Looking on at all the surrounding mana motes and their haphazard, random movements, I reconsider my understanding of the world around me.
If all mana is sentient and exhibits traits similar to the one who'd just zapped me, then perhaps there's more to the system than the simple manipulation of the elements.
This is something that no other human could've come to understand as being able to sense mana is not of our physiology, something circumvented with my own experimental system.
As the last bits of smoke induced by my passive regeneration ability begins to die out, I clench my fist, feeling as strong as I was prior.
But wait, didn't I heal a little quicker than usual? Typically, these type of burn injuries take around ten minutes to fully recuperate, yet this one was only within the timeframe of two minutes.
Looking to the bottom left corner of my vision, I open my status window to reach an understanding of where I stand in terms of abilities.
"Woah..."
Name: Nash Azrael
Age: 18
Race: Human
Affiliation: Azrael Family (Outcast)
Physical Stats:
Stat Points: 81
Strength: 17
Agility: 0
Vitality: 0
Intelligence: 20
Luck: 5
Abilities:
[Pain Resistance: Level 2]
[Slash Resistance: Level 1]
[Bite Resistance: Level 1]
[Acid Resistance: Level 1]
[Enhanced Healing: Level 2]
[Enhanced Strength: Level 1]
[Enhanced Deduction: Level 2]
[Swordsmanship: Level 1]
[Mana Sense: Level 1]
[Checkpoint: Level 1]
Skills:
[Energy Allocation]
[Mana Infusion]
[Night Vision]
[Abyss Archive]
[ʄɭαχ-ϝɛŗη]
[Mana Skin]
It felt as if the world itself halted as my head began to spin, the shock igniting me like a thunderbolt to metal as I was left frozen from the after-shock.
"Eigh-eighty one? I have to be reading this wrong..."
Using both hands to rub my eyes, I refocus my eyes so that I may reread the text.
I scan over my skills, which all maintain roughly the same descriptions, but what most stands out is the fact that three of them have leveled up.
That would explain why I've been able to take huge gashes and not instantly reel in pain, but that then begs the question of how exactly I was to be made aware that my abilities were leveling up.
"I have eighty one stat points? And what's up with these skills that I've leveled up? Deduction, Healing, and Pain Resistance were not always level two."
The system, sensing the subject of my question, began to conjure a response.
"Your current stat points are a result of killing 163 arachnids. And while skills develop irrespective of stat points, you have leveled the three you've mentioned through either repeated usage or innovations made."
Feeling the exact same frustration I felt when I first learned of the system's capacity to talk, I made no effort to hide my disdain--considering the system's link to my psyche.
"I suppose that makes sense, but then why didn't you tell me?"
The system--made recipient of my uncurdled rage--stuttered for a brief moment, more than likely ruminating about a valid response.
"Well, you were informed in the form of a prompt that popped up in your vision, you may have just been so focused on the fight that you didn't see it."
Surprised by how human the system's responses were beginning to be, I sat on its words, eventually ascertaining that there may be validity in its account.
"Okay, but from now on, don't be afraid to tell me, verbally, that a skill has leveled up. That would be really great information to have on hand."
Allowing a smile to form on my face, I make a sort of metaphysical hand shake as I feel the resonance between my mind and the system's, a sensation so unfamiliar I'm unsure if one could even call it a 'sensation'.
"Understood."
With little left to say in that regard, I look again at my stats window which has been sitting to the side this entire time.
Hmmm... I wonder where to put my stats...
I've already largely accepted the possibility for luck being important for progression, but I've still yet to iron out just what build I'm going to be running.
This is almost exactly like RPGs in the sense that there are actual stat points affect my physicals in ways that are material, unlike the typical legacy systems a select few are born with that, while communicative, don't allow the user to grow interact with it in any meaningful way.
If I am to be reborn and avenge both myself and my family, then it is of utmost importance that I use this newfound power to its fullest capability.
"If you want my opinion, you should put twenty stat points into luck, thirty into vitality, fifteen into agility, and sixteen into strength."
Thinking about the system's suggestion for a second, it does seem to hold its own merit. Of my understanding, vitality increases health and mana while strength increases physical strength.
With the way things stand now, my weakest points as a combatant are my lack of durability and my inability to sufficiently damage opponents without supplementation through mana, a habit that I'll have to discard if I wish to survive in this world.
"There seems to be merit in your statement, so I'll listen to you."
Again smiling, I could feel a semblance of happiness be transferred to me from an outside source, indicative of the system's emotion.
Whatever this system is, it must be conscious.
Putting my stat points into vitality first, my mana begins to surge rapidly as my pores struggle to contain the sheer force of my life energy, propelling itself outwards from my body in a three-meter radius.
The fiery-blue aura getting larger and larger with each stat point allocated to vitality, I simultaneously feel a glow begin to form in my muscle and skin, my body becoming more and more hardened.
"This thing sure does work."
After the last stat points were put into vitality, my mana had such outreach that I felt as if all the enemies I've faced prior are infinitesimal in scale.
With this much outstanding mana, I may even be able to replicate my feats that I needed energy allocation applied to my body for.
Doing the same for luck and agility, I again feel no difference, but leave it up to their respective aspects being less visible and more something I would just have to test out later.
And finally, to allocate the remainder of my stats to strength.
As each stat point is inserted, I feel my muscles bulge even more, my meek four pack transitioning into a full-blown six pack as my arms, shoulders, and legs all appropriately grew.
Eventually, once I was done inserting the stat points, my body was so toned that I could've passed as a prolific lifter--although with today's technology, it only really takes around a month to get physically fit--.
"Well, I'll consider this a major bonus."