Chương 102: B2 Chapter 23

Conjuring mana constructs came easily to Hakon. It was no longer a challenge, provided he used one of the shapes he had a specialized Skill for. A shield or a bolt made of mana was the easiest to form, quickly followed by a warhammer resembling the Maulaxe Crusher. However, that didn't last very long. To be precise, conjuring [Magical Warhammer] grew more difficult as he expanded his research into and practice of the Skill. And that was despite it leveling much faster than most of his other Skills.

The reason behind the complications was fairly simple; Hakon used the spellweave of [Magical Warhammer] to connect it to the other Skills of the Skill cluster. He used [Mana Shaping], [Reinforcement], and [Compression] extensively alongside [Magical Warhammer] to create mana structures of all kinds. Different shields, glaives, axes, daggers, zweihänders, sabers, and the like. That was how [Magical Warhammer] turned into a Magic Skill that did not only conjure warhammers out of mana but much more than that.

Hakon knew that shouldn't have been possible. He felt the Skill resisting his attempts, yet it still created what he wanted. Not because his will was stronger than the Skill, but because the edges of [Magical Warhammer]'s spellweave had come into contact with [Mana Shaping] once it reached Level 5. By the time he pushed the Skill to Level 8, it had connected to [Mana Shield] and [Mana Bolt], allowing him to create mana shields and mana bolts through [Magical Warhammer].

It cost almost three times the mana and was even more draining on the mind, but Hakon pushed the Skill further to Level 12 by the end of the day, connecting it to [Compression] and [Reinforcement]. Ava's teaching had long since ended when Hakon collapsed to the ground, eyes closed as he inspected the cluster of weaves that was slowly becoming one. [Mana Shaping Lv. 20] [Reinforcement Lv. 16] [Compression Lv. 13] [Mana Bolt Lv. 19] [Mana Shield Lv. 18] [Magical Warhammer Lv. 12] Six Skills, one of which had come close to being upgraded. In fact, a Scripture not unlike [Mana Manipulation]'s had popped up that morning, only to be rejected and shoved aside without hesitation. The weaves are connected, but the Skill Fusion hasn't been initiated yet. Did I miss something? Hakon was fairly certain he had done the right thing.

[Magical Warhammer] was connected to all the other Skills in the cluster, and he had even made sure that all the other Skills were somewhat connected to one another as well. It had been a little complicated, but with the energy generated from leveling the Skills and some mind-breaking effort, it had been possible. A mistake? Are they not meant to be fused? This, whatever he was trying to do here, was uncharted territory.

Ava may have mentioned that certain Mages fused Skills like [Mana Manipulation] and [Mana Shaping] to create more specialized 'builds,' but that didn't mean anything. Not really. At least, Enhanced Comprehension wasn't telling him to make any more major changes. The Ancient Power was mostly satisfied with his progress, even if it felt like it would have done things a little differently.

"A few more improvements." Hakon grunted and scrambled to his feet. The moons hung high above, bathing him in the mystical light of all six. But it was the Blood Moon that shone the brightest, heralding a period of bloodshed. The monsters of the dark forest would grow more frantic beneath the Blood Moon's influence, their reasoning lost to the bloodlust permeating their very existence. It was not the worst of the moon phases, for that was the Beast Moon, the furthest of the six moons.

However, it was one of the most dangerous if one didn't pay attention. Not only would the monsters of the dark forest lose their sanity, but the Fractures would grow erratic as well. Hakon's dark brown eyes bathed in the crimson light of the Blood Moon. He knew he was doing the right thing with his Magic Skills, so why was he hesitating so much now? There was no reason for him to act so pathetically, was there? Taking a deep breath, he went back to work. This time, he worked with his body rather than mana.

He needed a change of pace, one his newest power could offer.

"A new fighting style," he mused to himself. That was why he pushed so hard for the Skill Fusion. It was necessary to create a perfect fighting style that incorporated the best of two realms: Magic and Will. That was what Lifeblood was… or what it would become once he was powerful enough to wield it. Calling upon the Will of Momentum, a trace of energy flooded into his legs. [Swiftstep] activated on command, consuming a fraction of his Will to push his body beyond its natural limitations.

He barreled from one side of the training ground to the other as fast as a lightning bolt. It was quicker than he would have been using [Circulation], for [Circulation] enhanced his entire body equally when used properly. Combining [Swiftstep] with [Accelerate] focused on his legs made him even faster. But while both Skills drastically enhanced his movement speed, they also strained his body immensely.

The muscles in his legs felt as though they were tearing apart by the time he dashed across the training ground for the sixth time. But that didn't stop Hakon from going one step further. He maintained [Accelerate] on his legs alongside [Swiftstep] while also calling upon mana to unleash [Circulation]. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. His body screamed at him.

A raging wildfire ignited in his legs, but Hakon flashed across the training ground. The wildfire spread outward, seeming to consume everything in its wake, yet the exhilaration of unparalleled speed reverberated through his entire being. Hakon was faster than he had ever dreamed of being at the 2nd Ascension. And if he could do that in combat, he… A resounding snap, followed by a wave of agony, ripped Hakon out of his imagination.

