Slowly, gently, holding back a dam's worth of annoyance, Lev split his stream of mana into three. The whole thing threatened to destabilize, requiring him to focus on the structure and give up on moving further with the exercise.

  Minutes passed as Lev got used to the mental sensation of a stream being split into three, slowly fixing his hollowing confidence.

  Lev was almost certain that he was talented in the ways of mana. That he had what it took to utilize the power that his title would afford him completely. But now, this satanic exercise was slowly eroding that resolve.

  "I didn't think you were this gifted in mana manipulation. Alec only ever mentioned you being above average. Normally, a mage would take several weeks, if not months, to get to this part from scratch."

  Just like that, Lev's confidence had been bolstered beyond the original level.

  "How do I compare to Alec?" Lev instantly questioned back, causing Drakys to snort a laugh.

  "Nobody has ever gotten the variation of Mana Manipulation that he has. Comparing yourself to him is an exercise in futility."

  Lev's new confidence took a small hit, but he was mostly proud of being trained by someone so talented in the ways of mana.

  Also, he refused to believe he couldn't overtake his mentor. It was just a matter of time and effort, or so he told himself at night.

  "This is enough for now. Too much focus on one thing will cause you to burn out. Ready your armor."

  Lev summoned his illusion armor, triggering the barrier armor skill that seamlessly covered it. The illusion armor had grown slightly tight after his random growth from the evolution and the phase he was going through, but it adjusted itself to be snug regardless.

  "How much experience do you have fighting in close range?"

  "In melee range? Not much. I just fought some orcs and the spiders barehanded, long enough to get my brawling skill to the end of second rank."

  "Yet you barely use it even when your gauntlets are designed to incorporate different mana types into fistfighting?"

  "I was going to get to it eventually," Lev muttered. "Learning takes time. You found me soon after I started working on my class."

  "You're not wrong, but you definitely rushed the levels as well. I don't need to ask why so we simply have to build a better foundation. How did your mentor train you?"

  "He let me learn on my own. See what I had talent in while fighting dormant monsters."

  "The ideal method for an uncertain class," Drakys nodded. "We will take the same approach. I will fashion different obstacle courses for you to familiarize yourself with precise aerial movement. The whole idea will be to let The System create a general skill befitting your style but before that, let's get you Mana Slash."

  Lev summoned Stargazer, knowing what was to come. Forming a proper barrier blade in the hollow metal blade, he watched with mouth slightly ajar as the enchantments on the weapon came alive.

  They demanded mana, which Lev provided without hesitation. Several scans inspected the barrier blade now present in the hollow interior, encompassing it as a part of the formation while letting Lev physically sharpen the blade further by providing feedback about how to improve the blade.

  "… Wow."

  "Extremely talented," Drakys remarked, no doubt praising the crafter, not him. "The blade should easily qualify for the skill. Inject some mana into it and wait."

  Lev did as he was told, holding the mana inside the blade while waiting for instructions.

  "Bring the mana to the edge."

  The task was easy enough, and Lev had all the mana stored inside the sharp edge in the next few seconds.

  "Focus on maintaining the shape and sharpness while releasing it in an attack."

  Is the skill supposed to be so simple to acquire?

  Some distant part of his mind wondered the question but most of it was absorbed in the task. Inhaling deeply, Lev swung the weapon in a slow, clean downward slash while releasing the mana in a crescent shape. Out came a puff of mana, crumbling and dissolving into ambient mana quickly, the attack nowhere to be found.

  … Guess it was not that simple.

  "Again."

  ****

  [

  You have learned the General Skill: Mana Slash

  Release mana in a sharp attack from a bladed weapon.

  ]

  "Got it," Lev announced. "That was pretty easy."

  "The skill is not much different from Mana Manipulation or Perception in how much it can be evolved. Make sure to keep forcing it to improve as you go," Drakys replied. "Now, start using it as much as you can."

  That was what Lev wanted to hear, and he instantly fed mana into the blade again. Unlike class skills, the general skill guided his actions, letting him distribute the mana more thoroughly while keeping the slash more cohesive.

  Lev swung Stargazer downward, releasing the slash in front of him. The large crescent attack traveled for over a dozen meters before dissipating, colorless yet robust to his senses.

  The amount of mana used in the attack made it correspondingly stronger, but Lev could also feel how his mana manipulation expertise also helped quite a bit. Due to his practice with the stream, the slash was better put together and was also sharper.

  Happy with the result, Lev swung his glaive again and again. Each ranged attack only took a small amount of mana, less than his moderately charged lightning arrows. The result was also weak for now, enough for any dormant monster but lacking compared to even weak first-threshold monsters.

