Chương 7: FIRST SKILL LEVEL-UP

After meditating for a while, Jimin started feeling better. Ten minutes of uninterrupted focus was all it took for his MP and PE to fully recover. He opened his eyes slowly.

"This fast?" He stared at his hands, almost in disbelief. Meditation had restored him far more effectively than he imagined.

"This skill… was so worth it." He dusted off his pants and stood.

"Alright. Round two."

He stretched out his fingers and focused on a cluster of metal scraps near his feet. They were small, uneven, and oddly shaped; perfect for control training.

"Telekinesis." Three pieces lifted off the floor with a faint psychic pull. They wobbled, slowly rising until they hovered at chest height. Jimin held his breath and tried arranging them into a straight line. They moved… barely. The first shifted too much, the second rotated the wrong way, and the third dipped unevenly.

"Focus, idiot. One thing at a time." He steadied his breathing. The scraps realigned, eventually forming a shaky, uneven line in the air.

"Okay… now spin." He tried to move them mentally, urging them to rotate. The motion was slow; painfully slow, but they spun. Not smoothly, not gracefully, but enough.

"Not bad… not bad at all." Next challenge.

"Circle." The three scraps began moving in an orbit. The shape was jagged, uneven, more triangle than circle. He clenched his jaw and adjusted his focus.

"Come on… rounder… smoother…" Minutes passed. Sweat gathered at his nose. His eyes burned. But finally…. finally…. the path smoothed out. An almost circular motion. He allowed himself a tiny smile.

"Let's push it." He added another piece of scrap to the formation. The sudden addition destabilized everything. The orbit wobbled, nearly collapsing.

"Hold… hold…" His mind throbbed. And then, The circle returned, four scraps spinning in near-perfect formation. A rush of triumph surged in his chest; right before the world tilted. His vision dimmed at the edges. His head weighed a ton. His knees buckled.

"Again?" He steadied himself but knew the truth: he was at his limit. A notification blinked into view.

[Training to the Limit!] Manaborn has trained to his limit. Reward: +20 LP Total LP: 830 He exhaled shakily.

"Getting LP is good but feels horrible… I hate running out of PE." His legs trembled as he sat down cross-legged.

"Back to meditation." He activated it with a breath, and warmth flowed through his psyche. His mind steadied. His body regained strength. Minutes passed in silence; and then: ['Meditation' has reached Lv. 2] His eyes flew open.

"What? Already? It leveled up that fast?" Before he could fully react- [First Skill Level-Up (without using LP)] The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Reward: +200 LP Total LP: 1030 He froze. Then burst out laughing.

"No way…! A bonus?! For leveling up?!" DING!!!

[Heightened Positive Emotional State Detected】 Reward: +20 LP Total LP: 1050 He clutched his forehead." Stop... stop giving me LP for being happy…" said Jimin as he tried to stop his grin forcibly. DING!!! 【Unusual Heightened Positive Emotional State Detected】 Reward: +50 LP Total LP: 1100"HELL YEAH!!!" he shouted, the sound echoing across the empty factory. He paced around in pure exhilaration; until a thought struck him." Without using LP…?" He blinked." Wait. Does that mean… I can level-up skills using LP?" He pulled open his Unique Skill window. (Passive) No skills can be learned naturally. Only skills created through Skillmaster, can be learned. Skills created by Skillmaster cannot gain or level-up through SKILL XP. Instead, additional LP is gained. Skill levels can only increase through consuming LP and proficiency training." So it is possible. I knew it." He rushed to the Telekinesis window. Below the description was a line: Proficiency: 82%"I'm almost there," he whispered." But where's the level-up option?" He frowned, searching. Nothing. No button, no option. Then he had an idea." Upgrade telekinesis," he whispered. A window instantly materialized. [Upgrade Available] [LP Required to Level Up: 27] Would you like to upgrade'Telekinesis' to Lv. 2?" Twenty seven? That's it?" He laughed, relieved." That must be because my proficiency is so high." Without hesitation, "Yes." DING!! [Telekinesis has reached Lv. 2] Total LP: 1073 He felt the change immediately. A new steadiness in his mind. A deeper clarity. A stronger psychic grip. Heart pounding, he opened the skill window. 【Skill: Telekinesis】 Category: Active Type: Offense / Control Rank: Rare Level: 2/50 Description: Manipulates objects at a distance. Consumes psychic energy and mana. Power, precision, control, and range increase with each level. Scaling: • PSY → Lifting capacity, power, precision • INT → Range, control. Base Weight: 10 (+2) kg + (11 × 1) kg = 21 kg (+2) Range: 10. 5 (+0. 5) m + (8 ×. 5) m = 14. 5 m (+0. 5) Cooldown: None Cost: Mana and Psychic energy consumption based on object mass Proficiency: 0% He stared at the window, a quiet thrill running through him." Level 2… just like that." He closed his eyes and let the feeling sink in. A slow smile spread across his face." If this is only the beginning… Then what will happen once I master it?" The thought alone sent a shiver of anticipation down his spine. The factory was silent, the air cool and dusty, the morning light slipping deeper through broken windows and Jimin stood there with new strength, new hope and a skill that would only grow with him. Training had only just begun.