Chapter 21: A Rush
James watched the boy sitting across from him in the grass.
*This kid is something else*, James thought, resting his hands on his knees. *Basically, he can infinitely use his abilities as long as he has the materials to craft whatever he wants. It's like a passive skill.*
"Alright," James said aloud. "Since you haven't used it intentionally yet, that means you've never felt it. Am I wrong?"
Tyler shook his head. "No. I don't think I've felt it before."
James sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. *This might be difficult.*
He opened them again, fixing his gaze on Tyler. "Alright. Tyler, as I mentioned before, mana is all around us. You have felt it, but you just haven't noticed it yet."
Tyler frowned, searching his memory for any unusual sensation in the air. He shook his head slowly. "No, I don't think so."
"You have," James insisted. "When we met, when I used my skill to kill that monster... I released a significant amount of mana. You must have felt something then."
Tyler recalled the image of James swinging his sword in that vertical, upward arc. He remembered the sudden displacement in the air. It was a strange sensation, a phantom pressure against his skin, like the touch of light water, but dry.
He nodded. "Yeah. You're right. I did feel it."
"Good," James said. "Now, recall that sensation. I want you to focus on it. You are feeling it right now, but you just don't notice it because it's faint."
"Close your eyes and try to feel the air around you," James said, his voice low and steady.
Tyler obeyed, shutting out the sight of the green fields.
"Take a deep breath and relax," James instructed. "Focus solely on that feeling against your skin. Try to recall the pressure you felt when I used the skill earlier."
Tyler focused, hunting for the sensation. He frowned, his brow furrowing as he searched the darkness behind his eyelids.
He felt it. A faint, static weight pressing against his exposed skin, distinct from the wind.
"I can feel it," he muttered slowly, his eyes still closed.
"Good," James said. "Now, take that sensation and turn it inward. That same pressure exists inside you. Forget the surroundings. Focus on your body."
Tyler shifted his attention, trying to look past his skin.
*I feel exhausted*
He searched his interior, but all he found was the dull ache of his overuse muscles and the dry rasp of his throat. He felt normal. Just like he had back on the construction site after a double shift.
"I don't feel anything," he said, tilting his head in confusion.
"Relax," James said. "Stop forcing it. Empty your mind. Don't think about the pain or the fatigue. This feeling... it's not instant. It’s a pulse you have to find. It takes time."
Tyler sighed, letting his shoulders drop. He forced his breathing to slow. The hush of the wind faded into a blur of white noise. The world fell away until there was nothing left but the rhythmic, wet thud of his own heart.
Then, he felt it.
It was faint at first, a cool current running beneath the heat of his blood. It started in his stomach, a strange, fluid pressure that didn't belong to his anatomy. It felt like water flowing through a dry pipe, washing over his nerves, spreading slowly from his torso to his limbs.
"I can feel it..." he whispered.
"Good," James said softly. "Now, I want you to gather all your attention to your chest. That is the core. That is where your Mana generates."
Tyler focused his attention inward, diving past the rhythm of his heart.
He found it in the center of his chest. The pressure was condensed there, heavy and dense.It rotated slowly, coiling like a storm trapped inside a cage of bone.
"Now, grab hold of it," James said, his voice cutting through the silence. "You can control the flow. It feels physical, like a weight you can grip. Take that knot in your chest and pull it outwards. Push it into your limbs."
Tyler frowned, his concentration deepening.
*This feels strange*, he thought, sensing the energy pulse against his ribs.* It feels like something foreign living inside my skin. Like it doesn't belong.*
He hesitated, letting the sensation linger. *But it doesn't hurt. In fact, it feels... electric.*
He pushed.
He visualized the dense coil unspooling. He forced the energy down his spine, driving it through the heavy muscles of his thighs and out to his fingertips. It moved like a cold fire, washing over him and waking up his exhaustion. He took a deep breath, his lungs expanding against the sudden surge of internal pressure.
"Open your eyes," James commanded.
Tyler obeyed. His eyelids snapped open.
James stiffened, his good eye widening in surprise. He leaned back slightly. "Your eyes... they're glowing."
Tyler blinked. The strange, sharp filter over his vision vanished. "Really? Isn't that what's supposed to happen?"
James shook his head slowly. "No. A Hunter’s eyes might flare when they activate a high-output Skill. But never when a person is just circulating their Mana."
"Oh," Tyler said.
*Is it because of the System?* he wondered.
James sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, aside from the light show... did you manage to spread it?"
Tyler nodded. He looked down at his hand, turning it over. The movement felt faster, lighter, as if the air resistance had vanished.
