Chapter 3 (Patreon)

The difference was subtle at first, but after boxing reached Level 3, I noticed the bump. Each level-up seemed to give me a 3% boost to efficiency and 2% to balance and reaction speed. Overall, it wasn’t a bad start. I could only imagine how much of a beast I’d be at level 100.

I got one more level under my belt before I moved to the treadmill. As exciting as the prospect of standing my ground was, I knew I’d be running away from a good number of fights I got into—at least early on.

I slipped into my running shoes, set the treadmill to a high pace, and got after it. I lasted nearly seven whole minutes before my stamina bottomed out, and I was panting like a dog.

On the plus side, I gained another skill from it.

Running Lv 1

Rarity: Common

Type: Passive/Active

Improves movement efficiency, stride control, and sustained locomotion.

+3% to movement efficiency and control while running.

And a much-appreciated minor stat bump.

+1 END

I did the mental math, comparing my regen rate to my stamina, and figured it would take another twenty minutes to fully recover.

2/140

7.12 STA/min

Not much of an issue when you’re in the gym grinding by yourself, but running out in the middle of a fight—well, that’s a death sentence.

Mana recovered just as sluggishly.

Resource management is going to be a real bitch, isn’t it?

I felt an almost compulsive need to drop into a squat and start meditating. Video game logic dictated that learning meditation should help with my problem, but I simply didn’t have the patience for it—not when something potentially more exciting was within reach.

So, I cupped my hands instead and shut my eyes, feeling for that weird mystical stuff I knew was churning inside my chest… or stomach… or veins.

And concentrated.

I felt a whisper of it eventually, after what must’ve been nearly forty minutes of sitting, eyes closed, searching.

Meditation Lv 2

Rarity: Common

Type: Active

Effects:

A focused mental state that improves internal awareness and regeneration

Effect:

+4% regeneration rates per level (8%)

+2% concentration per level (4%)

The irony of the notification was not lost on me. Thankfully, the system didn’t let me stew in my shame for long.

The 4% boost to concentration made a real difference, and before long, I found my mana. It turns out, it was in my chest after all. It was nestled behind my heart and was shaped like a sphere.

I drew some mana from it and passed it through my chest and down into my hands. Only a tenth of it actually made it into my palm. I marveled at the quickly evaporating glob of energy before concentrating on manipulating it—smushing it down by splaying my fingers and flexing my mind, compressing the almost vaporous mana into a vaguely spherical ball.

A notification flashed in the corner of my vision.

Mana Manipulation Lv 1

Rarity: Common

Type: Passive

Effects:

+4% mana control per level

+3% mana shaping speed per level

+1.5% spell efficiency per level

Suddenly, I wasn’t holding the ball of mana together with duct tape and sheer grit.

The pressure eased, letting me hustle out of the garage and into the backyard. Pointing at the ground, I urged the mana ball in my hand to shoot forward as fast as possible—and it did, with the strength of an anemic cheerleader. It splashed into the dirt, eating through it like hot coal before promptly exploding and ripping out the smallest chunk of the lawn.

You’ve learned Mana Bolt: A foundational skill of every fledgling mage.

Mana Bolt Lv 1

Rarity: Common

Type: Active

Effects:

Compress mana into a ball and propel it forward with your willpower.

Scales with INT and mana input

Improves in power, speed, and control per level

Cost: 5 Mana

The speed was godawful, and the damage wasn’t much better, but I couldn’t fight the grin slowly spreading across my face.

It was magic. Honest-to-goodness magic. Running really fast was cool, and so was punching harder than I probably ever had in my life.

But this—this was magic.

And magic rocked.

I laughed out loud, my body buzzing with excitement. I wanted to practice more, keep grinding the skill until I was empty, but a thought stopped me.

What if somebody were watching?

Quickly, I peeked over the edge of my fence. My neighbor and their kids had already left for the day. It should be safe to toss around a few more mana bolts, but I was going to need a target.

I duct-taped a pillow and some boxes together, stuck them on a rake leaning against the fence, and squared up a few meters away, fingers spread, eager to cast.

The second mana bolt flew quicker than the first, but only barely, and singed the surface of the old pillowcase before exploding, lightly tearing the fabric.

I took my time shaping the third mana bolt, compressing the energy into a tighter ball, flexing my fledgling control, and flinging the projectile forward with an almost physical throw. It burned straight through the cover and scorched the fluffy innards with a muted explosion. I fired again and again, the projectiles getting increasingly smaller and denser with every shot.

After my fifteenth mana bolt, the skill finally leveled up—and so did mana manipulation—boosting my control, speed, and efficiency noticeably.

The difference in progress was notable compared to my physical skills.

I was beginning to wonder if my karma points would’ve been better spent investing in a magical talent. To be fair, it would’ve cost a lot more. Quick Study had been my compromise.

My next mana bolt ripped through the pillow entirely and snapped the rake holding it up in half.

I whistled.

That’s what I’m talking about.

It was powerful enough to seriously injure a man—maybe even instantly kill him if you aimed well enough. Not that it’d help much against the likes of a Viltrumite. But it was a start.

I was satisfied for now.

“Time to switch to defense.”

And I already had a skill in mind.