I walked up to the middle of the wide training room. Cracking my knuckles and rolling my shoulders, I performed some light stretches and then closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

‘Alright,’ I pushed my body a step forward and sat down on the floor crossed leg. With a single thought—which was a trigger —, the translucent blue system interface appeared in front of me which hovered in the air. Looking through the inventory section, I pulled out an item wrapped inside a red cloth. The item which I had received from Salvador.

I unwrapped the red cloth and a sharp smell evaded my nostrils as I observed the item in question.

I took the Ginseng root in my other hand and felt the mana which was condescend inside the small body of the herb. The root had a dull muddy colour. The leaves of the Ginseng displayed a blood red colour to them. It was half the size of my palm.

“What’s that?” Jiyoung asked as she walked closer to me with curious eyes.

I showed her the herb and opened my mouth to speak. “This is a herb which will be a beneficial item in my training.” I pulled my arm back and looked at the Ginseng for a few more seconds.

‘This thing should at least be worth a few million dollars,’ I inwardly thought as I brought the Ginseng closer to my mouth. ‘Well those few millions were well spent. Salvador really did find me one of the highest quality Ginseng herb.’

The sharp smell of the herb smelled like garnished ginger dipped in vinegar.

I placed the Ginseng inside my mouth and chewed it between my teeth. The rich, but dry flavour filled my mouth, as a ginger and onion like taste made a subtle rankness to emerge on the back of my tongue. A sharp sensation ran throughout my body as soon as I chewed the Ginseng herb.

With each chew, the mana which was condensed inside the herb was released. The sharp taste increased and stimulated my taste buds. And after chewing the herb for a few more times, I swallowed the whole root.

Actually, it is said not to consume a high grade herb whole such as the one which I was currently consuming. If you were weak and low ranked you won’t be able to withstand the pain in the refining process and the mana which was being released from the herb which reinforced your body and mana channels.

I swallowed hard as the herb made its way through my metabolism. A moment later, a scorching heat began to run wildly inside my body. A stinging sensation grew near my abdomen which reached up to my head. With a sudden flux, the mana which was released from the Ginseng circulated throughout my body.

My mana channels were actively allowing the rich effects of the Ginseng to do its work. The condensed mana released from the herb slowly arched its way from each of the channels tracings around my body.

A painful squeak escaped my mouth, and I saw Jiyoung taking a step closer to me, but stopped in her tracks.

I closed my eyes and allowed the rich mana of the Ginseng herb to circulate inside my body. I allowed it to flow and reach each part of my mana channels and veins, through which it would reinforce my body, causing my joints and channels to become stronger. I could tell that something was wrong with my channels after absorbing and releasing the ambient mana from the bomb's core. My body fidgeted, as my spine felt like it was on fire. My hair ruffled, as beads of sweat ran down my sides.

With each second that passed, the heaviness of my channels decreased and I felt the mana fluxing with more and more ease. I began to feel the mana which was present in the atmosphere.

Five minutes passed and I still kept purifying the dense mana which was being released from the Ginseng. My body was brimming with energy. I could feel my channels circulating the mana without any restrictions or drawbacks now. Like an unobstructed stream of water.

The pain lessened and a moment later I opened my eyes. I was covered with my own sweat from head to toe. I had perfectly consumed the herb without wasting any of the condensed mana inside it.

I thrust my right arm forward and clenched my hand into a fist.

Without subconsciously giving out any command, my skill Mind’s Eye activated and I saw the purified mana circulate inside my arm without any delay. The rich, purified mana arched through each of the tiny channels which housed inside my arm.

Squinting my eyes, I looked closer in the air in front of me. Just like the last time—when I was observing the hunter conjure the ball of flames inside the guild—, tiny mote like particles of different colours floated in the air. They burned with purpose, with some power, containing a charismatic beauty, which was breath-taking.

My eyes focused closer and like a veil being ripped open, the motes which floated in the air, converged in my direction. I tried touching a mote which shined with a burning fury of red.

A moment later, the mote came close enough to my finger, and it was quickly absorbed inside my body. My body thirstily drank the motes which converged closer to it.

I tried touching the other motes which were afloat beside the fiery motes of red.

Motes of majestic blue, charming yellow and calming green swam in the air. It felt like they were tangibly there, existing enough that I could touch them, feel their warmth, but the instant I tired, they made their way closer to my body which hurriedly pulled them inside, and refined the pure mana which spiralled in the atmosphere.

“What are you doing?” Jiyoung asked from my side, sidestepping as she caught my gaze as I slowly spun around to look at her.

“I don’t know,” I answered. A thin smile covering my face, as I got up on my feet.

