Chương 22: ECOSYSTEM

Jimin returned to the orphanage just as the sun dipped low. The familiar building greeted him. A few kids were still outside in the yard, laughing loudly, chasing each other with reckless energy that only those without responsibilities could afford. He paused for a moment at the entrance, watching them. Their laughter felt distant, almost unreal, like it belonged to another world. He went inside, exchanged brief greetings with Mrs. Han, and headed straight to his room. Nothing had changed.

Yet, everything felt different. He closed the door behind him and laid down on the bed, staring at the cracked ceiling. So much happened today… His mind replayed everything in fragments. The combat class. The new skills; the whispers of the crowd; the way people looked at him now. Then, the Appraiser Federation and the evaluation room. The weight of his Novice Appraiser License in his hand. He took it out and looked at it for a while. And finally- Skillmaster… He exhaled slowly.

I learned something new about it today. That alone should've been enough to make him satisfied. But it wasn't. He sat up, swinging his legs off the bed. His expression hardened slightly. It's still not enough. His gaze drifted to his hands. Telekinesis, barriers, spin; they were all powerful tools. But every one of them shared the same weakness. The lack of Psychic Energy. Every time he pushed himself, every time he trained seriously, that invisible ceiling slammed down on him.

No matter how sharp his control got, no matter how efficient he tried to be, once PE ran dry, everything stopped. This won't work in the long-term. I need to fix this. Now. He closed his eyes and summoned his interface. First things first. He checked how much LP he had. —------------------------------ Current LP: 570 —------------------------------ He stared at the number. 570… Not a lot. Not anymore. Earlier, he would've felt rich with that amount.

But now, after seeing how fast LP could vanish with a single decision, it felt fragile. He leaned back against the wall. LP isn't coming in bursts anymore like before. The system had changed. Or maybe it was him. Emotional spikes, breakthroughs, first-time achievements; they were becoming rarer. The natural steady income was low and slow. Painfully so. Which means… I have to be efficient. He could brute-force the problem by making a skill that directly decreases PE consumption.

But brute force always comes at a cost. Which was LP. He frowned slightly. Or… He remembered something. Growth. That skill had taught him an important lesson. It was compounding results. Stat gains. His eyes sharpened. That's it. Instead of patching the issue, I should improve the foundation. He opened his Status Window.

—-------------------------------------------------- 【STATUS WINDOW】 Name: Sam Jimin Age: 16 Rank: E Level: 1 HP: 260/260 STA: 130/130 MP: 100/100 PE: 150/150 STATS: STR: 6 AGI: 6 END: 6 INT: 8 WIS: 7 VIT: 5 CHA: 4 PSY: 11 LUK: 10 FREE STATPOINTS: 0 Unique Skill: Skillmaster Skills: Telekinesis (Lv. 4) Telekinetic Spin (Lv. 1) Telekinetic Barrier (Lv. 1) Meditation (Lv. 3) Growth (Lv. 2) Dash (Lv. 2) Appraisal (Lv. 5) —------------------------------------------------------------------ He was about to open the Skill Creation window when something clicked. Wait… Why create something new… when I can refine what I already have? His eyes widened slightly. He opened his Skill Editing Window. A window appeared. —----------------------------------------------- Which skill would you like to edit? Skills: Telekinesis (Lv. 4) Telekinetic Spin (Lv. 1) Telekinetic Barrier (Lv. 1) Meditation (Lv. 3) Growth (Lv. 2) Dash (Lv. 2) Appraisal (Lv. 5) —-------------------------------------------------------- His gaze lingered on one skill.

'Meditation'. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. That skill had always been reliable. And,,, I use it all the time.

"Meditation," he murmured. The selection locked in. The Meditation skill window expanded before him, floating quietly in the air. He looked at it for a while. Description… effects… What if… He focused on the description field. Very carefully, he made a change. The window flickered, then refreshed.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------- 【Skill: Meditation】 Type: Active Category: Utility Rank: Epic Level: 3/50 Description: Meditation increases MP and PE regeneration and minor STA regeneration. If done regularly for prolonged sessions, there is a high chance of increasing PSY, INT and WIS. Also, hones control over mana & psyche. Regeneration speed and amount increases with each level.

Scaling: WIS & INT → depth of benefit and efficiency Cooldown: None Cost: None Proficiency: 92% Required LP: 550 [Save] [Cancel] —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jimin froze.

