elliot Barnes, Doctor of Applied Mana and System Theory, delivered in September 2042.

  Chapter Three

  Climbing down, I lowered myself to the floor using the pipe as support and lean back against the tire of the forklift, my head resting in my hands, as the adrenaline fled my system and I focused on not going into shock, trying to process everything that had just happened as it came crashing down.

  Several minutes of slow deep breaths and I was able to get a hold of myself, gaining control of the shaking and start the get my thoughts in order. First thing I realised was that I could see, by which I mean that there was enough light to see by, it wasn’t day light bright, but equivalent to the yards lights being back on, but then I realised that I had been able to see for quite a while, I just hadn’t noticed due to the whole running-for-my-life from the werewolf monster situation.

  This reminded me of the werewolf monster thing’s existent, and I spun around to check on the monster cursing myself that I hadn’t confirmed it was dead, just trusted that the dent in its head and the fact that it had stopped moving meant it was dead.

  “Fuck’s sake, Jack. That is how idiots get themselves killed., just because something would have killed a human, doesn’t mean it can kill a monster, it might be able to regenerate or maybe it is an undead, you don’t fucking know.”

  But looking at the creature it was definitely dead, its eyes had rolled up into the back of its head and it had taken on that cold stillness that living things just couldn’t mimic. As I contemplated cutting off its head to be sure, Supernatural-style, I looked the creature over and for the first time, without it being concealed in darkness or from adrenaline- and panic filled eyes I could really see it and I had been quite mistaking about the werewolf part.

  While it only had a small number of parts that could be considered wolf like, such are it legs and muzzle, but the muzzle ended with flat pig’s nose and it ears were more pig like than wolf, it was also completely bald, without any hair. Or rather, it was covered in skin—normal human skin. In fact, the body mostly human and had for the most part the naked body of a fit and healthy, young athletically attractive woman.

  He said he was its husband…

  “So, you must be Claire, whatever the hell happened to you?”

  Suddenly very disturbed by what I was looking at, I tried not to throw up at the knowledge that I had just killed, maybe murdered someone and wondering if I should get her down or at least cover her body to give her some dignity.

  Okay, I really need to call the police, no hiding this. I think there’s still an old landline phone in the office connected to the fax line, that should still work as it gets its power from the land line, not the mains, going to need to break a window to get in, but considering the circumstance I think it is warranted.

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  As I tried to remember which window would be best to break into and climb through, I was momentarily distracted by the fact the whatever was illuminating the surroundings was slowly fading between colours. Frowning, I looked up to see what was providing the light and was stunned by something that, at any other time, would have been the highlight of my life, something that I had wanted to see ever since I had seen it in a book as a young child so much so that I had badgered my parents every year to take me up to Scotland to see it, but each time we had gone we had missed it or it was to over cast, leaving me sad and depressed for the rest of the entire trip, until it got so bad they refused to take me anymore. They told me that if I wanted to see it, I’d have to save up and go to Antarctica myself. That moment had defined and guided my life ever since. An Auroa blazed overhead.

  Even now, with the dead corpse of a woman-turned Man-Wolf-Pig monster that I had just maybe murdered at my side, I was in awe of its beauty. The rainbow of colours that shone with such intensity that it reflected down onto the land below. And as I stared up, the headache in my head seemed to spike and a box appeared in front of my vision.

  As soon as I was able to focus and read the message, it vanished only to be replaced with another but the knowledge it imparted remained clear and almost seried into my mind.

  Once again, as soon as I was able to fully read the message it was replaced with another, but again with knowledge remained.

  As once again the message vanished after reading it, but all other thoughts had fled my mind, any thought of the aurora blazing above me, the sight of which was my primary goal in life, or concern for the dead woman I had killed beside me all left. As Ice-cold realisation and determination filled me. I knew what this meant, in books and in video games it always showed the protagonist get confused at this point, as though the reader needed hand holding though what was going on, but I had played enough video game and read enough stories to know what was happening and only one thing was important, Experience meant levels and if the world was ending, Then the worst possible situation to be in was under-levelled, leading to death—or worse fates, where falling behind became a never-ending hole, impossible to claw your way out of.

  No, nothing else matters now! It’s time to start farming.