I was surprised, no rather flabbergasted by this new development. My skill “Mind’s Eye” had allowed me to slow down the flow of time from my perspective. Allowed me to see the burning mark of a person’s mana and the way they manipulated it. But...

This new revelation was something which I couldn’t put my head around entirely with just a few seconds.

I was able to see the pure and original state in which the mana existed in.

Mana was a fundamental life force which was rich in our world. Before the first cataclysm, our world was exposed to the existence of mana. Many researchers theorised that mana was always a life force which existed in our world even before the cataclysm arrived, but it was dormant and weak. And it couldn’t be found out before because of the lack of equipment and understanding.

Because a life force which could allow you to conjure balls of flames, walls of ice and gust of wind into existence out of nowhere just by manipulating an element, sounds absurd right. Well we soon came to find out.

Same was the case with mana channels and veins which existed inside each human being. They quoted: that the mana channels were always present inside a human’s body, but dormant and weak due to the lack of presence of ambient mana in the atmosphere.

Mana channels are similar to the blood pumping veins in the human body. They circulate the mana throughout one’s body and allow a person to make use of it.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

But when the first cataclysm arrived, the life force—which was mana—, became a preeminent existence in our world. The lower outputs of mana increased and it allowed the humans mana channels to develop further which allowed them to manipulate that life force.

I deactivated Mind’s Eye and closed my eyes. I felt the presence of mana around me. Anyone could sense and feel the existence of mana and its different individual elemental particles which hovered in the atmosphere.

But none could see the particles with the naked eye.

The process which allowed us to use magic was mana. And mana was divided into four common elements.

Fire, Water, Earth and finally Wind. Each element represented some dominion of control, which allowed us to perform and create and shape the mana into something.

I extended my right hand and thrust one of my finger forward. Soon I focused the mana which housed itself inside my body and directed it toward the tip of my finger.

I again activated Mind’s Eye and saw that the fiery motes of red were rushing near the tip of my finger. Soon after a flame engulfed the tip of my finger and began to burn. After observing it for a few more seconds, I lost focus and the flame died down.

I pulled my gaze away and looked at Jiyoung. Her eyes curiously observing my finger’s tip, but with an amused expression over her face.

“What?” I asked.

Jiyoung looked at me for a moment before speaking. “Seeing you poke the empty air was just a little amusing... and weird.” She turned over her heel and walked closer to the door of the training room. “I wouldn’t want to disturb you in your training of poking the air...,” she looked over her shoulder and continued. “I have plans to meet with a friend today, so I need to go now.”

I inclined my head and question. “So you have friends other than me?” A smirk covered my face. “I thought you were just a loner.”

Jiyoung shrugged as she replied. “Amelia, the girl next door, made me promise to go shopping with her today,” I saw Jiyoung sigh as she looked behind. “I am leaving the key on the table. And...,” she paused as she looked at me with complete solemnness in her eyes. “Don’t wreck my room too much.”

“Ok, understood,” I nodded my head at her, sequentially waving my hand. Soon she exited the room, with the door flung shut.

I focused back at what I was doing.

I keenly observed the movement of the motes which individually floated in the atmosphere. But each mote made way for the others to move around. But the most interesting factor to observe was that, each mote floated with harmony in the air. Not abstracting each others path. The motes of blue beautifully swam without blocking the path of the red motes, so was the case with the yellow and green particles which were empowered by mana.

“Now where was I. Oh yeah.”

Mana had four common elements which we—humans—manipulated and used. But first we had to refine the ambient mana to allow it to diversify into our body. Filter the pure state in which the mana existed in, to allow us to manipulate it.

Mana cannot be manipulated in its pure form, as its harder and more difficult. But with mana conglomeration, its proven that you can. But an extreme level of understanding and control is needed in order to do so.

But Mana Conglomeration can only be used when a person reaches the rank. And upon reaching the rank, they can also fly. No concrete explanation had been given on, why when a person reaches the rank, their control and sensitivity toward mana increases, to allow them to fly.

But mana's elements also had advanced forms which allowed us to use more complex magic spells and abilities.

But only the mages and a selective few are capable enough to use these advanced forms. Because you could say they are inherently better at it.

These advanced forms consists of: Ice, Thunder, Gravity, Sound, Mist and deviant Fires.

Because when the first cataclysm arrived, humans began to awaken in those times of desperation, but with a mysterious phenomenon, they received a status like window which allowed them to see their ranks and abilities. And that status also determined their profession. But not to be able to touch interact like my system.

The Status and System are figuratively different.

For example: if a person had a better control over the sword, they would be given the profession of Swordsman.

But if they were to wield a different weapon, they won’t be able to bring out their outmost potential.

