Monday practice had left me a wreck. I got back to my apartment late in the afternoon, my body a single, unified ache. But I ignored it. The physical exhaustion was nothing compared to the roaring fire of obsession in my mind.
Silas. The Surgeon. Power Shot (Perfected).
The coach's test was the only thing that mattered. I knew this analysis would be more demanding than the one I performed on Jax's crude shot , and I needed to be prepared. My first priority was to restore my Momentum Points.
I pulled up my
[Daily Quests] tab. For the next few hours, I turned my apartment into a training camp. I ran laps until my legs burned to complete the
[Physical Conditioning] quest. I practiced blocking against a wall panel until my arms shook to finish the
[Basic Drills] quest. Finally, I completed the
[Strategic Analysis] quest, which was enough.
[Congratulations! You have earned enough experience to level up!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 3!]
[Level Up bonus: All core attributes slightly enhanced. You have received: +5 Unallocated Attribute Points.]
[Your Momentum Points have been fully restored as a Level Up bonus.] MP: 100/100
Just like before, I allocated all five new points into Aether Control, raising it to a respectable 17. The feeling of connection to the ambient Aether grew stronger. Now, I was ready.
I pulled up the pro-league archives and found the file: Silas, in last season's quarter-finals. I scrubbed to the crucial moment, where he made a game-winning shot that commentators had called "surgically precise."
I took a deep breath. "System. Analyze 'Power Shot (Perfected)' from user 'Silas'."
[Target Skill Identified: 'Power Shot' (Classification: Master). Observed from user: 'Silas'. Analysis will be mentally taxing. Proceed?][Analysis Cost: 80 MP]
The cost was immense, but I had more than enough. "Proceed."
[Confirmed. Expending 80 MP. Brace for neurological impact.]
My MP meter plummeted to 20. The world dissolved.
I was back in the simulation, seeing the roaring crowd and the bright lights of a professional arena through the eyes of Silas. He was calm, his breathing even. He received a pass, and the world slowed to a crawl.
[Analysis initiated. Deconstructing 'Power Shot' (Master).][Layer 1: Biomechanics…]
I saw Silas's form. It was a masterpiece of kinetic energy. The system highlighted a chain of light that began at his foot, traveled up through his leg, coiled in his hips, and whipped through his torso and shoulder before being unleashed through his arm.
[Analysis: 99.7% of kinetic force from core rotation is successfully transferred to the projectile. Flawless kinetic chain. Every muscle fiber is utilized in perfect sequence.]
The phantom sensation in my own body was different this time. Not pain, but a deep, powerful understanding of leverage and momentum. Still, a familiar, pounding headache began to build behind my eyes.
[Layer 2: Aether Control…][Analyzing Aether particle cohesion…]
This was the true secret. Silas didn't just gather Aether. As the ball formed in his hand, my system's vision peeled it back layer by layer. I saw him create a micro-thin, hyper-dense shell on the inside of the energy ball. He was using this shell to pack the Aether particles into a much smaller space.
[New principle identified: Aether Compression. By creating an internal containment field, Aether is compressed to 150% of its standard density. This dramatically increases impact force without increasing the raw energy cost.]
This was the efficiency the coach was talking about. Not just a perfect swing, but a perfect way to shape the energy itself. The mental strain of processing this new concept was intense. Red warnings began to flicker at the edge of my vision.
[Neurological Strain at 250% of safe limits!]
A trickle of blood ran from my nose, just like before.
[Layer 3: Ballistics…][Analyzing projectile dynamics…]
Silas fired. The shot was smaller than Jax's, but it was incredibly bright. The system showed me why. The compression gave the projectile unique properties.
[Analysis: Compressed projectile maintains kinetic energy over longer distances. The focused density provides a natural armor-piercing effect against standard energy shields.]
The shot hit the opposing player's shield. Instead of exploding on the surface, it drilled a clean hole right through it and continued on to score the goal.
The simulation ended. I was back in my chair, gasping, my head pounding. I had done it, but the price was steep.
[Analysis Complete: 'Power Shot' (Master). Core principle of 'Aether Compression' acquired. Data Integration: 10% Complete.]
I had the blueprint. I had the knowledge. But the final notification was the real prize.
[Original Skill 'Power Shot (Basic)' can now be evolved. Evolve skill into 'Power Shot (Pierce)'? Requires 1 Unallocated Skill Point and 100% data integration.]
My eyes widened. I had earned a Skill Point from my last level-up but hadn't known what to do with it. Now I knew. It wasn't just for a simple proficiency boost. It was for evolution.
I had the key. All I had to do now was the work. Achieve 100% integration. And then, my basic, crude shot would become something else entirely. Something with the power to pierce through defenses.