Chapter 190: Strange Dream (6)

[Heradin’s Mana Circulation and Body Forging: Circulate mana through the body to temper and strengthen the body using mana. Heradin’s Mana Circulation also converts mana into Essence Mana, a pure form of mana.]

[Heradin’s Essence Forging: Strengthen and temper the body by using Essence Mana!]

[Essence Mana Core: A Core to store the converted Essence Mana.]

Red’s eyes were glued to his new skills and new gains. He finally found the benefit of circulating the mana through the body. It was to temper and strengthen the body, though it didn’t specify more than that. It also converted the mana into Essence Mana. That was new to him.

The second skill was also a forging skill, but it used Essence Mana instead of just mana. He didn’t know the difference between the two except for the fact that the Essence Mana might be a better quality of mana. Or maybe that was it, a higher quality mana. Just like the core and equipment, there was also rank for mana. Though he couldn’t be sure since it was just his assumption based on what he knew.

Heradin’s Mana Circulation and Body Forging and Heradin’s Essence Forging were Tier 5 skills. The highest tier skill available to him. He didn’t know if there was a skill higher than Tier 5.

’But who is this Heradin?’

That sounded like a name instead of a skill name.

’Is it the skill creator? Can I also create a skill?’

Red shook his head. It was pointless to think about it, as he had zero clue or information about skill creation. He focused on what was in front of him. He believed they were doing Heradin’s Mana Circulation and Body Forging.

’Maybe I should try it as well.’

He picked an empty spot close to him. He copied the way they sat as well, sitting cross-legged on the floor. They closed their eyes while circulating the mana and followed their example.

He sat cross-legged and activated the skills, then he sensed it: the established channel inside his body. Not just the one in his arms. His mana flowed through the channel, moving to his head.

Red remembered how the others were taking it slow when they did the mana circulation in his head. He tried to control his mana flow, and it was fortunate he had Mana Authority, which helped him control the mana. That was when he noticed something that he didn’t notice when he observed the others.

He sensed how the mana channel was releasing mana. It was like a vapor, residual mana that entered his flesh in his head. He felt the cooling sensation through his head, soothing and making his head clear. More than that, he gained more focus.

He guided the mana carefully and slowly. Once the mana left the channel on his head, he picked up the pace. The mana flow became slightly faster this time. But he didn’t go as fast as the others since this was the first time.

Just like what happened with the channel in his head, he also released residual mana that stuck to his flesh. It felt like a massage. Then he finished the first cycle as the remaining mana entered his second core that was located on the same level as his sternum.

[You have finished Mana Circulation. You converted mana into Essence Mana! You gained 25 Essence Mana]

[You have finished Mana Body Forging! You have gained 0.25+ Strength, 0.25 Endurance, 0.25 Vitality, 0.25 Dexterity!]

Red opened his eyes and checked the notification to ensure he didn’t hear it wrong. His Might Stat increased after he finished the skill. He understood what the skill meant: it would temper and strengthen his body.

’But it’s only Might Stat. I wish it works for Magic Stat too.’

He remembered that his Magic Stats had reached the threshold. That might be why his Magic Stats didn’t go up.

Then he checked his mana, checking the mana consumption. He tried to see how much mana he used for one circulation. The cost was quite steep: 500 mana for one circulation. That made sense considering the benefit the skill provided.

He had 4400 mana, so he could do eight circulations. He just needed to be careful not to use the skill when he was going to war or hunting. Maybe the night before going to sleep. That might be the right time to use his mana.

Red closed his eyes once more, doing his second circulation. He repeated the same process; the soothing sensation was addicting.

[You have finished Mana Circulation. You converted mana into Essence Mana! You gained 25 Essence Mana]

[You have finished Mana Body Forging! You have gained 0.25+ Strength, 0.25 Endurance, 0.25 Vitality, 0.25 Dexterity!][You have finished Mana Circulation. You converted mana into Essence Mana! You gained 25 Essence Mana]

He wished that he might get more stats and Essence Mana, but it didn’t change. Body forging was clearly different than absorbing the cores. It was not a matter of luck; the number was fixed.

’Maybe I will get more stats if I level up my skill.’

He finished two more circulations, rounding it up to +1 to all his Might Stats. He used 2000 mana in total and decided to stop.

Red opened his eyes and found out he was no longer in the same chamber. He was no longer inside a chamber, but outside, right at the edge of the arena.

In front of him was his kind. No workstation, no ore, just one person holding a spear that was slightly taller than the holder. Then the person moved; he started with a thrust.

The movement was sudden and so fast that it became a blur in his eyes. Then he jumped, spinning once in the air before slamming the spear down. The arena tiles broke apart, and the hubris hurtled in all directions. Then he followed with a swing, a three hundred and sixty-degree swing.

Red’s eyes glued to this person; all he could see was the spear’s blurred movement. Then the person moved to a dummy target, and he thrust it forward. It looked like just a single thrust, but then he saw five holes on the training dummy. One in the head, two on both shoulders, one hole on the chest, and the last one on the stomach.

The movement was getting faster and faster, and he could no longer see anything. All he saw was blurred movement, not even the hand. On top, he could feel the breeze from the swing reach his face.

Red’s jaw dropped if he had a jaw right now. He felt like a floating consciousness with no physical form. Then the person disappeared; he looked around and found the person was in the air.

The person thrust the spear down toward the arena. It went down with a boom as fragments of the tiles shot out in all directions.

[You have learned a skill, Spearmanship!]