The moment Sora activated his new supreme skill, Mana Evolution, everything shifted. Mana became more visible to him—its flow, its currents—appearing like swirling streams of energy moving through the air. With Mana Eyes, he could see it in ways he never thought possible, zooming in on its fine details or pulling back to see the larger patterns. It was as though the world had become more alive, brimming with energy waiting to be controlled.
But what truly astonished him was Loved by Mana. The mana in the air no longer fought against him; instead, it seemed to embrace him, cooperating at the slightest thought. It felt alive, attuned to his will. And every time he called upon it, the effect of Mana Growth became clear—his control grew more precise, the energy becoming purer and stronger with each use.
He smiled, gripping the hilt of his sword.
"I need to test this."
He focused, channeling his mana into the blade. A faint, ethereal glow surrounded it. Fake Sword Strike—his new skill—was ready. Though weaker than the original Sword Strike, Sora could feel its potential growing with his mana.
A rustling sound caught his attention, and from the dense underbrush, a massive [Level 11 Wood Bear] emerged. It snarled, its eyes glowing with primal fury as it stomped forward.
Sora wasted no time.
He lunged, infusing mana into his sword and unleashing Fake Sword Strike. The blade sliced through the air, cutting deep into the bear's thick hide. The bear roared in pain but barely had time to react before collapsing.
[XP Gained! You're now Level 10 (10%)]
Sora smirked. "Not bad," he muttered, feeling his power already starting to surge.
Further ahead, he encountered a hulking [Level 12 Stoneclaw Bear], its enormous body covered in jagged, rock-like scales. It charged him, but Sora was ready. The bear's speed was no match for his newly refined senses.
He dashed forward, his sword once again glowing with mana. With one swift motion, he brought down the Fake Sword Strike, the energy-enhanced blade slicing through the bear's defenses like they were paper. The beast fell with a heavy thud.
[XP Gained! You're now Level 10 (30%)]
As the hours passed, Sora's pace quickened. He moved with precision, dispatching creatures with ease. A group of [Level 13 Ironpaw Bears] appeared in his path. They roared in unison, surrounding him with sharp claws and brute force.
But Sora didn't falter. His control over mana had grown, each strike more efficient than the last. He focused, allowing the Fake Sword Strike to evolve with every swing. His mana flowed perfectly into the sword as he took down each bear one by one.
[XP Gained! You're now Level 11 (20%)]
More time passed, and the challenges kept coming. He stumbled upon a [Level 14 Frosthide Bear], its fur gleaming like ice under the fading sunlight. This one was faster and stronger than anything he had faced today. It lunged at him, its icy breath freezing the air around it.
Sora smirked, eager to test his limits.
He rushed forward, clashing with the beast in a flurry of strikes. Fake Sword Strike connected again and again, the mana in his sword growing more responsive with each attack. The bear fought back viciously, but Sora's instincts—and his newfound power—kept him one step ahead. His movements became a dance of sword and mana, his blade cutting through the Frosthide Bear's icy defenses.
Finally, with one last, powerful strike, the Frosthide Bear collapsed, defeated.
[XP Gained! You're now Level 12 (50%)]
By the time Sora had reached [Level 15], night had fallen, but he felt unstoppable. The supreme skill Mana Evolution had transformed him—his power was growing faster than he had imagined. His mana flowed like a second skin, always present, always improving.
[XP Gained! You're now Level 15 (0%)]
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Sheathing his sword, Sora smiled to himself. This was only the beginning. With every battle, his strength—and his control over mana—would continue to evolve.
As Sora settled down to rest after an exhausting day of leveling, he decided to open his skill panel and check on his progress. The familiar, glowing interface appeared before his eyes, and he quickly navigated to the skills section. The first thing he noticed was that Mana Evolution hadn't changed much. It still pulsed with potential, but it would take time for any noticeable improvements to show. Mana, after all, was a slow and steady process of refinement.
What caught his attention, though, was the update to his Fake Sword Strike [Evolvable] skill.
[Fake Sword Strike (Evolvable)]
Type: Offensive
Class Requirement: None
Description: A classless imitation of the standard Sword Strike ability. The Fake Sword Strike is a powerful blow given to the enemy with the sword imbued with Mana instead of Sword Energy.