Just like that there are many other professions. Such as, Assassin, Archer, Mage, Tanker, Spearman, and others.

But the status only allowed you to see your ranks and skills which you had, but my system allowed me touch interact, and provided me with many different features. With a levelling system, inventory and shop section.

With a sudden ruffle in the air, I pushed the ambient mana in the air toward me. The mana converged toward me, and I began to absorb the particles. I again sat crossed leg, and began to refine the pure mana, and reinforce my channels.

The rank system in the status window starts from the rank and goes up to the ranks and beyond.

But not everyone can reach the rank, because not many can absorb mana and refine it at a faster rate than others to rank up. Only a few in a million can reach the rank. The ability to absorb mana was different for each person. But it also genetically varied.

The highest rank that someone had reached was the rank. Which was me in my past life. But currently the highest ranked person in the world should either be my Master, or the Leader of the World Union, or the Leader of the Evil Eye.

The gap between each rank isn’t that different, but that understanding disappears when a person breaks through the rank and on to the rank. If an ranked person was to fight someone who was on the rank, they would lose pretty easily. That’s the gap between those ranks. And that gap only widens, once a person ranks up further. But the percentage that successfully rank up decreases more and more as you climb up.

Ranks had three standard terminologies to them. The threshold which is , the middle which was between the and rank, . And the rank which was the end point of a rank. The borderline.

But on closer examination, I saw another energy source which swan with the mana which was tied to the other elements.

“Demonic energy.” My brows knit as I saw the blood crimson particles of demonic energy float with a sinister pulsation.

But a thought struck me. I pushed a finger forward, and tired touching the demonic energy, the particle came closer to my finger, but it was rejected. Not having absorbed the particle, I forcefully pulled the mote near my hand and inside.

The particle's movements were irregular—unlike mana which moved in a constant fluid motion—, but it was trying to intermingle with my mana. Which I found to be interesting, and weird.

But a sizzling pain enveloped my finger a moment later, as the colour of my skin turned a pale blackish-crimson shade, with the veins of my fingers up to my wrist bulged as my skin tore open. A furious pulsation shook the air around my hand, as my skin kept ripping apart. A frown crept its way up my face, as the particle of demonic energy ravaged inside my hand.

But my mana reacted and working as a defensive mechanism, it pushed the sinister particle out of my body. A drop of blood fell on the floor, as a moment later my skin regenerated, not leaving any semblance that there was an injury. My skin’s colour returned to normal and the pain disappeared.

“That... was weird,” I said, sequentially observing my hand heal with keen eyes.

I had seen my body instantly regenerate but didn’t put much thought to it. But upon closer examination, its really surprising to observe.

Either way.

I pushed a few steps ahead, and pulled my body into a stance.

I withdrew Bleak Star from the inventory and unsheathed my sword. I pushed my mana in a ripple, focused and circulated through my channels. With another push, I coated my sword, and reinforced my body.

“Alright, there doesn’t seem to be any restriction in my mana’s movements.”

I firmed my grip over the hilt. With Mind’s Eye still active, I saw the movements of the individual particles of mana. I focused on manipulating the motes of wind.

I pushed my mana, and a gust began to envelop the body of my sword, making my clothes and hair to flutter.

The particles of the wind mana rushed toward my sword as I held it upwards. I took a deep breath, as I felt beads of sweat run down my sides. The muscles of my arms bulged, as my joints began to ache. I was pushing as much mana I could. With a thrumming whistle which shook the air, a blinding glow erupted from my sword and began to envelop my surroundings.

The floor of the room terribly quaked, as I released the stance and performed a vertical slash.

I could still see the peculiar, unrestrained movements of the elements, dancing in the air. The wind motes rushed towards my sword more and more hurriedly as I had released the movement.

With a flash of bright light, a thunderous clap echoed in my ears, as when lightning strikes on a cloudy day.

I heard a tearing noise and my body was pushed back a few steps. My arms momentarily gave out under the heavy manipulation of mana. I stumbled to one knee, as my grip loosened over the hilt.

A bone aching pain enveloped my right arm, as a smile crept up my face.

“I did it,” I rejoiced as I withdrew my sword back into the sheath.

The first movement of the Crescent Moon Style. I had performed half of the movement. And there were no problems. During the tournament, I had performed a basic movement which was necessary for learning the Crescent Moon Style. But now that I have levelled up, my body is strong enough to perform half of the first movement.

But my rejoice was short lived, as my eyes focused on the wall on the further left. Where now a big scar had appeared on the wall. I gulped hard as I my brows furrowed.

“Fuck, Jiyoung’s gonna kill me.”