Improving the Mana Bomb

The next step was to create a channel through the sphere's core. Using this, I could cycle and fold the mana from the surface of the mana sphere through to the center, compressing it further. Previously, I'd done this in quite a rudimentary way- I'd just grabbed globs of mana and forced it directly through to the center. It was inefficient.

I'd now broken down the creation of the mana bomb to a five-step process. While I'd originally had to figure it out on the fly, with plenty of practice, I had finally managed to make it into more of a science. Of course, there was plenty of improvement to be done. 

The first step was the formation of the initial sphere. All this step was was the removal of mana from the batteries and the coalescence of it in front of my hand. There wasn't much optimization to be done here- all I could think to improve on was the initial compression of the mana ball as I form it.

The second step was compression. I'd tried out a couple of different methods, but found that cycling it through a channel that passed through to the center on either side was the most efficient. It wasn't perfect, but it created a flow that allowed me to complete the process quickly.

The third step was layering. Once the mana was sufficiently compressed, I would manipulate it and fold it in on itself. This is like the metallurgists from japan who would create damascus steel, folding the metal over and over again to create a stronger sword. The more I folded the mana in, the more layers I created, the denser and more stable it would become.

I finished folding it in. The battle was really heating up. The entire forest had become dyed pitch black, now; the strange liquid that composed the monster's bodies sloshing across the tops of the leaves, barely pushed back by all the hunters down below.

It all seemed so distant. However, it was good that the hunters and monsters were occupying each other well. It meant I could keep practicing.

The fourth step was to destabilize the core layer. While the mana sphere would become quite volatile on its own once released from my grasp, I could increase the destructive power even more by intentionally destabilizing the core of it. With the densest center layer released from my hold, the mana sphere started to vibrate erratically.

Okay. Time to fire it off. This time I spent a lot longer on the second step than usual. Next, I would see the effect of extending the third step; at how many folds would I reach diminishing returns on my time? 

The mana bomb launched into the forest beyond the glade. I didn't want to mess up the hunters. It sunk deep into the ink before I saw some light emerging. The liquid was being vaporized. The explosion seemed to have been suppressed; there was no large sound. However, as the remnants of the monsters it had destroyed fell to the ground, I could see that quite a large clearing had been created. 

Hmm, interesting. This looked to be about... twice as strong as it would have been had I completed the steps at a normal speed. So if I take a long time to make it, I can form a mana bomb with five batteries that has the strength of ten? Interesting.

Well, next up was working on step three. Without a pause, I mindlessly started forming another mana bomb. Performing the same steps as before, except using my time to fold it inwards rather than compress it, this bomb took me around twenty-five minutes to make. Once again, with a blank expression, I fired it out into the trees. This time, however, an explosion did occur.

'Ho... it seems that layering is more important than compression. That was at least twice as powerful as the last bomb!'

That meant that this mana bomb with five batteries had the power of twenty, one of my usual ones! This is incredible... I wanted to burn all of my batteries at once and take my time to produce the biggest explosion I could. However, if anything, that would have to wait for the boss. I still wanted to experiment on diminishing returns; at some point, the time invested would likely become pointless.

Around half a day passed, and I'd had my fill of experimentation. Sitting on a platform high in the air, looking at all the hunters fighting desperately below, I contemplated on my findings. However, the liquid started drawing itself back into the woods.

'Ah, it must be coming.'

It was time for us to face the boss, an S-Rank monster. Normally I would be horrified, but... I have a defensive skill that can certainly protect me from anything it throws my way...

All of the liquid in the forest seemed to come together, pooling into a giant, wriggling mound, like a disgusting rotted flan. It's shape warped and changed, dripping and flailing until some clear features started to form- two arms on either side, and a mouth in the center.

As its new mouth opened, the boss created a garbled sound, like someone screaming underwater, that echoed throughout the entire forest. I remained where I was. The fight would take a while, but I'd already used up all my mana batteries. I got carried away...

I sighed. It would be nice once the fight was done. I'd be able to collect some S-Rank offensive skills. Within just a few days, I'd probably have enough available mana and abilities to place me at the top of S-Rank, just below Hye-Rin. My rate of growth truly was terrifying. I watched on as the S-Rank hunters combated the giant slimy mass. 

I felt bored. I was doing the same thing, day in and day out. I loved experimenting with mana, but... these optimizations were really not that fun. Well, that's a lie. They are. I suppose I just feel like I'm not even really hunting anymore.

Before, there was a certain thrill. I'd have to get up in the monsters' faces and fight them, truly fight them. However, now, I just sat from above and cast bombs from the sky. In fact, the monsters didn't even matter- they were incidental to my practice.

I chuckled to myself. Well... isn't this a great problem to have? Besides, this was necessary. With a little over five months until the seals holding back The Gloam dissolved, I should be able to become good enough with mana that I'm capable of destroying it. My growth is too immense. 

Actually, looking down over the dungeon, there was another problem I'd been considering. All of the dungeons held a chunk of The Gloam within them- it was the source of the monsters, after all. If the larger piece in the core of the earth were to break free, would it not be able to get through the lesser seals on the dungeons and complete itself?

I think I need to start destroying dungeons soon. And if I want to do that, I'll have to tell Hye-Rin. Ugh. I would have to start with the D-Rank dungeons to get a good idea of how capable I am of actually breaking them.

I would have to bust through the seals and directly eliminate The Gloam inside. The second part shouldn't be much of a problem; however, the seals were created by the Human God. Even S-Rank hunters couldn't easily dismantle them. Hye-Rin was pretty much the only person in the world who was capable of doing it to my knowledge...

God dammit. I distracted myself by watching the fight in front of me. It felt like watching a boxing match. I clapped a little when the S-Rank hunters got a good attack in. An hour passed, and then another. And then three. Finally, the S-Rank monsters had been significantly whittled down by a joint attack, and its many cores had been destroyed one by one. I doubted it would last much longer, so I started walking across the air towards the battle in the distance.

Like routine, it was going to be time to collect my skills. As it came clearer into view, it was obvious that even the S-Rank hunters were nearly completely exhausted. I can't deny that as much as those bastards can be terrible people, they usually know how to work hard, at least.

It felt a little hypocritical to say, coming from me who had just sat back and relaxed for most of the battle, but this is my job! I'm saving the damn world! They can't recognize it, but I am working hard. Making all these mana batteries and constantly thinking about improvement can be taxing on the brain. But I can't take a day off- not for another five months.

I doubted I needed to stay in the A-Rank dungeons for long. Soon enough I'd be able to go to an S-Rank dungeon. There, I'd be able to copy dozens of S-Rank skills and ascend beyond the rest of humanity.