Weapons of Mass Destruction

Chapter 40: New skill

Finally!

Behold!

[Kinetic Redistribution]

Isn't it beautiful?

I love it as much as Biscuit loves food, probably even more!

After a buttload of testing, experimenting, and watching Kevin and others practice, along with some hints from the system, I was able to acquire this new skill.

There are a few minor similarities to Kevin's [Reflection] and how Tess and Kim's skills work, but that's all - just small similarities.

The skill allows me to absorb kinetic energy and then reuse it.

So, let's say someone hits me in my pretty face. If they do that, I can activate the skill and absorb some of that energy to reduce the damage. The energy I absorb can be used to strengthen my attacks, similar to how Tess uses her [Psychokinesis] to make spears fly faster.

It's the kind of skill I like - a counter skill, a skill where I use the enemy's attack against them while reducing the damage taken.

Sure, it's only level one for now, but wait! Soon it will shine.

As for now, I'm not great at the redistribution part and can only reduce some damage to myself. The energy just disappears into the air, as I can't get a handle on it yet.

Unfortunately, it only works for physical attacks and isn't that effective when I'm being stabbed with something sharp, probably because the point of contact is too small.

But I already have a few theories and ways in which I'd like to use it in the future.

Anyway, let's ditch Lily and Kim and practice my new skill!

Hey, why do you look so happy that I'm leaving?

What's with the relief on your face?

Somehow it annoys me.

[Name: Nathaniel Gwyn]

Difficulty: Hell

Floor: 1

Time left until forced return: 4y 350d 01h 5m 32s

Traits (1/3): Mana Circuit (Passive)

Lvl 12

Strength: 11

Dexterity: 9

Constitution: 16

Mana: 25

[Primary Class: Unavailable]

[Sub-class: Unavailable]

Skills:

Focus - lvl 5

Mana Manipulation - lvl 7

Mana Perception - lvl 5

Oscillation - lvl 3

Kinetic Redistribution - lvl 1

[Skill Points: 0]

[Stat Points: 0]

Around two weeks have passed since the start of the 1st floor, but somehow it feels much longer. Well, at least my stats are nice to look at.

In the end, I decided to go with my strategy of putting as many stat points as I can into mana and then increasing my constitution bit by bit so my body will be able to handle the mana.

Ultimately, I do this because it allows me to put much more stat points into mana than if I wanted to increase strength and dexterity.

That's it. I just want to play with mana. It still fascinates me, and now with my trait, it feels even better when I use it. In the long run, I think it's the best decision, as mana feels much more versatile than investing my points into, let's say, strength. Why would I? Instead, I can use mana to get a bit worse results - probably, and when I don't need to strengthen my body, I will have a lot of mana to play with!

Well, the problem is that I might get absolutely destroyed if someone finds a way to stop me from using mana, the same way Hadwin did.

But worry not! I found a way to counter it!

Probably!

It's simple; I just need to get my [Mana Manipulation] to the point where he won't be able to affect my mana, or something similar. I am sure even [Focus] can help a little bit to counter it.

Instead of being depressed by the amount of work ahead of me, I'm happy, as even now I can't see the limits of what I can acquire.

Just two weeks and I am like this. What will become of me in a few months? One year? Five more years? It sends goosebumps down my body, but not in the wrong way.

"Nathaniel," Hadwin stops by me while holding the best doggo by its nape. Biscuit seems as if he gave up on life and just hangs in the man's hand.

Not again, what did you do to him, Biscuit?

Also, good boy!

But tone it down; your smile is showing.

"Ever since we had a fight, he keeps pissing on my sleeping place and brings and leaves there pieces of meat and bones. I would ask Samantha to do something about it, but lately, he doesn't listen to her at all," he looks at me. He is more annoyed than angry, I guess, "So please, can you do something about it?"

He puts the dog on the ground and leaves.

We look at each other, and Biscuit blinks slowly.

Is it possible for such a good boy to exist?

I watch Kim as he tries to manipulate mana in his body following my instructions. He is getting better and better at this, easily the best out of the kids.

Yes, he still isn't close to me. But as I continue to watch others, I start to suspect that the things I do with mana aren't normal.

Kim is still stuck at level three of the skill, probably close to level four at this point, but to me, it feels like he is relying on the skill itself too much.

He knows about it, and we've tried multiple times, but it still comes back to this even though he is super hardworking.

It might improve with a good trait, but he is still far off from that, currently at level six.

I still help him a bit to level up, as I promised when he gave me his sword for my personal lessons.

A cheap price to pay, I would say so!

I don't understand why I had to pry the sword from his hand while he kept looking at me with unbelieving eyes.

No going back on your promise, not on my watch!

Anyway. He improved his [Gravity Well] and now he can use it on a small area, so I have him increase the gravity while I practice swinging my sword. We are defending our base pretty comfortably, so I find some time to exercise like this.

The effect of increased gravity is pretty strong, just in a small area, and in a few days of practicing and eating a lot of monster animal meat, I was able to increase my strength and constitution by one point each.

Another bonus is the rush of dopamine I feel after each exercise; damn, I missed exercising so much.

"For fuck's sake, at least keep the shirt on!" Kevin appears, closely followed by Lily.

Huh? But it will get sweaty and it's super annoying to wash.

Kevin sighs.

"I won't even try to explain it to you."

Good! So stay quiet so I can focus!

I get back to my training and move my sword through the air while increased gravity keeps pulling it down. My body feels so heavy, and I have to be careful not to lose balance; otherwise, I will get splatted on the ground in front of my lacking students.

There is no mana running through my body, as Kim's skill isn't strong enough yet for me to have to use it, so I exercise just by using my pure stats.

At some point, the world quiets down, and I focus on the movements and continue moving my body.

My muscles hurt.

But it's good pain.

It means I put effort into it. It means that I am training as hard as I can to improve. If I put effort into it, I will be rewarded; that's why it's so addicting for me to exercise, as it always was.

Many minutes later, I stop when the gravity pulling me down weakens and look at Kim; he is totally breathless.

"Out of mana," he says, and I just nod and turn to go and wash myself a bit. Obviously, I will use the precious water we collected from a nearby stream, but that's the advantage of being high in the rankings!

"Hey Lily, why are you so red?" I barely hear Kevin talking his nonsense when I am nearly gone.

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