Bang—!
Second target successfully eliminated.
'Seven left....'
Except for the Lizardman Elite Warrior, I just need to kill seven more.
Click—.
Bang—!
Click—.
Bang—!
Rapid fire.
The higher the level of [Beginner Firearm Proficiency] rises, the faster and more accurate aiming becomes possible.
'I didn't know I could perform rapid fire of this level with a sniper rifle.'
The effect is decent even at the current level, but how much better would it be if it evolves beyond [Beginner] to [Intermediate]?
"But the downside is that I don't know how much the level has to rise to evolve from [Beginner] to [Intermediate]."
And I can't stick to firearms forever.
That is why I am learning archery and spearmanship, and trying to use them in real combat.
'It would be better if I could imbue mana into attacks....'
My [Mana] stat is still insufficient, so I can neither feel nor manipulate mana.
[Mana: 1]
With this stat, it is only possible to feel mana very, very faintly.
Just enough to feel a sensation different from others when breathing?
"Phew... killed them all now."
The only one left is the Elite Warrior to face with bayonet skills. Still....
"I hate fighting disadvantageous battles."
Click—.
'I should shoot somewhere like the leg to create an advantageous situation.'
I don't think I can fight on equal footing right away with an Elite Warrior just because my [Beginner Spearmanship Mastery] level is 3.
'Still, since levels rise a lot in real combat, I'm challenging it recklessly.'
Bang—!
And….
Ting—!
"Oho?"
"Kishishit―"
The Lizardman Elite Warrior blocked the bullet I shot with his spear and was looking at me.
"Okay, so you're confident you can block even if I keep shooting from here?"
I wanted to fight in a situation advantageous to me....
"Can't be helped. Well, it's not like I don't have a last resort."
If push comes to shove, I can escape the battlefield in an instant through the [Leg Strength] skill.
"Let's go."
I put down the sniper rifle, took out the K2 rifle from my bag, attached the bayonet, and ran into the battlefield in an instant.
Thud—!
I shot out nimbly with tremendous propulsion spewed out through the [Leg Strength] skill and....
"Shhhwik―!"
"Hup―!"
Kwa-gwa-gwang―!!!
I swung the bayonet-attached gun towards the Lizardman Elite Warrior as is.
'Blocked it.'
However, worthy of the name Elite Warrior, the guy blocked me.
"It was a blow using maximum speed and weight in its own way."
To block it easily. This won't be easy.
"Kishishit... Human...."
"What―???"
How is he talking?
A monster spoke. This has never been reported.
"You, how are you speaking?"
"Kishit… did you think we couldn't speak?"
"We have never seen a speaking monster."
"Kishishik― The world is changing now. You guys will know soon too."
"...."
"Kishishit― Of course, you don't need to know. Since you will die right here!"
Kishishit―!
Clang—!
'Crazy!'
Speed and power, both are tremendous.
I barely lifted the gun to block the thrust, and was bounced back due to that force.
"Phew, damn. His strength is brutal."
"Kishishit―!"
Bang—! Bang—! Bang—!
The Elite Warrior throwing 3 consecutive strikes. The wind created by the swinging spear wrapped around my body fiercely.
'Amazing.'
Although my [Speed] stat isn't high, I could nimbly dodge the attacks thanks to the [Leg Strength] skill.
"Kishishit― Will you just keep running away?"
"Because I hate dying."
'At least it seems I won't die. Even if I just dodge like this....'
Once I was convinced I wouldn't die, confidence actually arose.
"Hup―!"
Whish―.
I turned the gun as is and pushed away the guy's spear that was clashing.
Ran, rotate the spear to push away.
'Next is Na!'
Chaaang—!
Na, pull the spear inward to press down.
'The last is...!'
Swaeek―!
Chal, thrust the spear to counterattack.
Kwaang―!!!
"...Kishishit― You're a guy who has the basics."
"Phew, couldn't reach."
Spearmanship basics Ran-Na-Chal.
'I couldn't connect the movements fluidly but anyway... succeeded.'
Although the attack couldn't reach, I succeeded in connecting the movements.
[Beginner Firearm Proficiency Lv.4 $\rightarrow$ Lv.5]
[Beginner Spearmanship Mastery Lv.2 $\rightarrow$ Lv.3]
'My prediction was correct.'
Bayonet skills are a type of spearmanship. And bayonet skills are an act of handling firearms.
In other words, my prediction that bayonet skills can raise the levels of [Beginner Firearm Proficiency] and [Beginner Spearmanship Mastery] simultaneously. That prediction hit the mark.
"Hryap―!"
Chaaang—.
"...! Kishit― The momentum has changed."
As the level rose, the power imbued in the spear strike changed.
"Heh, because I'm not just a weak person."
"Kishishit― Now I have to go seriously."
'He wasn't serious yet?'
Kwaang―!
Kicking off the ground in an instant, the guy rushed at me.
"Hup―!"
I thrust out the gun towards the expected path to block but....
Whish―.
"Kishit― Slow."
'Oh no!'
The Elite Warrior, who changed direction in an instant, thrust the spear blade towards my wide open flank.
And....
Kwaang―!
"Phew... almost died."
[Leg Strength Lv.1 $\rightarrow$ Lv.2]
As [Leg Strength] leveled up, I kicked off the ground and somersaulted to dodge.
"Kishit― Tricky."
"I'm a bit tough."
Saying that, I attempted Ran-Na-Chal once again.
"Kishit― Human, you should already know that doesn't work?"
Bang—!
Bang—!
Ran, Na.
'All missed.'