"Yeah," he said, clenching his fist. "I can feel it everywhere."
"I was going to teach you how to recover your Mana... but since you haven't wasted a single drop, that might be difficult," James said.
He stood up with a grunt, using the tree trunk for leverage to push himself upright. He dusted off his trousers. "So, we're changing plans. I'm going to teach you how to defend yourself."
"You're going to teach me how to fight?" Tyler asked, scrambling to his feet.
"If you want to go back to the Monster Zone, you have to know more than just how to swing a stick," James said, rolling his neck.
A blue panel flashed in Tyler’s peripheral vision:
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: THE WAY OF MANA.
USER HAS LEARNED TO CONTROL INTERNAL MANA CIRCULATION.
REWARD: +2 POINTS
Tyler paused. Another achievement. Plus two points.
"Okay," James said, stepping away from the tree. "Stand over there. Square up with me."
Tyler walked to the open patch of grass. He raised his fists, mimicking what he had seen in movies.
James immediately shook his head. "No. Drop your hands. You look like you're asking to get knocked out."
James walked over and kicked the inside of Tyler's foot. "Widen your base. Feet shoulder-width apart. You're right-handed, so put your left foot forward and your right foot back at a forty-five-degree angle."
Tyler adjusted his feet, his boots shifting in the dirt.
"Bend your knees," James commanded. "If your legs are straight, you have no balance. You need to be a spring, not a pillar."
James circled him. He tapped Tyler’s chin with a finger. "Tuck your chin down. Bury it in your collarbone. Your chin is your off-switch. If you get hit there, the brain rattles, and you go to sleep. Keep it hidden."
Tyler tucked his head, feeling the tension in his neck.
"Now, hands up," James said. "Left hand protects the face, right hand protects the chin and ribs. Keep your elbows glued to your sides. If you flare your elbows out, I’m going to break your ribs."
Tyler pulled his arms in tight. The stance felt claustrophobic, unnatural.
"Now," James said, stepping back and raising his own hands. "Throw a punch at me. A straight right."
Tyler hesitated. *I have high Strength now. I don't want to hurt him.*
"Don't worry," James said, reading his mind. "You can't hit me."
Tyler frowned. He pushed off his back foot and threw his right fist forward, aiming for James’s chest.
It was fast. The stats made the motion blur.
But James didn't block it. He simply stepped to the left, slipping past the punch by an inch. In the same motion, he hooked his foot behind Tyler’s lead ankle.
James placed a hand on Tyler’s chest and shoved lightly.
With his feet tangled and his momentum going forward, Tyler had zero balance. He tripped, his legs sweeping out from under him. He slammed into the ground face-first, the breath leaving his lungs in a sharp wheeze.
"You overcommitted," James said, looking down at him. "You threw your weight, not your fist. If you miss, you fall. Get up."
Tyler groaned, spitting out a blade of grass. He pushed himself up, dusting off his shirt.
"Again," James said. "This time, twist your hips. The power comes from the rotation of your core, not your arm. Rotate your back foot like you're squashing a bug on the ground."
Tyler reset his stance. *Chin down. Elbows in. Rotate the hip.*
He threw the punch again. It snapped out, sharper this time.
James parried it with his palm, the sound of flesh on leather echoing in the field. He immediately stepped in, closing the distance, and swept Tyler’s other leg.
Tyler hit the dirt again, looking up at the sky.
"Better," James said. "But you dropped your left hand when you punched with your right. If I had a knife, your throat would be open. Again."
Tyler wiped the dirt from his cheek and stood up. He shook out his arms, feeling the muscles loosen.
*Chin down. Elbows in. Rotate the hip.*
He stared at James's chest, not his eyes. He waited for the wind to shift, then he moved.
He pushed off his back foot, channeling the force through his legs, twisting his core, and snapping his right fist forward in a straight line.
His Agility stat of 30 turned the punch into a blur.
James’s eyes widened. He shifted his weight, slipping his head to the left, but the air from Tyler’s knuckles brushed his ear.
*He’s fast*, James realized, his instinct taking over.
Instead of batting the hand away, James stepped inside Tyler’s guard. His left hand shot up, catching Tyler’s wrist mid-extension. At the same time, his right hand clamped onto Tyler’s elbow.
He pivoted, using Tyler’s own forward momentum against him. He cranked the arm, rotating the shoulder joint violently.
Tyler gasped as the world spun. His feet left the ground, and he slammed chest-first into the dirt.
Before he could scramble up, a heavy weight settled on his back.
James had dropped his knee onto Tyler’s spine, pinning him flat. He wrenched Tyler’s right arm behind his back, forcing the wrist up toward the shoulder blades in a brutal angle.
