Chapter 48: Mana Sight
Tyler stood just outside the tent flap, his hands locked tightly on his waist. The toe of his leather boot struck the dirt in a rapid, restless tempo.
*Should I ask that lady about the territories? No, that's stupid. I can already tell she's suspicious. Questioning her things like this will just make her suspicion grow even more.*
He lifted his chin, staring down the path leading toward the base's exit. *I'll probably find it, right?* Pushing off the ground, he settled into a steady walk. *Maybe the territory is near the place I killed that crimson wolf. But that place is pretty far. How far does this monster zone stretch anyways?*
The structures of the base fell away behind him, swallowed by the dense, towering canopy of the monster zone. The air grew thick with the damp scent of soil and heavy foliage. Hunters moved along the fringes. A few trailed behind him, while others emerged from the deep greenery, their shoulders weighed down by coarse, bloody hides. Several hauled bulky brown canvas sacks, the rough fabric straining against unseen contents. Hovering directly above their heads, the glowing letters of their ranks illuminated the gloom, mostly E-Ranks and D-Ranks.
*Not a lot of C-Ranks here.*
Heat flared in his chest, pulling his brows into a sharp frown. The memory forced its way to the front of his mind. The silver-haired girl. The C-Rank hunter who had robbed them. The suffocating weight of how pathetic and weak she had made him feel. His jaw clamped tight, his teeth grinding together.
"A coward huh?" he muttered, his voice barely rising above the rustling leaves. "When I see her again, I'll show her."
He walked in silence for a long moment, his boots crunching over the forest floor. *But I'm not strong enough yet, but I'll have to become stronger, quicker.*
"Once I'm stronger than her, if I ever see her again in the monster zones, I'm taking everything from her." A slow, tight grin stretched across his face.
*I'll do the same thing she did to us.*
A heavy breath escaped his nose. *Who knows, maybe I'll even become D-rank before I get out of here.* He mentally pulled up his system panel. A translucent blue screen materialized in the air, casting a faint glow over his features.
SPECIES: HUMAN
NAME: TYLER EVANS
RANK: E+
LVL: 26
CLASS: CRAFTSMAN
HP: 106/106 MP: 102/102
STR: 99 AGI: 100
DEF: 90 STM: 87
SKILLS: WEAPON CRAFT-LV1, ARMOR CRAFT-LV1 ACCESSORY CRAFT- LV1, ALCHEMY-LV1, RUSH LV2-MC20
PASSIVE SKILLS: WEAPON MASTERY-LV1, ASSIMILATION
"There is only four levels to go." The glowing panel dissolved into nothingness.
He slowed his stride, the realization hitting him. *Right. The weapons.*
He halted, planting his feet firmly in the dirt, and held out his palms. A bright light shimmered in the empty space for a fraction of a second. As the light vanished, the solid weight of a bow settled into his grip. He raised his eyebrows, turning the weapon over in his hands. The wood was entirely smooth to the touch, carrying a dense, satisfying heaviness. He ran a finger along the taut string; it felt cold and unyielding, reflecting the muted forest light like polished metal.
*Wow,* he thought. *It looks great.*
His expression shifted to a frown as he traced the overall design. It lacked the exact contours he had envisioned. "I need to learn how to give the system blueprints before it actually crafts the weapon, but I still can't draw."[LEVEL 6 SLIME ACTIVATED SKILL: BASH]
A wet, high-pitched squeal of compressing matter echoed directly behind him. Tyler pivoted on his heel in a single, fluid motion, driving his leg forward. His leather boot sank into the cold, viscous surface of the gelatinous slime, the heavy impact shuddering up his calf.
The sheer force of the kick launched the creature backward through the air. It collided violently with a thick tree trunk. The impact shattered the bark, sending jagged splinters flying in all directions. Before the gelatinous mass could even slide down the wood, it destabilized, bursting into a sudden cloud of glowing blue dust. A small, solid slime core remained, driven deeply into the exposed raw wood of the trunk.
Tyler closed the distance with a casual stride, pinched the smooth core between his fingers, and pulled it free. He rolled it against his thumb for a second before letting it vanish into his inventory.
*I should probably look for someone who can draw. Maybe Hector can draw things for me.*
He shifted his attention back to the bow in his hand. A small, floating bar materialized hovering beside the wood: **ATK 27**.