Compared to its class-based counterpart, this skill is 5% weaker.
Evolution: As the user's mana improves, the skill can improve, or evolve.]
The penalty had reduced from 20% to 5%, something he could already feel during the last few fights. His strikes had become more potent, and now the system confirmed what he had suspected: his Fake Sword Strike was almost as strong as the original skill from the Swordsman class. That meant he was closing the gap between a classed fighter and his classless, evolving approach.
Sora couldn't help but grin. "Just a little more," he whispered to himself. The possibilities were endless. If this skill could evolve so quickly, what about others? He already had ideas about imitating more class skills in the future, and maybe even surpassing them.
He scrolled down further and noticed changes in some of his other skills. His Sword Mastery had jumped to level 5, a clear reflection of how much sword combat he'd been engaging in. Even though he hadn't been actively thinking about leveling up those basic skills, they continued to improve naturally.
His Dodge skill had risen to level 7, and Critical Strike was now also at level 7. The higher levels in both of those skills had given him a slight edge in combat; dodging was quicker, and his attacks were more likely to land critical damage. Though these were passive improvements, they still added up and contributed a noticeable boost to his combat effectiveness.
Yet, Sora found himself caring less about these traditional skills. His focus had shifted. These were minor benefits, helpful but not essential. His real goal now was Mana Evolution and his evolving abilities, pushing the boundaries of what could be achieved without a class.
"From now on," Sora thought as he stretched his muscles and leaned back, "it's all about refining mana and unlocking the full potential of my evolution path. That, and figuring out how far my Prestige skill can take me."
He let out a slow breath, feeling the weight of his rapid growth and the excitement of what lay ahead. Tomorrow, the path would continue. For now, it was time to rest and let his body recover for the battles yet to come.
---
Sora woke up around 4 a.m., feeling fully rested. The night air was cool, and the quiet of the early morning settled around him. He stretched, rolling his shoulders as he rose to his feet. His body felt fresh, but his mind was racing. He thought back to the plans he'd made just a few days ago—plans of spending months stacking prestige resets, building slow progress.
A chuckle escaped his lips. "What was I thinking?" he muttered, shaking his head. "Would I really have just chilled for four months if I knew about this?"
There was no way he could go back to that mindset. The potential he had discovered in evolving without a class, in pushing his limits with mana, was far beyond anything he had imagined. The idea of hitting level 50 in less than a month had once seemed impossible, but now… well, it didn't matter. Even if he didn't hit 50, he'd still be making progress in the one area that couldn't be reset—mana evolution.
Supreme skills are unaffected by anything, he thought to himself, feeling a surge of satisfaction. His mana control, gained through hard work, experimentation, and failure, would stay with him no matter what. There was a real sense of permanence there, and that drove him forward. He would train with mana, evolve his abilities, and push his knowledge of it as far as he could. The potential was limitless.
But first, he had work to do.
Sora gripped his sword, eyeing the dense forest ahead. He had to keep upgrading his Fake Sword Strike. The word fake grated on him every time he thought about it.
"Fake," he muttered in annoyance. "Why does it have to be called that? It's not fake… it's real. It's my own skill."
He gritted his teeth. He would push the skill to its limits, evolve it into something better—something worthy of replacing the original. He started forward, hunting for more beasts. Every strike, every blow, would be another step toward that goal.
He found a lone Nightclaw Bear, its dark fur blending into the shadows of the forest. Without hesitation, he lunged at it, his blade glowing faintly with mana. The strike felt stronger than before, but the name of the skill still irritated him.
He slashed through the bear, his thoughts racing. "What makes this fake? Just because I don't have a class? I'll make it real… stronger than any sword strike with a class behind it."
As the beast collapsed, Sora stood over it, breathing hard. His irritation flared as he glanced at his sword, knowing it still carried the label Fake Sword Strike.
"I'm going to drop the fake," he growled, his eyes narrowing. "Just wait. This thing's going to evolve into something way better."
With that, he pressed on, hunting more monsters, testing his mana, and grinding his skills. Each fight was another step forward. Another step toward proving that he didn't need a class. Not when he had the potential to evolve beyond anyone's expectations.