"Okay! Let's see, what do we have here?" I checked the window panel and viewed all the details written about me and my manifestation.
[Name: Than
Age: 24 years old
Sex: Male
Race: Human Race
Rank: Unknown
Origin: Unknown
Manifest: Aqua Manifestation]
'Origin: Unknown' It seems like the system does not recognize the world where I came from. I also scanned this window and did not see anything like my current level is. From the novels and mangas I've read, the majority of them have a level bar so they can see how well they have improved. How can I know mine though? Huh? The window does have ranks on its details but mine is 'Unknown'? The heck does that mean? Am I just too weak?This shit is stressing me out. I have ultimate skill but it's locked and my rank is unknown. I'll just check my abilities and skills first.
[Basic Skill:
Aqua Blade (D rank)
Details: Gather up water to create an aquatic sword. It can inflict pain to the target and is compared as if being stabbed however it does not make the target bleed.
Note: Can make multiple aqua swords up to five counts at a time. Shape can also be forged into something different as long as its purpose serves the same as the initial form.
Tutorial: Place your left hand at the top of your right hand (face both palms with each other) and move your left hand counter-clockwise. Make sure that your hands are leveled with your chest and recite the word "Aqua Blade'']
Wow! It has a tutorial! It seems like I'll be doing a lot of hand moves to execute a manifest.
"Okay Ara, here I go!" I informed Ara that I will be doing my skill now.
I followed the instructions written on the window panel and placed my left hand on top of my right hand. As I began to move my left hand counter-clockwise, I saw a part of the pond that formulated something and water began to sprout. By the time that my left thumb is on the way to reach my right thumb, some unknown figures and letters keep on circulating inside of glowing rings and these rings are revolving in both of my wrists. When my left thumb finally touches my right thumb, the figures and letters stop circulating and the circles get bigger and shinier, that's the time that I decided to call its name.
"Aqua Blade!" Upon saying those words, a medium-size water blade appeared in front of me. It looks very simple though. Not grand as I thought it would be. But how do I maneuver it? I move my right hand and the water blade also moves. I aim for a tree in front of me and it successfully hits the tree.
"Aha! Look at what I've done Ara! I look amazing right?" I proudly boast my first performance to that little creature.
"Huh? I did not see it though? I am drinking right? Lalala lala." Huh! What cheap acting. She acts like a literal child. Maybe she is indeed a child?
"Look at that damned tree Ara, there's a water blade stuck to it." I growled at her.
"Okay! Okay! I'll see it so stop being a child now." She complied while pouting her face at me. She came close to the tree I aimed at and she looked at the water blade I aimed at it.
"Than-sama, look here." She called me out. I came closer to her to see what happened.
"Your water blade stuck to it but it did not cut it." She pointed out. She's right though. Although the blade is still stuck at the tree, it looks like the tree has never been hit. Are we going to survive here with this? Oh good lord, it is better to jump off a cliff than continue living like this. I'm gonna feed myself with monsters and I'm not going to fight it out.
"Than-sama, can I play with the birds now?" She excitedly asked for my permission. This little creature, I need some motivational words right now and you're going to ask me to let you play? How dare you! But, maybe, she is a child so I'm going to let her be free.
"Go ahead. Don't play too far from here." I always talk shit in my mind but I'm not like some old strict guy, you know. I look like I am some sort of Ara's uncle now. Ahh. This is crazy. I will be more crazy than this because I don't think we will survive in this world. Okay! Let's see my next skill now.
[Aqua Defense: D rank
Details: Gather up water to create an aquatic shield. It serves to protect the bearer from direct attack. Can take a different form as long as it serves the same purpose as its initial form.
Note: Can make up to three defensive shields at a time. When the other shield is created far from the bearer, the shield will be less effective than the shield the bearer has. The maximum distance a shield can be deployed must be within a five meter radius. Every meter away from the bearer will be reduced by 25% effectiveness. The other shield will be automatically deployed to the bearer's company.
Tutorial: Raise your right hand parallel to your shoulder.Rotate your right hand to desired output and immediately close your hand. When you close your hand, place it on your left chest and recite the word "Aqua Defense".]
Oh shit, that's kind of hard to follow. But I still need to practice it because it may be more useful than that damn aqua blade. I followed the instructions by raising up my right hand in line with my shoulder and another magical ring with unknown figures and letters appeared on my wrist again. This time, the figures are rotating slower than before. I analyzed the symbol written in that ring and guess what? I can't understand a single damn thing. But I notice that there are roman numerals from five to one rotating inside the circle. There's also a fixed hand of a clock at the top center of the ring. I also notice that the next number that will touch the fixed hand thing will be the roman numeral of one so I quickly close my hand and bring it to my left chest. As I brought my hands back to my chest, droplets of water began forming a shape in front of me.
