The blue panel shimmered before me, displaying more information than ever before. My eyes flickered, scanning through every single word. A smile played on my face.
In that moment, as the ball of energy was only an inch away from me, I called out:
"[Phantom Step]!"
Instantly, I moved in silence, slow but precise. I took a step to my left and the next thing I knew, I was 10 meters away from my original position, just with a single step.
'What is this power?'
Already escaped, the ball of energy flew through into the forest, deep within before crashing into a tree and exploding with tremendous power.
The ground shook, trees waver, birds flew in terror as the crashed was made. I braced for the impact, covering my face with my elbow as dust and particles of leaves were evaporated, the entire region completely obliterated.
I stared, baffled, the entire space, the entire forest where tall trees the height of a three story building stood, were now completely obliterated. What had been a forest was now a field of nothing but sand and dust.
"Damn, that's so much destruction."
I turned back to the Mana-Beast, it stood proudly, unfazed by the destruction it had just cost, and was probably ready for the next one.
Only a quarter of the forest was obliterated, but was still a large portion. About one third of the entire forest. Although the surrounding area wasn't a forest anymore, but an open field.
I stood, face to face with the Mana-Beast, I knew it was going to attack again, of course it would, after all I wasn't caught by its attack.
Anyone would be pissed by now, and If the me who firstly arrived here was attacked with such a mighty force, I'm sure by now I'd be back at that black space, dead. Or perhaps nowhere.
'Thanks to the system, I was able to make it alive.'
I could still see the blue panel before me, the texts, boldly written. The first skill had been marked, turned from white to blue.
'Does the color change signify it had been used?'
That was the only logical explanation, which meant I was to use the other skills as well. The first skill, [Phantom Step] was really effective and quick, it was like I teleported from my initial position—to my current position.
I teleported? Is that even possible?
At this point, that wasn't a question anymore. I had just witnessed one third of a forest get destroyed by a ball engulfed with mana, so at this point anything was possible.
'I would have to get more information about it later.'
My gaze went back to the Mana-Beast. It stood, its gaze, also directly at me. It didn't move, nor made any gesture for a sign of an attack.
'Why is it just standing there? Is it cooking its next move?'
I was ready.
"Bring it on."
And just as though it heard me, the beast dashed towards me, its claw forward for an attack, however I could see it. Not just its movement, but its entire body—engulfed with mana.
'I see why it's called a Mana-Beast. It's completely made out of mana.'
With precise ease, I dodged using [Phantom Step] and found myself about 7 meters away from my initial position.
"I teleported, again?"
The Mana-Beast looked around puzzled, and then turned—I was already behind it. Upon seeing me, it displayed a confused and angry expression.
Of course I could understand why that was. It's probably shocking to see me behind it—wondering how I got there.
'Trust me buddy, it's also strange to me."
At the side of my eyes, the blue panel shimmered and my full gaze turned towards it.
"What?!"
The skill [Aetheric Sense] had turned blue.
'Did I use it already?'
Baffled, I was, but I couldn't just stand there and wonder as without warning the Mana-Beast had already charged towards me.
My gaze lingered and I saw it again, not its movement but the mana swirling in its entire body. It was a lot, as though created out of mana. And then it hit me.
'Is this Aetheric Sense?'
I smiled, and shifted my head to the right, it's claw slammed on the one tree behind me.
'Hmph."
I didn't move, I didn't run. I stood, my neck to the left as I had just dodged a blow from the Mana-Beast.
'Magnificent!'
We locked eyes, and the beast gave me an expression that said 'feeling cool now are we?'
I smiled.
It instantly removed its claw away and used the other one to try and pouch me, but again, I dodged it with only a slight move of my neck to the right.
'What is this?' — Is probably what the beast would be thinking at this moment.
However, I couldn't blame it. From what I saw earlier on the system, I had leveled up, meaning, completely different from who I was an hour ago.
The Mana-Beast stood like a man before me, with both its back legs standing, while the front were trying to land a perfect punch on my face,
However, it was only able to do that with the support of its wings. The winged flapped endlessly as it tried to maintain its balance, with all the punch it threw—which I simply dodged every one of them.
"I'm sick of this!"
I know I had one more skill left to try out. I closed my eyes trying to gather as much energy as I could.
Of course I thought about it first. If the Mana-Beast could use mana, then, that means I too should be able to use it, after all I'm in the body of someone from this world who's supposed to have mana within them.
My eyes were closed, but I could still see the Mana-Beast clearly before me, although I did not exactly see it as I would when my eyes were opened, more like I could see the mana inside it.
And with this mana, I could see its movement and entire body structure. It wasn't as though I could see the expression it makes.
'It doesn't work that way.'
With my eyes closed, I began feeling something building within me. It was strange. I didn't know what it was, but I guess mana could be the only answer—not as if I would know what mana felt like in the first place.
The energy burst inside me, it felt like fire, burning, only it wasn't hot, but warm, calm, almost as if I was one with it.
'What's this weird feeling.'
It stacked, but I knew it wasn't ready yet, I felt it coming, building, creating and re-arranging.
'Is it creating something?'
