Chương 6: Master Of None

Ray spent another hour or so with the personnel. Turns out, Bolt was a well-researched Ability, and the System had a directory where he could learn more about the finer workings of his new skill. After getting a better understanding of Bolt, Ray was led to another room in the west wing. He was greeted by a burly man with a magnificent beard. The man introduced himself as Smith and told Ray he would be in charge of getting him outfitted with battlegear.

The armor wouldn't come out of his contribution points, but any alterations or enhancements would.

"You have an idea about what you want to specialize in, kid?" Smith asked. Ray explained that he wanted to actually focus on all 3 attributes, and Smith gave him a stern look in response.

"You know that will only work in the early Stages, right?" the burly man asked.

"You might have a lot of versatility in the beginning, but the people who are focusing on their strengths will quickly outpace you." Ray made a face that said he was sure of his choice. Smith sighed and turned around before continuing.

"You're going to need decent enhancements if you want to make up for your attributes. Health, Stamina, and Mana enhancements are gonna run ya' 100 points each. After that, I suggest getting water breathing and fall resistance. I can do the whole lot for 550." Ray stared in awe at the man, who he thought was akin to a blacksmith but turned out to be a crafty salesman. Ray grudgingly agreed to the purchase, and Smith went on to explain how the enhancements worked. They came from Runes.

Runes were symbols that carried traces of Mana. They were usually complex forms of calligraphy that carried the Intent of the user. It was a technique modeled after the Sky Kingdom's Golems. Only people who had comprehended the 4th level of Dark Mana or Space could inscribe them. Runes were engraved into the armor. Each Rune would have a smaller version of an Essence, called a Fragment, embedded in the middle. These Fragments would give the effect of whatever their name suggested.

Health Runes increased your overall vitality, making you less susceptible to poisons, venoms, and overall damage to the body. Stamina Runes worked like shots of adrenaline. They could be activated to give the wearer a small dose of Nul Mana into their bloodstream. This would remove most fatigue and make staying on the move easier. Mana Runes were usually in the basic shape of one's Mana Ways. This Rune would help with Mana regeneration and overall control.

Also providing an emergency injection of Mana to replenish one's reserves. Water breathing and fall resistance were self-explanatory, allowing for underwater breathing and decreasing the kinetic force from high drops. Smith took barely an hour to make Ray's armor, and he was rather pleased with the design. The armor was form-fitting and had no joint restrictions. Black leather-like material wrapped around his torso and midsection, interwoven by webs of straps.

The armor was all one piece, and the black leather-like boots and silver metal greaves blended into the leather suit underneath. A thin belt wrapped around his midsection, sporting half a dozen chain links supporting the large pouch attached to the belt. Small plates made of silver metal were strategically placed on all his vital areas, making the armor plates look as if they were simply glued onto his leather suit. The armor looked a lot like Clive's, only missing the hood and the overall assassin vibe.

Smith sent Ray away with a grin that said, 'you got scammed.' Ray decided to wait for a member of the personnel to arrive and direct him to the next stop. The personnel member mentioned getting a weapon would be the last stop, and that was what he was most excited for. The weapon facility was a giant complex covered wall to wall with various weapons. Most were weapons a human would hold and use, while some were closer to large tanks and mech-suits.

Ray was directed by a staff member to a monitor that he used the System to interact with. The monitor listed all the different styles of weapons the GLMB offered and their contribution point prices. Ray spent well over 10 minutes sorting out the things he wasn't interested in. Bow and arrow? No. Huge hammer? No. Maybe a long spear? No. Deep down, Ray wanted to live out his fantasy of being the edge-lord with a giant sword. Every hero he could immediately think of carried a big sword.

It was a staple of what made someone a badass. Hell, even Clive had a big sword, and he was easily the coolest guy he had met since coming here. Other than Burgen, of course. That guy was cool in an "authoritative figure that could kill you" sort of way. Adding the man to the list of masculine figures to imitate when in doubt. Right up there with Holland. There was one problem with fulfilling Ray's dream, though. The cheapest "big sword" that he saw was 200 contribution points.

Ray called up his own balance with the System. [Contribution points: 150] He was annoyingly close, but not close enough. Finding a filter option, Ray decided to see what he could even get for 150 points. Most of the weapons seemed like glorified toys, and he couldn't really see himself conquering the magical world with them. Just as he was ready to give up, one of the listings caught his eye. [Black Blade Caestus] The name aside, the weapon's description left much to be desired. [Hand wrappings made of Beast hide. Load with Mana to cause blades to appear in rows along the wrappings.] The System gave Ray more information about the caestus, painting a much more promising picture. The blades were closer to razor blades than anything else and could be loaded with Nul Mana or even the Lightning Mana from his Bolt Ability. They seemed rather versatile, and that would actually be a perfect fit for the style he was going for. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

Ray's plan was a loose one, since one didn't know exactly what Abilities they would get, but he knew Tech would be able to fill the gaps. Creating his own Tech was the key to his plan, and in order to make good Tech, he needed a style that would allow the utmost versatility. The caestus cost exactly 150 points. Ray bought them and made his way back to his room. - Now that the day's work had been completed, Ray found himself alone in his room in a deafening silence.

He had managed to distract himself with all the development, but now that he was alone, a sea of melancholy filled his mind. The memories he had buried deep down suddenly flashed in his mind. The constant rush of the last few days, no longer present to distract him. Was any of this even... real?

'Am I even a real person?' he thought.

'None of this feels real. Was my other life even real?'