"Aqua Defense!" I shouted like there's no tomorrow. The shield completely takes its form and it's also mid. When I say mid, it looks like just a literal shield but made out of water. And of course I tested it out. I search for a big stone around and I plan to hit the stone with the shield by slamming my body on it. I stepped backward and ran toward that big stone and ended up hurting my arms because that shield is the shitiest of all shields I've seen in my whole life. This shield is so fragile and cannot take a single impact.
"Ara, can you help me for a little bit?" I called Ara to help me throw some small rocks to know how low can this shield go.
"Help me throw some rocks after I created the shield."
"Sir yes sir!" She excitedly saluted me and gathered some rocks to throw at me. I repeat what I did before and wait for her to hit one before I lock it out.
"Aqua defense!" After I recite the skill, Ara immediately throws me some rocks and after the third rock, the shield gives up.
"Thanks, Ara. You can go back to play around."
Damn, I think I can survive if some kid bullied me and decided to throw some rocks at me.
After several attempts of making my blade hit better and making my shield become more durable, I saw the sunset through the reflection of it in the water. I will continue training tomorrow and decided to gather tree branches to make a fire.
"Ara, you said you can hear anyone within 25 kilometers in radius. Do you know how far we are from a nearby village?"
"I think the nearest village is within 7 kilometers by now. Are we gonna go there, Than-sama?"
"No, we need to rest. We might encounter some wild animals or monsters along the way so it is better to spend the night here."
"Twitty said that it is safe here. It said that this pond is protected by forest guardians."
"Twitty? Who is that?"
"The bird I was playing with before. Hihi."
"Good to know that. Are you hungry? I reserved some apples for us."
I offered her the apples I kept before. I felt relieved knowing that this part of the forest is protected by a guardian. I don't think I can protect us with the little powers I have. When the darkness enveloped the night, I rested my back in front of the tree that I aimed to practice my blade and I asked Ara to sit on my shoulder and let her rest here. I can barely see her and I might end up crushing her if I let her sleep beside me. As I stared at the several blades I made, it made me happy that even though they did not cut this tree, they never lost a single drop of water from the moment I made them. Can I bring them back to the pond? I worry that the forest guardian will get angry with me since I wasted their clean water. Maybe I'll check the window panel to see if there's a tutorial to reverse the skill.
"Ara, are you sleeping?" I called her to see if she could see the window panel in front of me.
"Yes, Than-sama?" She answered while being a little sleepy.
"Can you see some screen in front of me? I'm touching it. Can you see it?"
"No, Than-sama. What do you mean?"
"Nothing, go ahead and sleep now."
As expected. I can only see it. I will just check if there's a way to bring back the water I borrow from the pond. I opened the window panel and there's no tutorial for it. I am physically tired now and I don't want to stress myself out so I close my eyes, raise my left hand and imagine myself pulling those blades out of the tree. When I opened my eyes I saw the blades I made turn into a bunch of water floating mid-air.
"Ara! Look I m-"
I was about to tell Ara that I made it when I saw her sleeping on my shoulder. I let out a little smile and slowly dragged the water back to the pond. Thank God. It was manageable to learn things here.
After I successfully brought back the water I used to create blades, I sorted out what I learned today. So, when manifesting the basic skill I have, I commonly use my right hand to draw out water from the pond. It is safe to say that I can manifest things using my right hand. To draw back the water I used, I discovered that I can do it using my left hand. It's been less than a day since I came into this world and I feel tired more than ever. I thought I'm going to be a set of dust scattered in the wind after my accident but here I am, back to struggling to learn how to survive. But compared to my previous life, it seems a little better. No one expects me to do better. It's just us trying to survive and call it a day after. It feels a little better at least. As I reminisced about what I've done from my previous life, I started to feel sleepy. I plan to stay the whole night to protect ourselves but since Ara said that it is safe here, I let my drowsiness take over my will to stay awake.
"Than-sama." When I closed my eyes, I heard some dude calling out my name. Who the heck is that? Am I dreaming? I think so.
"Than-sama, how are you feeling?" The dude kept calling me and it's creeping me out.
"Who are you?" I asked him back.
"Follow me, Than-sama." He insisted. How can I follow him if I can't see him? Are you joking?
"Where are you?? Can you atleast show your face first?" After I asked that I felt something was looking at me from behind.
"I am here, Than-sama." I slowly turned my head back and I saw a big ass mirror. My shirts' slowly disappearing and that shits confirms to me that I am indeed dreaming. As I witnessed how this dream feels like assaulting me, I saw once again, how masculine I look with all of my tattoos. I am glad I still have them on my back. I checked if all of my tattoos are still the same when I notice that one of my tattoos is glowing. My Capricorn tattoo is glowing! What the hell is happening?? As I stared at this capricorn symbol, I felt a screeching pain as if someone was remarking on my tattoo.
"Aaaaagghhh!" I feel like I am going to burst.
"Than-sama!" The guy called me again but I barely hear him because all I feel is it's really painful.
"Than-sama!"