"Don't move," James said, his voice calm.
He gripped Tyler’s wrist with his right hand, pulling it higher. Then, he took his left palm and pressed it hard against the back of Tyler’s shoulder, right over the scapula.
He pushed down on the shoulder while pulling up on the wrist.
A sharp, white-hot line of agony shot through Tyler’s shoulder socket. The joint felt like it was being pried open with a crowbar.
"Argh!" Tyler gritted his teeth, his face pressed into the grass. "Okay! Okay!"
James held the position for a second longer, letting the reality of the leverage sink in. "This is called a hammerlock. If I push my palm down any harder, or pull your wrist any higher, your shoulder bone will snap."
He released the pressure. Tyler slumped into the dirt, exhaling a long, ragged breath.
James stood up and offered a hand. "You almost got me with that straight. You're fast. But speed doesn't matter if you leave your limb hanging out there to be grabbed."
Tyler took the hand and hauled himself up, rubbing his soreness. "I thought my arm was going to pop off."
"It would have," James said simply. "That's the point. You don't need to be stronger than your opponent if you can isolate a joint. The shoulder is complex, but it's weak. Control the joint, and you control the man."
Tyler rolled his shoulder, rotating the joint. The sharp, white-hot pain from the lock was already fading, replaced by a dull, throbbing heat.
"Alright," James said, stepping back. "That wraps up your training for today. We're leaving. I need to get some hunting in before sundown."
"Wait," Tyler said, straightening up. "Already?"
"Yeah. We've been at this for hours. Look at the sun, it's late afternoon. Aren't you tired?"
Tyler paused. He felt the numbness in his legs and the tight, corded tension in his lower back from the running and the push-ups. But it wasn't like yesterday.
"I am..." Tyler admitted, looking at his hands. "But I feel like I could do more."
James studied him. He saw the set of Tyler’s jaw, the disappointment in his posture. He sighed, shaking his head with a small smile.
"Okay. How about this? You stay here and continue training on your own. I'll head into the Zone."
"You're leaving me out here alone?" Tyler asked.
"Yeah. You won't get lost," James said, pointing toward the faint line of the main road in the distance. "You know the way we came. When you're done, just head back the exact same way. Wait by the road for the transport wagons. They pass by every hour. They'll give you a lift back to town."
Tyler thought about it for a second.
"Alright," he said. "I guess I'll see you later."
"Yeah. I'll see you at home," James said, turning to leave. He paused, looking back over his shoulder. "Oh, and don't forget to bring the sack."
Tyler looked down at the canvas bag bulging with jagged rocks. "Yeah. I won't forget."
James gave a wave and walked off.
Tyler watched him go until he was just a speck in the distance. He turned back to the tree and grabbed the rough ropes of the sack. Before he lifted it, a thought struck him.
*Right. I got two extra stat points from that Mana achievement.*
The blue panel materialized in the air before him, hovering against the backdrop of the lonely tree.
TYLER EVANS:
SPECIES: Human
NAME: Tyler Evans
RANK: G+
LVL: 9
CLASS: Craftsman
HP: 47/47 MP: 46/46
STR: 28 AGI: 30 +[4]
DEF: 26 +[10] STM: 29
SKILLS: Weapon Craft-Lv1, Weapon Craft-Lv1
PASSIVE SKILLS: None
Extra Points:
He rubbed his chin, staring at the numbers.
*My Defense is lagging behind. If I’m going to be fighting things that can tear through armor, I need my skin to be tougher.*
The number shifted.
DEFENSE: 24 -> 26
He pressed his thumb into his abdomen, testing the give of the muscle. *I wonder how this actually works. Does increasing Defense just make the skin denser? If I keep dumping points into it, will I reach a point where blades just bounce off me?*
He grabbed the ropes of the sack to lift it, but a thought stopped him. He let the canvas bag drop back to the grass with a heavy thud.
He looked down at his feet. The black fur-lined leather hugged his ankles.
*I have the Shadow Leather Boots equipped. That gives me a +4 bonus to Agility. My base is 30. That puts me at 34.*
He bounced on his toes. The gravity felt wrong, too weak.
*My body feels incredibly light. I wonder how fast I can run to that tree without the extra weight dragging me down. I have to find out.*
Tyler looked over to the distant tree. He crouched low, digging the toes of his boots into the soil, coiling his muscles like a spring.
He exploded forward.
He tore through the air. The wind whipped his hair back, roaring in his ears. The ground beneath him became a green blur as his legs pumped with a rhythmic power.