"… Five hundred and fifty!" His heartbeat quickened slightly. That's almost everything I have. He leaned back, rubbing his temples. Epic rank… makes sense. PSY and INT were notoriously difficult to raise naturally. This edit could solve multiple issues at once. But… 550 LP. If an emergency occurs… He clenched his jaw. I can't gamble everything right now. Slowly, he adjusted the description again. One word. He changed High to Moderate. The window recalculated instantly.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------- 【Skill: Meditation】 Type: Active Category: Utility Rank: Rare Level: 3/50 Description: Meditation increases MP and PE regeneration and minor STA regeneration. If done regularly for prolonged sessions, there is a moderate chance of increasing PSY, INT and WIS. Also, hones control over mana & psyche. Regeneration speed and amount increases with each level.

Scaling: WIS & INT → depth of benefit and efficiency Cooldown: None Cost: None Proficiency: 92% Required LP: 300 [Save] [Cancel] —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ That's manageable. He stared at it for a long moment. With how often I meditate… results will come eventually. And once PSY increases… His eyes glinted. PE capacity and Telekinesis's power will increase. He selected [Yes]. The window glowed softly, then vanished. But another window appeared.

—------------------------------------------------- ['Meditation' Successfully Edited] Total LP: 270 —------------------------------------------------- A warm sensation flowed through his body, like sinking into hot water after a long day. It faded within a second. Then- Another notification appeared. ———————————————————————————————- 【Achievement: First Skill Edit】 You have successfully edited a created skill for the first time. Reward: +200 LP Total LP: 470 ———————————————————————————————— Jimin let out, "Oh…"

He was happy but for a split second, regret flashed through his mind. If I knew this would trigger an achievement… Epic might've been possible. But he shook his head. No. This is fine. Greed leads to mistakes. He exhaled and leaned back. But now that long-term gain is ensured and I have a bit to spare… He took a deep breath. Still… Meditation helps. But I need something more immediate. An idea crossed his mind. He sat up straight. What if… He opened the Skill Creation window.

He began filling in the name and description. The system responded. A new window with full details appeared.. —---------------------------------------------------------------------- [Skill: Psychic Reservoir] Category: Passive/Active Type: Utility Rank: Epic Level: 1/50 Description: User naturally stores 20% of total PE as reserve in his body. Can be used at will, when natural PE is low.

Scaling: WIS → Increases stability INT → Increases reserve Cost: None Cooldown: Until fully filled up after being emptied Required LP: 600 【Create】 【Edit】 【Delete】 —----------------------------------------------------------------------- Six hundred! Again, it was too much. He frowned deeply. Lowering the percentage will gut the skill. A reservoir that holds barely anything defeats the purpose. There has to be a way… He stared at the description. Then it clicked. Why not make it like an ecosystem?

He quickly edited the text, changing the description. Finally- —---------------------------------------------------------------------- [Skill: Psychic Reservoir] Category: Passive/Active Type: Utility Rank: Rare Level: 1/50 Description: User stores excess PE gained through meditation as reserve in his body. The reserve amount is 20% of total PE. Can be used at will, when natural PE is low.

Scaling: WIS → Increases stability INT → Increases reserve Cost: None Cooldown: Until fully filled up after being emptied Required LP: 150 【Create】 【Edit】 【Delete】 —----------------------------------------------------------------------- His eyes widened. That dropped a lot. Just meditating solves most issues for now. It was like an ecosystem. And 'Meditation' was the hub. This works. He created the skill without hesitation. ——————————————————————————— [Skill Successfully Created]'Psychic Reservoir' – Acquired.

Total LP: 320 ——————————————————————————— He let out, "Nice." He rolled his shoulders. Time to test it. He sat cross-legged on the bed and began meditating. Breathing slowly and mind steady. A notification appeared. —----------------------------------------------- [Psychic Reservoir] PE: 1/30 —----------------------------------------------- So, it fills gradually. He stayed still. Minutes passed. Then- After two minutes, another notification popped up. ['Meditation' has reached Lv. 4] He grinned.

"Haha… Hell yeah!" Without stopping, he moved to the next test. He stood up and began light workouts. Push-ups. Squats. Core training. At the same time, he manipulated small objects around the room; books, a pen, a bottle, keeping them suspended mid-air and moving them around fast. With his focus split, PE drained faster. Soon, he hit his limit. His breathing grew heavy. His arms trembled slightly. A notification appeared. ['Psychic Reservoir' can be activated.] He grinned faintly.

"Absorb 10 PE." His PE jumped from 9/150 to 19/150. He felt better immediately. That's good. Satisfied with the effects, he continued his meditation. As he was still out of stamina. He meditated until his Stamina and reserves were full again. But he didn't stop. He kept going. Thirty minutes passed. His mind felt clear and calm. He felt fresh. After dinner and washing up, he returned to his bed. As he lay down, staring at the ceiling once more, a thought surfaced. I've a direction now. A future. He closed his eyes.

A new day awaited him.