'Shit.' Unsure of himself and not the least bit tired, Ray did the only thing he could think of. He put on his battlegear. The thick leather squeaked as he pulled the suit on to his thin frame. - Outfitted in his new battlegear, Ray made his way to the familiar training facility. It was well past working hours, meaning the halls were completely vacant on his way there. It felt like an abandoned factory, the voices he took for granted now louder in their silence.

Ray only felt like this was a sign of him not belonging here. Not just the GLMB, but this world. This life. He could tell it was rejecting him. This only sent him spiraling further, and by the time he reached the complex, he ran into the room in a frenzy. His eyes pulsed with the System's green glow, and sparks of electricity flashed out of his arms and legs like grease from a hot pan. Mimicking the first morning he awoke here, the young man began to fly around the room.

Ray wasn't consciously doing it, but at this moment, he was taking inspiration from his very first Ability and on the cusp of creating something new. He drew on the Lightning Mana from its Essence, and instead of allowing the Bolt Ability to take over and continue forming, he pushed it throughout all his Mana Ways. The surge in power felt like a drug. He mimicked the routes Clive sent him on, and as if responding to his plight, the System began to conjure obstacles for him to maneuver through.

Every step pushed his speed higher and higher. Bolts of golden lightning coiled around his limbs like snakes made of pure energy. Ripples of electricity were left in his wake as Ray flung his body at stranger angles and at increasingly higher speeds.

'Don't think,' he thought to himself. Ray jumped, and his body flew across the room before he tucked his upper half and flipped over, landing on his feet. Using the momentum from his landing, the black-haired teen tossed his body in a wide arc, his head just centimeters from the ground. Not missing a beat, he dove through a System-conjured tunnel and rocketed out the other side, scaling a high wall.

'Don't think!' The room went dark, and a low red light replaced the normal fluorescent white. The walls seemed to grow as metal reinforcements covered them, and the room seemed to pulse with Mana. Ray took this as a sign and flung himself at the adjacent wall. Pulling his arm back and tensing all his muscles, he threw a punch with all his strength. Boom! The System indicated he used Bolt, making his punch hit like a grenade. The room reverberated with the sound of thunder as a loud explosion rang out.

The force of the blast sent Ray flying away from the wall. Mid-air, Ray brought his knees to his chest and corrected his trajectory, now falling toward a wall with an incline. At the very last moment, his feet stuck out, and he used the momentum of landing to carry his body into a somersault. The air pulsed with electricity as bolts of golden lightning left Ray's feet, and he flew nearly 10 meters into the air.

The System indicated that Bolt once again activated and caused the lightning to send him exploding upward. Ray was pushing on the thing holding him back. He could feel it.

'DON'T THINK!' The Beast hide wraps around his hands seemed to respond to Ray's emotions, as small but incredibly sharp blades formed rows of jagged edges. Golden sparks of electricity coated the blades, and a basketball-sized orb of lightning formed as Ray swung a closed fist at the incoming wall. BOOM! Ray was once again flung away due to the force of his attack. This time, a System message appeared, but before he could read it, Ray slammed into the wall.

The teen bounced off the reinforced plating like a rubber ball. His bones rattled and his whole body seemed to let out a low groan as he fell face-first on the ground. He immediately lost consciousness. - Ray woke up seconds later, barely noticing he had blacked out. In the few seconds he lost consciousness, the room had returned to its original lighting and furniture arrangement. This was when he finally noticed the multiple System messages.

[Technique developed] [Unnamed Tech, Rank 0] [User has developed their first Technique. Emergency Mission assigned] [Mission complete] [Reward: Tech Rank upgrade] [System will now automatically upgrade quality of User: Raymond Foley's Tech] Ray felt a flood of information enter his mind, and all the things he had done subconsciously were laid out in his head. He understood innately the best way to use this Tech and the many different ways it could be utilized.

The name came to him at the same time the System message appeared. [Technique: Mana Circuit Rank: 1] [Mana Circuit: Circulate Elemental Mana through Mana Ways directly to and from the Essence] Ray couldn't believe his eyes. This changed everything. This removed the delay from changing elements, making his plan all the more plausible.

'I can actually use each element!' he thought.

'This means I have to actually train each attribute.'

'Who knows what Abilities I'll get from 7 different kinds of Essence, but if I'm going to make use of them, I'll need every attribute stacked.' The plan Ray had been using to distract himself suddenly became a reality. All the doubts he had seemed to trickle away. No. They were still there. Only overshadowed by the excitement he felt. If he managed to make this work, he could be powerful! Deep down, that's all he had ever wanted. His life had always felt meaningless, but maybe this was the meaning.

Become powerful enough to stop people like his father from dying to the Beasts. Become a beacon of hope for this war-torn world. Be the hero he had always revered.

'I can shoot lightning out of my hands, for fuck's sake,' he mused.

'How magical do things have to be before I can feel like I'm living in a fantasy world?' This world may be the only place he had the chance to be anything he wanted. Surprisingly, what he wanted to be was always right in front of him. Years of wishing for a reason to live or a drive to keep him going. Through it all, Ray just wanted to be happy. He just wanted to win.

'The only way to keep from losing is to become better.' The words of Burgen rang in his mind. It felt like a random statement from the man, but now the words struck home.

'He's right, and I'll become the best,' he thought.

'I will use everything at my disposal.'

'A master of none, huh?' Ray sat up and let out a long sigh before a devilish grin grew on his face.

'I'll show them.'