--
Peng! Peng! Peng!
In some corner of the training room, TJ could be found standing over the firing range.
Hotshot in hand, he fired a series of shots that all pierced the targets dead center. These targets were moving fast, and they are programmed to confuse the player to make them miss. But even so, TJ shot them all; every shot was a bullseye.
[Shooting +1]
[Shooting (Perfect 1000/1000)]
[Upgrade commencing...]
[...]
[Upgrade success! ]
Congratulations, your shooting skill is now Lv. 1! ]
[A new skill perk has been added to the Shooting Skill.]
**
• Shooting Lv.1 (Entry 0/250)
: Knowledge and expertise of using firearms or ranged weapons,
Perks: [Steady Aim I], [Handling I]
[Steady Aim I]: enhances the user's aim by 10% in combat
[Steady Grip I]: decreases the burden of the user when using firearms by 10%
**
'Whew...that's Shooting catching up to my other skills, then,' TJ thought to himself.
After he ranked up yesterday, TJ's main focus was to get his shooting skill up to the same level as the rest of his skills, mainly because it bothered him whenever he saw it being the only one left behind.
And, this might just be his illusion, but he found that gaining mastery points became a bit easier after he stepped into the 1★ Novice Rank. At least, there should be a hidden boost for low-level skills because his shooting skill caught up to the rest pretty quickly.
Of course, his battles in the Dream Echo Battlefield also helped with that. Last night, he didn't even take out either his rapier or estoc; instead, he fought like a marksman, relying on shooting along to defeat the dream echo he chose.
And for the sole purpose of letting his shooting skill catch up, TJ fought a Caster last night.
The fight was okay. Naturally, the fighting style of Casters was bound to be different from that of a Warrior. Casters are nimble and act as if they're scared of someone getting close.
It's like, to them, letting a warrior near them was no different from a death sentence.
The Caster Dream Echo that he fought was good. Quick on his feet, he has an abundant mana and knows how to manipulate the battlefield and his range to his advantage.
Had TJ decided to go on a melee, though, the fight could've been over fast. Because while the Dream Echo was of decent skill, TJ was much faster than it.
In fact, TJ could've actually ended the fight right away. But since he had another objective in mind, he stretched out the fight to get the most value for his time.
The fight was between his bullets and the enemy's magic missiles.
During that fight, TJ focused on shooting the magic missiles heading his way instead of the dream echo.
Obviously, magic missiles are way different than the moving targets that are now in front of him. The former, being controlled by a user, could swerve, change trajectories, and was purely formed from mana. They move much faster too.
TJ was initially at a disadvantage, but he quickly figured out a way to regain his footing and grind the shooting skill.
By the end of the battle, his shooting skill still didn't level up, but it was close. The only reason why the battle had to end was because his enemy ran out of mana and was exhausted to the bone. TJ didn't prolong the agony; he shot at the dream echo's heart, defeating it thoroughly.
The morning after, seeing that his shooting skill was so close to leveling up, he decided to finish it today so he could get back to his usual routine.
And he did that just before the lunch break.
The moment the upgrade happened, a bunch of insights flooded to his brain. Knowledge on how to use firearms and how to shoot better filled his thoughts to the brim.
When he tested it out, he discovered that the difference between states was practically night and day. And with the addition of the new perk, handling Hotshot became much easier for TJ now.
Soon, he'd be able to carry Hotshot at all times. He might even start using it alongside his rapier or estoc.
TJ returned Hotshot to his inventory and took out a towel to wipe off his sweat as he walked to the nearest bench to rest for a bit. There's still a dull ache on his shoulders because of his prolonged use of Hotshot, but after this day, this shouldn't be too much of a problem anymore.
He couldn't complain anyway, because as he rested, he could already feel this dull ache fading away. His recovery had a slight upgrade upon ranking up, so it's normal.
What he's focusing on right now is the peculiar reward he got from defeating the Caster Dream Echo.
Unlike the physical boost he receives when defeating Warriors, the Dream Echo Battlefield's reward to him for beating Casters was different.
Staring at his hand, TJ stared at it as if he didn't recognize his own hand anymore. Or like he's seeing it for the first time.
While he really couldn't see any differences, he for sure could feel it, though.
Thrumming just beneath his skin, it's usually so faint that it might as well not be there, but because of the reward he received, he was now able to notice it more.
'Mana.'
Every living being has Mana; that is what was taught to everybody. Mana is one of the basic components of a living being's existence; without it, they're dead.
The difference could be seen in terms of quantity and quality. Some will be naturally born with more than others, and there are a lot of variables for this occurrence.
But while everybody has mana in them, not everybody can use it. Unawakened ones are the prime example. The mana of the unawakened is dormant until they experience their awakening ceremony.
After awakening, be it Combat, Lifestyle, or Hybrid, their mana starts becoming active.
To Combat Professionals, the Casters and the Fusion Class possess more mana and better quality of it compared to Warriors. This isn't to say that the mana of warriors is trash; it's just not on the same level as others.
Typically, the growth of a warrior's mana was slow. Some might even say 'abysmal.' And since mana was required to cast skills and spells to improve their effectiveness on the battlefield, most warriors would seek out ways to increase their mana reserves at least.
This could be done in various ways; the most popular were the Mana Training Manuals and/or taking supplements that could increase an individual's mana volume.
For warriors, having too much mana was impossible. After all, their bodies will always continue to grow, and that growth ensures that their bodies are able to handle the mana they have.
Of course, not all methods are accessible or available for everybody. Take TJ, for example; as much as he'd also like to increase his mana reserves, the supplements and mana training manuals available on the market are ridiculously expensive.
One ingredient for the supplements can fetch a price of one million geos, and that's the cheapest. This price can fluctuate depending on supply, demand, and rarity. The more effective the product is, the more expensive it will be, obviously.
But, there is a reason why many still sought them out. And it's because having more mana was better compared to having a miniscule amount.
TJ never expected that he'd be receiving a boost on his mana quantity by defeating Casters. That said, this was a pleasant surprise. He's not complaining at all.
In fact, he even decided to change his plans and fight more casters in the dream echo battlefield because he wanted to accumulate enough mana to qualify for the class he wanted to change into in the future.
Being a Warrior or a Caster is cool, but it's known to everybody that Fusion Classes are just different, and pretty much everybody was trying to become one.
TJ was no different.
Being a warrior was not bad; the same goes for being a caster. But he wants more, just like other people do.
Awakening as a warrior was okay, but staying as a warrior for the remainder of time isn't.
Changing to a new profession, preferably something coming from the Fusion Class, was everyone's dream. After all, Fusion classes are just way stronger.
Changing classes, though, was no easy feat. Most options will only be unlocked once the user's mana level has reached an appropriate degree.
And since he's gunning for a specific class for his first class transition. It would be wise for him to start accumulating more.
"Uh, excuse me."
A voice called out to his attention while he was at the general locker room. He looked over and saw that it was one of his fellow warriors, one that he didn't know the name of but somehow recognized anyway.
"You're Sieg's friend, right?"
"Yes? Why?" TJ suddenly felt an ominous feeling rising up his chest.
"Uh, you might want to check out what's happening at the training grounds. William, he...he's gone nuts, I think?"
TJ didn't even make the guy clarify his words because before he knew it, he was already marching towards the training grounds of the warrior camp.