Leon’s fingers closed around the deep red stone, its surface warm against his palm like touching sun-heated glass. The mont his skin made contact, his divine ability activated automatically, and the familiar golden screen shimred into existence before his eyes.
[Fla Burst - Uncommon Rank Skill] Creates an explosive release of fire in all directions from the user’s body. It can be channeled through weapons or released as a pure wave of fla. Effective radius: 5 ters. Mana Cost: dium Elent Required: Fire
Perfect for close-quarters combat, Leon thought, already channeling his mana into the stone. When enemies get too close, this will create breathing room.
The stone cracked with a sound like breaking pottery, then shattered completely. Red motes of light spiraled upward like embers from a campfire, swirling around his head before converging at his temple. The knowledge flooded in—not just the technique itself, but the feeling of it. The heat building in his core, the circular pattern of mana circulation, the explosive release that would turn his body into a temporary inferno.
He opened his eyes, a slight smile playing at his lips. The skill had integrated seamlessly into his repertoire, as natural as breathing.
One down. Many more to go.
"You look like a child in a candy shop," Seraphine observed, amusent coloring her voice as she watched him reach for another stone.
"Can you bla ?" Leon replied, his fingers dancing across the collection. "When was the last ti you saw soone with access to every elent able to cherry-pick from a treasure trove like this?"
His hand settled on a pale blue stone that emanated a subtle chill. Frost crystals had actually ford on its surface despite the warm afternoon air.
[Ice Armor - Uncommon Rank Skill] Encases the user in a layer of magical ice that provides physical protection while maintaining mobility. The armor regenerates slowly using ambient mana and can explode outward as shards when dismissed. Mana Cost: dium (Initial cast), Low (Maintenance) Elent Required: Water/Ice
Defensive option with an offensive component, Leon noted with approval. And the regeneration ans it won’t drain my mana reserves during extended fights.
He absorbed it imdiately. The cold knowledge rushed through him—the sensation of water mana crystallizing into protective layers, the balance between hardness and flexibility, the trigger for the explosive dispersal. When he opened his eyes again, he could almost feel the phantom weight of ice armor across his shoulders.
Seraphine just put her hand down on the table leisurely and looked at him, enjoying his ti, lost in him, content to watch him enjoy. The setting sun painted her purple hair with golden highlights, and her expression held genuine fascination as she observed his process.
Leon’s hand moved with growing confidence now, selecting stones with the practiced eye of soone who understood combat on an instinctive level. A dark brown stone caught his attention next, rough and heavy in his palm.
[Stone Skin - Common Rank Skill] Temporarily hardens the user’s skin to the density of rock, providing physical damage resistance. Does not impede movent but increases body weight. Mana Cost: Low Elent Required: Earth
Another defensive layer, he thought as the stone crumbled in his grip. Combined with Ice Armor, I’ll be difficult to damage through conventional ans.
Earth-colored light swirled into his consciousness. The skill was simple, straightforward—pure physical enhancent without fancy chanics. Sotis the common skills were the most reliable.
He reached for a vibrant green stone next, its surface seeming to shimr with internal movent like wind made visible.
[Wind Step - Uncommon Rank Skill] Allows the user to create platforms of compressed air to stand on, enabling temporary flight or rapid directional changes mid-air. Each platform lasts 3 seconds before dissipating. Mana Cost: Low per platform Elent Required: Wind
Mobility, Leon thought with satisfaction as erald light entered his mind. Essential for aerial combat and positioning.
The knowledge integrated smoothly—the technique of compressing air molecules into solid stepping stones, the timing required to chain them together for sustained flight, the possibilities for combat applications.
His selection process accelerated. A midnight-black stone radiated an almost tangible darkness.
[Shadow ld - Uncommon Rank Skill] Allows the user to rge with shadows, becoming nearly invisible and intangible to physical attacks. Movent is possible within connected shadows. Sunlight or bright magical light will forcibly eject the user. Mana Cost: dium (Initial), Low (Maintenance) Elent Required: Dark
Stealth and escape option. The dark mana felt cool and welcoming as it entered his consciousness, teaching him how to slip between the boundaries of light and shadow.
He was extrely excited to try this skill out, as this skill would be very helpful when on a sneaking mission.
If I had this skill before, I probably wouldn’t have been caught by that woman, Aurelia, inside the royal palace, Leon thought while moving onto the next skill.
A brilliant yellow stone followed, crackling with contained energy.
[Thunder Clap - Common Rank Skill] Creates a powerful sound-based shockwave by compressing and releasing lightning mana. Effective for disorienting enemies and disrupting spell casting. Mana Cost: Low Elent Required: Lightning
Crowd control. The lightning knowledge was sharp and precise, like the crack of a whip translated into pure information.
Leon’s pile of absorbed stones grew as the afternoon light deepened into early evening gold. His hands moved with a steady rhythm now—select, identify, absorb. Select, identify, absorb. Each skill adds another tool to his arsenal, another option in combat.
A white stone practically glowed in his palm.
[Healing Light - Uncommon Rank Skill] Channels light mana to accelerate natural healing processes. Can seal wounds, reduce bleeding, and alleviate pain. It cannot regenerate lost limbs or cure diseases. Mana Cost: dium to High (depending on injury severity) Elent Required: Light
Self-sufficiency, he thought as warm, gentle light flooded his mind. No need to rely on healers or wait for natural recovery.
He had a life elent; even so, he welcod the light Elent with open arms because, seeing two powerful people fight this particular Elent before, he knew this Elent was really strong.
The knowledge ca with an unexpected warmth, like sunlight on skin. He felt the circulation patterns, the way light mana could stimulate cellular regeneration, the limits of what could and couldn’t be healed.
A crystalline stone with swirling gray patterns drew his eye next.
[tal telekenesis - Uncommon Rank Skill] Allows limited control over tal objects within a 10-ter radius. It can attract or repel tallic materials. Control precision increases with practice. Mana Cost: dium (varies with tal mass) Elent Required: Earth/tal
Battlefield control, Leon mused as the skill integrated. Enemy weapons, armor, and environntal tal—all beco potential assets or liabilities depending on whose side they’re on.
User Comments
0 comments from readers