One moment, he was moving as fast as the wind, and the next he tumbled to the ground, his legs convulsing. Pain raced through them as he stared down at the mess of torn muscles writhing beneath his skin. Soothing warmth surged through him and into his lower body, but not even [Vitality Stream] could mend the damage quickly enough. Had it not been for [Adaptive Resilience] muffling the pain and forcefully pushing Hakon's body and mind to adapt, he would have roared in agony.

Instead, he stared at his legs with a mixture of confusion, terror, and excitement. Exhaustion hit him, courtesy of recklessly using the Will of Momentum, but that only confirmed what his new power did. It used his body's resources to push his physical limits. Maybe a different type of Will would do something else, but the Will of Momentum did exactly what it said. It influenced his momentum. [Swiftstep] and [Accelerate] made that much apparent.

Even [Enhanced Throw] generated a lot more momentum, which was how the thrown projectile was not only faster but also much stronger. Gnashing his teeth and suppressing the pain ravaging his legs, Hakon closed his eyes to relive the earlier sensation with Enhanced Comprehension. The Ancient Power usually pushed him in certain directions, though it often followed his lead as well.

It did exactly what he wanted to do before doing its job – enhancing his understanding of everything he'd experienced to make the most of it. Leaning into the sensation of his Will and mana moving through his body brought forth fresh memories of pain, yet they also showed why he was injured, how much punishment his body could endure, and how to distribute the strain better to use his movement Skills together for a longer period.

He may never be able to use [Swiftstep], [Accelerate], and [Circulation] like he had earlier, not without risking severely wounding himself, but there were other ways to push his body even further. One of them was to train his pathways and muscles to make them tough enough to endure all kinds of punishment. Another was to adapt and use his Skills more wisely. Short bursts of [Accelerate] to land a finishing blow he wouldn't hit otherwise, for example.

Either of those ideas sounded good, though the former carried more appeal. Hakon liked it more, even if it promised to be a lot harder to accomplish. Should I use [Circulation] to expand the pathways? He could push more mana into the Skill if he wanted to. It was painful and a bit cumbersome, but it should work. In the first place, he was already using [Circulation] with far more mana than in the past. That was also how he used the Skill to enhance his body enough to stay relevant even as his Level increased.

Cleansing his own pathways could also help with that, though that would mostly help smooth the process. Which ought to make a considerable difference if done right. Hakon spent the rest of the night in a simple fashion. He considered his options and devised several plans to work on once he'd recovered, only for his muscles to knit themselves back together faster than anticipated. So, of course, like any reasonable Barbarian would do, he got back to training.

It was time to figure out his limits, to surpass them momentarily, to understand how much punishment his body could take before crumbling, and how draining the Will of Momentum truly was. Using the Will in bursts didn't affect Hakon all that much. He barely felt his body being robbed of energy when he used [Swiftstep] for a few heartbeats. Those heartbeats would be enough to evade an incoming attack, to close the distance to a target, or to flee from an overwhelmingly powerful foe.

Not that Hakon ever planned to do the fleeing part. Also, since he didn't feel like his life was being sucked out of him whenever he used his Will, Hakon's idea of the resources of his body changed. The culmination of mana and Will may be called Lifeblood, but the Will of Momentum did not use his lifeforce to empower him. It was more like his stamina was being consumed. Or maybe it was something he could not quite comprehend even with his Ancient Power.

Be that as it may, Hakon felt more confident in his power as the first rays of sunlight slithered across the tribehold. His muscles tore apart once again, and he was half-certain the pathways in his legs had suffered enough to take a full night to recover, but pain was the least of his worries. The towering figure of his one-armed peer, on the other hand, promised to be a lot more problematic. As the first warriors joined the training ground, brimming with energy, only Ulfar was utterly calm and composed.

He towered above the rest, his bulky frame broader than before. Ulfar of the Behemoth Blood stepped onto the training ground, towering above the other tall Barbarians, radiating calm on the outside, yet deep inside him a raging fire burned. It was directed solely at Hakon, who stared back with a flat smile. A bloodlust only Hakon could sense billowed from the eyes of the man who spoke death. It was immense, terrifying, indomitable, and probably exactly what Hakon needed right now. Or not.

"I have come to challenge you, Hakon of Tribe Taskur." Ulfar spoke quietly, yet his voice echoed across the training ground. It spread further, reaching every nook and cranny of the tribehold. But that was not what caught Hakon's attention. It was the tone in Ulfar's voice. There was a difference... a depth and... wisdom that didn't quite fit the Behemoth Blood warrior. And, staring into the depths of Ulfar's eyes, beyond the billowing flame of endless fury, Hakon saw something else.

Something age-old that should have never been unsealed. He lost himself to the Behemoth Blood.

"In the name of the Blood Moon, we shall fight. Before the Ancestors to hear my claim." Ulfar's voice grew louder as he turned, arm raised as if welcoming all those watching him beneath the rising sun. As for his words, they thundered across Tribe Taskur like the eternal storm.

"Our fists shall drink in each other's blood, and death shall tell the tale of true power. Of the man who rightfully stands at the top of it all." He once again looked back at Hakon." You will die for me." Ulfar growled, sounding like the beast within him had awoken with a primal roar.