While I did this, the Mana-Beast didn't exactly let me off as it was still trying to land a perfect punch with its claws, but I could still see and dodge it, even though my eyes were closed.
Finally, it was done. My body was at ease. I could feel a certain energy coursing through my veins, it felt like power.
My eyes flickered open, a surge of light sparked through them. Seeing this the Mana-Beast immediately dashed away from me with a tremendous speed, almost 30 meters away.
I gazed, a smile played on my face.
"What is it? Are you not attacking?"
I took a step forward. Not with [Phantom Step], but a regular step. Seeing this, the Mana-Beast also took a step. But backwards.
'Hmph?'
"Is it frightened?"
I wasn't sure, but I was able to come up with a theory.
With my entire body buzzing with this strange energy, it was likely that the Mana-Beast could sense it, since it could be mana, and now avoiding me knowing I can beat it?
I wasn't sure. However, I took another step forward.
With this step, the Mana-Beast stook two steps backwards, and with my next, it took four steps backwards.
Now, I could feel it and it was the right time. I felt superior to this creature. There was no mistaking it. I had become strong.
My legs moved forward again, but this time the beast didn't move.
'What?'
I took another step, and it still didn't move. It stood its ground.
'What's going on?'
I had already sunk in the fact that it would grovel at my feet, but I forgot one thing.
This was still its territory.
The beast raised both wings, nothing much to say; I knew its next move.
"It's going to use THAT again?"
A smile played on my face. I already know all your techniques—played in my head.
However, to my surprise the Beast wasn't forming any energy in its mouth, and I could only think that it was going to charge at me again.
But something happened, before me a ball of energy was flying towards me, and with only a second before impact I dodged it.
'W…What was that?! I didn't see it coming until before impact.'
'Did it create a ball? But I didn't see it forming.'
As I thought, another ball of mana was shot right towards me with tremendous speed giving me only a few seconds to dodge it. However, even after I did, another one came flying, then another one, and before I knew it, multiple mana balls were fired at me, all at once.
They weren't as big as the one that destroyed the forest, but they were efficient.
I moved precisely, dodging every single one of them, but struggled a bit. It wasn't easy but the job was done.
"It would seem I'd underestimated you!"
I gazed at the beast and it gazed right back at me. I could see it panting, it would seem like all that burst of energy was weighing on it already.
"I guess it's time we wrap this up?"
I stepped forward, walking towards it. My fist clenched, my eyes sharp. It was time, I could feel it, the energy inside me was boiling.
Seeing my approach, the Mana-Beast set a stance, and I could tell it was going to be its final strike.
"Okay then. I would respect this commitment of yours."
My legs halted, only 20 meters away from the beast. It resumed the usual stance, I was ready.
'There is it.'
Its mouth opened and a massive ball of mana began forming before it. The energy shook, absorbing and condensing everything it took into it.
"Oh?… Are you gonna use all your strength now?"
I stood, unfazed as the breeze blew. The entire area was shaking from the force of the ball forming. It was tremendous, massive, more than the last one.
But, I was unfazed.
"Bring it on."
In that moment, the Mana-Beast released the energy, sending it flying towards me, I didn't move, not for the first few seconds. I could see everything with my [Aetheric Sense], I could tell this would be catastrophic.
A few meters before me, I stretched my right hand and called:
"[Stellar Spark]!"
I had expected something to happen, but nothing did. Then, the mana ball came crashing onto my hand, I could feel it, hot, strong, heavy. I tried pushing it back, but it was too much to even move with my strength.
Then it happened, before my eyes the ball began shrinking, its size reducing by the second. Before I could comprehend what was actually going on, the entire ball of mana completely vanished.
I stared, confused.
"What just happened?"
I gazed at the Mana-Beast and I could see the confusion in its eyes also. Then…
[Ding! Mana Detected!]
I could feel a strange energy in my body, different from the one earlier.
[A Large Portion Of Mana Has Entered Your System!]
[Your Body Isn't Compatible With Mana!]
[Mana Rejected!]
"What?!"
'Did I absorb that ball of mana?'
[Mana too vast to subside!]
[New Solution Identified: Mana Conversion!]
[Mana Would Be Filtered And Covered Into 'Aether'!
[Processing…%…%…% Done!]
[Aether Has Been Replenished!]
[Releasing, skill 'Stellar Spark' ]
My hands were still stretched, I could feel the strange energy that was inside my body already sinking and turning into the initial one.
"Is this Aether."
My hand felt heavy, something was going on, something was happening. And with the mention of [Stellar Star]?
At the tip of my hand I felt the energy forming, something was coming out, and then.
A massive energy materialized and fired in a straight line towards the Mana-Beast, causing a massive explosion.
'I thought it said Stellar Spark? A spark! This isn't a spark.'
The energy finished firing from my hand, I placed it down.
I stared at the distance where the energy had crashed. The explosion was so vast that it destroyed the second half of the forest, second-third I'd say.
'Where is the Mana-Beast?'
The dust began settling, my gaze landing on what looked like the beast. Its body laid on the ground, lifeless, and I knew there could only be one explanation.
"Is it dead?"