Chapter 4 – Born from Blood
The ruins beyond Ashveil's southern wall were quiet.
Not peaceful.
Just… waiting.
Cracked stone, rusting fences, and the ever-present hum of mana twisted the air like heat on a summer road. Here, civilization's edge had crumbled, and nature—no, something else—had crept in.
Auther Finn stood at the boundary, hands clenched, breath controlled.
He wasn't here to explore. He wasn't even here to fight.
He was here to learn.
---
[Name: Auther Finn]
[Rank: F1]
[Ability: Skill Creation (Unique)]
[Skills: Silent Star Breathing (F5)]
[Skill Points: 75]
---
"Let's try something offensive."
He pulled up the Skill Creation Menu. His goal was simple: a basic attack skill. Something usable in close range. Something he could channel mana into to give his bare hands a bite.
But as he stared at the interface, his confidence wavered.
He'd never actually made an original skill before.
Just theory.
He focused.
---
Attempt #1:
Name: Mana Blade Crash
Description: "Surge mana into the arm and release it in a high-impact slash, tearing through armor and magical barriers. Generates a shockwave. Can cleave through steel."
[Estimated Rank: B+] – Cost: 6020 Skill Points]
Auther choked.
"Next."
---
Attempt #2:
Name: Mana Cutter
Description: "A solidified blade of pure mana extends from the hand, sharp enough to slice rock. Lasts for 30 seconds. Can pierce magical shielding."
[Rank: A – Cost: 6,150 Skill Points]
He closed the window and let out a long breath.
"Why does everything badass cost a kingdom?"
It was a lesson. A harsh one.
Every exaggerated word in the description — "pierce," "shockwave," "barrier," "cut steel" — added cost. The system wasn't stupid. It priced power like a merchant guarding treasure.
He sat on a broken crate, grumbling.
"Okay. Keep it basic. Utility first."
---
Attempt #3:
Name: Mana Strike
Description: "Concentrate mana into the palm to increase impact."
[Rank: F4 – Cost: 30 Points]
Closer, but still not efficient.
Too broad. Too generic.
He deleted a line, then adjusted the function:
---
Attempt #4:
Name: Mana Edge
Description: "Condense a thin layer of mana along the edge of the hand or weapon, enhancing cutting force. Grows sharper with better control."
[Rank: F3 – Cost: 15 Points]
He grinned.
"Yes."
[Skill Created: Mana Edge (F3)]
[Skill Points Remaining: 60]
No flashy glow. Just a shimmer of potential along his palm — like static clinging to his skin.
He stood.
Now it was time to test it.
---
Leaves rustled.
Auther turned sharply, heart hammering. A low growl followed — deep, guttural.
From the trees emerged a twisted beast. A feral hound, its flesh half-fused with bone, spine ridged with mana-plated spikes. Eyes glowed green beneath a cracked skull.
It lowered its head and stalked forward.
Auther instinctively raised his hand.
Mana Edge flared faintly.
The beast pounced.
He swung.
His palm connected with its shoulder, slicing a shallow cut.
But the hound barely flinched.
Instead, it whipped around and slammed into him with the force of a cannonball. He crashed into a tree, ribs screaming.
Before he could move, the creature lunged again.
He rolled aside — barely — and scrambled to his feet.
His vision blurred.
"Too slow…"
He struck again, but his movements were sloppy. His stance was wrong. His swing was wide. He fought like someone who'd never fought before — because he hadn't.
The hound caught him by the thigh. Its teeth tore deep.
Auther screamed.
Blood sprayed across the moss-covered ground.
He punched its face — once, twice — until it let go.
Pain flooded his senses. Panic nipped at the edge of his thoughts.
"I'm going to die—"
NO.
He grit his teeth. The system responded.
---
[Create Skill?]
Name: Fighting Mastery
Description: "A passive skill that grants instinctive understanding of unarmed and melee combat. Improves balance, movement, and reaction speed. Evolves with experience."
[Rank: F3 – Cost: 20 Skill Points]
Confirm?
---
"Confirm!"
---
[Skill Created: Fighting Mastery (F3)]
[Remaining Points: 40]
---
The change was immediate.
Not power. But precision.
He could feel the shift in his weight. The wrong angles he'd taken before — corrected in his muscle memory. His hands flowed into a natural guard. His feet stopped slipping.
The beast lunged again.
This time, he moved with it.
He ducked under its claws and drove a mana-coated palm under its ribs.
Mana Edge sliced deeper this time.
Blood sprayed.
The hound yelped, twisted in mid-air.
Auther grabbed its neck and, with new instinctive leverage, slammed it into the ground.
He rose quickly, breathing steady now.
The beast stumbled to its feet, one leg dragging.
Auther dashed forward, kicked off a rock, and spun with full body weight into a downward slash.
His hand, glowing blue, cleaved through the beast's neck.
A thud. A twitch.
Silence.
Then the familiar ping.
---
[Feral Hound (F1) Defeated.]
[Bonus: First Kill Achieved]
[Skill Points Gained: +10]
---
Auther fell back against a tree, panting.
His leg throbbed. His ribs ached.
But he was alive.
And more importantly… he was learning.
He reached into the beast's chest and found the core — pulsing weakly, faint blue.
Activating Silent Star Breathing, he guided the mana into his system. Warmth spread through him. His reserves grew — if only slightly.
He checked his screen.
---
[Name: Auther Finn]
[Rank: F1]
[Ability: Skill Creation (Unique)]
[Skills:]
Silent Star Breathing (F5)
Mana Edge (F3)
Fighting Mastery (F3)
[Skill Points: 50]
---
It wasn't a victory parade.
But it was a beginning.
And from here, everything would rise.
One skill at a time.
One kill at a time.
One bloody breath at a time.