【Morse Scott, student ranking 2450, approved.】
Huff!
After my identity was confirmed, the door slowly opened, and I stepped into the academy's training room.
“Sigh…”
I needed to clear the clutter from my head and also test my new weapon; that's why I came here.
“You act so cold and sharp because you lost someone important in your family, right?” The conversation on the train was different from usual. I don’t know when it started, but when talking to Irina, strangely, I felt an unexpected sense of relaxation, even though we spent most of the time bickering.
“So now you've become a lone wolf, carrying a grudge and pretending to be a sage observing others.”
The words she spoke strangely stung me.
“But she’s not wrong.”
Observing is my habit. I always observe others, observe their weaknesses, and store this information in my mind for future use.
It's not a bad thing, at least that's what I thought. But looking back now, I realize I sometimes acted like a know-it-all bystander.
I was cold and even rude to people.
“Some people deserve it, but some don't deserve to be treated that way.”
Especially Sylvie.
“Looking back now, I really was a jerk.”
Whether she needed to become stronger or needed to face her past, there were better ways to handle it, and instead of choosing those methods, I just said what was on my mind, completely ignoring her feelings.
“Well… although I can’t change the past, it’s not like everything I did was completely bad.”
Acting like a jerk and being sharp-tongued isn't necessarily a bad thing.
People might get angry, but emotions are fleeting, and no one cares about your feelings. If it achieves my purpose, what's wrong with that?
But I could have handled the issue in a gentler way, but that would have taken more time and energy, and I didn't have that much to spare. I couldn't invest that much time, so from my perspective, I chose the most optimized method.
“At least from now on, I won’t hold this moral high ground.”
In the future, I might change the way I speak and act, or I might not. But at least, I’ve acknowledged the mistakes I’ve made; that’s the first step to improvement.
“Anyway, stop thinking about these useless thoughts.”
I muttered to myself while preparing. The most important thing now is to familiarize myself with my new weapon and understand its capabilities.
I headed toward the empty shooting range, ready.
“The students are all resting right now.”
This is common. Since the midterm exams just ended, the students just returned from their break, and no one is here training except me.
【Please select difficulty.】
“Stage three.”
【Confirmed.】
The shooting range setup is similar to the combat training room. The only difference is that the targets won’t actively attack you, so you can fully focus on your skills.
【3】
I instinctively know how to use the weapon in my hand. Just like I can use different colors of mana, the process is very similar.
【2】
“I have to thank Senior Maya for this opportunity.”
It's largely because of her that I learned how to precisely control mana.
【1】
“Let’s begin.”
As I drew out green mana and infused it into the weapon, a semi-automatic energy rifle appeared in my hand. It was like an ethereal weapon, with intricate patterns radiating a soft light, just as I had imagined in my mind. It didn't look like a regular modern rifle; it looked more like a futuristic fantasy weapon.
【Training begins.】
With the training room voice assistant's announcement, dummy targets appeared one by one on the shooting range.
Buzz!
As I channeled mana into the rifle, a low hum echoed, and orbs of energy danced across the surface of the gun.
“Deep breath.”
I relaxed myself, focusing on the feel of the weapon. The infused mana felt like an extension of my body, and now I was feeling how to condense the energy at the muzzle.
“Aim.”
As I observed the movements of the dummies, energy bullets formed a vortex at the muzzle.
“My stats have improved.”
Due to the increase in my perception stat, I could perceive the targets’ movements better than before.
Whoosh!
Aimed at the target, I pulled the trigger.
The energy erupted, and the bullets shot toward the dummies at lightning speed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each shot hit its mark, and the targets shattered one after another.
“The power is much greater than before.”
This energy output was completely different compared to before.
“It’s the help of the Moonstone.”
As I expected, my energy output was limited by the medium I used. And now, with the Moonstone, the power of the moon flowed more smoothly than before.
“I need to test this power more. I believe it won’t be inferior to a fourth or even fifth-stage Awakened.”
Although it’s difficult to measure the limits of this new power in a short time, I’m not in a hurry to draw conclusions.
Whoosh! Bang!
Besides the energy output, there was another important characteristic.
“The characteristics of green mana are retained.”
As before, whenever green mana hit a target, it left a trace. A thin line connected me to the target, revealing its location and guiding the trajectory of attacks.
“This is excellent.”
As the last target disappeared, I lowered the rifle, my face filled with satisfaction and focus. The humming gradually faded, and the weapon returned to its dormant state.
“That’s good enough for now,” I whispered, realizing that the rifle’s capabilities had been perfectly integrated. But the exploration wasn't over; there were still many details that needed further examination.
“Change formation.”
I called out to the voice assistant.
【What formation would you like to set up?】
“Mobile.”
【Confirmed.】
The shooting range immediately changed, and the targets were no longer stationary. I drew out green mana and infused blue mana to initiate the transformation. The ethereal rifle seamlessly transformed into a dazzling longbow, bathed in a fiery blue light, as if ignited by celestial fire.
