Chapter 15 – The Key to Power
Ashveil's ruined skyline flickered beneath an overcast sky.
Auther sat at the base of a crumbled tower, back resting against a sun-warmed slab of stone. Dust clung to his cloak, blood crusted on his side, and the cracked leather grip of his makeshift weapon lay beside him.
But his eyes weren't on his wounds.
They were on the manual in his hands.
The cover was cool, smooth—wrapped in crystal casing that shimmered faintly. He held it with reverence.
> [Acquired Skill Book: "Energy Activation – Basic Form"]
Rank: F3 | Creator: Unknown | Origin: Dungeon Treasured Skill
Function: Allows user to absorb ambient mana, mana cores, and crystalized energy into their body to improve cultivation rank. Success and efficiency depend on compatibility and control.
Auther gently touched the cover. The crystal dissolved into dust, vanishing into the air.
The manual unfolded.
And a whisper filled his mind.
Not a voice. Not a system prompt.
But a resonance. A code, etched into the skill book, passed directly into his mana circuits.
He gasped.
The symbols flared in his mind, aligning with the flow of his internal mana. The breathing pattern of Starwave Breathing twitched, trying to adapt to the new rhythm.
Auther closed his eyes.
And let the knowledge sink in.
---
An hour passed.
Then two.
He didn't move.
He didn't eat.
He didn't even blink.
Only when the final sequence of glyphs settled into place in his mind did he finally stir, releasing a long, shuddering breath.
"…It's beautiful."
Unlike anything he'd encountered so far.
This wasn't just a method of pulling mana from the air. It was integration—a method of aligning one's soul and body to consume and refine energy at a structural level.
Even Starwave Breathing paled in comparison.
And it was only the basic form.
But to a beginner like him? It was revolutionary.
Auther opened his system window.
---
[Skill Created: Energy Activation – Basic Form (F3)]
> Allows absorption of ambient mana and mana cores through focused channeling. Improves internal cultivation efficiency. Must be paired with a breathing technique or meditation skill for stable usage.
---
He stared at the skill for a moment.
Then he took out the E1-rank mana core—a smooth, glowing stone pulsing with soft, violet light.
The Guardian's heart.
He held it carefully, placing it at the center of a stone circle he'd carved with his dagger.
He sat cross-legged before it.
And began channeling Starwave Breathing.
Then—he activated Energy Activation.
---
At first, nothing happened.
Then, slowly, a thread of mana pulled from the core.
It didn't rush toward him. It resisted, like trying to pull honey through a straw.
He gritted his teeth and focused.
The threads entered his body, sliding along his circuits like a slow-burning fire.
It hurt—his veins burned, his chest tightened—but he forced the mana to flow.
Ten minutes passed.
Then twenty.
His skin glistened with sweat.
He didn't stop.
---
When the final wisp of energy left the core, it cracked—and disintegrated into dust.
Auther collapsed backward, panting.
But inside him?
His core glowed.
His mana channels had widened. His breathing was deeper. His thoughts were sharper.
And most importantly—
---
[Rank Increased: F3 → F5]
[Skill Points Gained: 0] (no kill, no points)
---
He sat upright, eyes gleaming.
"That's it," he whispered. "This is the way forward."
No monster drops. No artificial systems.
Just raw energy, absorbed into the self.
He felt it in his bones.
With this, he could grow stronger on his own terms.
He didn't need handouts. He didn't need a team.
Just mana.
And time.
---
Over the next two days, Auther did little but recover, meditate, and reinforce his new skill.
He practiced integrating Starwave Breathing into Energy Activation, timing the two techniques so they harmonized. He mapped how ambient mana moved in different locations. He tested how wounded he could be before absorption slowed.
And he felt himself getting better.
Not just stronger—but sharper.
His understanding of mana deepened.
His reaction time improved.
Even his skill creation process became more efficient.
---
On the third day, he stood at the top of a partially collapsed highway overpass, eyes fixed toward the distant horizon.
Ashveil stretched far—city blocks swallowed by vines, concrete towers broken like teeth, and mutated creatures wandering aimlessly.
But beyond it?
Larger cities.
Strongholds.
Civilization.
And eventually—the Awakeners Association.
He pulled his cloak tighter.
"I'm still not strong enough to survive open travel," he muttered. "Not yet. But soon."
He glanced at his status.
---
[Auther Finn – Rank: F5]
[Ability: Skill Creation – Unique]
[Skill Points: 0]
[Active Skills:]
Starwave Breathing (F7)
Mana Edge (F3)
Burst Step (F4)
Fighting Mastery (F3)
Disrupting Pulse (F4)
Phantom Echo (F5)
Reflex Boost (F4)
Energy Activation – Basic Form (F3)
[Passive / Utility:]
Reinforced Frame (F4)
Lesser Flesh Knitting (F4)
Enhanced Hearing (F4)
Mana Flow Regulation (F5)
---
He nodded to himself.
That was a solid base.
But it wouldn't be enough forever.
If he wanted to survive outside Ashveil—if he wanted to make it to the Association—he'd need to be at least Rank E. Preferably with one or two mid-tier skills upgraded to D-rank.
And to get there?
He needed more cores.
More mana.
And eventually—another dungeon.
---
That night, he began scouting again.
Moving silently across the ruins.
Avoiding major mutants. Watching the flow of mana in the environment.
He found signs—residual fluctuations, abandoned nests, recently cleared areas.
Something had passed through recently.
Another scavenger? A small party? A stronger beast?
He didn't know.
But for now, he stayed out of sight.
He couldn't afford a confrontation yet.
---
On the fifth day, he found something strange.
A crack in the ground.
Not deep—but mana pooled within it, slightly warped.
A natural anomaly?
Or the beginning of another gate?
He knelt beside it, reaching out with his hand.
The mana was wild. Untamed. Raw.
He backed away cautiously.
"Too soon," he muttered. "Still unstable."
But he marked it in his notebook.
If a dungeon was forming here again… he'd be the first to find it.
And he'd be ready.
---
As dusk fell, Auther returned to his hideout.
His shelter—reinforced with scrap metal and concrete—felt more like a base now.
He lit a small fire, sat with his datapad, and began sketching ideas for new skills.
He wasn't going to create anything yet—he had no points—but he was preparing.
Planning.
Experimenting.
> "What about a technique that enhances weapon durability? Or lets me manifest a temporary energy weapon from my mana? Maybe a self-made tracking skill for mutant cores? Or a stealth-type passive?"
He wrote page after page.
Blueprints for the future.
Because he finally understood something—
He wasn't just building skills.
He was building a system.
His own personal arsenal of custom tools.
Tailored exactly to his style, his energy flow, his evolution.
And in time?
No one would match him.
Because while others had to wait for books or inheritance—
He could create anything.