Alexia

Instead of going straight for the level 100, I roam around the mountains for an entire day just killing all of the thunder hawks I run into. Which is a lot easier than my first run-in with the creatures strictly because this time they aren’t in a giant flock and are all on their own. Probably out of fear.

They’re also not too hard to find thanks to Luna’s assistance.

So, with just twenty hours left on the clock for the Tutorial’s end, I get another message from the System right after killing one more thunder hawk and falling to the ground.

[Level 94 Thunder Hawk Defeated. User’s earned EXP for some of the kills have been decreased a small amount for killing creatures below their level.]

{Congratulations! You have leveled up to level 100! Your Species has awarded you +2 VIT, +2 DEX, +2 STR, +2 MAG, and +2 MEN. Your Class has awarded you +1 VIT, +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 MAG, and +2 MEN.}

And there we go.

More messages begin to follow that one.

{Congratulations! You have leveled up to the level cap of Tier 1! In order to break into Tier 2, you must complete the following requirements based on your class: Kill three beings at the cap of Tier 1. Raise a single skill to Tier 2. Learn the Energy Manipulation General Skill.}

I tilt my head slightly at those requirements.

To advance in Tier, there are always three different requirements. The first that is always to kill a certain number of beings of varying strength depending on your class, most of the time being one at the cap of your Tier. The second requirement being to raise a single skill to Tier 2, a normal requirement found in most classes. And the third requirement is completely unique to your class.

But… what’s Energy Manipulation? Is that referring to quantum energy? Kind of like Mana Manipulation for magic?

That’s certainly something to add to my growing list of questions to ask that asshole when the Tutorial finishes. Because I’m pretty sure his clone is going to appear again then.

At least, he probably will.

Maybe he might be able to teach me this Energy Manipulation skill when I see him next.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

I’ve already tried sensing for mana and doing various things that helped me originally get the Mana Manipulation skill even without the mana to do most of it, but nothing happened. I couldn’t sense mana at all.

What I can sense is magical energy thanks to Quantum Attunement, but I can’t, or at least, I don’t know how to manipulate that. It’s just energy. Which I’m pretty sure – from what I learned in class – is a more pure form of mana. Mana is basically just the naturally generated version of energy inside of a living body or an object. Just another form of energy. One less pure and made in a way probably by the System for users and monsters to manipulate.

So the idea of manipulating energy itself… I didn’t realize that was even possible. But in hindsight, considering that the Quantum Architect created the System, which is able to do that, he probably could as well.

Which means it’s probably my version of Mana Manipulation after all.

Good thing I reached the level cap of Tier 1 before the end of the Tutorial. I also wonder if there might be a Legendary Feat for being the first user to reach tier 2? That would be nice.

Not crossing my fingers on that, but I should at least ask the clone about it when I next see him.

I wonder how many clones he has stashed away anyways?

That thought has me frowning as I consider how useful those clones are to my thirst for information and overall survival. Despite the guy’s extremely annoying and infuriating personality.

Aside from that, I’m also planning on asking him plenty of other questions as well. Although most of them were answered by Astrid, who had already asked her memory those very same questions. A memory that I’m sure answered perfectly politely and without a hint of the rude attitude the clones have.

I glance at the requirements floating in my vision for a few more seconds before letting the System Message fade. Then I close my eyes and focus on my surroundings. Or rather, more specifically, at the energy in my surroundings.

Energy is a wild thing without much desire to be controlled. It’s a natural substance in existence created by nature itself and used in the form of mana to fuel magic. So the first thing I try doing to learn the skill on my own is to reach out and grab the energy floating in the air all around me. Energy of various different elements. Energy of fire, of water, of wind, earth, quantum, some lightning, and even more that I can’t recognize off the top of my head and others I can recognize.

But no matter what I try to do, I can’t seem to so much as touch the energy as while it does seem to be affected by my movement – something that wouldn’t normally happen and is most likely due to my body being partially in the quantum realm – all it does is avoid my touch.

Meaning I likely have to use my soul to grab it, just like I would use mana to grab mana with mana manipulation.

Something I don’t know how to do.

Guess I will have to wait for my next meeting with the clone after all.

Then again, I should probably go deal with the level 100 while it’s still locked in its lair.

With that thought in mind, I turn towards the center mountain to find the lightning still striking the mostly flattened land atop its peak, with more than a few bolts being directed towards the massive hawk I can see sitting there. Although it’s too far away for me to identify, even if I’m closer to it now than I was earlier.

What I can tell about it though is that it’s clearly different from the others, even if I can’t identify it yet.

This’ll be interesting.