"Jim spent day and night trying to perfect mana zone manipulation. So far, he had only been able to create one consistent pattern of moving mana within the zone. Relying on on-the-spot improvisation proved ineffective; the enemy's movements were unpredictable, and constantly adapting his strategy mid-combat was mentally taxing.
Therefore, Jim decided to focus on pre-determined movement patterns. He would establish fixed paths for his mana within the zone, eliminating the need to constantly react to the enemy's movements and ensuring his attacks converged on a specific target area.
At night, Jim meditated, pondering his next challenge: the limitations of his current mana constructs. He could create needles, thin and fast but lacking in power, or bubbles, slow but capable of holding a significant charge for powerful explosions. The needles, despite their speed, lacked the mass to hold enough mana for a substantial explosion, making them more effective for piercing or penetrating. The bubbles, while potent, were too slow to hit agile targets effectively.
He considered the mana blade, a Tier 3 skill available through the system. As a Tier 1 player, he was ineligible to learn it. However, he realized that demonstrating a high level of mana control, perhaps at a near-Tier 3 level, might grant him early access to the skill.
He remembered how, in the future, many players who learned the mana blade developed unique variations of the technique. Some wielded massive, sweeping blades, while others utilized rapid, consecutive strikes. These variations often involved bypassing the skill's inherent cooldown, allowing for multiple strikes within a fraction of a second. The standard cooldown for a mana blade was a hefty three minutes.
Jim considered the origins of these variations. Were they player-created techniques, developed through individual experimentation and innovation? Or were they passed down through "legacies," knowledge and skills handed down outside the established system? While legacies existed, they seemed less common.
Jim, having never reached the highest echelons of power in the future, wasn't certain about the exact origins of these advanced techniques. He suspected that many of these variations were born from individual ingenuity, players pushing the boundaries of their own understanding and developing unique applications of the base skill.
This realization presented a dilemma. While relying on system-taught skills could provide a solid foundation, it might also limit his growth in the long run.
He kept thinking about the fundamental challenge: maintaining shape while achieving high-speed movement. His current constructs suffered from this inherent trade-off. The needles, prioritizing speed, sacrificed power, while the bubbles, prioritizing power, sacrificed speed.
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How could he overcome this limitation? How could he move mana quickly while simultaneously maintaining its shape and integrity? Jim pondered this question deeply, searching for a solution.
He then sought advice from Jake. "Can you show me your 'Golden Hands' technique?" he asked.
Jake complied, gathering holy mana in his hands and shooting a beam of pure energy straight into the air. Jim observed, trying to understand how Jake maintained the shape of the beam while achieving such speed and power.
Jake shrugged. "It's hard to explain," he admitted. "It's like learning to ride a bike. You don't consciously think about how to balance; you just do it."
This left Jim with more questions than answers. Perhaps some people were simply innately talented in certain areas. This led him back to his own strengths: mana control and clone techniques.
Suddenly, an epiphany struck him. "What is a clone?" he mused. "It's essentially dividing my concentration, allowing me to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. What if I applied this concept to my mana manipulation? Instead of creating a clone, what if I treated the act of creating the mana shape as a separate task, allowing me to simultaneously focus on maintaining its speed and power?"
Jim took a deep breath, concentrating. In a flash, he swung his sword, a portion of his focus dedicated to maintaining the crescent moon shape while the other part focused on speed and power.
System Notification: Self-created skill: Mana Blade – Creates a mana blade. Cooldown: None.
Jim felt a surge of exhilaration. He had done it! He had successfully created a mana blade, a testament to his own ingenuity and his understanding of mana manipulation. He swung his sword again, and again, and again, successfully creating three consecutive mana blades before the strain began to tell. Three blades seemed to be his limit, but it was a significant breakthrough.
He finally understood what Jake meant. Some skills, like riding a bike, became ingrained, almost instinctive. He would never forget how to create this mana blade, even if he couldn't consciously recall the exact moment of its creation.
After spending a few days practicing his new technique, Jim returned to the Church and walked towards the healing center. He encountered Bishop Carl and the two engaged in conversation.
"Recently," the Bishop began, "we've seen an unusual increase in the number of patients brought in after animal attacks."
Jim raised an eyebrow. "These were normal animals, weren't they? Animals that the Church has been feeding for years?"
The Bishop nodded, his expression grave. "Yes, but lately, they've become increasingly aggressive, attacking gardeners and farmers without provocation. But the most concerning aspect is the nature of their injuries."
The Bishop led Jim inside the healing center. As they observed the healers treating a patient, Jim activated his "Supersight," allowing him to perceive the flow of mana within the patient's body. He noticed a disturbing phenomenon: the bruised areas were infused with a strange, pitch-black mana, obstructing the natural flow of healing energy.
The healers, despite their best efforts, struggled to overcome this dark influence. It took them an agonizing thirty to forty minutes to clear the affected areas, a significant delay compared to the usual healing times.
Jim pointed out his observation to the Bishop, describing the presence of the pitch-black mana. The Bishop, intrigued, asked Jim to confirm his findings.
"I can show you," Jim replied, his voice firm.
And so, Jim prepared to demonstrate the true extent of his understanding of mana, not just as a warrior, but as a healer."