His shoulders slumped, the tension leaving his frame. *27? That's a bit low, isn't it? But wait, is it talking about the attack for the bow or the arrow? How do I even make an arrow?*
The system flared to life in front of his eyes.[THERE IS ENOUGH ADAS WOOD AND METAL IN THE INVENTORY ENOUGH TO MAKE 50+ ARROWS.]
*Oh,* Tyler thought. "But still, there's 27 ATK," he said aloud. "Is it for the bow? Or the arrow?"
The system text remained entirely still.
"Ah," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. *I forgot I'm not talking to a person.*[THE SYSTEM PANEL APPEARED AGAIN WRITTEN: ARROWS ATTACK MAY RANGE FROM 10 TO 50 DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF ARROW USED, THE DISTANCE AND THE AIR RESISTANCE]
*Right, so it's kind of like the hand cannon. Nice.*
"System, craft thirty arrows."
A circular loading bar appeared on the panel, steadily rotating. Tyler resumed his walk, keeping his eyes on the spinning light until the text shifted: [CRAFTING SUCCESSFUL].
He opened his free hand. An arrow formed against his palm. He brushed his thumb over the perfectly smooth shaft and tested the sharp edge of the metallic arrowhead.
He nocked the arrow, pressing the notch against the metallic string. Raising the bow, he pointed the heavy tip toward a tree in the distance and squeezed one eye shut. *I never used a bow, but somehow... Kind of feels like this will be easy.*
A faint, luminous blue light began to pool and glow within his open eye. He flexed his shoulder and pulled back, the rigid metallic string biting into his fingers. He released his grip.
The string snapped forward.
The arrow completely failed to launch, slipping off the rest and dropping straight down to clatter flat against the toe of his boot.
*Huh?*
He stared down at the dirt. Slowly, he turned his head left, then right, scanning the empty greenery.
"That was embarrassing," he whispered. He scooped the arrow off the ground, willing both it and the bow to dissolve back into his inventory. Empty-handed once again, he continued to walk deeper into the forest in complete silence.
The steady, rolling rush of flowing water filtered through the dense foliage ahead.
*Finally, I'm about to cross over,* he thought. *Now that I think about it, it's not as far as I thought. Maybe I just took longer to get here the first time because I kept walking around in circles, trying to avoid monsters I couldn't even see. But now, I'm confident I can defend myself.*
The tree line broke, revealing the river. Tyler slowed his pace, his boots sinking slightly into the damp bank. Looking to his far right, he spotted a path of large, jagged rocks jutting aggressively from the rushing current. They differed completely from the ones he had crossed with James. He moved toward them, eyeing the wide gaps between the wet stone surfaces. Pushing off his back foot, he skipped forward, his boots finding traction on the hard surfaces. He hopped from one stone to the next, finally launching himself through the air to land heavily on the opposite bank.
He let out a long, heavy exhale. *The system wants me to Kill a boss monster by Tomorrow. James said those things are mostly C-Rank. But how am i supposed to find one again? Right, I have to go into their territories. And there are so many monsters in a single territory and how am i going to reach C-Rank in 48 hours?*
As he raised his foot to take a step forward, his body completely froze. His breath caught sharply in his throat. He pivoted on his heel, locking his eyes back on the rushing current.
*Right. Water. I was so lost in my thoughts. I almost forgot something so important.*
He marched back down to the muddy edge of the river. An empty glass vial materialized into his grip. He crouched, plunging the glass into the cold water, tilting the rim opposite the forceful current. He watched the liquid pour inside, pulling it out the exact moment it reached the precise measurement etched into the side of the glass.
*Ok it's at 350 milliliters now.*
He straightened his spine, willing the filled vial to disappear into his inventory. "It's convenient that the system actually put those measurements by the side. Alright, now that I have all the ingredients. System, craft basic healing potion."
A system panel illuminated the space in front of him:[CRAFTING]. A loading bar steadily pushed across the bottom.
*It's kind of slow,* Tyler thought. He turned his back to the river and resumed his walk into the dense brush. The glowing text shifted to [MIXING COMPONENTS].
The main panel dissolved, replaced by a smaller window:
[CRAFTING SUCCESSFUL].
"Nice," Tyler said. He held his palm flat. A bright light shimmered above his skin, leaving the heavy vial resting in his hand. The liquid inside was a vibrant peach color, emitting a soft, pulsing glow that reflected off the glass.
