Two figures were flung apart as chaotic wind and raw mana surged in every direction.
The shallow water blanketing the obsidian floor exploded skyward, falling back like rain despite the cloudless sky. Overhead, the moon shone brilliantly, its cold light battling the storm of shadows and turbulence below, casting an eerie balance across the dimension.
The howling winds roared through the grey world, while violent streams of mana slammed into the obsidian ground, pounding it with thunderous booms like the footsteps of titans.
River Faelan crashed down, encased in a giant bubble—his layered Bubble Creation absorbing the brunt of the explosion. But because he had stacked thousands of micro-bubbles together, the protective sphere didn't burst on impact. Instead, it bounced off the unyielding obsidian, sending River ricocheting back into the air.
He hadn't altered the bubble's properties to anchor it upon landing; he'd deliberately added a subtle spring to it, giving himself a clear vantage point of the explosion's aftermath. Below him, dozens of Bubble Bombs had burst simultaneously, releasing a shockwave of chaotic air and destructive mana. The resulting eruption rivaled a full-force assault from C-rank Hunters—enough to flatten entire city blocks.
Despite the raging winds and tearing mana, the obsidian floor and the swirling portal remained unscathed. The portal pulsed serenely at the heart of the storm, impervious to the destruction, just as the dark stone floor showed not so much as a crack or scratch. If not for the tempest around him, River might have thought his attack had fizzled into nothing.
As he descended, River expertly guided his bubble with Mana Control to slow his fall. The moment the protective sphere skimmed the shallow water, it burst in a quiet pop, dissolving into motes of light.
"Let's see if you're still standing," River muttered, preparing to summon new bubbles to propel himself toward the portal. But his steps faltered—sudden vertigo swept over him, the world tilting violently as a wave of dizziness crashed through his mind.
"Sh*t…" River hissed, bracing himself. "I forgot—I don't have the same mana reserves as before…"
Instinct had betrayed him; he was used to the near-limitless well of mana he'd commanded at his peak. Without thinking, he'd dumped a massive amount of mana into his attack.
He snapped open his Status Screen. His heart sank at the sight: his MP had plummeted to a measly 10. The dizziness was his body's harsh warning—pushing beyond this would risk serious internal damage.
River let out a frustrated sigh. Unlike some convenient MMORPG, this world didn't grant Hunters more mana or health just because they leveled up or pumped stats into Vitality. Here, HP was a literal reflection of physical condition—0 meant death, 1 meant barely clinging to life.
As for MP, it wasn't so simple. Hunters had to train to expand their mana pool, unless they possessed a rare Skill that increased it outright.
That's why Mana Gathering was so essential: not only did it replenish lost mana, but through disciplined, repeated practice, it could slowly grow a Hunter's total MP over time. But talent still played a part—those with exceptional Mana Control found the process faster and more effective.
River inhaled deeply, steadying his heartbeat and forcing his mind to clear. His eyes hardened with focus as he began the Mana Gathering technique, drawing the ambient energy swirling wildly around him into his body.
Mana could be felt but never truly seen. Only Hunters were attuned enough to perceive it—and unlike air, mana wasn't a gas, nor was it an energy that could power machinery. It was something far more primal. The ultimate essence of another reality. Something terrifying in its potential.
This time, River activated true Mana Gathering. His senses spread out like a vast net, pulling the unseen mana toward him from every corner of the grey world.
In an instant, he felt it—mana surged into his body, coursing through his chest, spiraling along his pathways, enveloping him in an exhilarating rush. It was like quenching an impossible thirst with the purest water, refreshing him to his very core.
Glancing at his Status Screen, River watched his MP climb rapidly. After only a few seconds of focused gathering, his Mana Points had recovered to 100.
He let out a quiet sigh. Turning his humble Bubble Creation into something with the destructive power of a D- or even C-rank Hunter devoured huge amounts of mana. He was so used to his past, when his MP reserves were vast, that he'd almost forgotten he was no longer that unstoppable powerhouse.
If the warning hadn't come when his MP dropped to 10, he might have kept unleashing Bubble Bombs until his own body gave out.
River clenched his fists and forced himself to calm down. He needed to lower his output—aiming for something on par with a D-rank Hunter should suffice for now.
Resolute, he conjured a three-foot-wide bubble before him, layering only a few hundred micro-bubbles and infusing it with minimal mana for stability. Then he sprinted at it, leaping onto the sphere like a springboard. The bubble absorbed his weight, compressing before launching him forward in a graceful arc across dozens of meters. As he approached his landing, he summoned another bubble beneath him, bouncing himself onward toward the portal.
Each time, he slowed his descent with a protective bubble. When his final leap ended, the bubble burst just before he touched down, leaving him standing with barely a ripple disturbing the shallow water.
Even though Bubble Creation was technically his only unlocked ability, River's Mana Control let him manipulate it in ways that defied the ability's humble description.
His gaze snapped to his clone—River No.2—who had returned to stand before the portal, apparently unharmed. River's senses picked up the subtle disturbances in the surrounding mana, tracing the faint signatures of energy woven around his double. The clone had protected itself with a bubble barrier nearly identical to River's own.
River had been sent flying by the explosion before he could watch the aftermath unfold, but his Mana Gathering confirmed the truth: River No.2 had survived using the same Bubblecrafter ability.
At this level of Mana Control, even residual mana pathways gave away the secrets of an opponent's abilities—a skill that set River apart from average Hunters.
He narrowed his eyes, studying the clone, which remained motionless yet again.
"What's behind that portal you're guarding so fiercely?" River asked quietly, voice laced with suspicion. "Is this some trick? If I walk through it, will the Quest end?"
He scanned the portal, mind racing. If passing through it really concluded the first trial, it would make this one of the most absurdly easy Quests he'd ever encountered. But his instincts—and everything he knew about complex Quests—told him the truth couldn't be that simple.
Complicated trials were the norm for high-stakes Quests like this. There was no way the challenge amounted to just stepping past a silent sentinel.
River's thoughts darkened as he recalled the mysterious man who'd first discovered this Quest. The deeper he delved into this trial, the stranger that man's story—and the Quest itself—became.