Fenrir's next stop was to head straight to one of the sparring rooms that could be rented by the hour for a small fee. Walking through the sturdy wooden door, Fenrir looked around at the large room with a packed dirt floor and a large ring drawn in the center for sparring.
But Fenrir wasn't here to spar. He just needed a place with no prying eyes. Walking to the center of the room, Fenrir took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and turned his attention inward.
Almost instantly, a giant sea of bright blue water appeared in his mind's eye, serving as a mental representation of Fenrir's magical reserves. Being born with an innate magical aptitude, this wasn't the first time Fenrir had managed to view what Terran called his core space.
But since the Awakening Ritual, Fenrir's reserves had ballooned to a monstrous size, 'I probably have the mana pool of a level five adventurer without any traits or items to boost my capabilities. Which would be nice if I had an affinity to cast spells with.'
The reason why affinities were so important was because they dictated what spells a person could cast at higher levels. For instance, anybody with even the weakest fire affinity could cast a basic fireball spell. However, a person with a higher fire affinity could modify the spell with less difficulty, use less mana per cast, and even learn how to quick-cast the spell, allowing them to shorten or entirely skip the need for verbal incantations.
This aspect was even more critical at higher levels when spells could take several seconds or minutes to cast and required massive amounts of mana.
But without an affinity, almost every single spell would be impossible for Fenrir to cast, but it wasn't just spells that required an affinity. Even melee classes used magic to enhance their fighting style, like coating their weapons in fire or creating stone armor.
'Then where does that leave me? While it might not make much of a difference now, I'll be left behind as soon as people start unlocking their classes.
Wracking his brain for ideas, Fenrir thought of everything his mother had taught him about magic, 'Summoning familiars might be an option, but the rituals are costly, and the results are still somewhat dependent on the affinity of the summoner.'
Fenrir felt his anger start to surge, and in response, his core space began to froth like a deep sea storm, 'I can't rely on my innate magic so early on. It would draw too much attention, but maybe I could simulate it.'
Reaching into his mana pool, Fenrir imagined holes opening in the walls of his core space, letting his mana spill out. There was a soft whoosh of air, and Fenrir opened his eyes to see a cloud of dirt surrounding him as his mana poured into the area around him like a physical force.
While the effect definitely looked cool, it made Fenrir a beacon, as even the most magically inept person would sense him from a mile away. His mana was also draining at a furious rate, and it would only be a few minutes before Fenrir passed out from mana exhaustion.
Flexing his will, Fenrir reined in his mana, forcing it to stay inside his body. After a second, the aura around Fenrir suddenly cut off as his body swelled with power, and his eyes glowed with a subtle blue light.
Clenching and unclenching his fist, Fenrir smiled at the raw strength brimming within him. Then his Focus began to hum with a slew of unviewed messages.
[You have gained the Skill: Novice Mana Manipulation]
[Skill: Novice Mana Manipulation]
Description: Improves the ability of the user to control
mana both inside and outside their body.
Effects:
-5% mana cost to all spells and abilities
[You have created the Ability: Mana Enhancement]
[Ability: Mana Enhancement]
Rarity: Uncommon
Cost: Sufficient Mana
Duration: Channeling
Effect: Allows the user to greatly enhance their physical strength and stamina at a cost of mana every second.
Grinning, Fenrir equipped his Kanabo and was happy to see the manacle was already secured around his wrist. Hefting the war club with one hand, Fenrir brought the war club down in an overhead strike that slammed into the ground with a loud thud.
Once the dust cleared, Fenrir stared down at the small crater in the hard-packed dirt, and his grin almost split his face in two.
Fenrir grunted as he rolled to the side, avoiding the Warg that sailed through the air where he had been, its wide jaws snapping shut with an audible clack. Shooting back up to his feet, Fenrir's Kanabo sliced through the air with a backhand swing of his arm, catching a goblin in the chest, sending it flying with a spray of blood and the crunch of broken bones.
Pushing aside the pain as yet another one of his freshly healed cuts opened, Fenrir launched himself forward, aiming for a short goblin dressed in a tribal cloak decorated with arcane symbols drawn in blood and bone fragments and wielding a tall staff topped with the skull of an unknown beast.
Seeing Fenrir coming for him, the Goblin belted out a chant in its guttural language as it waved its staff through the air. A second later, the staff started to glow with a brown light, and Fenrir felt the ground beneath him shift.
Throwing himself forward, Fenrir barely dodged the large stone spike that shot up from the ground with the speed of a full-drawn arrow. Turning his tumble into a roll, Fenrir came up on one knee as he cocked his arm back and threw his Kanabo with all his strength.
The weapon whistled as it shot through the air before it slammed into the Goblin's face with a spray of blood and teeth. Before Fenrir could move to finish the monster off, a heavy weight slammed into his back before something clamped down on his shoulder, cutting through flesh and muscle until it hit Fenrir's bone.