*Wow,* Tyler thought, keeping his eyes locked on the bright fluid. *It looks awesome and... appetizing.*
"Should I test it out?"
A small informational bar appeared beside the glass:
[BASIC HEALING POTION, RESTORES 30% OF THE USER'S HP]
*Huh... Not bad, this means it gives me back 30 HP If I had 100, right? It's not bad.*
The vial vanished into his inventory. *I'll use it later for emergencies. I don't have to use it now.*
He pushed deeper into the monster zone, his eyes continuously scanning the heavy foliage to his left, then to his right. A cold knot of concern tightened in his stomach.
"Why am i not running into any monsters? Is it because I've just been walking straight this whole time?"
*Now that I think about it, I'll probably get lost if I go deeper. Yeah, I need to leave a trail to follow when i get back.*
The heavy weight of his iron sword materialized into his hand, his fingers instantly wrapping around the grip.
He stepped up to a thick tree, raised the heavy blade, and slashed twice in rapid succession. The iron sheared through the bark, carving a deep, jagged X into the trunk.
*I should keep doing this Moving forward,* he thought. He continued his march, stepping from tree to tree, slashing the bark to leave a trail.
As he approached the next tree trunk and lifted his blade high, a low, guttural vibration rumbled the air directly behind his neck. He twisted his torso violently, bringing the sword with him. A crimson wolf was already airborne, its massive jaws parted. Tyler rotated fully into the swing, driving the iron blade through the space between them. The heavy strike sheared cleanly through both of the beast's extended front legs and bit deep into the thick muscle and bone of its neck simultaneously, entirely severing the head. The ruined body and the head hit the dirt with heavy, wet impacts.
His heart hammered furiously against his ribs. *That was close, I didn't even hear it.*
A floating panel appeared directly above the fresh carcass:[CRIMSON WOLF LEVEL 29].
"It's an E-Rank+," Tyler said, a wide smile pulling at his lips. The smile faded just as quickly, his shoulders slumping. *It brought itself to me. That was too easy. Should I just take it and go back?*
"Extract," he muttered out loud. The thick wolf hide shimmered with a faint blue light, vanishing completely from the blood-soaked dirt along with the jagged fangs, transferring directly into his inventory.
"That's not enough," he said, shaking his head. *I need to kill more monsters This isn't that just about the quest anymore. I need to get stronger.*
He turned sharply to his right, stepping directly over the carcass. The sole of his leather boot pressed heavily into the warm, pooling blood.
He walked on, his jaw set, his expression completely hard and serious. Up ahead, moving through the underbrush, he spotted a slime. It was small. A quick glance at the system panel confirmed it was only level 19.
A heavy sigh escaped his nose in absolute disappointment. He planted his back foot, pulled his arm back, and threw his iron sword with tremendous force. The heavy blade spun end over end, cutting the air, and violently struck the gelatinous mass before the creature could even react. The slime instantly destabilized, erupting into a cloud of glowing blue dust. A dark, smooth, round core dropped to the earth. Tyler closed the distance, snatching the core from the dirt. He tossed it lightly into the air, letting it vanish into his inventory before it could fall. The sword embedded in the ground vanished and instantly rematerialized, its heavy hilt filling his open hand.
"Just where are all those monsters?"
The exact second the words left his mouth, wet, aggressive growls erupted from the dense bushes surrounding him. His pulse spiked, thudding loudly in his ears. He turned in a tight circle. Four crimson wolves pushed through the foliage, emerging from all sides to entirely surround him.
*Shit, I'm surrounded.*
He tracked their positions rapidly. To his left crouched a Level 15 Crimson Wolf, noticeably smaller than the rest. Directly in front of him stood a Level 39. To his right, towering over the others, was the pack alpha, a massive Level 41. The final wolf was a Level 26, sitting at the exact same level as him.
*Shit if they attack all at once, i might...*
His fingers tightened around the hilt of his iron sword, his knuckles turning white. *No come on.* He ground his teeth together. *I'm way stronger and way faster than before.*
The towering Level 41 unleashed a vibrating growl, following it with a sharp, commanding bark. All four beasts lunged simultaneously, their claws tearing the dirt.
*Fuck!* he thought. The iron sword dissolved from his hand, instantly replaced by the cool, long shaft of his silver spear.
