Sitting down in the middle of the courtyard, Nova muttered to himself, “The first node, the Mana Core, is unlocked. Now, I have eight more to choose from…” His eyes narrowed slightly as he considered his options. “I could go for the Power Node in the solar plexus and boost my Strength...” His voice trailed off as he weighed the possibilities, his mind racing with choices.
He shook his head. "No, my Stats are good for now. I can also hold off on the Stance and Vital Organs Nodes. What I need is something that’ll sharpen my control over mana. With that I’ll be able to speed up the process."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Mana Basics booklet, flipping it open to the first page once more. As his eyes skimmed the familiar words, he muttered, "Pulse Node, Perception Node, Voice Node... Manipulation Node too. None of those are what I need right now." His gaze narrowed, focusing on the remaining options. "That leaves me with one." He inhaled deeply before speaking "The Spine Node."
A sigh escaped his lips as he weighed the decision. "It’s going to be painful. But it’ll strengthen my entire body, improve my energy flow, and deepen my connection to mana. It’s the right choice."
Closing his eyes, Nova halted the flow of mana into his Mana Core, letting the steady pulse of energy subside. His mind shifted, extending outward to the Spine Node, which stretched from his tailbone all the way to the base of his skull. With a slow, deliberate motion, he began to draw mana from the environment around him, guiding it into his spine, each thread of energy aligning with his will.
The process was more taxing than Nova anticipated, his focus straining as he guided the mana into his tailbone and tried to keep it compressed.
‘This wasn’t the case with the Mana Core’ Nova thought, his mind racing as he carefully directed the flow of energy.
A realization dawned on him. ‘I had to form my Mana Core first and only then could I select any other node. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to unlock the others.’ His gaze sharpened as an idea struck. ‘Let’s test something.’
With some mana already drawn into his tailbone, he stopped controlling its movement, simply observing how it responded.
Not even a second passed before the mana he’d gathered surged out of his body, escaping through his spine and dispersing back into the world around him. Nova’s eyes narrowed as he confirmed his suspicion.
‘Just as I thought. Only the mana from my Mana Core, the one I’ve fully tamed and refined, can be used to unlock the other nodes.’
He inhaled deeply, settling his thoughts before focusing. With steady determination, Nova sent the mana within his Mana Core to the Spine Node, feeling the energy flow through him.
As soon as he began, the familiar sound of a notification echoed in his ears, followed by another just moments later.
[Mana Core (Low) -1]
[Spine Node 1/5000000]
[Mana Core (Low) -1]
[Spine Node 2/5000000]
[Mana Core (Low) -1]
[Spine Node 3/5000000]
Nova swore under his breath, halting the flow of mana. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’
He exhaled sharply, frustration creeping in. ‘This is going to take months...’ His mind spun, trying to formulate a solution.
"This can’t go on. I need something to speed this up." Nova muttered, his thoughts racing in a whirlwind.
Amid the chaos of his mind, one thought emerged, clear and singular: Blue.
A grin slowly crept onto his face as he whispered, “Well, I did tell them I wouldn’t leave my villa for a while.” He chuckled to himself, adding “If they don’t know I’m gone then it’s as if I’ve never left.”
Without hesitation, Nova darted forward, his spear resting in his Inventory, eager to capture the One with the World feeling through his footwork.
To achieve this, he knew he had to take an alternate path to connect with the world’s deeper energies. As he sprinted toward the blue light glowing on the horizon, a sense of power began to stir within him.
By the time he reached the portal, standing before its shimmering surface, a notification echoed in his mind.
[Skill One with the Footwork -> One with the World (Footwork)]
Checking the title he read.
Skill: One with the World (Footwork)
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(You’ve reached the mortal limits with the footwork. What lies ahead belongs to the domain of Gods. Speed and Dexterity +1000%.)
‘There's something satisfying about having no conditions on my Stats’ Nova thought, a sense of freedom washing over him.
‘Status’.
[Status]
Rank: 0
Name: Nova Grey
Species: Human
Affiliation: None
Level: 6 (170/500)
Mana: Mana Core (Low) (748/100000000)
Class: None
Titles: Goblin Exterminator, Kings Slayer, Survivor, Spear Novice, Troll Exterminator, Orc Exterminator, Rune Novice, Mana Novice
Stat Points: 131
Attributes:
Strength: 127 (+32)
Vigor: 100 (+51)
Dexterity: 150 (+1569)
Speed: 110 (+1155)
Intelligence: 66 (+13)
Wisdom: 110 (+22)
Will: 9
Luck: 10
Skills
Active: Spear Thrust (15) (150/16384000), Spear Jab (15) (19/16384000), Spear Sweep (13) (1149981/4096000), Spear Lunge (10) (789/512000), Spear Overhead Strike (10) (757/512000), Sword Stab (1) (11/1000), Sword Chop (0) (141/500), Sword Sweep (1) (48/1000), Sword Parry (1) (184/1000), Sword Block (0) (497/500).