*I’ve gotten this fast?*
The momentum was intoxicating. The tree, which had taken minutes to reach before, was rushing toward him at an impossible speed.
*I feel lighter than air.*
A reckless thought crossed his mind. *I want to try something.*
Mid-stride, he focused inward. He grabbed the knot of Mana coiling in his chest and pulled. He forced the energy down into his hips, into his thighs, into his calves.
An electric shock surged through his nervous system. It felt like cold fire flooding his veins.
His speed increased
His legs became a blur of motion. The world narrowed to a tunnel of green and blue. He reached the tree in seconds. He slapped the bark as he flew past, skidding through the turn, the leather boots tearing up the dirt as he pivoted and sprinted back.
*This feels incredible.*
Tyler reached the rough bark of the tree, his boots tearing into the dirt as he skidded to a halt. A surge of unfamiliar, electric heat flooded his veins.
*I feel like I can do anything. I have to use this to my advantage.*
He snatched up his bag, hauling the heavy canvas over his shoulders and pulling the straps tight against his chest. He pushed off the ground, sprinting through five continuous laps. The wind whipped past his ears, his footfalls striking the earth in a rapid, unbroken rhythm.
Dropping to the dirt, he pressed his palms into the grit and drove himself through four hundred push-ups. The dense weight of the bag pressed downward, yet his arms pumped with flawless, mechanical ease.
He unbuckled the straps, letting the heavy bag slide to the ground. A faint blue luminescence leaked from his eyes, casting a pale glow over the bridge of his nose. He stared down at his outstretched hands.
"What the hell is happening? I'm not even tired yet."
The corners of his mouth pulled upward into a wide grin. His heart hammered rapidly against his ribs, pumping a frantic, vibrating thrill entirely through his chest.
A translucent panel materialized in the air before him, casting a soft glow.
Congratulations, user has Created a skill: Rush.
Tyler froze, his breath catching in his throat.
*Wait, I created a skill.*
The glowing text dissolved, instantly replaced by a new sequence of words that answered his unspoken question.
Rush: Once activated, this user will get a massive rush of adrenaline. This will boost all their senses and increase all their stats by 50% and increase pain tolerance.
Skill duration: 15 min
Mp consumption: 20
Cooldown: 1 hour
"Wow, it's actually a skill," Tyler said, his eyes tracking across the illuminated text. "Fifty percent, huh? It also increases my pain tolerance. That explains why I don't feel any strain or pain at all. This one uses mana..."
A harsh glare flared in his vision as a third panel abruptly snapped into existence.
WARNING! User will suffer severe side effects after skill duration.
Huh? Tyler tilted his head.
The glowing panel vanished. Instantly, the energizing electricity in his veins turned volatile, surging and burning him from the inside out.
He opened his mouth to scream. A ragged grunt tore up his throat. Every muscle in his body seized in a brutal, simultaneous cramp, forcing his eyes to roll backward. All the ignored physical strain, the crushing fatigue, and the sheer weight of his workout crashed into his nervous system in a single, paralyzing wave. His legs gave out. He collapsed backward, his spine striking the short grass just before his vision went black.
A sharp gasp dragged him back to consciousness. He blinked, his pupils adjusting as he stared up into a canopy of scattered stars. The heavy, searing heat of the afternoon sun was gone, leaving a crisp chill in the air. Pale moonlight washed over the endless stretch of grass.
*It's night.*
He planted his palms against the soil and pushed. The instant his muscles tensed, the lingering shock spiked fiercely through his nerves. He groaned, the back of his head dropping heavily against the turf.
*It hurts. Everything hurts*
He twitched his fingers. Sharp aches flared through his knuckles.
*It feels like I can't move a muscle. What should I do?*
A high-pitched noise pierced the quiet air, a sharp, scraping shriek layered with a guttural chirp. The sound carried an unnatural, unsettling cadence. High above, a shadowy, bird-like silhouette drifted across the stars. The cold wind shifted as the winged figure descended, spiraling lower and lower toward him until its dark form emerged clearly from the night.
A glowing panel materialized before him.
Elin: Level 36
*It's a monster.*
Tyler's eyes widened. He clamped his teeth together, straining against his own weight to force his limbs to move. Searing heat flared through his fibers. The harder he pushed, the more his muscles burned, instantly giving out and leaving him paralyzed against the turf.
*I can't move, and that thing's coming closer. If I can't do anything, it's going to kill me. I have to think of something.*
The winged shape descended through the cold air, its details sharpening in the moonlight. The massive, brown-feathered bird resembled a giant eagle, sporting an oversized, solid black beak. Right in the center of its feathered forehead, a third eye blinked down at him.