But one decisive blow.
"Kishit― Too obvious...?"
"Hup―!"
Half a beat slow. I rotated my body a full circle to add rotational force.
"Chal!"
Swaa-a-a-a-ek―!!!
The tip of the bayonet cut through the air and headed for the Lizardman's neck at tremendous speed....
Kwa-a-a-a-ang―!!!
"...Kishit― Honestly, I was a little surprised. Human."
Blocked.
"Haha, even this gets blocked. Damn it."
However, what I aimed for was this.
Click—.
"Kishit…?"
"Goodbye."
A single bullet loaded while rotating my body.
I deliberately pretended to throw a decisive blow. So he wouldn't notice me loading a bullet.
Distance is close range...
No, point-blank range.
A place where he can neither block nor dodge.
Bang—!!!
Crunch—!!!
A normal gun can never pierce a Lizardman's scales. However....
[Beginner Firearm Proficiency Lv.5]
Because I am different.
[You have defeated the strong enemy 'Lizardman Elite Warrior Cheiron'!]
[You have defeated a monster possessing Existence Power!]
[Now 10% of the defeated monster's Existence Power is bound to you!]
[Lizardman Elite Warrior Cheiron's Existence Power: 10]
[Existence Power 1 is bound.]
"...What is this again?"
Existence Power. Something new appeared.
"Obtained a good spear."
[Cheiron's Mithril Spear]
No wonder it was incredibly hard. It was a spear made of mithril.
I completed the Lizardman pack disposal request and stripped off all items worth taking.
And....
[High-grade Magic Stone]
"…I became able to raise [Mana] stat by one."
Obtaining a high-grade magic stone is very difficult. Because magic stones don't drop unconditionally every time a monster is killed, but drop probabilistically.
Also because the number of powerful monsters that would drop high-grade magic stones is small.
'Means it was a strong one on the level of the guy evolving into a Goblin Great Chieftain, right?'
Crackle―.
I crushed the high-grade magic stone in my hand and spoke.
"Invest in [Mana] stat."
[Mana: 1 $\rightarrow$ 2]
And finally….
[Mana] stat rose by one.
[Mana is felt more strongly.]
[Mana] stat rose only by one.
However, the world changed just by climbing that single step.
"...This is mana."
Mana in nature composing the world.
Colorful lights of blue, red, and yellow were embroidering the world.
And a moment later....
Shhhhoooo....
As the heat in my eyes cooled, the vision seeing the world returned to normal.
"Is this the Mana Sight that people who awakened mana experience?"
They said in severe cases one feels dizziness or even vomits. But I don't have that.
[You have awakened mana.]
[Awakened Mana Attribute: Null (None)]
[You have awakened pure mana without attribute.]
"What?"
Usually when awakening mana, one awakens mana of attributes like fire or water.
But what? Pure mana without attribute?
"...Is it good?"
Since it's something I'm seeing for the very first time, I can't even judge if this is good or bad.
"Phew... I should look into this at a place like World Tree Guild."
It is something I cannot solve alone. Worrying ends here.
"Let's go back home now."
"You awakened... mana?"
"Yes, it turned out that way."
I spend ordinary days at KAMC, and after work, I alternate between Golden Arrow Guild and Cheongpung Guild to learn archery and spearmanship.
And somehow while talking, I ended up telling the fact that I awakened mana.
"Hmm...."
Seo Ha-yeon looked at me and said.
"[Mana Imbuement], [Mana Manipulation]. These are basic skills for Awakened who have awakened mana. Just awakening mana isn't everything."
"Yes."
"Do you know how to do them?"
"...I don't."
I only awakened mana, I don't know well how to handle it.
In the first place, Awakened who awakened mana aren't common either so....
And there was no one to learn from.
"Okay. Then today, instead of archery, I will teach you about how to handle mana."
"Oh... thank you."
Awakening mana and handling it isn't easy.
"Now slowly, inhale."
Hoooo―.
"Inhale, exhale. If you repeat like this, you can feel a strange sensation when breathing. If you focus on that sensation...."
At some moment, that strange thing comes mixed with the breath.
"This is Mana Breathing. It is a method to accumulate mana inside the body."
[Breathing Lv.9 $\rightarrow$ Lv.10]
[Level of skill 'Breathing' has reached the limit.]
[A new option is added.]
['Mana Breathing' option added]
[Mana Breathing: You can accumulate mana inside the body through breathing.]
['Mana Breathing' option applies to all breathing.]
"...!"
'If it's like this... it means I can keep accumulating mana even without doing Mana Breathing intentionally?'
Oh my god.
And I learned one more new fact.
'Skill level limit is 10, and when it becomes Level 10, an option is added.'
"...You are already inhaling mana. Very good."
Seo Ha-yeon said as if she noticed.
"Can you feel it?"
"Since I can feel the movement of mana. Then now what remains is manipulating the accumulated mana, and imbuing it into weapons and such."
[Mana Manipulation] and [Mana Imbuement].
These are core skills to handle mana.
Usually, one obtains these skills through skill books. Because it is very difficult for Awakened who just awakened mana to obtain these skills by themselves.
But me...?
[Lord of All Creation]
Don't I have the arguably fraudulent Unique Ability that turns every action helpful to combat into a skill?
"Slowly, think of touching mana with your fingertips."
It is an intangible existence, but it can be felt. Is it like... stretching a hand out the window in a car and feeling the wind?
Woooong―.
[You have acquired the skill 'Mana Manipulation'!]
[Mana Manipulation Lv.1: You can manipulate mana.]
'Done.'
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