The proficiency value stopped at 50? Stopping there didn't seem good. It's possible that I had been doing something incorrectly.
[Incorporate Lightning]
- ...
- Proficiency: 50
- Mana cost: (5.0/sec)
I tried something new. Striking a nearby tree, completely crushing the bark and the skin on my knuckles. However, it seemed to have no effect on proficiency...
Either it stopped at 50, or I had to use it against monsters. Regardless of the circumstances, I could not continue in this manner. My max duration of the skill reached 20 seconds before needing to recharge. It gave me confidence when facing a few goblins.
Yet again, venturing towards the forest, this time for a different purpose than simply awakening. My aim was to kill.
As I walked, I halted when I noticed movement. There was a goblin! My first target since awakening. A similar goblin appeared, but with a watchful demeanor. Unsure if it was keeping an eye out for intruders or prey, I had a strong feeling I was heading in the right direction. I readied my knife as I activated Incorporate Lightning. This time, the goblin was facing my direction, so I didn't have an easy opportunity for a surprise attack. Neither did I want to waste time circling around when I knew I was much more powerful.
I started a sprint, a sprint of such speed I couldn't even dream of just a few hours ago.
I've already crossed 15 meters since I activated the skill 1 second ago, halfway to the goblin from my initial position. This was around one and a half times as fast as world-class sprinters! Way above the known human limits. In another second, I was upon the goblin. It didn't even have time to prepare itself.
Its arms thrown in front of its face as a meager attempt at stopping the inevitable. I stabbed the knife where I thought its heart would be.
"KHEEHUUUK!"
After pulling the knife back out, my fists clenched tightly as I relentlessly punched, backed by the power of lightning. I aimed for the skull as it tried to cover its bleeding heart. The goblin slumped down to the ground moments after. I deactivated my skill and checked my status.
[STATUS]
Health: 100/100 (10/min)
Mana: 73.2/100 (10/min)
Using the skill against an enemy was a first for me. The goblin stood no chance, even with a frontal assault. The rank of my skill seemed unfit. How could they give such a powerful skill a D rank? Assuming the boss' location lay straight ahead, I proceeded to walk at an angle from the center. My immediate goal is to become stronger, as I lacked the confidence to confront the boss right now. I had no concerns about my Mana, given that I was able to generate it passively while searching for my next prey. Another thing needed confirmation…
[Incorporate Lightning]
- ...
- Proficiency: 51
- Mana cost: (4.9/sec)
Happiness and excitement replaced the weight that was released from my body. My skill wasn't limited to a proficiency of 50. It will grow even stronger!
[INVENTORY]
- Crude Flint Dagger (F) – 1
- Low-Grade Mana Crystal (F) – 2
Another item? I got an extra crystal as well! It might be a 100% drop rate.
[Crude Flint Dagger (F)]
- Damage: 2
- A shoddy tool used by goblins. Breaks easily.
I'll stick to my kitchen knife for now. I'm not able to inspect it or put it inside my inventory, but I believe it's stronger than flint tools.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
As I continued my trek, I spotted a group of three, seated goblins in a clearing, feasting on some kind of meat. They sat in a triangle shape, facing each other. I expected a challenge, but was confident, while the goblins appeared unprepared for a fight. I steeled my resolve after deciding on a simple tactic for killing them by not putting myself in danger.
My initial action would be to target the nearest goblin, who is facing away from me, attempting a fatal injury by slashing its neck. Then, delivering a powerful kick to the face of the goblin on the left side, who at that moment was completely enthralled with eating the mystery meat. Hopefully stunning it. The last one I would finish up with some slashes before taking care of the stunned one. The plan wasn't flawless, but it would suffice. Worst-case scenario, I would run away!
With my head cleared of unnecessary thoughts, I sped up to my maximum speed, arriving behind the first goblin, slashing its neck with the full force I was capable of. Surprising myself when I separated the goblin's head from its body. I underestimated the power of speed and sharpness.
With the other goblins looking completely flabbergasted, I whipped my right foot straight in the ugly face of the most stupid-looking one.
*Crunch!*
I experienced the crushing of its head like a watermelon from my kick, causing its immediate death as well. The last goblin seemed terrified, or maybe it was just green-faced with jealousy. Since it might be jealous, I ended up kicking it in the face, just like its friend.
My attack didn't proceed entirely as planned. It turned out even better! A few seconds after the one-sided massacre.
*Ping*
[LEVEL UP]
[STATS]
- Name: Arild Dahl
- Level: 2
- Health: 110/110 (11/min)
- Mana: 110/110 (11/min)
————
- Strength: 15
- Dexterity: 16
- Vitality: 11
- Wisdom: 11
- Available stat points: 5
————
Talents:
- Hyper-Learning (Innate)
- Talent Harvester
————
Skills:
- Incorporate Lightning (D) [53]
————
With this, I got more answers. The system didn't throw a notification in my face during battle. That would have been a dangerous distraction. Leveling up filled my Mana points to full, which made grinding levels save time. Health, I was unsure of, hopefully following the same logic. Every stat increased by one point each, and I even got 5 extra points to spend as I pleased! I gained 9 total stats from 1 level up. My theory about wisdom and vitality seemed correct. The calculations appeared simple.
Health = Vitality * 10.
Mana = Wisdom * 10.
The regeneration per minute relied on the stat. It fits logically, but I couldn't confirm yet.
[Incorporate Lightning]
- ...
- Proficiency: 53
- Mana cost: 4.7 Mana / Second
My hope for using my skill indefinitely grew even stronger. I was going on a goblin killing spree!
First, I put my 5 points into wisdom. As I intended to grind, I aimed to be more efficient with my Mana. A bigger pool and faster regeneration would do that. The other stats can wait. Mana was my only bottleneck against these mobs.
My walking pace was faster than before, looking for small groups of goblins or loners. I was killing with ease, using my knife or limbs to get the job done. This grind continued for a while as I consistently leveled up and improved my proficiency.
The goblins only had one opportunity to attack me when I confronted a sizable group of five. I had no trouble dodging their rushed, uncoordinated, and sluggish attacks as I effortlessly took them out one by one.
4 levels later, I had achieved the proud accomplishment of reaching level 5! I allocated 16 skill points to wisdom.
[STATS]
- Name: Arild Dahl
- Level: 5
- Health: 140/140
- Mana: 300/300 – 30 Mana / Minute
————
- Strength: 18
- Dexterity: 19
- Vitality: 14
- Wisdom: 30
- Available stat points: 4
————
…
[Incorporate Lightning]
- Fills your body with the power of lightning, letting the user control it to their wishes.
- Grade: D
- Proficiency: 72
- Mana cost: 2.8 Mana / Second
With 300 Mana, it would take 107 seconds of skill use to empty it. Add the regeneration during that time span, and the total time before my Mana depleted was 130 seconds!
I would stop dumping all of my stats into wisdom. There was plenty of room for flexibility regarding Mana. I allocated my remaining 4 points to strength. The boss at this level likely has greater defense.
The time had come to leave this dungeon behind!