“Very flashy.”
This might be an inherent characteristic of blue mana.
The shimmering weapon felt both light and powerful in my hands. I marveled at its new form, the blue light casting a dreamlike glow in the training room.
【3】
The familiar countdown echoed in the training room.
【2】
“Senior Maya’s training will come in handy in this aspect too.”
【1】
The blue longbow pulsed with energy, ready to unleash its destructive power.
“Let's see what you can do.”
I nocked an arrow filled with raging blue energy. It gleamed with light.
Whoosh!
The arrow shot out, slicing through the air with incredible speed.
Boom!
When it struck the first dummy, a deafening explosion echoed through the training room, and the shockwave instantly shook the surroundings.
“What amazing power.”
Each subsequent arrow triggered a chain reaction, and the room filled with the roar of destruction. The blue arrows left fiery trails in the air, painting a mesmerizing scene in front of the targets.
“This is practically a weapon of war.”
The longbow’s sheer firepower was unmatched, and the room seemed to transform into a simulated battlefield as the arrows precisely struck their targets, instantly destroying all the dummies.
“I've never felt such power. I think this energy output is enough to rival the top 100 students.”
“However, there is a drawback; it’s difficult to control.”
This energy is difficult to channel into long-range attacks. The energy output might be comparable to the power of high-ranking students, but this defect is its weakness.
“I need to spend a lot of time mastering it.”
My strength doesn't lie in head-on confrontations but in stealth. This is the foundation of a ranger, and I need to master this form to the point where I can use it stably.
“Still, it’s much better than before.”
I no longer need to spend more time channeling energy, nor do I need to rely on expensive arrows as a medium. Now I can directly compress energy into the form of arrows and fire them, though it's still difficult to control.
But this also means that as long as I can master it and skillfully use this weapon, I will have a lot of room to maneuver.
“The skill ceiling has also increased.”
This concludes the testing of the first two forms. Besides these two forms, most of the other forms are related to close combat, so I need to go to another place to test my abilities.
By retracting the infused mana, I returned the weapon to its dormant state. The weapon vanished, quietly imprinted on my chest.
I left the shooting range and entered the normal training ground, where I usually conduct melee training.
“It’s not as empty here.”
Unlike the shooting range, there were some students training on the normal training ground.
Clang!
The sounds of metal colliding occasionally reached my ears, but I ignored them and headed straight for the individual training rooms, entering one of them.
Here, I mobilized the red energy within my body, activating the weapon form. In an instant, the weapon materialized.
Two crimson daggers appeared in my hands, gleaming with a deadly light.
“This feels familiar.”
They had no ornate decorations, appearing simple yet deadly.
“Set the training stage to stage five.”
【Confirmed.】
The lights in the room dimmed, and the silhouettes of iron golems gradually emerged, revealing their massive forms.
“It’s time to test these crimson daggers.”
I acted swiftly, engaging the iron golems in fierce combat.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed in the room as I weaved between the powerful opponents.
The crimson daggers slashed with instinctive precision, quickly finding the gaps in the iron golems' defenses and leaving cuts on their metallic bodies.
“Before, I couldn't leave any marks on them at all.”
Stage five meant that the iron golems' defenses had reached the level of a 5th-stage monster, and before, I simply didn't have that capability.
“And now, my attacks can leave marks.”
Moreover, the daggers’ abilities weren’t just limited to close combat.
The daggers exhibited a unique ability, releasing residual energy with each strike. This was a common ability among close-combat classes, similar to "sword aura."
This gave me a greater attack range, making it a dual threat in both close and mid-range combat.
“Now, it’s time for the last form.”
I will explore the potential of this weapon, so I mobilized the silver energy within my body, initiating the transformation.
The crimson daggers disappeared, replaced by two silver wheel blades. They were connected to me by green threads, floating in the air, ready at any moment.
“Wheel blades, these are weapons I'm not familiar with.”
The wheel blades emitted a mysterious aura. I took a deep breath, spinning and throwing them out. I had some theoretical knowledge of this weapon but no practical experience.
Therefore, their movements were difficult to control, revealing my unfamiliarity with this form.
Whoosh!
“This will take some time to get used to.”
I threw the wheel blades, and the silent energy they released traced a path through the air.
Clang! Clang!
Extremely fast, the wheel blades collided with the iron golems but left no marks.
At first, I didn't know how to retrieve them.
Although retrieving the wheel blades was initially difficult, with practice, I began to understand how to retrieve them through subtle manipulation.
“Silver threads.”
The silver threads connected the ring blades to me, making the retrieval incredibly smooth.
The wheel blades spun in the air, carrying a silent but deadly power, echoing through the room.
“Feels different, but has potential.”
Although not yet fully familiar, the wheel blades demonstrated great potential. I would need time and practice to fully master this form. Their speed and agility were unmatched.
And so, I continued to train, and time passed by minute by minute.