He drove the spear forward, throwing all his speed and raw strength into the motion. The silver spearhead plunged deep into the soft belly of the Level 41. Tyler's eyes widened in sheer surprise at the impact. He ripped the blade out, using the heavy momentum of his spin to whip the spear around. The heavy metal head crashed violently against the jaw of the Level 15, ripping the flesh and bone apart. The other two wolves scrambled back, dodging the wide arc.
Tyler did not pause. He pushed all his strength into his legs and launched himself directly forward.
He thrust the spear out with a harsh grunt. The Level 39 twisted its neck to dodge the tip, but the silver blade sank deep into its exposed, furry side. The beast unleashed a piercing howl of pain.
Tyler's breath hitched. Searing agony exploded in the back of his knee. Jaws locked onto his flesh. He whipped his body around, violently swinging the leg he was bitten on, launching the clinging wolf entirely off the ground and into the air.
He gritted his teeth against the flaring pain, drew his arm back, and hurled his spear straight at the airborne dog. The silver blade punched cleanly into the animal's side mid-air, the sharp spearhead erupting through the ribs on the opposite side.
He twisted back to the bleeding Level 39. The beast coiled its muscles, preparing to strike. The silver spear vanished from the dead, airborne wolf and instantly materialized back into Tyler's left hand. He threw his arm forward, driving the weapon directly into the wolf's head. The spearhead pierced deep into its skull.
Tyler grabbed the shaft and yanked the blade free with violent force, his teeth gritted tightly together. His leg gave out, dropping him to one knee. His breathing came in ragged gasps, thick blood streaming rapidly down his calf.
"Damn it," he breathed out, his chest heaving. "Just when I said I wanted monsters."
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
An intense, blinding green glow erupted from his skin. He felt the severe strain of the fight melt from his muscles. On the back of his knee, the torn flesh and shredded muscle fibers rapidly knitted themselves back together, sealing the violent wound entirely. A massive rush of stamina flooded his veins, perfectly refilling the energy he had burned.
The green light vanished. Tyler pushed himself up from the dirt with a low grunt. "Three times," he muttered. A slow grin spread across his face. He was exactly one level away from reaching D-Rank.
He turned his head, sweeping his gaze over the bloody, ruined corpses scattered around him. "Extract," he muttered. The thick hides of the wolves shimmered with a faint blue light, vanishing into his inventory alongside their jagged fangs.
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED]
[I KILLED MY FAIR SHARE- THE USER HAS KILLED OVER 20 MONSTERS IN TOTAL:+5 EXTRA POINTS]
"Wow, I even got an achievement."
*I killed over 20 monsters? I didn't even realize. So the system has been counting all this time.*
Another glowing panel flared into existence directly in front of him.
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED]
[ ROCK-CRUSHING STRENGTH. THE USER'S STRENGTH STAT HAS SURPASSED 100 THE USER HAS ACHIEVED GREAT STRENGTH:+5 EXTRA POINTS]
*Another one? I didn't even-*
A third panel snapped into view, completely interrupting his thoughts.
[CONGRATULATIONS, SKILL UNLOCKED]
Tyler jerked his head back in pure surprise. *So many rewards,* he thought, dragging his nails against the back of his neck.
[SKILL: MANA SIGHT]
*Mana sight?* he thought, thoroughly confused. He tilted his head slightly to the side, scanning the description as the text materialized across the blue screen.
[MANA SIGHT ALLOWS THE USER TO SEE ALL KINDS OF MANA IN THE AIR. EVEN WITHIN OBJECTS: IT ENABLES THEM TO SEE HOW MUCH MANA ANY LIVING OR NON-LIVING ENTITY HAS.]
His eyes widened drastically. *So I can actually see the mana with the skill? And the system didn't say it costs mana so it must be a passive. How do I activate it?*
Tyler blinked. When his eyelids opened again, a sudden, staggering shift occurred. He took a heavy step backward, absolutely stunned. His eyes radiated a faint blue light. The entire dense forest around him was brilliantly illuminated, surrounded by countless glowing particles. They were perfectly fine, the size of grains of sand, drifting heavily through the air in rich currents of green, red, and brown. The sweeping streams of light flowed like thick dust motes caught in unseen winds. Some clusters hovered perfectly static in the atmosphere, while others vibrated rapidly against the bark, the leaves, and the soil.
"Whoa," he breathed out, his chest rising and falling.
"So, this is what mana looks like."