Chương 5: Energy Manipulation Basics

I open my eyes and let out a long groan. Who knew getting my arm savaged by a wolf would hurt so much? I glance over at it to find it completely healed, though the skin is a bit paler than usual and still sore. I must have slept for quite a while. It seems that healing in this world works in quite an interesting way. I get the sense that so long as I am not critically injured or out of health, I will heal most injuries. Albeit, it will be quite slow, and if I take too many, my body might just give up.

I presume this to be tied to my vital energy and health, as that would make sense. Naturally, there are probably many ways to speed up said healing. Potions are one, but there must be healers and perhaps even some skills of my own that could help. Not to mention all sorts of crazy methods that those at the fringe of society likely employ. For now though, I will have to be careful. I don't have very many potions, and while the goddess said a town should be nearby, I am not certain whether they will have more.

Nor do I have very much money. I count it up and find I have twenty silver pieces as well as around three hundred bronze. With one silver being worth one hundred bronze. One gold is also worth one hundred silver, or so the system tells me. This is all enforced by the system, though prices and stuff are decided by the people. Good to know, should I ever find other beings that don't try to kill me right away. Speaking of money, I get up on my feet and survey my surroundings.

The wolf's corpse is still there, bloody and mostly destroyed from my attack. Though thankfully it doesn't seem to be rotting or any of that bad stuff. Must be something to do with the magic of this world. I approach the corpse and glance at it. As a result, I notice some sort of shiny rock sticking out of its side. So, I reach out and grab it. It requires a bit of force to yank out, but I manage to do it. Using Identify, I figure out that it is a mana crystal.

Apparently they are almost always dropped by monsters and are useful for a wide variety of things. This one is called a 'lesser forest mana crystal.' It seems important, so I throw it into my storage. I debate whether I should harvest the wolf's corpse, but I decide not to. Firstly, because it is quite ruined by the battle, and I don't think much of the remains would be valuable. But also, I lack the tools. All I have is my hammer, I guess the goddess couldn't even spare a simple hunting knife.

Oh well, I shall simply have to make do. I back away from the corpse and just as I am wondering what to do next, my stomach rumbles. Ah right, food and water. It seems that those are still needs of mine. Grabbing some bread and a waterskin from my storage, I munch on them while sitting against a tree– far away from the wolf's corpse. While eating, I ponder my situation. To put it lightly, it isn't great. I am alone in a random forest in a world that I know absolutely nothing about.

I know there must be a town of some sort nearby, but how close I am unsure. This forest is also undoubtedly full of many beasts. If that wolf is any indication, they will want to kill me. Considering I nearly died to the most basic wolf, I don't really like my chances. Of course, it could be far worse. After all, I have some food, water, clothes, potions and of course, my hammer. Speaking of my hammer, I did something weird with it at the end of the fight. Pulling it from my storage, I run my hand along its handle.

It feels like a normal hammer, yet, I somehow imbued energy or something into it. Skills In an epiphany, I remember it. My [Lesser Hammer Wielding]! It has a description attached, so I open up the menu. It still feels strange to use all this menu stuff, but it's not as strange as I thought. Perhaps the system is doing something to make me more accepting of it. Which is mildly creepy, but if it helps me survive, so be it. Lesser Hammer Wielding (Inferior) You have basic knowledge of how to wield a hammer.

This grants you the ability to use various techniques associated with this martial school. Additionally, attacks with anything hammer-shaped may be enhanced with your stamina to be far more effective. Well that explains it. I must've imbued that last attack with some of my stamina. I was wondering what that resource was. From what I experienced, it seems to be tied to every physical action. In some cases, I can use it to improve things. Though, if I run low on it, I get very tired.

Thus I must rest, eat food, drink water, and other such things. Luckily, it seems it replenishes quite fast when I do such things. However, I definitely should learn more about how to use it properly. I kind of acted on instinct at the end, which did save my life. I would rather not be in such a situation again. Standing up onto my feet, I summon my hammer into my hand. This storage thing is quite neat, I already love it. Easily the best part about this new world so far.

But, enough messing about, I need to get stronger. After that, I can try to find that town. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. So, I train. By train, I mean that I swing my hammer against a tree repeatedly. Again and again I try. I attempt to imitate that feeling I felt, it feels like I have to push energy from my body into the weapon somehow. Which is, of course, easier said than done.

