Chương 86: B2 Chapter 8

[Scripture of Improvement Mana Manipulation Lv. 19 → Lv. 20 Mana Shaping Lv. 18 → Lv. 19 Mana Bolt Lv. 14 → Lv. 15 Mana Shield Lv. 10 → Lv. 12 Aether Spiral Lv. 8 → Lv. 9] Hakon knew he had been improving a lot in the last few nights, but seeing it in the Scripture of Improvement made it more real. The Ancestors saw and acknowledged his actions, filling his heart with pride. The morning sessions solidified his gains. That was especially true when it came to his mana recovery.

At this point, Hakon could exercise his body, putting it under considerable strain while maintaining [Aether Spiral]. The Skill had improved a lot in the last moon, transforming what had once been a faint trickle of ambient mana entering his Core into a steady stream. [Mana Meditation] would perform much better according to Ava – it would improve much faster as well, or so she said – but Hakon liked his Skill better.

Sure, the stream was nowhere near strong enough to fill his Core in a single afternoon yet, however, he was sure that as long as he kept working on it, improving and upgrading it, [Aether Spiral] would become one of his greatest assets. Glancing down at Ava seated beside him with crossed legs, her breathing steady, mana moving through her with perfect serenity, it was hard not to be surprised. The human was weird. [Mana Sense] showed glimpses of the mana coursing through her, yet it didn't make sense. Did she lie?

Hakon remembered Ava telling him about her damaged pathways. Even her Core had been cracked, the damage extensive enough to disrupt her growth for many cycles. She had recovered not too long ago, and even then she didn't dare expose her magic, afraid the Barbarians would behead her. Maybe they would have. Hakon was not sure about that. Now, however, they wouldn't touch her. Except to court her. They'd hunt dangerous monsters for her before challenging her to Courting.

That, however, would not happen for quite a while. For while Ava was indeed beautiful, she was simply too frail, leaving little to desire for a mate. After all, a perfect mate was not only strong enough to overcome the Ancestors' Trial with her mate and earn their blessing, she would also be strong enough to bear a healthy child and have the means to protect the cub until it could protect itself. Astrid is the best. Hakon grunted in approval and diverted his attention back to the Scripture of Improvement.

There was no second Scripture centered on [Mana Manipulation]'s Skill Upgrade even though there should have been one. Ava apparently had a superior version of [Mana Manipulation], her Skill being of a higher rarity or something like that. That wasn't a problem though. His plan had never been to upgrade [Mana Manipulation]. Except… if it somehow turned out to be a necessity for his other plan. He hoped that wasn't the case as he closed his eyes, the spirit form materializing in the darkness of his mind.

The weaves depicting his Skills were as still as ever even as the pathways thrummed with mana. Several weaves had grown since he last checked on the spirit form. They hadn't expanded, and their form had only changed a little in the meantime, but several Skillweaves had moved, even if only a little. Other weaves were still as small as they used to be, yet they pulsed with much greater power than last time, the pulse of power smoother and more lively.

It was not easy to discern the weaves, and it took Hakon a while to sense which Skill improvement affected which weave. But when he learned more about the weaves, he quickly recognized the sets. Clusters of weaves that connected to one another by the edges or threads. One of the clusters was [Mana Shaping], [Reinforcement], [Compression], [Mana Bolt], and [Mana Shield], which was not all that surprising. [Mana Shaping] was the cluster's heart.

It did not connect to either [Reinforcement] or [Compression], yet its structure was the reason the other weaves existed. Are they branches or just that tightly connected? Hakon wasn't sure what it was, but both [Mana Bolt] and [Mana Shield] were intimately intertwined with [Mana Shaping]. That only made sense, since he'd used the latter to create his first bolts and shields made with mana.

The Ancestors rewarded him with the weave, yet it was only obvious that the mana structures' weaves were connected to [Mana Shaping]. [Compression] and [Reinforcement] were also connected to the mana structures. The latter was the very reason Hakon managed to make them durable enough to be used in combat, while the former increased their potency. [Compression] and [Reinforcement] were essential for the mana structures. Thus, they were connected to them. Love this novel?

Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. But what caught Hakon's attention when he used the Skills related to the weaves, or even improved them, was the power flowing through them. His heart started to race, his hair standing up on end as he reached deeper into the new field of study. Mana flooded the spellweaves as he activated them, conjuring a simple mana bolt, yet it was not only [Mana Bolt]'s spellweave that activated.