  That would fix itself in time. Lev just had to level his skill and get it to second rank, where he could use different mana types to power it.

  "Does using the skill on monsters increase its leveling speed?"

  "It does," Drakys nodded. "Would you rather test against a troll?"

  "If that isn't an issue, yes."

  Not even three seconds later, a troll landed face-first in front of Lev, roaring in indignation and insanity.

  Lev jumped back and launched a mana slash at it. Tearing through the air, the slash cut a few inches deep into the troll's arm, the limb swung with the intention of slapping away the attack.

  So it cannot be deflected easily, noted.

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

  More roars washed over the flying Lev, keeping the troll on his toes while swinging Stargazer almost lazily. While the monster kept regenerating its wounds, he observed the results of different amounts of mana infused into the skill and how different shapes affected the slash.

  The amount of mana used in the skill was the most obvious factor in the attack's lethality. The more mana he used, the bigger and deadlier it was. Dumping 2% of his total into a single overloaded attack, the slash almost lopped off the troll's arm.

  Costly but still good in an emergency.

  There was little more to test without using different mana types, so Lev decided to end the fight. Lightning and fire mana could be used after he got comfortable with the skill.

  Descending, Lev leaned back to avoid a grab and swung Stargazing upwards, the slash cutting deep into the troll's chest. Not giving it a chance to recover from the pain, two bulky chains formed and bit into its arms, locking it in place for a split second.

  The troll thrashed and broke one chain before Lev took off its right leg with an overcharged mana slash, reducing its speed greatly. He still kept up his guard, the experience from his first troll fight never forgotten.

  Having lost any semblance of control, the monster leaped with reckless abandon. Calmly, Lev ducked under its over-extended arms and thrust Stargazer at its face.

  The glaive pierced through skin and bone after a bit of struggle, cutting the monster's brain in two.

  [

  You have slain [Cave Troll - Level 141]

  Mana Slash has reached Level 2

  Mana Slash has reached Level 3

  Mana Slash has reached Level 4

  ]

  "Sloppy," came the infuriatingly calm comment, ruining Lev's satisfaction from obtaining a good skill.

  "Cut me some slack. It is my first time using the skill," Lev said, returning to testing the skill.

  "I meant everything else," Drakys smirked. "Two moves would've been more than enough to kill the monster after you were done testing."

  "You're supposed to teach me those moves, no?"

  "Not yet. Your armor manipulation is lacking. Your flight also has too much wasted movement. You can also be much faster if you really put your mind to it."

  "Teach me that too, then," Lev shrugged. "Isn't that why we're here?"

  "I can't teach you to fly when you aren't even walking properly. The first order of business will be familiarizing you with the limits of your armor manipulation. Stand aside while I prepare a stage."

  ****

  Two weeks passed without any major incident. Lev spent several hours daily practicing with his mana manipulation, while Drakys culled the never-ending stream of monsters heading Lev's way.

  He himself had no clue at first, but after a few days, he could deduce what was happening. It irked him a little that Drakys alone was dealing with the consequences of his presence, but not much could be done about it. That far below ground, Lev was outmatched against most of the monsters.

  When Drakys returned, Lev then fought trolls while doing minimum damage. The revulsion from testing skills on monsters vanished after a few hours of being chased by mindless monsters, letting him reach several breaking points in his training.

  The first was his new chains. Before, Lev used a sickle attached to one end to make a grip, but now he simply used a small drill. If the chains dug deeper than a few inches into the flesh, they had enough traction not to come out loose easily.

  The second was his Mana Slash. Just like Drakys had told him, the second rank simply allowed him to use different mana types. Contrary to their expectations however, the skill became monstrous when Lev used a 'normal' amount of mana to power it. With all his bonuses to mana capacity, a lightning slash with a small chunk of his pool could easily kill a troll two dozen levels above him.

  [

  Mana Slash - 2nd Level 10:

  Release mana in a sharp attack from a bladed weapon.

  2nd Rank: Different mana types can be used to power the skill, producing different effects.

  ]

  The effects were as obvious as Lev expected. Lightning seared into the monsters, and fire exploded on contact. They were a nice addition, especially the latter. The explosion from a fire slash let him create distance easily.

  The third and fourth were his movement and glaive practice, something he was currently taking part in.

  Lev dashed to the right, jumping on the next platform two dozen meters above ground. Three boulders flew at him, each from a different angle to hinder his path.

  The second is enchanted, Lev noted, charging up a fire slash. As predicted, two of the boulders shattered to bits while the last weathered the attack without even a scratch.