After all, how the fuck is one suppoused to push an energy they can barely sense, much less see, into an object? After around an hour, I have no results. I collapse against the very tree I have been attacking and sigh. It would be at least nice If I could make a single mark against the tree. But damn it is super tough. Like seriously, I was able to shape metal, and now I can't even chip off a piece of bark? It is like I have regressed to being a mere child.

The goddess did mention about us heroes being weirdly developed. After all, I am pretty sure even children are above level one. So perhaps in my current state, I am quite literally weaker than a child. Yet, that doesn't seem quite right. I was able to slay the wolf. So perhaps it is not that I am weaker. But I simply do not know how to wield the strength I do have. From what I can tell, this world is different in a few key ways. First off, magic is everywhere.

While my old world had magic, it didn't feel anywhere near like this. Even the elven nation was nothing like this. It is almost as if the very soil beneath me is infused with magic. The trees also are clearly strengthened by magic. The beasts too of course. So basically, any strength I had by normal means in my old world is rendered useless. As the weakest tree here is stronger than the strongest metal before. Which brings me to one thing: these resources I have.

Resources Health: 120/120 Stamina: 110/110 Mana: 120/120 Spirit: 170/170 There are four of them, each clearly useful for something. After all, I have a readout for how much I have. Why would I have that if they weren't meant to be used? Health is clearly used to regenerate my body. While mana must be used for magic of various kinds. Stamina has to do with my body's physical functions. Then there is spirit, which must have something to do with well… spirits.

Not that I have any clue what it can be used for at the moment. I lean back against the tree and kind of zone out. Meditation some might call it. I focus less on the world around me, and try to feel my body. After all, how can I expect to wield this power when I don't even know how it has affected me? The moment I turn my gaze inwards, it is as if a world opens up to me. I can feel my body like never before. Every beat of my heart, the breath in my lungs. As well as the flow.

I pay attention to the channels that run through my body. Vital, mana, and spirit make sense. But there is also stamina, which is what I want to use at the moment. But it doesn't have any channels associated with it. Or at least, that is what I thought before. But now, I see it. I hop onto my feet and summon my hammer back. I take a deep breath in, and then swing my hammer towards the tree. As I swing, I focus on my veins, you know, the ones that carry my blood. Because of course, my body is still fleshy.

Why would I need new channels for stamina, when I already had them? I feel the energy within my veins and pull it forward into my hand. Then, I push it into my hammer. Crack. My hammer smashes into the tree with that glow from before. I step back, and see my handiwork. A large dent is left in the tree where my hammer hit. I actually fucking did it! I managed to deal damage to a tree! My excitement settles, and I do feel a bit tired. I check my resources and find that the attack used ten of my stamina points.

Hmm, I really do not have very much. I shall have to be careful in fights, at least until I can figure out how to increase it. Stat points Another strange epiphany strikes me, then I remember that the menus mentioned something about unallocated stat points. I open up my stat menu to check. Stats Vitality: 12 Endurance: 11 Strength: 12 Agility: 8 Intelligence: 13 Wisdom: 12 Spirit: 17 Unallocated Points: 7 Yeah, I have seven of them.

The system seems to be nudging me, as if trying to tell me I can put them wherever I wish. Each of the stats seems to do something important, but for now I can notice a few shortcomings of mine. With my seven points, I decide to put all of them into endurance. I feel a bit of warmth as they settle in, and then I check my resources again. Resources Health: 120/120 Stamina: 170/180 Mana: 120/120 Spirit: 170/170 Once again, my guess was right.

Though I am unsure if it was actually a guess or the system merely guiding me. Either way, the endurance stat definitely relates to my stamina value. It seems like the maximum increases by ten for every point. Also, crucially, each point basically gives me ten more stamina to use. I am unsure whether this will come in handy, but it is good to know. I already feel a whole lot better about this whole new world thing. After all, now I can at least do some damage. But, I am not very good at it yet.

So, I decide to train a bit more. After all, the best way to improve and learn is to simply practice. Or at least, that is what my Pa always used to say whenever I tried to skip on my reading lessons. I do kind of feel bad for the trees. They are kind of good training partners, seeing as they don't attack me back. But it does feel kind of rude to use them like that. Oh well, they are just trees after all.