If he didn't pay attention, conjuring a bolt of mana would trigger [Mana Bolt] but also [Mana Shaping] and [Reinforcement]. Depending on how strong of a bolt he intended to create, [Compression]'s weave would activate as well. The additional weaves made the process much easier, yet they consumed a lot more mana. It hurt his head as well, since he activated four weaves at once – in a very inefficient manner, one should add. So, it's like that? How interesting.

He mused to himself, slowly regaining control of his heartbeat. Activating only [Mana Bolt] was possible, but it required more precision. Hakon had to be more attentive to detail, which was bothersome, especially since that too was not very efficient. That was also why he did not bother working against the cluster of weaves. Rather, he worked toward them, connecting strands of [Mana Bolt] with [Reinforcement] whenever one of the weaves flashed with energy.

The energy was some sort of spirit energy, or the power of the soul according to the little human, but the name humans gave to it didn't matter. All that mattered was that the Ancestors granted him the power as his Skills improved. Whenever the Ancestors rewarded one of his Skills with a level up, white energy would flood the weave. The energy would not fade for a long time. It was instead used up with subsequent uses of the improved Skill, altering the corresponding weave and making it stronger.

That was also why, now that [Mana Shaping], [Mana Bolt], and [Mana Shield] had improved, they flashed with spirit energy. Normally that energy would enhance the weaves once Hakon used them again. Now that he was working toward something, though, that changed. Instead of naturally enhancing the weave, Hakon stepped in and worked on it manually, slowly merging the cluster of Skills. That was all Ava's fault. It was none other than the little human who'd been raving about selecting Skills to add to the Skill Fusion.

Hakon had done that before, adding a Mastery Skill to the Skill Fusion that created [Weapon Mastery], however, Ava's method was nothing like that. Consumed by curiosity he'd asked her about the methods humans used to fuse their Skills, but her explanations were curt and cynical. It was obvious that she did not want to reveal her people's secrets but her secrecy ignited a fire within him. Hakon wanted to know more and he wouldn't stop until he knew. Or until Ava exposed everything.

Having a base Skill and knowing which Skills he wanted to work with one another, Hakon did what his people were good at. He forced his way through all the obstacles blocking his path with raw willpower and brute force. Finding the right Skills required a little more tact and precision, but once he had what he wanted, he could search for the synergy he wanted… or create it by force. Fortunately, there was no need to tear apart his weaves, for there was always at least one strand that connected to another…

with enough time and willpower. And maybe a little bit of force, but just a little. That was dangerous. Of course it was. Hakon didn't have to be very knowledgeable to understand that much. His instincts were screaming at him, telling him to stop doing things that were realms beyond his understanding. Yet he did not stop. Focused on the task ahead, he listened to the faintest whispers from Enhanced Comprehension. Hakon altered the weaves manually.

He had done so the night before already, and while he had to fix a lot – he would have to waste the spirit energy of [Running]'s next few Levels to make up for the mess he'd created – it had been worth it. Hakon knew exactly what he wanted out of the [Mana Shaping] cluster of five Skills, and he knew he would get it. There was only one problem there… It needs one more Skill.

He recognized this after spending the rest of the morning in the spirit form, connecting strands of weaves, trying to form a much greater weave. One much greater weave out of five ordinary weaves. Or six, if his theory proved correct. Another Skill. One with great 'synergy' with the rest. He mused to himself, liking the ring of synergy. It was a big word, one that no Barbarian understood. Except for him, of course. Hakon considered adding [Mana Manipulation]'s weave to the cluster but decided against it.

First of all, he had no idea how to manually move weaves within the spirit form. It was probably possible at the expense of spirit energy, but he did not want to waste precious energy that way, nor did he want to pull [Mana Manipulation] away from the other cluster. Inspecting the other cluster, which he had also analyzed ever since he found out about the spirit form, Hakon sighed in despair. [Mana Manipulation], [Mana Sense], [Circulation], and [Aether Spiral] belonged to it.

The first two were connected to one another due to their similar properties, which was something he'd learned earlier already, but [Circulation] and [Aether Spiral]? Sure, they were vaguely connected to the first two since they both required him to sense and control mana, yet that didn't resolve the confusion. It only deepened it, if anything. Which was also why he put it aside for the time being.

The cluster of four weaves was transforming into something, and Hakon was curious to see what kind of synergy was forming, but it was better to focus on [Mana Bolt] and the other Skills. At least with them, he knew what he was doing. His eyes fluttered open, the spirit form fading into the background once more, as a flash passed through him. That was Enhanced Comprehension warning him that he had tinkered too much. He needed a break, which really meant that he could work out some more.

Pain, be it in the head, the spirit, or in the body, was weakness leaving the body after all.