  He was prepared for that. Mana flooded his barrier armor's legs, and he shot forward to meet the boulder head-on. Just before he collided, a barrier platform formed underneath his feet. Jumping away with a kick, Lev tried to go over the boulder but the enchantments within the boulder came to life.

  Tracking him, the boulder changed directions. When it was less than a meter away, Lev twisted midair as another barrier platform formed above him. Upside down, Lev used all the mana stored in his armor and stepped on it to propel himself straight down, bypassing the boulder entirely.

  He was off like a bullet before the chunk of stone could reach him again. The next part of the obstacle course tested his reaction time, the hardest part in his opinion.

  Two stone bullets fired from an invisible mechanism aimed to give him minimum room to dodge. Lev veered to the left, slowing down considerably to avoid being hit. From experience, he knew the impact would rattle his bones.

  Seven more bullets followed. Three of them were blocked by hastily formed and enchanted shields, the constructs shattering in the process. Lev flew up to avoid three projectiles packed too closely together, forced to go up or lay on the ground. He chose the former. Drakys seemed to be expecting that, as the final bullet was aimed precisely where his head would be.

  Lev was prepared for it too. Twisting the armor at the last moment, the bullet passed mere millimeters from his face. He could see the smooth stone surface with extreme clarity for that short moment as it flew parallel to his nose.

  More bullets followed, and Lev was barely able to keep track of them. The course continued the same, requiring Lev to push the limits of his mental muscles. Every time he grew into his attributes and learned to utilize his skills better, Drakys further increased the intensity of his training.

  Finally landing on the last platform, Drakys gave him a simple nod of acknowledgement. No words needed to be exchanged. Lev prepared himself for a duel.

  Drakys made the first move, reaching him in a single step with his arm stretched out. Lev took a moment too long to react, barely catching the punch with the haft.

  The sheer force threw him back for several feet but Lev adjusted himself in time, slashing prematurely in front of him where he expected Drakys to be. The weapon parted nothing but air, earning him an explosive kick to the ribs from the side.

  Both the second rank of the armor and the durability rune carved in it saved the armor from shattering. Pulling himself together midair, Lev tried to scan his surroundings this time, barely veering sharply to the side to dodge a mana slash. Drakys didn't let the opening go and rushed in. Two punches were deflected with Stargazer before Lev counterattacked, earning him another thunderous kick to the chest before his attack could land.

  "How am I even supposed to do anything like this?" Lev asked. He readied himself regardless.

  "You aren't," Drakys allowed. "This session is solely to improve your reaction time."

  "Oh. Should've said so."

  Lev was then thrown around for another thirty minutes before his mana was drained almost completely by empowering the armor's durability. Despite all his bonuses, enchantments still ate through his pool with ease.

  Taking a sip from his glass of water, Lev glanced at Drakys. In the past nearly twenty days, the Exalted had started to ease up around him. Where his words usually had a probing undercurrent, Drakys now preferred to be blunt.

  "So? Is this training proving effective?"

  "What do you think?" Drakys countered, his mind lost in thought.

  "I am definitely improving, and quite a bit. But that is all. I have no idea how I compare to an average combatant."

  Drakys thought for a moment before replying. "In mana manipulation, you're head and shoulders above an average mage. For the physical fighting aspect, you have done well."

  What a nice way to say I'm nothing special in melee fighting, Lev thought, not really caring. He was already pretty good at one thing, which was one more than he expected.

  "I'm gonna check my notifications now," Lev announced. For the past two weeks, he had ignored them in favor of checking all the progress at once. It was bound to be satisfying.

  [

  Advanced Mana Manipulation has reached 2nd Level 2

  Advanced Mana Manipulation has reached 2nd Level 3

  …

  Advanced Mana Manipulation has reached 2nd Level 8

  Mana Slash has reached Level 5

  Mana Slash has reached Level 6

  …

  Mana Slash has reached 2nd Level 10

  Superior Senses has reached 3rd Level 2

  Barrier Armor has reached 3rd Level 2

  Heavier Lifting has reached 3rd Level 1

  Barrier Carving has reached Level 2

  ]

  With Lev's agreement, Drakys killed all trolls to prevent him from gaining any levels. Rereading the notifications, Lev concluded that keeping them for later was definitely satisfying.

  Heavier lifting provided an interesting effect from reaching the third tier, something Lev was utilizing constantly during practice.

  [

  Heavier Lifting - 3rd Level 1:

  The burden of levitation on your mind is significantly reduced.

  2nd Rank: The burden of flight is further reduced. Flight speed is increased by 76%.

  3rd rank: Expend mana by overloading your armor to minorly increase flight speed.

  ]