Passive: Regeneration (10) (236105/256000), Keen Reflexes (3) (267/4000), Momentum Streak (9) (218696/256000), One with the World (Spear) (MAX), One with the World (Footwork) (MAX), Sword Slash (1) (75/1000).
Having checked his Status Nova couldn’t help but smile as he stepped into the Blue portal. The familiar sickly sensation returned, but this time it was faint, barely noticeable. In the blink of an eye, he found himself standing in a stark white room, enveloped by a thick, swirling Blue fog.
[Select a weapon]
[Mission starts in 05:00]
‘I don’t have time to waste’ with that he took out his spear and started performing sweeps.
[Spear Sweep proficiency increased]
[Spear Sweep proficiency increased]
[Spear Sweep proficiency increased]
Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye as more notifications rang in his mind.
[Mission starts in 00:02]
[Mission starts in 00:01]
[Mission started]
[Mission: Conquer the kingdom]
Rewards:
1. Primary Reward:
· Gold: 170000
· EXP: 10500
· Fortune Band (+10 Luck)
2. Special Reward (Kill the sealed being)
· Book Thunder Basics
· Title: Hunter
(You’ve escaped your status of a prey and become someone who sees others as preys. All Stats +5%)
Nova was momentarily stunned by the rewards, so much so that he almost dropped his spear mid-swing. The quality and quantity were far beyond anything he’d experienced with the Green portals.
‘Damn EXP’ he thought, grinding his teeth in frustration trying to find comfort in the heap of Gold coins that awaited him.
As the fog began to dissipate, he found himself standing in the middle of an empty expanse.
‘Conquer the kingdom, huh?’ Nova finally assessed his mission as he mused, his mind racing. ‘Do I need to become a king, or can I just wipe everyone out and call it a day?’
He surveyed his surroundings. The plain stretched endlessly, with nothing but a distant river a few kilometers away. Lifting his gaze, he noticed two suns blazing in the sky, radiating an intense heat.
Nova lowered his eyes and muttered "Only option is to follow that river. It’s bound to lead to some kind of civilization." Without another thought, he shot off toward the river.
As Nova neared the river, he couldn’t help but marvel at the crystal-clear water, pristine as if untouched by a single impurity. Raising an eyebrow, he continued following the river in a single direction, though he couldn’t discern whether he was heading north, west, east, or south.
After some time, he spotted a massive forest ahead. His mouth parted slightly in awe as he thought ‘How tall must those trees be to look like skyscrapers?’
A minute later, Nova stood at the forest’s edge, and everything around him seemed unnaturally large. He felt like an ant in comparison. A thought crossed his mind, and a grin tugged at the corner of his lips. ‘Am I in some sort of giant world?’
Without hesitation, he quickened his pace, still keeping the river in sight. As he moved through the towering trees, he encountered several animals. Though they resembled Earth’s creatures, there were noticeable differences—primarily their size.
He came to a sudden halt when he spotted a bear attempting to climb one of the enormous trees. A red name hovered above its head, and Nova stared at it as he considered his next move.
[Giant Bear]
Curious Nova checked its Status.
[Giant Bear]
Rank: 0
Name: None
Species: Beast
Affiliation: None
Level: 3
Class: None
Attributes:
Strength: 184
Vigor: 193
Dexterity: 175
Speed: 181
Intelligence: 38
Wisdom: 29
Will: 0
Luck: 0
“This fella is nearly as strong as Vragor” Nova muttered under his breath, eyes locked on the bear. “It’s gotta be over 10 meters tall.” The creature huffed, its large frame struggling as it repeatedly failed to scale the towering tree.
With a shake of his head, Nova took a step to leave, but just as he moved, the bear’s gaze snapped to him. Sensing its attention, Nova turned his head as he held the creature's eyes, the two of them locked in a tense stare for what felt like an eternity. A dozen seconds passed before the bear let out a low growl. It felt challenged from Nova’s stare and now It had marked him as prey.
Leaving the tree behind, it charged toward him with alarming speed.
Nova’s grip tightened around his spear, his strength swelling as his body tensed, ready for the encounter. The bear closed the distance fast, but Nova remained perfectly still, his eyes never leaving the creature’s. He could see its emotions through its eyes—hunger, excitement, bloodlust—each one clouding the bear's instincts, sealing its fate.
When the bear was mere moments from pouncing, Nova moved with lightning speed. Twirling the spear effortlessly in his left hand before thrusting it forward in a blur. The spearhead met the bear’s throat with surgical precision. By the time the massive creature hit the ground, its head had already been severed and Nova was gone, leaving only the silence of the forest in his wake.
[Spear Thrust proficiency increased]
[Received 500,000 Stat EXP]
‘So much’ Nova thought as he ran.
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